"You're not exactly packing a big punch these days. Not like when you fought off Ogen. And you don't have the Fool or Jack watching your back. Or Selena and Tess, or Joules and Gabriel. We don't have Ogen." She shook her head. "And Death . . ."
"What?"
"The boss isn't thinking about killing; he's thinking about you."
I narrowed my eyes. "Which you always planned on, right? You strategized for us to get together."
She shrugged. "On Day Zero, he and I had a talk about how he was going to kill me in a few years. I plotted from that moment forward to find his weakness." Utilizing her single-minded determination.
"How did you know what he was truly like? He could've been some homicidal maniac."
"He is a killer. But every killer has a weakness."
If my grandmother was to be believed, we were all killers. All treacherous and disloyal.
Lark buffed her claws. "I went from the underdog to top dog--in months."
"Do you really want to win the game?"
"Somebody's got to repopulate the world's animals. I could do a lot in a few centuries, especially with my animal regeneration."
I'd explained her untapped ability to her. Once she'd located Finn and Richter, she was going to start practicing it.
Lark's eyes suddenly flashed red. Every animal in her room froze and went silent, like statues. "Can't talk anymore. My falcon might have picked up a lead."
"Oh. Sure thing." I rose and waded back through creatures. Over my shoulder, I said, "Let me know immediately if it's Richter." As I ducked out of her room, I considered heading down to talk to Circe, but when I looked out a window, the river churned. She seemed in no mood to chat.
Sooner or later, Aric and I would have to approach her about the spell.
I made my way to his study. He called it our study, but I would always consider it his alone--the sanctuary where my scholar/warrior husband curated his treasures.
He stood as I entered. Such a gentleman.
When I'd initially come to this castle, he'd always kept the desk between us. Now he wasn't happy unless we touched in some way.
I took his offered hand, and he tugged me to sit on his lap, his fingers interlocking with mine. "I've missed you, little wife." His voice was husky, sending shivers through me. "I had trouble concentrating on work, kept replaying this morning."
I blushed.
"In theory, that position promised to be rewarding," he said with a sinful grin. "In practice . . . earth-shattering."
My body was already singing for his touch, my glyphs shivering. He noticed and cast me a look of pure masculine pride--so sexy my breath hitched. Desire banked between us, sparking.
Possessive gaze on my face, he leaned into me, taking my lips as if he hadn't seen me in weeks, as if he'd never get enough of my kiss.
I couldn't get enough of his. My palms traced up his chest to rest at his neck, my fingers twining in his tousled hair.
He teased me wickedly, till I would do anything to ease this ache. I wanted him to lose control, to be as lost as I was. Finally I wriggled over his lap, pleading against his lips, "Aric . . ."
He drew back, eyes blazing. He stood, setting me on the edge of the desk. With one sweep of his arm, he sent all his papers flying, clearing the way for me to lie back. Well, clearing everything except for the poppy that still grew.
He used his speed to strip us just enough. Not at all like a gentleman.
He was fierce with me on that desk.
And then on the couch.
And then up against the bookshelves with my legs around his waist. We were both fierce, the force jarring books from their shelves.
When they went crashing to the floor, I cried, "Your books!" They meant everything to him.
He laughed, his face glorious. "Let them fall!"
"But these are your treasures."
Voice rough with lust, he said, "I have one treasure." He slowed, pinning my gaze with his starry one. "And she owns my soul."
Between breaths, I said, "Does she, then?"
He nodded. "She keeps it right here"--he pressed his palm over my heart--"next to hers. . . ."
Afterward, as my pulse tried to return to normal and I basked in his tender kisses, I asked,
"You're truly not mad?" I recognized his favorite book on the floor--The Prince. The one written in the original Italian.
With his forehead resting against mine, he said, "In the past, I never had anything more than the game and my books and relics. No longer. I have a wife I adore. I am more than a mere killer and a collector. I am a husband." He rocked his hips, ready for more. "And if I'm not mistaken, I'm a damned good one."
_______________
"I have something for you," I told Aric after we'd showered and dressed. "Will you sit there and close your eyes?" I waved him toward the bed, determined to give him the ring I'd secretly pocketed again.
Brows raised, he sat. "I'm not a lover of surprises, sieva."
"Especially not from me, huh?"
With a half grin, he closed his eyes.
He'd said he was a damn good husband. God, I agreed. So what was I waiting for?
As I reached for the ring, the wolves started howling at something. Lark's zootopia was going to drive us insane before it was all done. I tried to ignore them, telling Aric, "I hope you like it."
The wolves got louder and louder.
I'd just worked my hand into my pocket when a scream came from somewhere in the castle. Lark?
"I FOUND FINN!!" The mountain echoed her with a thousand animal calls.
Aric was on his feet in a flash. "Shall we reconvene later for my surprise?"
"Yes!" We both hurried to find Lark. She was in the entry hall, with a train of creatures following her.
"Well, where is he?" I asked, thrilled that Finn was alive. "Did he tell your falcon what happened to him?"
She nodded excitedly. "Over the last few months, he teamed up with Joules and Gabriel. Since there haven't been any Arcana calls, the three of them have been attacking the Emperor in guerrilla raids. Once the falcon found Finn, he split from the other two. He scored a car, so he can follow--"
"The Tower and the Archangel?" Aric interrupted her. Voice dropping to a menacing pitch, he said, "Are you leading the Magician in this direction?" At her terrified nod, he snapped, "To this castle?"
She swallowed. Gulp.
"Stop the falcon this instant!"
Her eyes went red. Moments later, she blinked. "Finn's pulled over."
I got chills from Aric's expression. "What's wrong?"
"At best, the Magician's friends are using him--to find us. At worst, he's in league with them."
Joules had been gunning for Aric ever since Aric had killed Joules's girlfriend, Calanthe. In self-defense, but still . . .
"Boss, I swear Finn's not!"
Furious, Aric added, "Even if he's innocent, how do we know Fortune and the Emperor aren't following the Tower and the Archangel? Or that the Sun isn't keeping tabs on their location through his Bagmen? That falcon could be leading a trail of Arcana directly here." Gaze shifting to me, he rasped, "Endangering what I hold most dear." He turned back to Lark, towering over her. Voice booming, he said, "And when in the hell did I give leave for the Magician to call on this castle?"
Lark shuffled her feet, on the verge of tears, so different from her usual swagger. "I wrote him . . . I thought . . . you might let him . . . live with us--"
"LIVE here?"
I squeezed between them. "Finn is my friend and ally," I told Aric. "At Fort Arcana, he told me about his and Lark's plan to reunite, and I gave my full support. Lark checked with me earlier about Finn living here at the castle. If this place is truly my home too, then I invite him to stay here for good."
Aric narrowed his eyes. "I don't suppose your husband gets to say anything about your invitation?"
I jutted my chin. "No, he knows better. Because he's a damned good husband."
45
"Thi
s is the most ill-advised thing I've ever done," Aric informed me as he drove us through Circe's river opening. "Which is saying something, considering my age."
I was barely listening, too busy staring up at the towering walls of water. So much power . . .
Aric and I were in his Range Rover, leaving our horses behind. We needed speed to reach Finn as quickly as possible.
Once we'd driven a few miles, Aric said, "And to bring you? Sheer lunacy. I truly can't deny you anything."
"Well, obviously you can--since you're not wearing your helmet." I held it at the ready in my lap.
He'd only grudgingly agreed to wear the rest of his armor. "As fast as I've become, I won't need protection from the Tower or the Archangel."
And the Emperor? Part of me clamored to face him, to get my revenge at last. Part of me knew we weren't ready. "Yet bringing me is lunacy?" I glared at Aric. "I thought I was a powerful goddess who didn't need any hand-holding." He'd told Jack as much.
"Your powers are being . . . recalcitrant at present. In any case, there's no need for you to go with me."
Lark had wanted to come along as well, but Aric had drawn the line: "If the Magician is plotting, Fauna, I won't have you there trying to save him from me."
So she'd directed Finn to a rest area that we could map to.
As Aric and I had loaded up the car--with the two bug-out bags I'd insisted on bringing and tanks of extra fuel--Lark had packed food because Finn hadn't eaten in ages.
Just before I'd hopped in the truck, she'd handed me her music player for the ride, muttering under her breath, "Finn isn't plotting."
"I believe that. Aric's just being careful."
"Eves, please look out for my guy."
I nodded.
She'd leaned in to whisper, "Am I killing Finn to want him here?"
I hadn't been sure if she'd meant that Aric might ultimately murder the Magician--or that Circe might.
I'd wondered if I should warn Lark that something big was on its way into our lives. Tick-tock. I'd decided against it, since Finn was already in jeopardy. "He's starving, Lark. He won't last long out in the Ash." Outside of our spaceship. "I'm going to do everything I can to bring him back to you."
Now I told Aric, "Even if there's no need for me to come, I don't want us to separate. When we waited for Circe to part the river earlier, I think you wondered for a second if she was going to let us out. What if you left by yourself, but she refused to let you back in? How would I get to you?"
"Yes, I did wonder. Because she is an Arcana." He increased his speed, flying down an abandoned highway, weaving around Flash-fried cars and eighteen-wheelers. "Say the Magician is innocent of conspiring with the other two. And say we're able to extract him cleanly and bring him to our home. We'll be feeding and sheltering another player who can turn on us."
"Finn would never do that."
"Yet you expect Circe to turn on me?"
Good point.
"And what about convergence?" he demanded. "More Arcana bring more Arcana."
"When I first got here, there were four of us. This is just one extra. In any case, do you really want to be the card that keeps Lark and Finn apart? What if karma paid you back in the same way?"
His voice a growl, he said, "The thought has occurred. That's one reason I'm making this trip."
My lips curled at his surly demeanor.
"What are you grinning about, wife?"
I shrugged, all nonchalant. "I like your truck."
"Good. Apparently, it's half yours."
For a hundred miles or so, we listened to Lark's playlist, lost in our own thoughts. Slowly I became aware that Aric was sliding me looks and drumming his fingers on the steering wheel--not in time to the music.
I turned down the volume. "Spit it out, Reaper."
"I think I know why you're struggling with your powers."
I raised my brows.
"You need to grieve."
"And how should I go about that?" Release the tourniquet and bleed out? What would be left of me?
He opened his mouth to say something. Closed it. Another try: "My nightmare is losing you. I've told you more than once that I can't imagine life without you. But I realized that you might have said the same to Deveaux. And now you're living the life you couldn't imagine. The nightmare came true for you."
I balled my fists in my coat pockets. Twist, tighten, constrict. Once I'd gotten my emotions under control, I said, "Life with you is hardly a nightmare, Aric." Our existence was a good one; I should be happy. "You're the perfect husband."
"When we get back, you're going to talk to me about Deveaux. You're going to tell me about the red ribbon and why the snow makes you sad."
I swallowed. "You . . . you expect a lot from me sometimes. Do you really want to see me cry over another man?"
"I want to be there for you through anything. Sieva, you can't keep stifling this."
I shook my head. "I would never want to hurt you."
"Before the last two months, seeing you grieve for him might have hurt. But now I know you love me. I feel it. And I know you loved Jack." He offered his hand on the armrest. "So that proves your heart is big enough for two."
I drew my left hand from my pocket and laced my fingers through his. He'd proved something to me as well. I met his gaze. "I've never loved you more than I do right at this moment."
His expression grew proud, and a calmness flowed over me. By the end of this night, we would either die retrieving Finn--or I would give him the ring.
_______________
"Blondie!" Finn's face lit up to see me when I hopped out of the truck.
He'd been waiting for us in the rest area parking lot, leaning against his scorched sedan, the falcon perched on the hood.
Aric had pulled up not far away, strategically parked for a fast exit. He stepped out, seeming on high alert.
I glared at his lack of helmet. Damn it, I'd just handed it to him before I got out. "Really, Aric?" Okay, maybe he still needed some husband training.
He hiked his shoulders. "Stay close to me, sieva." I had a flash memory of Jack saying, ". . . like a shadow, you."
Tourniquet.
I hadn't seen Finn in months, but the Magician was still using a crutch, hobbling over to hug me. He looked like he'd lost a twenty pounds, and his clothes were threadbare.
I hugged him, shocked by how skinny he was. "I missed you, Finn." I truly hoped he hadn't plotted against Aric. "How did you part ways with Joules and Gabe?"
"Told them I needed to see my girl." He shrugged. "And that I wasn't really cool with ganking Death, since the Reaper's gonna let me crash on his couch for the rest of my life and all."
Aric scowled. "By whose goddamned leave?"
"Don't mind him." I believed Finn, so I ushered him to the truck. When I opened the back door, the falcon swooped inside.
Lark didn't want to take her eyes off her guy. Aww.
Finn hesitated at the door. "Really sorry about Jack, Eves. The Cajun was a class act. One of the best guys I've ever met." Finn had spent months out in the Ash with him, Selena, and Matthew, scrabbling together a home. I knew the Magician would've given his life for Jack.
I managed to say, "And Selena. She was right by his side till the end." Twist, tighten, constrict. I felt Aric's gaze on me. Was he wondering why my eyes didn't water? They would soon, if he had his way.
"Yeah. She was. I miss 'em." Finn brushed his long dirty-blond hair off his forehead. "You ever hear from Matto?"
Aric suddenly drew one of his swords. "We aren't alone, sieva. Get into the car."
Not likely. I shoved Finn into the back, then turned and readied for a fight. My thorn claws sharpened, and I bled vines into the broken pavement.
Out of the murk, a streak of light shot toward Aric. A javelin! "Aric, watch out--"
Like a blur, he'd . . . caught it with one hand--before I'd even finished my warning. I gaped at his speed.
"Obliged for this, Tower!" he called. "Y
ou can never have too many." He spun the gleaming, silver javelin in his palm, and it retracted into a baton.
Holy shit! We'd scored another lightning javelin! My eyes went wide with realization, and I said, "You planned this."
He winked at me, then gently tossed me the baton. I fumbled before dropping it. He grinned, as if he found my clumsiness endearing.
"Bite me," I muttered, picking up the baton and slipping it into my coat pocket. "Hand-eye coordination is not my power."
"Just so." Expression gone cold, he yelled, "Show yourself, Tower!"
Joules swaggered out from the remains of a building, twirling another baton, his skin sparking with hostility. Gabriel descended in a dark rush of wings. He bowed formally to Aric and myself.
They looked like hell. They'd been missing meals too, and their clothing was ragged. Even Gabriel's old-timey suit--normally so immaculate--was bloodstained and tattered.
I noticed Tess's icon on the back of his hand. He noticed me noticing, and his face fell, his leaf-green eyes full of sadness.
"I knew you'd use the Magician to find me," Aric said. "Was your plan to kill solely me? Or the Empress and Fauna as well?"
Joules said, "We only got to the part where I electrocute you."
Finn stuck his head out from the backseat, falcon in his arms. "What the hell, dudes?" He was genuinely wounded. "You guys were following me? Freaking harsh, man. Harsh. I thought we were friends."
Aric cast me a look. See? Most Arcana couldn't be trusted.
"Oi, Empress, I'll be havin' that javelin back," Joules said. "Even if I have to fight you for it."
"I do believe you gave your vow never to hurt her," Aric said. "In any event, you'll have to go through me."
Joules turned to Gabriel. "What do you think, Gabe? Should I--" Joules hurled his next javelin at Aric with shocking speed--and a second one that I'd never seen from his other hand!
Aric caught one javelin, even as his sword flashed out to deflect the second strike.
Before I'd had time to blink.
From the truck, Finn breathed, "Duuude."
Aric smirked. "Ever wonder where the phrase lightning-fast reflexes came from?" God, he was so cocky. I loved it.
I caught the baton this time. We'd scored a pair of javelins!
Joules gave a strangled yell. "I don't care how long it takes. I will kill you!"
"Concentrate your minuscule talents on the Emperor and his allies. Or die."
I told them, "We should all be concentrating on Richter. Where is he?"