The Arcana Chronicles 5: The Dark Calling

"You keep looking at it, Reaper." Making this Cajun nervous. "Where's your head at?"

He shrugged.

Not the answer I was looking for. "You made that haze sound like some kind of a drug. Life in there was simpler, remember? Being out here is crippling. Do you feel a pull to it? What if you just walked right in?"

"If I felt a pull, I would slit my own throat. Hear me, mortal, I will never again be taken by that sphere." Even as he said this for the umpteenth time, his gaze kept straying to the light. His eyes began to glitter. "A thought has just entered my mind. An idea."

He turned that starry gaze toward me, and chills raced up my back. "Reaper?"

49

The Hanged Man

Day 587 A.F.

He's mine once more!

Death was back in the fold. My sphere had lured him back in.

Through a frosted windowpane in the study, I watched him exit a truck in the courtyard. He yanked a bound Empress from the cab.

"I hate you!" she screamed at the Reaper. "I knew this would happen!" Her eyes were red, her face pale. She shook uncontrollably in the falling snow.

Was she still pregnant? I couldn't tell with her coat. Despite her fury, her glyphs were dim, and her hair remained blond. She must be tapped out from fighting the armored knight. Not that she'd had much in the way of abilities even months ago.

Death's recapture was so predictable; he must have wanted it to happen. His leaving had been a blow to my sizable ego. Without my immortal henchman, I'd felt vulnerable, taking steps to protect myself. But now his card was in my hand once more. I smirked, victorious.

When Gabe landed in front of him, I cracked open the window to eavesdrop.

"Hail, Reaper. I am glad to see you've once again found clarity."

Death gave an arrogant chin jerk in greeting. This time around, I would do more to curb that arrogance. No longer would I tolerate being called a little man.

Gabe asked, "Where is your mount?"

"Lost."

"I see. The Chariot and the Tower?"

Ah, yes--where had Kentarch and Joules gotten to? I was greedy for more fuel for my sphere.

"Be on watch for them."

Gabriel nodded. "And the hunter?"

Evie cried, "Jack's dead!" She turned on Death, beating his armored chest with her bound hands. "How could you? He trusted you, and you struck him down!"

So sublimely satisfying. Not only was this a win for my alliance, Death had yet again fed her a dish of betrayal, killing her first love.

Speaking of alliances . . . my gaze shifted past them to the menagerie. Where was Fauna? Probably sleeping, even through this disturbance.

"I'll kill you for what you did!" Evie spat at Death. "I told you we were too close to the sphere--"

"Silence!" he ordered.

Gabriel asked him, "What are you going to do with her?"

He answered, "A gift." I love gifts.

"The Hanged Man is in the study."

"Very good." Death yanked on Evie's bonds. With a cry, she went careening along behind him.

Gabriel took flight, beginning his watch. Backdraft from his wings turned the courtyard into a snow globe.

I hurried from the window to the desk I'd commandeered from Death. Taking a seat, I opened a drawer. Beside my new weapon was the Empress's cilice.

Death's spurs clinked in the hallway as he made his way to me. I liked it here in his former office. The temperature was brutal outside; inside, the fire radiated heat. I propped up my feet on my desk and ran my fingers over the barbs on the cilice.

Death entered, posture erect, black armor gleaming. A terrifying vision.

I rose, cilice in hand. "Well, well. What do we have here?"

"A gift," he said in his raspy voice.

And what a gift she was! "My thanks, Reaper."

"Aric, what are you going to let him do to me?" Evie clasped her bound hands together. "Snap out of this. I'm begging you."

"Silence!" Death yanked on the rope, causing her to totter, then handed me the end.

With a smile, I accepted it, reeling her closer. With my other hand, I raised the cilice.

She paled even more. "Get that thing away from me, you freak!"

"We'll have to amputate a good part of your arm to get this back into place, but your flesh will regenerate. Cooperate, and Death won't take your head. For now."

Eyes glassy with rage, she said, "I'm warning you, Hanged Man. You don't want to do this to me." Was her hair beginning to turn red? Her glyphs emitted light!

I whipped my head up to the knight. "There's still some fight left in her." She couldn't harm me, but she might be able to poison Death. "Do something!"

"Like what?" he sneered with such contempt that his very voice sounded different.

I scowled. "Knock her out so I can get this cilice on her--"

"That's not the boss!" Lark's scream carried from the menagerie.

My stomach dropped as I gazed upon this armored stranger. Then who was towering over me, drawing his sword . . . ?

50

Death

Our ruse was up.

To evade detection, I'd been waiting leagues from the spher

e--but I could still hear Fauna's scream echo down the mountain.

No need for me to remain concealed any longer. I began to sprint from where I'd paced a hole into the ground.

Could my wife and Deveaux fend off Fauna's creatures and the Archangel long enough to kill Paul?

Would that noose even work? So many risks.

As I ran, I replayed this morning. Had my plot been a colossal misjudgment?

I waited until she'd awakened and dressed, then said, "I have an idea, sieva, but you will not like it."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Let's hear it."

"It involves the mortal," I said.

Jack cast me a quizzical look. "Am I finally goan to hear what you refused to tell me on the dish last night?"

I'd needed time to analyze my idea. "You mentioned that you wanted to walk in my shoes. Why stop there? You and I are nearly the same size. You can borrow my armor and swords, then stroll directly into the castle. They will think you're me. Paul's ego is his weakness; he'll assume I came crawling back."

Jack's eyes began to glimmer with anticipation.

But Evie shook her head vehemently. "Even if Jack has a disguise, I won't send him in to face Arcana. Why should he alone have to take such a risk?"

"Because if he succeeds, I will give him the castle."

"WHAT?" she and Jack said at once.

Brows drawn, she asked, "And by extension, you'll give him me?"

I clenched my fists to keep from reaching for her, striving not to reveal how much this prospect gutted me. "I want him particularly motivated to secure the castle. As in olden times, if he wins it; he keeps it."

"You're talking about abandoning your home? You're a freaking homebody. You'd never leave behind all the belongings that you've safeguarded for millennia."

"None of that matters now. I would sacrifice anything to have you and our son safe in that stronghold."

"Including me and Tee?" Her hand went to her rounding belly.

Never to see her? Never to meet my son? My gaze bored into hers as I murmured, "Anything."

"Oh, I'm in," Jack quickly said.

She pointed out, "You'd be going up against three powerful killers."

"I've faced worse odds for a ton less upside. You were worried about me shooting your friends. I woan take a gun, will only be carrying swords and a noose. With that disguise, I can walk in and strangle the Hanged Man. Then Gabe and Lark woan be threats."