Aces and Deuces are Wyld

An Exalted Story

(Takes place after "Heaven Sent Sword" and before "Tea for Bears")

Chapter 1

"You want me to rob a casino?" I stared at Peleps Naveen.

The Admiral nodded gravely. He took a small sip from the glass of wine on his desk and glanced at his compass. It was rocking slightly, but that wasn't much of a surprise. The water was very choppy. I'd lost my breakfast over the bow of our ship, and was only too thankful to sit down in a chair in the Admiral's cabin. Despite Naveen's impressive sailing Charms, the weather had been rough for the past three days.

"I don't know what you've been told," I said. "But I'm a calvary officer! I know less about thieving than I know about being on a ship."

My protest got a chuckle out of the old man. His entire crew had been laughing at me since I'd first come aboard. I wasn't accustomed to being uncoordinated, but it had taken me weeks to develop "sea legs". I still tripped occasionally. The Admiral, of course, was a Water-Aspect. He could go out and waltz across the waves if he had the mind to.

"Cathak, the Last Resort is a very dangerous place," Naveen sighed. "I don't like the idea of you going in there without backup, but Mnemon Rai told me that you prefer to work alone."

I grimaced. What Mnemon Rai hadn't told Naveen was why I couldn't have anyone with me.

I was sure the Admiral wouldn't be half as cordial if he knew that he was talking to one of the most feared "Anathema" in Creation.

Sometimes, I was thankful for the fatemangling that the Weeping Maiden had put me through. Only my father and my former commander actually knew that I was Alexander Faeslayer. From the perspective of everyone else, I was still Cathak Loren. The Sidereals had decided it was a lot easier to clean things up by pretending they'd never happened.

"So what is this thing that you need me to steal?" I asked.

"We're not certain," Naveen paused. "The owner of the Last Resort is a powerful fae lord called Maldict. Word has it, he's gotten his claws on something very nasty. He intends to give it away as a "prize" in some nonsensical game he's arranging. As I understand it, there are already players from Skullstone at his casino. And of course, anything the Silver Prince wants, he'd best not get his hands on it. The same goes for Wavecrest, and Lintha Dukatha. If this prize is as powerful as everyone in the West seems to think it is, we need it."

I said nothing. The Realm possessing some sort of fae doomsday device wasn't necessarily better than Wavecrest having it, but I wasn't about to protest. I'd rather see such a weapon in the hands of anyone other than a fae lord, Deathlord, or demon. Regardless of their allegiance, most humans and Dragonbloods weren't keen on the idea of Creation itself being hurled back into the Wyld.

"All right," I paused. "So what you're asking me to do is infiltrate this place, find out what Maldict has, and take it away from him?"

"It would also be helpful if you could find out more about Maldict's game," Naveen added. "Identify some the other players. This could be a good opportunity to find out who our future foes might be. Mnemon Rai has told me that you're an expert on the Trickster Anathema."

Being married to a Changing Moon Lunar didn't make me an expert on anything that I was aware of.

In fact, most of the time I felt like an imbecile, trying to sort out why Amira was sulking or throwing things. Still, if Lunars were after the fae lord's prize, it was possible that I could have allies inside the casino. Of course, I'd have to reveal to the Sun King Seneshals that I was, in fact, a "Sun King" if I expected any cooperation out of them. They were generally a stodgy old bunch, the most conservative of the Lunar factions.

"That's a tall order," I told him.

What I didn't say was that I already knew agents of Heaven were also interested in the fae lord's prize. Unfortunately, I couldn't very well call them out. Most people don't believe that Sidereals exist.

"Somehow," Naveen said. "I get the impression that you'll be able to handle it."

"I'll do my best, sir," I said, excusing myself.

Naveen seemed like a good man. I was tempted to actually give him what he wanted… but I wasn't about to break a promise sealed by Heaven.

That sort of thing never ends well.