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Oh, hell no. “Your time’s coming, but it ain’t tonight.”
Confusion and chaos swirled in his eyes.
“Chariot, snap out of it!”
He blinked to attention. “It feels like the truck is stuck.”
I put the Beast in four-wheel drive, gunning the engine. Budged not an inch. “Forget the cave. Get us anywhere but here.” Sweat dripped down my face as I revved the truck again. “Come on, come on!” The engine sputtered, then died.
A hundred feet away, the crevice snaked closer.
Sol muttered something in Spanish that sounded like a prayer. Gabriel’s wings shook.
Joules slapped Kentarch’s seat with a sweating hand. “Come on, Tarch!”
“Let him focus, you.”
The crevice was thirty feet away. Twenty. Flames reflected in the Chariot’s eyes.
We’re out of time. “Kentarch, get yourself to the castle!”
“No, hunter, I have this.”
Joules turned to his best friend. “Gabe, leave me!”
“Never!”
Too late for any of us. The crevice lurched forward; caught the truck. My stomach dropped. Weightless. We were in free fall above the fiery pit.
Evie, you’ll never know how much—
Impact jarred us. The truck rocked to its side then slammed down onto the firm ground. It took me a few seconds to reorient myself. We’d landed outside our supply cave.
Mère de Dieu. I shuddered with relief. We’d almost burned to death. Burned alive.
I’d been branded by the Lovers, and I’d cauterized that scar; thought I’d understood burning. Non. When I managed words again, I said, “My thanks, Chariot. Mighty glad to be here.”
Guilt flashed in his gaze.
“Hey, it’ll take some time to get back in the saddle. It’s all good.”
Kentarch wiped his damp brow. “Is everyone okay?”
Joules crossed himself as he peered skyward.
Eyes still wide, Gabe nodded. “Patrick and I are. I do not know about the Sun Card.”
Sol was hyperventilating. Between breaths, he said, “Too close. Too close.”
The heat from earlier dissipated. Sweat had soaked my shirt, now chilling me. I tried the ignition. Click click click. Even the battery was fried. Fanfuckingtastic.
Without the Beast’s heater, we’d soon be freezing, especially Sol, who wore only a scrap of cloth around his hips and one sandal. “Let’s head into the cave. Get a fire goan.” We’d left firewood and supplies here.
“Oi, what’re we doin’ with our prisoner? He could call down a horde of Baggers on us.”
Gabriel added, “Just because he is in conflict with Richter and Zara does not mean he is at peace with us. He remains an Arcana, after all.”
I turned to Sol. “All right, Sunny, what can you tell us to put our minds at ease?”
Sol’s shell-shocked expression faded. Realizing he was still in a pickle? “I only threatened to use my powers because I was frantic to get away from Richter.” He leaned around Gabe’s wings to tell Joules, “And if I’d wanted you dead in DC, I would have killed you days before Jack and this angel god arrived.”
“Bullshite!” Joules blustered. “You’ve been with Richter almost from Day Zero. You and your filthy Baggers have been his eyes and ears.”
“I had my own settlement—the great Olympus! I only allied with him a few times in the beginning. And why wouldn’t I? He and Zara told me that the Empress would grow roses in my corpse and that you would electrocute me. Zara described Death as some kind of Terminator—an unfeeling, unbeatable machine who wouldn’t stop until he’d reaped me.”
Exactly how I used to see him. How wrong I’d been.
Gabe muttered, “Terminator?”
Joules said, “Later, mate.”
I asked Sol, “Then why did you save Death when he was under Zara’s fire?”
“Mainly for the Empress’s sake. But also because I saw a different side to him when he rode out to fight for her. Muy romántico. Any man who is willing to risk his life to save his partner deserves my respect, no?”
Tell me about it. Again, Sol’s views mirrored my own changing thoughts about Dominija.
“So, yes, I allied with two strong Arcana, but only because I feared so many others wanted me dead.”
Joules scoffed. “And I suppose you just had a change of bloody heart?”
“Sí, after I learned how evil Richter and Zara are. My dream is to feed thousands, yet they burn food to starve everyone! And once I met Evie, I realized good Arcana gods existed, people like me who want no part of this game. I started to help all those brave souls who were working against Richter and Zara. I even helped you”—he waved at Joules and Gabriel—“often.”
To me, Sol said, “After Olympus fell, Richter ordered me to stay with him. I had no car. No food they didn’t guard. No way to outrun a helicopter. I was trapped. But now you have rescued me, and I’m grateful. I’ll tell you everything I know about them, because they must be stopped, and I couldn’t do it alone.”
My gut told me to give him a chance. “We’re goan to hear you out. But try to use your power on us again, and Kentarch’ll do his worst.” Grabbing my backpack, I exited the truck, the air outside like a blast from the Arctic.
