<i>Change of plans.</i>It had only taken once glimpse at the man who, no doubt, used to be a mild businessman named Chen to know that something had changed; Nora saw it soon enough. There was nothing behind the dark eyes that watched the two Americans, just a blackness that had eaten his aura and, most likely, his soul.<br/><br/><br/>Now didn’t that just sound desolate?<br/><br/><br/>He pretended to study his hand as the dealer dealt more cards on the table, but really he had set his full attention on what Chen was doing, eyes just over the edge of his cards. The man’s blank stare had turned its greedy presence to the cards, at least, but not without leaving an oily trail on Nora that was almost tangible. It was safe to say that the thing they were dealing with was a creature of avarice.<br/><br/><br/>“Mmmm… I don’t think we’re going to be able to do much gambling tonight, love,” Pace murmured under his breath. He sounded almost disappointed that their night on the town was going to come up shorter than he would have liked. “He’s released the Wight stone to its own devices. That is… Our beloved Mr. Chen has been possessed by a piece of jewelry.”<br/><br/><br/><i>Or what the jewelry had been holding.</i><br/><br/><br/>Pace didn’t bother to whisper the last bit under his breath. Judging by the next round of cards, he had a losing hand as it was. He threw down his cards at the same instant that the businessman’s head whipped back over to the pair, his eyes bled black as the pupil devoured it whole. Snarling, the man’s lips peeled back from his gums. Saliva filled Chen’s mouth and a strange humming noise was coming from the back of his throat.<br/><br/><br/>The dealer looked surprised by the change occurring in the patron that, up until that point, had proven to be docile. Good for the man, who ducked behind the table, Chen’s attention was on the witch and her companion, whose energy snapped like a whip to wrap around his ankle’s the instant he started to lung at Nora.<br/><br/><br/>Hands like claws, the Chinaman was snarling like a wild animal as he leapt with surprising dexterity at her, his aim to wrap his hands around her neck. Pace moved quickly, however, with that second snap of power that jostled that near invisible line that connected him back to the Corner Bar. Finally, the crackle of power jerked Chen’s attention over to the tall, smiling man in a suit, whose quicksilver gaze had lit up.<br/><br/><br/>“C’mere,” Pace taunted, arms actually outstretched as if he anticipated catching the man as he swiveled and launched himself over the chairs at Pace. The taller man caught him like he might a kid jumping into his father’s arms, only Chen was hissing like an alley cat now and was making just as much of a fuss. Even going so far as sinking his teeth into the side of Pace’s face.<br/><br/><br/>“<i>For fuck’s sake</i>,” the Jackal cursed, his voice carrying a resounding echo of something that was much, much more powerful than the man that took two steps forward and flung the businessman off him and to the floor, drawing the attention of the others inside the gambling hole.<br/><br/><br/><i>Whoops</i>, now they had everyone’s attention.