Endless Knight(17)

Teaching him to be ruthless and to communicate with his fists.

All he’d ever known was deception and violence.

How could he not see me as deceitful and violent, as more of the same? Before his eyes, I’d turned into a viney-skinned, poisonous monster—one who’d been cackling to slit some scrawny Irish kid’s throat.

Matthew said, “Think less about Dee-vee-oh, more about game.”


Toiling up a steep incline, I considered what I remembered about the cards. Last night, when I’d gazed at my new icon, memories of my grandmother had flooded me in a rush. They were still fragments, but growing more fully formed with each hour.

I could recall her telling me about players who controlled animals as I did plants. I remembered cards that could manipulate the elements.

Her voice seemed to echo in my head: “The details of the images are important. They’re to be read like a map.” “Study the cards. Memorize them. The symbols are all there for a reason, Evie. They tell you about the players.”


How I wished I could lay hands on a deck. I knew the cards were chock-full of dots to connect, threads in common. Some cards had animal images on them, some plants. Others had water or fire.

I recalled Gran humming as she’d shuffled her deck, preparing to quiz me. “Which cards are the best spellbinders?”


I’d chirped, “The Hierophant and the Lovers. And me!”


“The strongest in body?”


“The Devil! The Devil is so strong!”


No wonder my mom had gotten spooked.

At the top of the rise, Finn waited up for us. “Evie, I wanted to apologize again for making myself look like Jack and accidentally tricking you and making you run away and all. Forgive me?”


Was I still mad? I’d been trying to look on the bright side. Okay, yeah, I was now broken up with Jackson beyond all reconciliation, a murderer, and a fugitive from a zombie horde.

But . . . I’d remembered a lot about the Arcana game, I’d saved three—well, two—girls’ lives and maybe others who would’ve fallen into Arthur’s trap. And I’d learned to control my powers.

It was a wash. Yet then I recalled how Finn had looked out for Matthew over the last two days. “I accept your apology, Finn. Just don’t pull a stunt like that again.”


Farther ahead, Jackson was taking a breather, drinking from his canteen. He gazed back down the mountain. God, he was so tall and proud. So strong. His rugged features were sigh-worthy.

We were this close, and still I missed him.

Finn caught my gaze. “I know things seem rough with him right now, but he’ll come around. He went nuts when you were missing.”


“He has a temper.” Which wasn’t surprising, considering his tragic background.

“No, Evie. He was . . . frantic, out of control. I’m talking Hulk-smash on ye olde cabin. When he realized our lack of transportation was the sole thing keeping him from you, he stormed back into that militia’s camp, striding into a hail of bullets. Dude didn’t duck, didn’t sidestep, just rolled in, killed, took that jeep.”


My lips parted as I stared up at Jackson in amazement.

“He loves you,” Finn insisted.

As if he could sense he was the subject of our discussion, Jack cast me a derisive look over his shoulder, then marched on.

“Clearly.”


“He does. The reason he didn’t have his bug-out bag last night was because he wasn’t thinking about his own survival—only yours.”


I glanced at Matthew, who gave me a short nod: That’s true.

“He just needs some time to get used to the idea of you with powers.” Finn tilted his head, taking in my face—which I knew was bright red from exertion and streaked with remains. “His girlfriend went from bunny to viper. From hot piece of ass to smokin’ monsteress.”


I raised my brows. “Smokin’? I was repulsive.”


Finn helped me over a log. “When you turned all Eviezilla, I had a boner the size of . . . well, something large and boner-shaped.”


My cheeks heated even more, but I didn’t put too much stock in what Finn said. He wasn’t exactly discriminating with girls. “Well, Jackson didn’t think so. He’s written me off. He’s got this intense sense of curiosity. He’s wicked intelligent, and he loves to solve puzzles, to dig at secrets. Yet he hasn’t asked a single question about us, about me? It’s because we’re not going to be a part of his life for much longer.”


I paused, catching my breath somewhat. One thing I had to know . . . “What were you thinking when you deceived Selena that night? Was it worth it for one kiss?”


Finn raked his fingers through his hair. “Hell no. I was way out of bounds.”


“You think? You can’t treat girls that way.”


“I know, I know. But sometimes I feel forced to trick others.”


Matthew piped up: “In his blood.”


Finn nodded eagerly. “The more I use my illusions, the more I need to. I get antsy if I don’t. That was one of the reasons I was deported from SoCal to South Carolina to live with the redneck cuzzes—because of the pranks on my parents.”