BooksBarbecue
Back Seasons of Chaos Save as PDF
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

Jack ducks and taps my leg, presumably to hoist me toward the tree. I grab his head and pull him upright, bringing his face to mine. I reach out with my mind, tracing my connection back to Doug’s, grabbing hold of my magic and reeling it toward me. Gaia’s magic clings to me as I drag a small finger of her power inside me, then through me, until a tiny flicker of it warms the breath inside my lungs.

Hands tangled in Jack’s hair, I press my mouth to his. I think about our kiss at the pond. The snow. The ice. The winter scent of his breath and the frost on his skin. I remember the way that kiss tasted as I seal our lips together and sparks of magic pass between us. In case it’s the last time we’re together. In case this is all I have left to give him.

Doug screams my name. The raw, raging sound of it echoes through the park.

Jack whispers goodbye against my lips. That he loves me.

He kneels again, giving me a leg up. I slide my mind into the tree before Doug can get close enough to steal my will to do it. The long branch rustles, lifting me over the iron fence and setting me down gently on the other side. My eyes sting as I blink them open, struggling to see Jack one last time as I back away from the fence and my feet find the Meridian.

55

Clinging to Its Last

image

DOUG

Hand pressed to my eye, I stagger toward the Royal Observatory. Every blink is agony. Through the blur, I spot Jack. He stands beside the clock, gripping the bars of the fence, watching something on the other side. I don’t see Fleur anywhere, but I feel her, standing inside the fence line. Magic pulses through the ground beneath her feet—the Prime Meridian.

No. No, no, no!

“I’m here!” she shouts as I run for the gate. Fleur’s red-rimmed eyes find me through the bars. Her fear shudders through me as I seize hold of her mind and will her to come to me.

Jack touches his ear. “Now, Chill!”

Something on Fleur’s wrist begins to glow. She stares down at her hands as the light spreads to her body. I already feel the pull. Already feel something tearing inside me. “No! You can’t leave—!”

Sparks leap from her skin. Her magic buzzes around her like electrons around an atom. Fleur cries out and a lance of pain drives through my head. I drop the staff, cupping my eye. A beam of light burns through it, radiating between my fingers.

Fleur’s magic pulls away from me, tugging itself toward the Meridian. My mind clamps down on her, desperate to hold her inside me as she’s ripped away.