Gilded Serpent by Danielle Jensen (top 10 novels txt) 📕

group set to gambling in earnest, coins piling up in the middle of the table, the number of players whittling down as some folded. It wasn’t a game Lydia was familiar with, but if it was new to Killian, he mastered it within a hand of play, for soon he and Agrippa were the only remaining players.

“So you’re new to town,” Agrippa said. “You one of the fools still coming through the xenthier on the hope of making your fortune looting Mudamora or one of the fools who lingered in Mudamora long enough to realize there is no fortune to be had?”

“The latter.” Killian glanced at his cards, and Lydia refrained from looking at his hand, having already been informed she had too many tells to be a gambler. Given Teriana had told her the same every time her friend fleeced her of whatever trinkets they’d been playing for, Lydia had decided that maybe it was the truth. “What do you got?”

Agrippa flipped over what was an impressive hand, leaning back in his chair. “Beat that, Tom.”

Killian didn’t answer, and Lydia’s stomach sank at the thought of losing what would be a sizable portion of their coin to a stupid game. Then he turned over his cards and Agrippa’s smile fell away.

“I think we’re done for the night.” Killian reached to scoop up the coins, but viper fast, Agrippa caught hold of his wrist. “No one’s this lucky! He’s cheating. Check him for cards!”

In a heartbeat, Baird flipped over the table, silver scattering everywhere as he lunged at Killian. Lydia screamed as Killian shoved her out of the way. But then Agrippa had her by the arm, his hands going up her sleeve. “It’s the girl!” he shouted triumphantly, pulling three cards from her sleeve, all aces in different suits.

“Those are not mine!” she shouted. “You put them in there! You’re the cheat!”

But even as she said the words, she knew no one would believe them. That for whatever reason, the pair had set her and Killian up.

“You think you can cheat me?” Baird bellowed. Picking up a chair, he flung it against a wall, then tossed another behind the bar, glass smashing. “There’s going to be a reckoning for this, boy!”

“Not in here! Please, Baird!” the barkeep pleaded, ducking as a chair flew over his head. “Do what you want to him but do it outside.”

“Outside!” the giant roared. “I’m going to teach this cheating little shit a lesson.”

“You are most certainly welcome to try, you lying prick!” Killian shouted back, then he caught Lydia’s arm, drawing her with him as the common room emptied onto the street.

Outside, he let go of her, pulling his sword. But Baird only looked at him and scoffed. “Fight me like a man with your fists.”

Killian barked out a laugh, but then seemed to see the glee on the faces of the onlookers and realized the giant was serious. “You want me to engage in a fistfight with a giant.”

Baird grinned. “Unless you’re too much of a coward.”

Killian was far from a small man, but the giant had to be pushing eight feet tall and was just as thick. And yet Lydia could see he was considering it.

Pushing aside the men between them, Lydia caught hold of his arm. “This is madness,” she hissed. “You’re going to get yourself killed! He’s half again your size!”

“I have my own advantages,” he answered. But he wasn’t looking at her, his eyes intent on the giant striding up and down the street and inciting the crowd. “And if I don’t, they’ll run us out of town.”

“Better that than you dead!”

“Yes, but better still if I win.” He tried to pull away, but she dug in her nails until he looked down at her and said, “Trust me. And for the love of the gods, don’t interfere.”

Unbelting his sword, he pushed it into her hands before striding into the open space, muddy slush splashing around his boots.

Agrippa also moved to the center of the space, catching hold of both Baird’s arm and Killian’s. “You all know the rules, aye?” he shouted. “No weapons but fists and feet. They go until one of them begs mercy or until one gets knocked out. But if someone dies…” He paused, grinning wildly at the crowd. “We’ll light a pyre and let the gods fight for the bastard’s soul!”

The crowd roared their approval, and Baird pulled his arm from Agrippa’s grip. Then he tore his shirt off and threw the fabric in the mud before wrenching off his boots and tossing them into the crowd. “You, too, you little worm!” he shouted at Killian. “I don’t trust that you don’t have a blade or two hidden.”

Killian glowered, but yanked his hand free from Agrippa and circled back to Lydia. Jerking off his boots, he dropped them at her feet, then shrugged off his coat and pushed it into her hands, shirt following suit. The women, and a good number of the men, in the crowd shouted catcalls at him, but Killian didn’t react. Instead, he leaned down, his breath hot against her ear. “If this does go poorly, it’s all on you.” Reaching up, he tangled his hand in her hair. “Find her.”

Then he turned away.

Lydia’s heart throbbed in her chest as Agrippa again took hold of their hands and held them up. Then he shouted, “Begin!” and dived out of the way as the crowd roared.

Baird attacked first, his fist flying toward Killian’s face with crushing speed, but before Lydia could scream, Killian shifted sideways and the giant’s fist struck nothing but air. Caught up in his own momentum, Baird staggered, and Killian landed two fast blows to the giant’s gut before dancing backward.

The crowd roared in dismay, clearly on Baird’s side, but Killian didn’t seem to hear them as he paced backward, eyes on the giant. Baird lumbered forward, massive fist swinging, but again Killian evaded the blow, catching the giant’s ankles and sending him sprawling.

Instead of attacking, Killian