Endless Knight (The Arcana Chronicles #2)(68)

—Jack is . . . unexpected.—

Unexpected? That was something for a psychic to say. Even I didn’t know what Jack would do if his back was against the wall.

And it was. Which meant mine was too.

—Work on the Reaper, Empress.—

The man hates me. I can rarely even get into the same vicinity.

A couple of days ago, I’d hit my limit with everything—being a captive, missing Jack and Matthew, even Finn and Selena. And I’d been fed up with this place. It might have all kinds of luxuries, but no one laughed here, no one conversed or joked. It was like a giant tomb.

Fitting.

So I’d ignored Death’s threats—and dire warnings about his privacy—and marched down to chew him out. Or seduce him. Whatever.

Before I could ever reach his off-limits rooms, Cyclops had nipped my heels and tripped me over and over until I’d given up.

Later I’d told Lark, “You’ve got to call off your wolf.”

“So you can go snag a paring knife and cut on yourself to remove your cuff? Lemme get right on that. Besides, the wolf isn’t just there as a jailor.”

“Because I need protection from Ogen?” He’d had another fit midweek.

“Do you think you don’t need it. . . ?”

—Death wants Life.— Matthew said. —Proximity, seduction, freedom.—

At that moment, I saw the Reaper leading his horse into the barn. He’d be in the manor in minutes. Do as I ask, Matthew! I sprinted down the steps and along the corridor, barreling into the great room, Cyclops padding behind me.

I was still out of breath when Death strode in, tall, pumped, gorgeous. He was swiping off rain with a towel, his torso muscles contracting in a stunning display.

He scowled to see me, then turned toward his rooms.

Undeterred, I tried to match steps with him. “Is today the day you’re going to kill me?”

“Not yet, creature.”

“Just so you know, boredom’s already chasing me around with a scythe.”

Had one corner of his lips curled? The closest Death came to a real smile? “I still gather information for my decision.”

“What do you expect me to do all day?”

“Avail yourself of the library.” Arching a brow, he said, “Improve your mind. Learn to speak S.A.T.”

His clever comeback was surprising. I thought this might be . . . teasing. From Death.

Then I remembered his comments about my “banal and tedious” thoughts. He genuinely found my mind lacking. “For the record, I was a straight-A student for my entire life.” At least until Matthew’s visions had mentally hamstrung me.

Death gave a scornful laugh. “Your entire life? And how old are you, little girl? Fifteen?”

I bit out, “Sixteen.” God, he had a way of getting under my skin! “Why are you always training? It’s not like you need to get better at killing.”

He stopped before me. “Perhaps it keeps my mind off other things.” His gaze raked over me.

Flirting?! Unused to this side of him, I asked, “And why can’t you think about those things?”

“Ah. Now the seduction starts. Right on schedule. You can’t even help what you are.”

“What does that mean?”

He continued forward. “I’ll be on my guard, which means I will retaliate if you come close to me again.”

“Why do you separate yourself from me? Matthew told me you were thinking about keeping me . . . around. Maybe you’ve always planned it. When you got this property ready, you prepared that room in the turret with me in mind, didn’t you?”

“You are not a long-term acquisition, I assure you.”

Chilling. This man could steal into my bedroom anytime he wanted and behead me. Before, I’d been more concerned about Jack and Matthew. Now I feared for my own life as well. “Then why let me live for this long? Why bother with me at all?”

“Understand me, creature, I never stop playing the game. Keeping you is strategy. You are a wild card, as it were. As long as the Empress is alive, the other Arcana believe they have a chance to defeat me. They grow bolder with me.” He flashed that unsettling look of his. “I like them bold.”

“What does it matter?” I asked as we passed the gym. Lark peeked out, tilting her head with curiosity.

“At your demise, many would scatter across the land. They’d believe—rightly—that they have no shot against me. Which makes my job much more difficult. I enjoy the comforts of my home; I do not wish to stray far from it. Nor do I wish this game to drag on longer than it must. If fortune is with me, some Arcana might even descend on this place to rescue you, my poison princess in the tower. My alleged sole weakness.”

Beware the lures. Now I was one. “Alleged?”

“I have no weaknesses. Know that when you’ve served your purpose, you’ll be dispatched just like all the others.”

Yes, chilling. “So according to that line of thinking, you’ll keep me alive as long as there are cards out there?”

“Unless you do not settle in here. As I said, I enjoy the comforts of my home. This is my sanctuary. Do anything to adversely affect that, and you’ll be dead before your next breath. That is the information I gather: will you endure your time here seamlessly?”