The Silent Deal: The Card Game, Book 1 by Stack Levi

Author:Stack, Levi [Stack, Levi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2013-05-02T04:00:00+00:00

Nearly one week later, Viktor rode with Romulus and Arseni through the snowy northern forest during the dead hours of the night. Making plans to visit Birstov had been tricky, and Viktor’s plan was risky: Sneak out of the house Thursday night, reach Birstov by morning, talk with Kamdrac, and return to Aryk by evening. If all went well, his parents would assume he’d left early for school Friday, and the blood brothers would have finally talked with the man who’d crafted the most illegal card deck in Aryk.

Yet the trip was not without formal dangers. Ever since the boxing match, security in Aryk had doubled: Packs of soldiers roamed the streets, guards searched citizens at will, and the men and women in the mines and textile mills were being watched with renewed vigor. Even the checkpoints on the roads leading out of Aryk had been fortified—which was precisely why the boys had taken to the forest.

For now, Romulus led them deep into black trees, but once they skirted the checkpoints, Arseni would take the lead. He’d traveled across many of the northern towns while fire-juggling; he knew the roads well. Until then, Viktor would have to put up with the shadows of the forest, where invisible beasts rustled bushes and bark froze so cold that it snapped, creating cracks like gunshots. Lady Nutrix’s words didn’t help. Losing his family, Romulus betraying him, their search leading to the death of Romulus: These predictions would always linger in the far corner of Viktor’s mind, like an itch he couldn’t reach, even if he didn’t believe them to be true.

“Arseni, try to keep the horses calm,” said Romulus. “We’re about to pass Earth’s Edge.”

The olive-skinned Gypsy began whispering Romani words to the horses, whose tails swished happily at the sound of his voice. This behavior never ceased to amaze Viktor. He swore Arseni could change their direction, speed, or even make them jump with just a few secret syllables.

As the trio exited a twisting passage of trees onto a frozen sandbar, Viktor understood why this spot was marked on Romulus’ old map. Across a beautiful cove tucked into the mountainside, water from Aryk’s river cascaded off a sheer drop. Where the waterfall plummeted into the pool, vapor rose up in clouds, drifting across the cove to make chilled mist.

“Drink it in,” said Romulus over the roar. “This is the only flowing water you’ll see for months.”

Arseni nodded. “It’s a bit hard for water to freeze off a hundred-foot cliff, eh?”

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