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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

“No,” I say, pushing out with one foot. I know better. There’s no going back. Only moving forward in time. It’s how we heal. How we rebuild and start over. I may not be a Winter anymore. But I’m someone new. Someone stronger. Not just because I’m Chronos, but because of who I was before that—the man I became when I accepted that my magic was gone and I faced my fears anyway. “I want you to take me skating,” I tell her. “And then I want you to throw me down on the ground and kiss me like you did before.”

Her mouth falls open in mock indignation as she guides me backward across the ice. “I didn’t kiss you. You kissed me.”

I stop abruptly in the middle of the pond, tug her into my arms and hold her against me, searching for that specific memory in her eyes. I don’t have to look far. Fleur reveals that kiss to me, along with a few others that raise my body temp by degrees.

“Be careful,” I murmur. “The ice is thin.”

“I won’t let you fall a second time.”

“Too late,” I say, threading my fingers through her hair. “I already did.”

Time stands still as she reaches up on her toes to kiss me. Our lips meet somewhere in the middle, and we both linger after it’s over, our chilled breaths mingling. Lyon was right about the power. About the magic of living in the moment. About the importance of pausing every once in a while to appreciate what’s right in front of me. I trace Fleur’s lip with my thumb, memorizing the contour of her smile, my reflection in her eyes. Not because I’m afraid of what tomorrow brings. But because she’s here with me now.

I take her hand and let her lead me in lazy circles around the pond. For tonight. Tomorrow. Forever. This is enough.

Acknowledgments

This duology has been both a labor of love and a source of incredible joy for me. I adored writing these characters and their remarkable journey, and I’m eternally grateful to everyone who helped make these books a reality.

My stories would all be collecting dust and cobwebs in my head if not for my agent and Handler, Sarah Davies, who has guided me through every book with infinite wisdom and care. February 15, 2011, I made the decision to enter the Greenhouse. I am grateful beyond measure, Sarah, for the decade I’ve spent making books with you.

Thank you to the team at Rights People for your enthusiasm for Jack and Fleur, and for bringing my Seasons to other parts of the world.