The Last Narkoy: Gathow: Book 2 by Elizabeth Price (good e books to read .txt) 📗

moment later a letter appeared on her monitor. It was a letter to her, personally, from her grandmother. Sedom’s eyes widened as she read. Everything she questioned, ever command decision she ever made, believing it was her decision, was written in her grandmother’s own words as exactly what she should have done.

“She wanted me to reopen Gathow,” she said out loud. She read further, pointing her finger at a paragraph about the Oslo. “Son-of-a…” she huffed, standing. “Great, just great!” she yelled so loud that it caused those outside her office to take notice. She walked over, closing the door. “Okay, computer, where is the Enisos moon?” she called out.

She hurried back to her computer, examining the map that had appeared. “Why in the hell did you do that?” she gasped.

NINETEEN

Zion glanced up from the table having heard the door open.

For a long moment, he waited not seeing anyone enter. He wanted to blame it on the wind, but being that they lived in an underground city, the wind was hardly an issue.

“What's this game called again?” Lolum asked Godwin as he thumbed at his cards.

Godwin looked over the tops of his cards, his face stone. “Poker.”

“Leave it to humans to take a piece of paper and turn it into a game,” Zion joked.

“Remind me not to play with Sortec. Something tells me she'd be a natural,” Noral said with a snicker. “Though playing with a mind-reader has me concerned,” he nudged across the table to Zion.

“I should give it a try sometime,” Sedom spoke from the doorway.

The sudden sound of her voice made the five men in the group stand.

“Chadon, to what do we owe this honor so late at night?” Zion asked.

Sedom strolled into the room, glancing over the cards on the table. “Have a seat, boys. It was quiet. I thought I'd see what you were up to. No good I see,” she joked.

The men all took their seats. All but Godwin seemed on edge with Sedom in the room.

“Something like that,” Lolum mentioned settling back into his seat. “How's the hunting?”

Sedom took up a seat between Lolum and Zion. “Boring. There's no Marisheio in the area. I guess they're learning to leave us alone.”

“Don't count on it,” Dranuim grunted. “Well I'm out,” Dranuim grumbled, folding his cards on the table.

“Me too,” Noral said with a tired sigh. “Last time I play cards with a human,” he joked.

“Didn't you learn your lesson about humans?” Sedom said glaring at Godwin.

Godwin stood glaring back. “Problem, Chadon? Last I checked I've never wronged you,” he asked plainly, but forceful enough to make Sedom know he would not back down.

Sedom rose, her hand holding her up against the table as she glared directly back at Godwin. “Should there be?” she asked back. “Because I can certainly oblige you.”

Lolum grabbed the back of Godwin's shirt, pulling him into his seat. “Don't,” he barked.

Godwin inched his way back into his seat, Sedom following suit. She took up the discarded cards and then gathered up the rest from the players still holding cards. “Tell you what, you and me right now. Five cards, no wild.”

“Since when did you learn to play cards?” Lolum asked within a nervous chuckle.

Sedom gleamed. “Who said I have?” she said with a wink. She shuffled the deck three times then dealt out the cards.

“What's the stakes?” Godwin asked, taking up the cards.

“I win, you recruit and train five men to fix my ships,” Sedom started.

“And if I win?” he asked.

Sedom smirked as she thought. “I'll give you back your ship and everything you need to fix it,” she offered. “Fair trade.”

Godwin glanced at his cards amused. “Fine. I'll take four cards.”

The rest of the men stood around the table, watching the two with amusement. Sedom dealt Godwin four cards and then herself three.

“Let's up the stakes a little, shall we? How about I get to keep one of your ships instead,” Godwin began as he studied Sedom's placid expression.

Sedom chuckled. “Fine. In return if I win, you remain here for the next five years servicing my ships, no questions asked, ” she replied.

Godwin nodded.

“Bad move. Bad move,” Zion said.

“Deal, show them,” Sedom ordered.

“Full house, threes and fives,” Godwin stated with a stylish, toothy grin.

Sedom nodded, her eyes turned to her cards as she let out a deep breath. “Straight flush, queen high,” she said with an equally deviant smirk. “Start work tomorrow on mine first. It's the big ship with the blue wings. It has Tevon Devok painted on the side.” She stood motioning to Zion. “Walk with me,” she ordered.

As soon as Sedom and Zion were clear of the room Godwin took up Sedom's cards, not able to believe what happened. “How the hell did she do that?”

Dranium chuckled, Lolum following his lead. “She cheated,” he stated.

“Cheated, how?”

Lolum patted the man's shoulder. “She memorized the cards when she was shuffling. She knew exactly what you were holding. Don't feel bad, she's tricked us all from time to time.”

“I don't understand why she'd want to. She hates me being here,” Godwin pointed out.

“We need a mechanic,” Dranuim said. “She pulled a similar trick on me to keep me here fixing the computer systems. Best bet I ever lost,” he said.

Godwin held Lolum to the side. “Well don't I feel lucky. What does Tevon Devok mean?”

A deviant smile crossed the old man's lips. “Hell Cat.” He patted Godwin's shoulder. “Welcome to our world. It only gets interesting from here.”

Outside Lolum's apartment, Zion walked alongside Sedom, wondering what was on her mind. She seldom came right out and asked for anything, but the tension he felt from her told him she was about to.

“My bed is calling me so out