Dead of Winter Read Online Free PDF

the game as a machine with cogs and wheels—that I longed to blow up. “The twins are going to keep coming after all of us.”
    â€œWhat is your plan?”
    â€œFinn disguises us. You fly us over. We march right into the Lovers’ camp. I fumigate their tent. Selena and I extract Jack.”
    Gabriel was quiet for long moments.
    With a glare, Selena removed her hand; at once, he said, “I shall assist you with more than transportation, as a full-fledged member of the team. But I have a condition.”
    Full-fledged said the boy with wings. “Let’s hear it.”
    â€œWe go there to assassinate any Milovníci. Not to ask them to be in an alliance. Not to spare them.”
    I totally agreed, but hadn’t thought he’d be this hard-core.
    â€œWe’ve talked to soldiers here about the general and his spawn. They must be stopped.”
    â€œWe’ll take them out,” I assured him.
    He offered his claw-tipped hand, and we shook. “Joules will be displeased. I sense an AC/DC moment in my future.”
    Huh? “Like the band?”
    â€œNo, like the currents. But I’ll handle him.”
    â€œYou do that,” Selena said. “Bring a bandanna for a spore mask and meet us at the watchtower. Midnight sharp.”
    I frowned. “That’s hours away.”
    â€œTheir soldiers maintain a regular schedule,” she explained. “Like they do here. Reveille in the morning, even though there’s no daybreak. At midnight, most of the camp will be asleep.” To Gabriel, she said, “Don’t let any humans know what we’re planning.”
    â€œUnderstood.”
    I furtively kicked Selena’s boot; she straightened and said, “Oh. Thanks, Gabe. I won’t forget this.”
    â€œIt will be my pleasure, Selena. I look forward to it.” His eyes widened. “I mean, not that I am pleased about the occasion.”
    Selena let him off the hook. “I look forward to kicking serial killer ass.”
    He grinned. “Precisely.”
    We started back toward Selena and Finn’s tent. Halfway there, she murmured, “I can’t believe he’s going against Joules! I would’ve bet my bow he’d refuse. My God, we might free J.D. tonight. Evie, if this works . . .” Though Selena was 100 percent, grade-A badass, her eyes glinted, a hairline fracture in her prickly façade. “If we get him back, you and I’ll be solid again.”
    â€œWere we ever solid?” I was so different from her, and we’d hated each other at first. But we’d muddled along until we’d begun to rely on one another. And now she was lowering her guard a degree.
    As soon as the thought occurred to me, her expression hardened.“In every game, the Archer has an arrow for the Empress.”
    I exhaled. “Yeah, yeah, I remember.”
    â€œIn this game, I might have misplaced it.” Shoulders squared, she turned from me.
    As she strode away, I realized two things:
    That’s the closest she’ll ever come to telling me we’re friends.
    I’ll take it.

6
    â€œBattle comes for the Empress.”
    Near midnight, Matthew and I had holed up in the top floor of the watchtower. We sat facing each other, the toes of our boots touching. We spoke with hushed voices, as we had in the back of that van with Jack and Selena.
    A gas lantern flickered light. Outside, a storm raged. Cyclops stood watch below.
    â€œI’m ready.” To take on psychotic mass murderers. To head into the skies with a winged boy. A gust rocked the watchtower, making it shudder. Not exactly the greatest conditions to fly in. . . .
    After Selena and I had secured Gabriel’s help, I’d checked on the mare (doing much better; still pissed at me), then headed to the tent Jack shared with Matthew.
    I’d tried to rest, but as soon as I lay down on Jack’s cot, his familiar, pulse-quickening scent