Chapter 33
Malek couldn’t watch this. It was worse than a train wreck.
Caspar sat in front of Ultima, completely oblivious to the turmoil he’d caused.
How could Caspar bet his last wish? There was no way he could actually hand it over; wishes couldn’t be traded that way, but if Caspar found the right loophole in the contract, he could wish for a car or a boat or a fucking house cat and then give it to Ultima as payment for his debt.
And all of this was for Malek’s crown. It was too dangerous, too risky, even if the winning hand could help get them close to freedom.
Because if Caspar lost, he would need to decide what to do with his life before they even considered what would happen to Malek.
After being so connected the night before, Malek couldn’t stand the ending where they were both alone.
Malek watched as Caspar put down a card.
Ultima drew. His heart pounded, louder and louder.
He had no idea what this game was. How could you play a game with another person with Nat’s cards?
Nat had designed them for a game of solitaire and solo insight, so he could play when he was on the road.
And his game didn’t have an ending—only a time when someone eventually gave up.
“I… I don’t like this,” Malek said, loud enough for Caspar to hear.
“What?” Caspar shrugged. “I’m doing fine.”
Ultima let out a small breath and collected the cards on the table. Her smile let Malek know she’d won. Malek gasped.
“What? I’m still doing fine,” Caspar said.
“But if this goes on, it means—”
“It means a lot of things.” Caspar tore his eyes away from the cards only to bore them into Malek. “But the bad things only happen if I lose. And I won’t lose.”
Without another word, Caspar went back to playing. But when Ultima grabbed even more cards for her side, Malek’s stomach turned.
“I can’t watch,” he murmured. He wandered to the bar and ordered whatever beer they had on tap.
The beer didn’t have as much of an effect on him as he needed, but it still blurred the edges.
He could no longer hear the scraping of cards across the table, or Katja’s sudden gasps as Caspar got closer and closer to the final round.
When Katja cheered, Malek dared to look over his shoulder.
Some cards were on Caspar’s side now, but not nearly enough.
Malek reminded himself of all the cons they’d already run, followed by the fact that Caspar had once lost ten grand, but wasn’t in debt.
He could do this—if Katja and William and Natasha, along with Malek, all believed.
Belief is a tool, Malek repeated to himself. Belief is a tool, belief is a tool…
“Shit,” Natasha murmured at the bar.
Malek couldn’t bear to look over his shoulder again. When his chants lost meaning, he picked up his phone and scrolled through his messages.
Jocasta had contacted him on the bus, but he hadn’t had time to consider the ramifications of her news, either.
Henri is still missing. Definitely the one associated with the gargoyles.
Your kid rogue is lucky he didn’t lose a damn hand when he was going through this concrete jungle.
We found a bunch of records in a desk drawer that Gabe’s looking through to see if he recognizes any connections. Get that crown as soon as possible.
Malek sighed again as he re-read the message and typed out a reply. Any news on William? His brother and Imogen? Come on and give me some good news, J. I need it.
“How’s it going?” Malek asked Natasha when Jocasta didn’t respond right away. “Please tell me something good, because I can’t watch.”
“Um. He’s smiling, but his cards keep getting taken away,” she said. “I have no idea what’s going on.”
When Malek looked over his shoulder, he recognized the smile. Caspar’s I’m about to come smile, and it was glorious. Caspar’s cheeks were even tinted with blush, as if he was close to the edge.
“Oh, thank God,” Malek said. “Caspar’s winning.”
“Yeah?” Natasha and Malek had now both turned around on their stools to watch the game from the bar.
Only a few seconds passed before victory cascaded across Caspar’s face—and shock on Ultima’s.
Katja placed a hand on Caspar’s shoulder and cheered while Ultima slammed the table in frustration, sending cards flying.
Caspar shot Malek a look from across the bar, a sly I told you so, before extending his hand to shake Ultima’s.
“Good game, good game,” Caspar said as Malek and Natasha stepped over to the table. “I think we both played extremely well.”
“You did. Fuck,” Ultima said, her frustration slowly twisting into admiration. “I thought I had you. But man, I appreciate a good play as much as anyone else. So—tell me more about this crown. How much time do we have before we nab it?”
“The museum display isn’t open yet,” Katja said, “but there will be a fundraising gala in Le Musée de l’histoire de Montréal before the end of the week. That’s looking like the best time to break in and grab the crown.”
“Hmm. So by Friday?”
Katja nodded. Ultima considered this as she gazed at Katja’s phone with the museum information. “And we’re just taking the crown?”
“Yes. I mean, if you want something else for your payment, then you’re free to take it—but we’re only after the crown.”
“No, no, nothing for me,” Ultima said. “Caspar beat me fair and square. But I think I’d like food and board comped, since this is more than an afternoon consult. It’s gonna take a few days and require going to Montréal to case the joint. I might even have to go inside.”
“Great!” Katja beamed. “Just like old times.”
“Not quite. I can’t exactly bend backwards anymore.”
“What do you mean?” Caspar asked. “You’re still a contortionist, right? Even if you haven’t practiced, it’ll take a day or two to warm up, and then you’ll be all set.”
“Oh. Um…” Ultima chuckled as she reached down under the table and spun slightly to display the chair she was sitting in.
Caspar tilted his head, clearly unsure what she was referring to until the spokes of her wheelchair came into view.
Ultima hadn’t been sitting in the booth while they played, but had tucked her chair in tightly instead.
The table and the dark lights of the bar had obscured the machine until this point, but there was no doubt anymore—the leading thief-slash-contortionist-slash-trapeze artist, Ultima Vez, was paralyzed.
“Oh, shit,” Caspar said. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Don’t get all maudlin over it,” Ultima said. “I barely felt a thing. Still barely feel a thing below my waist.”
When Ultima banged on the power box of her chair for effect, Katja seemed to snap to attention.
She gazed at the spokes on the wheels, some of which had been threaded with beads and ribbons, and then down to Ultima with her mouth slightly agape.
“Oh my God. When did this happen? How come I didn’t know? ”
“Because we weren’t really talking, Kitty-Kat.” Ultima shrugged. “And Christmas cards don’t count. They’re just pleas for dying alliances.”
“I’m so sorry.” Katja sat down in the booth next to Ultima. “I should have called.”
“Ugh, please. Spare me the shoulda-woulda-couldas. Tears don’t make a damn difference, so stop crying. I’m still fine. Mostly okay.”
“How did it happen?” Malek asked. “Or am I not allowed to…?”
“You’re allowed to ask. At least you’re not staring at me like this one over here.
” Ultima gestured toward Caspar, who still had disdain written across his face.
“It didn’t happen during a gig, thank God.
Around 2011, I was enjoying my retirement from the diamond trade when I decided getting a motorcycle was a good idea.
A cute lady talked me into it. Damn, Skylar.
She left me for someone else, and all I had was the bike.
But even the bike betrayed me. Don’t ride them, kids. Death traps.”
“I’m so sorry,” Katja said again. “How come it’s not reported anywhere? We researched you before coming, since, you know, we hadn’t talked in a while.”
“I wanted to be invisible after the bust. So I kept it out of the papers. The bar acted as a good cover.”
“So, that’s it, then?” Caspar said. “No more job. I just won for nothing.”
“Hey now. You win for the victory of the thing. And that’s gotta feel pretty good, right? Even against someone like me.”
Caspar huffed.
“Oh, stop pouting,” Ultima said. “You’re just pissed you have a glass eye and are just like me.”
Caspar started to roll his eyes, but soon covered the left one with his hand. He huffed until Malek slid an arm around him to calm him.
“I’m not sure what the best approach is,” Katja said, trying to appear diplomatic. “Any kind of heist is hard. I don’t even want William to participate half the time.”
“You mean that kid who’s been stealing wallets since the moment he stepped inside?
” Ultima gestured to William by the washroom doors, his jacket looking significantly thicker than before they had walked into the bar.
While Natasha groaned and went to go speak with him about his behaviour, Ultima seemed proud.
“How do you feel, Ultima?” Malek asked. “Are you okay with helping us? If you are, then that’s all that matters, right?”
“I’m still in the game, just in a different position. So yes, I’m in.” Ultima grinned. “Plus, your boy here has been waxing poetic about the warring families and the Chaos Mages. It all sounds so delightfully interesting. Might make for some fabulous evening entertainment.”
“So you’ll help?” Katja asked. “You think it’s possible to get the crown?”
“Oh, definitely possible. Anything that’s not nailed down can be stolen, and even stuff that is nailed down can be released. The crown should be a piece of cake.”
“But how? I’m sorry to be a realist here, but…” Caspar gestured to the chair. “You’re not in the best shape to do this.”
“Oh? I didn’t know you were a doctor. The last I heard, you were looking for help that I can provide.”
“Yeah, preferably the kind of help that’s capable of helping itself.”
Malek squeezed Caspar’s arm, trying to tell him to stop.
Everyone at the table seemed to sense the tension, and even Ultima didn’t have a comeback.
She carefully finished her beer before she folded away her cards.
She rolled her chair out of the booth and cleared a pathway for herself until she was in front of Caspar.
She stared at him keenly before she covered her left eye with her hand, mimicking Caspar’s missing one.
“How’s the depth perception up there?”
“Fuck you.”
“Fuck you,” Ultima returned. She kept a hand over her eye and mocked him as if he was a pirate, hooking one of her fingers. Caspar searched for help around him, but not even Malek would choose sides.
“Fine. I’ll say it, then,” Caspar said. “I don’t think Ultima can help us, even if she just consults. It’s been a while since you’ve been in the game, Ultima, and the times have changed. Montréal has changed. How do we know your info is any good?”
“How do I know that you guys aren’t dicks who will leave my chair at the top of the stairs? I don’t. But sometimes we have to trust people because they have what we want. You need me.”
“And what do you need from us?”
Ultima shrugged. “Room and board. A story. Maybe a catch-up with Kitty-Kat over here.”
“I still don’t know,” Caspar said.
“Seems we are at an impasse.” Ultima mocked Caspar again by covering and uncovering her left eye. With a sigh, Malek braced himself for a fight. He had mostly healed since the last one, but judging from the crowd in the bar, it’d be a tough act.
But instead, Caspar laughed hard. He ran a hand up to his good eye to catch the one tear that fell, and then shook his head. “You’re a fucking mess, Ultima.”
“So are you, pirate boy. Now let me come on your adventure.”
“Okay, fine,” Caspar said. “As long as you don’t take yourself too seriously.”
“Same to you, deary. But I have to say, now that I have to go, I’m excited to see Montréal again.”
“You are?” Katja asked.
“Yes. And I can get around just fine, as long as one of these strong boys can lift me into whatever vehicle you have outside. You were thinking of going to a hotel tonight, right?” When Katja nodded, Ultima went on. “Well, as long as it has an elevator, I’m set. Now… who’s gonna help me out?”
Malek stepped forward. He was about to reach under Ultima and actually lift her out of her chair when she slapped his hand.
“At least wait until you get me to the car, yeah? Save your eager hands for Caspar.” Ultima snickered along with Caspar.
She requested a couple extra minutes to set her tab in order, and to be sure she had all her things from the back room.
Katja helped gather her stuff while Natasha and William were brought up to speed.
William seemed utterly enchanted by the whole idea, and Caspar had finally come around.
“All right, friends. Thank you for your help. Show me your vehicle.”
By the time Malek had driven the bus back through the streets to where the rest of the crew waited with Ultima, it was dark. As Malek opened the door, Ultima let out a long whistle.
“Oh, boy. You never said it was a bus.”
“Is that bad?”
“Better, actually. There’s a wheelchair access ramp, so Kitty-Kat and I can probably handle this. You can save the prince charming stuff for your boyfriend for now.”
Katja and William found the wheelchair ramp and set it up so Ultima could join the bus. With her aboard, accompanied by the flashing lights from the bus, the whole thing felt like a VIP affair. Caspar linked hands with Malek, a sigh on his lips.
“Am I an asshole?” he asked.
“Yes,” Malek said. “But so is she, and I think you and Ultima are both the right kind of jerks we need for this mission.”
“And you need me too, right?”
“Oh yeah. For this mission, and more.” Malek leaned close and kissed Caspar on the mouth. “In fact, as soon as we’re settled in Quebec, there’s a surprise I want to give you.”
“A surprise? If it’s anything like last night, I’m in.”
“Good.” Malek kissed him once again before Ultima pressed a button on her wheelchair that emitted a sound like a horn honking.
“Not to break up the mood,” she said with a sly smile, “but I’m ready to go. And you know, Montréal is so beautiful at night. Ever seen it?”
“A long time ago, but I could do it again.” Malek turned the key in the ignition. “And I think we’re right on schedule.”