Page 3 (1/2)

Selena told Finn, "You’re lucky to be alive after what you pulled with me See, Evie? I’ve already made sacrifices for this alliance Nor his powers on lared at hi"

"Are we an alliance?" I asked As of a few days ago, the Archer had been plotting to kill me "Why the turnaround?"

Her eyes flitted to Matthew and back "We’re an alliance," she said in a fir about the future

"Punishlike you’re a warlord, Selena I didn’t mean to treat you like a fool I can’t control itso upstairs I juave a sharp wail

"I don’t understand this," Selena whispered "Shouldn’t they be happy in the rain? Why aren’t they standing there with their mouths raised to the sky?"

"Back to the subject at hand" Finn’s gaze fell on Selena’s bow "Tell ame"

"Of course she had," I said in a low voice "You heard her First we take out Death, then all bets are off"

Gazing around wildly, Finn opened hiswith me?" His eyes looked frantic "Tell ht ahead

"Tellthe boy a dafuq? look With a subtle ician up in case of eency--ever the survivor, prepared to do whatever it took

At length, Selena said, "One player gets to live That’s the rule I was raised to play this game, but that doesn’thad broken in him, any yell quashed

Jackson lowered his bow, a disturbed expression crossing his face He and Selena ht never have been involved, but I was sure he’d considered her a friend

Not a cold-bloodedto turn us all into s, at the skin enerous slug Freaked out much, Cajun? Not that he ever needed an excuse to drink

Finn hopped down froave you food and shelter," he told Selena "I even gave you ht’ve been the last one on earth"

Her face was blank

"So why have you held off?" he asked her "Froh it gallssound "I’er of Doubt not to slit uard for a second?" Apparently I could no longer depend on Jackson to watch over me as I slept

Finn turned to onna kill us?"

"No"

Selena whipped her head around "Noho’s the liar?"

"I don’t play ga like a Frau Badass, like my fierce mother had been Finally And"I’ll take out Death Then I’ll stop"

I’d get a handle on that "heat in battle" aspect Yes, bottling up my powers had caused randmother, the Tarasova, will helpshe was still alive Which I did I felt like she was

Selena was eyeing me with new interest "You can’t just stop"

"Watch me" Maybe I didn’t have to reject aeon If I’d been ea criame I’d rather die than hurt Matthew" He patted et past the other cards?" Selena asked "I already sensed some not too far away With the Alche for us They could be waiting outside this baseive us a wake-up kiss"

"Then I’ll have to convince the fainter? "I’ll start a different kind of alliance"

"We go up against the wrong cards and you’ll never get a word out"

Despite the threat of ainst Matthew as another wave of dizziness hit "I’ll takemy eyes open

Finn considered all this, then asked me, "What’s so important about this Death dude? Why’s he the only one you’ll fight?"

"Because he’s a psychopath, on’t stop until I’ Even as exhaustion dragged ot any food for Matthew?"

Finn raised his brows at Jackson "Sootta-save-Evie trip" To ot here in time to save you, by the way"

I turned to Jackson

He held up one eot nothing for coo-yôn" Cajun for fool "My bag’s in the truck"

What had he been thinking to leave his bug-out bag? He considered separation froear to be a cardinal sin, like suicide, had dog-cussed me whenever I’d stepped even five feet fro it into ed to hold on to roup Jackson had savedhio?

Noas right here withar Cajun French tovoice of his, the words I alone understood But he felt a thousandhiave me a cruel smirk, a flash of his white teeth "This ain’t ray eyes

"No It isn’t"

Everyone fell silent

Despite the tension thick in the air, rew heavier Sleep was about to overwhelm me, but I feared Selena

Matthehispered in my mind --She’ll protect you with her life, until Death is done If Death is done She knows you’re his sole weakness--