The Cartomancer's Last Hand
fantasy◐ TeenMireille reaches the top of the bank, lungs burning. The city gate is right there. But the rising river isn't water anymore. It's playing cards, thousands of them, swirling up to block her path. The Drowned Queen's voice purrs, 'You can't fold on me.'
Mireille spins and runs back to the table instead of fighting the cards. 'You want a game? Then deal,' she says. The flood of cards collapses into a neat deck on the table. The Queen sits, pleased. 'Now you understand. There's no leaving. Only winning.'
What happens next?
1 ways forwardMireille plays calm and patient, and slowly the Queen's painted face flakes away. On the final hand Mireille wins clean. The Queen unravels into water and paper, the deck goes still, and dawn light spills under the bridge. Mireille has beaten the cards at their own game.