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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

She nods. “He said if I keep you safe, you’ll help me free my sister.”

I touch my back pocket, remembering the travel vouchers and passports Lyon sent right after that call. There had been two vouchers in that envelope. Three in Amber’s. But only one voucher in the envelope he’d sent to Poppy.

Lyon knew. . . .

He knew what Doug would do. That Kai would come. That we would all go to the Observatory to find Fleur and Chill.

The second voucher he sent to me . . . it wasn’t for Fleur.

Kai flinches as I reach for the knife and then slice through the rope between her wrists. They release with a sudden jerk.

She doesn’t move. Doesn’t so much as breathe as I slip the knife back in the block.

“There are dry clothes upstairs,” I say. “Pack whatever you can fit in a carry-on. We leave for the airport in an hour.” I feel her gaze heavy on my scars. Then I hear her shuffle out of the kitchen to the stairs. Only once I’m sure she’s gone do I let go of the cleaver’s handle.

16

Something Sinister

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FLEUR

My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth and I choke myself awake. Bolting upright, I gasp in a lungful of warm, dry air. My forehead slams against some unseen barrier that knocks me flat on my back again. I blink back stars, shielding my eyes from the glare of bright lights shining through a clear plastic dome just inches from my face.

I press against it, my mind slow to process exactly where I am. Or how I got here.

I was with Jack. Kissing Jack.

No! My breath comes in rapid pants, fogging the glass of the stasis chamber as I struggle against the dome lid.

“Let me out!” My hoarse voice is muted by the thick plastic as a barrage of images assaults me: blood on the walls, on my arms. Jack on his knees, flanked by Guards. A knife, a crash, a broken lamp. Then Jack, facedown on the floor. “Jack!” I have to get to him. Have to find him before they . . .

Oh, Gaia, no. Please, no.

My fingernails scratch uselessly against the slick dome. In a fit of rage, I throw my fists against it. I twist my head from side to side, struggling to see anything beyond the stone walls that surround me. There’s a door with metal bars. Through them, torches disappear down shadowy tunnels.

I’m under the Observatory. In the cells, in the catacombs.

“Let me out!” I scream. “If you lay one hand on Jack, I swear to Gaia, I’ll—”

“Gaia’s dead.” I suck in a sharp breath. Static crackles through the speaker beside my ear. “I killed her.” The gruff voice is cold and familiar, but I can’t place it.