Page 105 of A Kiss From Death
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 forShapeshifting 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 definitelycankill 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 beingluckysix 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 youhave 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.”
