Queen of Wild Cards novel Chapter 395

Drake let out a bitter chuckle. "Exactly. I'm not the kind of man who repays kindness with a knife in the back!"

"You're a loyal man, Drake. I respect that."

"Shame it doesn't actually help you much. I honestly have no idea where he went after that." Drake paused, thinking it over, before adding, "But there is one person who might have the answers you're looking for."

"Who?"

"Nina."

Stella frowned in confusion. "How does Nina tie into any of this?"

Drake rubbed his chin. "More accurately, it's Nina's master who probably knows what happened to him. But getting Nina to cough up the name of her master is next to impossible.

"She's been active for years, and nobody has ever figured out who trained her. With your level of skill, though, you might be able to challenge her. Maybe you can pry something out of her if you back her into a corner."

"What makes you so sure her master knows about my grandfather?"

Even Drake didn't know where he vanished to. Why would this mysterious master know?

"I can't say for sure; it's just my gut feeling," Drake explained. "Back then, your grandfather was playing high-stakes tables at a private venue, and he cleaned them out for a massive fortune. The venue's backer was losing his mind, so he brought in this terrifyingly skilled phantom player to win it all back.

"After this mystery man cleared out your grandfather's winnings, he vanished without a trace. Nobody except the venue's owner ever knew his identity.

"Not long after that, Nina showed up on the scene. The streets have always suspected that phantom player was her master, but she's always denied it."

Nobody could stay on a winning streak forever, and those who tried always ended up destroying their families and losing everything.

She had spent enough time training with Fifth Master to see a hundred broken men just like that.

Drake's voice turned venomous. "Of course I know that! I want to become his apprentice so I can avenge my father. My father was killed by an incredibly ruthless gambler.

"The man set up a rigged game and drove my father to his death. If your grandfather hadn't stepped in back then, I'd probably be dead too. Your family saved my life. That's why I wasn't going to hand over his location when you first walked in here."

Stella nodded slowly, the pieces finally clicking into place. "I understand." She had no idea there was so much bad blood and history tangled up in this.

"Can you set up a match with Nina? I'll beat her for you."