When it all shook out, both Dania and Jake ended up with fifteen cards in their decks. They each spent a pip to add another card in play, and Dania took an Ice power, giving her six total. Jake stuck with what he had, keeping three pips unspent to Dania's two.

"I think…my gut says I should save up for another building slot." He lifted his eyes to Dania's. Once more, he sat across from where she leaned her elbows on the kitchen island. They'd spread their decks out in front of them to swap in the new cards and strategize. "I know I've got the free one, but I just can't shake the feeling that I'm going to need more."

"Then you should get another one. How long will you have to wait?"

"Two more levels, unless something else comes up."

"Well, then, fair enough. Make sense to me. You've got plenty of power to play your best combinations, and with an extra card in play for each of us, we should be doing all right…depending on what we're up against."

"You mean Berto's card traffickers?"

Dania gave Jake a sour look. "I doubt he'd claim them as 'his', but yeah. I don't know enough about it, but logic says that if they've spread their network as far as Berto said, then they're probably a little higher level than the guy we took out at the apartment."

"Maybe," Jake said. "But maybe not. Remember, 'the biggest mistake most deckbearers make—'

"'Is forgetting that there are other ways to hurt them besides their cards'." Dania finished the quote and pushed off the island, stretching her back. "And while that's probably true, I don't want to make the mistake of getting overconfident. So, when we head into the city, we'll be in and out, minimal time on the ground before we head back here. And we'll watch for a tail."

"You're worried about that, huh?"

Dania bit the inside of her cheek, and then nodded. "Yeah," she admitted. "If Berto's right and the traffickers are looking for us, because we killed their Sniffer or whatever, then there's a possibility they could be staking out his lawyer's office. Slim possibility, but… not zero."

"So, we'll be careful," Jake said. "We'll check it out before we go in, make sure no one is hanging around and acting sus."

"I will help," Machairi said from his stool next to Jake. "I am good at spotting those who are sus."

"Yep." Dania bit the inside of her cheek again, this time to keep from laughing at Machairi's solemn use of the word "sus". "And now we're repeating old conversations. Which means it's time to move on. You hungry?"

"Yeah!" Jake sat up straight, his eyes lighting up.

"I don't know why I even asked," Dania muttered with a chuckle as she turned to start putting together a meal. "You're always hungry."

***

That food did us both good, Dania reflected later, as she, Jake, and Machairi lounged on the couch and watched an old VHS copy of Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. She'd made a simple pasta with meat sauce, but she'd grabbed frozen garlic bread from the store. They'd both eaten their fill, and still had leftovers for lunch tomorrow, which Dania took as enough of a win to suggest they celebrate with a movie night.

Dania had used her phone to consult the Internet on how to hook the ancient player to the equally ancient television. The movie was just as campy and exciting and fun as she remembered. Jake and Machairi both got really into it, sitting on the edges of their seats for the scenes at the dig site, and all the vehicular stunts and chases that followed.

"Can we watch the next one?" Jake asked excitedly as the credits rolled and John Williams's main theme pumped from the tinny television speaker. "What's it called?"

"Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. It was the next one released, but it's set a few years before Raiders. We'll watch it tomorrow night, okay? I'm super tired for no good reason." Dania hated to put Jake off, but she'd been yawning for the last half hour of the movie.

Of course, I did find out my best friend is dead, and that he was apparently in love with me, but too chickenshit to tell me… fuck it. I deserve to go to bed early tonight.

"That's okay," Jake said, his eyes sobering as he watched her face. "It was a big day. I'm kinda tired too. Machairi and I will head upstairs and probably just read or watch YouTube. Can I use the tablet though?"

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"Of course, kid," Dania said. She sat up and grabbed it off the couch cushion beside her, and then dropped it in his lap. "Don't stay up too late, though, okay? We're back to running and training in the morning."

"Yeah." Jake pushed up to his feet, with Machairi not a second behind. "Especially if we've got to be ready for anything in Noimoire."

Dania barked out a short laugh. "You said it," she tossed over her shoulder as she headed toward the stairs, her shower, and her bed in that order. "And you always want to be ready for anything in Noimoire."

Upstairs, Dania cranked the heat in her shower and let the water pound down over her head and shoulders. It didn't do much to ease the ache that threatened to engulf her whenever she thought about Berto, but it did make her even sleepier. She shook herself into motion and got busy washing her hair and body.

A few minutes later, dressed in an old unit t-shirt and leggings, her face shiny and pink, Dania padded downstairs long enough to get a cold glass of water. She checked the front and back door locks and flipped off the kitchen lights before heading back upstairs.

Once she got to the landing, she paused outside of Jake's door and smiled at the sound of his laughter coming through. Then she turned and headed to her own room and her own bed.

The sheets felt deliciously cool against her heated skin, and she let out a long sigh as she relaxed into the pillow. Between one breath and the next, she fell asleep.

Moonlight filtered down through lacy clouds, turning the snow around her to silver. Dania blinked, then looked around at the yard that surrounded the cabin.

This is a dream, she realized. And if I know that, then it's a lucid dream, right? Like the first floor of the dungeon? But if that's true, then I should be able to change things. I wonder if I called—

"Deckbearrrerrr."

Dania turned around and watched as a shadow detached itself from the side of the house. Hush glided over the snow toward her, his shark's mouth smile wide in the moonlight.

"Hush," she said with a smile. "Am I just dreaming about you, or are you the real Hush?"

"Iii aaamm myyyssselllff." He stopped next to her, his smile widening. Dania threw back her head and laughed.

"Which is exactly what I'd imagine you might say. So, no proof either way."

"Twooo thiingsss arrre trrrue. I come tooo yourrr drrreamsss the sssame asss I come tooo yourrr waking niiights. Thrrrrough shaaadowwwss, callled byy fearr… or invitaaation."

"Invitation?"

"Youuu werrre thinking offf mee jussst noww."

Dania laughed again, shaking her head. "I was. It's odd. I realized when we were in the dungeon that I felt better when you were around. Like you were one more person watching our backs."

Hush bent at the waist and inclined his head in an eerie, disjointed sort of bow. "It issss myyy plllleasssurrre."

"We've got to go to Noimoire."

"I hearrrd. Youu grrrievve yourrr frriend. The boyy whoo wasss."

"Berto. Yeah. Wait—the boy who was?"

"Herrre, manyyy yearsss ago. I fed on hisss fearrr once hee beecaame olld eenough, but he wasss ssstilll a boyyy."

Realization swept over her. "You're the reason Berto didn't like coming back here. You're the reason he found it creepy."

Hush made his odd bow again. "I amm whaat I amm, Guarrrdiann."

Dania swallowed and looked down at her feet in the snow. "I'm not sure how to feel about that." She took a deep breath and let it out on a puff of frosty air. "But then, again, I'm not sure how to feel about a lot of things regarding Berto. Not that it matters much. He's dead. But he left this place to me, and so Jake and I have to go into the city to claim it before the government does."

"Youu fearrr dangerrr in the cityy."

Dania nodded. "Someone put Berto in the ground. And he thinks it was connected to his helping us. If that's true, then chances are good that whoever killed him might want to do something similar to us."

"I cann watch youurrr baack. Aat niight, at leasst."

Dania blinked. "In the city? You don't have to stay here?"

"Noooo."

"But… what about the dungeon?"

"Whaaatt abouutt iiit?"

"Don't you, like, have to stay near it? Because of the aura or whatever?"

Hush's smile grew. "I wasss not spawwnned frrrom the duungeon. I aaam much, much older thann those dreamsss."

"How old are you?"

"Anssswer yourrr own quessstion. Therre have beeen sstorriesss—" He broke off, then lifted his head, looking behind and above Dania. As he did so, a breeze tugged at her hair. She shivered, and then met Hush's alarmed gaze as he flowed toward her like liquid darkness.

"Dooo youuu sssmelll itt?"

"Smell what? Hush, what are you—" Hush reached out with one clawed forefinger and touched her shoulder.

"Hush—"

"Waaaake, Guarrrdian. Now!" Hush shoved her, hard. Dania stumbled backward, fighting to keep her feet, but the icy, snowy ground defied her and she fell backward—

—And opened her eyes in her bed. Dark silence surrounded her, broken only by the feeble glow of her alarm clock. The dim numbers read 3:42. Dania rubbed her eyes and let out a sigh.

Why the hell am I awake? she wondered. She rolled to her right side, closing her eyes once again before recognizing the uncomfortable pressure in her bladder. With a sigh, she flipped the covers back and got to her feet.

It wasn't until after she'd handled her body's needs and returned to her bed that she remembered that she'd been dreaming about a conversation with Hush. It had seemed important, but for the life of her, she couldn't remember what it was. She licked her lips and sat gingerly on the bed.

"Hush?" she called softly. "Are you there? Can you hear me?"

Silence rang through the house. Dania shook her head and closed her eyes in a tiny, self-deprecating chuckle. She sucked in a breath, preparing to let it out in a long sigh, lie down, and get some more sleep—

—and she tasted it. Smoke. Just the barest hint. But it was there.

Thud. Thud.

"Dani?"

Dania's eyes flew open. She jumped up to open the door and see a pale-faced, worried Jake holding his arms crossed over his body, like he was giving himself a comforting hug.

"Jake, what's up? Do you smell—"

"Smoke. Yeah. Machairi just woke me and said Hush noticed it too. He told Machairi to wake me and tell you to get outside, quietly. He's gone to check it out."

"Check what out? Why?"

"The yard, Guardian," Machairi said from behind Jake. "Because this smoke is not natural. A deckbearer is here, and they have set fire to the cabin."