The Seventh Crow

Part 33

"Are you sure you're going to win this hand?" Jesper asks me.

"Probably, I won the last three." Jesper deals the cards. "You sure you don't want to play, Matthias?"

"No," he states.

"Your loss," Jesper says.

I pick up the hand in front of me. A jack, ace of spades, and seven of diamonds. 18 total.

"Card?" Jesper asked me. I shake my head. He asked Kuwei next, who also shook his head. Even Jesper didn't grab one.

We reveal our cards. Jesper was over (of course), but Kuwei actually got 21. One queen, one jack, and one ace of hearts.

"Didn't think he would ever win," Jesper admitted.

We all start laughing. A soft sound from outside cuts me off. Kuwei and Jesper were still laughing as if nothing was wrong.

"Stop," I comment. "Do you hear that?"

We all go silent. Straining our ears to hear any sound that seems out of place. That's when it happens. A twig snaps.

Matthias moves for the weapons. Kuwei grabs his bag, ready for a fight at a moment's notice. Jesper's revolvers were already in his hands. I didn't have any specialty with weapons, so I grab whatever is closest.

Jesper bravely sticks his head out. Seconds, it only took seconds, before a bullet hit the hideout.

"Pekka," Jesper said.

"Come out!" one of them said.

"We have to get out of here. Longer we are in here, the sooner they murder us," I say.

"What would you like us to do?" Matthias asks.

"We have two Grisha with us."

"Two untrained Grisha!" Jesper said.

"Is there anything that Wylan has left behind?" Matthias asks Kuwei.

"Just some powders," he answered.

"Got a plan?" I ask Matthias.

Matthias didn't answer. His face contorting to show he is in deep thought. Pekka's people shooting at our piece of shelter.

"This place is supposed to be haunted, correct?" Matthias asks. We all look to Jesper for an answer.

"Yeah, what does that have to do with Pekka's people shooting at us?"

"We make it look like ghosts, spook them away so we can make our escape. We have some tools to accomplish it."

"Come out!" Pekka's crew screamed.

"Let's try it," I say. "Worse comes to worse, we let Jesper shoot them all."

"I like that plan," he laughs.

Being as sneaky as possible, we sneak out of the tomb. Pekka's crew didn't know any better. Which was a good thing. So far the plan is working.

"Powder," Matthias said. Kuwei hands a powder packet to him.

Matthias tosses it a couple tombstones in front of him, whispering something to Kuwei. Something that made him use fire to light the powder on fire. It gets the crew's attention.

"Ghosts!" one of the members said.
The light goes out. I brace myself for more shooting.

"No, Grisha!" another said.

"Toss everything and run," I say.

Grabbing the only packs of powders left, I toss them towards Pekka's crew. In a wide arc, Kuwei lights them on fire.

We all go running. Jesper let loose a couple shots, but everyone was too confused to fire back.

Amongst the fray, I lost everyone until we made it to the mainland. Mostly because Matthias was waiting for me on the other side ready to help me out of the water.

"Where are we supposed to go?" Kuwei asks.

"The only other place we really know," Jesper said slowly. "Sweet Reef."

The hotel his father is staying at.

"That will put him at risk," I say.

"Got a better idea?" I didn't. "Let's just go before they find us again."