In every town they visited, Kaz and Dmitri would find the local gamblers and proceed to bilk them out of their gold. Kaz had to admit that Dmitri was very good at what he did. He was a con man in every sense of the word. Cheating - No problem. Lying - Who’s to know?
Kaz felt himself becoming less of the man he used to be and more like his friend every day. His former life was far behind him and his future, it would seem, involved lots of money.
His traveling companion was proving an entertaining respite from his memories, if nothing else. Although he played the fool quite often to comfort his marks, he was actually quite bright and cunning. With that toothy grin and sharp wit, he was so likable that those he had bilked would often times thank him after the games. This amused Kaz to no end.
But, as Kaz would discover, the night did not end with the taking of the gold. Toward the end of the evening, Dmitri would choose a lady to escort home. Theirs, not hers. Soon, Kaz began to follow suit. At a loss for female companionship they were not.
But one brutally cold Saturday night in the bustling city of Prague, Dmitri became restless. “Let’s go find some men to work over,” he said, pulling his boots on.
“It’s too cold to go out,” groused Kaz. He was not in any hurry to leave the cozy fire place in their sitting room. Top accommodations had cost them a great deal, but it was worth it to Kaz to warm his feet by the fire.
“Our funds are getting low,” said Dmitri. “Come on. There must be a game somewhere.”
Begrudgingly, Kaz joined him and soon they were sitting around a table, playing their game of choice, Poker. Ever since Dmitri had taught him the basics, Kaz had won nearly every hand just by spying on what the other players around the table were thinking. By this method, he could tell if they were ready to fold or stay the course. Since their opponents were not warlocks, they were led like lambs to slaughter.
Dmitri was even slicker. He could spot their tells, no matter how small. Between them, they usually cleaned up. When a town’s underbelly grew tired of their antics, they would pack up and leave.
Prague had been especially welcoming, with its gypsy population and other invisibles. If they worked hard enough, they’d have enough money to see them to England, their final destination.
Their trickery was performing well for half the evening, until one of the men accused them of cheating. Keeping their cool, they merely laughed and asked for proof. The man, by slight of hand or some other devilry reached into Dmitri’s coat and produced several high cards. Of course, both he and Kaz were offended, claiming they had been set up, which they had. Neither need resort to such obvious chicanery.
But the other men present were not the brightest candles in the candelabra, and soon a fight ensued. Tables and chairs flew about the room, not all of them thrown by human hands. Once his temper flared, Dmitri no longer cared who saw what he could do. He worked his way out of the first fist fight and began to throw anything he could by magic. At first, no one even noticed. Then, when he and Kaz were both standing to the side of the room, merely watching the others fight, one of the smarter biscuits said “Hey! We’re fighting each other!” and rushed them.
They hightailed it out the door with the other gamblers hot on their heels. Running as fast as they could, they reached Midnight and Fluffbottom and rode into the night. Only after several hours did they dare come back to their lodgings for the night.
Deciding the time had come to move on, they packed up and headed for England. Surely, among the higher classes, there would be much need for men such as themselves. They had amassed quite a cache – more than enough to set themselves up as gentlemen of nobility.
“We could be counts,” said Dmitri, as they watered their horses. “Or perhaps just lords. Just so we’re titled. I want to attend the finest balls and meet the finest ladies.” He grinned.
Kaz laughed. “Sure you do. I’d like to just buy a bit of land and settle down. Why do you feel the need to put on airs?”
Shrugging, Dmitri replied, “I’ve always had to survive by the seat of my pants. It would just be nice to flip the tables for a change.”
“Fine, you win,” said Kaz. “We can be lords from Batavia then. I don’t think I can lose my accent that fast.”
Dmitri grinned, “Presenting Lord Ivanov and Lord Nurev.” Then they both laughed so hard they cried.
“Sounds a bit odd, doesn’t it,” Dmitri admitted, once he regained control of himself. “But we’ll be foreign and exotic to the ladies we meet. Names are not all that important.”
They booked a passage by ship and in 1862 found themselves marveling at all the hustle and bustle that was London. And although they were now titled nobility, some things did not change. They still hit the gambling halls for money, passing themselves off as wealthy foreign dignitaries. No one batted an eye at how quickly they learned things or the effect they had on the opposite sex.
“Perhaps we will meet Queen Victoria,” quipped Dmitri, as he and Kaz sat in a public house one evening.
“Perhaps you can marry her,” Kaz replied, laughing as he securing for them another round.
The dancers were quite spirited, much to Kaz’s liking, and he found he was actually enjoying himself for a change.
They had acquired enough money through their gaming skills to earn them a reputation as handsome, devilish rogues and they ate it up, courting different ladies each evening.
One particular night, Dmitri looked at Kaz and asked, “What talents do you have?”
Kaz laughed. “That’s for me to know, my young friend.”
“I meant your other powers,” Dmitri said. “I know you can read minds and play a mean game of poker, but I suspect you can do much more.”
“I can levitate,” Kaz replied, eying up a beautiful blond on the far side of the room. “I know the incantation if you’d like to learn. And my familiar is a cat, small or large, whichever is needed at the time. So, what’s your familiar?”
Dmitri looked embarrassed. “Bees.”
“What?” Kaz asked, turning to face him. “Did you say bees?”
“Yeah, well, I’m sure there’s some use for them but I haven’t found any. It’s not fair really, all this talent and I get a useless familiar.”
“You might be surprised, my friend,” replied Kaz, clapping him on the back.
And so continued the reign of Kaz and Dmitri amongst the British titled class. They immersed themselves into high society, donning the fashions of the lords they studied and purchasing a fairly sizeable estate just outside London.
“Will people be suspicious if we live in the same house?” Dmitri asked, as they toured the huge mansion.
“We shall just explain that we are cousins,” said Kaz, brushing away cause for concern. “There is no dishonor in boarding with family.”
Taking their time, they began to win over the locals. Eventually, they were terribly popular and in demand, accepting invites to parties several nights a week.
If questioned about their wealth, they merely claimed to have inherited family money. They bore such a close resemblance to one another that no one questioned them or their motives. Their hard work in losing their accents and affecting British ones eventually paid off nicely. In a few months, no one suspected that they weren’t, in fact, fellow noblemen.
The parties they were invited to were of a caliber Kaz had never dreamed of. He was in awe at the lavish splendor of the richer classes. Being part of the gentry was not a hardship - the ladies loved to shower them with gifts of jewelry and clothing, not to mention their affections.
After nearly a year of integrating themselves into the upper crust of society, a courier brought to them an invitation to a masquerade party being thrown by the good Count Astonbury. Both were invited to attend.
“Do we know a Count Astonbury?” Dmitri asked, sniffing the lavender scented envelope.
“Does it matter?” Kaz replied, sipping vodka by the fire.
The day of the affair arrived, and the men, attired appropriately in their finest fancy dress, made their way to the manor house. It was illuminated as though the sun itself was shining from within. Kaz sighed. Some day he, too, would have a manor such as this. Once inside, the array of intricate, colorful costumes made Kaz’s head spin. While his companion dressed as a dashing pirate, Kaz felt the noble knight more suited to his own personality. They were given masks as they entered so as to hide their true identities.
In their spare time, which they had in abundance, they had learned to dance. It was expected among the noble set. And it didn’t hurt that ladies loved a man who could dance.
They had just finished a rather risqué new dance called a waltz when Kaz was stopped in his tracks. Sensing a strong presence, he intently searched the crowd. With masks and costumes, however, he was having trouble finding she who radiated so strongly. One thing he knew for certain - there was a witch - nearby.
Jerked back to reality, he found himself standing before him a dark-haired beauty wearing a beautiful red gown. He smiled at her. “Would you care to dance, my lady?” Perhaps if he were out on the floor he could discern who among them was the witch. The lady graciously accepted and they waltzed around the room.
“You are naturally light on your feet,” she said, pleasantly. “But you seem distracted. I would much rather have your attentions to myself.”
Kaz smiled but said nothing. Round and round they danced. Kaz thought he must be losing his touch. He could not find the witch he knew was among them.
Finishing the waltz, he politely excused himself from his beautiful dance partner. “Where are you going?” asked the lady, who seemed to shine more brightly than the others.
“I think I might enjoy a stroll on the terrace.”
She smiled and tilted her head coquettishly. “Would I be too bold to ask if I could join you?”
Kaz bowed. “I would be honored by your presence.” Slipping her hand through his waiting arm, she allowed him to escort her to the terrace.
Letting go, she moved to the balustrade and looked up at the night sky. “What a beautiful night. And look, it’s a full moon.” She leaned on the railing and inhaled deeply.
To the contrary, Kaz suddenly found himself unable to breathe at all. He realized the witch was standing next to him. “Sophie,” he whispered softly.
“How are you, Kazimir?”
Trying to maintain his composure, he replied, “I am well, and you?”
“Very.” She turned to look at him and removed her mask. He did the same. This woman still made him weak in the knees after years of absence.
“What brings you to England?” he asked, casually he hoped.
“You,” she said. “I will not beat around the bush. I performed a divination spell to find you.”
“Why?” he asked. “You obviously found me repugnant and told me to go.”
Sophie laid her hand on his arm. “It was never my wish for you to go, my love. It was Alexander.”
Kaz turned away from her and stared ahead into the darkness. “So, it was as I expected. You were unfaithful to me.”
“No,” she countered quickly. “You misunderstand.”
He felt anger rising up as he turned and stared into her dark eyes. “Then perhaps you can explain it to me so that I may understand.”
Sophie replaced her mask. “I see now it was a mistake to seek you out.”
Every fiber in his being wanted to take her in his arms, embrace her and tell her that he still loved her. But all he could remember was how angry she had made him, how he had lost control of himself because of her. Kaz did not want to feel that way ever again. He made no attempt to stop her as she walked quickly away from him, disappearing into the throng of partygoers.
Dmitri walked out on the terrace as she was leaving. “Who was that gorgeous lady?”
“I honestly don’t know,” he said, brushing past his friend to rejoin the revelry. He picked the most beautiful woman in the room and danced with her until she begged him to give her a rest. He asked if she needed an escort home and she found that agreeable.
They made love into the wee hours and the young lady eventually fell asleep in his arms. Still, Kaz could not get the essence of Sophie out of his mind or his heart.
OOO
