The Dark Calling

  Instead of arguing, Aric asked, "Can we reach this place with the fuel we have?"

  "Ouais." Seeming to make a decision, Jack said, "Head north on this road."

  Aric quickly started driving. He hid it well, but I sensed his relief.

  "And then what happens when we run through those supplies?" I asked. "We're just delaying the inevitable: my battle against Paul."

  "He is protected by Fauna, the Archangel, and his own sphere," Aric said. "Sieva, think of the baby."

  Sick of hearing that! I whipped my head around so fast, my damp hair slapped my bruised face. "Like you thought of the baby when you threw your swords at me? You don't get to say that to me! You don't get a say in my existence."

  The pain in his expression . . .

  "Do I?" Jack squeezed my hand. "Tee comes first, Evie. You know this. I'm all for duking it out when there's no choice"--he cast me a significant look--"but let's not pick a fight either."

  "Lark would rescue me if our situations were reversed. And Gabriel got trapped in the sphere because he saved my life. I won't repay him by doing nothing. At least Aric's not there anymore. I can handle three of them."

  "Can you not wait?" Aric asked. "What is the rush?"

  "Circe believes this kid is my shield against Paul's powers. Once I give birth, I could fall under his control."

  "And will our child be a shield against other Arcana? Gabriel is stronger than ever before. Though Fauna is suffering, her predators would still be deadly."

  "Why wouldn't Paul want me alive? Since he lost you, another Arcana would grow his sphere, right? And he has the cilice."

  Aric admitted, "The Hanged Man did suggest we use it."

  When I shuddered, Jack asked Aric, "That came from your armor, right? Neutralized her powers?"

  "Yes. I forced her to wear it." A shadow crossed his expression. "Even if Paul wants you alive, Fauna might reach you before you ever get a chance to face him. Her hatred for you is nigh uncontrollable. If the Hanged Man's control slipped, your body would be eviscerated."

  Jack said, "Which is why I will go in with the noose."

  I glared at him. "Not happening. I'm not losing you again."

  "Lots of confidence you got in me. I'm a good shot."

  "I don't want Lark or Gabriel killed either. If I can manage spores, I can put them to sleep. The creatures too." Big if, Eves.

  Aric pointed out, "You didn't manage spores when you were escaping the castle."

  "I was taken off guard then. You're really going to remind me of that night?"

  "If I must."

  Jack asked me, "You expect me to sit with the Reaper while you go take care of business?"

  "I expect you to keep him away from the sphere. To remind him what's at stake." My head was beginning to ache, fatigue taking its toll. "And I expect Aric to watch your back while I'm gone."

  Jack folded his arms over his chest. "This solo plan ain't cutting it. What about Circe?"

  Aric said, "The Priestess will be depleted from that show of power, whether she controlled it or not."

  I added, "How would we contact her anyway? It took me weeks before she answered at the lake, and we can't return there or risk another face-off against Richter." I worried about Circe's well-being, but I also didn't see how I could help her. "Keep in mind that I only have so long before I . . . give birth." First time I'd ever said those words.

  In all the excitement, I hadn't felt Tee flutter once. Had my run-in with the Cups been the final straw for this pregnancy?

  No, I refused to believe that. "Look, I'm tired of debating something that's as good as done." The truck's heater blew a constant warm blast over me. Sleep called.

  "Maybe the Reaper and I doan take you to the castle."

  My glyphs began to glow. "Either help me--or get out of my way. I'll find it myself, if I have to. Somehow." To my utter irritation, Jack and Aric shared a look. Yes, I was directionally challenged, but screw them! "Wow. Haven't you two learned by now never to underestimate me? Why don't you ask the Hermit and the Hierophant and the Cups how that worked out for them? Oh--you can't." I stared straight ahead. "Because they're all dead."

  43

  The Hunter

  Evie slept with her head against my chest, my arm around her.

  As Dominija drove us in the direction of the cave, he glanced over yet again with that anguished look on his face. The guilt was killing the Grim Reaper.

  "She needs more sleep these days," I said, as much to reassure myself as him. "'Specially after what happened to her today." Those assholes had bashed her head in and bled her. Her left eye was still black from the impact, nearly swollen shut.

  I'd never forget the sight of her blood pouring, knowing the cost of every drop.

  "I can imagine this pregnancy has been very . . . difficult for her." Dominija kept making these stoic understatements, like he didn't trust himself to say anything with emotion.

  "Yeah, what with the starvation and danger and all. But things got better when I arrived." I couldn't help but add, "In Jubilee, she looked at me like I hung the moon when I found pickles for her." Pickle craving: not a myth.

  I'd known our time there couldn't last forever--she'd been cooped up and I'd had dozens of close calls that she would never hear about--but we'd been out of options. Now she thought she was going to take on the world. Alone.

  No chance I'd let that happen. Evie was ma fille, my future, my home.

  And she felt the same way about me.

  Memories from last night stole into my mind, until even I felt like blushing. Her cries, the way her hair had haloed around her head as I'd ridden between her thighs. The heat of her soft flesh. The trust in those blue eyes as she'd peered up at me, her sweet lips parted.

  We'd had each other four times, and all she'd done was whet my appetite for more. Not surprising. When I'd been inside her, that same feeling had come over me: where I'm supposed to be. I pulled her even closer.

  Under his breath, Dominija snapped, "Try to control your heart rate, mortal; that's my wife you're holding."

  I shot him a killing look. The first time I'd been with Evie, the Reaper had stolen her from me. Now he was back in her life once more. How in the hell could I be expected to give her up again? Much less Tee? Kentarch had been right; I'd started thinking of that kid as mine. "I doan see a ring on her finger, Reap." Had she left it in the confusion this morning?

  Shuttering his expression, he said, "Was it lost?"

  "Are you hoping it slid off her finger when she was caught in an avalanche? Maybe that she had to barter it for food in Jubilee?" Frustration boiled over. "Non, I took it off her finger right before I slept with her the first time." Not a lie, though I'd made it sound like we'd been together for a lot longer than we actually were.

  Evie stirred but didn't wake.

  I expected words of anger from the Reaper, lashing out. I craved a dust-up. But he said nothing, just seemed to be grinding his molars.

  After several miles of silence, he asked, "How far is this cave?"

  "Took us days to get from there to the coast, but we had to wait for Kentarch to recharge his teleportation power. Vehicles block the way. Doan know how we're goan to get around them now."

  No way Evie could go on foot. She didn't have gloves or a thick enough coat. I'd stored bug-out bags for her, me, and even Tee in the cave. But how to reach our gear?

  "Leave the obstacles to me. We will drive directly to our destination."

  Sure thing, Reaper. "You look whipped." Something told me he'd run farther than humanly possible. "I can take a stint at the wheel."

  He gave a humorless laugh. "Concerned for me, mortal?"

  "Last thing we need is a wreck." The further inland we drove, the more snow blanketed the ground.

  "Despite my exhaustion, my reflexes are infinitely faster than yours. I will remain where I am, thank you."

  I rolled my eyes, 'cause he had a point. He'd deflected a bullet with the tip of his sword. A bullet meant
for the back of my skull.

  After another few miles, he said, "How did you survive Richter's massacre?"

  I smirked at him. "I told you, I cheat Death."

  He didn't respond to that, and goading him was no fun if he refused to go toe-to-toe. "Selena shoved me into a mine. I survived the lava and the flood, but then slavers nabbed me. Coo-yon rescued me from their salt mine right before they butchered me for food."

  Dominija seemed to be assessing me. "The Fool has never showed such interest in a mortal before."

  "What can I say? I'm special in every way."

  "Didn't he tell you that you should go down to Louisiana?" Dominija and I had talked about that the last time we'd drunk together back in Fort Arcana. "Have you given up your dream of rebuilding Haven?"

  No, but . . . "Kinda hard to think about that since Richter took out my army. Besides, you're not getting rid of me. If you think I'm bowing out again--"

  "Again? Are you talking about when you left the fort?"

  I'd marched out my troops while Evie slept to make it easier for her to go with Dominija, all the while praying she would read the letter I'd left her and come running. She had--and almost died in Richter's fire.

  "After coo-yon saved me, we were on our way to your castle. He took me to the memorial Evie made for Selena and me. Through a vision, he showed me her grief. When I thought about all the things you could offer her, I told him to let Evie believe I died in those flames. Next thing I know, she's out in the Ash, starving, with little power and a kid on the way. Seems to me that you forfeited any right to her."

  He swiped his hand over his face, that spiked gauntlet catching my eye. Not nearly as dangerous as the skin it covers. "I know that. I'm not asking you to bow out. All I expect is for you to work with me to make her safe. Then we will figure out the future."

  Future? My gaze was drawn to Evie's pale face in the glow of the truck's electronics. She is my future.

  I glanced over at the Reaper. Both of us had just been staring at her. Saps, one as bad as the other.

  Clearing my throat, I said, "What happened when you shed Paul's control?"

  "I believe I was very close to losing my mind. All at once, I went from zero doubt and confusion to more panic than I'd felt in two millennia--combined. I couldn't think. Couldn't reason." In a lower voice, he admitted, "I rode my warhorse into the ground."

  While under the power of another Arcana, he'd had no control over himself. Could I continue to blame him? Could Evie?

  He said, "If I'd gotten there sooner, I could have spared her that battle with the Cups."

  "She did all right by herself."

  "I saw the aftermath. I'll bet she was glorious in her wrath."

  "Glorious? That's one way of looking at it." Though I'd been the one to egg her on, I'd still been shocked. I'd never seen her so creepy. "They drew first blood, but something tells me that woan matter in the long run."

  "The Empress has destroyed an entire suit; there will be consequences. If the other suits unite, danger for her will multiply. And she already had a target on her back." His expression hardened, as if he imagined eliminating all those threats to her. "How much power was the Empress able to expend against the Cups?"

  "A fair bit, but she burned out fast. She was . . ."

  "What?"

  Different, I thought. Like she'd enjoyed the violence. When she'd unleashed the witch down in the Lovers' shrine, she'd taken care of business. This time, she'd played with her enemies. No wonder she was worried about heading to the dark side. And I primed that pump. "Nothing," I finally said.

  He let it slide. "Based on what you saw, do you believe she can defeat Fauna and the Archangel?"

  "She was powerful, but so are they." I replayed Gabriel's wing slicing out at me and said, "She can't go up against them. You and I will have to talk her out of that plan. Before we near the castle, we've got to convince her against it."

  "I hold zero sway over her. But I will try."

  Didn't sound promising. "I doan suppose coo-yon offered up any wisdom when he sent you the vision?"

  Dominija shook his head. "Nothing of consequence to me."

  Typical. "I heard he offed Evie in a past life."

  "His biggest regret. He was never the same after that."

  "From what I understand, if he'd given me directions to the castle, I could've reached Evie before you took her to bed. She would've come back to me. Would've chosen me."

  He briefly closed his eyes. "Yes." Seeming to give himself an inner shake, he said, "Which means everything that is happening to us is because of the Fool. He must've wanted the Empress to have a child."

  Evie curled up closer to me. Before I'd even thought about it, I pressed a kiss to her hair. Death stiffened in his seat.

  "The jealousy's about to eat you alive, non? I can only imagine what's goan on inside you right now."

  "My servant stole all that I'd ever worked for, and you took all that I love."

  "You sure did make it easy." Stony stare. "What? You're your own worst enemy."

  Clenching the wheel, he said, "Newsflash, Deveaux, I was under the thrall of another card."

  "You're not now. Here's a hint. Maybe in the future, doan brag that you escaped an Arcana's mind control just so you could behead your wife."

  "Should I have lied? As you customarily do?"

  "Oh, no, no, I learned my lesson, me. No more lies. But goddamn, man, you could try softly handing her the truth instead of clubbing her with it." I lowered my voice to say, "She's wiped out, scared, and pregnant. Instead of abiding by your sterling sense of morality, consider her and the baby. Think: buffer."

  "Buffer?"

  He was actually listening to me? Taking advice from a much--much--younger man? "Doan give her anything too heavy to carry." For weeks, I'd been trying to cushion her from the world, and I had. Until today.

  "Before Paul struck, I did endeavor to buffer her." He muttered to himself, "The Empress is as fragile as she is strong."

  One way to look at her. "Hell, this might be a moot point."

  "Why? What are you talking about?"

  I met his gaze. "Before she took out the Cups, they bludgeoned her head, threw her on the floor, and bled her. She still might lose Tee."

  All light dimmed in the Reaper's eyes. "Then I was too late after all."

  "Maybe so," I said, while wondering how much more guilt Dominija could shoulder before he snapped.

  44

  The Empress

  Day 584 A.F.

  "Where are we?" I sat up, blinking my bleary eyes.

  Aric had just parked the truck. "Outside the cave."

  "Really?" I didn't recognize our snowy surroundings.

  "I'd like you both to stay here while I clear the area. Allow me to start a fire if possible."

  "By all means." Jack turned up the heater in advance of Aric's departure. "The entrance is due north from here. Look for lion bones. Inside, there's a bag for Evie with cold-weather gear."

  "I'll return with it." Casting me a last look, Aric dashed from the truck.

  As I watched him disappear into the night, I said, "We got here this quickly?"

  "Ouais. The beauty of no pit stops."

  Aric had simply moved the obstacles. The first time we'd come upon a blocked road, Jack had been keen to help. Aric had told him, "Without proper clothing, you'll get frostbite. Besides, I need no assistance."

  Jack had started to argue, but Aric had cut him off: "I am asking you not to get in my way, mortal."

  "Then knock yourself out, Reaper. I'll be inside keeping my girl warm."

  As we'd watched Aric shoving aside the first wreck, Jack's lips had parted. "Has he always been that strong?"

  I'd shaken my head. "Supernaturally so. But not like this."

  Over the night, I would rouse from the shock of cold whenever Aric opened the door to go move another vehicle. But then I would promptly pass out again.

  I raised my hands to the air vent. "It's gettin
g colder."

  Jack enfolded me in his strong arms, his delicious warmth seeping into me. "'Cause we're heading up into the mountains."

  "You know that's not the reason it's this cold." The weather continued to deteriorate. The idea of remaining out in the Ash during snowmageddon was laughable. I had no choice but to face Paul. My out-of-options brand of bravery would be forced to rise again.

  "I also know the midwife said you shouldn't be worrying about things you can't control."

  Ah, but maybe I did have some control over the weather. With the end of the game, the earth should return. Maybe all the united Minors truly would call open season on the Majors, hurrying things along.

  Jack stroked my hair behind my ear. "So, we goan to talk about went down with the Cups?"

  If we must.

  "You didn't have to take that risk, Evie. Letting her have your blood."

  "Yes, I did."

  "Because you would do anything to save Dominija? Was the alternative so bad--living out a life with me?"

  I drew back from him. "Aric said the same thing when I tried to turn back time to resurrect you. Of all the things I've done to him over the millennia, I think that hurt him the worst."

  Jack glanced in Aric's direction, as if trying to imagine how the man must've felt. "What happened with your powers in Jubilee?"

  "I barely remember the attack."

  "You blanked out?"

  "No, not exactly." How to explain what I'd felt? "It was like an out-of-body experience, with the red witch in control." Snippets of memories kept slipping into my consciousness.

  The sound of my new noose tightening. Of bones snapping. The smell of their fear mixed with my roses.

  Practice for the Hanged Man?

  Lorraine had whispered something about Richter right before I'd ended her. What, what? "I get scared by what I can recall."

  Jack's expression said it'd scared him too. "I goaded you, but it seemed different than it'd been in the past."

  "Do you remember when you beat up that man who wanted to hurt your mom? You looked as if some force had overtaken you. I felt the same way. Out of control. Horrified by myself after the fact. But at the time . . ."

  "Everything was right in the world?"

  "Yeah."

  "Evangeline, it ain't ever goan to be easy with you, is it?"

  "Nope." He'd asked me that before, and my answer had never wavered.

  "No matter what happened, I'm proud of you for taking care of business." He jerked his chin toward the cave. "How're you doing with him around?"