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last three, so he s lived all this time. But I have memories of being with him.
Pacing, pacing. That bastard ain t acting like this is a past thing! You sleep with him?
You have to understand: I thought you and I were over.
Jack s eyes grew crazed. Did you sleep with him?
No, but I was . . . with him. The night he d saved me from Ogen, I d decided to have sex with Aric.
But I hadn t gone through with it.
I ain t hearing this! Jack heaved in breaths, like he couldn t get enough air.
I believed I d never see you again. But then I couldn t stop thinking about my promise to you, to give
you a chance to reach me. So I didn t go any further with him. I told him I was going to get your side of the
story about everything.
Jack tipped that flask up, swiping his sleeve over his mouth. I m out here, nearly dying every day
trying to find you or make it safer for you. And you were almost screwing the man who nearly killed me!
I can t explain what it was like when I found out about your lies. It was like something broke in me. I
thumped my chest. Died in me. I felt so betrayed by you. By Matthew too. Then I learned that in a past
game, I married Death. I tried to poison him on our wedding night. In another game, I got him to trust me
again, then struck once more.
Jack slowed his pacing. Then you were with him this time out of guilt?
At one point with Aric, I d thought of it as penance. At another point, I d been rocked by our
connection. I don t know.
You came back here for me. You told me you loved me! Was that just bullshit?
No! I pinched my temples. My nagging headache had turned into a pounding migraine.
You love that bastard?
I care about him. If not for you, I probably would. And if not for his deal.
You always liked the rich ones. Jack s pacing and drinking resumed at full speed. The blue bloods.
Figures you d go for a knight.
That s not fair!
I can t even wrap my mind around this! He abducted you. You think he s not here to do it again?
Maybe you want him to?
He can t force me away. I have my powers back.
That s right he stole your powers for months, and you reward him. He tried to kill me and your
friends, and you reward him. Damn, Evie, where s your loyalty?
What about Selena? Have you forgotten that she planned to take me down the night we met her? If you
hadn t been there, I would be dead. Beheaded.
I guessed all that had been swept under the rug. Things change, Jack. This game makes us all villains
at some time or another. And besides that, Aric didn t try to kill any of you. Ogen demolished the
mountain. Death could have ambushed us earlier.
Why didn t he?
I think deep down he hoped I wouldn t be evil. He knew I would never forgive him if any of you died.
He considered taking you out in the mine, but didn t.
You believe he could ve? You got a lot of confidence in him.
He s Death killing is second nature to him. Some would say first nature. I used my arsenal against
him, fighting with everything in me. And I couldn t defeat him.
But you still let him kiss you? Touch you? His voice was whiskey roughened, his accent thicker.
Even when I thought you were lost to me, I never turned to another!
Another. Selena. Jack was telling me he d never gotten with her. Yet Selena had admitted, Things
between us are different.
I ve had cause to hate in my life; I never hated like I do Death. Aric had said the same about him.
How can I not kill him? Jack had hit his limit.
I was nearing mine as well. Just over a week ago, the Devil had strangled me. Pretty meat, he d
sneered as his drool had coated my face. I put my head in my hands. I need to slow down, just long
enough to think. I wished Tess could make time stand still.
We doan get that luxury. Not since that bastard showed up here. We got a grenade in our camp, with
the pin pulled.
On the road, Jack had taught me about grenades: Once you pull the pin, a grenade is not your friend.
What do you want from me, Evie?
I want you two not to fight each other. To give me time to sort through things. I met his eyes. I m
asking you not to hurt him.
I can t . . . I can t do this now, no. You re fucking gutting me. He rubbed that bandage. I d had this
hope of being with you again, only thing keeping me goan. He gazed past me. But now, can t even look
at you.
Please try to see this from
A yell sounded across the camp.
Great. What had Death done now?
20
When Jack and I ran outside, we found Aric standing by his horse. Matthew was no longer with him.
Jack eyed the knight with a withering hatred; steady and still, Aric kept his gaze locked on me
She s gone! She s been taken!
Was that Finn? I asked.
Jack made for the Magician s tent, while I tried to keep up.
Inside, Finn sat on his cot, Matthew beside him. By the light of the low fire, I couldn t tell which boy
looked worse.
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