Part 11

I came seeking information.  What I got was not what I had bargained for. 

“Wait, you drew that?  Let me see it.”  I reach out, take the card from him.  I examine the wheel closer.  Sure enough, almost hidden in the shadow of one of the wooden spokes, is my brother's signature.  “I’ll be damned.”

His long fingers snatch the card from me, “You may already be.”

“What do you mean?”

Jason takes a sip of tea, lets the steam caress his face.  “What are you going to do?”

“About what?”  I file the ‘you may already be’ comment away for later.

He cocks a bushy, greying eyebrow, tilts his head slightly.  “About her.”

“How’d you know?”  I ask, quickly glancing around the room.

“Relax, I read the cards this morning.  Why else would I have answered the door this late?”

“Sorry.  Should’ve guessed.”  I bring the hot liquid to my lips, drink.

He sets the card on the table in front of him, tilts his chair back, opens a drawer and pulls out a small pouch, along with a sheet of paper.  “Cigarette?”  I nod and he grabs a second piece of paper out.

While he is rolling the cigarettes, I pull out the Sigil Sphere and play with it, let the orb roll back and forth along the top of my fingers.  I take the cigarette when it is offered, light it with the sphere, doing the same to his before he can get the lighter out of his pocket.

“How did you…”  He begins, but I interrupt.

“You first, tell me about your reading.”

“All it said was that you would be stopping by tonight and that a woman was somehow involved.”

It was my turn to raise an eyebrow and cock my head.  I pull the book out of my coat.  “I’ve been doing some reading, I don’t think I’m getting the whole picture.  What did you mean earlier, that I might already be damned.”

“I, I don’t know now.”  He takes a long drag, holds the smoke in his mouth for a second, his thin lips tightly sealed.  Opening wide he lets it billow out.  My brother sees the disappointed look on my face and continues.  “I drew the Magician also, and I thought it had something to do with an adversary, but with you doing that,” flustered, he waves his hand, “trick with the fire, I’m not so sure.”  Jason pauses for a sip of tea and another puff from his cigarette.  “Your turn.”  He smiles, his crooked teeth yellow-brown from years of smoking

I nod.  “I’m a Prince,” I begin and immediately he laughs.

“Wait, so I’m supposed to believe…”  He stops as I stand up, push my chair in.  “Wait, I’m sorry.  Sit back down.”

I glare at him but concede, take my seat.  “There were twelve of us at one point,  I believe there are only seven remaining.  I was given this title down below, in the sewers.  I came across the Troll King, he was hiding beneath a heap of boxes, dying of lung cancer.”  I chuckle as I take another drag of my own from my cigarette.  “He handed me this,” I nod toward the glass sphere, “and told me that I was now one of the Underground Princes.  I had no idea what it meant then.  I’m not one hundred percent sure I know what it means now…”

“So, do you have subjects?  Do you have a kingdom?  Do they pay you tribute?”  His questions come rapid fire.

I snort at the last one.  “Tribute?  Remember who these people are.  What they have.  No, my main role is as an arbiter.  I hear grievances and settle disputes.  As for your other questions, kind of.  It is up in the air right now.  With five of us missing, we need to carve up the city again, but we can’t agree how.  Besides…”  My thoughts drift to the possibilities of Cyrus running everything.  “I’m sorry to have involved you in all of this Jason.”  I say and down the rest of my tea in one long gulp.

“In all of what?” He asks.

“The less you know…”  I tell him as I stand.  I grab the library book and the tarot card from the table.  “This card can’t be a coincidence, I need to figure out what it means and how you fit in all of it.”

“Wait!”  He says, holding up a finger, but my eyes are already fixed on the orb.

“I’ll be in touch.  Close your eyes,”  I tell him, and I am gone.