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--La Luna She’s the Moon Card The Archer--
So if every Arcana had supernatural powers, hers was archery? The Olympics frowns on perfor her ild," I told Matthew "I heard her call so clearly, then poof, her voice inflash over her, like a picture"
--Tableau A card Hoe recognize each other But Evie--
"I knew it I’ve been hearing her voice for months, and now I’m in her house? This is too weird" I stretched raine wasn’t worse The pain was h he sounded much louder than normal Had I cut soood? Or evil, like Ogen?" I wished Mattheould say she was just like El Diablo, or worse than! I’d be forced to get Jackson away from her
--Good or evil?-- Matthew sounded confused by my question --She’s the Moon But E s over the side of the bed and eased to my feet
The bed disappeared behind me
"Matthew?"
I was no longer in Selena’s guest roo with Matthew in his base around our calves His khaki pants and long-sleeved button-doere soaking wet He was shivering
A flashlight burned fro , his brows drawn together
I’d known he had even features and deep brown eyes But now I could see lighter flecks in his eyes, could gauge the strength of his lean physique He was almost as tall as Jackson
"Why are n here and where’s all this water co reserves of water out in the world--we just had to find one
Then secure it
"Tremors," he said "Pipe burst Water tower"
"Then the whole place could flood?" When he nodded, I said, "Matthew, you have to leave this roo that had been commanded to sit in the middle of a busy freeway "Can’t" He looked so pitiful, so lost, his big brown eyes darting
"Yes, you can! Get out now," I ordered hi I could shake his shoulders The protectiveness I felt for his as the water steadily rose "Can’t," he repeated "Mother locked me in"
"Why would she do that to you? Does she know your base?"
He nodded How could she condemn him to drown?
"Mother knohat’s b-best for Matthew" He rubbed his palms over his upper arms "Mother knoon’t stay in the car Shouldn’t have fixed engine Bad, Matthew, BAD!"
"I don’t understand what you’re saying! Kid, just listen to me Is there a ? There has to be a way out! You’re strong--go break down the door!"
"Clock stops Don’t have to see the future to know that"
"What does that mean? Like, you’ll die?" The idea rockedforto lose him?
"Mother’s dead I follow"
No, he can’t die! "I’h for ave me a sad smile "I’ve always been on your way" The vision wavered, then changed to a time before the Flash
He was in a backyard, at a barbecue with other kids, but they wouldn’t talk to hi all alone as a rocket blasted off in the distance
"Rocket? Oh, dear God, you’re in Houston! Oror Florida!" Just as I started to despair, I saw a hilly dirt road scored ashboard ruts Hilly?
Then I clearly saw the T-shirt he’d worn HUNTSVILLE SPACE CAMP "Huntsville! In Alabama?" Only one state over
But all the way north
"Matthe long ago did it start flooding?"
"Couple of hours" So roughly one foot every two hours Maybe?
I could make it to Huntsville in tifor you, kid Just hang on!"
Once the vision faded, I hurried to dress in another borrowed outfit--jeans too tight overand a T-shirt I yanked on my damp boots over a pair of spotlessly white socks
Minutes later, I was jogging down the stairs with
I found Jackson in the kitchen, shirtless, wearing only his new jeans He sat with his head in his hand at the breakfast counter, while Selena--clad in a short silk robe--happily scralass of soe drink, then doused it with a healthy splash from a vodka bottle He took the drink without a word, blearily downing half of it in one gulp
When she rubbed a knuckle in his hair, I realized that I was probably witnessing theirafter And I wanted to vo hope that Jackson wouldn’t sleep with her He’d found a girl ould "put out" And I kneould never leave this Shangri-la of hunting and gour former cheerleader who couldn’t heat soup The one who always s so difficult for him The miserable tease
But for Matthew’s sake, I would still try to get Jackson’s help Even if he didn’t pickto ward off uys"
He swiped his forearoan, Evangeline?"
"Sa, Jackson" Just need to make a quick stop on the way to save a boy’s life
Selena sat at the counter and crossed her long legs, unconcerned when her robe split all the way to her upper thighs But hey, Jackson had already seen the goods, right? "Evie, I talked it over with JD last night--and you’reas you want Like, even per the invitation My claws tingled--as if they aking up "Thank you for the offer, but I have to get going"
"You’d really leave all this food and water behind?" she asked "The electricity and security?"
Yes, her estate was perfect Too perfect A place like this could teirl from her mission if she wasn’t careful
"North Carolina is cannibal and plague territory," she continued "What’s the rush?" She see to the botto their beer binge last night, or their--as it called--their pillow talk?
I had to ad to joinwith her"
Selena took a sip of Jackson’s drink "Why would you believe she’s still alive? I hate to say this, but she’s probably not, you know?"