Heart of Stone: An Urban Fantasy Novel (Fallen Angel Book 1) Read online

  Bracken chuckled. “My daughter? You wish to use my daughter as a prize?”

  “She’s more important than you know, Bracken. And she’s more use up there than down here.”

  Bracken turned to face Aurora. Aurora gave him a sheepish smile and lowered her head.

  “And if I win?” Bracken asked.

  “You get my weapons, Aurora, the lep, and the lep’s gold.”

  A haughty look jumped onto Bracken’s face. “And what makes you think I’ll accept such a bargain? I’m the king! Guards, grab the gold from him.”

  The guards moved in and I played my hand. I whipped out the Deck of Death card I’d put in my jacket pocket back at my apartment and held it up for everyone to see. “Stop!” I ordered, spinning left and right. The guards came to a halt, their gazes fixed on the card. “Now, I make it a thing that I never, ever play this card, cause the help I’ve bound to it is too unpredictable, too wild, too chaotic,” I informed them. “But, one thing I know is that it’ll tear this whole place down. You, me and everything in it.” I threw the ace of spades down on the floor. The guards flinched. Bracken gazed at it with wide eyes.

  “All I have to do is utter the name of the thing bound to that card and all hell will break loose, trust me.” I stared intently at Bracken. “Now, we’re gonna have a nice friendly game of Texas Hold ‘Em, and the winner takes all. Please don’t make me utter the name attached to the ace of spades, Bracken. You really won’t like it.”

  Bracken rubbed his beard. The guards watched him with bated breath, awaiting orders. On the floor, the deadly ace of spades stared up at everyone like a time bomb. I really didn’t wanna have to use it, but if push came to shove... I licked my lower lip. Aurora stared on in trepidation. I gave her a wink.

  Bracken grinned, showing me all of his green teeth. “Maybe a game of cards would do me good,” he said with a fake chuckle, thrumming his rotund belly with his fingertips. He held out a hand. “Come to my table,” he said, waving his hand on the air, suddenly the world’s best host. There was a puff of pixie dust ahead of us and an ornate playing table of phraxuswood complete with chairs on opposite sides carved out of tree stumps appeared. The surface of the table was a finely cut grass, mimicking the green baize of regular poker tables.

  Bracken ambled over to the table and slumped into his chair with a sigh. He turned to face me. “Please, take a seat, Gabriel,” he said, holding out a hand toward my chair.

  With my eyes kept on everyone around me, I went and took my seat, making sure the ace of spades was left on the floor for them all to see. I placed the bag on the floor next to me.

  “Put the gold on the table, Stone,” Bracken ordered, hands crossed over his chest.

  I reluctantly dumped the bag on the table, allowing one or two coins to fall out and roll across the baize. Bracken’s green eyes flared white for a moment. With a quivering hand, he picked up a coin and held it up to the light. “By my beard! This is indeed the purest gold I’ve ever seen.”

  I met Seamus’ irate glare. I patted my hand on the air, indicating for him to cool it. He threw his arms over his chest and pouted.

  “Shall we begin?” I asked Bracken, snapping him out of his daze.

  Bracken met my stare. He cleared his throat. “Indeed,” he said, placing the gold coin down. “The sooner I get to bathe in that lot, the better!” He clapped his hands. In a puff of smoke, a dark elf appeared at the side of the table, a deck of cards in her hand.

  My eyes widened in alarm. “Hey, where’d that deck come from?”

  Bracken gave his beard a quick stroke. “You don’t trust my deck, Stone?” he asked with that nasty grin.

  “Like Hell I don’t.”

  Bracken glanced at the elf. “Let him see the cards.”

  The elf handed them over and I checked them. I scrutinized them, looking for any imperfections, smelling them for any magic. They were clean, no markings or identifiers, and I couldn’t detect any magic attached to them. I nodded in appreciation and performed a backhand dancing Buddha riffle, listening to the flip of the cards as they arced across the air. A couple of gasps went up in the room. Gets em every time. I loved it when that happened. The cards landed in a perfect deck in my other hand and sat there. Everything seemed okay. With my light magic more or less useless down here, I’d be toast if Bracken tried anything like using a rigged deck. I needed an even playing field.

  So far, things looked that way. It was a straight up game of poker. “May the best man win,” I said, handing the cards back to the elf. Bracken clicked his fingers and two identical stacks of chips appeared at either side of the table.

  Excalibur and Bam Bam were brought over to the table and placed next to the bag so all the prizes were in sight. “Hey, Art, Bam Bam,” I said. “Missed me?”

  “Absolutely, sugar,” Bam Bam said.

  “Where have you been, Demonslayer?” asked Art.

  “To Hell and back.”

  “We back in business, sugar?” asked Bam Bam as Hando was brought along. His wrist was caught in the grip of some giant clips to stop him from scurrying around. The fae guard holding him placed the flat edges of the clips down on the baize, leaving Hando upright, his fingers wiggling on the air.

  “Almost,” I answered Bam Bam. “Hey, Hando, buddy.”

  Hando waved at me, then gave me the A-Okay sign.

  Man, I hoped everything would be A-Okay. This was a test of my nerve and poker skills like I hadn’t faced since that game against Death himself. I sucked in a deep, steadying breath, just as the elf began to deal.

  Chapter 16

  The game got underway and the air electrified with tension. All the fae guards gathered around to watch their king play, willing him to win, while my small entourage of Seamus, Aurora, Art, and Bam Bam watched on in trepidation. Oh yeah, and Hando, how could I forget him? He wiggled his fingers excitedly on the air as the cards were dealt and the chips thrown into the pot.

  I met Aurora’s stare. Worry zigzagged across her face. I knew she couldn’t let on that she was rooting for me, but at the same time, she was most likely torn. She’d finally got closure on her family and it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. I was her savior in that respect, but also a wedge between her and her pops. Kinda weird.

  Whatever the case, I needed to win. And I needed Aurora up there by my side if I was gonna take down Beezle-brain. I faced my opponent. The mighty King Bracken, Fae King, King of the Fairies. He was sitting there live and large, one forearm propped on the baize, stroking his sea-green beard with his free hand. His brow remained in a perma-furrow, his facial expressions set like stone. The ultimate poker face. His green, marble eyes gave away nothing. No pupils to dilate, no irises to flush during a change of emotion. He was impossible to read. Body language was pretty set too. Overconfident, haughty. A typical king. And that was where I could grab an advantage. His overinflated ego. The best way to play guys with egos is to let em have a few hands early on. Gets that already overpumped ego even more pumped. They get to think it’s too easy and then they get sloppy, and that’s when they let their guard down and show you everything.

  I threw him some bait off the bat. Sent him an easy to spot bluff. Gave away all the signals. Twitches, shifty eyes, scratching the back of my head, while I went in big on a two and a four. Bracken called me out, stomping all over me with a three of a kind. His fae guards erupted into generous applause, which was music to my ears. Keep stroking that ego, guys. Keep at it.

  I gave him the next few hands too, loving the sight of him licking his lips with his white tongue while dragging those chips from the pot over to his side.

  “What the hell are ye playing at, boyo?” Seamus snarled in a hot whisper in my ear. “Are ye gonna start playing or what?” He stood there wringing his hands, his stare fixed on his gold.

  I showed him my palm. “Chill out, Shay. I got this.”

  Seamus balled up his fist and stuck it in my face. “Ye’ll get this if ye don’t start winning!”


  “Your bet, Stone,” Bracken boomed. I had a peek at the two cards the dealer had handed me. An eight and a ten. I frowned. Even though I’d been letting Bracken get the upper hand, it hadn’t escaped my attention that I’d been getting crummy hands while Bracken was getting handed gold. Maybe it was just luck, who knew?

  I threw in some chips. Bracken pushed in a stack of chips almost as tall as Seamus. My jaw dropped. He was getting overconfident all right, but with his run of the cards, there was no way I could match the bets he was making. I threw my cards down. “Fold,” I said in a despondent tone.

  Seamus growled in frustration, before chewing on his fingers in an angsty manner. He could see his gold slipping away and he was getting anxious. Bracken puffed up his chest and cackled like a witch as he hauled in his chips.

  I gave Seamus a shrug. He gnashed his teeth in anger.

  We got the next round going with me having to pay the big blind. The dealer threw me my cards. I checked them. A two and a three. Man, what was up with these cards? I snapped up my head and scanned the chamber. Guards surrounded us left and right. The one stood behind and to the right of the dealer caught my eye. She had her head bowed. I kept a beady eye on her. I noticed her fingers wiggle on the air just before Bracken checked his cards. I caught the hint of a smirk on Bracken’s white face. The guard I was watching remained with her head bowed. Something was up. I couldn’t detect any magic, but my nose for such things was more or less useless down here, especially as the whole place stunk of cinnamon and burnt toast. Even if Bracken was using magic, I wouldn’t be able to smell it over those aromas. I didn’t trust Bracken or that guard. Nor my luck with the cards.

  The flop came in. Two kings and an ace. Bracken went in big. I growled under my breath. I had nothing. But as I had put in the big blind, I couldn’t afford to lose my chips. I reluctantly met his bet, injecting an air of false confidence into things, wanting Bracken to think I had a good hand. He nodded in appreciation of my ballsy move. Patronizing bastard.

  The turn card came next. A four. Hope rose in my heart. Ace, two, three, and now a four. I was on for a straight. All I needed was a five on the river card. It was a long shot, but maybe I could scare Bracken off if I got him to realize I was on for a straight.

  Bracken went in big. Bastard. I matched. And then upped the stakes by a thousand. Gasps went off all around. Bracken adjusted in his seat. “My my, Stone. Feeling plucky are we?”

  I shrugged. “I could be bluffing. Or I could have a two and a three leaving me on for a straight.” I grinned. “Who knows?” I glanced at Seamus, who smiled for the first time in ages.

  “That’s me boy, Gabriel!” he said to himself.

  Bracken tongued his bottom lip. He could afford to meet my bet, but it would put a dent in him if he lost. “Or I could have two aces in my hand,” he retorted. “Giving me three of a kind.”

  I gulped. “That’s true,” I said in a cracked voice.

  Bracken pushed in his chips. “I see your bet, fallen angel, and I will now see your cards.” He flipped over his two cards. And yeah, two aces stared up at me like demonic eyes. Small mutterings of joy went off all around us.

  My mouth scrunched up in anger. I snatched up my cards and threw them down on the baize for everyone to see. Bracken’s three aces put him in the lead. But a straight beat three of a kind. It meant only a five on the river card would save my ass. I turned my attention to the dealer. Her wily eyes glimmered with mischief.

  “Show us,” I said. Anticipation filled the air like gas. You could grab hold of the tension and wring it. The dealer picked up the top card of the deck. Beyond her, a small white hand waved across the air in an ever so subtle movement, but I caught it. Just. My eyes widened. Realization bombed into my mind, spreading through my heart as a mushroom cloud of rage. My hands involuntarily balled into fists.

  The dealer threw the river card down next to the other four. I didn’t even look. I knew it wasn’t the five I needed. No chance in Hell. My gaze was fixed on Bracken’s smug mug. He glared back at me, arrogant, conceited. The resulting cheer from his guards told me all I needed to know. They were all cheering except for the one behind the dealer, whose head remained bowed.

  I finally broke Bracken’s stare and rolled my eyes down to the table. Just as I expected. The river card was the final ace in the pack, meaning Bracken romped home with four of a kind. I looked at Seamus. He had his head in his hands. I glanced over at Aurora. She diverted her stare away.

  Hando gave me the bird. Thanks for the encouragement, buddy.

  Bracken hauled in his chips. He then sat upright and quivered in his seat. “Ohhhgrrr, I’ll bathe long into the night, Stone. I can almost feel the molten white gold caressing my skin.”

  My top lip curled up. “You gotta get through me first, Bracken!”

  Bracken met my stare. He burst into hearty laughter, showing me his green teeth. I watched him in distain.

  “Ah, my little fallen angel,” Bracken said once he calmed down. “Behold your feeble stack.”

  My eyes rolled toward my tiny stack of chips, then to his mini empire of chips sitting in towers by his elbow.

  “I will dispatch you in a few more hands, and then the spoils will all be mine!”

  “Give it your best shot,” I said, flexing the bones in my neck. I was pretty sure Bracken and the fae ‘guard’ behind the dealer were in cahoots and as an outsider, I couldn’t detect the magic being used. In truth, I was doomed. There was nothing I could do against the magic of the fairies in their domain. Their sense of victory swelled with each passing moment. They were feeding off me like vultures pecking at a carcass. All it needed now was time. Eventually, there’d be nothing left of me and I’d be rotting in a cell alongside Seamus O’Hare for the rest of my days. Unless, I pulled something out of the hat. But what? The cards were rigged against me.

  Speaking of cards, the dealer dealt mine for this new round, right as that ‘guard’ made another little hand wave. I checked my cards. A five and an eight. This was hopeless. Bracken threw in his bet. And it was large. Inside, I collapsed. My eyes fell on my tiny stack, then the turrets next to Bracken’s elbow. I was doomed either way. Hey, might as well go out in a blaze of glory, Stone.

  I met Bracken’s bet and waited for the flop. Ace, king, queen all of hearts. Oh boy, I could already see where this one was going. And a small wave of that guard’s hand to boot. I sneered at her.

  What was the betting that Bracken was holding the ten and jack of hearts, giving him the royal flush, the best hand in the game?

  This was gonna be embarrassing. Bracken counted out a few chips and threw them in. He was baiting me. Letting me put in my remaining chips a little at a time until I had none left, then bam, hit me with the stinger. I glanced at Seamus. He was shaking his head, his shoulders slumped. I slung some of my remaining chips in, meeting Bracken’s bet. The dealer threw down the turn card. A two of clubs. Useless. Bracken put in a few more chips with an air of glee. He was looking forward to humiliating me with his royal flush.

  With a resigned air of apathy, I met his bet. Now my tiny stack of chips was like the remains of a dead animal after a gang of jackals had feasted. The dealer showed us the river card. A five of spades. Hey, whaddayaknow? I bagged myself a pair. Hmm, is that enough to beat Bracken’s hand? Let me think about it. The truth was it was nothing but rubbing salt into the wounds, throwing me scraps like the beggar I was. I shook my head. It was hopeless. I knew for a fact Bracken would turn over his two face down cards and reveal the jack and ten of hearts. It was pointless continuing. Absolutely pointless.

  Bracken sat there, back straight, belly sticking out, a big grin on his face. His first two fingers rested atop his cards. “Your bet, Stone,” he reminded me.

  I counted out my measly stack of chips. I could just fold, prolong the inevitable, save me a bit of embarrassment until the next hand. But, really what was the point?

  All around us, the guards watched on in eager anticipation, licking
their lips at the prospect of my demise. I was broken, beaten into submission, an empty husk. I may as well end it now. My fate was sealed. I closed my eyes and rubbed them, my head and shoulders slumping.

  A voice flared in my mind. “Check your cards again.”

  I frowned, becoming perfectly still. I opened my bleary eyes and glanced over to my left. Aurora was standing there looking all innocent, head bowed. I rolled my eyes down at my cards, curiosity overwhelming me. They were a five and an eight before. I grabbed hold of the edge of the cards and tilted them up, peeking down at them. My jaw dropped. I was suddenly packing the jack and ten of hearts. My heart began to race, adrenaline flooding my veins, charging me like I’d had a jolt of lightning. I fixed my stare on Bracken’s cards. They remained beneath his two fingers. I wondered what they were. They couldn’t be the jack and ten now could they? I was packing those. I rolled my head around and up toward Aurora. She remained as she was, a sheepish expression on her face.

  Good girl, A!

  Hope hit me in the center of the forehead like an arrow. I narrowed my eyes, half a smile creeping up my cheek. “All in,” I said, my gaze fixed on Aurora.

  Bracken froze. The guards surrounding us fell silent, their heads whipping around to meet me. The tension thickened as if it had been laced with quick-dry cement. My heart began to beat harder and faster to keep up with the hope rising inside me.

  “What?” Bracken asked in a stunned voice.

  I faced him. “What, you had a blast from a siren or something, Bracken? Getting hard of hearing as a result? I said ‘all in’.” I slammed my remaining chips down into the pot and lounged back in my chair. I bit my bottom lip, giving Bracken a double raise of my eyebrows.

  Bracken glanced at the dealer and the ‘guard’ behind her, then back at me. “Very well, Stone. I meet your bet.” He threw a stack of chips into the pot. “Now, your cards.”

  “You got it, your highness,” I said and nonchalantly flipped over my two cards. Gasps shot into the air like leaky gas pipes. Heads spun left and right like soccer balls. I sat there, grinning like a Cheshire cat with a tub of cream.