Geralts eyes flicked quickly to the next card as Ivory laid it down, but then back up to her face in a flash. Of course, he remained relaxed and completely unreadable. It was too early in their...relationship for him to try fake tells on her, she was too weary of him already. No, he had to play this one straight. Though he could simply know her hand, he also declined this. Geralt was far too proud, and too skilled at cards, to lower himself to such tactics. No, he would win or loose this hand playing the right way.

[color=crimson]"She let a little something through last time, but she's learned from that."[/color] He said, tilting his head slightly toward Aurel as he spoke. [color=crimson]"She knows I saw it, so she won't make that mistake again, she's too smart, and too good at poker for that."[/color]

After a slight pause, he leaned forward and placed flipped the final card on the table, the Eight of Hearts. Geralt merely tilted his head, then picked his cards up from the table. He held them so that Aurel could see them and spoke again, [color=crimson]"Now, she had a good hand, or she would have folded by now. I'm guessing...at least two pair, possibly three of a kind. It's all down to whether her three are better than mine."[/color] And as the last word left his lips, he dropped his cards on the table, face up, to reveal the Ace of Hearts and a Seven of Spades. Geralt looked over at Ivory expectantly, barely containing his curiosity.

-------------------------------------

Illyana walked quickly the remaining ten feet to Lucien's trailer, and declined to answer until they were inside. Of course, there was no telling what Geralt could hear and see, even if he was engaged with something or someone else. Once they were inside, she shut the door behind them and let out the breath she had been holding.

[color=598527]"Okay."[/color] She began, her fingers twisting together, [color=598527]"I didn't get a chance to tell you last night, but when Geralt arrived...I saw something strange."[/color] She paused, then added hurriedly, [color=598527]"Well, several things actually."[/color]