by Martha Carr
The fae watched Cheyenne until the halfling disappeared beneath the wide edge of the veranda, then she slowly wheeled the chair around. One of her sweaty hands slipped on the wheel, but she caught herself and tried again.
At the bar, Bianca filled her glass with vodka and didn’t bother with the soda water or the lemon. Not even ice. She knocked back a huge gulp and sucked in a breath through her teeth. “That was certainly entertaining.”
Ember’s mouth opened and closed quickly before she found her voice. “That’s one way to put it.”
“Mmhmm.” Bianca took another long swig and set the half-empty glass back down on the bar. “That’s enough.” She looked at Ember and took a deep breath through her nose. “In case you’re wondering, Ember, I’m still very glad you two decided to join us tonight.”
An unintended chuckle burst from the fae’s mouth, which she clamped shut immediately. “Me too.”
The woman nodded and gestured toward the other side of the staircase. “Shall we?”
“After you.” Ember dipped her head, her eyes burning because she couldn’t seem to blink.
Bianca quickly headed past the fae, and Ember forced herself through the shock so she could wheel across the shiny floors of the Summerlin mansion.
When they reached the foyer, Eleanor had already opened the front door. The Goth version of Cheyenne appeared around the right side of the house. She brushed carelessly past the bushes in the front garden, snapping off branches. No one said anything about it.
The half-drow climbed the wide stone steps and paused when she looked up to see all three women in the doorway. “Well, at least we know what caused the earthquake.”
Then she stepped into the house and past everyone to give herself a little space. Eleanor closed the door firmly and stayed there with her hand on the doorknob.
“Perhaps you’d care to enlighten us as to what that thing was?” Bianca murmured.
Pulling her cell phone from her back pocket, Cheyenne unlocked the home screen and looked at her mom. “Something that’s not supposed to be here.”
“Yes, that’s more than obvious, Cheyenne. But that’s not what I asked.”
“Well, you didn’t actually ask me anything,” the halfling spat. Immediately, she dropped the phone by her side and looked at Bianca. “I’m sorry, Mom.”
“I appreciate your apology, Cheyenne, but would not have held it against you if you hadn’t given it.” Bianca raised her eyebrows and nodded. “I would still very much like to know what’s happening in my backyard.”
“Even if it’s magic stuff?”
The foyer filled with a tense silence. Bianca stepped back and turned to meet Ember’s gaze. “Which, by your lack of reaction, I assume you already know plenty about?”
The fae dipped her head with a little shrug. “I might be a part of that whole world, yeah.”
“All right.” Bianca nodded and glanced at Eleanor. “As illuminating as that information might be, it doesn’t change anything about what just happened outside.”
“I know.” Cheyenne lifted her phone and caught her mom’s gaze again. “I need to make a call. After that, hopefully, I’ll know more too. Then I can tell you what that was if you still want to hear it.”
Bianca studied her daughter and pursed her lips. “We’ll give you some privacy.”
Eleanor jumped when her employer took off around the side of the huge house toward her study in the back. The housekeeper followed quickly, stopping to throw her arms around Cheyenne and kiss the halfling’s cheek with as much force as her crushing hug. The halfling winced, and Eleanor instantly released her. “Sorry. I’m sorry. What hurts?”
Cheyenne grimaced and shook her head. “Everything.”
“Hmm.” The housekeeper raised a hand to the halfling’s cheek, nodded, and stepped around her to hurry after Bianca.
Chapter Ninety-Nine
Ember stared at Cheyenne after both women disappeared behind the curve of the grand staircase in the center of the foyer. “Does anything scare her?”
“Not much, no.” The halfling pulled up Corian’s number and pressed the phone against her ear.
He answered on the third ring. “I know you’re smart enough not to call me about the same thing after your little slip up with that text earlier.”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks for asking. Almost died, though.”
“Where’s the pendant?”
“It’s here. I’ll put it on when we’re done.”
“Cheyenne, I’ll wait.”
Rolling her eyes, she stuffed the phone into her back pocket and pulled out the broken silver chain with way too many knots in it, tying a new one. The Heart of Midnight flashed pale, silver light, and she took out her phone again. “There. I think it’s starting to wear off pretty quickly now, by the way.”
“That was bound to happen. We’ll address it when we have to. What happened?”
“Okay. Uh, that little issue we ran into on our drive out to Maryland yesterday? The first time.”
“Yes?”
Cheyenne glanced at the vaulted ceiling of the foyer. “Well, I just found another one. Or it found me. I have no idea.” The line was silent, and the halfling pulled the phone away to double-check that they were still connected. “Corian?”
“Where?”
“At my mom’s house.”
A long hiss came over the line. “Has it opened yet?”
“Oh, yeah. Definitely. I think I took care of it for now, but I have no idea how long that’s gonna last.”
“By yourself.”
Cheyenne nodded and shot Ember an exasperated glance. “Yeah, by myself. I’m the only one here who could do anything about it.”
“Is it as big a threat as the last one?”
“Corian, I have no idea. That’s why I’m calling you. It’s not nearly as big as the last one, but it’s right behind my mom’s house. On her property. It could’ve brought the whole place down on top of us if it was any closer to the house.”
“Hmm. Well, it’s a good sign that you managed to take care of it on your own.”
The halfling snorted. “Not really. I wasn’t joking about the almost-dying part. Black fire. That’s as much as I can say on the phone—”
“Cheyenne, stop. You used that one just now?”
“I mean, maybe ten minutes ago, but yeah. That’s the only reason I’m still here, making a phone call to such a cheery guy.”
“Check the box.”
She gritted her teeth. “I can’t. I left it at home.”
“I’ll see if I can work around that one. But we need to see—”
“Hey, I don’t care about that right now. The only thing I need to do is make sure that thing doesn’t open again and start tearing the place apart. What are we supposed to do now? That’s why I called you.”
Corian paused again, and the halfling didn’t bother checking her phone this time. “The best thing is for everyone in that house to vacate the property. Go somewhere safe. Get away from the threat. Which I’m sure you already know.”
“Yeah, and I’m also sure that’s not gonna happen. I’ll ask, but in case she refuses, what do I do?”
“The next best thing is to call in your F-force friends.”
Cheyenne rolled her eyes. “Nice touch with the forum code over the phone, by the way.”
“Call them, Cheyenne. Have them send up a team to stand guard for a while, at the very least. If anything else tries to come through, they’ll handle it.”
“None of those magicals have made the crossing. They won’t know what the hell to do.”
“That doesn’t matter. They’re soldiers. Sort of. And their weapons are almost as powerful as m—as our weapons. Understand? Have them stand guard, and she’ll be fine.”
“Fine. What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Can you get out here?”
“No. I’m neck-deep in trying to put together those parts we brought back yesterday, and we’re abou
t to follow up with a lead on that name.”
“Oh, great. Thanks for telling me you found something.”
Corian cleared his throat. “It just happened, kid. I almost didn’t answer my phone. Make your other call, sit tight, and text me your address.”
“Really?”
“If I have time, I’ll stop by to pick up some things. Where’d you leave the box?”
“Nightstand. And hey, if you do end up sneaking into my apartment, grab the darktongue salve too. Please. I need to start keeping that stuff on me.”
“Have you used it yet?”
“Uh-huh.”
A low chuckle escaped the Nightstalker, then Persh’al’s voice came from somewhere else in the room. “I gotta go, kid. I’ll let you know if you need to expect me. Anything else comes up, send me another text. Clean. My phone’ll be on silent for a while tonight.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
“Cheyenne? If you took care of it the way you say you did, we’re close. Understand?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m proud of you.”
A wry laugh escaped the drow halfling. “Have fun following your lead.”
She hung up and took a deep breath. “Shit.”
“What’s up?” Ember sat rigid in her chair, staring at her friend with wide eyes.
“I can’t believe I’m upset that I don’t have that burner phone on me.”
The fae frowned. “I didn’t think all this stuff had much to do with the FRoE anymore.”
“Normally, it wouldn’t, but Corian seems to think they can handle it. At least better than not doing anything. And I’m out of options.”
“Hey, I’d offer to drive back home and grab it if that was even remotely possible.”
Cheyenne looked up and gave her friend a wan smile. “Thanks, Em. I don’t need the phone. I was just really trying not to taint this one by calling them with it.” The halfling tapped her temple. “I’ve seen that number come up so many times, it’s stuck in here.”
“That’s lucky, I guess.”
“Yeah. Hey, feel free to go hang out with them. They’re probably getting lit right now, so at least it’ll be laid back.”
Ember laughed. “You could just say you want some privacy, you know.”
“Stay if you want to. I don’t mind. It’s gonna be a...rough conversation.”
The fae blinked and smacked her lips. “I think there’s still some gin left in my glass. I’ll go find out.”
Cheyenne snorted and watched her friend wheel out of the foyer toward the broad hall leading down the side of the house. “Uh, just please don’t tell her who I’m calling right now, okay?”
“I seriously doubt any of us wanna talk about that.” The fae winked at her friend and paused. “That was a close one out there, wasn’t it?”
The halfling chewed the inside of her bottom lip and nodded. “Close, but no dice.”
Laughing, Ember shook her head and left the half-drow alone in the foyer to make one more call.
Cheyenne stared at the keypad on her phone and grimaced. “He owes me one, and he’ll owe me another one after this.”
She dialed Major Sir Carson’s FRoE number from memory and slowly lifted the phone to her ear. She thought he wasn’t going to answer when the call made it through five rings, but he picked up on the sixth.
“Where’s the goddamn phone I gave you, halfling?”
She frowned. Of course, he looked up my number. “Unavailable.”
“Well, make it available. That’s part of the deal.”
“Doesn’t matter now, does it? You’ve had my personal number for a while, and you can give up trying to explain that one. Right now, I don’t give a shit.”
Sir cleared his throat. “So, what happened?”
Here goes nothing. “I need a team at my mom’s house, like, ten minutes ago.”
He snorted. “Are you wasted right now or something? Maybe too much LSD, or you smoked too many magic mushrooms?”
“Uh, I don’t think that’s how—”
“‘Cause I can’t think of another goddamn reason why you’d call me from your personal number to make demands, halfling. And I don’t appreciate being drunk-dialed.”
Cheyenne paused and slowly closed her eyes. “You done?”
“Are you?”
“No, and you really wanna hear what I have to say right now.”
“I’ll be the judge of that. Go.”
Jesus, he’s insane. “Just so you don’t accuse me of being on drugs again, I’m saying this the way it is because we’re on an open line.”
“Are you trying to tell me you haven’t done some fancy little trick with your phone to keep it extra-private?”
“No, I have. But I’m also pretty sure people you don’t know about might be able to tap it anyway, so just hear me out. There’s another opening.”
“A what?”
“Another place to cross.”
“Get your head out of your ass and say something intelligent.”
Cheyenne let out a little growl of frustration and forced herself not to chuck her phone across the house. “The whole reason you people started doing what you’re doing, man. Come on! The damn openings you guys regulate all over the world. Ring any bells?”
Sir paused for an unnervingly long time. “Are you telling me there’s one on your mom’s fancy ranch right now?”
Finally. “Yes.”
“Are you—”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
“Goddammit!” Sir roared.
The halfling jerked the phone away from her ear and could still hear every curse and made-up half-curse the FRoE director bellowed. When it died down, Cheyenne slowly pressed the phone to her ear again and heard his heavy breathing.
“I already checked it out,” she told him. “And it’s not...normal. That’s why I need some people up here. My mom’s not leaving her house, as I’m sure you already know, and I can’t keep watch on it by myself.”
“What do you mean, ‘not normal?’”
“Stuff coming out that shouldn’t be able to come out. Again, I can’t tell you over the phone. But I’m all for telling your guys in person once you send them.”
“If I send them.”
“We don’t have time to fuck around with your superiority complex, Sir. I didn’t have to call you and tell you about this.”
“And I don’t have to send you shit.”
Cheyenne nodded slowly. “Okay, fine. You’re right. We’ll call it a fair trade, then, huh? Your guys get full control of this thing for as long as you need to.”
“We already have full control over all of them anyway. That’s our goddamn job.”
“Not the ones you don’t know about.”
Sir growled. “Watch it, halfling. You’re this close to being cut off.”
“No, I’m not. You need me, and I’m pretty sure you need to get this new opening under control if you don’t want the whole secret world to know you guys screwed up and can’t keep a handle on every single one of them anymore.”
“You’re a goddamn Venus Flytrap, Cheyenne. You know that?”
“Actually, you’re the first person to say it quite like that, but thanks anyway.”
“What about your mother? She made it pretty damn clear she doesn’t want me anywhere near that property.”
“She’s not leaving. I know she won’t. But she saw what happened with that thing, and she won’t try to stop you, either.”
Sir sighed, and the clink of ice against glass came over the line. “You better give these guys every single scrap of info you have. Got it?”
“Yeah. No problem.”
“One hour. And do me a favor, huh? Don’t ever call this number again, telling me what to do with my organization. I call the shots. You’re expendable.”
“Get back to your drink.” Cheyenne hung up and felt quite a bit lighter because of it. Asshole.
Chapter One Hundred
“I most certainly will not leave my home, Che
yenne.” Bianca sat back in the armchair on the south side of the house, one leg crossed elegantly over the other as she held her daughter’s gaze. Eleanor glanced quickly between them and grabbed a pillow from the settee beside her before squeezing it tightly in her lap.
Sitting on the sofa with Ember beside her, the halfling took a small sip of her watered-down bourbon and nodded. “That’s what I figured, but I had to ask.”
“I hope your foresight led you to consider an alternative.”
“Yeah, and I went ahead and put it in motion.”
A small smile crept across Bianca Summerlin’s tightly pressed lips. “I knew you would.”
“They’ll be here in an hour.”
When her daughter didn’t offer any more than that, Bianca uncrossed her legs and leaned forward in the armchair. “If I’m to be entertaining guests, I expect to know who they are ahead of time.”
“You won’t be entertaining anyone. They’re coming for that thing outside. To keep it from doing anything worse than what you guys saw earlier.”
“It was very impressive,” Eleanor added, nodding at the halfling until her employer shot her a quick, expressionless glance. The housekeeper lowered her gaze and squeezed the pillow even tighter. “Mmhmm.”
“Cheyenne.” Bianca raised an eyebrow.
“FRoE agents, Mom. They’re the only ones who have the ability to handle something like that. I’ll have to fill them in, but they’ll keep you safe until we’re sure that thing outside isn’t a danger to you or anyone else in this house. I promise.”
“Will that obnoxious man who insists on withholding his name be joining them?”
“I doubt it. At least not tonight.”
“Good. I really don’t like him.”
Eleanor laughed and changed it into a fake cough.
“I don’t like him either, Mom, but this is all I can do right now. I’m sorry.”
“Cheyenne, I don’t want to hear another apology from you tonight. You handled a messy situation beautifully, and I’m prepared to put all the decisions about this issue into your hands so you can continue to do so.”
The halfling froze, staring sidelong at her mother. All the decisions. She’s scared. “I’ll take care of it.”