The House of Cards

Entr'acte

Entr'acte

The Fool is late.

The Nine of Swords wraps her dark sweater more tightly around her body, trying desperately to stave off the cold. Her guards shift behind her. The thick darkness has a strange way of infiltrating the body, settling in the bones.

It is unnatural.

The oily water that covers this part of the Arcane World is beginning to seep into her boots when the Fool shows himself, garish hair illuminating the darkness around them.

"You're late," she snaps, voice like a whip. She feels her top lip rise in a sneer.

He mimics the look, face twisting in a cruel manner. "I am truly sorry, my Lady," he mocks, bowing low. His strange purple eyes burn into hers. "I was afraid that the Ace of Swords had set a tail on me. They are awfully suspicious, these lesser Houses."

"As they should be," the Nine replies, straightening. "Do you have what I asked for?"

"Of course," the Fool reaches and pulls a sheaf of papers from the waistband of his pants. He offers them out to her, but before she can grab them from him, he snatches them back. "Remember our deal."

The Heart Huntress grinds her teeth together. "It will be just as you asked. No one shall be harmed. We shall only retrieve what we need."

Seeming satisfied, the Fool hands off the papers, detailing the exact movements of the border guards surrounding the camp where the Major Arcana had taken refuge, where the House of Swords plots its rebellion. There is a map showing the exact locations of the Major Arcana, and the Nine scans it quickly, counting the number of dots that move over it.

The number should be sixteen; one for each of the Arcana known to be in the company of the House of Swords, minus the Fool, who stands before her. But that number is not the one she comes up with.

She scans it again, reading the label beneath each moving dot.

"Are you sure you were not followed tonight?" she asks, narrowing her eyes.

He nods. "I made sure of it."

She pauses, choosing her words carefully. "Then tell me, Lord Fool. Where is the Lady Universe?"

The Fool raises his eyebrows, eyes widening as the faint sound of cursing can be heard behind him, the scrambling of a person off of a pile of the rotting things cluttering up this World. With a wave of her hand, the Heart Huntress signals her guards forward. They dart behind the pile, and after a moments struggle, they drag the Lady Universe from around it, legs kicking beneath her.

Her hair is tied back behind her head, dirt streaking her lovely face, marred further by the murderous glare she shoots at the Fool.

"You traitor," she spits at him, emerald eyes glowing with an inner fire. "I should have known you would do something like this."

"Maeve," the Fool starts, but she turns away. "I did it to protect you!"

But the Lady universe does not care.

The Heart Huntress smirks. "Take her away." Her guards do so without question. "I have to thank you, Fool. Your carelessness has just made my job that much easier."

The Fool turns back to the Nine, his own eyes alight. "The deal remains, Huntress. No one gets hurt."

She smiles, a cruel, evil thing. "Of course. I happen to always keep my promises." The Fool flinches, and the Huntress lets out a mirthless chuckle. "Now, run back to your little rebellion, and make sure they don't notice that their Universe has gone missing. We can't have that little accident spoiling the entire surprise, now, can we?"

He shoots the Nine one last glare before striding back into the darkness, back the way he came.

The Heart Huntress turns to where her guards hold the Lady Universe, and she smiles.

I will not fail again, Lady Ace.