Page 59 of Moonlight and Mischief
“Any questions?” Marigold asks.
“How are we supposed to know who is what and who to shoot?” Onyx asks, a whine in his voice. He shakes his dirty blonde hair out of his eyes and squints at the cards in his hand.
Marigold winks. “You’ll have to figure it out based on what everyone does. Most likely a Deputy won’t shoot at the Sheriff, right?”
“Great,” Slate says sarcastically.
“Aw, you’ll be a great Sheriff,” Hazel coos, ending with a dark laugh.
Shaking his head, Slate lays down a horse card, making it harder for us to shoot him. Hazel goes next, and with a flourish, she tries to shoot Cedar.
“Do you even know who I am?” Cedar asks, tilting his head with a curious look.
Hazel scrunches up her nose. “If I’m the Deputy, then there's a seventy-five percent chance that you’re an enemy, right?” I almost miss it, but Marigold reaches out and pinches Hazel on the back of her arm.
“Alright.” Cedar frowns, moving his marker down one life. We each get five hits before we are eliminated. Hazel looks up at Marigold, an innocent flutter of her lashes the only sign of silent communication between the friends.
Marigold cranes her neck and smiles sweetly at me. “Sorry Jasper.” And she lays down a card to shoot at me.
“What the hell?” I cry out, just dramatic enough she knows I’m teasing. “Well, guess what? Too bad!” I say, setting down a card to block her shot. All five lives still intact. She pouts, crossing her arms and leaning back into the cushion. She’s adorable.
I lay down a gun card before me so I can shoot people further away. Onyx lays down his own gun and Cedar fires back at Hazel.
“Watch it,” Slate says menacingly.
“She could be the Renegade, out to trick you.” Cedar points out.
“I would never!” Hazel rests her chin on Slate’s knee, wrapping her arm around his calf.
Back to the Sheriff, and Slate lays down a gun so he can shoot further. “You’re strategic,” I note. He shrugs.
Hazel takes another shot at Cedar, and then Marigold takes a shot at me. With a glare, I send one back at her and she gasps. We both move our markers down one life.
While everyone’s eyes are on Onyx’s hemming and hawing over his next move, Marigold bends downlow, leaning over my shoulder with her hair curtaining her, and murmurs, “I’m going to get you back for that.”
My hand moves to her calf and I squeeze it lightly. Her smile is devious.
Onyx decides to lay a specialty card that shoots at everyone including himself, and only Slate and Onyx come out unscathed with blocking cards. Down to three lives.
In the next round, Cedar is eliminated. He flips his card to reveal the role of Deputy.
“Whoops!” Hazel says. “Sorry, Cedar. Thought you were an Outlaw.”
Marigold studies Onyx, her lip between her teeth. She decides he is the next target, and over the next two rounds, both she and Hazel work to eliminate him.
This gives me a chance to shoot at Slate. Unfortunately, it proves to be a mistake, because he still has plenty of blocking cards and all five of his lives. Sliding my marker down to zero lives, I groan and flip the card over to reveal Outlaw, a twin to Onyx’s role card in front of him.
“I knew it!” Marigold says. She grins at Hazel who is looking far too pleased with herself. Slate who is looking suspicious of both women.
“One of them has to be the Renegade, and the other is your Deputy,” Cedar explains the obvious, resting his chin on his fist and studying the pair. Slate lays down another bonus card which gives him an unnecessary ability to shoot further, effectively buying himself time to figure out which girl is which role.
“She’s the Renegade,” Hazel accuses. Marigold narrows her eyes at her. Hazel’s next shot is at Marigold, and Marigold fires back.
“I’m the Deputy,” Marigold says, pressing her lips together as Slate looks between them.
“Sorry,” he says, shrugging and laying down a card to shoot Marigold.
“Thank you, honey,” Hazel says, kissing his outstretched arm.
