Page 3 of Wicked Little Tricks

Focus, Eva. The lights of the casino flashed one by one, acting out a scene with a dancing woman twirling amidst falling bills.

I wondered if any of the patrons ever experienced such joy, but I doubted it. What was the saying? Ohyeah, the housealwayswins. Especially when it was run by creatures who could feed on the energy of greed.

Nope, not my scene. Though the sparkly outfits were nice.

I felt momentary relief as I stepped inside out of the rain, but then the sound of slot machines and laughter closed around me. My nose wrinkled with the scent of booze and too much perfume.

Keeping my head low, I continued onward, moving mostly unnoticed.

When I finally felt eyes on me I glanced toward a blackjack table, spotting a wraith looking my way. He appeared mostly human, other than his pure black eyes and pale skin. No one else looked at him, even though he stood close to a woman leaning over the table in her glittery red dress.

He met my eyes and smiled. Wraiths can slip about easily, not catching anyone’s attention. It’s why they make excellent security guards. Andspies. I could only feel him watching me because of my celestial blood. I could sense the aura that normally repelled eyes from his tall, thin form.

Wraiths are actually pretty similar to celestials— they keep one foot in another realm. I met the man’s cold, dead eyes for a moment longer, then moved on. Our varying skill sets weren’t the only difference between us.

Following the directions I’d been given, I hurried for the stairs on the eastern end of the massive space. Iran up them, not looking too close at the dizzying carpet as I avoided people coming down in the other direction.

I reached the landing, then glanced around. First hall on the left. All the way down. Final door. Should be simple enough.

I ran in that direction, feeling the weight of the mysterious package in my messenger bag. I hadn’t peeked inside. It was against the rules, and I might lose more than my payment, if you catch my drift.

I reached the end of the hall, then frowned. Two doors, one on either side.

I gnawed my lip for a moment, then went for the door on my left. With no one else in the hall, I figured both doors led to private high roller rooms. I could just take a peek inside without disturbing anyone. My recipient was supposed to be wearing a white suit, so he shouldn’t be hard to find.

I expected wraiths inside the door when I looked, but there were none to be seen. There was just a single table, gamblers gathered around. Two of them were women in opulent silks and strange furs—finer garments than the glittery numbers downstairs. And next to them, three men. One was tall and thin, even gaunt, with sunglasses shielding his eyes. The next man was older, portly, wearing a wide-brim hat. The third man had dark hair, olive skin, and features that hinted at eastern heritage. He and the hat man both glanced my way, but it was the man with the dark hair holding my attention.

There was something off about him. Something that sent my celestial senses tingling.

It didn’t matter though. No white suit. I smiled, then started to back out of the room.

The dark-haired man lifted a hand to stop me.

I hesitated. I needed to get moving, but it was always best to be polite to unknown creatures. There was otherworldly energy around the man. Somethingdangerous.

His lips curled with a charming smile. “Not finding what you’re looking for?”

With my palms sweating, I patted my messenger bag. “Just making a delivery. Wrong door.”

I tried to step back again, but my feet wouldn’t move. The rest of me started sweating enough to match my palms. Now everyone at the table was looking my way. What in the hells did I just walk into?

“A night runner?” The man’s smile broadened. “Do come and join us.” He gestured to an empty chair that I was pretty sure hadn’t been there a moment before.

I tried to move again, but my feet were rooted to the spot. I was under some sort of magical compulsion. I could almost sense it, although it was incredibly subtle. Sweat trickled down my back beneath my coat. I felt the compulsion to move forward, to take the seat at the table.

The strange man watched me intently, still smiling. Everyone else was utterly silent.

I wasn’t sure what he was, but he had powerfulmagic. I focused on my own abilities, shifting ever so slightly to another realm. I couldn’t go there entirely, but it was enough to break most magical holds.

Just like that, the compulsion snapped and disintegrated. “I’m on a deadline,” I growled, stepping back.

His brows raised. For a moment, his hold tightened around me again, stealing my breath. He lifted a deck of cards, shuffling it with a flourish for the people around him. The way the cards flew across his fingers hinted at more magic, and everyone else seemed delighted.

Lifting his eyes to me, he released his hold. “Very well.” He flashed me another smile. “But I do hope to see you again, very soon.”

With my heart in my throat, I took another step back and slammed the door. I could hear his laughter echoing from the other side, though none of the other people joined him.

I pushed my back against the wall and took several deep breaths, thinking about what the man could be. No fangs, so a vampire was out. Fae could play tricks too, but oddly enough for tricksters, they hated gambling. It was illegal amongst their people. Maybe they didn’t like the idea that they could potentially lose to humans.