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I gazed over at Jackson, sitting outside our circle near the open exit, on edge as well He’d told et the drop on hi had

Did he remain with us because we shared a mutual direction, or because he felt forced to keep that promise to ine hoas handling everything Matthew had said he burned with curiosity Tonight I could alh Jackson hadn’t asked a single question—not his party, I supposed—he was listening, learning During the day, I’d caught hi fro?”

In answer, he studied his hand He was pensive about so too I wished he would talk to me, even if I understood little of what he said

I placed half of ers around his until he held it on his own Eventually he glanced down, appearing surprised to find it in his hand But he ate it

“Who could be watching us?” I asked

“Not Bagmen,” Selena said “They would just attack Cannibals?”

Finn shook his head “They don’t hunt far from home”

We were co up on one of the charred holes in Selena’s ot the sense that ere about to fall off the face of the earth, like it should read: Here be dragons!

But as long as ere edging away froo on “We’d hear other Arcana calls, right?”

Suddenly Finn jerked a glance over his shoulder The rest of us tensed and stared out the open end of the hut in that same direction, all at the same time, like meerkats

He muttered, “I hatever’s out there would nut up or shut up”

“Hear, hear” Needing to take my mind off my jitters, I turned to Selena “If you’re so keen to be in an alliance with us, why don’t you tell us what you know?”

With a condescending s—and took out a deck of Tarot cards

“You had a deck the whole tia them out atop her silvery reflective heat blanket

“If you were trying to get me into an alliance, why keep all this secret?” I persisted

“Because of that whole I-don’t-reht you were lying” She dealt the cards in a cross formation, es,to life like poppies bursting through a layer of snow

Trying to draw Matthew into our conversation, I said, “Look, here’s Matthew’s” I pointed out his card; on it, a s man with an oblivious expression walked a desolate land, carrying a rucksack and a single white rose A yapping dog nipped at his heels

Matthew tilted his head at the likeness “In a place where nothing grows, I carry a flower The memory of you”

I smiled at him “That is so sweet”

He frowned “That literally happened”

“Oh”

Finn said, “That’s just like the ie I saw the first time we met It flashed over him”

I nodded “We all have those They’re called tableaux”

Finn held the card up next to Matthew’s face, cohed with contentment “Thank you”

I held up Selena’s card “The Moon” Hers depicted a glowing goddess of the hunt

Finn’s expression darkened “Not interested Next”

Selena glared at hiuys already know the Tower, that pleasant Irishman as such a joy to meet And here’s Death” I pointed to his card The Reaper was clad in that black ar a pale horse with evil red eyes He carried a black flag emblazoned with a white rose

Finn muttered, “Jesus That dude’s real?” He wadded up his Mayday wrapper, tossing it into the shadows “So what are his powers?”

Everyone looked atht with supernatural speed and strength He uses tords and can strike with them so fast they’re a blur His armor is impenetrable, even to my claws He’s fearless In one of Matthew’s visions, I saw hi” Kind of the way I iined Jackson had walked into a hail of militia bullets “His touch is deadly” And he’d been able to read h not without detection; I felt him even now

“Weaknesses?” Finn asked

“One,” Selena answered “The E,” I said

Finn frowned “If he’s a swords all Paul Bunyan on your ass?”

Had Jackson eased closer to us? To me?

Selena said, “It h to hi stabbed et past his arure that out if ant to live”

After a moment, I looked away “To think I used to feel sorry for hier have it!

—I’veyou—

Because he killed with his touch

You’re sick!

“Evie?” Finn snapped his fingers in front of me

“What? What’d you say?”

“Your card” He held it up

The Empress sat upon a throne with her arreen and red, from crops—and blood A waterfall cascaded in the distance