by Leo Romero
Bracken sat there in stunned silence, his gaze fixed on the jack and ten of hearts, which gave me the royal flush, baby!
“Yes!” Seamus yelled, twirling around like a ballerina, his fists on the air. “Gabriel, he’s the man, if he can’t do it, no one can!” he began cheerleading.
“That’s right, Shay,” I said with a tasty grin. But Bracken wasn’t grinning. He had a face like thunder and it was turned toward the ‘guard’ behind the dealer. I looked from him to her. She was twitching.
“Something up with you?” I asked her.
Bracken gave her an icy glare. Her eyes darted from him to me and back again. After a few seconds, she slunk away into the shadows.
“Good riddance,” I said. I threw both hands around my winnings. “Come to Papa!” I said as I hauled the chips in. Suddenly, I was back in the game and with Aurora on my side, there was nothing to stop me. As I piled up my chips in neat stacks, Hando held his index finger in the air. We’re number one, baby! Numero uno! he was saying.
“That’s right, Hando,” I said as I grabbed up the cards and performed a backhand dancing Buddha riffle. As the cards twirled on the air, I gave Bracken a wink. His fists trembled on the baize. I was loving watching him squirm. It was almost as satisfying as lounging on a couch with a tub of ice cream and a six pack while watching the poker on TV.
I finally finished my riffle and slapped the deck down in front of the dealer, making her flinch. “Now, let’s play some cards!”
Chapter 17
A few hands later and the roles were quickly reversed. Now I was the one with the empire of chips, and Bracken was the one with the tiny little insignificant stack. Much to his ire. He sat there, smoldering like a volcano, his teeth clenched, his fists visibly shaking. He knew he couldn’t go ballistic in front of his subjects cause that would be admitting defeat. No, he had to do it with dignity or he might lose the respect of the fae people. They were big on things like respect and dignity. Yeah, Bracken could flip out now and then and the resulting fear kept people in line, but if he came across like a sore loser, man, that would be frowned upon. And that knowledge was what kept me going.
I flipped over my two face down cards to reveal I was packing a full house that trumped his two pair. Another pot won. Aurora was doing the business and somehow keeping it hidden from her pops. Every now and then he’d look around and sniff the air, trying to detect any magic I might be using. He was blind to the fact that his own daughter would be conspiring against him. He didn’t have the slightest clue.
Pot after pot, hand after hand, and he was still clueless. I kinda felt bad for the old-timer. But there wasn’t time for sympathy; it was my ass on the line as well as the fate of Earth. I flipped over my pair of aces, adding to the two aces already in the flop. Bracken was packing a pair of twos. He thumped the baize, causing his small stack of chips to rattle and collapse.
I chuckled to myself as I hauled in my chips.
“Find something amusing, fallen angel?” Bracken growled, his brow furrowed.
“Winning hard tends to make me giggle,” I told him. I let out a satisfied sigh as I stacked the last of my chips. I gazed along turrets of them, all in a line. My stare then fell on Bracken’s. “Not looking good is it, Bracken? Wanna call it quits now or d’ya wanna go out in a blaze of glory?”
A deep growl stirred in Bracken’s throat, his cheeks trembling. “I don’t know what tricks you’re pulling here, Stone, but what I do know is the myths surrounding your card playing abilities appear to be true.”
“Indeed they are!”
He adjusted in his seat. “I am king of this realm. I will go out on my sword.” He grabbed his small stack and put it all in the pot. “Play.”
I matched his chips and nodded to the dealer, who dealt us our cards face up this time. I hoped Aurora would give me a good hand to end on. And whaddayaknow? The king of spades and the ace of spades. How ironic. My eyes fell on the ace of spades I’d thrown on the floor and I shivered.
Bracken got a two and three off suit. Already I was winning hard. The flop came; three other spades, giving me the flush, ace high. No way back for Bracken.
Bracken thrummed the baize with his fingertips. “Grmph!” he grumbled.
Seamus erupted into cheer. The guards around us stood there in numbed silence, their eyes rolling in nervy circles.
Relief swam over me like a whale, so heavy I almost collapsed in my seat. The game was mine. Seamus danced in small circles, out of his mind with joy. Hando was wiggling his fingers on the air. Aurora stayed with her head bowed. Smart move cause Bracken looked like he was about to explode into a big, green, gooey mess.
I waited for the inevitable eruption and subsequent reneging on his deal where he’d send me back to the cells, especially with the inane screeches of the lep ringing in his ears, but he was surprisingly calm. Angry, but calm.
“Well, that was some game, Bracken,” I said, clapping my hands and rubbing them. “Now, excuse me, but I’ll just grab my stuff and go.” With a satisfied sigh, I grabbed up Excalibur and Bam Bam. Man they felt good in my grip. A surge of safety and power burst through me.
“Honored to be reunited, Demonslayer,” said Art.
“Nice to be back in the hands of a real man,” Bam Bam purred.
“Good to be back!” I replied, sliding Bam Bam into her holster and Art into his scabbard.
Bracken watched me as I took hold of Hando and released him from the clips binding him. He came gratefully into my hands, lying in them palm up like a baby kitten. I gently rocked him from side to side. “Good to see you too, buddy.” I clipped him to my belt once more where he wriggled in glee. Finally, I put all the gold coins back in the bag and zipped it up.
Bracken released a hot breath. He’d been looking forward to that molten white gold bath. Oh well, at least he still had his kingdom. I handed the bag over to Seamus, who went to snatch it from me.
I pulled it away at the last moment. His eyes flared with rage.
“You’re free now, Shay. So what are you gonna do?”
“Count me gold! So hand it over, ye big—”
I shook my head. “Uh-uh. You’re gonna go buy a bunch of marshflowers from the market, give em to your wife, and give her a kiss to go with em.”
He recoiled in horror.
I gave him a piercing glare. “Yes, you are!”
His chest slumped. “Okay, ye win, Gabriel. I’ll go back to the old hag.”
My stare became more piercing. He got the drift.
“I mean, I’ll go back to me lovely wife with a bunch of marshflowers and a...” He swallowed. “Kiss.”
“That a boy.”
He held out his hands. “Now can I have me gold?”
With a sigh, I handed over the bag. He snatched it. “Mine!” he snapped.
I grinned. “Yeah, all yours, pal. Now remember what I said.”
“Aye, boyo. I’ll try me best with the old lady. And if it doesn’t work out, at least I’ll have me gold to cheer me up. Thank ye, Gabriel.”
I gave him a nod. “Thanks, Seamus. You take care.” I leaned into him. “Now, you better get outta here before Bracken changes his mind,” I whispered.
“Right ye are, boyo!” Seamus replied, pulling the bag tight into his chest and scampering for the castle entrance, giving anyone near him paranoid glances, his grip on the bag tightening. In seconds, he was gone. I let out a regretful sigh. Strange, I was already missing the little bastard.
I shrugged to myself. I’ll get over it.
I faced Aurora. “Okay, kid. Let’s go.”
“Wait!” Bracken said, holding up a hand.
Oh boy! What now?
Bracken stood and took slow, purposeful steps up to his daughter, his gaze fixed on her, pushing past me as he went. He stood ahead of her and cupped a hand beneath her chin. He tilted her head up to meet his.
“You will always be my daughter,” he said to her. “Even if you were not happy here.”
Oh boy,
here we go. Man, I hate long goodbyes.
“She’ll be back to visit, won’t you, Aurora?” I said over Bracken’s shoulder, prompting her to nod in agreement.
Bracken spun my way, his face contorted in a snarl. “You!”
I flinched, the smell of strong ale on his breath overpowering. “If any harm comes to my daughter, I will flay you to within an inch of your life and force-feed you your own entrails.”
“Well, they can’t taste any worse than the slop you serve down in the cells.”
Bracken’s back straightened and he raised his fists on the air.
“Father, Gabriel is only joking!” Aurora said, jumping into life and grabbing his forearm. “He has a strange sense of humor.”
“I do?” I asked her.
“Shut up, Gabe!” she snapped.
I did as I was told.
She faced Bracken once more. “Father. It’s not that I don’t like it here, but my place is up there. I promise to come back and visit and continue with my magic training. It’s an honor to be the daughter of the Fae King. I just need more time for it all to sink in. Besides, Gabriel needs my help and he did save me from Bogface and all those other weirdoes.”
“That’s right,” I piped up.
“I’ll be back soon,” she told him. “I promise.”
Bracken gently rubbed her hair. Blue tears welled in his green eyes. Any second and I was gonna start leaking too.
“Please be careful up there. The Overworld is teeming with trash.”
Aurora nodded. “I know. I’ve lived there all my life. But, it’s where I belong.”
Bracken nodded in understanding. He pulled her into his chest and they hugged.
I watched them, wiping a tear from my eye. I couldn’t help but think of Lucy. That would be me one day—a father hugging his daughter for the last time before I ascended into Heaven to be with Mia. If I ever got there. My heart swelled with regret. But what must be, must be.
While he continued to hug Aurora, Bracken glared at me over her shoulder. “If anything happens to her, Stone, I’ll hold you personally responsible and you’ll have the legions of the Underworld to answer to.”
I gazed at all the fae guards around us. I gulped. “Well, let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“You’re on thin ice, Stone,” Bracken growled. “No one comes to my chamber and beats me. My daughter is the only thing saving you right now and don’t you forget it, servant of Heaven. Next time you show your face up here, I might not be so forgiving.”
I gave him a wry grin. “Great. Another place I’m banned from. Soon, I’ll only have Lincoln Park to hang out in. Just me, Old Gnarly and a forty ounce.”
“You’ve been warned, Stone. We have eyes and ears in the Overworld and they’ll be watching.”
I sighed. “Wouldn’t expect anything less.”
Bracken pulled away his from daughter and stared down at her. “Go, child. And be safe.”
“I will, Father.”
“Oh-kay, we better get going,” I said, turning away.
“Remember, I’m watching you, Stone,” Bracken’s voice boomed at my back.
Yeah yeah yeah. I picked up the ace of spades from the ground. I shuddered as I stared at it. Was I really about to use it? Was I nuts?
I didn’t wanna give it another thought. I put it back in my Deck of Death, a shiver dancing up and down my spine. Out of sight, out of mind. I faced Aurora. “You ready, kid?”
She gave me a firm nod. “Let’s go send Beelzebub back to Hell!”
I grinned. “Amen.”
*****
We were soon back on the streets of Chicago. Still nighttime. Man, time did get screwy when you visited the Underworld. My Harley was waiting for us, and no Beelzebub, which was a nice bonus.
“So, how did you pull that off back there?” I asked Aurora as we headed for my bike.
“I knew things between you and my father would most likely end up in a game of cards, so I spent the last day in the library learning everything I could about illusory spells. I just happened to find a book written by a dark elf called Ignatius Flexington, ‘How to Cheat Your Way Through Life’. Flexington had a whole chapter dedicated to games, card games in particular. It took me a while, but eventually I learned not only how to use illusion spells on cards that would fool even my father, but also to override the spells his mage was using.”
I nodded my head in appreciation. “Clever girl.”
She shrugged. “Well, I try. As much as I love my father, I’ve seen enough in the past week or so to make me realize it might not be such a good idea to move in with him.”
I nodded. “Very wise. But, now you’ve got the taste for magic, you’ll be wanting to learn more.”
“Absolutely. A whole new exciting world has been opened up to me and I can’t wait to dive in and swim.”
“I gotta say, you’re taking this whole thing pretty well.”
“Why wouldn’t I? I’ve gone from spending my days on a deserted beach to hopping through different planes and dimensions learning and using magic while ridding the world of demons. What’s not to like?”
I chuckled as I got on my bike. “Well, when you put it like that...”
“So, what’s the plan?” Aurora asked as she got on.
“We’re gonna go hand Hando over to the Dark Suits.”
“The Dark Suits? Those shady weirdoes you were telling me about?”
“Yup, those very guys.”
“And why are we going to do that?”
“Cause they’ve got the rest of the Armor of Agony.”
“What?”
“Yeah. They’ve been collecting the pieces for decades and are missing only one.” I looked down at my waist. Hando was doing the ‘V’ for victory sign.
Aurora became still. “Wait a minute. If they’ve got the armor, I’m not going near them. They’re probably the ones who summoned Beelzebub.”
“Relax. The Dark Suits aren’t in league with Satan, trust me.”
“How do you know?”
“They’re agnostic.”
She gave me a sideways look. “Gabe…”
“Look. Opening up a perma-portal to Hell isn’t in their interests at all. They’d be answering to Satan if that becomes the case. They want the armor for research purposes, to develop weapons systems from it.”
Aurora’s eyes widened. “My God, that’s even worse!”
I sighed. “Better the devil you know, Aurora. Their building is secure. As long as the armor is locked in there, Beelzebub’s gonna have a tough time getting to it. Buys us time to hunt him down. Hopefully they’ll end up dismantling the armor altogether while conducting their research and that’ll be the end of that. Besides, the Dark Suits have got some neat tech they’ve developed to fight fire demons that they’ve promised in exchange for Hando.”
“Okay,” she said in an unsure voice.
“Relax, everything will be cool. We’ll just give them Hando, get ourselves some new toys and send Beezle-brain on a one way ticket to Hell.” I started up the bike and headed straight for the Loop.
We made it to the Dark Suits HQ and my stomach dropped. It was madness. The whole building had been cordoned off. Cops and firefighters scrambled around the foot of the building. Around three-quarters up, a window had been smashed, the window frame surrounded by fire. Dark Suits stood around like sentries while the flustered emergency services went about their work.
I gazed at the hubbub open-mouthed. “Or not...” I said. I stared at that broken window in horror. It looked ominously near to the floor where the Armor of Agony was stored. My mind was already working things out. Smashed window near armor, fire. Oh boy.
I scanned the area. I needed to get inside, but knew the authorities wouldn’t let me past the cordon. I performed a trick of the light masking spell, turning me and Aurora into cops.
“Let me do any talking,” I said as I led her toward the building. Our disguises worked. No one batted an eyelid as we breached th
e cordon and made our way into the building. We got in the express elevator up to the sixty-fifth, the floor where the Armor of Agony was stored. The elevator doors opened up and lo and behold, the floor was full of agitated police and Dark Suits. My heart sunk. Something big happened here, and I knew it wasn’t good. I led us down the hall toward the room where they’d been storing the armor. The carpet was full of black marks. On closer inspection, I realized they were footprints. Burned footprints. I poked my head out the end of the hallway to see firefighters, police and Dark Suits gathered around the smashed window. They were busy putting out fires with extinguishers and asking one another what to do about it all. I ignored them and went to the room with the suits of armor. The door had been blown open, black scorch marks all over the wall surrounding it. I entered and nodded my head in understanding. There was an empty space where the Armor of Agony should have been, the glass that had been encasing it obliterated.
Standing ahead of it was Smith. He was studying the empty space like it was a portrait at an art gallery. I went straight up to him. “Smith,” I said, removing the masking spell. “It’s me, Gabriel Stone.”
Smith met my stare and a tiny flicker of surprise flashed in his eyes, which I suppose for a Dark Suit was a major emotional crisis.
“Mr. Stone,” he said with a small gasp. “Your timing is most apt.”
“As always. What happened?”
“Beelzebub stole the armor,” he said in a matter-of-fact tone.
I shook my head. “How did he get in?”
“He flew in. Through the window outside in the hallway.”
I grabbed my forehead, a sudden migraine forming.
“Gabe?” Aurora asked. “Are you okay?”
“No,” I replied.
“Are you the Dark Bearer?” Smith asked Aurora.
Aurora smiled. “Nice to make your acquaintance.”
“You’ve caused quite a stir, young lady.”
“Sorry,” she said with a cute grin.
