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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 shout. “No! You can’t take her!” I thrash, desperate to reach her, but Lixue and her Guards only force me back down. Force me to watch as the halo around Fleur threatens to blind me. Force me to live out my worst nightmare as her light flares and burns out. And she’s gone.

13

And Left No Trace

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JACK

The bedroom is dark, the curtains still.

I blink against the afterimage, choking on Fleur’s name. She’s gone. They took her.

The Guards loosen their grip as my arms go limp. I’m too stunned to fight. Lixue backs away from me as her body begins to shimmer, the halo around her brightening by the second. I hurl myself at her, soaring through the empty air where she just stood, then colliding with the dresser and crashing to the floor.

“Come back, you assholes! Bring her back!” My scream echoes off the walls of the empty villa. Not so much as a leaf stirs in Fleur’s garden below.

I tear through the moonlit hall, tripping down the stairs as I take them two at a time.

My bare feet skid around corners, dodging furniture in the dark. I burst into the utility room and throw all the switches in the circuit breaker box. They snap into place, restoring power to the house room by room in gridline patterns: upper decks, main level, veranda, courtyard. . . .

The rear sconces flood the courtyard with light, trapping a dark figure against the aquamarine glow of the swimming pool. The girl’s not wearing a uniform or a patch, but she stands like a fighter. Like a hunter. Odds are better than good that she’s one of them.

The girl stumbles back when she spots me through the patio doors. With a burst of speed, she sprints toward the trees. I race after her, tackling her at the edge of the pool and sending us both tumbling over the lip.

Water crashes over us, the weight of my jeans and her shoes pulling us toward the bottom. She kicks my shins, scrabbling for the edge as I drag her toward me. Our heads break the surface, both of us gasping for air. Grabbing her by the collar of her sweatshirt, I twist her around, nearly dropping her when I get a look at her face.

Kai Sampson’s mouth forms the same shocked expression it did when I stabbed her with the shaft of her own arrow—the one she’d shot into my leg.