Steele-Faced (Daggers & Steele Book 6) by Alex P. Berg

players?” he said. “And what exactly am I to get out of this arrangement?”
    “I don’t think Sam was asking for any secrets you might’ve unearthed,” I said, “although, knowing her, she wouldn’t dissuade you if you wanted to volunteer them. Rather, we’d like to introduce ourselves, if possible, to the other players. Seeing as we only recently made it aboard the ship, we aren’t sure who they all are.”
    “Other than Johann and Ghorza, I take it,” said Theo.
    I glanced at Steele.
    “Yeah, that’s right,” he said. “I notice things. Store that in the part of your brain where you keep your cockiness. But seeing as I’m liquored up and feeling swell, sure, I’ll give you the low down. Besides the old man and the orc matron and the three of us, there are four others. One of them is over there. Jimmy Frazier, though he goes by ‘The Hammer.’”
    Theo pointed him out, a hulking brute about the same size and shape as Quinto and with a similar complexion. He wore a felt ascot cap over his round melon, and his shoulders threatened to pop out of his suit.
    “I don’t know too much about him,” said Theo, “other than I wouldn’t want to be around him when he gets hungry. He likes to intimidate people with his size and a mean grin he pulls out every now and then. To be honest, it totally works. Then there’s Orrin, a hard-nosed dwarf who doesn’t say a whole lot. He hasn’t arrived yet, but you’ll notice him when he does. He’s got a huge scar that runs down his face from eye to chin. There’s also some woman named Wanda who as far as I can tell likes the color purple, unicorns, and moonlit walks on the beach in solitude.”
    I furrowed my eyebrows.
    “That’s a joke, by the way,” said Theo. “Except for the last part. I haven’t met her yet, but I don’t think she cares for company. Then last but certainly not least there’s Verona. She’s around here somewhere. Let’s see…”
    Theo turned and cast his gaze into the room. After a moment he pointed. “There she is. Verona. Verona!”
    An elf woman with heavily curled golden hair, wearing a grey-flecked white fur shawl and enough jewelry to sink a ship half the Prodigious’s in size, paused in her walk toward the bar. She waved to Theo with a hand that held a long, thin jade cigarette holder, one currently occupied with a smoldering butt.
    “Theo. Darling. How are you?” she asked as she approached.
    “Verona. Let me introduce two of our newest gaming companions. The affable and overconfident Thomas Waters and his lovely, calculating bride, Samantha.”
    Verona took a drag from her cigarette holder, exhaled, and idly waved the smoke away with her hand. “Verona Quivven. Charmed.”
    From afar, Verona had come across as stunning, but up close, the wrinkles around her eyes and mouth were more evident, as was the hint of gray at the roots of her hair. In her heyday, she probably would’ve given Shay a run for her money—but only to those who didn’t mind the smell of smoke. She reeked of a thousand cigarette butts. Being a full blooded elf, it was beyond me how the odor didn’t bother her. I supposed she must not even notice it anymore.
    “So, Verona,” I asked, “how long have you been playing games of chance?”
    “Is that a roundabout way of asking me my age?” she said.
    “Ah…Theo put me up to,” I said, pointing at the gnome. “Blame him.”
    “What?” said Theo. “I did no such thing. Though I like your deception, big guy. Pro tip: you’re showing your hand early. Giving me ammunition to use against you tomorrow.”
    “Don’t mind Theo,” said Verona. “He seems to think every aspect of one’s personality is a clue, and beyond that, a cudgel to be used against you. He’s also rather loose with his lips.”
    “Loquacious is the word you’re looking for,” said Theo. “And what of it? Some gamblers hide behind a mask of silence and indifference while they play. I prefer bombarding my opponents with