Dead of Winter

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Book: Read Dead of Winter for Free Online
Authors: Kresley Cole
tent. How close were we cutting it?
    He situated his crutch over his lap. Aged stickers of cats decorated the metal parts. Who had it once belonged to? “So an Empress, a horse, and a wolf walk into a fort. . . .”
    â€œIf this is a dirty joke, I’ll pass.” I’d missed the Magician’s humor. Tilting my head at him, I said, “You don’t look so good, Finn.”
    Was there even a spare Advil to be found? Selena’s arm had to be hurting her too, but with her extensive training, she probably knew Jedi tricks to limit pain.
    â€œI feel like a bucket of fuck, but I’ll be ready,” he assured me. “Right, Matto?”
    â€œReady Magician!”
    I sat on the other bench. “I heard you took a header off a ridge.”
    â€œH to the Azey. That army blows Baggers. My bear-trap injury never quite healed up. Didn’t take much to rebreak my leg. Selena was worse off, though. She broke her arm in two places, cracked her ribs, and fractured her collarbone.”
    Just a week ago? I’d suspected she had accelerated healing.
    â€œSomehow she dragged me back to the fort.”
    For Selena to refrain from killing Arcana was one thing. Quite another for her to save another card. She’d shown loyalty to someone other than Jack.
    I guessed she and Finn had smoothed over their animosity.
    â€œGood thing I’m dying young,” Finn continued in a nonchalant tone, “or I’d be shit out of luck with this bum leg.”
    â€œDying young?” He wasn’t kidding.
    â€œMade peace with it.” He shrugged. “Kind of think we all should.”
    â€œBecause of the game? We don’t know that yet.” As I spoke, another gust howled, drilling horizontal rain against the metal walls.
    Finn looked up warily. “Not just because of the game.”
    After three months of near constant downpours, the weather was shifting. Occasionally, we’d get hurricane-force winds—and a fog so thick it bordered on tangible. “Have you guys gotten snow here yet?” I thought I’d spied a single flake the night I’d left Aric.
    â€œNot looking forward to that. SoCal surfer boy here, remember? Just think: if the snow comes down like the rain has . . .”
    â€œSnowmageddon!” Matthew cried, cracking both of them up.
    â€œYeah, Matto, that groundhog came out to check for nuclear winter. But then a Bagger ate him!”
    He almost had me laughing. As soon as I got Jack safe.
    Finn’s demeanor turned serious again. “Eves . . .” He opened his mouth, closed it, then frowned at the wolf. He probably wanted to talk about Lark—without her overhearing.
    I’d help him out. “There’s a medic who’s taking good care of her.”
    He nodded, but a question lingered in his gaze. He peeled at a sticker of an orange tabby.
    â€œShe felt terrible about how everything went down,” I told him. “When she realized you’d survived the mine collapse, her entire face lit up. Her eyes watered. She was as into you as you were into her.”
    â€œWe’re here for a mission, people”—Selena swept inside—“not group therapy.”
    Gabriel was right behind her, watching the Archer—like a hawk.
    She assessed me. “You gonna have enough juice for this? Don’t see your glyphs.”
    My Empress power gauge. “I’ll have enough.” Since emotions fueled my powers, I feared I’d have too much. “And you?”
    Under her jacket, she wore a pistol holster; over it, an arm sling. A sword belt circled her narrow waist. “I got a Glock and a cutlass. Consider my swash buckled.”
    Joules barged inside, his skin sparking with anger. AC/DC. “You’re really goin’ to do this?” he demanded of Gabriel. “Infiltrate an enemy camp with a bowless Archer—and an untrustworthy Empress? How do you know she

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