Beginner's Luck_An Urban Fantasy Adventure

by J. A. Cipriano

  “Your brothers, huh?” I glanced right, saw a big block of a guy sitting next to me, and another one just like him from the corner of my eye. “Sounds like a family affair. I think I’ll sit this one out.”

  The big guy beside me grabbed my arm with a ham-sized hand. “I’m afraid Axel insists on your company,” the woman said with a disarming grin.

  “Well, if Axel insists.” I shrugged and stood from the stool, no intention of going anywhere with them. “Let me ask your opinion on something real quick, though,” I said as I opened my hand and rolled the dice on the bar counter. “What do you think of these?”

  They landed on three and three. Six bolts, two for each of these assholes.

  That’d work.

  My hands glowed green. That drew their attention long enough for me to recall the dice and blast the man who was holding me. He flew off the bar stool and smacked the floor, and I sent another bolt at him before I whirled to give the other brother my attention. Two green blasts propelled him backward into a small crowd of gawkers that had gathered to watch.

  By then the woman was moving, off the stool and backing away with an arm outstretched. She was chanting something under her breath, and an orange-yellow light gathered in her palm.

  “Sorry, sweetheart. Too slow,” I said and blasted her off her feet.

  Most of the bar had gone quiet by now, the only sound left the strains of jazz music floating on the air. I got my wallet out, slapped three twenties on the bar counter and nodded at the stunned bartender. “That’s for whatever they can’t pay for now and my drinks. Keep the change,” I said as I turned away, stepped over the unconscious form of Brother Number Two and headed for the exit.

  So much for quiet reflection. I guessed just for tonight, I’d go drink at home.

  24

  I was on the move relatively early the next morning, headed for the Chute. The tournament was tomorrow, and I had to get the cash for the entry fee. Which meant I had to head topside to the normal world and hit an actual bank.

  Honestly, it was not something I was looking forward to. I didn’t miss the rest of the world at all, and I avoided going up there as much as I could.

  At this time of day, too late for the all-nighters and too soon for even the early birds, the Chute was strangely quiet. All the glitz and glamour were still present, the flashing lights and frantic sounds of the slot machines, the bright colors and rattling clacks of the roulette wheels and Plinko games, the drone of the dealers calling out plays. But there weren’t many at the tables, and only a few dedicated slots players sat on their stools and pulled their levers with gimlet-eyed patience, waiting for that big payout.

  I moved quickly through the main casino toward the back of the place and entered the portal hub. The room was about the size of a school auditorium, with twelve doors along the back wall and twelve queue lines marked with rope barriers snaking down toward them. Every other queue bore a small standing sign next to the entrance listing the portal destination, both city and street address, and the adjacent doors with queues marked ‘Do Not Enter’ were for return trips. The first four pairs went to various destinations in Vegas, and the last two would bring you to Atlantic City or Monaco, respectively.

  And of course, there was the large sign suspended from the ceiling in the center of the room, listing the portal rules. Only one person through the door at a time. Transported personal belongings must not weigh more than one hundred pounds per person, per trip. Leaving through a return portal is strictly forbidden. Portal transport side effects may include a headache, nausea, rash, abrupt changes in skin color or molecular configuration, and in rare cases, agonizing death. Management not responsible for damages caused by portals, use at your own risk. And finally, have a nice day.

  The big sign also listed use rates for the paid portals. Atlantic City would set you back three hundred one-way and five hundred for a round trip, while Monaco jumped to eight hundred one-way and twelve hundred if you wanted to come back. A little higher than airfare, but the portals came with the convenience of not having to bother with airports, other people, or travel time.

  Normally this room would be packed with visitors and residents heading to Vegas, tourists and regulars streaming in, and high rollers jaunting off to AC or Monaco. But at this hour, only a few half-awake commuters plodded down the Vegas queues, going to day jobs or appointments or whatever they did outside of the city.

  I entered the third Vegas line with a destination address somewhere on West Flamingo Road. It was the closest portal to the bank I needed to visit, though I hadn’t used this one in a while and couldn’t quite remember where it came out. I didn’t have to worry about the baggage weight requirement since I didn’t have any baggage on me. Just my wallet and watch, along with the amulet and the alterhound-killing railroad spike, which I’d decided never to go anywhere without. Just in case.

  Two people were ahead of me when I reached the other side of the room, one of them just opening the door onto the complete darkness behind it. It was a guy in a decent off-the-rack suit, a stockbroker-looking type. He stepped through and closed the door behind him, and a flash of multi-colored light traced the edges as the portal activated.

  After a few seconds, there was a soft chime as a green sign that said READY lit above the door. The woman ahead of me, a young and nervous-looking brunette in a sundress, took a step forward and grabbed the door handle. Then she let go like it had burned her and sucked in a quick breath.

  She turned to glance at me, embarrassment flushing her cheeks. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I … I don’t think I’m ready yet. You go ahead.”

  “Are you okay?” I said, pretty sure I knew why she was having problems. Though everyone used the portals to get in and out of the UV, people who came to the city for their very first visit had to take the non-magical way in through the abandoned silver mine, situated just outside Vegas. They also had to be accompanied and vouched for by a sponsor who was a UV resident, and this young woman here was alone and scared. Her sponsor should’ve been with her. “First time using the portals?” I asked.

  She gave a hesitant nod. “I just … I need to go home and think about all this,” she said in a near whisper. “It’s a lot to take in.”

  I understood that too. Underground Vegas could be incredibly overwhelming for first-time visitors, especially if they’d never been exposed to real magic in the normal world. “Well, I know that sign up there looks terrifying, but it’s just so Fezak can cover his ass. That’s the guy who owns the casino.” I wouldn’t mention that he was also a goblin. She was freaked out enough as it was. “Hundreds of people use these portals every day, and not one of them has ever died. Only one got a rash, and it turned out that was because he’s allergic to portal magic. So, don’t worry, you’ll be fine.”

  Some of the doubt eased from her expression, and she looked like she wanted to be relieved but couldn’t quite get there yet. “Do you promise?” she said. “I mean, the sign says agonizing death. Why would it say that?”

  “Because Fezak has a strange sense of humor.” I’d almost said goblins instead of Fezak, but I managed to catch myself. Didn’t know the casino owner personally, but I’d met a few goblins, and they all pretty much considered anguishing death throes the height of hilarious jokes.

  I gave the girl an easy smile and nodded at the closed door. “I promise it’s perfectly safe,” I said. “Why don’t you go on through, and I’ll be right behind you to make sure you’re okay?”

  “You’d do that for me?” she said with the beginnings of a smile. “All right, I’ll do it. Thank you … uh, I’m Lizbeth,” she said.

  “Seth. Nice to meet you,” I said as I moved back to give her a little more space. “Go ahead, Lizbeth. I’m right behind you. Oh, and I’d suggest that you close your eyes once the door’s shut. It’s easier that way.”

  “Okay,” she said uncertainly. She took a deep breath and glanced at me, then opened the door and plunged through.

  I wait
ed while the portal light shimmered, and the spell reset. When the green READY sign flashed on, I grabbed the door and pulled it open, stepping quickly into the darkness. I shut it behind me and closed my eyes as the magic surged through the space around me, brightening the world beyond my eyelids. After a dizzying rush that felt like I’d been yanked off the ground and a few seconds of feeling like I was freefalling sensation, there was a sound like a cork popping from a champagne bottle, and I felt solid ground beneath my feet.

  When I opened my eyes in the darkness, my hand shot out to find the doorknob somewhere in front of me. I grasped it and turned, pushed the door open and walked into a shabby, dimly lit hallway. There was a door with a push bar at the far end of the corridor with a broken exit sign above it.

  At first, I didn’t see Lizzie. But then I heard someone retching and found her huddled against the wall about ten feet away with a puddle at her feet.

  I rushed over and crouched next to her. “You all right?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” She gave me a sheepish look and straightened, wandering away from the puddle. “I, uh, didn’t close my eyes. That’s all.”

  I chuckled. “I tried to warn you,” I said. “But look at you. All in one piece and not dying in agony.”

  “Thank you. I don’t think I would’ve done it without you,” she said with a smile, and then drew in a slow breath. “So … where are we, anyway?”

  I remembered what this place was, now that I’d regained my bearings. I’d only used this portal a handful of times before. “It’s an abandoned church,” I told her and pointed to the exit door. “We go out that way, walk a few blocks, and then you can grab a taxi to wherever you’re going.”

  “That sounds like a relief,” she said. “Uh, would you mind walking with me?”

  “Not a problem,” I said. “I’m not in a big hurry.”

  We moved down the hallway, pushed the door open. The bright Vegas sun dazzled my eyes with hard brilliance before I’d fully stepped outside, and I had to squeeze them shut for a minute or so until the white spots stopped flashing behind my eyelids. Being away from sunlight for months at a time did that to you, made your eyes hyper-sensitive to the natural light.

  I grabbed the sunglasses I’d brought along and slipped them on, breathing a small sigh of relief as I opened my eyes behind them. “Okay, it’s this way,” I said to Lizzie as I started up the cracked sidewalk alongside the faded church, with its boarded windows and the splintered remains of a steeple reaching from the roofline like claws. Honestly, the place kind of gave me the creeps.

  “So, who’s your sponsor?” I asked the girl when we reached the road and headed right, toward the sound of traffic. “They should’ve at least come to the portals with you, you know.”

  Lizzie gave a rueful smile. “His name’s Horace, and I told him not to come with me,” she said. “We kinda had a fight, and I just … I thought I could do it alone. I’m really glad you were there, Seth.” Her breath hitched a little and then settled. “I don’t know if I’m going back. I have to think about it.”

  “Well, I’ll tell you this. The city’s a great place, but it’s definitely a lot to handle the first time,” I said. “If you do decide to go back, maybe you should do it without Horace. He sounds a little less than useful.”

  She laughed. “Yes, that’s exactly how I’d describe him. Maybe … er, if you don’t mind, maybe I’ll look you up if I come back? Do you live there somewhere?”

  “Yeah, I do. Moonlight Gardens, the penthouse,” I said with a grin. “It’s pretty easy to find, so if you decide to visit the city again, feel free to swing by.”

  “I just might,” she said with a hesitant smile. “Thanks again, Seth. You’re so nice.”

  “It’s no problem,” I said. “Now, let’s flag a cab so you can get home.”

  Once we reached the busier section of Vegas a few blocks from the church, I signaled the first cab I saw and bundled Lizzie off, making sure she had an actual destination for the driver and wasn’t just running aimlessly. If she’d asked for the airport, a hotel, or the nearest casino, I would’ve been worried about her and would probably try to help her out further. But she rattled off a street address that sounded residential, and I moved back and waved as the taxi drove off.

  Already filled with a vague uneasiness at being up here in the sun, surrounded by normals, I flagged a cab for myself and gave the address of my bank. The sooner I got this little side trip over with, the better.

  25

  Desert Bank and Trust wasn’t one of the biggest financial institutions around, and that was why I used it. True, it wasn’t that unusual in Vegas for people to make large, irregular deposits and withdrawals, so my banking habits weren’t too big of an issue. But Desert wouldn’t have raised any eyebrows if I’d brought in a bag of crumpled bills splashed with blood, and I valued their discretion.

  I had the cab drop me off a block away from the bank, in front of a men’s store. I’d need something to put the cash in. Two million in cash was way too much to fit in my wallet, or even in all my pockets. Near the front of the store, there was a display of soft-sided briefcases and portfolio bags alongside racks of ties and folded dress shirts in plastic sleeves with cardboard in the collars.

  It reminded me that I hadn’t worn a proper suit in years. Not since my mother’s funeral, in fact. Her sudden and unexpected passing had kicked the search for my father into high gear, finally leading me to certain unadvertised high-stakes poker games and, eventually, Elias.

  But I wasn’t going to think about my mother. Not here and now, so much closer to where she’d lived and died.

  I grabbed one of the larger soft briefcases and rang out, barely registering the three-hundred-dollar price tag. It was another vast change from life before the UV, having money. Knowing if I needed a few million bucks and didn’t already have it, I could just win it. Money provided a shocking kind of security because it turned out that you really could buy anything. Even a whole new identity with zero ties to one of the most famous criminals in the underground city.

  Briefcase in hand, I left the shop and walked toward the bank, ripping the price tags off my purchase as I went. Desert Bank and Trust was at the corner of the block, a squat brown two-story building with industrial windows that looked more like a prison than a bank. Especially considering that most Vegas banks were glittering chrome-and-glass highrises, just as flashy and ostentatious as the city they served.

  Once inside, the transaction went smoothly, as expected. I sat down at a desk across from one of the ‘financial advisors’ — not a teller, of course, because the people who had desks at a bank would be insulted if you called them tellers — whose nameplate identified him as David Forrester. I told him what I wanted, and he checked my ID and asked the appropriate security questions, calling me Mr. Wyatt while I stuck with David for him. Eventually, David left the desk, and in fifteen minutes he came back with four large, zippered canvas pouches filled with banded stacks of hundreds. Half a million in each.

  He offered to call me a cab, probably thinking I didn’t want to walk around in public with all that cash on me, but I declined. I already had the perfect place to stash the money.

  When I left the bank with the money pouches tucked away in the briefcase, I headed down the street to find the closest quiet alley. There was an unspoken rule, at least among the residents and frequenters of the UV, that real magic wasn’t to be used where normal people could see it. So I needed to be out of sight, but only for up to sixty seconds. It couldn’t possibly take longer than that.

  I’d just stick the money in the Tethered Trunk that Golar had given me, leave it in alterspace. That way no one could possibly steal it.

  I neared an alley and slowed, glancing around to make sure no one was paying attention to me as I slipped into the narrow space and hunkered behind a flaking green city dumpster. Since I could see both alterspace and the actual world when I used the watch to shift, it wouldn’t be a problem to deposit the money,
and then take up the same hidden position.

  I double-tapped the watch and stared as the wheel blurred around beneath the glass. I’d be ready to move fast, in case I only got a few seconds to stash the cash. The little roulette wheel slowed, and I watched in disbelief as the tiny ball bounced into the single worst possible slot. The zero.

  A liquid snarl filled the alley, starting the instant the roulette wheel stopped. It was coming from my right, on the other side of the dumpster. That meant the creature was between me and the street, blocking the way out. I’d never be able to fight one of those things in this narrow space.

  Praying that a zero spin meant zero minutes until I could use the watch again, I tapped the glass face twice. And the wheel started spinning.

  I pulled the evil dog blade from my jacket and stepped out from behind the big green container to face the flickering beast, just as the watch landed on sixty. Why the hell couldn’t it have done that the first time?

  As the watch stopped, my surroundings went shimmery, and the alterhound solidified. This one wasn’t quite as big as the one Cayn had sicced on me, but it was plenty pissed off and had just as many teeth. It was already lunging for me. I dropped to one knee, let go of the briefcase and used both hands to plunge the weapon up hard into the dog as it jumped.

  The black creature shrieked and twisted in midair, and I shoved it back as I wrenched the blade free, watching it land hard on the ground that was both the dusty, cracked earth of alterspace and the dirty concrete of the alley at once. One massive paw still twitched a little, but that thing wasn’t getting back up.

  I snatched the briefcase and hustled to the stand of trees, and my trunk. Once I’d stowed the money, I figured I had probably thirty seconds left in alterspace, and something compelled me to take a quick look around. For the first time, I realized that this scraggly little grove was a few feet from the edge of a cliff, and I walked toward it, half-wondering what would happen to me back in my realm if I fell off that cliff here.