Book 3 - Page 69 (1/2)

Aric? What’s happening?

—The remaining carnates collapsed.—

Vincent’s dead. The Lovers are gone. Are you and Jack all right?

—We will be if we can find you. Are you safe?—

We’re okay. Just stuck in here.

—Help me find you.— I heard him yell, “Empress!”

You sound far away!

—And now?— He yelled, Jack joining him.

Closer.

While I waited for them to call out again, I went to the sink, hastily was.h.i.+ng off the worst of the blood. Then I grabbed Selena’s clothes and a roll of paper towels, returning to her. “Let’s do a temporary bandage for your hand.” I couldn’t tell for sure, but I thought the nail had missed the bones. I folded paper towels, fas.h.i.+oning a wraparound covering. “Okay, time to get you dressed.”

“Wh-where’s J.D.?”

“He’s coming. He’s good. All the carnates dropped dead.”

She nodded, kept nodding. Still nodding as her face crumpled. “Evie, he branded me.” I didn’t know what rattled me the most in this room: Violet’s location or Selena’s reaction.

She needed to cry. But the tears had been trained out of her.

I grabbed her good hand. “We’re here. We’re going to get through this.”

I heard Aric’s yell. You’re getting closer.

“That’s not J.D.”

“Uh, let’s get your s.h.i.+rt on.” I helped her pull it on. “Boots, next.” Once I’d gotten her dressed, I said, “Hey, you should know, Aric is here with us. He’s the reason we were able to get to you.”

She jolted back. “Death?”

“He and Jack took on the carnates together. Baggers and slavers before them. They’ve been fighting side by side for days.”

Pounding footfalls sounded as they closed in. There’s a combination lock on the door. Can you break it down?

—What can’t I do to reach you, Empress?—

At the revelation that Death was here, Selena started looking s.p.a.cey. “No, no, stay with me, girl! He’s not going to hurt you. He’s helped us every step of the way. They’re busting us free, okay?”

Seconds later, Aric’s armored boot pounded the metal door. And again.

Send in Jack first. Selena’s not good. You might freak her out even more.

Suddenly she loosed a scream that echoed off the walls. She was staring in horror at her hand, the uninjured one.

An icon was appearing, one that matched her brand. The Archer had been marked by the Lovers . . .

Twice.

40

Selena’s gaze remained fixed on that icon even when we heard the door give way.

“Evie?” Jack called. “Selena?”

“In here.”

He rushed inside, his gaze sweeping the area, showing no emotion at all the blood, the torture contraptions, Selena’s condition.

Not yet.