Seasons of Chaos

by Elle Cosimano

  Understanding dawns on his face. “You can’t be serious.”

  “What are you thinking, Jack?” I turn to see Amber behind me, giving me that same wary look she wore the day I first told her I wanted to break us all out of the Observatory.

  “I’m going to get Fleur back through the ley lines, just like we planned. It’s the only shot we have at getting her away from Doug.”

  “Jack, this stasis chamber looks like it belongs in a museum,” she sputters. “What if it doesn’t work?”

  “Do we have any other choice?” The others filter into the small room behind her. I look at each one of them, begging them to trust me the way they did before. “It’s the same plan, just a little farther to run. We can do this. I know we can. I’ll meet Doug in Greenwich Park and get the transmitter to Fleur. Poppy will pull Fleur through the ley lines. While Doug’s distracted, I’ll grab the staff, then I’ll lead him back to Auggie’s. We’ll take Doug down here, exactly the way we talked about.”

  Auggie’s eyebrows shoot up. The thin wire rims of his glasses slide down the knot on his nose as he gapes at me. “Absolutely not! I’ve kept this place a secret from the Control Room for decades.”

  I sweep an arm around the room. “All the more reason to confront him here. He won’t know what he’s walking into. We have all the weapons we need to fortify this place and set a trap.” I can already see it playing out in my mind. Marie and Poppy can pick off his Guards from the windows upstairs when they get close, and Julio and Amber can ambush Doug once he makes it inside. If Fleur’s already here, then each of the gods’ magic will have a host. Chaos averted. “Can you get it working?” I ask Auggie in a low voice. This chamber is my entire plan to save her. We have no other options.

  Auggie clears his throat softly. He moves to a tiny engraved box on a shelf on the wall. Reaching inside, he takes out a circlet of silver, copper, and gold and places it in my hand. “Fleur will have to be wearing this.”

  The bracelet is bulky—a wide braid of shiny metals. “It’s too big. How am I going to get it to Fleur without Doug noticing?” It’s going to be hard enough just getting close enough to put it on her.

  “That won’t be your only challenge. The bracelet is only a conductor. In addition to wearing this, she’ll need to be near enough to a ley line to be drawn through it.” Auggie takes a map from the shelf and unrolls it, then straps a magnifying light to his forehead.

  “What is it?” I ask, leaning over his shoulder to read the faded ink.

  “A map of the ley lines. When this chamber was in use, this was the only way to channel a Season home.” He traces a finger over the page, pointing to his house on the map, slowly dragging it north, his gaze intent, searching for something.

  “Finding a ley line is easy,” Chill says, pointing to the center of the map. “The Prime Meridian passes right through Greenwich Park. If Fleur’s at the bandstand, she’ll practically be standing on one.”

  “It’s not that simple,” Auggie says, squinting through his glasses. “This isn’t Wi-Fi. The device has to be located on a line as well. There,” he says, tapping the map. “We can move the stasis chamber to Burgess Park.” I lean closer to the map. The park is due west from the intersection of two ley lines.

  “How far is it?” I ask.

  “Not far,” Auggie says, rolling up the map. “The van parked in the alley . . . it’s yours?” Julio gives a noncommittal nod. “Good. We can use it to move the stasis chamber. If we hurry, there’s still time to get the chamber to Burgess Park.”

  Burgess Park is at least four miles from the bandstand. I’m fast. But with an injured leg, and on little food or sleep, four miles will feel like I’m prepping for a marathon. Or a gauntlet.

  I had imagined slipping a transmitter into Fleur’s hand. Had imagined Poppy’s voice riding along in her ear, keeping her safe. Suddenly, the plan feels like too much of a long shot. What if Doug sees the bracelet and catches on? What if the chamber fails and she ends up in the wind? What if I never make it back to Auggie’s with the staff?

  Chill claps my shoulder. Giving it a reassuring shake, he says, “She’ll be okay. We’ll bring her home. I swear.”

  “I know.” If anyone can bring her home, he and Poppy can. But there’s small comfort in that when the entire future of the world is riding on my ability to get her to the ley line and deliver the staff to my friends.

  “Take this,” Auggie says, fitting a wireless headset around my ear. It looks like some kind of transmitter. I reach up to touch it, wondering how old it is. The corner of Auggie’s mouth turns up as he adjusts it. “Don’t worry. It’s new technology. Your Winter friend here will be able to track your location. He’ll be able to hear you, and you will hear him.”

  “We’ll take care of Fleur,” Chill says quietly. “Better get moving. You’ve got less than an hour to make it to the bandstand.”

  I turn for the stairs, expecting Julio and Amber to try to stop me. Expecting someone to voice out loud all the what-ifs clamoring inside my head.

  Julio raises his palm to me, grabbing my hand when I slap his and dragging me in for a hug. He smacks my back, careful to avoid my stitches. “Don’t let the asshole get close enough to mess up your hair,” he says, pulling a reluctant smile out of me. “Let’s go. I’ll give you a lift to the park.”

  Amber nudges him out of the way. She wraps her arms around me, squeezing me hard. “Be safe,” she whispers. “We’ve got your back.”

  54

  Bow and Accept the End

  FLEUR

  Jack’s up to something. He’d never be foolish enough to agree to this. Gnawing my thumbnail, I pace the edge of the bandstand, staring out into the park. Rain pours in sheets over the lip of the octagonal roof, spattering the flagstones below it. The tall towers in the financial district are eerily invisible, the horizon wrapped in a thick black haze, washed out by churning storm clouds. Entire swaths of the city are unlit, without power.

  It’s easy to see why Doug picked this place. He paces the perimeter of the bandstand, his eyes bright as they swing like a searchlight over the park. The bandstand is high ground, offering clean lines of sight in every direction, the tall trees spread out in a wide ring around the iron structure like giant guards. This whole thing reeks of a trap. And I don’t like how slippery Doug’s mind feels when I try to see what’s happening inside it.

  Doug stops moving. He stiffens as Jack appears in the distance, like a smaze through the mist. I run to the rail, but Doug’s mind grabs hold of me before I reach the steps.

  The shirt under Jack’s jacket is stained, traces of red bleeding through the wet fabric. There’s an odd lean in his step, as if he’s favoring his right leg, and a ragged hole in his jeans becomes visible as he approaches. The rain amplifies the tang of blood in the air.

  Jack pauses just inside the ring of trees. His eyes flick to me, careful not to stray long from Doug and his scythe. If Jack’s injured under all that blood—if he’s in pain—he’s trying hard not to show it. Still, I’m surprised he didn’t conceal his injuries, knowing Doug will undoubtedly try to exploit them.

  Or maybe that’s all part of Jack’s plan. To make himself into easy prey. To sacrifice himself in some stupid, selfless way to save me, like he did in Cuernavaca.

  My voice breaks when I call out to him. “You shouldn’t have come.”

  “He needed to come. Didn’t you, Sommers? To prove yourself. To prove to her that you’re not some has-been, washed-up, impotent fuck-up with low self-esteem and mortality issues.”

  To his credit, Jack doesn’t flinch.

  I jerk hard on my magic. Doug shakes it off with a dark laugh. He’s trying to look careless, but I know better. His fingers burn around the staff and his head is pounding. His cracked rib aches every time he draws a breath. Just like Jack, he’s refusing to show it.

  “Just to be clear,” Doug shouts, “you’re here to submit yourself to me. Or you can fight me, if you’d rather die a hero.” Doug points at
me with the end of his staff. “But you should know that anything you do to harm me will harm her equally.” He scratches the cut on his forehead with the tip of his finger, making sure Jack sees it. Jack’s gaze skips to the matching gash on mine. His eyes dance between us.

  I told Jack that Doug would never hurt me. That Doug couldn’t hurt me. But I didn’t tell Jack this. I knew if I did, it could cost Jack his life. That he would hesitate to protect himself against Doug to avoid harming me.

  I can see the wheels in his head turning, changing direction. Whatever he had planned, he hadn’t accounted for this.

  “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be okay.” I clutch the ache in my side, wishing Jack could read my thoughts. That he could understand this small clue—this weakness of Doug’s I’m trying to project to him. That he could know how badly I wish he would turn around and run from this.

  Rain slices down his face. “I want to see her first,” he shouts.

  “You’ve seen her.”

  “Just let me say goodbye to her. Then you can have me.”

  Doug’s laugh booms across the green. “How stupid do you think I am? That’s as close as you’re getting. On your knees, Sommers.” The ground heaves. Grass tears as a root erupts behind Jack, grabbing his ankle and dragging him down. He splashes down on his hands and knees in the mud.

  My clenched fists shake at my sides. Doug’s figured it all out. How to wield the earth magic. How to use me to make Seasons. He has everything he wants. And now he has Jack. Doug’s last remaining weakness is me. “Stop it! If you kill him, it will destroy me. The pain of it will haunt you. I will haunt you.”

  “You already do.” He adjusts his grip on the scythe, his eye burning with hatred as he smiles at Jack. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this.” He takes a step toward the stairs, but I’m faster. If he’s going to cut Jack down, he’ll have to go through me.

  I leap down the bandstand steps, my mind already fighting to loosen the root from Jack’s ankle. “Get up!” I shout to him. Jack shakes out of the root’s grip, and my mind slips free of the plant as Jack kicks it away from him. I’m running to him, only feet away from his outstretched hands when my legs lock up. My body jolts to a stop, the momentum nearly toppling me forward into Jack’s arms as Doug slides like a serpent into the deepest recesses of my thoughts. I feel him stretch, taking up every last corner of space, pulling me back to him. A tear slides down my cheek. “Run, Jack! Go!”

  Jack’s eyes open wide with shock as I drop to my knees. As Doug’s magic drags me down like a stone. “I’m not leaving you,” Jack says, kneeling in front of me. He takes me by my shoulders. They’re shaking with the effort of resisting Doug’s will.

  “Listen,” Jack says urgently, his hands framing my face. “I know I made you a promise at the villa before they took you. I know I told you I’d never leash us to this place again. But I also promised you I would come up with a way to fix this and get us out of here. And to do that, I need you to trust me.” Jack’s hand slides into his pocket. “Whatever happens next, forgive me.”

  Something cold circles my wrist. A coil of braided metals. I feel Doug stumble off the bandstand toward us. The heavy thump of his staff against the grass. Jack’s fingers slide into a patch of dirt between us.

  “I’m sorry, Fleur. I’m so sorry!” His hands fly up, scattering mud in my eyes.

  I cry out, clawing at my face.

  I can’t see. Can’t open my eyelids.

  Behind me, Doug screams. I fall forward into Jack’s arms as Doug loses his grip on my mind.

  “Run, Fleur!” Jack hauls me to my feet. He runs, dragging me behind him, breathing apologies, begging me to move faster. I trip, but he doesn’t slow. I anchor my thoughts into the ground, feeling out ahead of me with my mind, anticipating the shallow dips and hills. Every blink stings, bringing thick, hot tears to my eyes. The landscape is a painful blur in front of me.

  “I know it hurts. But if you’re hurting, he’s hurting, too. Keep him out of your head!” Jack rasps, pulling me faster. “Don’t open your eyes. Don’t let him see through you.”

  I feel Doug recovering. Feel him rising to his feet. I feel his magic lashing outward, tracing our connection, listening to the ground, searching for me.

  My shoe catches in a rut and my ankle turns. Jack slows when I suck in a sharp breath. “Keep running!” I say, forcing myself to keep up.

  I don’t know how far we’ve gone. Or where we are. My shoe slaps down on a hard surface—a sidewalk or a street. Jack picks up speed. Eyes shut, I let my magic guide me, determined to keep pace with him.

  Finally, he drags me to a stop. Breathing hard, he takes my face in his hands, brushing away dirt and rain. “Can you see?”

  Blinking my eyes brings on a fresh wave of pain. I catch a flash of my surroundings before I’m forced to close them again. The white face of the Shepherd Gate Clock ticks behind Jack’s head.

  “Do you know where we are?” he asks.

  I nod. “What are we doing here?” I say, frantic when I feel my connection to Doug getting stronger. “He’s coming, Jack. We should keep going. You should run, please!”

  Jack turns my face back to his. “Listen to me carefully. You have to get to the Meridian. You know where it is.”

  “But the fence.” There’s a brick wall behind him. A high iron gate. The Meridian is on the other side of it. I feel its faint tick pulsing through the bricks.

  “There’s a tree above us, just over the fence. Find it.”

  “I feel it.”

  “Can you feel the ley line?”

  I nod.

  “Get over the fence,” he says quickly, tightening the coil of metals around my wrist. “Stand as close as you can to the Meridian. Call out to me the second you’re there. Chill and Poppy will take care of you.”

  I grip his hand before he can let go. “But what about you?”

  “Don’t worry about me. I have a plan.”

  “Jack, no—”

  “Go, Fleur! Now.”

  Jack ducks and taps my leg, presumably to hoist me toward the tree. I grab his head and pull him upright, bringing his face to mine. I reach out with my mind, tracing my connection back to Doug’s, grabbing hold of my magic and reeling it toward me. Gaia’s magic clings to me as I drag a small finger of her power inside me, then through me, until a tiny flicker of it warms the breath inside my lungs.

  Hands tangled in Jack’s hair, I press my mouth to his. I think about our kiss at the pond. The snow. The ice. The winter scent of his breath and the frost on his skin. I remember the way that kiss tasted as I seal our lips together and sparks of magic pass between us. In case it’s the last time we’re together. In case this is all I have left to give him.

  Doug screams my name. The raw, raging sound of it echoes through the park.

  Jack whispers goodbye against my lips. That he loves me.

  He kneels again, giving me a leg up. I slide my mind into the tree before Doug can get close enough to steal my will to do it. The long branch rustles, lifting me over the iron fence and setting me down gently on the other side. My eyes sting as I blink them open, struggling to see Jack one last time as I back away from the fence and my feet find the Meridian.

  55

  Clinging to Its Last

  DOUG

  Hand pressed to my eye, I stagger toward the Royal Observatory. Every blink is agony. Through the blur, I spot Jack. He stands beside the clock, gripping the bars of the fence, watching something on the other side. I don’t see Fleur anywhere, but I feel her, standing inside the fence line. Magic pulses through the ground beneath her feet—the Prime Meridian.

  No. No, no, no!

  “I’m here!” she shouts as I run for the gate. Fleur’s red-rimmed eyes find me through the bars. Her fear shudders through me as I seize hold of her mind and will her to come to me.

  Jack touches his ear. “Now, Chill!”

  Something on Fleur’s wrist begins to glow. She stares down at her hands as
the light spreads to her body. I already feel the pull. Already feel something tearing inside me. “No! You can’t leave—!”

  Sparks leap from her skin. Her magic buzzes around her like electrons around an atom. Fleur cries out and a lance of pain drives through my head. I drop the staff, cupping my eye. A beam of light burns through it, radiating between my fingers.

  Fleur’s magic pulls away from me, tugging itself toward the Meridian. My mind clamps down on her, desperate to hold her inside me as she’s ripped away.

  A swarm of sparks breaks free of my body and soars over the fence. I rock back on my knees, shielding my face from the white-hot flash as Fleur absorbs it, and like a bolt of golden lightning, she’s sucked down into the earth.

  The sudden absence of her magic leaves the park darker than it was. Colder.

  The scratching burn is gone from my eye. But something feels . . . wrong. My heart begins to pound and my pulse quickens.

  You are now, and will always be, alone.

  I clutch my chest. Pain explodes behind it as Gaia’s magic begins to rage.

  Jack turns to face me. There’s hope in his eyes. Fear in his sweat.

  “Where is she?” I bellow.

  His smile is triumphant. “You don’t know, do you? You can’t feel her anymore.”

  I charge at him.

  Jack ducks my swing. He drives a punch into my cracked rib, as if he knew the injury was there. The hit doubles me over. When I look up, he strikes the blind side of my face. His fist snaps against my cheek. I shake it off, the sting paling in comparison to the riot happening inside me.

  Jack leaps for the scythe.

  I tackle him, catching him by the back of his jacket and hauling him over. I throw a punch to his jaw. Another to his gut. He expels a fogged, cold breath that smells faintly like Fleur. Like magic . . .

  I stare down at him, my fist frozen as I try to make sense of it. Jack pivots out from under me, swiveling onto his side. He scrabbles for the end of the staff, but I’m taller, my arms longer. I leap over him, my fingers reaching it first.