by Martha Carr
Ember reached toward the living room, and a burst of violet light streaked from the coffee table into her outstretched hand. The potions vials clinked together, and she handed the purple one to Maleshi. “Here. Tell her she has to take it.”
The general squinted at the dark glass. “What is it?”
“A healing potion.”
“Why the hell won’t you take it, kid?”
Cheyenne grunted. “We don’t know that’s what it is.”
“She got it from a bane-breaker,” Ember added.
Maleshi froze. “There’s a bane-breaker Earthside?”
Ember stared at Cheyenne, and when her friend didn’t willingly offer the information, she dove in for her. “Yeah, she went to her last night. Inolu Frosh. She gave Cheyenne these potions. One to heal her, and the other one’s for Bianca before she makes the crossing.”
The general choked in surprise. “Oh, so she’s an insane bane-breaker?”
“No. Inolu and the Underman said Bianca’s the vessel. You know, the one Venga said he needs.”
“Yeah, Ember. Thanks. I know which vessel you’re talking about.” Maleshi glanced at Cheyenne. “Is she serious?”
“Jesus Christ, Em. You couldn’t wait five minutes?”
“Hey, if you’re not gonna spit it out, I sure as fuck will.” Ember thrust the potion under her friend’s nose. “Take it.”
“No.”
Maleshi glared at the potion and nodded. “I have no idea what to think about a healing potion from a bane-breaker, kid. If Corian were here, I’d ask him. There aren’t a bunch of other magical brains for me to pick at the moment, not Earthside. So we need to talk to L’zar.”
“No fucking way.” Cheyenne struggled to pull her arm off Maleshi’s shoulder. “I don’t need to go to L’zar for help. He’s done enough.”
“You don’t have a choice!” Maleshi snarled. “And you’re obviously not in a state to make this kind of decision for yourself. We’re going to L’zar.”
The general cast a new portal, working around her arms full of poisoned drow. Another window of dark light opened in the space between the kitchen island and the back of the couch, then Cheyenne wrenched away from Maleshi and staggered to the couch. “I just need to lie down.”
“You need to shut the fuck up and come with me!” The general lurched after Cheyenne and grabbed her wrist.
Cheyenne’s entire body was on fire, and she barely felt Maleshi’s grip, but her shoulder exploded with agony when the nightstalker tugged lightly on her wrist, and she spun with a snarl, wrenching her wrist away. “Just give me a fucking minute!”
The apartment spun around her, and she couldn’t tell which of the three Maleshi Hi’ets in her vision was the right one to focus on. What am I doing? This isn’t supposed to happen.
“I don’t think you have that long.” Maleshi rolled her shoulders back and pointed at the open portal. “You’re going through that thing one way or another, kid. Even if I have to drag you through it.”
“You can try.” Cheyenne’s breath came in shuddering gasps as she tried to focus her gaze on the nightstalker’s glowing silver eyes. “I’m done with everyone making decisions for me.”
“Well, it’s happening one more time. Come on.” Maleshi headed toward her, and Cheyenne summoned a sparking black energy orb in one hand. “All right, cut the bullshit.”
Cheyenne tried to walk away, but her legs gave out, and it wasn’t just her hip this time. Black dots danced in the corners of her vision, and a rhythmic rushing pulse filled her ears. “L’zar can—”
“Tell us whether or not that potion’s a good bet? Yep. Now get through this portal.”
“Stop!” Cheyenne hurled her energy sphere at the nightstalker and crashed to her knees at the same time. Her drow magic jumped from her hand and snuffed out mid-air. Two purple sparks leaped from where the rest of it had disappeared, and that was it.
Ember’s jaw dropped. “Fuck.”
“What?” Cheyenne gazed down at her hand and summoned another black energy orb, more like a crackle of black sparks and a second-long hiss.
“That is what I call a big fucking uh-oh.” Maleshi stalked over to Cheyenne and helped her stand again. “Come on. Get on your feet and walk through this portal. Then we’ll have our answers. Ember, don’t forget those potions.”
“Trust me, I won’t.” Ember stared at them as they made their way to the portal. Swallowing thickly, she floated through behind them.
The foyer of Bianca Summerlin’s estate house was empty and quiet. Maleshi guided Cheyenne to the stairs and lowered the drow to the bottom steps. “Just stay right here, okay? Don’t worry, kid. I’ll make this as delicate as it can be.”
The general’s fingers moved quickly as she cast her human illusion in a flash of silver light. Ember did the same, though her feet still hovered an inch above the floor. “Do we need to make sure she doesn’t fall asleep or something?”
Maleshi shrugged. “Nah. What we just saw, or didn’t see, is enough to keep her up for a while.”
As the general headed around the wide staircase toward the back of the house, Ember eyed Cheyenne. “We’ll figure this out. And that’s not permanent. Trust me.”
Cheyenne blinked heavily and stared at her open palms, her forearms propped on her thighs. “If anyone would know, it’s you.”
“Yeah.”
The drow kept staring at her hands even after Ember and Maleshi disappeared. She tried to summon another energy sphere, one in each hand, but the results weren’t any better than the last time. Probably worse. Even the spray of purple sparks petered out into nothing, and then she had to give up. Okay. Now it’s pretty bad.
Ember and Maleshi reached the back of the house and stopped beneath the staircase. The back wall of windows gave them a perfect view onto the veranda, complete with a strangely domestic image of Bianca, Eleanor, and L’zar sitting around the wrought-iron patio table. L’zar grinned as he spoke casually, gesturing lightly with his long, slender fingers. Eleanor scowled at him with a raised eyebrow, but Bianca wore a calculating look even as she sat rigidly on a cushion brought out from inside, careful not to let any other part of her body press against the chair.
“Well, that’s certainly not what I expected to see,” Maleshi muttered.
“Super weird.” Ember nodded at her. “I’ll go talk to them.”
“And I can’t, because why?”
“I’ve been here more than you. I know they like me.” Ember floated toward the French doors without waiting for the general’s consent.
With a wry chuckle, Maleshi folded her arms and watched.
Eleanor was the first to notice the movement inside. When she looked at the French doors and saw Ember slowly opening them, her disapproving scowl vanished beneath a wide grin. “Ember! What a wonderful surprise.”
Bianca and L’zar both turned to see the fae hovering in the open doorway. Bianca offered a small smile. “While I agree it’s wonderful to see you, Ember, I have to say I’m not a fan of surprises.”
“I know. And I’m sorry. There wasn’t enough time to call first, and I honestly don’t think there’s enough time to explain, either.”
Bianca’s smile faded. “Where’s Cheyenne?”
“In the foyer.”
“Why didn’t she come out with you?”
Ember looked at L’zar. “That’s what we need to talk about. Just L’zar first, though. Sorry.”
The drow chuckled and pushed languidly out of the patio chair. “It seems our daughter’s taken after me in the drama department. Excuse me, ladies. I won’t be long.”
Eleanor scoffed. “You could never come back, and it wouldn’t be long enough.”
L’zar pointed at her as he headed toward the doors and winked. “Not the first time I’ve heard that one either.”
Bianca swallowed thickly and stared after the human-looking fae leading the drow thief back inside. She caught a glimpse of Maleshi, all wavy black hair, green eyes, and sternl
y straight lips, standing in front of the dining table beneath the stairs. The general met her gaze and dipped her head in acknowledgment before turning to follow Ember and L’zar around the staircase.
“Something’s wrong.”
Eleanor rolled her eyes and took a long drink of her iced tea. “Of course something’s wrong. He’s here.”
“I mean with Cheyenne.”
“Oh, whatever it is, we both know she can handle it.” The housekeeper brushed a small droplet of condensation off her cardigan. “Are you sure you don’t want me to get you a drink? I’m happy to.”
“Thank you, Eleanor, but no. I’d like to sit out here for a moment longer if you don’t mind keeping me company.”
Eleanor studied the other woman’s intense gaze aimed directly inside and nodded. “Sure, we’ll stay. I don’t mind.”
Chapter Sixty-Five
“General, if you wanted my attention, you didn’t have to send the fae outside to fetch me.” L’zar’s long, slow strides made him look like he was floating down the wide corridor between the central staircase and the kitchen. He turned halfway around to raise eyebrows at Maleshi, still all jokes and smiles. “I don’t see why you’re in such a mood, either.”
Maleshi nodded at the front of the house. “You will.”
“Well. Now I’m intrigued.”
Ember rolled her eyes as she floated ahead of him and rounded the base of the staircase first. Cheyenne looked slowly up at her with a pained frown but didn’t say a word.
“I have to say, Bianca and I share the same sentiment, which has been happening quite a lot over the last few days if you can believe that.” L’zar turned and walked backward to watch Maleshi as he spoke, spreading his arms. “Cheyenne’s a grown woman. She should speak to us herself if it’s so important.”
“If I knew I could walk across this house without eating shit, L’zar, I would have.”
The drow thief froze at the sound of his daughter’s voice and slowly turned. His gaze dropped to the foot of the stairs, and his careless, crooked Weaver’s smile disappeared. “What happened?”
“Same thing, different day.”
Ember folded her arms. “The poison’s getting worse.”
“Thanks, Em. I got it.” Cheyenne looked at her dad, using all the strength she had left not to lean back against the stairs and drift off to sleep. I’d have a better chance of not feeling anything if I’m unconscious. “I’ll tell you what’s going on now as soon as you tell me how she is.”
“Bianca?”
She gave him a deadpan stare. “No. The Queen of England.”
For once, he ignored her sarcasm and maintained a surprising level of seriousness as he glanced at the back of the house. “Well, she hasn’t gotten worse, at least. Can’t say the same for you, can I?”
“Just tell me.”
He took a deep breath. “The pain’s obviously getting to her. It was an interesting experience listening to her dress herself this morning.”
“Better or worse than hearing someone slather darktongue salve all over their wounds that won’t heal?” Ember muttered.
L’zar narrowed his eyes at the fae. “Hmm. I can’t say I’ve come across that one.”
“L’zar.” Cheyenne closed her eyes. “How bad is it?”
“Bad enough that she doesn’t want to touch anything, and I do mean anything. I was surprised to see her sitting outside on that cushion.”
“Any new runes?”
L’zar dipped his head and shook it briefly. “Not that I’ve seen, and she hasn’t mentioned anything. Not that I’m convinced she would tell me.”
“She’d tell you.” Swallowing through another grimace, Cheyenne looked at him and nodded. “So, at least we’re good there.”
“Quite. And now I believe you have some information to add to this exchange.” L’zar cocked his head. “Specifically, why you look like someone who refused the deathflame in a fighting pit but wasn’t hit badly enough to die.”
“I’m—” Not fine. I have to quit saying that. “The poison’s getting worse.”
“Yes, that’s quite obvious.” L’zar frowned at Ember and Maleshi. “Don’t tell me you needed my opinion on that.”
Ember nodded as Cheyenne slumped over her bent legs. “She found out important things for healing herself and about the blight.”
L’zar’s eyes widened, and he flashed his daughter a feral, gleaming grin that was entirely wasted on her. She couldn’t stop staring at the floor. “Is that right?”
“Alleged healing,” Cheyenne muttered.
“You need to tell him, kid.” Maleshi folded her arms, clearly unhappy about letting Cheyenne just sit there as the seconds ticked by. “We need his help.”
“No, we don’t. We want his opinion. Those are two totally different things.” Cheyenne swayed where she sat and started to tilt sideways. Ember floated toward her, but the drow steadied herself against the banister and shook her head. “I don’t need help sitting.”
“But you obviously need help explaining what Inolu told you.” Ember gestured to L’zar. “Unless you’re ready to start talking.”
L’zar blinked quickly and tapped a finger against his lips. “I rather like that name. Inolu. Do go on.”
“She’s a bane-breaker.”
He shot Maleshi a sharp glance, but the general’s only reply was to shrug and shake her head. “Earthside?”
“Yeah.”
“Interesting.”
Ember sighed. “And what did she tell you?”
“I got it, Em. I need a minute to put it all together.” Clenching her eyes shut, Cheyenne bowed her head and weakly rubbed her eyebrow. This is the worst combination. He’s gotta be loving this, his daughter running to him like a scared little kid because she can’t make up her fucking mind. I don’t want his help, but I don’t have any other options.
Taking a deep breath, she lifted a head that felt like it weighed a hundred pounds and met L’zar’s gaze. “I went to Inolu to see if she could do anything about the curse on Bianca. You know, like remove it.”
“Yes, I’m aware of a bane-breaker’s purpose.”
“Right. She told me there wasn’t any way to remove the curse with a spell or a potion or whatever. Then I guess I stuck around too long, ‘cause the Underman showed up and told me the rest of it.” I hate this.
“The Underman. Sounds like a bad spinoff of The Mortician.” L’zar chuckled, even when no one else found any humor. “Who is he?”
“I don’t know. Some disembodied magical thing. A demon. She channeled him, and he told me…”
Maleshi nodded. “Keep going. This is taking too long.”
L’zar looked quickly at Ember and Maleshi, and his grin widened again. “Don’t you love the suspense? I find it so rare these days.”
“Shut up and listen to her,” Ember snapped.
“Well, now.” He pointed at her. “Somebody’s getting awfully pushy.”
“He said Bianca’s the vessel,” Cheyenne blurted. “That her fate’s intertwined with Ambar’ogúl. And me.”
All traces of amusement vanished from L’zar’s features. His golden eyes burned fiercely when he lowered his gaze to look his daughter in the eye. “No.”
“That’s what I said.”
“Bianca is not the vessel.”
Cheyenne laughed weakly. “We’re on the same page about something. Good. Now we can drop this shitty idea.”
“I’m gonna stop you right there.” Maleshi stepped over to L’zar and leaned toward him. “I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but we don’t know enough to be able to say it’s not true.”
L’zar stared blankly at nothing, though his gaze was aimed hazily at the top of Cheyenne’s head. “That’s impossible.”
“Is it really?” Maleshi gestured at Ember. “Because I can’t think of a reason why a bane-breaker would offer a shielding potion and tell Cheyenne it’s for her mother.”
“There are always other threads, General.”
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“And it’s our responsibility to look at all of them. You know that better than anyone.”
L’zar looked at the nightstalker with more fear in his eyes than she knew he was capable of feeling. Even more than when he’d approached the Sorren Gán for a second time. “Maleshi.”
“Your daughter is running out of time, L’zar.” The general frowned, unable to look away from the horror flaring behind his eyes. “Faster even than Bianca.”
“But we might be able to reverse that,” Ember added. “At least long enough to get Bianca across the Border.”
Cheyenne groaned. “Ember, come on.”
“What is it?” L’zar hissed.
The fae pulled the two vials out of her pocket and extended the purple one to him. “A healing potion, also from the bane-breaker.”
“Cheyenne, why haven’t you taken this?”
“Really? If a bane-breaker handed you a potion for free and said, ‘Hey, you’re fine. This’ll heal the blight inside you, no problem. Now take your human mom across the Border because the demon living inside me said it’ll work,’ you’d just gulp the whole thing down and call it a day?”
“No, but I would seriously consider why I had an issue taking a bane-breaker’s word for what it’s worth.”
“I don’t know what it’s worth, L’zar. Neither do you, or you wouldn’t be talking circles around this.” Cheyenne swayed again and shook her head. “I don’t see why this is such a big deal. Everyone’s been telling me I need to be more discerning, right?”
“Not with your life.” L’zar’s nostrils flared as he stared at his weakening daughter. Then his hand whipped out to Ember. “Give it to me.”
“Yep.” Ember gingerly set the vial in the drow’s palm, then stuck the potion for Bianca back in her pocket.
“General.” Breathing heavily, L’zar gave Cheyenne one more scathing glance, then spun quickly to the door. Maleshi followed him, and they stood in the foyer, their heads bent toward each other as he turned the vial over and over in his hands. “Did you know about an Earthside bane-breaker?”
“I’m as surprised as you are.”