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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

“Make your choice,” Kai snaps.

“Fine,” he snarls. “Be done with it.”

Fleur cries my name. My breath hitches with the sound of the bow’s release. The arrow hisses past my ear, soaring through the head of the staff—a clean shot into the empty hole where the eye should be.

The arrow’s barbs flare with a snick. A trailing line of thick, clear filament falls across my shoulder. Kai jerks the line with a grunt, winding it toward her. The staff slips from Doug’s blood-slicked fingers, and I grab the handle as it rushes toward me.

Shock slackens Doug’s face. He stumbles, arms outstretched. Time seems to move in slow motion. His shout is feral as he charges toward me.

I draw the handle back and swing. The scythe buries itself deep in Doug’s chest. He drops to his knees in front of me.

Amber, Julio, Chill, and Fleur jolt to a stop.

“Oh no,” Julio whispers as a hot wind whips through the alley.

Static hisses in the air. We all duck at a sudden deafening crack as lightning strikes a streetlight, showering the alley with glass.

Doug’s body starts to glow. Beams of light radiate from his eye. Bolts of electricity surge from his chest through the blade, burning cold as they pass into me.

Amber, Julio, and Chill lift their heads, shouting my name. Fleur pushes to her knees, fighting wind, crawling on hands and knees to get to me. Another fork of lightning splits the sky. I cry out as the bolt strikes Fleur, and behind me, Kai screams.

59

Through the Thin Frost

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FLEUR

I blink awake to a dim gray sky. My clothes are soaked through and my cheek is pressed against cold, wet pavement. Soft rolls of thunder rumble quietly in the distance. A trail of ash-colored water trickles over the street.

My head feels foggy. The moments before the lightning strike are a blur as I roll onto my side, staring at a patch of scorched pavement. The staff rests on the ground beside it, the handle loose in Jack’s outstretched hand.

“Jack!” I scramble to his side. The van door slides open behind me. Feet slap the puddles, pounding through the alley as I reach him. Jack’s skin is ice cold, his face slack, unresponsive, when I take him by the cheeks and gently shake him. “Jack, can you hear me?”

Auggie kneels, nudging me aside to pry open Jack’s lids. Amber, Julio, and Chill rush toward us, hovering over Auggie’s shoulder. Marie and Poppy shove in close to see.

Jack’s irises are solid white. Frosted mist curls from his mouth with his shallow breaths.

“Jack’s eyes are doing that creepy Winter thing. And he smells like one. How is that even possible?” Amber asks, her own eyes welling.