Joules’s eyes went wide. “You hurt my boyo?” He raised one of his silver lightning javelins.
Between breaths, I said, “Listen, Gabriel’s been brainwashed by a new card, the inactivated one. Any Arcana within that yellow sphere is under the Hanged Man’s control.” Wolves howled. “Joules, we don’t have time. Lark and Death are coming for me.”
Joules was confused—which meant he was spitting mad. “As if the Reaper would take out the one female he can get with!”
“They are after her for good reason, Patrick,” Gabriel said. “She poisoned the Magician.”
Joules sparked like a reactor. “Finn’s done for?”
“Yes, and the Empress has targeted us next. In the past, she killed us. She cut off my wings for a trophy.”
Joules gave me a disbelieving look that faded when I couldn’t deny anything. “That’s right fecked up.”
“But I didn’t kill Finn.” If I possessed any mesmerizing power at all, I called on it now, telling Joules, “I swear I didn’t.” Grasping for the most compelling vow I could make, I said, “I swear on Jack’s life.”
“Jack’s dead! We all know Richter got him.” Maybe not?
The howling wolves neared. I faced Gabriel. “Prove me a liar, then. Just come out from that sphere.”
Joules told his friend, “I’m about to fry this one. So put me mind at ease and step out from the haze.”
Gabriel offered his hand. “Come stand behind me. I will protect you.”
I said, “Joules, if you go in there, you’ll get brainwashed too. Those beasts are closing in fast. He’s not going to help us.”
Finally, doubt crossed the Tower’s expression. “C’mere, mate. Meet me halfway.”
“Come stand with me, Patrick. You shall be enlightened. You shall know all the secrets of the game. If you side with my new alliance, I guarantee you will be safe from Fauna and the Reaper.”
“Side with the bastard who killed my Cally? Now I know you’re barmy. All the same, I’ll take my chances with this tart.” He hiked a thumb at me.
Thanks?
“Join us.” Gabriel’s face took on a macabre cast. “And then you will be safe from me.”
Joules raised his pointy chin. “I’d rather die.”
Gabriel waved a wing behind him in the direction of the wolves. “That is being arranged.”
Joules’s jaw dropped. “You’re goin’ to kick back and watch me get eaten?”
I grabbed his bony arm. “We need to run!” I yanked him away from his best friend.
He staggered along, eyes wide. “What the bloody hell? Tell me you got a plan to undo this.”
“I do,” I lied. “We can save them. But only if we survive.”
Joules nodded, determination overwhelming his shock. He yelled over his shoulder, “We’ll be back for you, Gabe.” With one last look, he sped forward, taking the lead. “We need a vantage.” He pointed toward the next hill, a steep snow-covered rise. “If I get to higher ground, I can light this place up.” His javelin glimmered reassuringly. “We’re talking dead mutts all over the place.”
“Three of those wolves are her familiars. They can’t be killed.” Roars sounded. “Besides, she’s sending far more than mutts.”
As we ran, Joules hurled spears blindly behind us, explosions sounding in the distance. He launched one after another, beginning to sweat.
“Save some bolts. We’re going to need them.”
He looked like I’d insulted his manhood. “I can do this all night.” He twirled one spear. “And I got a special one for your man Death. Oh, wait—the Reaper’s not your man anymore. Christ, Empress, you move through ’em fast. Jack, Sol, and Death. Three blokes in as many months.”
“I wasn’t with Sol. Can we focus on current freaking events?”
When we reached the hill, we fell silent as we trudged up the incline. Hunger had clearly sapped him, and my legs were Jell-O. How could I make it to the top?
Struggling . . . struggling . . . For the last dozen feet, I had to crawl in Joules’s path.
Made it! I lumbered to stand. We both put our hands on our knees and caught our breath.
Below us, the hillside teemed with beasts. Dark fur against white snow.
I glanced behind me. The hill dropped off in a sheer slope on its other side.
Joules opened his palm to produce yet another javelin. Had it been sluggish to appear? He bellowed, “Get ready for a light show, arseholes. THE LORD O’ LIGHTNING IS IN THE—”
The ground disappeared from beneath us. In a cloud of snow, we tumbled down the steeper side. An avalanche! It swept us along like one of Circe’s currents.
My scream was cut off by a searing pain. Joules’s spear had stabbed my shoulder. We plunged lower and lower. Feet over my head. Dizziness. Lurching.
Abrupt—STOP.
For a moment I was relieved just to be still, until I realized all I could see was blackness. Cocooned in snow. No air.
Panic surged. Which way was out? Where was up? Head spinning, I dug frantically . . . .
A javelin pierced the cocoon beside me. Frenzied, I changed direction and dug toward that spear.
Joules hauled me out. Sprawled on my back, I sucked in greedy breaths. Air never tasted so good.
Coated in powder, Joules said, “You were digging the wrong way.”
Then he’d just saved my life. My sense of direction never failed to fail.
He motioned toward my shoulder. “Sorry about stabbing you.”
Blood had stained the snow, but I didn’t feel the numbed injury. Cold and adrenaline were great painkillers. Making it to my knees, I surveyed our new surroundings. We must’ve traveled a mile down that mountain, landing in what looked like a ravine. Was this an old road?
My stomach lurched again. Oh, no, not now.
I wobbled to the side and threw up.
“Do that on your own time. We’ve got to move.”
I vomited till my stomach was empty. Wiped my mouth. Took three tries to get to my feet.
The sound of howls spurred me. The wolves were well beyond Paul’s boundary, which meant they’d never stop until they’d caught us.
Crunch, crunch. Wolves gotta eat. Now it would be my bones.
Joules and I staggered along the ravine. “Any ideas, Tower?”
“Yeah. Avoid them.” He pointed in front of us. Large eyes glowed in the darkness. Scarface was blocking our exit.
In rapid succession, Joules launched three javelins. When the wolf beat a hasty retreat, Joules yanked me around in the other direction.
“Running out of juice here.” He must have burned through a hundred javelins. His skin no longer sparked. “Anytime you want to throw in some vines, Empress.”
“I’m tapped out from fighting the others.”
“Come on, you’ve got to be sandbagging. You canna manage one bloody petal?”
“I’m pregnant, okay?”
He gave a mad bark of laughter. “Who’s the unlucky father? Death? You’re takin’ the piss.”
“Just shut up and run, you fucking leprechaun! Scarface will be back. And there are hundreds more . . .” I trailed off.
Up ahead, eyes glowed from another animal blockade. Maneater and company were in front of us. Scarface’s growl sounded from behind us.
We were trapped.