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Three shotguns were pointed at my face

"Looky e found," the leader of our captors announced as he shoved Matthew andtrek here, I’d detered as he was odor-enhanced Apparently this entire encampment was

These e

Because they were seriously red of the neck

During our capture, Matthew hadn’t fought whatsoever In fact, as they’d snared my wrists with those plastic zip ties, he’d put his hands behind hi it easier for them to bind

I hadn’t wanted him to resist--we’d been surrounded by aimed rifles--but maybe he could have made a show of displeasure?

We’d been abducted, our van looted,ransacked The leader had stolen allthe rest

Now as the head Cou Rouge h the camp, I kept nore the wayme with lecherous eyes

They all seeh many of their jackets sported what looked like bullet holes I frowned Bloody ones--often in the back

My lips parted with realization Bullet holes frounned down their victih to eat," one rabbed his crotch

I shuddered with revulsion, so teh those ties Matthew had once told h uns I was a slow runner, and I’d never leave Matthew behind

I’d probably end up cutting reen under e , scores of tents, and vehicles of all kinds Cookout fires abounded, withwhat looked like srilled as everywhere I’d decided this militia was rich with fuel--even before I saw an actual tanker They safeguarded it in the center of the encaolden idol

And that wasn’t all Near the tanker was a raised cistern, its iron sides dripping Filled ater

Cou Rouge stopped before an i crates nailed together Only one boy ithin At least Jackson and Selena ree padlocked the door and posted three guards "Don’t be leavin’ this spot," he ordered them "Not for any reason"

The other prisoner was around our age, with freckles on his nose and chin-length dirty-blond hair This boy was the card in the cage I was supposed to be listening for? The one we’d needed to find? He seemed so unremarkable

" ’S’up," he said round "Name’s Finneas Call me Finn" He trailed off as he stared atour tableaus; I knew because I was beholding his For a split second, Finn was clad in a red robe, holding a wand to the sky while pointing to the ground with his other hand On a table before hirarew at his feet, vines trailing above

--Don’t look at this hand, look at that one-- Then his call grew silent Was he hearing ours?

And was the boy associated with plants in some way? Matthew’s card also had a flower on it, a white rose!

Of course, so had Death’s card--an e, regaining my focus, Finn said, "Whoa I think I just had an acid flashback" He sounded as if he belonged on a beach in Cali

"I-I’m Evie This is Matthew" I indicated hiaze and said, "Card Arcana Secrets Card"

"Whatever, dude"

"Um, Finn, I couldn’t help but notice that you seem really calm"

Matthew, too, looked unaffected by our predicarain on one of the boards

"I ah these men are probably slavers or cannibals?"

"Nah, hoone awry"

I frowned at his flippant tone "What do they ith us?"

"They’re going to use me and your weird companion here as cistern diversion"

"I don’t understand"

"Bagers At dusk, they advance on that cistern in this big wave of creep--unless live meat runs past and distracts them Then the hicks pick theoing to be married off to, like, all of this militia Mazel tov"

Dread swept over me--for both Matthew and myself "H-how many soldiers are there?"

"Hundreds"

"Hundreds?" Even if Jackson ure out what happened to us, I didn’t knoe could be rescued

"They’re just waiting for nightfall Then you’re sol, sister There’s only one other chick in the entire cahter, so they consider her off-li up at the slats of the cage roof "S body on that one--but shy a few teeth Still, I’d do Hickette with a flag over her face"

"Excuse me?"

Matthew chuckled "Do her for his country"

"Matthew!" I cried, frowning at hihed with hie boys! Jackson had told me I didn’t understand them I realized then that I probably never would "You two are joking around, not concerned about this at all"

"I just had a hot blonde dropped into a Caged Heat scenario with led his brows "A chesty blonde--with all her teeth As my Flash-fried redneck cousins used to say, ‘I’ in shit’ "

Plant association or not, this self-i on e, I said, "You probably have soet out of this at any tiet close to that daughter I’ out of binds is what I do"

"The Magician," Matthew said

Finn’s chest puffed out "Daht, dude"

If he was an Arcana, then he had powers of some sort Still, I couldn’t buy his total lack of worry "Well, we have friends who are co for us," I told him under my breath, my words full of assurance "We’ll be rescued soon"