by Martha Carr
“And that’s because…”
“You’re gonna be the first thing she sees when she opens the front door. After you.”
Never show up at someone’s home unannounced, Cheyenne. Mom would be furious if she knew about this. Cocking her head, Cheyenne stepped through the portal and onto the sidewalk in front of Professor Mathilda Bergmann’s house.
Chapter Seventy-Five
The soft tingle of the portal’s magic flashed across her skin for a brief second before she was out of the low, dusty light inside Persh’al’s warehouse. Cheyenne blinked against the sudden brightness of the early afternoon before a harsh whisper came from behind her.
“Make some room, huh?”
She thought it was Byrd, but it didn’t matter. The halfling took a quick glance around the neighborhood, but at noon on a Sunday, there wasn’t anyone around to see a Goth chick suddenly materialize out of thin air. That part’s luck.
Moving quickly up the walkway toward Mattie’s front porch, Cheyenne almost turned again to double-check that the four O’gúleesh magicals were following her. Can’t hear the goblin’s mouth-breathing this time.
When she made it to the base of the three stairs leading up to the porch, she stopped.
“Can’t back out now, kid,” Corian whispered in her ear.
The tickle of his breath and what felt like a whisker or two almost made her flinch. “I’m not backing out.”
“Just a friendly reminder.”
With a deep breath, the halfling forced herself up the stairs onto the porch and toward the navy-blue front door. Her fist rose, and she paused again. Please just hear them out, Mattie. Then you’ll see why I’m doing this. Even if you don’t end up forgiving me for it later.
Cheyenne knocked three times on the front door and waited. None of the magicals behind her made a sound.
Footsteps grew louder on the other side of the door, then two deadbolts slid back, and the doorknob turned slowly. Mattie opened the door with a curious smile, wondering who could possibly be at her door on a Sunday. That smile widened when she saw Cheyenne Summerlin standing on her front porch, and a small laugh escaped her. “You know, I did tell you I’d email you before tomorrow. No need to hunt me down at my house. Good to see you’re so eager to prepare for your first class, though.”
Cheyenne tried to smile back and couldn’t quite manage it. “I’m not here about an email.”
Brushing a lock of wavy black hair out of her face, Mattie glanced around her front yard. A hint of wary skepticism flashed across her luminous green eyes, and she folded her arms. Then she took a step back into the house and eyed Cheyenne up and down. “You look like you fell into some kinda trouble, kid.” The woman briefly closed her eyes. “Well, you’re already here, and I can’t turn you away. Come on in and tell me all about it, then.”
Swallowing thickly, the halfling stepped into her first mentor’s house. “I, uh, I’m not in trouble.” Cheyenne turned back to glance out the open front door. Time for these guys to show themselves. “Sorry, Mattie.”
“Come on, Cheyenne, I wasn’t born yesterday. Nobody looks over their shoulder like that when they’re perfectly comfortable being where they are. Who’s following you now?” Mattie stepped forward and reached out for the open door, keeping her gaze on her former student.
The door swung away from her open hand and closed on its own. Mattie’s eyes narrowed as Corian’s invisibility spell shimmered around him, and the Nightstalker reappeared with his hand on the doorknob. “Hi, Maleshi.”
Mattie’s green eyes widened. Then Persh’al and the goblins appeared on either side of Corian, and the college professor lifted a finger. “Oh, no. No, no.”
“We just need a minute of your time,” Corian said softly.
“Get the fuck out.” Mattie pointed swiftly at the door, which let off a silver flash before opening again.
Corian pressed firmly on the door until it clicked shut behind him. “Just twenty minutes, Maleshi. Please. Give us that much, and then we’ll leave.”
“I don’t want to give you anything.” Mattie’s green gaze darted from Corian to Persh’al and she shook her head. “Especially not when you coerced Cheyenne into this. I’m not playing your games, vae shra’ni.”
“No games.” Corian spread his arms. “And I’m sorry to have to surprise you like this. You’ve made it very hard to find you.”
“That was the point, Corian.” Mattie’s jaw clenched and unclenched as she pressed her lips together. “I came out here to start over, and I’ve spent way too long on building a life to throw it all away because you want to walk down Memory Lane.”
He let out a bitter laugh. “You think I’m here for nostalgia, General—”
“Don’t call me that,” Mattie hissed and took a lunging step toward him. Corian didn’t react beyond holding her green-eyed gaze with his silver one. “I’m a college professor. Mathilda Bergmann.”
“Yeah, so we heard.” Persh’al folded his arms and leaned against the wall beside the door.
“Then you’re a lot stupider than I thought possible if you actually believe I’ll entertain the notion of sitting down and talking about the old world with you.”
Cheyenne stepped toward the staircase just inside the door and bit her lip. Pretty much what I expected.
“We need your help.” Corian didn’t look away from the gaze of the Nightstalker, who looked very much like a human. “Please.”
“You’ve lasted this long without me.” One of Mattie’s eyes twitched as she leaned toward him and bared her teeth in a feral snarl. “You’ll just have to keep it up.”
“There’s a new Border portal, Maleshi.” Corian swallowed and raised his eyebrows when the woman took a small step away from him. “Unregulated. Most people don’t know about it. And it’s not doing what it’s supposed to do.”
The woman studied his face before she stepped back. “Not my problem.”
“It will be. You’re the only person I know who can help us figure out why it’s there and how we keep it from getting any worse.”
“No.” Mattie shook her head. “I’m not the same person anymore. Mattie Bergmann’s got a pretty good deal going on in this life, and she’s here to stay.”
“I don’t give a shit what Mattie Bergmann does,” Corian growled. “I need Maleshi Hi’et.”
“Tough shit. You came to the wrong house.” Letting out a snarl, the woman whirled and stalked toward the living room. “Now, get out.”
Cheyenne sighed when Corian shot her a quick glance. She wanted to say, “I told you so,” but settled for a shrug instead.
The Nightstalker avoided the other O’gúleesh gazes as he followed Mattie/Maleshi. Cheyenne could only offer Persh’al and the goblins the same caliber of shrug when they looked at her next.
“It’s just twenty minutes, Maleshi,” Corian called.
“It’s twenty minutes better spent on anything else.” Mattie spun again and folded her arms. “I’m serious. If you don’t take your soldiers and get the fuck out of my house, I won’t hesitate to rip your head off your shoulders and make them carry it back to whoever you’re reporting to.”
“Soldiers?” Byrd whispered to Lumil as everyone else filed into the living room after the arguing Nightstalkers. “Did she forget everything?”
Mattie looked up as Cheyenne entered the room and pointed at Persh’al and the goblins. “No. What part of no do you not understand?”
“I’m not reporting to anyone, Maleshi.” Corian spread his arms. “This was my call.”
“It was a very bad call. And I don’t believe a single word coming out of your mouth, vae shra’ni. I have no reason to.”
Corian leaned away from her with a hurt expression. “I didn’t think you held my loyalty in such low esteem, General.”
Hissing, Mattie turned away from him and waved him off. “Don’t talk to me about loyalty.”
“That’s what brought you here in the first place, isn’t it?” Corian gestured tow
ard the rest of her house with a quick toss of his arm. “That’s what made you leave. Because your allegiance isn’t to the Crown, Maleshi, and it never was. You did this for our home. And every O’gúleesh on both sides of the Border speaks your name in the same breath as rebellion.”
The Nightstalker woman let out a wry laugh. “Okay. And that’s why you forced the halfling to trick me into letting you inside my house, so you could weasel a confession out of me and bring me back across kicking and screaming. What did she offer you, Corian? My old medals? A seat at her wilting fucking feast?”
“The Crown can rip itself apart for all I care, and it’s headed that way as we speak. You have the chance to finish what you started when you laid down your banner, Maleshi.”
“Mattie!”
“General Maleshi Hi’et, Hand of the Night and Circle, Blade of the Untouched Eye,” Corian shouted back. “That is who you are! The truth runs deeper than flesh, even in the light.”
Mattie stiffened where she stood beside the light-brown couch against the wall. She stared at the floor, her hands clenching into fists. “What did you say?”
“You heard me.” Corian blinked, his upper lip twitching with the hint of his snarl. “And now I need you to put your rage aside and listen to the rest of what I came to say. I act for Ambar’ogúl, and my loyalty lies with the Cu’ón.” When Mattie looked at him, the Nightstalker nodded toward Cheyenne.
Slowly, the Nightstalker who’d spent the last few centuries convincing the world she was human turned toward the other magicals gathered in her living room. Then her gaze fell on Cheyenne standing just inside the doorway, and her eyes widened. “You brought her here with you as a messenger.”
“I brought her here so you’d understand what’s at stake,” Corian muttered. “And hopefully, to help convince you what you’re hearing is all there is to say.”
Mattie just kept staring at Cheyenne, although the surprise and dawning realization had filtered away from her green eyes. “Do you know what this is about?”
The halfling licked her lips and nodded. “Yeah.”
Lumil chuckled. “Hell, she might be the only reason we made it out of that—”
“I didn’t ask for your opinion.” Mattie’s sharp gaze cut toward the goblin woman, who pressed her lips together and stared at the floor. “I’ll listen to what Cheyenne has to say. Anyone tries to lead her or change her story, I’ll rip all four of you apart and drop you into the Atlantic. Got it?”
The woman’s gaze roamed across the gathered magicals in her living room, all of whom returned short, firm nods. When she was satisfied, Mattie/Maleshi turned back toward Cheyenne and gestured toward the couch. “Please, Cheyenne. Have a seat.”
“Right.” Glancing at the other magicals, the halfling moved across the room, feeling Mattie’s gaze on her the entire time. She stopped by the couch and waited for everyone else to take seats on the loveseat and armchairs circling the low coffee table.
Persh’al and the goblins approached the furniture and stood in front of their prospective seats without moving. Mattie looked at Corian, and only when she tilted her head did he step in front of the loveseat. Then the woman joined Cheyenne at the couch and gestured for the halfling to sit.
Lowering herself onto the couch, Cheyenne frowned at the other magicals. They didn’t move until Mattie finally sat beside the halfling, then everyone else fell into their seats like puppets with their strings cut.
“I’m ready to listen to whatever you have to tell me.” Mattie met the halfling’s gaze and nodded slowly. All traces of her usual joking demeanor were gone.
I guess I’m talking to Maleshi now and not Mattie. This is weird.
Cheyenne shrugged and leaned forward with her forearms resting on her thighs. “We went to check out the new Border portal. There’s nothing there, not like the others. But then this…I don’t know. Corian said the things belonged in the in-between.”
Mattie glanced at the other Nightstalker, who dipped his head and raised an eyebrow. “You tried to cross over?”
“No.” Cheyenne shook her head. “Those creepy things came out of the portal.”
“That’s impossible.”
“Not anymore, I guess.”
Mattie/Maleshi licked her lips and took a deep breath through her nose. “I still don’t see why you’re coming to me with this.”
Corian cleared his throat. “We need to know how the portal opened, General. Why it’s there.”
“Hmm. Convenience or coincidence, is that it?” When he nodded again, Mattie turned back to the halfling. “Go on.”
“Uh…” The chains on Cheyenne’s wrists clinked when she scratched the side of her head, then she tugged down the sleeves of her baggy hoodie in an attempt to muffle the sound. “I mean, that’s pretty much it. Weird creature-things came out of the portal, we fought them, and then Corian said we needed to come and see you.”
“A correction, General?” Corian adjusted himself in his chair, knowing he was on thin ice with Maleshi Hi’et even by daring to ask. Those oddly inhuman green eyes flashed at him, and the human-appearing Nightstalker gave him a tiny nod. “I don’t think we would have managed to ‘fight them back’ without Cheyenne, and I have to give her due credit for putting the worst of the in-between back where it belongs before she sealed the portal again. For the time being.”
Mattie turned to the halfling one more time and blinked. A slow smile crept across her lips, but she quickly forced it away. “Is that what happened?”
“I mean, pretty much.” Why is this suddenly a halfling interrogation? “I just did what I had to do. And it worked.”
“How’d you hear about the portal?”
Cheyenne adjusted herself on the couch, leaning away from Mattie a little before she sat back against the armrest. Here we go. This is where I tell her everything she didn’t wanna hear in her office. “I got a...message.”
“Cheyenne. Please.” The woman dipped her chin and bored holes into the halfling’s face with her intense green gaze. “If there was ever a time to put it all out there, now would be it.”
“I didn’t think we came here so I could talk about myself.” Cheyenne cleared her throat. “You’re not gonna believe this.”
That slow, feral grin she’d seen on Corian’s face so many times appeared on Mattie Bergmann’s human lips. “You’d be surprised.”
“Okay.” Time to spill the drow beans, Cheyenne. “L’zar Verdys did some kind of astral-projection thing and showed up in my room last night.”
Byrd snorted at her description, which turned into a choke when Corian hissed at the goblin man.
Cheyenne couldn’t look away from the center of the coffee table. “He told me to tell Corian about the breach, so I did.”
Mattie nodded and turned to shoot Corian a mocking stare. One eyebrow lifted, and the smile on her lips was tight and humorless. “Sounds like you finally got to do what you came here to do, Corian. If I’d known one of my students was L’zar Verdys’ daughter, I wouldn’t have been so disappointed when I realized she didn’t need me anymore.”
Chapter Seventy-Six
Cheyenne straightened on the couch and stared at her professor. “I didn’t say anything about being his daughter.”
“You didn’t have to, Cheyenne. No drow would be as invested in you as L’zar obviously is. And he wouldn’t have used the Don’adurr Thread if you hadn’t started your drow trials with Corian.”
The halfling choked on a surprised laugh. “You got all that from what I just told you?”
“Most of it, yes.” Mattie looked away from Corian and fixed her gaze firmly on her former student. “How’s that going, by the way?”
“The trials?” Cheyenne shrugged. “I’ve unlocked two layers of the box. The...Cuil Aní.” That’s getting easier to say.
Corian chuckled. “I’d check it again after what you did at the portal this morning. Might be three now.”
She smirked at Corian. “And I punched him in the face las
t night.”
The Nightstalker’s smug smile disappeared, and he closed his eyes. Persh’al turned to stare at him while the goblins tried to hold back their sniggers.
“Cheyenne, I can’t even begin to tell you how much I envy that little victory.” Mattie leaned sideways and propped her arm on the couch’s other armrest. “If I’m not mistaken, then, everything’s already been set in motion.”
“You’re not mistaken.” Corian fought back another smile and shook his head. “Now that Cheyenne’s started her trials, L’zar’s getting ready to make his move.”
“Because he succeeded in blasting a hole right through those fell-damn prophecies.” Mattie tapped two fingers against her lips and laughed. “The drow actually did it.”
“Well, I’m still alive and kickin’, so…” Cheyenne cocked her head.
“You’ve told her already?” Mattie asked Corian.
“That was all on these clowns.” The Nightstalker gestured at Persh’al, Byrd, and Lumil, who responded with sheepish glances.
“Might be the only time a loose tongue comes in handy, huh?” Mattie nodded slowly. “You deserve to know.”
“What, you mean that L’zar had a bunch of other kids before me, and they all died when they started their trials because some prophecy said they would? Yeah, that’s a pretty important nugget of information. There’s a lot more I’d like to know on top of it.” Cheyenne raised her eyebrows and almost held her breath. She’s known about all this for a long time. No way she’s keeping the same promises Corian made. “Care to tell me the rest of it?”
“Not now, Cheyenne.” Corian leaned forward in the loveseat, shook his head, and shot Mattie a quick, warning glance. “Right now, we’re here to tell Maleshi what’s happening and to ask for her help. We only have twenty minutes.”
Mattie flashed him a quick smile, but it disappeared just as fast. “You think the Crown’s responsible for opening a new portal that doesn’t differentiate between creatures of the middle realm and those of us who belong on either side of the Border?”
