War of Poker: A Poker Boy story

by Smith, Dean Wesley

  He laughed and vanished.

  The pounding sounds of the real world came crashing back in around me as he let go of the bubble outside of time. The fine patrons of the MGM Grand Casino and Hotel were back in motion, laughing, talking, and being very human.

  And right now that felt wonderful.

  I moved over and leaned against the stone pillar, trying to slow down my racing heart. Patty looked up at me and smiled before going back to helping her customer.

  Somehow my poker face allowed her to not notice that I had just escaped an encounter with a very dangerous woman. And who knew what else would have happened if Morrígan had gotten to me.

  But how in the world was I going to tell Patty what had just happened in an instant in time right in front of her?

  She was never going to believe me.

  I turned my gaze to the high ceiling of the lobby. “Stan, can you meet me and Patty at the Diner in thirty minutes? Milkshakes are on me. I need help explaining what just happened. I’m still not sure myself.”

  I could hear a low, rumbling chuckle echo over the noise of the lobby, then his voice, “Sure thing, kid.”

  Patty looked up and frowned. She clearly had heard Stan’s voice as well.

  “Long story,” I mouthed at her and she frowned, but went back to work with the customer.

  A long story that had only taken an instant to happen.

  And a story I had a hunch wasn’t over just yet. Morrígan playing poker against Ares just couldn’t turn out well. If not this century, then maybe next. That was the nature of the war of a poker game.

  Especially now that Morrígan wanted to win.

  About the Author

  Bestselling author Dean Wesley Smith has written more than one hundred popular novels and hundreds of published short stories. His novels include the science fiction novel Laying the Music to Rest and the thriller The Hunted as D.W. Smith. With Kristine Kathryn Rusch, he is the coauthor of The Tenth Planet trilogy and The 10th Kingdom.

  He writes under many pen names and has also ghosted for a number of top bestselling writers.

  Dean has also written books and comics for all three major comic book companies, Marvel, DC, and Dark Horse, and has done scripts for Hollywood. One movie was actually made.

  Over his career he has also been an editor and publisher, first at Pulphouse Publishing, then for VB Tech Journal, then for Pocket Books.

  Currently, he is writing thrillers and mystery novels under another name.