“Why?”
“For taking advantage of you. The only reason last night happened is because I almost went into the drink. You would’ve gone your whole life faithful to him, but you relived when you lost me last.”
That was true. Still . . . “Maybe I took advantage of you. You were freaked out because you almost died. Didn’t you believe you were done?”
He admitted, “Ouais.”
“Don’t forget I’m supposed to be this minxy seductress/mesmerizer. A mere mortal like you stood no chance.”
His lips curled. “So what do we do now, séductrice?”
Despite Jack’s efforts, I couldn’t relax. I sighed. “After nearly two months, I need to accept that Aric’s not coming for me. And saving him from Paul seems even more impossible when we can barely keep ourselves alive.” My eyes went wide. “What if that woman from the platform tells others what she saw?”
“We can’t stay here anyway. That first liner has never gone down before. The infrastructure’s toast.”
“What will we do?”
“When our podnas get back, we’ll teleport the truck to the cave to load up. If we can talk Kentarch into searching a new area, the four of us’ll head south to the Gulf. There might be a similar situation with ships off the old coast of Louisiana.”
“What’s taking the guys so long? They’ve never been gone a whole night before. What if Paul’s sphere caught Kentarch?” Another Arcana trapped?
“You’re not supposed to be borrowing trouble, supposed to be relaxing for the kid.”
“Is that possible A.F.?” No sooner had I made the comment than Jack stilled, cocking his head.
“We got company.” We both leapt up, snatching on jeans, dressing in a hurry.
“Is it the guys?”
“Uh-uh.” He stomped into his boots.
As I reached for my own, I caught sight of my former wedding ring lying on the floor. With a pang, I pocketed it.
Someone banged on the door. “Open up! It’s the Ciborium.”
I hissed, “That widow must’ve ratted me out.” I tied my boots. “Do you have any weapons hidden?”
“Non. We stole ours back from the arsenal, but then we stashed them in the cave. Look, we’ll get through this, Evie. As long as we’re together, we can handle anything. Remember?” Once he’d yanked on his coat, he tossed me mine, then marched to the door. A glance back at me. “You ready?”
I nodded, and he opened up.
Five Ciborium guards stood outside with their guns pointed at his face.
36
Death
Hundreds of miles from the sphere
My stalwart mount ultimately buckled under the strain. I abandoned him and began to run east.
When I’d first regained my mind, the need to return and slaughter Paul had nearly consumed me, but I could never enter that sphere again.
Besides, time was now more of a threat than the Hanged Man.
I couldn’t govern my emotions, chaotic thoughts overwhelming me.
My wife has been vulnerable out in the Ash. Starving. Nearly dying. Now in danger once more—because of Paul. He will die bloody. She and I are going to have a son—if she survives long enough.
I saw her demise. Will the Fool’s vision come true before I can reach my beloved wife and child?
I ran into the night. I ran for their lives . . . .
37
The Empress
Surrounded by Ciborium guards, we entered the MSY Calices, heading for an audience with Lorraine herself.
The men hadn’t taken their fingers off their triggers. They weren’t treating us like suspected criminals—but like convicted ones.
Was the plank in our future?
In French, I muttered to Jack, “What are we going to do?” For weeks, I’d had a bad feeling about Lorraine. Yet after using my powers last night, I could barely manage to sharpen my claws.
He answered in the same, “Kentarch and Joules will be back soon. They’ll find us gone and come after us. Just hang on.”
News of my vines must’ve spread; as the guards had escorted us across the settlement, people had begun to gather outside the yacht, whispering and pointing at me. I’d heard the word witch a few times.
On board, we passed one stateroom after another, trudging across plush carpet toward the bow. Soft floor lighting guided the way, and warm air blew from the vents. I made out the faint hum of generators. Must be nice.
Cleanliness and order marked every inch, which made me doubt my suspicions about the Ciborium. How could villains have a lair like this?
I was used to subterranean dens—not rock-star megayachts. I’d descended into the Hermit’s laboratory, the Hierophant’s pantry, and the Lovers’ shrine. Again and again, I’d emerged to the surface and lived. Like a plant.
Would we survive this next trial?
We passed the exit that led to the plank. The two spotlighted masts cast shadows inside. I held my breath as they wavered over us.
The guards forced us into an opulent ballroom, our steps loud. Chandeliers hung from exposed rafters, shimmering light across the empty space. A grand staircase curved from a balcony to the gleaming dance floor.
Atop a dais, Lorraine sat on that seashell-covered throne, more of her guards flanking her. Imperious in another silver dress, she’d braided her long brunette hair over one shoulder. Up this close, I saw her irises were so light a brown, they looked yellowish.
“Welcome to our court, my dear ones,” she greeted us in her soft, singsong voice. An ornate gold chalice sat on one throne arm. On the other arm lay a jewel-encrusted blade.
Jack demanded, “What do you want with us?”
Ignoring him, she turned to me. “We had a little time before we send up our next flare to the faithful awaiting on the coast, and I wanted to meet the Empress in person.”
I jolted at her casual mention of my title. “How did you know?”
With a dreamy expression, she said, “How could I not? I’m an Arcana.”
I shared a shocked look with Jack as comprehension sunk in. Lorraine. La Reine. The queen. My gaze flitted to the chalice beside her. “You’re the Queen of Cups.” One of the two Minor Arcana my grandmother had specifically warned me about.
Why hadn’t I put this together before? This ship’s name—the Calices—was French for Chalices.
There were thirteen guards with armbands. Lorraine would make fourteen. “The entire suit of Cups is here.”
“Correct, Empress.”
Circe had said she’d found a suit on the coast. Bingo.
I’d learned that Major Arcana rarely encountered the Minors, but when we did . . . not good news. My grandmother’s words: They can be as dangerous as Major Arcana. Especially the court cards.
Matthew had told me they watched us, plotting against us. Had that been what I’d sensed out on the road?
So what would Lorraine do now? “How did you recognize me?”
“Not easily. You look nothing like the Empress of old.”