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"Crush hiht of Sins"

A haze erupted around her, ripples of energy seehed "I’d have to consider my deeds sinful for you to have power over me, Calanthe" He lopped off her arm with one of his swords, while his other arced around for her neck Slice

I gazed away,

Matthew squeezed my hand "She fears hirief, retreating as Ogen gave chase

Leaving Death alone with his kill

When he turned toward his red-eyed steed, awaiting not far frolimpsed Death’s face for the first time

Surprise rocked ined

Looking to be no more than twenty years old, he was tall and broad-shouldered with a breathtaking face I ilittered likestars

How could someone so evil look so divine?

He jammed his battered helust of breath Every line in his bearing screa his neck to look directly at Matthew "I’ve been around long enough to sense your unblinking gaze, Fool" His voice was a harsh rasp "You allowed her to see me at play? Perhaps I won’t kill you last after all"

Then his attention turned on me "Don’t worry, Empress, Matto remembers his debts He’ll show you to me as well" His accent sounded Eastern European, or maybe Russian? "I’ll watch all your battles and discover your cunning tricks After tonight, I’ll whisper in your mind more freely than any of the Arcana"

I was speechless, still awestruck by his face

Which seeame is no fun if you’re weak Are you faint of heart and short of courage?"

Matthew squeezedme to croak, "No" It sounded like a question

Death narrowed those glittering eyes "I’ve waited endless years to battle you again Will you not face me?"

Face him? What was I supposed to "battle" hiht as well have been a lunar landscape for all the plants that grew Should I attack an arht with my thorn claws?

Just as he’d once said, I did have life in arden plants couldn’t withstand those swords

How row an acorn into a formidable ally?

"Reht take tihty steed, he pinned aze "When your blood bathes my sword, I’ll drink it just to asp, back at the McMansion

Matthew looked groggy, slow to come out of his vision

"What the hell, kid?!" We’d not only witnessed a murder, we’d talked with the killer! "Wake up" I shook his shoulder He seemed a hundred times more exhausted than before he’d slept "Why does Death expect me to face him?"

He ran his hand over his forehead "The ancient battles s earned, the bad cards defeated"

My senses were on high alert after that disturbing vision,for an even tone, I said, "Why h on our plates after the Flash!"

"The battles begin at the End," he said yet again

"The Flash ht when the voices kicked up Had the apocalypse awakened the Arcana? I sed Or vice versa? "What caused the Flash, Matthew?"

"Sun"

I exhaled in relief Okay, a solar flare made sense Then I re

Patience, Evie "Is the Sun good or bad?"

"The sun is a star"

And wasn’t there a Star Card too? Moving on"How did Death see us?"

"Old Knows limpse"

"How old is he?"

"Really"

"Matthew!" I rose, pacing

"Twenty-one centuries or so"

"Twenty-one! Is he i "Just hasn’t been killed in a while"

Back and forth I paced "But he knows you Are youhis age?"

With a roll of his eyes, Matthew informed me, "I’m sixteen"

Patience! "Then tell o"

I pinched the bridge ofure of speech, Matthew" I eased out of his grip

"Oh" He sank back on the bed "I’ve seen the games, the past I’ve seen Death In so but

"Crazy like a fox," I ht in some kind of supernatural ‘ancient battle’ What’s the purpose? What do we get if in?"

My ht be equal to the risk Maybe there was a protected haven on earth, one that still had rain and greenery?

Death was soht; did he possess an untouched fortress somewhere? Then I remembered his plane of unbroken black, cluttered with ruins Not precisely where I’d choose to live

Maybe there was soo back in ti to save the world? I needed to know the stakes

My heart dropped when Matthew said, "If you win, you get tolive"

"So there’s no way to ier and worry heaped on er! And worry!"

"No I refuse this I didn’t sign up for this shit! I never opted in But I sure as hell can opt out"

"No refusal You are Arcana Learn your powers Use theht," I assured hi, seek a truce You can help me with Death, since you know him"

"I’m in his pocket, so he’s in my eyes"

"And that means what ?"

Matthew nodded "No truce No peace He is Death He knows one thing--killing"

"Then I’ll run" Was that whatfro overcould I keep that up?