Page 15 of A Raven Reborn

“Well, you’re in luck then. I am just the man to teach you.” He gave her an encouraging smile and gestured to the chair once more.

After a moment’s hesitation, Rosie held out her hand. “You have a deal.”

Patrick chuckled, but grasped her hand gently and shook it. At least tonight, she didn’t look terrified of him. With a satisfied smile, she seated herself in the chair across from him and waited. Patrick pulled the box from his pocket and removed the cards. As he shuffled, she picked up the box and examined it.

“The Raven’s Den.” She ran a fingertip over the surface. “This raven looks like the one on the sign for the shop below.” She turned the box to face him.

Of course it did. It was the very same. Apparently, it was time for some explanation. “Allow me to teach you how to play, and then as the game progresses, I will answer your questions. Fair enough?”

Rosie nodded. “Although, I’m not sure I’ll be able to follow the game and talk at the same time.”

“This game is called Battle, and the rules are very simple.” He shuffled the cards once more and then quickly dealt them so that they each had half of the deck in front of them.

“Now, turn over the top card.” He turned over a 3 of hearts and she a 7 of clubs. “In this game, the only thing that matters is the value of the card. The higher number wins.” He moved his card to sit on top of hers. “That’s you, so you take the cards and place them in a pile in front of you.”

Rosie smiled and took the cards. The next hand, she beat his 5 with a 10 and the third hand, he beat her 2 with an 8. She quickly relaxed and began to thoroughly enjoy herself, laughing and smiling, regardless of winning or losing. After a few hands, they both laid down a 9, and she looked up with eyes wide.

“Now what?”

Patrick chuckled. “Now, we each deal three cards down, and a fourth facing up. Whoever has the highest upturned card, wins them all!”

She wiggled adorably in her seat with excitement. Patrick counted, “One, two, three,” as he laid down his cards. She copied him and together they flipped over their fourth card. Hers a queen, and his a jack.

She looked at him with confusion. He hadn’t explained the value of the face cards. “Queen beats jack.” Rosie grinned happily. “A queen can only be bested by two cards. A king, and an ace, which you just won from me,” he said as he flipped over his cards. “Nothing beats an ace.”

Her smile couldn’t have been any wider as she scooped up her winnings. She giggled softly as she stacked the cards neatly and added them to the growing pile in front of her. They turned over their next cards and she quickly handed over her 4 to his 7.

“I think I’m ready for talking now.” She looked up at him from under her lashes. She was seeking his permission, or at least his approval.

“A deal’s a deal.” He turned over his next card. “What do you wish to know?”

“Finch says you own a club.” She took their two cards and turned over the next.

Patrick nodded. “That’s not a question.”

“What is it called?”

“I think you probably already know the answer to that question.” Patrick shifted his gaze to the empty box that lay on the desk and back to Rosie.

“The Raven’s Den?” She picked the box up again and looked at it closely. “So do you own the shop, as well?”

“Yes.” Patrick turned over a card, but Rosie wasn’t really paying attention to the game. “Along with my two partners.” He nodded toward the desk to keep her focused at least partly on the game.

She turned over her next card and took them both again. “Tell me about your partners.”

“Ash and Michael.”

“Do they also live over shops?” She asked after a moment.

Patrick chuckled. “No, they don’t.”

Ash lived in Raven House, a building that also housed the Lady Ravens. Not a subject he cared to embark on with Rosie. Not yet, at least.

He needed to head her off. “The Raven’s Nest is where we sell jewelry or other items that we take in from patrons.”

“I’m not sure I understand. Why do they give you jewelry?” Her brow was furrowed in confusion.

“Well, sometimes they can bet directly against the house, but more often they use it in exchange for a loan that they are then unable to pay back.”

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