Page 80 of Made

“Are you hurt?” he asked.

Kagan neither confirmed nor denied. He simply said, “First, let’s survive this. If we do, we’ll talk about what she did to my ribs. Accidentally. I think.”

All three heard a grinding when the sphinx turned her head toward them. “Come now. Are you a new species, timid as little mice? Or are you a new species of powerful winged lion? What are you worried about?” When no one answered, she said, “It’s like that game humans play with little pieces of paper.”

Kagan searched his mental catalog for games with little pieces of paper.

“You mean cards?” Keir asked.

“Yes,” said the sphinx. “Cards. What is that saying about cheating? Cards cheating.”

“Ace up your sleeve?” asked Killian.

She shook her head.

“Rigged game?” asked Keir.

She shook her head.

“Dealing from the bottom?” asked Killian.

She shook her head.

“Stacking the deck?” asked Keir.

“YES!” She shouted loud enough to blow all three off their feet, but was so elated she didn’t seem to notice. With a self-satisfied chuckle, she said, “You’re worried the deck is stacked. But you shouldn’t be because the deck has been stacked in your favor!”

“’Tis very kind of you,” Kagan said.

“I think so, too. Are you ready?”

Kagan nodded. “We’re ready. Go ahead.”

“Listen carefully.”

I’m forged in passion’s fire and fueled by heart’s desire.

Soul laid bare, avoid my snare.

Sharp the mental edge as you walk my fragile ledge.

Erase the debt of one intended and return with knee unbended.

What am I?

After waiting a full minute, to be sure she was finished, Killian blurted out, “YOU CALL THAT EASY?!?” As if in pre-planned concert, Kagan gave Killian a look of reprimand at precisely the same time Keir elbowed him in the ribs. “Ow.”

“Shut it,” Kagan said through gritted teeth, not recognizing that he, himself, had recently authored a variety of verbal errors.

Killian thought about a retort, but Kagan’s insistence was fierce enough to give him pause.

To Keir, Kagan said, “The thing about ‘one intended’.”

“Yeah?” Keir asked.

“She asked me earlier what I meant when I said Esme was my intended.”

“Alright. Good,” Keir said. “This has something to do with Esme.”

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