“Two.” The big man slammed his hand down on the table shaking it and making the chips jump.
“Dave?”
“Two.” Dave was a slender guy with sunburnt skin, black hair, and squinty eyes. He flicked his cards at Tibs.
“Eliot?”
“One.” Eliot was a tall blond man. He was clean shaven, impeccably dressed in a silk shirt and slacks. A gold chain hung around his neck.
“Andrew?”
“Four.” Andrew was a muscle builder. He sat wearing a black tank, his head shaved
“Andrew, you always ask for four.”
“Yeah, Tibs deals me shit cards,” he snarled.
“I don’t know what you get,” Tibs argued.
“Balthazar?” The other dragon in the room studied his opponents and the, flicked three cards at Tibs without a word.
“Alistair?” Having noticed Balthazar sitting there for the first time, Alistair gritted his teeth. There weren’t many dragons he got along with, especially now. Dragons were fierce competitors and high strung. Alistair fought hard to keep himself in check, but Balthazar was the opposite of him. He was callous and only played because he loved to win, plus he was fascinated by the shiny colored disks they played with. He liked to collect as many as he could.
“Alistair?” Tibs asked again.
“None,” Alistair said.
“Alistair, you fucking cheater!” Hank roared. “You and Tibs are in on it together. That’s how you win every fucking time!”
“Hank, chill, I got shit.” Alistair threw his cards on the table.
“Then why didn’t you ask for cards?”
“Because I’d still have shit.” Alistair concentrated and his wings came out and folded down his back like a cape. This seemed to irritate Balthazar, and that was fun.
“Ooh Hank, you woke the dragon,” Tibs teased.
“Don’t worry Hank. The wings are the only thing Alistair knows how to control,” Balthazar said sinisterly. “She should have been mine,” he said as he glanced toward Phoebe.
“Yeah? Well she’s not,” Alistair snarled.
“Rumor has it you threw her away for a human.”
“I didn’t throw her away, and I don’t think that is any of your business,” Alistair snarled.
“Guys! Guys! We’re here to play cards.” Tibs tried to get the game back under control. “Alistair if you’re out, then just sit there.”
“I’m getting a drink.” Alistair got up and went to the bar. His wings trailed behind him. Everyone gave him a wide berth.
“Why do you play with those idiots?” Phoebe asked joining him at the bar.
“They’re my friends. Well, not Balthazar, but the rest of them are. Hank just joists. He’s never actually mad; he’s batting me because he wants to see the dragon.”
“Alistair, there is no room here for the dragon.”
“I’ll make room, and yeah there is. There isn’t room for two, so hopefully Balthazar doesn’t show his, but there’s enough room for one. Don’t worry, though, I have no plan to show my dragon tonight, or any night, not till Sarai sees it. I’ll tell you exactly how this game is going to go, because it happens every time. Hank is going to let his piggy out and the rest of us will be half-human, half-animal. It’s always a strange sight.”
“Hank is a pig?”
