If they lived through this whole thing, Vasco had decided he'd make a couple changes in his life.

For one, he would never go back to a brothel again—let alone work in one.

Then, he would move south, somewhere hot, so hot it was smothering.

And third, he would rob the rich and play Bejlen every day.

That was his plan so far and he thought it was a pretty good plan.

Or there was a part of him that just wanted to stay in Polaria with Ketil. It wasn't like he was waiting on anyone back home. With his sister Gia dead and his parents long dead, he didn't have much to live for back there.

Maybe Ketil would give him a position of power. Maybe he would place him somewhere he could make a difference. Maybe, just maybe if Ketil managed to sit on the throne, things would work out for once.

It was the hope he'd been clinging to.

"Lio and Raziel have the horses taken care of," Anubis said beside him, careful to lower her voice. "I don't trust this place."

"You shouldn't." Vasco's eyes scanned the streets and the few people who loitered around the tavern.

"Did you manage to get a place for us to sleep?" Dante said carefully. "Jameson needs all the rest he can get. Riding so much isn't helping the healing process."

Anubis nodded to her. "Go find Raziel and he'll take you up to the room."

"What are you going to do?"

Anubis and Vasco exchanged a look and he shrugged. "Get some information from the tavern. Maps and stuff."

"Maps and stuff?" Dante repeated skeptically. "Don't get too drunk, we still have a mission to complete." She fixed her hat over her ears and ran back, dodging places where snow lingered in even larger patches.

"Maps and stuff? That's the best you could come up with?" Anubis said with a small chuckle.

"Maybe we will find something out about something." Vasco opened the door into the tavern for her, instantly hit by the smell of fire and roasting meat. His stomach growled at the thought.

Anubis sat at the bar, Vasco beside her.

A woman in an apron shouted something in Polarian and looked up to them. "What is it that you want?"

"Two pints and whatever you're cooking there." Anubis set a few gold dats on the counter, the woman picking them up and quickly handing them two pints of beer.

Vasco took a quick sip, shrugging. "Not bad for Polaria."

Anubis took a sip, "Polaria has better liquor, they should stick with that."

Another moment of awkward silence passed and the woman returned with two bowls. She gave them both a look of disdain before hurrying to another patrons call.

"Cheers," Anubis said deadpan, pressing the bowl to her lips.

Vasco followed in suit, "cheers yourself."

The food was bland, tasteless as dirt. He gagged a little, placing it back against the counter.

"It smells so good, yet tastes so bad." Anubis winced.

Vasco nodded, falling backwards on a bar stool. He caught himself and met the eyes of a man at a back table playing Bejlen.

He sat back up, taking a sip of beer. "There's a man in the back. Is he staring at us?"

Anubis casually looked back. "Most definitely staring at us."

"Drass!" The woman shouted as she fell forward, spilling a stein on her dress. The tavern silenced for a moment before she blushed and went behind the bar, desperately dabbing at her apron. She stopped, head bowed down to pick up another stein and fill it with beer.

"Excuse me, miss." Vasco gestured to her.

She looked up, flustered. "What is it?"

"Ah yes, who is that man behind us at the table? He keeps giving me an eye."

"His name is Calstien." The woman lowered her head and her voice. "Rumor has it, he was a deserter from the House of Østberg. They say he trades secrets." She stepped back, "I wouldn't get involved with him, he's a dangerous man."

Vasco met Anubis' eyes, a small smile at the edge of his lips. "Does he happen to be batræ?"

"No?" She jerked to attention at the calls of a woman. "I have to go, but remember what I said. Don't speak to him, he's a traitor to Polaria."

"I think you should reconsider what you're about to do." Anubis took a long sip of beer.

"I think I know what I'm doing." He smiled. "Think about it. My job in Rajsend was working with secrets and he's not riesun so I can stop him if things go too far. Besides, I've been itching to play Bejlen ever since I lost my cards." He finished off the rest of his glass. "I don't know how long I'll be."

"I'll be here. You better have secrets to trade, Dracon, and they better not be ours."

"You worry too much." He flashed her a smile and she settled he head down on a fist.

"I'm not killing anyone for you."

"I'm competent enough not to make a mess of things." Vasco stood made his way through the tavern. A few faces stared at him, but most were too involved in food and beer and talking. A few old sailors pointed to him, but he ignored them, hovering over the old man's table.

"Calstein?"

The man raised a pair of grey eyebrows.

Vasco set down two copper dats, the man looking up to him with a smirk.

"That all you have?"

He sat down across from Calstein, rolling up his sleeves. "I can assure you that isn't all I have."

"Two gold dats and you have yourself a game." His icy eyes bore holes into Vasco's face and Vasco grabbed two gold pieces from the inside of his coat. Vasco set them with the others, taking the cards in the middle of the table.

"Check the deck if you don't believe it's fair."

Vasco did quickly check the deck, staring at the deck's art. It was nothing like his deck, his deck was a gift from a loyal patron who had a sense of style and a bit of a gambling problem. His deck was lines and intricate designs, this deck was blocky and jarringly bold. It was terribly ugly.

"Shuffle it." Calstein said again.

Vasco did, taking time to shuffle with all the glamour he'd learned in his work. Calstein looked impressed with the skill, but remained silent.

He finished, setting it down in the middle of the table.

"Deal."

Calstein dealt the five cards, nodding for him to go.

In normal games, Vasco would have cheated. It was easy enough, especially with the ability to make people drowsy and therefore less attentive. It was easy and fun and he'd learned from some of the greatest.

So they played, Vasco taking cards, barely looking at them and mostly studying his opponent—there was much more that a player could learn by looking at his opponent than the cards sometimes.

"Bets down." Calstein placed a small pile of gold dats on the table.

Vasco dug into his vest, pulling out the rest of his money. It wasn't much, but it was an honorable bet.

The game continued with trading and shifting cards, along with careful observation. Vasco didn't look at his cards, but there was one thing for certain, things were beginning to take shape.

He drew a card, laying it facedown on his five downturned cards.

"Bejlen." Vasco said carefully.

"You haven't looked at your card," Calstein whispered

"You've told me enough." Vasco flipped his cards slowly, revealing two silver moon cards and the lower star cards. He smiled, picking up the one he hadn't picked up. The black swords—the trump card.

"Bejlen, sir."

Calstein nodded to the pile and Vasco took his winnings.

"Another round? You seem to know how to play the game."

Vasco shook his head, "but maybe there is something you can help me with."

The older man was silent.

Vasco lowered his voice. "They say you sell secrets."

"Anything can be bought if you're willing to pay the price."

"I have some that you might be interested in purchasing...at a price of course."

He looked around the tavern, "oh yeah?"

"I think you might find what I have interesting. Of course, in exchange I would require some information of your own." Vasco hid a smile.

Calstein stood, "come with me."

Vasco followed him into a back room and then up two flights of steps. For a moment, he thought back to Anubis who was still sitting at the bar, waiting for him to finish.

Calstein opened a door, ushering him inside the well lit and cold room. He locked the door behind him and Vasco bristled slightly. This man was a copperhead, he was simply hiding his fangs.

"Who do you work for?" He walked away from Vasco, turning the lantern until it shone brighter. He sat down on a lone bed.

Vasco shivered at an old memory of bruises and hurt. He didn't want to think about it, but there it was, heavy on his shoulders.

His voice cracked once. "I work for myself."

"The girl you're with is Rajsend." He took out a cigar, lighting it with the kerosene lamps flame. The end shone red before he took a breath and chuckled. "Both of you are Rajsend."

Vasco stared at him without expression. "And they say you're of the House of Østberg."

He laughed.

There were his fangs and they were dripping with venom.

"That bunch.... Believe it or not, you're looking at the uncle of Empress Asluag. And if she knew I was alive, she'd have my head on her nightstand. I know things about her that no one would believe."

He reached into his own nightstand, pulling out a bottle of whiskey. "A drink?"

"No."

"Your loss, some of the best stuff, might even remind you of home—it's Rajsend too." He poured himself a drink, starting to unbutton his shirt.

"Don't."

They both paused.

"I didn't ask for that," Vasco said quickly as Calstein finished unbuttoning his shirt.

He laughed again. "That shows what you are, doesn't it?"

Vasco didn't laugh.

"You show marks, I'm sure, if you know where to look."

Vasco crossed his arms. "We do what we do to survive, that is all. Now in the dealing of secrets—"

"What do you want with me?" He took another swig, this time straight from the bottle.

"What do you know about Aslaug?"

Another snort, "and what do you have to offer me?"

"Secrets on a revolution in Rajsend."

"And why would I care about that?" He leaned over, letting out a cough. "I'm not Rajsend."

"You might be in the near future, if what happens happens."

"Well boy, tell me what you know and I'll tell you the big Østberg secret. It's not what you think, boy."

Vasco bit on his lip hard, "how do I know you'll answer me? Or that our secrets are equal?"

"One thing for certain boy, is I don't lie. I'll decide the secrets."

Vasco nodded and told him about their plot to overthrow Aslaug. He kept the part about Ketil being alive (or hopefully alive now) secret and didn't mention what the Order was.

Calstein let out a curse. "You're in pretty deep aren't you, boy?"

"Tell me about Empress Aslaug."

"The late Empress, the mother of the Østberg twins, bore two batræ children."

He knew about Ketil's ability, but Ketil had another sibling besides Asluag? One that was a riesun and hidden?

"Aslaug was much craftier with what she revealed to the Elders. She's an Østberg through and through, that much is certain. While her brother could manipulate stone images, Aslaug can manipulate people."

Vasco took a step back. "She's one of us."

"She can easily tell someone to jump off a cliff and they will do it. She keeps this hidden from everyone, even her own family. She can manipulate anyone but other batræ." Calstein took another long sip of whiskey. "That's her little secret."

"I can't believe it." Vasco took a step forward again, "she killed Ketil for being one of us when she should have been killed too."

Calstein opened another drawer of his dresser, taking out something small before standing. He placed the rest of his cigar on the dresser and took another long swig of whiskey.

"Look boy, these secrets are worth a lot."

Vasco watched his right hand handle something. A knife.

Calstein was going to kill him.

Vasco dug deep inside of him, feeling his ability stir. He opened his palms as Calstein took another step forward.

"These secrets are worth dying for, boy." The knife flashed in his hands and Vasco made a quick motion with his hands, blue mist appearing before him. He stepped out of the way, grabbing Calstien's hand.

"I don't die easily, sir," Vasco whispered, watching the mist become darker, more concentrated.

Calstein struggled against him for control of the knife before his eyes widened, hand dropping the knife and going for his throat. There was a thud as he fell to his knees and then to his stomach, legs twitching.

Vasco kicked him away, picking up his knife. It was a dagger, an ugly thing that would have done the trick of killing him easily.

The door opened suddenly and Vasco gripped the knife, turning to stab the intruder.

"What are you—?" Anubis stopped when she saw the dead man on the floor. "What is that?!"

Vasco shrugged. "Oops."

"Oops?! This is more than oops! I thought you said you wouldn't make a mess of things!"

"Well he was going to kill me. So oops...I guess."

"We have bigger problems than him. The royal guards are here and there are too many for us to fight. Dante and Jameson left, Lio took some of them out, but it's not enough. We have to go."

She grabbed his hand, dragging him down the stairs and into the street. She cursed as she watched guards around the perimeter, knocking on doors and raiding businesses. She pulled them into the shadows.

"Anubis, I found something out about Aslaug." He stared at the guards who were beginning to come their way.

"Is it worth dying over?" She unholstered her revolver, checking the chamber.

"Maybe?"

"Well get on with it."

"Aslaug is a riesun!" He grabbed her by the shoulders, "she can manipulate normals with her voice."

Anubis' face changed. "She should have died instead of Ketil. Damn her!"

She cursed again as a guard spotted her, crossing the road. Anubis lifted her revolver, taking aim at the guard with a bow. She fired once and the guard dropped, a crack echoing around them.

"There are too many." She reloaded, taking another shot. "We need to get out of here before we get trapped. There are so many waiting..."

"I'll distract them, take Lio and go. Finish this." Vasco opened one hand, the other tightening around Calstein's knife. "I'll meet you there if I can."

Mist swirled around him, clouding them both in purple-blue haze.

Anubis stared into his eyes, shaking her head slightly. "If they find you, they will kill you."

He smirked, "but first they must catch me."

Anubis took his hand before disappearing into the night.