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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 shake water from my eyes and tighten my grip. Her black hair’s shorter, dripping pool water down her forehead, the chopped ends plastered in sodden spikes around her ears. There’s no red light. No transmitter in either one of them. It must have come loose when we hit the water. I risk a quick glance at the bottom of the pool, then at the deck around it, still holding her above the surface by the neck of her sweatshirt.

“Where is it?” I shake her. Her eyes are wide, her nails digging into my skin. “We’re leaving now! You’re taking me with you!”

Her jaw clenches. She slams her foot into the scar on my thigh. I swear through my teeth as I dunk her head under the water, then let her up just long enough for her to suck in a thin breath. “Where’s your transmitter?”

She coughs, eyes flaring wide with panic. “I can’t take you that way,” she sputters. “I’m not—”

I shove her head under again. She bucks and thrashes, but I hold her until a stream of bubbles burst from her lips. All I hear is the twang of her crossbow, the whistle of the arrows that sailed past my ear. All I see is my own blood swirling around me as the ice cracked and I sank into the lake. It was Kai’s fault. She’s the reason I’m human. The reason I couldn’t protect Fleur. And now Kai Sampson’s going to be the reason I get Fleur back.

I wrench her head up. She sucks in a desperate breath.

Her transmitter must be in a pocket, somewhere in her clothes.

“If you’re planning to kill me,” I warn her, “you’d better do it now.” I push her back under the water, waiting for her to use her magic and fight back. But nothing happens. Her movements slow, then her thrashing stops.

The last of the bubbles rise around the floating ends of her hair. I hold on tighter, braced for what’s coming. No one can play dead for this long. Her magic will either rise up and fight me, or it will fight to free itself from her dying body and her Handler will bring her home. Any minute now, it will sparkle to the surface, and I’ll hitch a ride through the ley lines with her, the same way they took Fleur.

Kai’s arms go limp in the water.

Her neck is loose where I hold her under. Something’s wrong.