The Dark Calling (The Arcana Chronicles #5)(80)

That sounded ominous.

Jack gave me a subtle nod. Telling me to keep stalling?

Though we hadn’t slept and I was still thrown from the events of the night, I would try. “Where are the other suits? Why are you not all living in one settlement?”

“We’ve been at odds. A little-known secret is that we each favor a Major to win, helping him or her behind the scenes.”

“All of you need to band together to support one champion—who can go up against Richter. Otherwise, he’s going to usher in hell on earth. I’ve witnessed his powers in person.”

“We’ve seen them as well. Sometimes an Arcana really is his card. He’s as immovable as rock. His wrath is as fiery as lava and just as destructive. But then, Major Arcana are born evil.”

Many I’d met were. “I’m not evil.” Not yet. In this game, I’d done vicious things for pure reasons: protecting my friends and loved ones or preserving my own life against deadly adversaries. I’d never harmed the innocent. At least, not maliciously.

I’d kept the red witch on a tight leash.

The Cups laughed at my statement. Lorraine looked delighted with me, as if I were a precocious child who’d just made a funny. “Are you saying the gods selected you all those eons ago because you were good-hearted? No, they each chose a predator to empower and sponsor.”

Doubts flooded in, but then I recalled sweet Tess, who’d destroyed herself trying to undo Richter’s carnage. Even Gabriel had dearly wished for the game to end. And Finn? He’d never wanted to hurt a fly.

“As for your concern,” Lorraine said, “the Minors are banding together. We’ve been in contact with the Kingdom of Pentacles. They control the Sick House.”

“The ones with that smarmy radio message.”

“That successful message. Their settlement is even larger than Jubilee. They were most interested to know we’ve been housing three Majors, but not surprised.” So the Cups were aware of Kentarch and Joules too. “We’ve begun talks with the Pentacles to unite, in order to move things along more quickly. We Minors are stewards of the earth. The earth won’t return until the game is finished, until all the Major Arcana but one are gone.”

“I take it by your attitude that I’m not your dark horse this time around.”

“Some believe you’ll be needed to reseed the earth.” She rolled her eyes. “We can find seeds. Once the sun returns, we can grow whatever you could. In any case, we’re associated with water. We favor the Priestess to win. That’s what our hearts and dreams tell us to do.”

“Yet you’ve never made her any sacrifices?”

“We make weekly plank offerings.” She flashed me a new mask—self-satisfied Lorraine.

“So those men were telling the truth when they screamed their innocence?” All the way down . . .

“Of course.” She shared a chuckle with her guards. “As I said, there’s no need to steal here. We have a bounty. We even have plenty of offerings.”

Jack bit out, “You routinely murdered innocent men?” He looked sorry for doubting me.

“Not innocent. They were agitators who spoke out and threatened our harmony.”

The Cups were serial killers. I’d known something wasn’t right about them. “I talked to my good friend Circe about this very subject, and she complained that the settlers on the coast weren’t making ‘proper sacrifices.’ Whatever you’re doing, you’re doing it wrong. It’s not a sacrifice if you don’t feel it. Maybe try dumping the King of Cups next time.”

A flicker of doubt crossed Lorraine’s mask as she gazed at the older man. He pulled at his collar.

Attention back on me, she said, “Your good friend Circe, is it? And yet you keep betraying her in every game.”

Really sick of those reminders. “How do you know that?” Trying to sound cool, I said, “You must have chronicles.” Want them.

“With our talents, we have no need of them.”

Fatigue weighed on me, irritation growing. “What are these talents? You said you’d demonstrate for me.”

“What do you want most in the world?” she asked. “I can tell you how to attain it.”

Could I risk divulging what I needed? “Out of the goodness of your heart?”

“No. You’ll give me other secrets. I’ll discover whether you will leave our settlement peacefully. I’ll learn whether you speak the truth or tell your Empress lies.”

“How?” Out of the corner of my eye, I spied two half-materialized shapes on the balcony. Kentarch and Joules!

“I’ll need your blood.” She grasped the knife and chalice. “Haven’t you noticed our red armbands? They’re symbolic of bandages.”

Jack thrashed against the guards holding him. “Nobody’s drinking her blood.”

“Drinking?” Lorraine looked aghast. “Of course not! It seems that would lead the way to cannibalism.” Again, she and I agreed on a point. “No, we are clairvoyants. We can see an individual’s past, present, and future—”

“In a chalice of blood,” I finished for her. Gran had told me that, but I’d thought she was delirious. Had she been teaching me all the way up to the end?