by Martha Carr
“I wouldn’t know.”
“Why would you?” Lee glanced up at her briefly with a small smile. “You have any kids?”
Cheyenne snorted. “Definitely not.”
“I see. Hell, even when you do have kids, you never know what you’re doing. Who you are. All you know is that you do your best, even if it’s not enough for them, and hope they don’t hold all your shortcomings against you.”
I wonder if he’d be saying the same thing if he knew about any of L’zar’s shortcomings.
“You have a good relationship with your parents?” Lee asked.
Cheyenne cocked her head and walked slowly along the back wall, scanning the shelves but not really seeing anything on them. “With my mom, kinda. My dad, though, that’s a totally different thing.”
“You still talk?”
She looked at the man with a tiny frown. I don’t even know why I’m having this conversation with a guy I’ve only met twice. “Well, we didn’t for a long time. But yeah. We’re talking now. Not exactly my favorite part of the day, though.”
“Ah. But I bet you it’s his favorite part.” Lee pointed at her with his pen, then looked at the picture of him and his daughter again. “I tell you what, Cheyenne. Not a day goes by where I don’t think about my daughter. What I could’ve done differently. What I’d give now to be able to spend a day with her like the day we had when that picture was taken. But hey, those are the regrets of an old man who’s lived long enough to have few things left but regrets, right?”
“At least you have regrets.”
Lee laughed and returned his pen to the notebook, shaking his head. “That’s not something you hear every day.”
“I mean, the ability to realize you were wrong and wanna make up for it, you know? Something my dad has a real issue with.” Cheyenne took another quick drink of water. “I promise you haven’t done anything close to what my dad’s done. And I saw him this morning.”
“Hmm. He must’ve done something right in raising you, then.”
She snorted. “No, my mom gets the credit for that.” I doubt L’zar even thinks twice about what might happen if he crosses the line and I cut him out. He probably wouldn’t even care. Not like Lee’s daughter was meant to lead a coup and overthrow a magical dictator, but still.
“Well. If you asked for my advice, I’d tell you one thing to remember and take with you.” The man scribbled his signature at the bottom of the paper and dropped the pen on the desk. “It’s hard enough to live with your own mistakes. But when our screwups are responsible for the mistakes the people we care about start makin’ all on their own, that’s when it’s time to take a serious look at ourselves. Forgiveness and change. Taking responsibility and movin’ on the best way we know how. Hopefully, our kids or whoever are willing to notice the change and eventually forgive us too. Who knows, right?”
Screwing the lid back onto her bottled water, Cheyenne nodded. “I hope she notices.”
“Ha. Yeah, me too. All right.” Lee slapped a hand on the estimate and quickly tore it off along the perforated edge. “Here we go. Estimated cost. Like I said, subject to change, but very rarely do I go over.”
“Even if you did, I wouldn’t have an issue with it.” She joined him at the desk and took the pen he offered. “Seriously. Whatever you think needs to be done to get my car looking like it just came off the lot again, this is me giving you the all-clear to do it.”
“I like the sound of that. Look that over and sign at the bottom if it’s all good.”
“Yep.” Cheyenne put her signature right next to his and nodded. “Thanks, Lee.”
“You betcha. Give me twenty-four hours, and you’ll have your ride back home looking brand-spanking-new.”
“Twenty-four hours?” Cheyenne took the carbon copy of his estimate and stuck it in her pocket without looking. “That’s fast.”
“Yeah, I know. But I like you. You listened to an old man’s sob story, and the rest of this stuff I’m tinkering with doesn’t have any set timeline to stick to.”
“Cool. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. You need a ride home?”
“No, I’m good. I’ll call an Uber.”
“You sure? I’m happy to take you into town.”
She shook her head. “I’ll be fine. Thanks.” She pulled her phone out of her back pocket and pretended to pull up the Uber app she didn’t have to find a ride.
“Okay. Well, if you change your mind, let me know.”
“I’m good. Car should be here in ten minutes. I’ll have them meet me at the end of the gravel.” Cheyenne stopped when a glint of copper beads caught her eye on the shelf almost directly behind Lee’s head. No way. She narrowed her eyes and gestured at the beads with a charm identical to those she’d seen in Peridosh. “What’s that?”
“Hmm? Oh, a thank-you gift. People leave me the weirdest stuff all the time, and I guess I’ve grown something of a collection over the years. Bunch of random stuff that’s neat to look at but not any more useful than that.”
“I think you might be wrong about that. Do you know what it means?”
Lee’s eyes widened, and he cocked his head, his smile growing by the second. “Do you?”
There isn’t a set protocol for how to figure out whether or not someone knows about magic. She nodded. “I’m pretty sure I do, yeah. Comes from a whole different world, right?”
“Well, would you look at that!” Lee readjusted his Stetson one more time and chuckled. “How much do you know about this other world, huh?”
Cheyenne slipped into drow mode long enough for the man to get a good look at her. “You could say I’ve got a foot in the door.”
“Ha!”
She slipped back into her Goth-human form and shrugged.
“And here I was, thinking you were a regular young woman with good taste in cars.”
“I thought you were a car enthusiast who patches up the occasional accident.”
“Very clever.” Lee shook a finger at her, grinning. “Sorry to disappoint you, Cheyenne, but what you see with me is what you get.”
“Huh. I’ve been telling people the same thing for a long time.”
He laughed and slapped a hand on the desk. “No, I mean nothing non-human about this car enthusiast, but I’ve made a few friends over the years who have at least one foot in the door. Like you. I’ve always thought it a little funny that magicals still drive cars around.”
“Well, unless you know a nightstalker, that’s pretty much the only way to get around. With a few exceptions.”
“Boy, my day’s full of surprises. Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me.”
Nodding, Cheyenne glanced at the copper beads and charm on the shelf again. “I trust you, but I do have a question that might seem a little weird.”
“Oh, yeah? Hell, when you know about magic and magicals running around looking like regular people, not a whole lot sounds all that weird. Ask away.”
She tilted her head and looked slowly back at him. I’m taking a chance with this one, but it’s not like I have anything to lose. “You wouldn’t happen to know anybody who deals with or at least knows more than the average magical about curses, would you?”
“Wow.” Lee folded his arms and nodded. “You know, I might.”
“Seriously?”
“I couldn’t make this stuff up even if I wanted to. Serendipity at its finest.”
“Tell me about it.”
He opened another drawer in his desk and rummaged around. “Give me a minute. I know I’ve got one. Yep. Here you go.”
Cheyenne took the thin, plain business card he handed her and flipped it over. “Awesome. Thank you.”
“You bet. Don’t make a call after nine p.m. or on weekends. That’s a whole different mess you don’t even wanna get into.”
“Sure, okay.” She stuck the business card in her pocket. “Hey, I appreciate this.”
“Don’t mention it. It’s not like it took me a lotta time and effo
rt to get you a number. I hope it’s helpful.”
“Yeah, me too.”
“You should probably get goin’ if you wanna meet that driver on time.”
“Oh.” Cheyenne chuckled and glanced at the garage’s high ceiling. “Yeah, there’s no Uber coming.”
“Huh. So how’re you gettin’ home?”
“I’m one of those magicals who doesn’t need a car or a nightstalker to get around.” She stepped out of the warehouse and turned halfway around to raise her hand in farewell. “I’ll wait to hear from you tomorrow, yeah?”
Hooking his thumbs through his belt loops again, Lee followed her out of the garage with a curious smile. “I’ll call you when she’s ready for you to pick her up.”
“Thanks. Have a good one.”
“Yeah, you too.”
Cheyenne slipped into her drow form and into drow speed before the man could finish his sentence. The air crackled around her as she darted down the gravel drive in a blur of black and gray and white.
Lee stumbled forward, pulled by the shockwave trailing after her, and managed to catch his hat when the wind snatched it off his head. Chuckling, he set the Stetson back in place, adjusted the brim up and back down again, then dusted off his hands. “Well, I’ll be damned.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Ember had just finished making herself a chicken salad sandwich when Cheyenne burst through the front door of their apartment, grinning. “That was fast.”
“Yeah.” The halfling headed for the wrought-iron stairs leading to the mini loft. “And way more helpful than I expected.”
Ember finished cutting her sandwich and lifted one half to her mouth. “So the old guy who fixes up old cars for fun is legit, then.”
“I’m not talking about the car, Em.” Cheyenne’s feet pounded up the metal stairs. “I mean, yeah. He’s legit. Said he’ll be done tomorrow. But you know what’s even better?”
Swallowing the bite of her sandwich, Ember picked up her plate and floated from the kitchen to the living room to stare up at her friend, who plopped down in the desk chair. “I’ve stopped trying to guess.”
The halfling scooted closer to her desk, then leaned sideways to meet Ember’s gaze through the iron bars with wide eyes. “He’s a human with magical friends, Em. Who happened to have a card with a name and number of someone he thinks might know about curses.”
“No shit?”
“No shit.” Cheyenne forced herself not to punch a hole through Glen in her excitement when she powered on her system and waited for everything to boot up.
“How’d you find all that out?”
“A random necklace on his shelf, believe it or not. I recognized it, and he’s officially the first human to not freak out when they see what I am for the first time.”
“Weird.” Ember dropped onto the couch with her plate in her lap and took another huge bite of her sandwich. “And kinda cool.”
“I know.”
“So why are you up there at the computer instead of calling this curse-magical whoever-it-is?”
“Well, it came with a warning. No phone calls on the weekends or after nine at night, which is fine. We have to deal with Colonel Thomas before anything else, and I’m not about to risk that by going to see a stranger who deals with curses.”
“Right.” Ember nodded. “So many things could go wrong in that scenario.”
“Yeah, thanks.” Cheyenne logged onto her desktop and pulled up her VPN to get ready for another dive into the dark web. “So for now, I’m gonna see what I can find out about this Inolu guy ” She pulled the new card from her pocket and turned it over.
“Cool. Glad you found something.” Ember grabbed the remote off the coffee table and aimed it at the entryway table by the front door. The apartment filled with the hum of Cheyenne’s computer and of the flatscreen TV rising slowly out of the table. “You do your thing, and I’ll do mine.”
“Sweet. Hey, Matthew didn’t try to come back and talk to you after I left, did he?”
“What? No.” Ember scoffed. “I’d like to say he’s smarter than that, but I really don’t know anymore. Why?”
“Just curious. I wasn’t sure if he took us seriously.”
“Well, if he doesn’t, I’ll give him a reason to. And we can stop talking about him now if it’s all the same to you. ‘Cause you know he’s gonna be breaking down our door first thing Tuesday morning looking for answers.”
“No problem. I won’t bring him up again.” Cheyenne logged into her VPN and pulled up the browser for the dark web. I’ll be way too distracted to think about Matthew Thomas.
“Thank you.” With a flash of violet light, Ember’s legs lifted onto the couch so she could sprawl out and lean back against the armrest in her usual position. “I’m gonna watch something awesome.”
Cheyenne was already too involved to hear what her friend said as she clicked on Third Quarter Projections and made her way into the Borderlands Forum. Making a name for himself with a human is one thing, but if this Inolu rings a bell with Earthside O’gúleesh, I’ll know I’m on the right track.
She drew up a new topic thread to post to the forum and made it simple, short, and direct, the best way to get anything done if she wanted it done right.
New Topic Posted Nov 4, 2021 at 3:17 p.m.; Original Topic Thread opened by User ShyHand71
Topic: Anyone Know Inolu?
I’m trying to find a little more information on Inolu Rosh. Honest opinions requested, and if you haven’t dealt with this magical in person, please don’t jump on here and start throwing out hearsay. I’m trying to get a clearer picture of what I might be getting into if I decide to make this call.
TIA.
Then she sat back and waited for the comments to roll in. Which they did. Quickly.
AlpacaLipsMeow: You forgot to add ‘Asking for a friend.’ I went to Inolu a couple years ago for a “skin issue.” No regrets. Little bit on the pricey side, but I’d say absolutely worth it.
2BorFU: Are you kidding me? @ShyHand71 This is what you spend your time doing on a Sunday? Seriously, you’re either wasted or in some serious trouble. Whatever it is, don’t debase yourself by going to someone like Inolu Rosh for help. Better yet, don’t debase the rest of us by posting this kinda shitstorm topic in the first place.
Laird4Quad: @ShyHand71 Whatever you’re dealing with, I’m sure you can find someone who can help you way more than that shitty excuse for a magical. Maybe even someone on this forum. There’s a reason Inolu is on this side of the Border, and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t by choice. #makegoodchoices
orcsOVERwives: @2BorFU obviously had a bad experience with Inolu. ‘Cause I don’t think anyone else is this riled up about you asking the question, @ShyHand71. It’s better to look for opinions than set up a meeting with someone like Inolu and go in blind. To be fair, I also think you have better options than Inolu. At least I hope. But without knowing what you’re looking for, it’s hard to say. I wasn’t very impressed, but that’s me. You can make your own decision.
PWNpalACE420: @AlpacaLipsMeow No regrets, huh? Totally doesn’t surprise me that you of all magicals would go to Inolu for a “skin problem.” You need to get your head out of your ass. No bane-breaker can fix ugly. Or stupid. If it was possible, I guess you would’ve realized you got robbed.
B@dTimeCrossing: @ShyHand71 In a way, I’m with @orcsOVERwives on this one. There are probably better options if you’re not sure exactly what you’re looking for. But I will say that Inolu is completely worth it if you’re trying to get something done but don’t want to get your hands dirty in the process. I was completely satisfied with my experience. Let me just say I got a promotion and a new house two months after the fact, and we’ll leave it at that. PM me if you want more details.
2BorFU: @AlpacaLipsMeow and @B@dTimeCrossing You two deserve each other. You can’t even give real examples, and the less discerning among us are in serious danger of being misled by your false claims! And @orcsOVERwives, you don’t kno
w anything about me or my situation, so don’t get all high-and-mighty on me about overreacting to a “bad experience.” You’re all fucking morons if you think going to a bane-breaker is even an option on this side. That’s the kinda shit we made the crossing to get away from.
orcsOVERwives: @2BorFU Sounds like you need to see someone for those anger issues, dude.
2BorFU: @orcsOVERwives I don’t have anger issues. Who the fuck are you to say I have anger issues? I’m pissed because you guys are giving @ShyHand71 the wrong information.
B@dTimeCrossing: @2BorFU The OP asked for honest opinions about personal experience. I don’t think they meant that includes your honest opinion of other magicals’ personal experiences. Let the OP make their own decision and go have a drink or something. You’ve been exploding all over the Borderlands the last few days. Give it a rest.
AlpacaLipsMeow: @2BorFU Bite me.
TuskTown11: Interesting thread. Weird comments. Sounds like @2BorFU just needs to get laid.
Cheyenne shook her head and took a deep breath. This is like scrolling through random comments on Facebook. This is magicals-only with some seriously messed-up issues. What the hell is a “skin problem?”
She snorted and scrolled through the rest of the quickly posted comments. So Inolu is a good option if I don’t wanna get my hands dirty. Well, I’m already neck-deep in magical dirt, but at least no one said Inolu is a phony. Worth a shot, right?
“Sounds like you found something fun,” Ember muttered as she stared at the TV screen.
“Sure, it’s always fun to watch anonymous magicals on the dark web tear each other apart over a difference of opinion.”
“So now you’re starting a virtual war too, huh?”
Cheyenne scooted her chair back and frowned down at her friend in the living room. “What do you mean, too? I didn’t start any war.”
“No, I know. I meant another war in general. Never mind.”
“No virtual wars, Em. Everybody has an opinion.”
“Well, that’s a given.”
Focusing on her computer again, Cheyenne skimmed through a few more comments affirming what she already figured about Inolu: that this was the magical to go to for what she needed, whether or not anyone else thought it was a good idea. I’ll make the call tomorrow. Now I can get ready for this meeting with Colonel Thomas and the Bull’s Head with a clear conscience.