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—Trapped in the palm of my hand —

I’d never heard that one before “Who’s that?”

Mattheered, “Tess Quinn, the World Card, one of the elementals Quintessence dances across the world”

What I wouldn’t give for a decoder ring! “What are Tess’s powers?”

“Intangibility, levitation, time manipulation, teleportation, astral projection” He took a breath to keep going

I cut him off “Okay, okay What do we do?”

“This trio comes for you Joules wants your death To spite Death”

Just then, we heard the Reaper telling all Arcana:

—The Empress’s life is es—

Finn said, “Why’s this Joules cat so hard up for Evie? And why does Death give a shit?”

“Mattheed irlfriend,” I quickly explained “She was the Teht alliance I mentioned”

Selena drew her bow “If Joules wants Evie, then he’s going to have a fight on his hands”

How odd that Selena was now bent on protecting me I wondered what exactly Matthew had told her

Finn askedlow le arrow Maybe we can set a trap and ae,” Matthew chirped

“Hello, listen to yourselves!” I squeezedthem! If we have to face them, we need to try to ally with theainst Death No one has cause to hate him like Joules We can use that”

Selena looked at et our icons and more power to take Death on hi about, as in a heavy hitter”

“As ot a point If we try to recruit the to look like we’re wheedling for our lives We’ve got to lower the boom on theht This alliance business was just likesquad—it had to look like the cool kids were in it, or no one would try out

“Matthee need your help What do we do?”

“Look at my new kicks” He raised one boot “Finn said I’?”

“Yes, yes, but—”

“He took care of uilt In a rush, I said, “I thought you’d be safer at Finn’s than going back out on the road with erous it’ll be to reach the coast” But then, I’d believed that before I’d understood how lethal I could be

“Dangerous E all of you up here” He’d co to be with me Until he’d witnessed what I was “Sweetheart, can you please concentrate? What should we do?”

“Fight to the death”

“Darabbed my upper arm “You want me to join in this make-love-not-war bullshit? Then convince ht not be able to defeat them, but you better look like you can”

5

“This isn’t working!” Back on Arthur’s front porch, I’d shed led but reauge blinking E “I used everything in ht—”

Selena’s hand shot out and smacked my face

“What the hell?” When I raised my pallyphs stirring

“If you don’t want these cards to die, then get to work, Evie! You need to look like the Empress of Old, slithery and creepy and sexy all at the saain, and you’ll see slithery and creepy—”

With her enhanced speed, she shoved me back before I could even react I tripped overon my ass “You bitch!” I bounded up, thorn claws bared

“That’s it! Sell it, sister, or we are dead!”

I gazed down at h the fabric of my clothes Sharp emotions like fury and utter terror always sparked ive me a jump-start I narrowed ry, terrified, and sad for the rainy season?”

Blank slyph wasacrossdown at the three thorns that e the barbsa tornado

“Rad-ick-ull!” Finn cried

You haven’t seen anything A few slashes of row vines I let it drip to round Greenery slithered to life When I popped a crick in my neck, irl” Selena strung her arrow, holding her bow at the ready “Jungle this up!”

I surveyed ht, but“It is what it is”

We all took up positions on the porch In this lull, my mind flashed to Jackson, and my chest ached Don’t think about him, don’t think about hiht noere facing a possible supernatural battle

Selena asked ranny can help you exit the ga chronicler” Before, I’d needed to reach her to ask about es taking place insideinto a stone-cold killer, one who’d had the impulse to murder her friends “She’ll have answers”

Yes, Gran had once toldancient rules The fact was that her granddaughter E to do with the game

“How could the cards find us here and so fast?” Finn asked “Evie just toasted one of these freaks yesterday”

Selena scanned the street “We’re drawn to each other, seeking so us into the fray They were probably close already”