3.

‘We’re playing the community version. Two cards in your pocket, five shared on the table—’

‘You shouldn’t be rude, big brother,’ Rose said.

At the term Rose used, Silvah’s eyes went to the man’s ears. There was black, purplish stone embedded there. Rose had said it was the same as her own necklace and ‘felt funny’. Silvah couldn’t sense anything from it, though.

‘Ah. You are right. Where are my manners. Please call me Shisui. The boy obsessed with potassium is Asher. To my left…well, my intuition tells me you are already aware of each other.’

A disgusting grin played on the blond boy’s lips.

‘Ryūjin Ryu. Ryu will do. The pleasure is mine, Silvah.’

The metal at Silvah’s hip itched, the sensation digging into her cool mental state.

‘I have questions for you,’ Silvah said.

Ryu turned a lazy glance where her weapon was concealed.

‘And what do you intend to do when I give my answers?’

‘Depends on what you tell me.’

The smile never left Ryu’s face.

Paper cut through the air and Silvah’s next words. Shisui’s hand movement was nothing more than a flicker in her sight, and the cards he dealt fell perfectly on the outlined slots on the green mat covering the table.

Rose bent forwards. Everyone had a set of black, blue, red, and white chips. Two, five, eight and ten pieces respectively. The little girl palmed the two black pieces, rolling them between her fingers.

‘Black is worth ten,’ Rose said. She spoke a loud so everyone could hear. ‘Blue five. Red is two and white one. For a total value of sixty-eight.’

‘Small blind is two,’ Shisui said. ‘Big blind is five.’

Rose craned her neck, her large pupils staring up at Silvah’s own.

‘You should focus, big sis.’

She should, she knew. This was another one of those moments—the same that had appeared when Miles stepped up to her at the start of the night. She shot Ryu another look. He was glancing at his cards. He’s not running from me. Which meant patience was her best option. That, and she needed to figure out what this whole energy business was. She’d thought it a joke on Miles’s part, given his personality. But it wasn’t. She needed time.

‘What is the buy-in price?’ Silvah said.

Her suspicion told her this wasn’t a friendly game with no stakes. So, there should be a payment involved that would add to a total which would be given to the winner later. How much did she have on her?

Shisui put his hands under his chin.

‘Everyone at this table has already paid their price upfront. You don’t have to give anything else.’

Silvah nodded, not understanding in the slightest. She decided not to ask for clarification. That would make her appear even less uninformed to her opponents than she already had. She’d unpack the mystery later.

The dealer button, currently in possession of Shisui, was an indication for the blinds. To the immediate left of the button was the small blind. Big blind was one position further than that. Which meant Ryu was the small blind and Silvah the big blind. The dealer button rotated clockwise every hand.

‘Play for me?’ Silvah said.

Rose smiled and picked up two red pieces and one white. The girl was a mystery (most likely the whole ‘lost child’ scenario had been an act) but she was still a child. No harm would come from her direction. That, and Silvah thought keeping Rose on her good side could be beneficial. Not only for her own safety but also that of Misha.

A stolen glance back revealed the big man was still sound asleep.

The schoolgirl had left him and made her way to the side of their table. She knelt between Ryu and Silvah’s seats.

Silvah peeked at her hand, Rose looking with her. Eight, nine, offsuited. Her chances at winning against a high pair were a straight. Not too strong a hand but it was okay for her current player position. She looked to her left and right. Ryu still had that same grin plastered on his face. Asher was onto his sixth and seventh banana. She had no idea where he had gotten them from, nor if he had looked at his cards at all. A fact not confirmed or denied when he folded his hand immediately after Shisui clarified he was the first to move.

The schoolgirl placed his cards onto a discard pile. Shisui called, going with the big blind. Ryu called as well. Silvah had learned the game of poker from her father and his friends when she sometimes joined their game nights. Uncle Kenichi had been a part of them, too. Her father had a quote. One that he droned into her from the start. ‘I hate limpers. Those who go with the status quo.’ Limpers were those people who simply called the big blind instead of raising. His rule was to always punish them when you could and take their money. So Silvah raised to twelve. Both players folded immediately, winning Silvah the pot.

The schoolgirl collected the cards and gave them to Shisui who promptly started shuffling again. The dealer button moved. Silvah was now the small blind and Asher the big blind. Cards took their position once more. Silvah peeked. Jack, ten, both spades. Rose swung her legs, which would’ve been a giveaway to her decent hand if the little girl hadn’t been doing it the entire time.

Shisui was the first to go. He raised to fifteen. Ryu checked his cards one more time and folded. Silvah called. She didn’t even look at what Asher did. He would call, too, most likely. Since he was in the big blind, he was deeper into the pot than most, so calling cost less money relatively seen. Folding would be throwing away his big blind for nothing—

He folded. Then went straight back to his bananas.

Damn, Silvah thought. His hand must’ve horrendous.

Time for the flop. Shisui burned a card and revealed a king and queen of hearts and a ten of spades. Silvah’s turn. The way Shisui bet preflop, Silvah would need a nine or ace to win guaranteed. Those two red cards were too dangerous otherwise. The royal, face cards, too. He only needed one of them to beat her as it was now.

‘Can I say something?’ Shisui said.

Silvah looked up from the table.

‘Be my guest.’

‘You may wonder why I have you playing a game of poker at this hour when the auction has almost begun.’ He smiled. ‘It’s my belief that the game reveals the inner qualities of every person.’

‘Inner qualities?’

‘Yes. No two people play the exact same. All your tendencies, your ideas, your emotions. Everything is boiled down and can be deducted from a few plays of the hand.’

Asher scoffed.

‘Come off your high horse, old man. A game like this doesn’t mean a thing.’

‘For once I find myself agreeing with the pagan,’ Ryu said. His voice matched his perfect appearance, neither too low nor high. ‘I would much rather have a more “direct” test if you are to judge our worth.’

Shisui chuckled, waving them away.

‘It doesn’t matter if you don’t like it. We all play the game, one way or another.’

Shisui’s pale eyes settled on her.

‘What I’m wondering is the kind of character you are, Nighthart. How do you handle yourself when faced with things you do not understand?’

Her skin crawled. Ryu knowing her was one thing. But she’d never given anyone else in this room her last name. Had the boy told him in advance? But that would mean he knew she was coming.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

In the background, the violin’s notes grew higher and somehow more sinister at the same time. Shisui’s lips pulled even further up.

‘Now. Your play. If you may.’

Rose touched her arm. The cold sensation flowing from the little girl grounded Silvah. She bet twenty. Even if she lost, a part of the sum would be paying Shisui with other player’s money.

A pause. Shisui’s dark eyes bore into her. He palmed two black chips and another three blue. Following a bet like that would be half of her stash.

Shisui came to a decision and raised.

She put down three blue chips without thinking about it. Hesitation is defeat. Hesitation would make her look weak.

The flop was done. Now for the fourth card, the turn.

A card was burned. Followed by a long violin note. Then an eight of clubs.

Her chance at a flush was gone and the pair was still not good enough. An ace or a nine. That’s what she needed. But it was so far. And her turn to play so close.

‘Poker is a fair game,’ Shisui said. ‘You never stand to win more than you lose. Never lose more than you can win. So tell me.’ He leaned forward. The haze of energy in the room moved with him. ‘What’s the most you ever lost on a draw of the cards, Nighthart?’

And just like that, the pressure was gone. Rose looked up at her and smiled, but there was only a single thing on Silvah’s mind. The sole reason she was here.

Silvah’s shoulders loosened after she pushed all her chips forward.

‘Didn’t you say so yourself? I paid the harshest price before ever setting foot in this room.’ Silvah turned towards Ryu. ‘A payment I will reclaim in full.’

The violin’s note was a sad but powerful one as Shisui played with his chips.

‘Call it,’ Silvah said.

Test me. That’s what you want, right? Then she would show him. She wasn’t turning back for anything without getting what she wanted because she had already paid her price. Even at the cost of her own self. Especially at the cost of her own self.

The air in the room stilled. Shisui was like a statue, his face glued to her throughout the silence.

‘Scary. Scary. But,’ Shisui said. He pushed his chips forward. ‘Let’s see how good your luck is.’

Both revealed their hand. Silvah bit her lip. He had a ten and ace of hearts. As it was now, he was winning. He was also one away from a flush.

Shisui burned a card and drew the next. It was a nine of hearts.

Asher whistled.

‘Lucky and unlucky at the same time. Don’t see that often.’

‘It was a dumb move to go all in,’ Ryu said, chuckling as he shot her a condescending look. ‘Good thing fools die early.’

Silvah took a deep breath, discarding her negative emotions. Fretting was no use. Poker was as much a game of luck as it was skill. Things happened.

The schoolgirl handed Shisui the chips and cards. ‘Thank you, May,’ he said. Then he turned to Ryu.

‘Bad manners. No one can laugh at someone who’s been abandoned by luck.’

Ryu shrugged.

‘Hurry up and deal. It’s just the two of us since the heathen is folding again anyways.’

Asher grinned.

‘Seen through me, have you? Let me guess. A sign from your wondrous star?’

‘Faithless cur,’ Ryu spit.

The blinds moved again. Despite Ryu counting her out, Silvah wasn’t actually out of the game yet. Because she’d had won the round before last, her all in hadn’t lost her all her chips—she covered Shisui’s total, so the leftover was still hers. Her remaining total was fifteen. One black and a blue.

Her hands filled again. Double nine. A spade and heart—

Spotlights blasted downward from outside their viewing box, landing on the podium below.

Damn. Have we been gone for an hour already? She wasn’t sure about Miles and Damien. However, Simon would be hunting for them since they’ve been gone for too long. He’s not finding us here, though.

A screen hanging from their room’s ceiling turned on, showing a circular platform rising out of the stage on top of which stood a man.

‘Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to a curated paradise of exotic items organised by none other than the notorious Bai clan! I am your host of the night, Kanai Kanehiko, or as some like to call me, Count Celesta.’

There was a round of applause as the Count bowed. His pink suit left the upper part of his chest showing and nine spikes pointed outward like a star from the mask on his face, which was painted in black and white.

The screen showed some of the audience members waving at their viewing box and those next to them.

‘Can you fold?’

Ryu was not impressed with her, given his body language. He had raised to fifteen. Silvah checked her cards once more.

‘All in,’ she said.

Asher laughed as he folded his cards again.

‘I like this girl.’

Shisui called.

Ryu craned his neck at the man at the head of the table.

‘This is what you’re searching for? A crazed hooligan barely better than a nomu to carry out your plans? Maybe your allegiance is worth less than I thought.’

Nomu. What’s that supposed to mean?

‘Non-magic user,’ Rose whispered in her ear, seeing her confusion.

Silvah nodded a thanks.

‘You’re more methodical and better versed in our ways,’ Shisui said. ‘That’s true. Not bad qualities whatsoever. Then there’s also that disgusting ability of yours…’ here the man shook his head wistfully. ‘In a thousand different scenarios you would have been the definite best choice. But if you want to win against that crone in the tower, you’re going to need more than that. Do you have more than that, young dragon?’

Ryu snarled. He put his chips forward.

Kanai’s voice filled the room.

‘This last year and a half our group did their utmost best to collect the rarest of goods. Plants, weapons, armour, sculptures, pottery, art, and artefacts from more than thousands of years ago, you name it, and tonight we’ll have it!’

The applause was even louder this time around. Apparently, the Bai were not ones for wasting time either, because an assistant rolled the first item on stage a second before the cheering died down.

Back on their poker board there was a burn and three cards: ace, nine, deuce.

Shisui began a staring contest with Ryu and Silvah left them to it. She couldn’t win more than she had put in, so she had no business in what the two decided to do with the rest of the pot.

Kanai was revealing the story behind the first item they had rolled on stage: a mirror slightly bigger than a person’s hand.

‘Truth Reflection. The name represents a promise. It’s ability to show its user a perfect mirror image of themselves, no matter how dark their surrounding is. It’s part of a family. A set of five, found on the first ring of islands in the Forlorn Isles. The largest mirror is the height of an adult man. Perhaps one of our guests wants to collect the whole set? Our experts say the mirrors house enough foul energy to have foulbeast potential! Taming it could be possible.’

‘How much do you think it will go for?’ Rose said.

Silvah considered.

‘A thousand.’

She wasn’t sure what value the mentioned foul energy would give the mirror, but she thought that a thousand for such a small object was enough. That would net you a room in the most luxurious hotels in Yumekyo for a few nights. Plus, most people at an auction like this would have too much money.

‘The bidding starts at forty thousand!’

Silvah nearly tipped over. What the fuck?

Kanai flew over his sentences.

‘Number 33 for fifty thousand!’

‘Number 150 for sixty thousand!’

‘Oh! One hundred thousand! Number 51 is feeling themselves and wants to get rid of all competition in one fell swoop!’

Silvah blanched, for as far as her skin colour allowed that.

Rose giggled.

‘It’s because of the potential foulbeast. They inflate the pricing.’

‘They are spirits comprised of foul energy,’ Rose said before Silvah asked.

She took her index finger and pressed her nail into Silvah’s palm. The cold was there again.

‘This is cele energy.’

The cold vanished. For a second there was nothing. Then the patch around Silvah’s skin grew scalding hot.

‘Au!’

She jerked her hand away and glared at the little girl.

‘That is foul energy,’ she said innocently. ‘You need to learn to tell the difference without touch, big sis. Try pulling the cele inside you towards your palm when I touch you.’

Silvah did so despite her reservations. Rose’s finger met her skin. She waited.

‘I don’t feel anything,’ Silvah said, half preparing to tug on her hand again.

‘That’s the point,’ Asher said. Perhaps he was out of bananas because he wasn’t munching on another one. ‘They cancel each other out.’

Rose spun on him and gave him the middle finger.

‘May, can you order more of those disgusting fruits so he can keep his mouth shut! And throw away those peels, please! They are starting to stink.’

The schoolgirl got up to fulfil her mistress’s wishes.

‘Like he said before stealing my line.’ Rose pouted. Silvah didn’t know whether the spoiled girl act was real or not anymore. Rose seemed too smart for it to be accidental. ‘The two energies negate each other. Every human being has a natural inclination for one of the energy sources. Some use both.’

Silvah turned her hand over in the warm lighting of the room.

‘And mine is?’

Rose pointed at her necklace. Silvah palmed it.

It was could to the touch.

‘I’d like to continue if the primary school lessons are finished,’ Ryu said.

Back on the table, the hands had been played out: ace, nine, deuce, eight and another ace. Ryu had a king and queen. Shisui had a deuce pocket pair. There was no flush on the board, which meant Silvah had won with a three of a kind.

Silvah grinned. No wonder Ryu was looking murderous.

‘Next hand,’ Ryu said.

Shisui leaned back in his chair, the leather squeaking underneath his weight.

‘No. I’ve seen enough. You can go.’

Ryu was quiet for a while before he spoke up.

‘You’re making a mistake.’

For the first time this night, there was a set to Shisui’s shoulders, a minute tension rolling over his body that showed he was ready to unleash violence. Silvah didn’t like it. She shrunk back at the sight on instinct, fearful that it should turn on her.

‘I won’t repeat myself.’

Ryu ground his teeth. He looked all of them over once, then smoothed his features and got up. His teeth showed as he shot Silvah a nasty one.

‘You had questions for me, right? I’ll be waiting outside.’

He was out the door before she could answer.

Asher stood, too.

‘You can stay if you want,’ Shisui said. ‘Your fruits are on the way.’

But his tone had that note to it that said he didn’t expect his words to be heeded.

‘No, thank you. Our resident priest is most likely going to scheme himself into a holy temple, so I want to be on time. I’ll be in the crowd below. Should you need me, Master Shisui.’

The dark red hair at the end of Asher’s ponytail bobbed up and down as he came to a stop next to Silvah’s seat. Rose glared at him, looking as if she wanted to eat him alive.

‘You still mad at me? Really, you children…’ He rubbed the back of his neck, then pulled something out of his pocket. ‘Here you go. We even now?’

Rose swiped a sapphire ball that could fit between her thumb and index from his hand.

‘You’re forgiven,’ the child said, drooling. ‘Go before I change my mind.’

Asher waved and walked past them. But not before glancing back at Silvah one more time.

‘The dragon whelp may be a bit of a jerk but he’s the real deal—he’s not someone a complete beginner can face by herself. I already told you where to find me. Can’t miss me when the chaos begins.’

‘Chaos?’ Silvah said.

The door fell shut behind Asher.

Do they think disappearing before answering is cool or something?

Shisui cleared his throat.

‘So. Shall we talk business?’