Chapter 158

Chapter 158
Lyra's POV

"That's Evander," Sylvia whispered, her lips nearly brushing my ear. "He holds a high position in the Blood Moon Cult, and he's known for his exceptional memory. I'm afraid he might recognize me."

I caught her eye and signaled her to stop talking. Whatever Evander's abilities, our best chance now was to act as if nothing was amiss. Sylvia understood immediately, the flicker of anxiety vanishing from her face. She straightened just as Evander glanced in our direction. His gaze lingered on Sylvia's face for less than a second before moving on. He hadn't recognized her—yet. But every passing moment increased the risk.

I turned my attention back to the poker table. The opening hand wasn't in my favor—four community cards were already face-up, and I needed either the eight of hearts or the king of hearts to complete a straight or a flush. The odds weren't promising. Meanwhile, Evander had amassed a considerable stack of chips. He'd just won the previous round with three jacks, and now he leaned back in his chair with a faint, careless smile, as if savoring the certainty of victory. From his expression, I guessed he was holding at least a king and a jack—two pair, minimum.

While I calculated probabilities, Evander turned to the man beside him, his voice taking on the casual tone of idle conversation. "Toren, something's happened recently. The Patriarch seems to be in excellent spirits."

The man called Toren picked up the thread, his tone laced with undisguised satisfaction. "Probably because Orion's dead. The Blackwood family's been destroying our strongholds left and right, but with him gone, the Patriarch's greatest opponent is eliminated." He let out a short laugh. "I heard he was poisoned. Didn't even know who did it. Died without a clue."

My hand froze over my chips. Inside me, Selah let out a low, keening sound that only the two of us could hear. My nails dug crescent-shaped marks into my palm, the pain anchoring me to the present. Beside me, Toren continued talking. I forced myself to stop listening, pushing down the burning sensation rising in my chest, and refocused on the table.

"All in." Evander shoved most of his chips into the center.

A ripple of subdued commotion ran through the onlookers. "Evander's on fire tonight. That woman's not going to last this round." "New face, sits down at this table right away—wonder where she got the nerve."

I ignored the commentary, calculating rapidly. If the final community card was a heart, I'd complete the flush and his two pair would lose. If it was an eight, I'd have a straight and he'd still lose. My odds of winning were roughly thirty percent. But thirty percent was enough.

"Call." I pushed all my chips forward without hesitation.

Evander's movement stalled, as if he hadn't expected me to match his bet. The final community card turned over—eight of hearts. Straight flush. Ten, jack, queen, nine, eight of hearts, in perfect sequence. I laid down my hole cards. The table fell silent for a heartbeat, then erupted in voices louder than before.

"She won? She actually beat Evander?" "That straight flush! Did she calculate it or was it luck?"

Evander's expression darkened for an instant, but he quickly recovered his nonchalant demeanor and pushed his remaining chips toward me. "Seems I misjudged you. You're not here to donate money after all," he said, his tone carrying a note of undisguised scrutiny.

I didn't respond. I simply stood, gathered all the chips, and handed them to the man who'd brought us in, fulfilling the promise I'd made to gain entry. His fingers traced lightly over the pile, and he raised an eyebrow, his voice teasing. "This alone isn't enough payment for getting you inside. I'll need you to do something else for me."

I frowned reflexively, uncertain what he intended. But making a scene now would only expose Sylvia and me. "Fine," I said, agreeing to the additional condition.

He nodded with satisfaction and turned to lead us deeper into the gambling den. Sylvia and I followed him through a corridor blocked by heavy velvet curtains. The lighting grew dimmer, the surrounding clamor gradually absorbed by the walls. Sylvia suddenly tugged lightly at my sleeve, her face pale as she leaned close to my ear. "Lyra, I think this is a dead end."

Her words jolted me into awareness. The corridor ended in a solid wall with no visible exit. Alarm flared in my mind, and I swung my hand toward the back of the man's neck. But he seemed to have anticipated my attack, raising both hands before I could land the blow.

"Rourke," he said, his voice low and clear. "I work for Corvin, Lord of the Western Territory. Don't attack."

My palm stopped less than an inch from his neck. Rourke—I'd heard that name from Orion. He'd mentioned it once, saying Corvin had planted a spy deep within the Blood Moon Cult using that alias.

"What makes you think mentioning Corvin would make me stop?" I asked, keeping my voice steady.

Rourke glanced around the corridor, confirming no one else was present before speaking in a lowered voice. "I know you're not just here to gamble. When Toren mentioned Orion at the table, your instinctive reaction gave you away. You covered it quickly, but I saw it. Combined with your appearance at this casino at such a convenient time, you must be from the Northern Territory. That's why I agreed to bring you in after just one winning hand—I was curious about your connection to Orion and why you'd risk coming here."

I studied him for several seconds, confirming his expression held no trace of deception. Orion had told me Rourke was one of Corvin's deepest plants inside the Blood Moon Cult, his code name known only to himself and Corvin.

"I'm Lyra," I said. "Orion Blackwood's fated mate."

Speaking Orion's name made me pause involuntarily. Just saying it brought an uncontrollable wave of grief. Rourke's gaze flickered with undisguised sympathy.

"I know Orion's death hit you hard," he said, his voice softer than before, "but the coordinated purge agreed upon by the four territories hasn't arrived yet. If you act prematurely and something goes wrong, you'll lose more than you gain."

I didn't tell him about Kaelum's potential vulnerability during the lunar eclipse. I only said, "Kaelum poisoned Orion. I have to avenge him."

Rourke fell silent for a moment. He didn't try to dissuade me further, but his eyes held a trace of regret, as if he'd already accepted that I would fail.

"I hope you succeed," he said. "But if Kaelum discovers your plan, please keep my secret. My mission isn't complete yet."

I nodded. "I won't expose your identity."

He looked at me once more, then turned and disappeared into the shadows of the corridor. After he left, I turned to Sylvia.

"Where would Kaelum usually be?"