Black Lotus

Tia glared at the door where the trio had gone. She sniffed the air, as if the other woman's presence had left an unpleasant odor behind. "And what is she doing here?"

"Who knows? Her family and Joel's are tight." He tapped her shoulder. Tia's eyes rotated toward him. "Forget her. We have a game to play."

She smiled. "Yeah, let's go see what we're doing."

They managed to make it through their first round with ease, against two teenagers who were clearly friends but whose decks were not made to complement each other. True to her word, Tia played defensively, covering them both with healing spells and counterspells to disrupt their opponents, while Danny butchered the two of them. The teenagers took it well, thanked them for the game, and drifted away to other games. He patted her leg. "Good start, babe."

"Yeah but did you look at the bracket, mi amor? We have to play Raul and Mike next if they win."

Danny grimaced. "Well, it is what it is."

Raul and Mike won their match. The four of them sat together and bantered for a few moments as the rest of the round completed. Mike was somewhat reserved but they managed to get a few smiles and laughs from him. Danny decided he liked the man. He noted that Mike again wore a long-sleeved shirt—as he always did—even though the room was uncomfortably warm.

He kept one eye on Joel and Simon's match, taking place one table away. Danny was disgusted to see Joel had not only broken out his Power Nine again but that Simon was goldbricking, playing sloppily and hoping Joel covered him. He wondered why Joel would agree to play with such a slacker, then reasoned that no one else wanted to play with either of them, so the two bastards were stuck with each other. He and Tia would play the pair if they both won out.

Danny hoped someone would knock them out before then.

His gaze drifted to Susan, hovering near Joel's shoulders. Her icy blue eyes were already fixed on Danny. She grinned at him when she caught him looking. He shuddered and looked away.

Danny hadn't quite told Tia the full truth. He hadn't had a crush on Susan. He had been obsessed with her. Even in the throes of teenage hormones, he'd had enough self-respect to not make a fool of himself to get her attention like so many of his peers had—the jesters competing for the queen's favors—but he had never failed to watch her and take in her beautiful face, smooth skin, and gorgeous, tight body. He'd dreamed about her, written stories, even rubbed one out a time or two. He knew, instinctively, to never share those fantasies with anyone. High school was a merciless pit where any weakness could be exploited and the unfortunate soul's social standing chewed up and spit out. He'd kept his mouth shut and gone on about his business, hoping in the vaults of his mind that she'd notice him.

She had, but not the way he desired. Susan's eyes always seemed to find him and no matter how much Danny pretended, he could tell she knew what he was thinking, and by the self-satisfied look on her face, was silently mocking him for it. Even six years later, it still bothered him. He still felt her pull and that bothered him too.

So what the hell is she doing here, anyway?

With Joel carrying them, he and Simon managed to win. A few minutes later, the organizers announced the second set of matches and sure enough, Danny and Tia had to play Raul and Mike. Danny relaxed; regardless of the outcome, they would all enjoy themselves.

And they did. Raul had constructed a deck of Howling Mines and Black Vises—the former to force players to draw extra cards and the latter to punish players for having extra cards in their hands. Mike played his land-destruction deck, wiping cards from the table, which meant that Danny and Tia would not have the mana to cast spells and get cards out of their hands before the Vises hurt them. The first match was close, with Raul and Danny going out but in the end, Mike edged Tia by a few points. The teams broke apart and consulted with each other about swapping cards from their sideboards.

Danny had a hard time concentrating. He watched Tia's animated motions and listened to her excited ideas about how to play. That's when it struck him. God, I really am in love with her. At the thought, he leaned forward and kissed her.

Tia blinked in surprise but chuckled. "Not complaining, amor, but what was that for?"

"Just reminding you that I love you."

Her eyes misted. "I love you too."

"Hey!" Raul called. "Not at the game table."

"Oh, that's it, ese," Tia said with a smirk. "You're going down."

Their second round saw Danny and Tia gain an early edge. Danny's creatures rolled out quickly and pummeled both foes, while Tia countered what little offense they could mount, and the lovers reached a quick victory.

The third round turned into a hard slog, with elements of the first two rounds present. They went back and forth for many turns but in the end, Tia ran out of counterspells and they fell to defeat.

Raul leaned back in his chair. "Shit, I'm exhausted now."

"Good game, hermano." Danny shook hands with both of them and lowered his voice. "And if you play Joel and Simon in the final, kick their fucking asses."

Mike smiled and nodded.

They chatted until the third round started, with four teams remaining. Raul and Mike moved to their assigned table. Danny spotted Kristen, the girl they'd run into at the comic show, walking past. "Kristen! How are you?"

She glanced at Tia. "Oh. Hi, Danny. I'm fine. How are you two?"

"Good, though we're out."

"I saw. I ..." She hesitated and blushed. "I came to watch Raul play."

Danny raised his eyebrows. He looked at Tia, who shook her head, indicating that was news to her too. "You did?"

"Yeah. After I ran into you at the comic show, I started thinking about how we used to all hang out. I hadn't talked to Raul in a while, so I gave him a call and we've been talking. Tonight after the tournament is our first ... well, not a date, but our first time hanging out. Okay, maybe it's a date." She glanced to where Raul and Mike were shuffling their decks. "We'll catch up later, Danny, okay. I want to watch them play."

He chortled. "Well, that's interesting."

"I knew he'd stopped seeing Maria and he was talking to another girl," Tia said. "I didn't know it was her."

"See? She likes him, not me. I told you that you have nothing to worry about."

"That's fine. Raul can handle himself." She gazed at him. "If she'd touched you, that would be different."

There comes that jealousy again.

Danny looked around the room. Most of those remaining had broken into their own impromptu games, bartered cards, or crowded around to watch the semi-final matches. Their own fate already decided, he focused on Tia. "You want to get out of here or stay and watch Raul and Mike, or play, or something?"

"Let's watch their next game. If they have to play Joel and Simon, I don't want to watch that."

"Me either. You need a snack or anything?"

She flashed her teeth. "Can I eat you?"

"Always."

Her laugh was full-throated and to Danny's ears, wonderful. "No, mi amor. I'm fine. Besides, you know I'll eat half of whatever you get anyway."

"That's why I've learned to order twice as much. Going to run to the restroom and then get some cheese fries or something."

"Hurry, they're going to start in a moment."

He stood, bent, and gave her a quick kiss. "Be right back."

The restrooms were located off a narrow hallway in the back of the room. Neither had a gender designation and both looked empty, so Danny stepped into one, relieved himself, and washed his hands. He opened the door, already thinking about spoiling Tia and himself with a little junk food.

He stepped into the hall and ran straight into Susan. Danny jumped, startled. "Susan! What, uh, what are you doing back here?"

"Came for you."

"Huh?"

She laughed. "So eloquent, Danny. You always were, even back in school. You used to stare and stare at me but you never said a word."

He flushed and avoided looking directly at her. "Sorry about that. In hindsight, it sounds a little creepy."

"No, in a way, it was kind of endearing. I never felt threatened. I felt appreciated." She ran both hands through her lustrous blonde hair. Shades of wheaten gold shimmered in the dim hallway light. "Do you still appreciate me?"

"Susan, I—"

"Shush." She pressed her body against his and kissed him. The force of her contact propelled him backward into the bathroom, where he stumbled against the wall, Susan still attached to his face.

For a second, Danny catapulted back to high school. Susan Prestridge, athlete and scholar, goddess of goddesses, and the highest of the untouchables, was kissing him—him. For one shining second, he bathed in the glory. I'm kissing Susan Prestridge. I'm ... I'm ...

I'm kissing Susan while Tia's waiting.

Danny's eyes jerked open. He pushed Susan to arm's length. "Susan, we can't."

She stared at him. A predatory gleam lit her eyes. "Why not?"

"Because I'm with someone."

"Oh, that girl out front? Then we need to move fast, get right to the main event? That sounds great." Her hands fumbled at his fly.

"No." He pushed her away again, harder. It was only then that he glanced at the door and his heart sank.

Tia stood in the doorway. Contrary to the anger and jealousy he thought he'd see, her face was a mask of pain. Tears pooled in her eyes and her lower lip trembled. He stammered, "Tia, it's not what it looks like."

"Not yet," Susan purred, "but we're getting there."

Tia's countenance shifted and Danny's heart plummeted as her rage appeared. Tia curled her lip. She whirled and fled.

"Tia."

Susan chuckled and moved to the door. "Tough luck, kiddo. Maybe next time."

A light bulb went on. "You bitch. You set me up for that."

She clapped slowly three times. "Very good, Daniel. You want a cookie now?"

A multitude of questions rushed through his thoughts. Only one made it to his tongue. "Why?"

"Why not?" She shrugged. "I owed Joel a favor and he said this would help him out. I wish I could stick around for the fireworks but it's time to go clubbing. Don't wait up, Danny." She blew him a kiss and sauntered out.

Her motion impelled him to action. Danny pushed off the wall and darted into the hallway. He shoved past Susan, who staggered and squawked like an unruly chicken having its feathers ruffled, and ran through the room. He caught inquisitive stares from the tournament attendees, Raul's concerned look, and Joel's smirk but ignored them all.

He did not see Tia.

Danny trotted to the parking lot. His truck was gone.

He slumped and went back inside.

#

Danny dialed and waited. The phone rang twice before a rough male voice picked up. "Hello?"

"Hey, hermano."

"Hey." Raul's voice was guarded. "How's it going?"

"She there?"

"Yeah." He lowered his voice. "She's in the bedroom."

"Can I—"

"Not a chance, Dan. She about tore my ears off last time I offered her the phone."

Danny closed his eyes. "Raul, man, c'mon. You know I didn't invite Susan into that bathroom. She was fucking around with me. She even admitted Joel set the whole thing up."

The line was silent.

Desperate, Danny said, "You believe me, don't you?"

Raul sighed. "I guess so, hermano. But Tia's still pissed."

Danny knew that well enough. He'd called and tried to drop in. Raul had stymied the second one, saying that while he was staying neutral, Danny wasn't welcome back in the apartment, since Tia needed her own haven where she could retreat without being bothered. Danny reluctantly accepted that and hadn't gone over again. Raul had come to his place but to Danny, it just didn't feel the same without Tia.

He missed her—honestly missed her, like he never thought he would. Her dazzling smile, dancing brown eyes, infectious giggle, soft touch, and gentle kisses ... each felt like a gaping wound in his soul.

Through Raul, he'd tried to explain. He'd apologized for even letting what had happened, happen, though he didn't really feel at fault. He'd left messages saying that he loved her. Nothing. She had gone silent for almost two weeks.

"I know she's pissed, man. But how long is she going to ignore me?"

"I don't know."

Irritation edged past his distress. "All right. If that's the way she wants it. I honestly can't deal with her jealousy anymore. Let her know I consider us broken up. She's free to see anyone she wants now and so am I."

For once, he detected a trickle of anger in Raul's voice. "So that's it, pendejo? You just walk away and go bag another chick?"

"Raul, listen to me, my brother. I don't want this. I love her. I'd like nothing more for us to work past this. But if she won't listen and won't hear me out every time her imagination runs away with her, we don't have any future anyway. And no, I'm not rushing out to get laid. I don't think I'll be ready to see anyone for a long time. But when I am ready, I'm doing it with a clear conscience. Does that make sense?"

Raul sighed. "Yeah, it does. I'll tell her. I'm sorry, Danny."

"Me too, hermano."

They hung up. Danny wondered if that would be the shock that Tia needed to shake her loose or if he had just slammed the door on the relationship.

He got his answer a day later.

Danny slouched up the steps to his apartment, exhausted from work. His daily angst over his situation with Tia was becoming a distraction, to the point where his boss had asked him if something was wrong.

He spotted the cardboard box by his front door, the top folded together to keep the flaps down. He stopped and considered the box, hoping if he stared at it long enough, it would disappear. When it didn't, he bent and undid the flaps. Danny knew what the box contained, though he hoped he was wrong.

A pile of his stuff and gifts he had given Tia lay within. On top was the valkyrie figurine.

Danny sighed. He unlocked his door and took the box inside.

#

The hollow boom of someone rapping knocking echoed through the apartment. Danny slung his pack over his shoulder and glanced at his watch. Just enough time to swing by Marco's and grab a breakfast burrito before we hit the road. He made one last check that he had everything and opened the front door. "Hey, brother. You ready?"

Raul shook his head and glanced away.

It was then that Danny noticed his best friend didn't have a pack or his binders or even his coffee mug. "Raul?"

"I'm not going."

"What? Why?"

"Tia's still going and she's going to play. I don't want to be in the middle of whatever shit storm is about to happen."

Danny's chest constricted. He'd hoped that Tia's anger would keep her from the Superstition Con tournament. Aside from just wanting to concentrate on the game, he didn't feel like hashing out their issues in public, which was almost sure to happen if they ran into each other. And aside from that, Danny missed her. Tia's absence from his life had been a throbbing wound in his consciousness. He only dealt with the day-to-day as easily as he had by not seeing her or hearing her voice. He wondered if she were going specifically to provoke a reaction. "Why do you think there's going to be a shit storm? I'll keep away from her and bite my tongue."

Raul shook his head. "Don't go, Danny."

Danny thrust his jaw out. "I'm not gonna hide from her."

"She's up to something. I don't know what it is. For one of the few times in our lives, she's shut me out of whatever she's thinking. That alone tells me she's going to do something—probably something you won't like. And I'm worried about her, man. She's been moping around for the last two days and I caught her crying in her room last night."

Danny said nothing.

Raul sighed. "All right, ese. Just don't say I didn't warn you." He spun and shuffled down the apartment steps without another word.

Danny's mind swirled as he drove up I-10. He wondered what Tia was doing. What would she say if they ran into each other? Would she start screaming at him? God forbid, what if they had to play each other?

He was halfway there before his growling stomach reminded him that he had been so preoccupied that had not stopped for his burrito.

The Superstition Con was being held in several conference rooms of the local Marriott Hotel in east Phoenix. Almost as soon as he pulled into the parking lot, Danny spotted Tia's Jetta.

Okay, man. Just focus on the game.

He found the ballroom where the tournament was being held, signed in, and ducked inside. Almost immediately, he ran into Mike and Liam. "Hey, guys. Wasn't expecting you to be here, Liam."

"I wasn't but Raul gave me his entry card." The kid pushed his hair out of his eyes. "Do you know why he couldn't come?"

"He had a conflict." Danny's eyes roamed around the room.

"She's here," Mike said in his quiet voice. "On the far side of the ballroom."

"Oh." Danny wondered how much Mike knew of the situation. He had not commented on Tia's absence when Danny made it to a few tournaments but his knowing gaze implied he understood more than he let on.

Liam piped up. "Joel and Simon are here too."

"Of course they are."

"I hope I don't have to play them." Liam clutched his cards with nervous fingers.

"Your deck is a lot stronger now than when you started." Danny mock-punched the teen's shoulder. "Whatever happens, just keep your cool and you'll be fine. And have fun. That's the whole point."

"I'll try." He wandered away.

"Thanks, Danny," Mike said. "I've been trying to build up his confidence. He's a good kid but his home life isn't the best, and it makes him tentative." Seeing Danny's quizzical look, Mike added, "Big Brother program."

"Gotcha. Anything I can do to give you a hand, let me know. I like Liam. He's a good kid."

"Danny, you're straight-up. No matter what happens today with Tia or Joel, just know that. Good luck."

"Thanks. You guys too."

He found a quiet corner and set up his deck. He glanced up once and saw Tia staring at him. She looked away the moment their eyes met. He thought he saw a tear trickle down her cheek but the distance made it impossible to be sure.

At seven sharp, the match-ups were announced. The organizers projected the brackets on a collection of big screens at the far end of the room. Danny scoured the bracket. Simon and Liam were on the same side as him. Mike, Joel, and Tia were on the far side. His gorge rose at the prospect of having to play Joel or Tia in the finals.

Settle down, man. You gotta win a lot of games before that happens. Odds are high that one or both of us will most likely lose a game before then.

He started off against a girl in her late teens with purple hair. Both their decks were examined for tournament compliance, and then they got underway. Her deck was not very strong and he was able to defeat it quickly. Rules barred all players from hanging around watching other matches, on the notion that if they watched their upcoming opponents play, they could unfairly tailor their deck against that foe. Danny walked out, found a snack stand, had a quick breakfast, and came back to the waiting area. A glance at the screens told him that Simon, Liam, and Mike had won their first matches. So had Tia.

His gaze fell on Joel's match and Danny blinked. Joel had been knocked out in the first round.

Huh. Must have been bad luck. Power cards aren't everything. Serves you right, fuckface.

At about a quarter to nine, they called the second round. The second match was a bit tougher than the first one. His opponent—a middle-aged balding man—flooded the table with small, easy-to-cast creatures. The "weenie decks"—so named because individually, the creatures were small and not very tough—could overwhelm a lot of players before they could get their deck in gear. The speed of Danny's deck, however, was such that he was able to win in two matches. His opponent glowered and walked away.