“Check. Your move.” Coal leaned back in the plush faded green chair, already planning his next turn before his opponent had even reached toward the board.

  Around them, other people were playing similar games or simply discussing the nature of the universe, or current political events, or the truly awful dress Sophie Psarra was wearing this evening. Another soiree. Coal didn’t mind them at all. He enjoyed the games and not just the ones played on a board.

  His opponent laid his king down. “Best of three?” he asked with a hopeful smile.

  Inwardly, Coal sighed while at the same time preparing a polite and friendly nod. It wasn’t that he didn't want to play another game, it’s just that this opponent wasn’t particularly good. He needed a better challenge.

  “Mind if I cut in?” a voice said.

  Lucifer. More of a challenge than Coal had been hoping for, but his father had taught him that every temporary loss was an opportunity to learn something and Coal would much rather lose and learn something than win and be bored.

  His current opponent gave a slight incline of the head and vacated his chair which Lucifer promptly took up.

  As he sat, he handed Coal a fresh glass of whiskey. “Tovers,” he remarked of the Whiskey maker.

  Coal reset the board. It turned out Lucifer wasn’t interested in that sort of chess however.

  "I'm surprised she didn't just burn you up," Lucifer remarked as he swirled his whiskey and shot Coal a smirk. "The look on her face."

  Coal understood who he was referring to and he gave a brief glance around to check who was nearby before he replied. "She fears the others too much. The enemy of my enemy is my friend and such things."

  "You're not worried one of them might make her a better offer?"

  Lucifer kept his voice low enough. Still, Coal slid his hand inside his pocket and subtly activated an infusement intended to make their conversation much harder to hear.

  Coal shook his head. "She doesn't trust them."

  "Still, bringing her out into the open like that..."

  "I'm not worried," Coal replied quickly. He wasn't. That's what Stella was for. He might be lacking a necromancer among other things but as long as he knew what was coming he could alter the board to suit his strengths. Stella had already given him details about when and how his enemies were likely to attack. Some days she could be quite precise. Other days... well, it didn’t matter. So far all her advice had paid off in the end, and his backup psychic liked her. There was a risk in using two. But psychics, Coal had learnt, rarely viewed their own futures. Thus he had been very specific that was all his elder one was to view, not her own future, but Stella’s. And to only tell him if it was absolutely essential. It was a delicate balance but success could rarely be had without risk. To change the subject Coal asked, “How did things go with the Palliser sisters?”

  Lucifer sighed. “We couldn’t come to a mutual agreement. I should have known better. They forgave far too easily.”

  Coal cocked an eyebrow. “Both of them? At the same time?”

  Lucifer shook his head. “No, although I suspect they might have if I’d suggested it. They were very generous with one another, each one offered to let the other go first, very obvious about what they were referring to and no messing about. And then I get one of them to the bedroom and she’s got her own box of condoms.” Another sigh.

  “Ah.”

  “Exactly, and for obvious reasons I always bring my own. Not that it’s that unusual but I pulled that one out and she suddenly starts talking about how doing it raw is much more pleasurable for her. Was very insistent. It didn’t take much pressing for her to burst into tears. Apparently their father has been putting quite a bit of pressure on all of his children to produce an heir.”

  Coal studied Lucifer carefully. “And that would be so bad? Offspring without marriage would leave you free to roam and give you some of their family rights.”

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Lucifer snorted softly. “In practice both would be hard to achieve.”

  Coal smiled. It was true but Lucifer had always been better at chess than him. “I’m sure you could pull it off.”

  “Perhaps but I don’t want children.”

  Coal narrowed his eyes. He was pretty sure Luci was lying. Out of the three of them, him, Luci, and Grim, Lucifer had always been the one most drawn to one day having his own family. If he rejected the idea now it was only because he feared what his brothers might do. That, and Coal was pretty sure the woman Luci actually fancied having children with was out of reach, a politician, not an aristocrat, not any more. Any obvious relationship would have been political suicide for the both of them. As for Grim, he was too busy partying and philandering.

  Lucifer, catching Coal’s sceptical glance, quickly added “Not yet anyway. What about you? At least I have my brothers. There’s no one left to take over if something happens to you. It’d be bloody war. Grim too, although not as badly. You’d leave my flank wide open. And don’t tell me you don’t care about the empire you’ve built not surviving you. If not a child, you need a progeny of some sort. Someone you’ve trained to take over.”

  Coal liked the idea of a progeny, someone he could teach to take his place but babies were vulnerable and took a long time to reach a useful stage. Plus there was always the chance the child lost the genetic lottery. The question of mate was an issue too. Natasha had never wanted children and her death had put hold on that plan anyway. He didn't think Stella did either. The few times he'd even thought about getting anywhere near the topic she'd always managed to distract him with something else. No, if he was to have a progeny, it was probably better they weren't his genetic offspring. Lucifer was right though. It would be good to train someone. He thought of the dark-haired girl who'd entered his house without invitation. Amanda's daughter. That one was skilled and shrewd. There was a lot of potential there and having either one on his side would likely strengthen the bond with the other too.

  Coal frowned. “There’s always the risk they stab you in the back.”

  Now it was Lucifer’s turn to narrow his eyes skeptically.

  Before Lucifer could challenge him though Coal added, “I do have one potential in mind.”

  Lucifer looked surprised. “Really, who?”

  “Excuse me, Coal Chase?” a man’s voice interrupted.

  Lucifer and Coal turned to see what looked obviously like a servant of some sort. Coal assessed him, making a quick judgement as to the threat status of the man. He reached out with his magic, fixed it on the location of the man’s heart, just in case. “Yes?” he replied.

  “Aster requests to see you. The room with the bear knocker.” Message delivered, the man bowed his head and walked away.

  Coal shot Lucifer a look.

  “Careful,” Lucifer warned.

  Coal gave a nod of acknowledgement and then got to his feet.

  He found the room easy enough, three quarters along a green hallway, lined with dark oak doors, each one with a different animal on the door. The place had been a hotel once, abandoned for a time, rumoured to be haunted, and later purchased and refurbished by tonight’s host. No one lived here full time though and for some reason the parties were always shifted to a new location well before midnight, likely just to fuel excited discussions about the so called hauntings.

  Coal eyed the very accurate carving of a brass bear head before reaching up and giving the ring it held in its mouth a couple of solid knocks.

  “Enter,” replied a voice as smooth as honey. Aster sounded much younger than she looked. Coal wasn’t sure what her exact age was but it had to be in the high hundreds. She was one of the older aristocrats and one of the more social of that group. Many of them, once they reached a certain age tended to retire to the shadows and let their progenies run their respective empires. Aster had never had children however, nor had she married. She did keep at her beck and call a collection of young men, a little too young in Coal’s opinion but old enough to make their own foolish decisions, the details of which Coal preferred not to think about. Each one probably longed for a slice of Aster’s power. None were likely to get it of course.

  Having no progeny, whether by blood or otherwise, meant Aster was required to spend more time dealing with her own affairs. Like many other aristocrats however, she too seemed to enjoy the game of it.

  She smiled as Coal entered the room. She was alone.

  The room was wallpapered in the same olive green as the hallway and sprinkled with darker flur-de-lis. There was one chair, currently occupied by Aster, and a small coffee table on which sat a mug of something.

  Coal kept his distance and summoned his own chair. It was not wise to get too close to Aster. He chose a chair that was narrower and taller than hers and which had a plush red velvet cushion for a seat. It was one that had once belonged to his mother's father and which had been located for many years in the third dining room of his estate, the one that had once upon a time been used for high tea. Coal had long since repurposed the room and the chairs had been sold, all except for this one, which had been a spare and he which he saved for events such as this one. Aster would appreciate the design and it was for her that he summoned this particular chair. That and it was actually quite comfy while allowing him to easily maintain a good posture.

  Aster gave his summoned chair the once over and acknowledged it with an approving nod.

  "To what do I owe the pleasure?" Coal asked as he sat. He remained at least two arm lengths from Aster. He wasn’t sure how fast she moved these days. His sword was strapped to his hip and he was confident he could summon it, by any means necessary, before she could reach him, not that she was likely to want to kill him. Not as long as he was more useful to her alive. It never paid to get too comfortable though. Tides could turn in the span of a short conversation.