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Remy has bet his entire pile of coins by the time I call. He shows his hand first with a confident grin on his perfectly shaped lips.
I can’t help but taunt him a little in return, twirling each card between my fingers with a flourish before revealing them one at a time.
Remy’s grin falters a bit with each card, fading entirely when I slowly overturn my last one.
I force my lips up in a show of triumph, though there’s no real joy.
Remy groans. “One more round?” he offers.
“And give you a chance to redeem yourself?” I slide my winnings into my coin purse, securing it to my belt before getting to my feet. “I think I’ll pass.”
“Redeem myself?” he scoffs. “I won as many as you did.”
“But I won the last one,” I remind him. “And you know only the most recent win counts.”
It’s a tired argument, but almost comforting in its familiarity. Or it would be, with someone less aggravating.
“Won’t you at least buy me a consolation drink, then?” Remy stands as well, moving around the table and edging in close to me. Too close, but I’ll be damned if I give him the satisfaction of moving away.
“Tempting as it is, that’s a road I’d just as soon never travel again.” Just one of many lies I’ve told tonight, but this one, by all rights, should be the truth.
He opens his mouth to respond when a man catches my attention toward the end of the bar.
He looks like half the people walking around the city of Bondé, his angular black eyes and obsidian hair nearly a mirror image of mine. But then, I was also chosen to blend in.
And I’m positive this man works for Mother.
Sure enough, when the bartender passes the man a couple of chilled glasses with a copper-colored liquid, he slides one in front of me. “A Widow’s Kiss for the victor.”
Three cherries garnish the top, a sign that Mother needs me urgently. I’m torn between feeling grateful for the excuse to leave and frustrated that Remy will think I’m running away, but in the end, I lack the conviction to feel either for very long.
I take the toothpick with the black, liqueur-soaked cherries from the glass and slide them off with my teeth before passing the rest to Remy.
“Looks like you got that drink after all. I’ll see you around.” With that, I grab the coin purse from the counter and stride out into the biting night air.
Zai’s death has made Mother more volatile than usual. If she has summoned me to come quickly, even I am not brave enough to keep her waiting tonight.
