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Back Seasons of Chaos
Chapters (70)
  1. Dedication
  2. Prologue
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. 54
  57. 55
  58. 56
  59. 57
  60. 58
  61. 59
  62. 60
  63. 61
  64. 62
  65. Epilogue
  66. Acknowledgments
  67. About the Author
  68. Books by Elle Cosimano
  69. Back Ad
  70. About the Publisher

My clenched fists shake at my sides. Doug’s figured it all out. How to wield the earth magic. How to use me to make Seasons. He has everything he wants. And now he has Jack. Doug’s last remaining weakness is me. “Stop it! If you kill him, it will destroy me. The pain of it will haunt you. I will haunt you.”

“You already do.” He adjusts his grip on the scythe, his eye burning with hatred as he smiles at Jack. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this.” He takes a step toward the stairs, but I’m faster. If he’s going to cut Jack down, he’ll have to go through me.

I leap down the bandstand steps, my mind already fighting to loosen the root from Jack’s ankle. “Get up!” I shout to him. Jack shakes out of the root’s grip, and my mind slips free of the plant as Jack kicks it away from him. I’m running to him, only feet away from his outstretched hands when my legs lock up. My body jolts to a stop, the momentum nearly toppling me forward into Jack’s arms as Doug slides like a serpent into the deepest recesses of my thoughts. I feel him stretch, taking up every last corner of space, pulling me back to him. A tear slides down my cheek. “Run, Jack! Go!”

Jack’s eyes open wide with shock as I drop to my knees. As Doug’s magic drags me down like a stone. “I’m not leaving you,” Jack says, kneeling in front of me. He takes me by my shoulders. They’re shaking with the effort of resisting Doug’s will.

“Listen,” Jack says urgently, his hands framing my face. “I know I made you a promise at the villa before they took you. I know I told you I’d never leash us to this place again. But I also promised you I would come up with a way to fix this and get us out of here. And to do that, I need you to trust me.” Jack’s hand slides into his pocket. “Whatever happens next, forgive me.”

Something cold circles my wrist. A coil of braided metals. I feel Doug stumble off the bandstand toward us. The heavy thump of his staff against the grass. Jack’s fingers slide into a patch of dirt between us.

“I’m sorry, Fleur. I’m so sorry!” His hands fly up, scattering mud in my eyes.

I cry out, clawing at my face.

I can’t see. Can’t open my eyelids.

Behind me, Doug screams. I fall forward into Jack’s arms as Doug loses his grip on my mind.