Dead of Winter (The Arcana Chronicles #3)(8)

“It sounds like you guys are gaining momentum.”

Selena nodded. “That’s why the Azey sent half their force to set up shop across the river. Their guns are out of range—for now—but we think they’re hauling heavier artillery from Azey North. If it reaches here . . .”

Another worry to put on my list. “How did Jack get captured?”

“We were going to blow the bridge I was talking about—while Vincent was on it. We’d taken up position on a cliff overlooking the strike zone, waiting for his convoy to cross. J.D. had his finger hovering over the detonator.”

“Matthew told me Vincent surprised him.”

“The bastard parked just before the bridge. While we were coming up with a new plan, one of the convoy trucks that had already crossed fired a fifty-cal at us.”

I nodded like I knew what that was. It sounded bad. “Go on.”

“Bullets chewed the mountain apart. Finn fell, but J.D. and I held on somehow. He climbed up to get a shot at Vincent, so I headed to another rise, drawing fire. Next thing I knew I was falling too.”

“How did they know where you’d be?”

She peered around. “I think we’ve got traitors here, men planted by the Milovnícis.”

I rubbed the back of my neck.

“If we can free J.D., we’ll smoke them out.” She pointed behind me. “Gabe’s tent is over there, just past the courtyard. How do we do this with him?”

“You’re going to flirt with him.”

“Are you mental?”

“He’s head over heels for you.”

Selena huffed with impatience. “Understandably. But how does this help us? You want me to act like I like him? He’s completely bizarre.”

Yes, he wore an old-timey suit everywhere with a strange tie (a cravat or whatever). And yes, his speech was outdated. But . . . “I was going to say eccentric.”

She snorted, then lowered her voice. “Tess told me he was raised on a secluded mountaintop, in some kind of Arcana monastery. His chroniclers were cultish wing-worshippers. They separated themselves from society for generations, waiting for him to be born.”

No wonder he was so outdated. “You said his books got destroyed?”

“Villagers tried to burn the cult, à la Frankenstein; the chronicles went up in smoke.”

Villagers had tried to burn me in a past life as well. They burn what they fear.

“Selena, I’m not asking you to nest with Gabriel. All you have to do is ask him really nice to fly us over.” I reached up to brush her silvery-blond hair back, tucking a silken lock behind her ear. “I miss lip gloss, and clearly you do too.”

“Shut it. I can’t believe I’m going along with this. I hate it when girls use their wiles. Normally, I’d just strangle him until he agreed.”

I sighed. “That’s plan B. Sometimes climbing ivy does that too.”





5


“Yo, Gabe!” Outside their tent, Selena cast me a glare for good measure. “I need to talk to you.”

He rushed out, flattening his black wings to duck under the tent flap. His long black hair was tied back in a ponytail. Like Lark, he had claws and a set of fangs. His eyes were leaf green.

He was a striking, if unusual-looking, guy.

“Selena,” he breathed, cheeks flushed. “Uh, and the Empress too.”

Why was I even here? As Matthew would say, “Nature and course. Love and bloom.”

“Greetings to you both.” He adjusted his suit coat. Must be a bitch to line up the slits in the back with the bases of his wings. “What is the issue at hand, ladies?”

Selena rolled her eyes. “You mean: what’s up?”

Wow, way to flirt. She was a regular coquette.

He nodded. “For me, I believe all things are best when pointed up.”

She and I blinked at him. Gentlemanly Gabriel probably had no idea his words sounded kind of dirty.

“Whatever.” Wasting no time, Selena said, “We’re going in to rescue J.D., and you’re going to help.”

He glanced over his shoulder and back. “Joules has already spoken on the subject. Our alliance will not—”

“I’m not asking your alliance,” she interrupted. “I’m asking you. All we need is transpo. You don’t have to do anything but fly us across the river.”

I recalled another of his talents—animal-like senses. “And to track Jack’s scent. It’d mean a lot to me, and so much to Selena.” I cast her a look.

“Yeah. It’d really mean a lot, Gabe,” she added, laying a hand on his muscular arm.

His lips parted, and his wings seemed to flutter uncontrollably. Wait, had he grimaced from the movement? Was something wrong with our transpo?

“Everything all right?” I asked.

He didn’t answer, just stared at the hand on his arm.

To her credit, Selena gave it a squeeze. “So we can count on you?”

When he remained undecided—or mind-boggled by her touch—I said, “Help us end the Lovers tonight.” Well, at least one of them.

Collecting himself, he said, “I thought you didn’t want to play the game, Empress.”

“I don’t. But I need time to figure out a way to stop it.” I pictured the game as a machine with cogs and wheels—that I longed to blow up. “The twins are going to keep coming after all of us.”