Anxiety had Orin squirming where he sat.
Dread crept up into my throat when we lost the round to Zevrial as well. Henrik had stiffened, balling and un-balling his hands.
This was the final round.
I watched, dazed, as Sarina shuffled and dealt out the cards. Was this real? Were we all going to be kicked out of the outpost tomorrow morning due to our own recklessness? I squashed down the rising panic.
Sarina's fingers were visibly shaking as she looked at her cards.
Rosa held her cards up to her face and let out a delicate cough. Was she trying to pull off a subtle cheating maneuver?
Zevrial glimpsed down at a flick of his cards, face inscrutable.
Taking a calming breath, I held the air and willed my face to relax as I looked at my hand.
Three magicians, two bishops.
I held the breath a few seconds longer than needed after dropping the cards, the faint ringing in my ears receding.
This was a strong hand. Good enough to win.
I couldn't let relief show, especially before seeing how everyone else was reacting. Twisting in my seat, I feigned anxiety and peered around at everyone else.
Zevrial was staring straight at me.
“Eyes on your own paper,” I said. It won me another devastating smirk.
Orin looked like he'd inhaled a mayapa whole. His fist clenched by his side.
Sarina pushed a coin forward. I couldn't read her well enough to tell whether or not she had a good hand.
“Raise.” I nudged two coins forward.
Everyone pushed two coins forward. Henrik swapped out two of his cards for others, Rosa for one. Sarina and I both contributed another two coins as it came back around to us.
Zevrial was studying my face with too much interest and intensity for my comfort. He picked up three coins and moved them into the middle. “Raise.”
My heartbeat sped up. He hadn't raised in a single round before this one. Either he had an exceptional hand, or he was bluffing. And I couldn't tell which.
Henrik shook his head, folding. Orin followed suit.
Rosa hesitated, then dropped three coins into the center.
Benji counted out his three coins with deliberate care, rubbing them between his fingers before adding them. He began to mutter a prayer to the Devourer under his breath.
Sarina pushed three coins forward.
I only had four coins left in my stack. Judiciousness had limited what I brought tonight, knowing that I was likely to lose most of it to Henrik's underhanded tricks.
To call the round, or raise again?
I met the blatant stare Zevrial still pointed in my direction.
I wasn't folding.
“I'll raise.” I bid a silent farewell to my remaining funds as I nudged them into the center.
An eyebrow went up, and the edge of Zevrial’s lips twitched. My pulse was a steady pounding now, I could taste it in the back of my throat.
