by Martha Carr
The girl quickly took the half-drow’s hand and gave it a firm squeeze and a single shake up and down.
“Let’s get the hell out of here, huh?”
“Yeah, the faster, the better.”
The halfling bit her lip and stepped on the gas. The Panamera’s 4.8-liter V8 engine kicked into gear, and they sped down the rest of the long stretch of unnamed road that would take them back to civilization. Aksu gripped the armrest on the passenger-side door, but she was grinning.
“So, you know your way around technology on this side, then.” Cheyenne took the wide left turn toward the highway at seventy-five miles an hour. “You bring any of that advanced O’gúleesh tech with you when you made the crossing?”
“I tried. Learned the hard way that that’s the only thing that doesn’t come with people over the Border.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah.” The girl let out a wry chuckle. “People tried to tell me to leave it behind, but I figured nobody wanted humans to get their hands on the stuff. Turns out the Border takes it off you and does…whatever with it. Maybe it’s gone, or maybe it showed up again on the other side. I don’t know. Would’ve been really nice to have an O’gúl activator over here.”
“What’s that do?”
Aksu laughed. “Whatever I want it to.”
“All right. Keep your little tech secrets. I see how it is.” They both laughed a little, and Cheyenne readjusted her grip on the steering wheel. “So, the only things that make it through are magicals and magic, huh?”
“I guess. What else is there?”
That’s what I wanna know, kid. It was obviously a rhetorical question, so Cheyenne didn’t bother keeping up the conversation. And I would love to get my hands on some O’gúleesh tech.
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Just after noon, the Panamera pulled up in front of Durg Br’athol’s house on the north end of Jackson Ward. Cheyenne turned off the engine, and she and Aksu sat there in silence.
Then the halfling turned toward the teenage orc version of herself and nodded. “Ready?”
“Yeah.” Aksu peered at her uncle’s house. “I know you’ve already done a lot for me, but I kinda have one more favor to ask.”
Cheyenne lowered her hands into her lap and shifted in her seat to turn toward the orc girl. There’s that racing heartbeat. Why’s she only getting worked up now? “Hey, don’t worry about what I have or haven’t done already. And you don’t owe me anything, okay?”
Aksu turned toward the halfling and nodded. “Okay.”
“So, what’s the favor?”
“Can you come with me?”
The halfling blinked and tried not to laugh. “You want me to walk you to the front door?”
“Yeah.” Aksu’s eyes widened, then she rolled her eyes and slouched a little more in the passenger seat. “Okay, the thing is, I’m not a hundred-percent upfront with my uncle all the time.”
“Oh, okay. Hey, I don’t think there’s a single teenager alive who hasn’t lied to their parents about something. Or their uncle.”
“Maybe. But it kinda put him in the habit of not believing anything I tell him if he’s pissed off or worried about something. And the last time I snuck out overnight, he lost his shit a little.”
Cheyenne nodded slowly and glanced through the passenger side window at the house. “You think me walking up there with you is gonna convince him that you’re telling the truth?”
“Not really. If you told him, though, he can’t ignore it. He tries to hide it, but he’s terrified of you.”
“Uh-huh.” The halfling pressed her lips together and nodded again. Can’t laugh at that one either. Keep it together. “All right. I’ll help you ‘cause I know the story. Still, it’s probably a good idea to start working out your trust issues after this, yeah?”
“Already went through my mind.”
“Okay. Let’s go scare the crap out of your uncle again so he’ll believe you.”
Aksu snorted and unbuckled her seatbelt. They both got out of the car, and Cheyenne stepped onto the sidewalk with the orc teenager.
The girl stood there for a little too long, and the halfling pointed at the front door. “You’re gonna have to take the lead on this one, kid. I’m just backup.”
“Ugh. Fine.” Aksu rolled her eyes and moved up the walkway toward the front porch. Her overly large sneakers thumped up the wooden stairs, and Cheyenne followed quietly behind her.
With a deep breath, the prodigal magical minor knocked on the door and folded her arms.
A muffled grunt came from inside, then Durg clomped toward the front door and jerked it open with a snarl. He wasn’t expecting to see his niece in someone else’s baggy clothes standing on the porch, and while his eyes widened in surprise, the snarl stayed. “Where the hell have you been?”
The girl glared defiantly up at him, but Cheyenne heard the little tremble in the young orc’s breath.
“If you let us come inside, Durg, we’ll tell you all about it.”
The huge green orc started and blinked at the drow halfling, who looked human this time. “I don’t know who you are, and I don’t give a shit. Get off my porch.”
The halfling folded her arms with a little shrug. “Or we could just go with me throwing you across the house again like last time. It worked pretty well once you regained consciousness.”
A strangled wheeze escaped Durg’s gaping mouth, his eyes almost popping out of his head as his jaw worked without any sound.
“But I’m not in the mood to break any more of your stuff, so, wanna let your niece into the house? I’ll close the door behind me. Don’t worry.”
The huge orc tried to clear his throat and only got out a choking sound before he looked at Aksu again and stepped aside. “Get in here before someone sees you without an illusion.” His eyes darted up and down the street, avoiding the halfling, and Aksu stormed past him. She headed into the living room where Cheyenne had conducted her Durg-Br’athol interrogation and plopped down on the couch.
The halfling stepped into the house next and nodded toward the living room. “Go ahead. I’m right behind you.”
Durg sucked his teeth around the giant tusks poking up behind his lower lip, but he turned slowly and across the hall. It took everything Cheyenne had not to laugh or make any more smartass remarks when the orc kept glancing over his shoulder as he bumbled toward the couch and his grim-faced niece. She shut the front door and headed after them.
“You’ve got a lot to answer for, Aksu,” the orc muttered when he stopped in front of the couch.
The girl bit her bottom lip and glared at the coffee table.
“She’s been gone for over forty-eight hours, man.”
Durg whipped his head up to stare at the halfling making her way toward him. He shuffled backward along the couch and stopped when she did.
“Were you even a little worried about her?”
The huge orc grunted, his eyes flicking between the half-drow in his living room and his niece on the couch. “Why should I be worried? She’s a smart girl, and she decides to waste her time running around through Peridosh with a bunch of good-for-nothing blood traitors.”
Aksu’s silent laugh was laced with disgust. “You’re such a hypocrite.”
“Watch it.” Durg breathed heavily through his nose and scowled down at his niece. “I put too much on the line to see you waste what you’ve got goin’ for you on this side.”
Fighting back tears, the orc girl kept glaring at the coffee table. “You weren’t even happy to see me.”
“No, I’m pissed that you think you can just stomp out of here and do whatever you want, then lie to me about it.” The last few words growled out of him between clenched teeth.
“She hasn’t even had a chance to tell you what’s going on,” Cheyenne added, watching the guy’s growing anger with a raised eyebrow.
Durg jabbed a meaty green finger at her, but that was as far as he was willing to take it. “She doesn’t need a d
amn drow in disguise to help her spit out another bullshit story. Why the hell are you even here?”
“Why don’t you sit, and I’ll tell you.”
“Uh-uh. You can’t just come into my house and—”
“Sit down!” Something rattled on a shelf in the living room. Cheyenne glared at the startled orc, who dropped sideways into the couch beside his niece and stared at the drow halfling speaking with magic.
Did I feel it flare up? The halfling’s hand rose halfway to the Heart of Midnight at her throat, then stopped. Or maybe it’s just the commanding Summerlin voice.
With both orcs’ full attention, Cheyenne ignored her surprise. “There’s obviously a good reason I showed up here today, now that you’re finally listening. Aksu didn’t run away, Durg. She was kidnapped Wednesday morning with fifty-nine other magical kids. By the same people wearing that damn thing around their necks.” She pointed at the torn tapestry on the far wall, where Durg had used the bull’s head symbol for knife-throwing practice.
The huge orc hissed.
“Yeah, I feel pretty much the same way about them.” The halfling shook stray pieces of black hair out of her eyes. “I’m back with your niece because I’m one of the people who helped get Aksu and those fifty-nine other kids back. Got it?”
Durg blinked and turned his yellow eyes on his niece. The girl swallowed and lowered her gaze to her lap.
“I should probably clear the air right now and say that the only other person who knows about how your niece got Earthside is me. And that was by necessity, so I could get her back home. No one else is gonna hear about it. You both have my word on that.”
The orc just raised his eyebrows, swimming in a spiral of disbelief.
“Aksu?” Cheyenne smiled when the orc girl looked at her. “Is there anything else we should put out in the open before I get outta here?”
“No.”
“All right.” Cheyenne pointed at Durg and cocked her head. “This isn’t the last time I’ll be stopping by, Durg. You and I are gonna sit down soon and have a chat about those loyalists and the bull’s head. I’m giving you a heads-up now so you can figure out what’s important for me to know, and don’t even bother with whatever might waste my time. Got it?”
The orc grunted, scratching his cheek as he turned his gaze onto his niece.
“That’s good enough for me. I think you guys have some catching up to do.”
While Durg didn’t look back up at the drow halfling hovering in his living room, Aksu slowly lifted her gaze and mouthed to Cheyenne, “Thank you.”
Cheyenne couldn’t quite bring herself to smile at the girl. There was too much relief and fear mixed together in Aksu’s bright yellow eyes. Instead, the half-Drow dipped her head and shot the orc teenager a knowing wink. She’ll get it.
Then Cheyenne turned and stalked out of Durg Br’athol’s house. And I’ll be back. When I have the time.
Chapter Sixty
Cheyenne opened the door to her new apartment and closed her eyes.
Sitting beside the stack of broken-down boxes, Ember laughed. “What are you doing?”
The halfling took a tentative step through the doorway.
“I’m almost afraid to look at what else you’ve crammed in here since I’ve been gone.” Cheyenne opened her eyes and swept a glance across the living room. “Woah. How the hell did you get all this done in, what? Three hours?”
“I told you. There’s a business for everything.” Ember smirked and folded her arms to study her friend’s reaction. “What do you think?”
“I’m…” Cheyenne burst out laughing. “You know, other than when I’m with you, I’m speechless by choice, but you’ve outdone yourself on this one, Em. I’ve been forced into speechlessness.”
“You realize what an oxymoron that is, right? You just gave me a three-sentence response.”
Stepping into the apartment, the halfling closed the door behind her. “Well, hanging out with you feels more like hanging out with myself, only more fun. So, I’m just thinking out loud at you.”
“Ha. Whatever that’s supposed to mean, I’ll take it.” Ember wheeled around the boxes. “Go ahead and think out loud about the apartment, though.”
“Well, for starters, I’m totally into these chairs.” Cheyenne stepped around the couch and lowered herself into one of the black leather armchairs on the other side of the coffee table. “Holy crap, this is as comfy as it looks. Are these—”
“Yep. I saw you ogling those chairs in the Guest Center. You practically drooled.”
Cheyenne snorted. “I don’t drool.”
“No, you practically drool. Didn’t take me long to find them. Apparently Pellerville Gables Apartments source most of their furniture from this warehouse that’s, like, ten minutes away.” Ember grinned. “Still a few more things on the way, though. Custom stuff takes a little longer.”
“Custom stuff?” The halfling slapped her hands on the armrests and stared at her friend. “Who are you, and what have you done with Ember?”
The fae laughed and wheeled herself between the couch and the armchairs, pulling up beside the coffee table. “Your worst decorator nightmare, Cheyenne. I’ll release your friend when I’m finished.”
“Oh, jeeze.” Rolling her eyes, the halfling ran her hands over the soft leather on the armrests, nestling back into the perfectly supportive cushions. “You know, I know too many people who are either currently locked up or have been at some point in the recent past. That joke would’ve been funnier about three weeks ago.”
“Shit. I didn’t mean to bring up anything.” Ember studied the halfling’s face until Cheyenne’s tiny smile morphed into a grin. “You’re screwin’ with me.”
“Only a little. Don’t worry, you’re still funny.”
Ember pulled an awful, sarcastic grimace, then wheeled back a little to look at the armchairs. “At least you like the chairs.”
“This rug’s not too bad, either.” Cheyenne leaned down to brush the soft thread of the stark black area rug with thick silver horizontal stripes in front of her. “This is a gem.”
“I know.”
“What did you do with the other stuff that was here?”
Ember shot her friend a coy, secretive smile. “I’ll tell you when the rest of this place looks like we live here.”
“You…” Cheyenne pointed at her and shook her finger. “I think turning a wannabe-stylish show unit into the coolest not-Goth-box might just be your magic, Em.”
The magicless fae tossed her hair out of her eyes and looked around. “Yeah, I’m pretty damn good, aren’t I?”
“Resounding yes. Oh!” The halfling pulled her phone out of her pocket and wrinkled her nose. “Crap. I gotta get going.”
She stood from the armchair, gave it a loving pat, then darted toward the wrought-iron staircase up to the mini loft.
“For your date with a family of trolls and all that, huh?”
“That’s it.” Cheyenne’s shoes clanged up the metal stairs until she reached the top and the less impressive show-unit office where she’d set up Glen. She pointed at the computer tower beside the metal-and-glass desk. “It’s just temporary, Glen.”
Ember laughed. “I’m working on that too.”
“What? For real?”
“Cheyenne, I’m sitting in this huge apartment by myself with nothing to do but decorate and charge everything to your card.” Ember spread her arms with a sarcastic shake of her head. “You can’t expect me not to think of everything.”
“I don’t even know what to expect from you anymore. Keep it up.”
“Oh, I’m on a roll. Can’t, don’t, won’t stop.”
Chuckling, the halfling sifted through the boxes of extra cords and cables she hadn’t gotten around to putting away yet and found the stack of loose papers that was Mattie Bergmann’s hand-written spellbook. Then she took out her phone and snapped pictures of the ingredients lists for the things she wanted to try first. Personal illusion charm and wards are prio
rity one. Everything else is a bonus.
“Okay.” The halfling leaped to her feet and came back down the staircase. “You good in here?”
“Yep. Already ate lunch and scheduled a whole bunch of stuff. You’ll miss the party while you’re gone, but I’ll make sure everyone cleans up before they leave.”
“Bummer.” Cheyenne swung a fist in mock disappointment, then glanced back up at the mini-loft. “About the new desk…”
“Got it. Extra tips for anyone who doesn’t touch Glen while they get it up there.”
“You’re suddenly thinking like a girl with a bunch of inheritance money to throw around.”
“It’s a fun game.” Ember winked. “I won’t go too crazy.”
“Yeah, I’m not worried about that. Or you, honestly.” Cheyenne shook her head in disbelief again and headed toward the front door. “I’ll be back before dinner, probably.”
“Girl, I don’t care when you’ll be back. I’m not your mom.”
When the halfling shot Ember a look of surprise, both magical grad students burst into laughter again. “You are on a roll.”
“I’m feelin’ good today.” Ember gave two thumbs-up, then turned the chair around and wheeled herself into the kitchen. “Have fun with the trolls.”
“Have fun hiring labor and tipping people.”
“Uh-huh.”
Chuckling, Cheyenne stepped out of the apartment and paused with the key in her hand. Nah. She’s good.
The halfling parked the Panamera in the lot in Union Hill and glanced at the time on the dashboard. One-thirty-two. Cutting it close, Cheyenne.
She stepped out of the car and locked it. Other people in the parking lot turned to look at the source of that perfect chirp. Two middle-aged women in matching sweaters saw the Goth chick heading toward the parking kiosk and quickly turned around again to fumble with inserting a card to pay for their dashboard tickets.
Yes, I’m still scary and evil. I just have a fancy car. Cheyenne smirked and rolled her eyes as she stepped in line behind them.
