Page 77 of A Kiss From Death (Oath of Vengeance #1)

Shrugging, I respond casually. “No, but if you can win six times in a row, it can’t be too hard, can it? You can teach me the rules, and then I’ll beat your ass. Simple as that.”

An infectious smile grows across his face, and he points to the empty chair across from him for me to join. A few others sit around the sides of the table, clearly here with the group, all offering me inviting smiles.

“It would be my pleasure, darlin’ ,” he coos.

A pair of dice sit on the table between us, but no board or cards are present. Looking over the dice more closely, I notice they are not matching. Both are six sided, but while one has the numbers one through six etched on it, the other has different symbols.

Casually leaning back in my chair, I kick my feet up on the edge of the table and plant my hands in my lap, giving him my undivided attention.

“I’m all ears, darlin’ ,” I sing back. A slight blush rises to his cheeks, clearly thrown off by my boldness, but his pearly whites gleam back at me in challenge.

He lays out the rules, which are simple enough to follow.

The numbered die is rolled first to decide how many rounds will need to be won by a player for the game to be over.

Once a number is decided, we each take turns rolling the Jezzle die etched with symbols.

Each player gets one roll per round, and whatever symbol it lands on is the decided power for that player to use during that single round against their opponent’s magic.

There’s a hierarchy to each of the six powers, which he explains in detail. “This die here is where the magic happens…literally.” He shoots me an excited zap of energy with his eyes, and my skin prickles with anticipation.

Turning the die, he taps the first face, showing off the symbol.

“Sitting at the bottom of the totem pole is the Pegasus, representing Air magic. She’s cute, but she can’t really cause much damage.

” Rotating the die, he points to the second face.

“Octopus for Shapeshifting magic, obviously. Still a great power to have, but weak compared to the others in deadliness.”

Flipping the die again, he points to two squiggles carved deep within the face.

“Eels for Electricity magic. May hurt like a bitch but still survivable. Dragon for Fire magic, and that most definitely can kill you. Sea Snakes for Poison manipulation magic. A couple drops of that stuff, and you’re a goner.

” He rotates the die to the very last face and shoots Hade a knowing smirk, which I track over to his red growing face before I slide my eyes back to the die.

“And the last, and, for obvious reasons, most deadly of them all…The Grim Reaper to symbolize Death magic.”

Heat rises to my cheeks at the memory of that exact magic exploring my body like something worth worshipping. Tilting my head to the side, I try and fail to hide what those two words are doing to my body. Clearing my throat, I drop my feet to the ground and plant my elbows on the sticky table.

“So, I just need to roll a power greater than the one you roll, and I win that round?” Sounds like this game is very much luck based. It almost sounds like a glorified game of rock paper scissors, if you ask me.

“Precisely, but there’s a little more to it than that.”

“Do tell, because so far, it sounds like you’ve gloated about being lucky six times instead of actually winning due to any sort of skills you may possess.”

His warm chuckle bounces across the table over to me, and I can’t help the sly smirk I throw back. “If it was all luck, I would have ran out by now. Seeing as I’m undefeated, that seems unlikely. The dice just love me.”

Scoffing, I pin him with my stare. “You act as if the dice talk to you.”

His smile unnerves me. “ They do .”

I stare at him, waiting for everyone at the table to laugh at his absurdity, but the table stays silent.

“Are you trying to tell me you have voices in your head, Zale ? Because if that’s the case, I happen to know one of the best healers in Lunaria who I’m sure would gladly rummage around in that pretty head of yours to find the loose screw. ”

The entire table bursts into rambunctious laughter, Zale and Hade included. I look around dumbfounded, clearly missing whatever conversation they are all having with their eyes.

“You may be onto something about the loose screw part, but no, I’m not crazy.

” Reaching forward, he grasps both dice in his hands and tosses them over to me.

Instinctively, I reach out, catching them before they can go tumbling to the ground.

As soon as my hand makes contact with the smooth, cold dice, a humming buzzes over my skin.

They feel… alive .

Dragging my eyes up to Zale, he gives me a knowing smile. “They are imbued with ancient magic. It isn’t known whose magic lies within them, but it is strong.”

As I roll them in my hand, a zap of magic tickles across my palm in response, making goose bumps rise along my arms and spine.

“ Nyxi, divine one. What a welcome surprise.”

I jolt, instinctively chucking the dice across the table as the remnants of its slithering, whispering voice sinks its teeth into my skin.

Zale scoops the dice back up and returns them to my frozen, upturned palm while giving my shoulder a reassuring pat.

Listen, his eyes seem to tell me. Closing my fist around the dice again, I close my eyes and focus back on the thrumming of magic.

“ Clearly, the welcome surprise is one sided ,” the dice hiss into my mind with a hint of amusement.

How is this possible ? I think to myself.

“All your questions will be answered in due time, my child.” I jolt again, not realizing it could hear my thoughts. I keep the dice planted firmly in my grasp this time .

Who are you?

“ That is unimportant for now, change bringer. Are you interested in playing a game of Jezzle, my child?”

Yes . My voice comes out strong in my head, like a command.

“ You must first offer me something invaluable in exchange to play. A rule asked of all players, of course.”

An offering ? I mumble in my head, trying to come up with something.

“ A secret for an answer.” It hisses back in one long, drawn out sentence. “ If you would like to play with my magic, you must first offer me a secret no one knows. If you are to win the game, I will grant you one answer to any question you may have, as long as I know the answer.”

So you steal people’s secrets and sell them?

“ No one is forced to play this game or give me their secrets. They do so to lift a weight off their shoulders. They know the risk of telling me their secret, that it may be told to another, but that is how I am able to answer questions asked of me by winners. It is how I gain my knowledge .”

Nodding to myself, I squeeze the dice a little tighter. If I can win against Zale, I could potentially get an answer to the question burning a hole in my brain since the start of the Crucible. It could potentially save my life.

“ Do you still want to play, my catalyst?”

Yes, I want to play , I think immediately.

“And what secret would you like to offer me in payment?” it hisses loudly.

I involuntarily tense, thinking over what I could offer the dice that I wouldn’t mind being reshared. I doubt anyone would be asking anything about me anyways, but I’m still hesitant. Gulping, I set my heart on a silver platter.

I am afraid of living . I think the heavy thought that is always nagging my brain at all times of the day, as permanent as the tattoos marking Hade’s skin.

“ Explain ,” it hisses calmly .

Taking a deep breath, I decide to let one thing inside the impenetrable force field around my aching heart.

I am afraid to live without him. I am afraid to move on when he can no longer move with me.

I am afraid if I open my heart again, he could be forgotten and left behind.

I am afraid to live and be happy without him, because it makes me feel guilty.

It should be him here still walking these lands instead of me.

So yes, I am deathly afraid of living because that means he’s really gone.

“Do you truly believe those words, my spark?”

I don’t know, I sigh back.

“ I think you know deep down, but you need to forgive yourself before you can truly answer truthfully. Thank you for your secret, young one. Enjoy playing with my magic.”

The dice glow in my hand, a tendril of magic looping itself around my wrist, linking me to the game.

Zale smiles at the glowing magic, clearly happy with my decision to play.

Hade gives my shoulder a squeeze as I settle into my chair, ready to destroy Zale in a game of Jezzle so I can win an answer.

“ It is time to roll for the number of rounds played, my players,” the dice hisses between us, and I assume Zale can now hear its voice in his head too, since he leans forward and scoops up the dice.

“Ladies first,” he shouts at the same time he chucks me the numbered die.

Catching it, I close my fist around the die, shaking it around a few times before launching it across the wooden table. It tumbles loudly until it lands in the center of the table. Leaning forward, I read the number aloud.

“Three!” I shout with a smirk. I just need to have three better rolls than him, and I’m one step closer to solving the riddle.

“ Kick his ass,” Hade whispers maliciously into my ear.

Gesturing to the Jezzle die, Zale says smoothly, “Have at it, darlin’. Let’s see what those hands can do. ”

Taking a swig of my ale for liquid courage, I hold back the wince as I scoop up the die, looking it over more closely. “Let’s see if the die loves you as much as you claim it does, darlin’ .”