The Broken Song

Chapter Twenty-One

— The Dirty Birdie, Kiverryn, Iskendryn —

She liked this place. Knocking back another shot, Lulu grimaced against the wonderful pain of the whiskey hitting the back of her throat. She slammed the glass against the table, dark brown eyes narrowing at the partner across from her. She was really a lovely looking woman, swarthy, with the most fascinating eyes of golden brown. They reminded her of caramel. Would she taste of it, Lulu wondered? The woman smirked, seeming to sense the route of her thoughts. Lulu cleared her throat and wiggled her shoulders to loosen up. She had to concentrate.

Fingers were at stake.

The moderator shouted and the two women slammed down their cards. Damnit. She hadn't meant to play her pixie yet. The other woman won the round and picked up her ornate dagger. She slammed it into the table. Lulu made certain not to move an inch. Her eyes darted to her left hand. The blade of the dagger was situated perfectly between the knuckles of her index and middle finger, not even a tiny bead of blood to indicate a nick. Lulu let out a loud breath and reached for another shot with her right hand.

"Surrender yet?" the woman's velvety voice stretched down her body languidly, so soft in its touch yet leaving a trail of fire everywhere it spread. Gods be damned if she wasn't attracted to Selician women.

"Trust me, my goddess divine, you'll be moaning in surrender first." With a lurid wink, Lulu searched through her remaining cards, looking for the one that was sure to win this hand. It was one of her least favorite, Sir Godwin Helgingbrook of Darent, a champion of the Path of Light. But damnit if he couldn't win a round of Reaper: The Reckoning.

Placing her hand back on the table, she waited for the moderator to speak. The shout sounded, cards came down, and she...she won! Without hesitation, she swiped up the dagger and plunged it into the table three successive times in the bat of an eye. The woman flinched, ripping her hand away though there wasn't a single scratch. Lulu grinned.

"You flinched. I believe that's fifty points to me, and you, my goddess, need to discard three cards, which means...I'm gonna win."

"Shit," the woman grumbled as she threw in her hand. "No one has a Helgingbrook card. I bet it's not even authentic. It would've cost you a fortune."

The moderator picked up the card, inspecting it carefully. "It's genuine."

"Double-shit. Where'd you get it? They only made ten of those."

"It was gifted to me by a very thankful lady after I spent a few days tending to her every aching need." Leaning across the table, Lulu held the other woman's gaze, her voice dropping low to entice her to stay awhile. But fate was not on her side. At that very moment Idelle came up behind her, leaned against her back, and rested her chin on her shoulder.

"She won it in the Grand Tournament at Rhea. She's a nerd, my lady."

The woman laughed, her deep, sultry voice making Lulu groan internally. But, to her horror, when she stood from the bench, hips sashaying with utter style, and shoulders leaning back to attract attention to her bosom, it was not to Lulu she walked, but to Idelle. She pressed herself close, tracing long fingers over the curve of Idelle's cheek and down to her mouth.

"Well, aren't you just a sweet, innocent thing," the woman purred. "I'd love to hear more about this tournament. If you're ever in the mood, you can always find me here, sweetness."

"Nope," Lulu stood abruptly, pushing herself between them. "My friend's not for sale."

"Oh, don't worry. I'd do anything she asked for free."