4
DAY 247 A.F.
—I’m coming for you, Empress.—
I woke, shooting upright. Death was in my dreams and in my mind. It was as if I could sense his presence in my head, a heavy feeling.
Like being possessed.
That dream with him had been so vivid, I pressed my hands to my stomach, expecting to feel a sword.
The details of his handsome face floated at the edges of my memory. He’d looked younger in the dream than he was now, and his black armor had been different, appearing ancient. Was this some kind of vision from another, even earlier game?
Just as Death’s presence faded, a draft ghosted over me. I raised my head, gazing around with unease. I was alone in the lab? With the moldering corpse? Were my surroundings or my nightmare to blame for this ominous feeling I had—
“Get dressed, Evie,” Selena yelled as she bounded down the cellar steps, lobbing a waterproof pack to land right at my feet. “Quickly!”
“What’s going on?” I knelt beside the pack, digging in to find a navy parka, jeans, thick socks, T-shirts, even a supply of undergarments. Leather lace-up boots too. They looked to be about my size.
Under the clothes were Mayday bars, MREs, and energy gel packs—an apocalyptic lunchbox.
As I yanked off my ragged shirt, Selena filled me in. “Baggers are gone for the day, but Matthew foresaw Arcana company approaching. Cards following a kill, as I predicted,” she added in a superior tone.
“Which ones?”
“The Tower, Judgment, and the World.”
I’d seen the first two in battle in a vision Matthew had shown me. Even if I were eager to play the game, I wouldn’t want to tangle with them, especially when I was still so weakened from yesterday. “Have you heard their calls?” Had I slept right through them?
“Not yet. Think they’re still too far away. We were ransacking the Alchemist’s supplies—bastard had everything—when Matt started muttering about jamming the frequencies. Does that mean anything to you?”
I shook my head.
“He said these cards are coming in fast, that we have less than an hour.”
“So we can slip away?” I wondered if I would have time to drain the oaks, or would they be my parting gift to Requiem? At Selena’s nod, I said, “Why are you so keen to avoid a fight?”
She stared me down. “Because today we’d lose.”
Good reason.
She held up a laminated map of the Southeast, dappled with burnout holes. “I’m going to plan our exit out of this valley.” Like a gazelle, she bounded back up the steps.
I drew off what was left of my pants, relieved to see my skin had healed. After I yanked on the new jeans—too long in the legs, too tight in the ass: story o’ my life—I laced up the boots. At least those fit.
With one last glance around, I shouldered the pack and hurried upstairs. Even in the midst of this crisis, I realized I was nervous about seeing Jackson, wondering how he would act today. I wished I’d dreamed of him instead of Death.
In the morning’s dim light, the house looked even stranger, with Bagman slime everywhere and furniture tossed. Drizzle misted my hair through the gaping roof. Wispy clouds sped across the muted sun. After months of either blue skies or brutal dust storms, this gray haze was freaky.
Not to mention Matthew’s prediction that we’d be weak in the rain while our enemies grew stronger.
As Selena pored over the map, Finn helped Matthew stuff supplies into a pack. I noticed Matthew had on a new coat. A relief—he’d been in sore need of something warm to wear. Like most clothing we’d been seeing A.F., it had dark-ringed bullet holes in it, from the previous owner’s demise.
I suspected Finn had sourced it for him. Was the Magician being helpful to make up for his trick? Though pissed at him for his illusion, I did think the boy had a decent heart.
But where was Jackson? I had a moment of panic, wondering if he’d bailed. Surely, he wouldn’t leave me without a word. Not after all we’d been through. It’s you for me, peek?n.
Still, I was about to ask when Selena announced, “We’re in a valley with mountains on three sides. Two sides are too high to scale. The third leads to cannibal country.”
Finn swallowed hard. He’d seen the cannibals when he’d crossed the mountains in the past.
Sensing Finn’s distress, Matthew patted him on his head. “There, there.”
Selena continued, “The only road out of here is a bottleneck. If we can squeeze out before the other Arcana show, I say we head south back to Finn’s cabin. Lure Death to our foxhole, fight him on our home turf. Evie’s powers work best when she can dig in and prepare.”
Finn wiped mist from his face. “You assume I’m inviting you back to my pad, Selena? I’m not leaving this town with you. We’ll be fine on our own.”
She shoved the map into her pack. “Listen, you deceptive little shit, Evie’s the linchpin. I go where she goes—”
“The linchpin’s still going to find her grandmother,” I interrupted. “Like I said, I’m heading to the Outer Banks.” I gazed around. “Where’s Jackson?”
Finn zipped Matthew’s pack closed. “Um, Jack bugged out before we woke up,” he said, his demeanor guilty. “He’s gone, Evie.”
“Not a card,” Matthew said. He’d never felt comfortable with Jackson, a non-Arcana, around.
“Gone gone?” No, I refused to believe he would abandon me without so much as a look back. Like you abandoned him? my conscience whispered.
Selena rolled her eyes. “What’d you expect? J.D. witnessed you go full-on Empress, all Little Shop of Horrors. I think he got the message: we’re—not—human. Not to mention what he heard in the cellar, about us being in Death’s crosshairs. If I were him, I’d be sprinting away from us as fast as I could.”
That was . . . fair. “I’m surprised you didn’t chase after him.”
“If he’d liked me back, I might’ve asked him to run with me,” Selena admitted. “Even though I’ve accepted that an alliance with you is the single thing that might keep me alive.”
I asked Matthew, “I don’t suppose he’s coming back?”
Matthew gazed at the cloudy sky. “He should’ve said good-bye.”
I surveyed the yard, seeing the Bagmen bodies from the night before. Jackson had collected his arrows from those corpses—on his way out. Ever practical, Cajun.
My eyes watered, but I forced a blank expression on my face. “It’s for the best anyway.” I hated that he’d left! “He didn’t belong with us.” He belonged with me.
Never to see him again? The idea hurt me worse than a sword to the stomach. I asked Matthew, “If Jack is still nearby, will he be safe from other cards?”
Matthew nodded. “Not Arcana.”
Yet we were, which meant we were all in danger. I couldn’t afford to think about Jack right now—I needed to figure out how to survive the next hour!
“All right, Evie, what do we do?” Finn checked a new watch. “We’ve got company in less than forty-five minutes.” He looked at me like I was his leader, like he’d listen to whatever a girl like me had to say.
In the past, no one had consulted me about anything. And I’d been okay with that.
“We run out of the valley, threading the needle,” I said. “But if you want to go with me, then we make a pact not to harm each other, and we make it fast.”
Selena and Finn scowled at each other.
“What are our options?” I demanded. “Say we go back to Finn’s, and Death comes. Say we somehow defeat him. Do we even take a fiver to celebrate our team’s victory—or do we start wiping each other out directly?”
When they remained unconvinced, I said, “Matthew showed me a vision of another alliance of three. They fought Death. They were organized, skilled, and committed. They never would’ve hurt each other, which means they had to be planning an exit from the game.” I turned to Matthew. “Right?”
He didn’t deny it, just said, “System the game, game the system. There’s a heat in battle.”
“There is,” I said. “We might need to fight, but that doesn’t mean we have to kill each other. If we all commit to this, then we don’t have to become murderers. Your hands are clean.” Unlike my marked one.
Finn asked Selena, “Think a pact’s even doable for you?”
“If we can come up with a viable way to get out of this game, then I won’t hurt any of you,” she said. “Otherwise, we’re back to the take-out-Death alliance.”
I shared a look with Finn. Best we’re gonna get.
He tapped his watch. “We’re getting close on time.”
Which meant I’d be leaving my trees. You’re welcome, Requiem! “All right. First order of alliance business: run.”
They both grabbed their packs, like I’d given marching orders.
Grasping Matthew’s hand, I hurried toward the yard. “Can you see how far away the other cards are?” We crossed over the front porch—the place where I’d finished the Alchemist. There was no sign of his blood. Baggers must’ve licked the boards clean.
“You need to stay here and fight, Empress.”
The mere idea made me queasy, my legs feeling rubbery. “We’re taking off, honey. It’ll be safer for you.”
His big brown eyes were solemn as he said, “I hope you are terrified and angry and sad for as long as it rains.”
“Matthew! Why would you say that?” I cast him a hurt look. “Never mind, we’ll talk about this later.”
“Death watches. Strike first, or be first-struck.”
He kept saying that, but even if I unleashed my full arsenal, I didn’t know if I could kill Death. He would slice through my barriers and vines with his swords. His armor would protect him from my thorns and claws. Just like in my dream. Now that I wasn’t all roided out on Empress juice, I didn’t have high hopes for my chances. “One threat at a time, okay?”
We hadn’t made it out of the yard when everyone froze midstep; Arcana calls sounded.
—Eyes to the skies, lads, I strike from above!—
—I watch you like a hawk.—
I’d heard these before, had seen their owners in Matthew’s shared visions. The first call belonged to the Tower Card, Joules. The second was from Gabriel, the Judgment Card, a winged boy.
Shit, this was happening! “Matthew, you told us we had an hour!”
“Less than. This is less than.”
“They’re already in the valley.” Selena scowled. “And if we heard their calls, you better believe they heard ours. We can’t get past them now. The bottleneck’s too narrow.”
Just as Finn said, “The four of us can handle a pair, right?” we heard another call:
—Trapped in the palm of my hand. —
I’d never heard that one before. “Who’s that?”
Matthew answered, “Tess Quinn, the World Card, one of the elementals. Quintessence dances across the world.”
What I wouldn’t give for a decoder ring! “What are Tess’s powers?”
“Intangibility, levitation, time manipulation, teleportation, astral projection . . .” He took a breath to keep going.
I cut him off. “Okay, okay. What do we do?”
“This trio comes for you. Joules wants your death. To spite Death.”
Just then, we heard the Reaper telling all Arcana:
—The Empress’s life is mine to take. Disobey and I won’t kill you, not for ages.—
Finn said, “Why’s this Joules cat so hard up for Evie? And why does Death give a shit?”
“Matthew showed me a vision of Death killing Calanthe, Joules’s girlfriend,” I quickly explained. “She was the Temperance Card. Joules was devastated. The Tower, Judgment, and Temperance were the ones in that tight alliance I mentioned.”
Selena drew her bow. “If Joules wants Evie, then he’s going to have a fight on his hands.”
How odd that Selena was now bent on protecting me. I wondered what exactly Matthew had told her.
Finn asked me, “How’s the juice? You got anything? I’m running low myself.”
Selena said, “And I’m still rocking a single arrow. Maybe we can set a trap and ambush them?”
“Conserve and converge,” Matthew chirped.
“Hello, listen to yourselves!” I squeezed my temples. “We’re not fighting them! If we have to face them, we need to try to ally with them. Then we would be seven, united against Death. No one has cause to hate him like Joules. We can use that.”
Selena looked at me like I was crazy. “Or Joules could end us all, get our icons and more power to take Death on himself. This is the Tower we’re talking about, as in a heavy hitter.”
“As much as I hate to admit it,” Finn said, “Selena’s got a point. If we try to recruit them when we’re weak, it’s just going to look like we’re wheedling for our lives. We’ve got to lower the boom on them, then offer them mercy if they join us.”
They were right. This alliance business was just like my old cheerleading squad—it had to look like the cool kids were in it, or no one would try out.
“Matthew, we need your help. What do we do?”
“Look at my new kicks.” He raised one boot. “Finn said I’m ballin’ like a pimp now.” Then he frowned. “Good thing?”
“Yes, yes, but—”
“He took care of me when you abandoned me.”
God, the guilt. In a rush, I said, “I thought you’d be safer at Finn’s than going back out on the road with me! You know how dangerous it’ll be to reach the coast.” But then, I’d believed that before I’d understood how lethal I could be.
“Dangerous Empress!”
“I had no idea Jackson would drag all of you up here.” He’d come for me, wanting to be with me. Until he’d witnessed what I was. “Sweetheart, can you please concentrate? What should we do?”
“Fight to the death.”
“Damn it, Matthew!”
Selena grabbed my upper arm. “You want me to join in this make-love-not-war bullshit? Then convince me it’s even possible. You might not be able to defeat them, but you better look like you can. . . .”