The Drow Hath Sent Thee

by Martha Carr

  “Oh, no. The guest bed’s already taken.” Ember shook her head. “By me.”

  “Damnit.” He pounded a fist into his other hand. “Any other comfy places up there?”

  “I mean, there are armchairs in the breakfast room.”

  “All right, fae. You show me where.”

  Lumil wrinkled her nose. “What the fuck’s a settee?”

  Chapter Sixty-Nine

  “What about at night?” Eleanor spun away from the large walk-in closet in Bianca’s master bedroom and shook her head at Cheyenne. “Does it get as cold there as it does here? Because I don’t think she should risk being out in the cold in her condition.”

  Cheyenne dipped her head. “Well, we’ll mostly be inside.”

  “Without electricity, though, right?” Clicking her tongue, Eleanor stepped back into the closet and rummaged through her employer’s wardrobe, wooden hangers clacking together. “Of course not. Anyone who puts their dirty boots up on the furniture has no concept of civilized behavior. You’ll need at least a pullover, and I’ll pack a set of long underwear. The silk ones.”

  When Cheyenne opened her mouth to protest, Bianca whispered, “It’s how she processes.”

  “Oh. Okay.” The drow folded her arms and watched the empty doorway of the walk-in closet as Eleanor mumbled to herself.

  “Jeans are practical. No, they chafe. What am I thinking?”

  “Cheyenne.” Bianca patted the edge of the bed beside her, and her daughter slowly sat down. “You look worried.”

  Cheyenne took a deep breath. “I’d call it nerves.”

  “Ah. Understandable. No one enjoys letting their mother tag along in their personal life. I know I didn’t.”

  “You took Grandma across a magical Border into another world with you too?”

  Bianca’s rare chuckle filled the room, and Cheyenne couldn’t decide whether to be proud of the achievement or flinch from it. Nothing’s gonna be the same after this. Not even Mom.

  “No magic, Cheyenne.” Bianca’s small smile widened the tiniest bit. “But there were times she insisted she accompany me to one function or another, most notably during my first campaign tour with Senator Brystol. That was a memorable evening, to say the least. We got into quite the argument.”

  “Really?”

  “Oh, don’t look so surprised. We rarely got along. She’d be rolling in her grave right now if she knew about this.” Bianca squinted at the ceiling. “Hmm.”

  Cheyenne stared at her mom and waited for the rest of the story. If she wants to tell me, she will. Asking won’t make a difference.

  The woman reached out and gently patted Cheyenne’s thigh before gingerly returning her hand to her lap. “You know, I never told you the full truth behind this place.”

  “You’re not admitting that you lied to me, are you?”

  Bianca shot her daughter a sidelong glance. “Please. I withheld irrelevant information. You know the difference.”

  Cheyenne grinned and looked down at her lap. “Not as well as you do.”

  “Oh, I’d say you’ve come a long way in the last few years.” Taking a deep breath, Bianca studied the wide space between the bed and the closet. Eleanor grunted, and two light jackets flew through the doorway to land in the middle of the room. Bianca tilted her head and stared at the crumpled clothing. “She’s taking longer than usual.”

  “To process or to pack?”

  “Both.” Bianca cleared her throat. “Earlier, I was about to say your grandmother would have done everything in her power to keep us from having the life we have now if she’d known certain facts about my personal life before she passed. And your grandfather would have gone along with it, just like he always did.”

  I can’t believe she’s talking to me about them. Cheyenne ran a hand through her black-dyed hair and waited.

  “The full truth is that, fortunately, they passed before I could no longer hide my pregnancy.”

  Cheyenne frowned. “What?”

  “It would have made more sense if you were born a century ago, or even sixty years. The Summerlins have always taken great pains to avoid scandal whenever necessary. However necessary.”

  “You never told them.”

  Bianca raised her eyebrows. “Of course not, and they left this life believing their daughter would continue going up the ladders they’d bred her to climb. I might even go so far as to say they were proud.”

  “Why wouldn’t they be?” Cheyenne ran her hands up and down her thighs. “I mean, you did keep climbing.”

  “Indeed. Just not in the way they anticipated. So, I’m sorry to say, they did not know they were grandparents. I still believe it was better that way.”

  Ouch. Cheyenne swallowed. “Yeah, not a lot of people can handle raising a halfling, so you have that under your belt.”

  Her mom smiled again. “Not better for them, Cheyenne. Better for you.”

  “Oh.” Frowning at the pristinely polished hardwood floor, Cheyenne couldn’t think of anything to say or do after that.

  “That’s it.” Eleanor grunted and poked her head out of the walk-in closet. “The overnight bag isn’t big enough. I’m going with the small duffel.”

  “That’s fine, Eleanor. Whatever you think is best.”

  The housekeeper glanced at the Summerlin women, nodded, then disappeared again into the closet. “And maybe an extra pair of shoes. Would slippers be going overboard?”

  The clacks of hangers and thumps of bags and shoes being set aside returned to fill the silence.

  Cheyenne drummed her fingers on her thighs. No idea they were grandparents, huh? What kind of scary did they have to be to make Mom hide something like that?

  Her mom didn’t offer any more information, but an even more relevant question popped into her daughter’s head.

  “Not that I’m saying this is the most important thing, but if they didn’t know you were pregnant, how did they sign off on the trust fund?”

  Bianca slowly turned her head as far as she comfortably could to meet her daughter’s gaze. Her lips pursed in and out of a knowing smile. “You’re not the only one with experience in amending legal documents.”

  “What?” Cheyenne let out a small, disbelieving laugh. “You forged the whole thing?”

  “And backdated the signatures, yes.” Bianca shrugged slightly. “A Notary Public owed me favors at the time.”

  “Wow. I can’t believe you’re telling me this.”

  “It’s not that impossible to believe, is it?” This time, the woman’s eyebrows flickered together in the kind of concerned frown Cheyenne had only seen maybe twice. “Cheyenne, I’m well aware of my deficiencies when it comes to motherly instincts.”

  “No, Mom, it’s not.”

  “Don’t insult me by trying to argue. We both know it’s true. I realized by the time I was twelve that I wasn’t cut out to be a parent, and it was not something I built my future around. Not in the cards, as your grandfather would have said, until suddenly it was. I had absolutely no idea what to do.” Bianca dipped her chin and gazed intently at her daughter. “But from the moment I knew you existed, I have done everything in my power to give you the best chance possible. The best of everything I had to give. And honestly, I would do it all over again, given the choice. I know it seems as if Bianca Summerlin stands against all storms, but I wouldn’t have been able to survive nearly as many of them without you.”

  Cheyenne’s eyes widened, and she held her breath against the sharp sting in her nose before her vision blurred. What the fuck is happening right now?

  “So, yes.” Bianca returned her attention to the crumpled jackets on the floor, which had since been joined by a pair of flats and the silk long underwear set. “I forged your grandparents’ signatures for your trust fund. I paid private doctors for more undocumented house calls than I can count. For both of us. I amended their wills as well.”

  “Wait.” Cheyenne blinked the tears away, and they disappeared quickly under her surprise. “What kin
d of amendments are we talking about here?”

  “This estate was originally intended to be mine after I turned thirty, but I wanted it before then.” Bianca’s smile returned. “We faced enough challenges in this house as it is. Imagine trying to tackle them in a waterfront studio apartment?”

  Cheyenne snorted. “I’m not sure I want to.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Where in the world would I have slept?” Eleanor lugged the half-full duffel bag out of the closet and thumped it on the floor beside the other loose articles. Huffing a breath, she swiped away the loose gray curls dangling in her eyes, then stuck her hands on her hips. “No, I very much like the space we have, thank you.”

  “I’d assumed you were too preoccupied to overhear our conversation,” Bianca replied.

  “Oh, please. You know I can’t help myself any time you start talking about forgeries.”

  “What, like, more than one?” Cheyenne frowned at her mom, unable to keep the surprised smile off her face. “Is that what she means?”

  “I don’t discuss business with my family, Cheyenne. You know that. And especially not in my bedroom.”

  “Oh, my God.” Cheyenne stared at Eleanor instead. “And you’ve known all this since when?”

  “The day she hired me.” Eleanor nodded and hunkered down with a grunt to rearrange the clothing in the duffel bag. “Each day’s been as exciting as the last ever since, and it’s not just because we had you running around causing all sorts of trouble.”

  “I didn’t cause that much trouble.” When both women stared at Cheyenne, she shrugged. “Okay, maybe things were a little wild for a few years.”

  “Or eighteen.”

  Bianca chuckled. “The first two and the last two weren’t all that bad.”

  Eleanor laughed. “Speak for yourself.”

  “Yeah, okay.” Cheyenne shook her head. “I know you guys aren’t looking for a pat on the back or anything, but you did okay.”

  “Just okay, huh?” Eleanor pretended to consider the semi-compliment. “I suppose it’s not the worst thing you’ve ever said about us.”

  Bianca tilted her head. “Not the best, either.”

  Both women laughed again, and Cheyenne playfully rolled her eyes. Laughing it up like we’re packing for a week in the Bahamas together. Which would never happen.

  “Well, given however much trouble I got into,” she said, turning to her mom, “I promise I’ll keep us both out of it from now on.”

  The smile faded from both Bianca’s and Eleanor’s faces. Cheyenne’s mom nodded. “I’m not sure you can separate yourself from trouble, Cheyenne. It seems to find you.”

  “Maybe, but after this, I’ll make sure it stays away from you. Both of you. And I won’t let anything happen to you while we’re over there, Mom. We have Maleshi and the goblins coming with us. Ember’s one of the best magicals to have around, and then when we get there, Persh’al and Corian will do whatever they have to to make sure you’re safe.”

  “Beyond the general traveling aspect, are there more specific dangers in our immediate future?”

  Only every local O’gúleesh feeling about humans the same way we feel about cockroaches over here. “No. No specific dangers, Mom. I don’t want you to worry. That’s all.”

  “I’m not worried.”

  “You’re not?”

  “Not in the slightest.” Bianca shook her head. “Believe it or not, I’m looking forward to getting out. It’s been a while.”

  “I’m worried.” Eleanor pushed to her feet. “This isn’t a weekend getaway in the Adirondacks.”

  “Are you still upset about that?”

  “No. I’m not still upset. I’ve put it behind me.” Eleanor looked at Cheyenne. “You just make sure she comes back in one piece.”

  “I will.”

  “Because I won’t know what to do with myself in this house on my own. And no, I’m not letting that white-haired buffoon stay here with me, either.”

  Cheyenne smirked. “I’ll tell him to leave.”

  “You do that. So will I.” Eleanor glanced at the half-packed duffel bag and let out a choked whimper. “Can’t forget the toiletries.”

  “I’ll let you get some rest.” Cheyenne stood from the edge of the bed and nodded at her mom. “Want me to wake you up when it’s time?”

  “I know how to set an alarm, Cheyenne, but thank you. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

  “Yeah. Okay.” She looked for Eleanor, but the woman had disappeared into the master bathroom. She’s apparently still processing, and there’s definitely something wrong with Mom if she’s looking forward to this.

  Chapter Seventy

  Cheyenne gently closed the doors to her mom’s bedroom and headed down the upstairs hall. When she passed the open door of the breakfast room at the back of the house, she found Ember sitting in one of the armchairs facing the windows. “Hey. You going to sleep in here?”

  Ember turned in the slightly angled armchair facing the curving bay window and offered a weak smile. “Doesn’t matter where I am. I don’t think I’m gonna be sleeping tonight.”

  “Yeah, it does kinda seem impossible.” Cheyenne crossed the room and sat in the other cream-colored wingback armchair beside her friend. The valley behind the Summerlin estate and the forest stretching far below were now shrouded in darkness. She saw more of her own reflection in the window than anything else outside. “We should talk about what happened earlier.”

  “Probably, yeah,” Ember snorted. “I’m not sorry I did it.”

  “I don’t want you to be.” Cheyenne drummed her fingers on the upholstered armrests. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let it get that far.”

  “No, you shouldn’t have.”

  Nodding, Cheyenne stared at the floor in front of them. “I remember the whole thing, Em. Me being a serious asshole. Trying to fight you. And your spell. Which, by the way, was pretty badass if I ignore the part about you casting it on me.”

  A humorless chuckle escaped the fae. “Well, thanks, I guess. Maleshi and L’zar thought you were already gone. You know, that the blight had taken over.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yeah.” Ember smoothed her hair away from her face and shook her head. “I knew you weren’t. They weren’t going to do anything, so I had to.”

  “I was there the whole time, only I couldn’t do anything about it.” Cheyenne kicked off her black Vans one at a time and pulled her legs up onto the armchair. “Like, I split into two different people, one who was seriously confused, and the other one who was taking over and wanted to rip all three of you apart.”

  “That’s the one I tied up with magic and tossed on the stairs.” Slowly, Ember turned to look at her friend, her eyes wide beneath a concerned frown. “The poison spread all the way to your eyes, Cheyenne. All black. Not like when you break out the black fire and go full-on drow, but like that skaxen village by the transport station. It was fucked up.”

  “I know.”

  “It’s not like I enjoyed attacking my best friend and forcing a healing potion down her throat, by the way.”

  “Yeah, I figured that went without saying.”

  “But you’re still pissed at me for doing it.” Ember raised her eyebrows. “I can tell.”

  “I’m not pissed at you. I mean, I didn’t enjoy it, but I know you did what you had to do.”

  The room was silent for a moment, then Ember took a deep breath. “Look, I don’t think I’ve tried to tell you what to do or how to do it. At least, not when you’re thinking clearly. When I do say something, it’s because I know you’re not in the right place to think things through on your own. When that happens, I need you to shut up and trust me. Okay?”

  “I will, Em.”

  “Good.”

  “On the bright side, I can’t think of anything worse than having to accept the fact that my mom’s the vessel we need to take across the Border to heal a magical world she hates. So it’ll be a lot easier to shut up and trust you wit
h anything else that comes up.”

  Ember snorted. “Well, don’t jinx it.”

  Cheyenne reached over to the tall, round wooden side table between the armchairs and knocked on it twice.

  With a small, confused smile, Ember frowned at the side table. “I didn’t peg you for a superstitious drow.”

  “I’m not. Generally.” Cheyenne shrugged. “But at this point, I’ll take all the help I can get.”

  “Not a bad plan.”

  They sat there for a few minutes without saying anything else. Cheyenne thought, Feels like we got it figured out. Definitely a bad idea to make the crossing with all that hanging between us.

  “Shit. I’m supposed to teach tomorrow.”

  Ember shrugged. “I doubt anyone will have an issue with another canceled class, especially if being on that part of campus makes everybody forget what they’re doing there.”

  “Right. The blight seeping out into the air. One more thing on the list.” Cheyenne stood from the armchair. “I’m gonna go pull another marginally believable excuse out of thin air and hope the undergrads buy it, at least. I’m pretty sure the rest of the program faculty won’t, but whatever.”

  “You’ll figure it out. Trust me, it’s not so bad, stepping away from school for a while to take care of slightly more important things that are way more exciting.”

  Cheyenne said, “Thanks, Em. I’m probably headed that way anyway.”

  “Well, good luck. See you at two, I guess.”

  “Yeah.” Cheyenne left the breakfast room and headed down the stairs to a surprisingly quiet main floor. Wherever L’zar, Maleshi, and the goblins were, no one made a sound. Not like I’m trying to talk to any of them right now anyway.

  She went straight to her mom’s study and the next set of French doors to close behind her before she found herself sitting in Bianca’s executive desk chair and turning on the computer. She has to know how many times I used to sneak in here to do this. Well, not exactly this.

  As Cheyenne logged on and pulled up the extra VPN she’d connected to her mom’s computer years ago, she smiled. I wonder what kinda gear she used to hack into her parents’ wills?