Kitabı oku: «The Shadow Game series», sayfa 8
Rebecca narrowed her eyes at Harvey, then she slid her arm around Bryce possessively. Enne leaned back into her seat to avoid their mutual glares. She realized that their attempts to challenge her weren’t what made her so uncomfortable—rather, she felt trapped in the intimate squabbles of someone else’s dysfunctional home.
She sighed with relief when Lola returned. Four girls followed behind her, most old enough to be called women. Enne examined their yellowed teeth and knotted hair with uncertainty.
“All of them are looking for full-time work,” Bryce said. “A variety of talents. A runner, a wordsmith, a truthseer, and a singer.”
Lola rifled through the papers with confusion. “Why didn’t you include Talia? I thought she wanted something full-time.”
Bryce faltered, and a haunted expression crossed his face. “Talia was injured last night. She’s here.” He looked suddenly young as he spoke. There was something darker than grief in his eyes, something that Enne recognized as guilt. “But she won’t be working.”
“Well?” Rebecca asked Enne sharply. “What do you think?”
Enne snapped her gaze away from the Guildmaster. “Is this really all you have?” Enne might’ve been playing at being a real street lord, but she would’ve preferred someone a little...cleaner, at least.
“You haven’t been very specific in your request,” Harvey said flatly.
“I’ll know her when I see her,” Enne said, which she realized sounded absurd. What sort of decision-making was that? Lola scowled in the corner.
“Fine,” Rebecca sniped. She grabbed a heap of files off the desk and thrust them into Lola’s arms. For the first time since coming here, Enne’s annoyance piqued. Lola wasn’t their servant. “Let’s go find this mystery person, then.”
As the others left the warden’s office, Lola and Enne lingered behind.
“You’ve irritated them,” Lola whispered.
“I’m not sure I could’ve helped that,” Enne said. “I’ve never seen you so...submissive. Are you afraid of them?”
“Aren’t you?” Lola responded pointedly.
Enne was, and it probably showed. But now she was also irritated.
In the courtyard were close to sixty people, soaking in the warm June sunshine, playing games of backgammon or Tropps. Many of them stopped what they were doing to stare at Enne. Shoulders straightened, chests puffed out, knives danced between fingers. They were showing off, she realized. The thought bolstered her confidence.
Enne’s gaze wandered until it settled on a book. It was a romance novel by one of her favorite authors, Sadie Knightley.
The girl holding it, however, made Enne pause. Despite the summer heat, she wore black from head to toe. She had dark hair, dark eyeliner, and dark fishnet gloves. A collection of necklaces hung from her, chains and rusted nails and the largest Creed Enne had ever seen, the bottom of its knot sharpened into a blade. Her skirt was obscenely short, making her stockings more suggestive than functional—she was clearly trying to cover nothing. Unlike the other members of the Orphan Guild, she didn’t bother to vie for Enne’s attention, as her gaze was focused on the book.
“Who is that?” Enne asked.
“That’s Grace Watson,” Lola answered. “Her blood talent is counting.”
Enne considered this. A counter was exactly the sort of person who could unravel their financial problem.
“You should know,” Rebecca said, her voice smug, “Grace never does jobs as a counter, even if that’s her talent. She’s one of our most skilled blades. And her price is steep.”
Enne withered. Slumber parties with would-be assassins, indeed.
“And I’m not sure she’d want...” Rebecca’s eyes wandered to the ruffles slipping out of Enne’s trench coat, and she pursed her lips.
Enne’s caution and restraint snapped like brittle cords. The North Side had a host of unspoken rules: how criminals looked, how they talked, how they behaved. If Enne was about to become a street lord, then she could make her own rules. The City of Sin would learn that a pistol painted pink was just as lethal.
Without a word, she marched herself toward Grace. What did Enne care if Grace Watson dressed like a harlot at a funeral? If she was a killer? Enne had killed, too, and if Grace was reading a three-time award-winning romance author, she could hardly be that bad.
“That’s one of my favorites,” she told Grace, nodding at the book. “I’ve read it four times.”
Grace ripped her gaze away from the page with an annoyed expression. She squinted at Enne’s mask. “I’m not interested.”
“You don’t even know what I’m going to ask.”
“I don’t know who you are, but I’m not interested in killing your ex-boyfriend.” She glanced around the courtyard. “Are you famous or something? Why is everyone looking over?”
“I killed the Chancellor and Sedric Torren two days ago.” Unlike earlier, she now spoke clearly, confidently. Speak up, her instructors at finishing school had often snapped at her. Ladies do not mumble. Not even about murder.
Grace snorted and looked over Enne’s clothes. “Right.” She returned to her book.
Enne mustered up every bit of frustration she’d felt over the past few days and pressed the assassin further. “I’m going to sit here.” She wedged herself between Grace’s leather boots and the bench’s railing.
Grace held the book up to her face and said nothing.
“The love interest dies at the end,” Enne told her.
“Nice try,” Grace said, sounding bored. “But I’ve read this book five times.”
“Have you read the author’s other work?”
“I’m not looking for a job right now, so you might as well stop trying.”
“I want to hire a counter.”
“How boring.” Grace licked her finger and turned the page. “Hire one of the other counters. They come much cheaper than me.”
That was undoubtedly true, but at this point, Enne was determined. Hiring Grace didn’t need to make sense anymore. She’d pay top voltage if it meant wiping the sneers off Bryce’s and Rebecca’s faces. If it meant proving to herself that she could earn the respect of anyone in the North Side.
“Tell me what it would take.”
“Hmm.” Grace smirked and drummed black-painted nails on the glossy cover of the paperback. “You can find me a licentiously rich South Side man to dote over me and cater to my every expensive whim.”
Of all the requests she could’ve made, that had been the one Enne had least expected.
Without thinking, Enne reached into her purse and removed one of Vianca’s salon invitations. She tossed it to Grace.
“Deal,” Enne said.
Grace looked over the invitation with interest. “You said the job would be boring.”
“You said that. The job will be permanent, it will involve counting, but it won’t be boring.”
Grace handed her back the invitation and returned to her book.
Enne’s stomach dropped with disappointment. She’d thought she’d managed it.
“Yeah, I’ll do it,” Grace muttered.
Enne jumped to her feet and shot the others a victorious, smug smile. While Grace slowly got up and squinted into the light, as though intimidating the sun into disappearing, Enne was already at Bryce’s side. She held out her hand to shake. “It’s a deal,” she told him.
Harvey bit his lip to suppress a grin, even as Rebecca and Bryce frowned. But Enne was no longer intimidated by them. She’d passed their tests. And she’d done it wearing pearls.
“It’s done, then,” Bryce said, and he grabbed her hand.
When their skin touched, the air around her instantly turned cold. The ghost of a thread appeared in the corner of her vision, and with it, a thousand more, much like she’d seen during the Shadow Game. Every movement and sound plucked them like eerie violin strings—all tied to Bryce’s hand.
Enne gasped and jolted away. The world, once again, grew still. She briefly wondered if she’d imagined it. Or maybe there were still reasons to fear the Guildmaster.
Bryce’s eyes widened, then the corners of his lips twitched into a smile. He raised her hand and kissed it. “It’s been a pleasure...Séance.”
LEVI
Levi straightened his tie as he waited. It was the day after his meetings with Narinder and Enne, and he’d spent all of last night in the museum, cleaning. His body ached, both from his broken ribs and from the work he’d put himself through in preparing for this moment. It was almost a good sort of hurt. His back felt stiff from sweeping; his arm muscles ached from repetitive motions. But the result of his efforts surrounded him: a clean lobby and at least two habitable rooms.
It wasn’t much—not yet. But standing there, wearing his new suit, he felt like it counted for something. For every hour spent cleaning this place, he was also paying penance for his mistakes. And he’d certainly made a lot of them.
Outside, Tock knocked on the front door, and for a brief moment, his courage faltered. He’d spent the past seven months stealing from the Irons, and even if they didn’t know that, he hadn’t faced them—all of them—in a long time.
He took a deep, shaky breath and opened the door.
Tock stood on the stoop, her arms crossed. Behind her, Levi counted about thirty heads. He didn’t recognize most of their faces, a realization that made him increasingly uncomfortable, but his eyes fell on someone familiar in the back: a thirteen-year-old girl with bobbed black hair and ruby earrings.
Mansi.
She wasn’t looking at him or the museum, just at the ground. The last time they’d faced each other, Mansi had watched as Chez Phillips nearly killed him.
Levi plastered on a smile, trying not to let his feelings of inadequacy faze him. All his confidence from the past few days shriveled away, as he watched his gang inspect the remnants of his wounds with uncertainty. He needed their loyalty—not just because the streets had turned more dangerous, or because of his ambitions, or because of his promise to Harrison Augustine...but because he had failed so many times, and he needed to believe he could really change.
And for their loyalty, he needed to put on a show.
“I know times have been hard lately. We’ve been putting in the work, but we’ve had nothing to show for it.” Levi slapped the marble of the doorframe. “Today your fortune has come.”
Some of them frowned, staring up at the museum. Admittedly, it still looked a mess from the outside, and it was probably best they keep it that way—let the place continue to appear abandoned. But most of the Irons kept their gazes fixed on Levi.
He stepped aside, letting them pass. They gathered at the foot of the grand staircase, staring in awe at the gleaming white steps and some empty, broken frames Levi had found and glued back together. Levi circled around them, careful to conceal his subtle limp.
“You might notice the frames are empty,” he said, his voice practiced, like a tour guide. “But this place will be a museum no longer. We aren’t here to memorialize history—we’re here to make it.”
They stared at him blankly. He was getting ahead of himself. Tock stood behind the group, smirking, and Levi wished Jac was here to support him. Tock might’ve come through on her responsibilities to round up his gang, but she definitely took pleasure in wounding his ego.
“You haven’t seen me in a while,” Levi continued. “And I’m sorry about that. But as you can tell, the Irons will be beginning a new chapter. And I brought you here not to enlist you, but to ask you to be a part of that.”
Levi took a deep breath as he looked them over. Even if he didn’t recognize all their faces, if he walked into any gambling den in the city, he would always be able to point out the Irons. They all had a certain look to them—glitzy jewelry meant to distract, secondhand yet expensive clothes not quite tailored to fit. They were charmers and smooth talkers, whether they were dealers or otherwise. But while they all had a look like they were up to no good, there was something alluring about each of them, in their easy smiles or slender fingers or confident ways they carried themselves. Even after they kissed you and tricked you, you’d still be walking away with red lipstick on your cheek and a foolish grin on your face.
Levi looked at them with pride. They were his, and he would win back their loyalty.
He had to.
Levi led them around the stairwell to the first hallway. He’d moved a rickety desk he’d uncovered in a vacant room to this spot, to become a makeshift poker table. With his injuries, it was easier for him to sit down, and he always looked more impressive with cards in his hands.
He slid into the dealer’s seat and motioned for a few others to join him. He recognized the faces of those who sat down—his dealers. Each member of the Irons had a different tattoo depending on their work, and dealers—like Levi—wore spades. Of all his gangsters, he knew these kids the best. Many he’d taught himself.
Mansi sat directly across from him, her expression still downcast.
“What will it be, everyone?” Levi asked, loud enough that the others huddled around could hear.
The boy beside him—Tommy, his name was—tossed in a single chip. The others followed.
“Let’s play, then,” Levi said. He dealt everyone a classic game of Tropps, starting with three cards. “I bet you all have a few questions. Tommy, you play first. What’s on your mind?”
Tommy reddened at being singled out. He was Levi’s age, clumsy and awkward, but with a face so pretty that everything he did seemed charming. He could even make cheating look endearing.
Tommy took his cards. “I’m wondering what happened to Chez Phillips.”
Levi had been prepared for this question, of course. He’d practiced his forced smile in the mirror this morning. “Chez got in over his head.” Levi handed the next player a card. “Stella, do you know how many clients we work with full-time?” When Stella shook her head, he moved on to the next player. “Hwan, any idea what we charge as fees? Do you know what you get paid per hour? How much of your earnings go to the gang?”
“I keep seventy percent,” Hwan said uncertainly.
Levi licked his fingers and dealt Mansi the next card. “Nice try. You keep eighty percent. So, Mansi, our client lists, our fees, our contracts, our profits. Do you know who does know the answers to all those questions?”
She narrowed her eyes. “You do.”
“That’s right.” He tapped his temple. “I do.” The others gave small, approving nods.
Linton didn’t wait for the next question prompt. “We heard you helped kill the Chancellor. That’s what they’re saying, isn’t it?”
Levi fiddled with a chip on the table, trying to stay casual. As good as his poker face was, it was hard to fake that smile, to pretend he didn’t still hear the time ticking down when he closed his eyes, didn’t still feel the weakness of draining his life into those orbs. Three days later, those memories still felt fresh.
But the Irons didn’t want to hear about that. They wanted a tale of bravery and glory—a real-life legend. So Levi leaned forward conspiratorially, shaping his mouth into a grin. “Have you ever heard of the Shadow Game?”
Each of their eyes widened. Of course they had. It was one of the many legends whispered on the streets of the North Side; a legend shrouded in equal parts awe and fear.
Levi continued to deal the cards as he talked. “The Phoenix Club claims that the players always lose.” He nodded for the other players to keep going, keep betting. They did so, but they weren’t really paying attention to their cards. They kept their gazes fixed on him. “The stories were right about everything except that, otherwise I wouldn’t be sitting here now.”
“You beat the Shadow Game?” Mansi asked incredulously.
Levi reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a gleaming silver Shadow Card: the Fool. He threw it in the center of the table, but none of the others dared to touch it. Everyone held their breaths.
“Why are we called the Irons, Tommy?” he asked.
Tommy blinked—he’d still been gaping at the card. “Because we fix games. We’re mechanics. Cheats.”
Levi nodded. “That night, I didn’t just cheat the odds—I cheated death. And now Semper is rotting in a grave, and I’m here.” He raised his arms, indicating the entire building. His palace.
“And Séance?” Stella asked. “The papers said she was there, too.”
“Are you rivals now?” someone behind her asked.
“I heard she’s as deadly as Ivory.”
“I heard she is Ivory.”
Levi pursed his lips. Maybe this entire time, he’d just needed to don a mask in order to fashion himself a legend.
“Séance is a new ally,” Levi said. “And this is the part where you listen closely.” They leaned in further, some standing up off their seats. They might’ve all been charmers and smooth talkers, but Levi was the one who’d taught them, and he was the best of them all. “You heard about what happened at the Orphan Guild, right?” They nodded. “Eight gangsters dead. Before we focus on volts or glory or anything, we need to focus on staying alive.”
Levi stood up, and they trailed after him as he walked back to the stairwell. He pointed upstairs. “I’m sleeping in the back room of the second floor.”
They blinked at him. “You’re staying here?” Linton asked.
“I’m done at St. Morse. I want to be here, watching over Olde Town, watching over you.”
They shared appreciative glances. Even Mansi gave him a smile.
“There’s some work to be done,” he continued. “Rooms to clean. Things to buy. Dens to talk to. When we’re not on our shifts, I want everyone here. Not only do we want this place to be habitable, we want it to be safe. This location stays secret. Watches around the clock. Olde Town has always been our claim, but now we have a home.” After a pause, he added, “Well? What are you waiting for? Go check it out.”
While the others scattered to explore the rest of the museum, Tock hung back. “Impressive show,” she said, yawning. “It was the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen.”
Levi pursed his lips. “Yes, well, I’m not sure if I have their trust yet, but their admiration counts for something. Plus, I don’t know how the dens are reacting to the news. What casino will want Irons dealing if there are bounties on all their heads?” If the Irons didn’t have work, they’d run out of volts fast. “That’s our first priority—making the den owners feel secure.”
“That won’t be enough,” Tock said. “Right now, if we call this a real war, then the South Side has already won one battle, and the North Side has won zero. The dens will need to think you can protect them. And you’ve done nothing so far to prove that.”
Levi grimaced. Tock might have been lazy, but she wasn’t thick. He was just one person, though—one very broke person. So he had no idea how to do that. Not alone.
A desperate thought occurred to him. “Then this is what we’ll do—we’ll send a message to each of the other lords named in The Crimes & The Times: Ivory, Scavenger, and Bryce Balfour.” He could tell Enne himself. “You know where to find them, right?”
Tock nodded hesitantly. “Sure, I guess.”
“Tell them, after what happened with the Orphan Guild, we need to meet. All of the lords together. Ten o’clock at the Catacombs, tomorrow night.”
Tock raised her eyebrows. “You think you can convince Narinder to agree to that?”
“Well, what do you think? You know him better than I do.”
“He doesn’t like risk. Doesn’t even like gangsters. He just likes you because you have a pretty face.”
Levi wasn’t positive how he felt about that, but he settled on flattered for now.
“It’s the only place I can think of.” With the whiteboots bribed to stay away from Olde Town, it was the safest. It was also public and crowded, so it would be difficult for the other lords to try something. “Let’s hope my face is pretty enough.”
“When should I send the messages?” she asked.
“Right away. I don’t want to wait too long.”
“Do you think they’ll agree to this?”
Levi straightened. His messages to the other named lords might not even be acknowledged. Sure, he’d helped kill the Chancellor, but to them, he’d always been Pup, the boy playing at being lord, the punchline of the North Side.
Still, he let himself imagine his call being answered. He would meet Ivory, a street legend. He would gather all the lords in a single room, a feat never before accomplished in criminal history. He’d be able to provide Harrison the intel on the others, like he’d asked for. Everything he’d ever wanted would be right in his grasp.
“Let’s hope so,” he said. “I’d also like Jac there.” Last night, Jac had called from some pay phone in the Factory District. He’d chosen a den to approach, and it seemed like the right move to Levi. Even though the specifics had made the job feel suddenly all too real, their conversation had actually put him at ease. Jac had given his plans a lot of thought. “He’ll be at a den called Liver Shot tonight.”
“I’ll leave now, but you better hope Narinder says yes to all this,” she said drily.
Levi flushed and straightened his tie. He could use another distraction. “I’ll do my best.”
She rolled her eyes. “You just convinced a whole room of people you’re some genius, but you’re just a hustler and a harlot.”
He furrowed his eyebrows. “You’re a dagger to my ego, you know that?”
“Somebody needs to be.”
As she marched to the door, Levi added a quick, “Be careful.” Walking into the lairs of the other lords was a dangerous assignment, and even if Tock gave him a hard time, he admitted she was growing on him.
Tock paused at the door and turned around to smirk at him. “I’m not someone who needs to be careful.” She rolled up her sleeves, as though ready to get her hands dirty, exposing the fresh tattoos on each of her arms. As she left and let the door close behind her, Levi decided she wore the Irons well.
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