Dead of Winter (The Arcana Chronicles #3)(30)

“I’m fine. You know me: regeneration.”

By the way he removed his coat, you’d never know the extent of his injuries. But that muscle ticked in his jaw. His tell. He wore a shoulder holster with two pistols, unstrapping that as well.

“When did you start carrying guns?”

“When I started goan up against firepower.” He dragged his flask out of a pocket and took a pull.

I sat on Matthew’s cot, as stiffly as he had before. “So you, Joules, and Gabriel took over the army?”

“Ouais. I wanted you and Selena there to give you credit, but she’s off somewhere, and you shooed me away when I tried to wake you earlier.” I had? “Didn’t want to leave you, but I needed to make sure those filles were being treated right.”

Of course he would. I’d never known any man who hated violence against women so much.

“When folks see Arcana like Joules and Gabriel, they tend to step in line.” He stoked the fire. “I’m not above using that to achieve some order around here.”

He sat across from me, elbows on his knees, flask at the ready. His thick black hair tumbled over his forehead, and tousles jutted above his ears.

I’d once threaded my fingers through his hair, drawing him down to me. “When did you decide to go public with our kind?” He now had seven of us here, an Arcana Justice League.

He took another swig. “I remembered that in the Basin everybody told themselves stories. We’d tell ourselves we could tolerate living there because we had our friends and family with us. Or that we were tied to those lands by our history. I started thinking folks needed new stories, and I just happened to have a kid with me who can make illusions and a girl whose skin glows.” He shrugged, then seemed to regret the movement. “We’ve been giving people a new story to tell.”

Though the sentiment was heartening, I was still surprised by his involvement. “In the past you didn’t concern yourself with others. You called serving your fellow man bullshit. You said live people were the worst kind.”

“I hadn’t met many solid characters then. Over these months, I have.”

“You never went looking for trouble. Sound familiar? This is a heaping ton of trouble.”

“Dis-moi quelque chose que j’conna?s pas.” Tell me something I don’t know. “But I’ve realized some things.”

“Like what?”

“We might be goan extinct, Evie. As in, our species is goan to lose this one. And yet Milovníci is the only one mobilizing folks? Somebody’s got to stand up to him. For some reason, it’s fallen to me.” Another swig.

“You’re drinking again. I thought you quit.”

He’d started so young. “Had to be sharp to get back to you. To fight your enemies.” A shadow crossed his expression. “But after a while, you didn’t want me to.”

I couldn’t deny that. “And now?”

In a low tone, he said, “Drinking helps with the pain.” I knew he meant anguish. His tolerance for physical pain was off the charts. “I didn’t expect you to come, Evie.”

“Of course I would.” In a softer voice, I said, “Will you please tell me what happened to you? To Clotile?”

He faced me with such a tormented look that I shivered. “I’ll never tell you. Jamais.”

“Jack, I have to know.”

“I felt the same way. Now? I wish to Christ I didn’t know.” His flask shook in his hand. “I wish I could’ve killed those two myself—making it last.”

“Your friend was with you. I’m so sorry.”

Brows drawn tight, he said, “You ever order yourself not to think about something? With my podna . . .” Jack’s breaths whistled like a weight pressed down on his chest. “I’m hanging on by a thread here, Evangeline.”

Oh, Jack. My gaze dipped to the edge of his bandage. There was no way I could tell him about Aric. Not right now. I refused to snip that thread.

Jack pulled up his shirt to conceal the bandage. Embarrassed? In front of me? “I’ll have this forever, non?” He lifted his chin. “That’s what the doc said.”

“You survived Vincent and Violet. Which is all that matters.”

“You nearly didn’t. Selena told me you fought off the High Priestess too.”

I nodded.

“And that you almost killed Tess for me. Made the girl . . . take you back in time, to save my sight. What the hell happened? Joules and Gabe woan say much about it.”

Deciding on total honesty, I said, “The twins took out your eyes with a hot spoon.”

“Doan know how to react to that.” So he took a drink. “I saw Tess this morning. Maigre, non?” Skinny, no? “But she wasn’t mad. Couldn’t say enough good about you.”

Then she must not remember what happened. “I heard you yell. I lost it.”

Hope flared in those gray eyes. “If you care that much, did you come here to be with me? Like we were? Or like we could be in time?”

“Things are different now.” I didn’t want him to expect something I wasn’t sure I could give. “They just are.”

“Maybe you came running out of guilt. Because Arcana had me?”

“I’d already planned to find you—before you were taken.”