Julian put the beans on the can. I found a spoon and wrapped an arm around Liss. She shook her head.

“No.”

“You’ve got to eat something, Liss.” Julian gripped her cold wrist, but she didn’t respond.

When the beans were hot, Julian tipped her head back. I spoon-fed her, but she could hardly swallow. Beans ran down her chin. Cyril grabbed the tin and scraped out what remained with his bare hands. I sat back on my heels and watched as Liss sank into her sheets.

“This can’t go on.”

‘‘But we can’t do anything.” Julian clenched a fist. “Even if we found a deck, there’s no guarantee it’ll work. It’d be like giving her a new limb. She could reject it.”

“We have to try.” I looked toward Cyril. “Are there no other cartomancers here?”

“Dead.”

“Even if he’s wrong, we can’t take someone else’s deck,” Julian said, very quietly. “That’s worse than murder.”

“Then we steal from the Rephs,” I said. Crime was my forte. “I’m going to break into the House. They must have supplies in there.”

“You’ll die,” Cyril said, with no hint of distress.

“I survived a Buzzer. I’ll be fine.”

Julian looked up. “You saw one?”

“They live in the woods. Warden left me with one of them.”

“Does that mean you passed your tests?” Suspicion crossed his face. “You’re a red-jacket?”

“I don’t know. I thought I was, but”—I tugged my tunic—“this doesn’t look red.”

“That’s comforting.” He paused. “What was it like? The Buzzer.”

“Fast. Aggressive. I didn’t see much of it.” I looked at his new clothes. “Didn’t you see one?”

His smile was thin. “Aludra chucked me out just for missing the curfew. Plain old harlie, I’m afraid.”

Cyril was shivering. “Their bite is death,” he whispered. “You shouldn’t go out there again.”

“I might not have a choice,” I said. Cyril put his head in his arms. “Jules, pass a sheet.”

He did. I tucked it around Liss. She didn’t stop shivering. I rubbed her icy arms, trying to warm them up. Her fingers had blistered.

“Paige,” Julian said, “do you mean it? About breaking into the House?”

“Warden said they have supplies in there. Secret stores, things we shouldn’t see. Maybe Silvadene.”

“Has it occurred to you that it might be guarded? Or that the Warden might be lying?”

“I’ll risk it.”

He sighed. “I doubt I can stop you. And if you get in?”

“I’m going to steal as much as I can—anything I can use to defend myself—then I’m going to leave. Whoever wants to join me is welcome. Otherwise I’ll go alone. Whatever happens, I’m not going to rot here for the rest of my life.”