Hey all, Judging by the fact that, as of the time I'm writing this, this is the third Arcana Chronices fanfiction, I will take this to mean that either the books are too new to have much of a following, or maybe people just haven't sat down and started writing much fanfiction about them yet. The first book was published in 2013. They are a seriously awesome set of books and after the terribly riveting cliffhanger at the end of book 2, that was seriously evil, I just felt like writing.

If you haven't read the books, don't worry, this shouldn't be confusing. I have rewritten this chapter as of 6/18/2014. I'm starting from the beginning of the book and keeping large portions of the text. If you haven't read the stories yet, you can go to Amazon and pick up the free version of Poison Princess which is about the first half of the first book. Like I said, the entire first half of the book is free on amazon, so I think it's ok that some portions of the original text are in here in the first couple chapters. But you really should buy the books because they're totally awesome. If you liked Hunger Games or The Host, or Twilight, you really ought to love these. They've got every necessary element to be a smashing success and I'll bet they end up making a movie because they're wicked cool books. Truly.

By the way, Don't own the following and some large portions, particularly visions and Cajun quotes, are going to be directly from the book. I'm going to put in some large sections from the book for continuity, but add in some changes, some small, some major, to move the story in a different direction. Slow changes in the first couple chapters and huge changes after that. Just wanted to play around with making Evie a little less...thorny and more accepting. See what good things happen when Jack's puzzle solving abilities are utilized.

Prologue: Requiem, Tennessee
Requiem, Tennessee Day 246 A.F.

I walked through the foothills of Tennessee, my bugout bag on my back. The weather is all wrong. It's nearly summer, May. We've had punishing heat all winter. The temperatures are only just now dropping. My jeans, two short-sleeve T-shirts and threadbare hoodie are no longer sufficient. I'm wearing both pairs of socks. I have no more clothes. I'm wearing everything I own.

I left Finn's car abandoned when it ran out of gas yesterday. I've been on foot since then. I look at the hills that surround me. A year ago these hills must have been green with trees, the air filled with sounds of insects, birds, animals roaming through fallen leaves on the ground. An idyllic setting; right now the trees should be full with the green of spring, dogwoods in bloom. I made one bloom, just to brighten the dreary landscape. I shouldn't have, I know. I didn't care. I needed to see something beautiful.

I should have used the blood to make food for myself, but I'm not in the mood to eat, just to hurt. Then I think that's selfish. Someone should eat. I make a couple berry bushes and a pecan tree, just in case some wildlife happens to linger in the area. Maybe they'll benefit. I hope something still lives. I may have done this in vain though.

Everywhere I look it's a wasteland. Trees have no leaves, no insects or birds chirp, no animals roam. In fact, the only life I see is me. What's sad, is that this is somewhat of a good thing. If there were any animals, they would likely be snakes. If there were any people, I don't know if they would be friendly.

This last part goes against my nature. Even though Jackson has taught me that I should think differently, instinctively, when I see a new person, I automatically think, new friend.

Jackson

My heart strains in my chest, begging me to turn back, that there has to have been some misunderstanding. The man that I've grown to love, who has protected me, provided for me, who has told me that I belong to him, couldn't have done what I saw him do. Surely, I have to have been wrong.

A moi, Evangeline!

But I know, I know, this has been a long time in coming. She's better suited to him anyway. She won't change to be the monster I know I'll grow to be. I'm destined to become the Red Witch someday, just as my nightmares tell me, just as Death tells me.

I had hoped…but no. The signs have started coming and I can't deny them any longer. I've become a danger to him, to all of them. It's better this way. He told me he was done with me when I wouldn't tell him the last of my secrets.

I guess he wasn't lying.

This will work out for the best though. For them.

I think she loves him. She suits him better than I do. She is in no way bonne a rien. Cajun meaning good for nothing. She can hunt and scavenge and fight just like him, they are closer in age, and I know she's more than ready to have sex. I was holding back, not ready, not until I knew for sure whether I would turn into my worst nightmare.

Now that I have…

Tears stream down my face as my heart breaks a little more. I don't bother to wipe them away. It doesn't matter. No one is around to see them anyway.

Death has been chatty while I sobbed for the better part of two days. Unlike the other Arcana, he and Matthew could speak to me directly. I wasn't speaking to Matthew at the moment and he knew why.

Death was the card who both hated and coveted me. He taunted me often, now that Jackson wasn't around to mute his calls. This thrilled him.

-Your Death awaits Empress-

-I am surprised you stayed with that mortal as long as you did. Our kind has no business mixing with them.

-Come to me, Empress. I've waited for so long.-

-You, fancy yourself broken-hearted? Your heart is made of thorns and malice Creature. Always has been.-

Usually I just ignored him. He didn't know me, he knew me in another life, and those women had been cruel, unfeeling bitches, evil and malicious. What he said about them was most likely true. He didn't know me. They'd done something to him that he held a grudge against me for. I still wasn't sure if this was valid reasoning or not.

How much of them was in me and how much of me was in them? Having the Fool card for a best friend blurred those lines, not to mention dreaming of those women every night for over a year.

But at one point, he told me something that struck a nerve.

-You deserve every second of this misery Creature. What man could love a creature such as you?-

What could I say to that? He was right. Those words echoed my thoughts exactly. I despised what I was becoming, but there was nothing I could do about it.

In that moment of despair, I unwisely talked back to Death, asking him what he was waiting for. Why he didn't just finish me off long ago. This was most likely unwise, taunting Death. In those moments of despair, I hadn't exactly cared.

I'd thought about this for a long time now. Death was the most powerful and long lived of the Arcana. He spoke directly to me, was fixated on me for some reason I couldn't fathom. His power and experience compared to mine was so vast, he could crush me like a bug. I hadn't exactly developed my powers. He could off me at anytime of his choosing…like now, for instance. Alone, friendless. I'd told him as much.

"You want me so bad? Here I am! I'm getting tired of your taunting. Why not just finish me off?" His reply?

-So ready to meet me? Death comes to all. Wait your turn, Creature. Your suffering is enjoyment enough, for now.-

Mom had told me Gran said something about how it was my destiny to save the world. This sounded crazy, but I trusted Gran knew much more than I did or probably ever would.

The Arcana calls buzz in my head as always; Jackson is no longer around to mute them anymore. Every Arcana has a call, like a bird. It took me some time to understand this. One call resounds louder than the rest as I draw closer to a man in the distance.

-A wise man in the guise of a boy.-

When I see him for the first time, he is brushing away some debris from the town population sign.

Requiem, Tennessee, Population 1212.

Those numbers are likely in the single digits now. The Flash killed most everyone. There was no warning, not for most. Some were lucky. Some that were lucky, don't feel lucky anymore.

He looks young, maybe 20 or 22. His clothes are spotless. A royal blue sweater, corduroys and brown boots. His brown hair is longish, but that's not unusual for boys after the flash. His face is clean shaven though. His nose is a bit long, and he has a firm jawline.

I see his tableau. The Hermit/The Alchemist.

His tarot card is of an old man in a hooded cloak with a beard. He carries a walking stick and holds a lighted lantern aloft. I wonder if this Arcana is a potential ally or a potential foe. There's no one here to protect me. Just me. Only me. I follow him at a distance as he whistles a jaunty tune. He doesn't appear to notice me. Everything about him shouts friendly. I so desperately need a friend right now.

I follow the Hermit through the town of Requiem. It's a ghost town. No bagmen, no people. Nothing. Finally he enters a Victorian home at a crossroads. There's a brightly glowing kerosene lantern on the porch, just like on his tarot card. I don't feel comfortable approaching. Not alone. Matthew has always told me beware the lures. This definitely feels like a lure.

I use my blood to revive the oak trees and rose vines out of sight of the windows of the house. All Arcana have powers. I'm the Empress and my dominion is over all things that root or flower. As I work, I begin to smell wood smoke and beef stew. He's cooking supper inside.

Beware the lures Matthew's voice whispers.

Food is scarce since the flash. If it doesn't come in a box, can, plastic bag, etc, it doesn't exist. No one has been able to grow food of any kind since the sun scorched the earth over two hundred and forty days ago.

No one, except for me. It's my gift. I use my thorn claws to plant a last rose vine and my blood to make it grow and lengthen.

Weak, chilled, and shaking from blood loss, I approach the house. The paint is cracking and faded. This is not unusual of all houses these days. There is a cardboard sign with plastic wrap over it pinned to the door.

VOICES OF THE FLASH

HOT MEALS, SAFE SHELTER, JUST TELL ME YOUR STORY OF THE APOCALYPSE.

Beware the lures.

But my own instincts say, new friend.

Finally making up my mind, I make a hasty knock on the door, then step back quickly. After a moment I hear footsteps walking to the door before it opens. I notice his eyes are brown, his lips are thin, but they're smiling. He's happy to see me. Does he want a new friend too?

"Please come in out of the cold," he invites, swinging the arm not holding the door to gesture me in. "Look at you—you must be freezing!"

I totally am, but I take a look around first. He's lit several candles. There's a fire in the hearth. There's a braided rag rug and a rocking chair that calls to me as well as a tan couch and a mostly blueish quilt laid along the arm. It looks so warm and inviting.

I am so hungry, cold, and shaking, but I'm afraid. It's just him and me. No Jackson to protect me. I'd come to the conclusion, over the last three days, that Jackson's protectiveness over me was just a natural instinct of his. And then later, something he felt obligated to do, because I was a duty. He'd promised to escort me. I loved how he'd sheltered me, held me close, his kisses, his touch...

I'd left him a note, letting him know that he didn't need to worry about me. I told him I'd go on from here alone, that I'd come in to my powers now so I didn't need his protection anymore, which I was sure he was probably secretly relieved about, and he was free to go back to her home. He probably regretted ever leaving. I told him he shouldn't have pretended to care about me, that he should have just told me how he felt. I told him I hoped he'd be happy with her.

That's what hurt most...the pretending. I'd been such a stupid little girl. Now I second guessed every word, every action, wondering how he could have done such things and seemed so sincere...and just been pretending?

And if he was...why? That's what hurt the most I think. There was no reason for it. He had to know how I felt about him. He was so clever, so good at puzzles. It must have been clear to him that I would have given him whatever he wanted...even my blood if he'd asked.

I'll probably never see him again. I look back to the young man ready to run if he looks like he might attack. Jackson always said the Flash drove people crazy.

Sadly the man says, "I'm afraid it's just me. After the flash…" He glances at his shoes and then at some pictures of an old woman on the wall. His grandmother? Had she made the quilt? I wonder if he is as lonely as I am?

I take a slow step inside.

The man says, "I'm Arthur. Please take a seat by the fire." His voice is nice. Gentle, soothing even.

"Th-thank you." I need to sit before I fall, so I head for that rocking chair. I need comfort. Rocking will give me that. "I'm Evangeline"

No! That's what Jack calls me.

Used to call me. He's gone now. I swallow hard. My eyes water. I blink and try again.

"Evie."

He closes the door. "Are you hungry, Evie? I've got stew simmering. And maybe a cup of hot chocolate?"

My mouth waters. I'm starving. I hadn't bothered to eat much on my trip. Turns out that heartache kills your appetite.

"Yes, p-please, if it's not too much trouble." I raise my hands to the flames, chilled to the bone. "I'm starving."

"I'll be right back." he says. He leaves and I hear noises as he mixes and readies things in the kitchen.

When he returns he has a dinner tray with a large bowl of beef stew, and a steaming cup of cocoa. My eyes widen. I'm so hungry.

"Here we are. If you'll just grab that stand."

I quickly grab the TV tray and help set things up. The tray rattles a little as he sets it down before me. I dig in, a little embarrassed at how quickly I'm eating the stew, but not enough so to slow down. I haven't eaten much of anything in three days. A few power bars and my canteen. While I eat he begins to talk.

"So, Evie," He sits down on the couch, "I'm sure you saw the sign out front." I nod, still chewing. "I want you to know that I'm delighted to help you. All I ask is that you share some information with me. I'm archiving folks' stories, trying to collect them for the future. We need a history of how people's lives were rocked by this catastrophe. Would you be interested in sharing?"

I look at him warily. Sharing information about myself could be dangerous. How much of Jack's pretending had been because of my abilities? "What would you want to know?" I've finished my soup. Wish there was more. Still, the hot chocolate will be an amazing treat.

"I'd like you to tell me what happened in the days leading up to the Flash. And then how you coped with the aftermath. I'd record you with this." He points to a battery operated cassette recorder on the end table and grins sheepishly. It's the kind our parents probably used to record lectures in college. "Old school, I know." But that's probably all he could find that worked after the Flash.

I pick up the hot chocolate and blow across the top to cool it. I take a sip. Chocolate…but something else too…

"So, you'll just record me talking?"

"That's right" He rises to remove the tray, but I keep my mug, holding it close to my chest as though I'm afraid he'll take it away with my empty soup bowl. "Evie, I've got more in the kitchen. I'll bring back a whole pot of it."

While he's gone, I pour out the mug into the fire. It was poisoned. I should know. It was plant based and I'm the queen of those. It was something meant to make me tired, relaxed. I take off my hoodie, tying it around my waist since it's so warm inside. I put my spare t-shirt in my pack too.

When he returns I ask, "Why do you want to know about me?" Did he see my tableau when he saw me? Did he hear my arcana call? When I heard the arcana calls at first, I thought I might be going crazy. Maybe he needs someone to talk to, to explain things as Matthew explained things to me. New friend. I know he tried to poison me, but perhaps it's his way of protecting himself too.

Coo-yon fille! Why would a twenty year old man need to protect himself from a bonne little fille like you eh? Jack's voice asks in my mind.

Because I'm a monster. I answer

-That you are Creature, and a treacherous one who will soon feel the pain of my sword.- Death replied.

You like to kick them when they're already down do you? I think.

-Some are more deserving of such scorn than others.-

Charma is such a bitch. If only she were a card I could kill…

Death's chuckles echo softly in my head and my lips quirk softly. He has a nice laugh. If only he didn't want me to die horribly…

Arthur clears his throat. "Anyone who makes it here has a story of survival to tell. You included." He has a cup of hot chocolate for himself and a pot. He pours more into my empty cup. I blow on it as he sits on the couch. "I want to know about your life. Before and after the Flash."

"Why before?"

"The apocalypse turned lives inside out, altering people. In order to survive, they've had to do a lot of things they never thought they could. I want as many details as possible….You don't have to give your last name, if that makes you feel more comfortable."

I have the mug under my nose, so I can enjoy the smell. It's still too hot to drink, but the smell…I haven't smelled hot chocolate since I left Haven, and even then it was a very rare treat. On a cold day like today, it feels amazing. I murmur a soft truth. "My life was turned inside out long before the Flash."

"How do you mean?" He leans over and presses the record button. Oh well. Maybe this will be cathartic. And maybe it will help Arthur realize who he is. Maybe he can become an ally, or even a friend.

"In the weeks leading up to the Flash, I'd just gotten home after a summer away. And things were strained."

"Where was your home?" He asks.

I let my lids grow a bit heavier, both because I'm pretending the drug in the cocoa has begun to take effect, and because the memories of home are so delicious I want to close my eyes to revel in the memories.

"My home was in Louisiana, on a beautiful sugarcane farm called Haven." I lean back in the chair and rock a bit, looking up at the ceiling, but not seeing it at all, only seeing my memories of home. "All around us, there was a sea of green cane stretching forever."

"How were things strained at home? You can tell me." I stay tilted back but bend my neck down to look at him and he gives me an earnest nod.

I take a deep breath. This will be hard. "Arthur, I…I'd just been released from a mental institution." I look at him from under my lashes, shyly judging his reaction. All Arcana's parents have misjudged them somehow. Were his any different? Probably not.

"Mental institution?" The disbelief is clear in his voice.

"I'd been sick the last quarter of my sophomore year, so my mom made me go to a clinic in Atlanta."

He doesn't seem bothered…he seems…excited. Does this experience resonate with his own?

"I can't believe I'm confiding this." I frown. I couldn't even talk about this with Jack, not even after he'd guessed. It's probably part of why he was so ready to be done with me. I speak softly to myself. "I couldn't tell him all my secrets."

I smile softly at Arthur. "Why do I feel so at ease with you?"

"Please, go on."

"I'd only been home for two weeks and strange things were starting to happen again. I was losing time, having nightmares and hallucinations so realistic I couldn't tell if I was awake or asleep." I lean back again, my eyes on the ceiling but not seeing it, seeing my past. "A week before the Flash would have been the day the school year began, seven days before my sixteenth birthday."

"Your birthday was day one A.F.?" He asks, his voice high and excited. Yeah, I thought that was a strange coincidence too. I wonder what Gran would have thought about that.

I use one foot to rock myself and draw the other to my chest, hugging it for comfort. I miss my family, my friends, my Jack. Not my Jack anymore. Not ever again.

"I remember getting dressed for school Monday morning—my mom was worried that I wasn't ready to go back." I blow out a breath. "Mom was right." For this to work, I have to protect myself, giving myself the 'crazy' out. He'll probably think I am delusional or a compulsive liar before this is over. Or he might recognize the truth about Arcana. There's no telling.

"Why?"

I meet his gaze again. "I'll tell you. All of my story. And I'll try to remember as much as possible. But, Arthur…"

"Yes?"

My eyes water and I feel ashamed. I have to give myself the crazy out. Survival mode. There's only me to protect myself here. I'm about to reveal so very much.

"What I believe happened might not be what actually took place."

Leave me some love if you would. ;-) By the way, the fic is also on archive of our own and on my tumblr blog.
GreenThumbTarasova dot Tumblr dot com. There are more chapters up on those websites but I'm working on catching up .