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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

“I guess you heard about the lockdown?” He turns slightly, catching my small nod. “I just . . . I wanted you to know I did talk to Lyon this morning about us going to Amsterdam. He was supposed to talk to Gaia about it this week and let me know, but . . .” He rubs his eyes and swears under his breath. “For whatever it’s worth, he says he’s sorry.”

“I seriously doubt that.” Those bitter words are out of my mouth before I can call them back. Jack’s relationship with his old professor is dysfunctional and complicated, and any time I’ve tried to encourage him to take a step back—to see Lyon and his actions as anything other than altruistic—Jack’s instinct is to defend him. But I’m not convinced Lyon’s loyalty to Jack doesn’t come with a price.

“I know you don’t like him. I get that. But he’s not trying to make things difficult for us, Fleur. I can’t just ignore everything he’s done for us.”

“You mean everything he’s done to assuage his guilt.” A breeze snaps my hair across my face. Clouds begin to gather overhead, throwing shadows over the garden. “I know you want to see the best in him. But the first time I met Daniel Lyon, he showed up late to the battle he made us fight for him. To claim a title we secured for him. He didn’t so much as look at you as you bled out and died, so forgive me for not trusting him.” Jack’s face blurs behind the hot tears rising to my eyes, and I fight to hold them back. “As far as I’m concerned, Woody’s death, your death, Poppy’s death . . . Gabriel, Yukio, Noelle, and all the others . . .” I close my eyes, shuddering at the memories of them all. “Those deaths are all at Lyon’s feet. And just because Gaia gave two of you back to us doesn’t mean I’ll ever forgive him for that. Lyon manipulated us, Jack. Don’t ever forget that. And I can’t for the life of me understand why you would ever want to go back to him.”

“Because I can’t keep you safe like this.” Jack gestures to himself with disgust, as if every perfectly sculpted piece of him, every curve and every angle that’s perfectly fitted to mine, isn’t magic enough.

“What makes you think we’d be safe back there?”

“Lyon has my smaze. He said he would help me if I wanted to try to take it back.”

“You know how I feel about that. You heard what Gaia said. That smaze isn’t you anymore. It’s poisoned, Jack.”

“They don’t know that.”