“Not bothering with illusions this time, huh?”
The Nightstalker's catlike, almond-shaped eyes narrowed, the silver pupils flashing in the muted light. “Just like lounging around in my underwear after a long day at the office.”
Cheyenne snorted and stepped inside when he moved out of the way to let her enter. “That’s an image I don’t need.”
Corian shrugged, then nodded at her backpack. “Did you bring it?”
“Yeah, I brought it. Not sure how I feel about having that thing on me while I drive all the way across Richmond.”
“Not a lot of options unless you’ve figured out how to teleport inanimate objects.”
She blinked at him.
“That was a joke, Cheyenne.”
“Uh-huh. Very funny.”
“All right. Let’s see it, then.”
The halfling watched him from the corner of her eye as she went to the cheap folding card table and the two chairs in the unfinished basement. Her backpack went down on the vinyl tabletop with a thump, then she unzipped it and pulled out the puzzle box. “Please tell me this is what you meant. ‘Cause it’s the only one I have.”
The Nightstalker sucked in a breath, the flattened bridge of his feline nose wrinkling. “That’s it. Let’s get to work.”
Corian went to the long metal shelving unit against the back wall and rummaged through the piles of junk on the shelves. Cheyenne stood by the table and set the puzzle box down beside her backpack while she waited. I’m not touching it more than I have to.
Items toppled from the shelves and onto the floor as the Nightstalker swept things aside to find whatever he was looking for. He ignored the mess, moving like they were on a deadline. Finally, he turned with a small cardboard box nestled under one arm and brought it to the center of the basement’s single large room.
“So…” Cheyenne folded her arms and watched Corian pull out one small white tea candle after another, setting them on the cement floor to form a large circle. “You know any other Nightstalkers on this side of the Border, or are you all pretty solitary?”
“I’ve had a run-in with one or two. Didn’t cross over to make friends with my own kind.” Corian finished the circle of white candles and tossed the cardboard box across the floor.
“Ever heard the name Maleshi?”
The Nightstalker jerked his head up and fixed her with those flashing silver eyes. “Where’d you hear that name?”
She shrugged and wrinkled her nose. “Heard it in passing. Slipped out of someone’s mouth.”
“Fine. Don’t tell me.” Corian stepped out of the circle of unlit candles and studied his work. “Just don’t expect me to buy into that lame excuse. That’s not the kind of name that just ‘slips out.’”
“You know her, don’t you?”
He looked at her sharply again but quickly lowered his gaze toward the candles. “You need to drop all that until you can handle the truth, Cheyenne. Then maybe we’ll talk about it.”
What I can’t handle is people not answering my damn questions. The halfling watched him with a little frown until Corian dusted off his hands and vigorously scratched the back of his head. “And when are you gonna tell me I can handle it?”
One pointed ear covered in a tuft of light-brown fur twitched as the Nightstalker rubbed his jaw. “That starts with the Cuil Aní. When you’ve figured it out and finished what you started, I’d say you’re ready.”
“I didn’t start anything—”
“Right. And I’m just wearing a cat suit. Now pick that thing up and come stand over here.” Corian pointed to the floor beside him.
With a sigh, Cheyenne snatched the puzzle box off the table and brought it with her to take her place. “Now what?”
"No talking for the next minute. You think you can do that?”
First time I’ve been told I talk too much. The halfling stared at him and waited for Corian to see her sarcastic glare, but his focus was somewhere else.
The Nightstalker stretched out his arms, then pushed up his sleeves to reveal a thin coat of light fur running down his forearms. Exhaling, Corian twisted one hand in a quick series of precise gestures, each flowing into the next. Every candle in the circle burst to life, and he rolled his shoulders back to get ready for something else.
A spell that doesn’t have a whole grocery list.
When Corian closed his eyes and slowed his breathing, an electric current rippled through the air away from his body. Cheyenne felt it prickle her skin and whisper into her ears. Then she picked up the faint sound of rushing water from across the room. The Nightstalker lifted both hands, palms facing the floor, and slowly curled his fingers into tight fists. A sphere of dark light bloomed in the air at the center of the circle of candles, steadily expanding as the air inside the circle shimmered.
In seconds, the dark sphere had grown and elongated into a huge oval stretching almost all the way to the ceiling. The halfling blinked and leaned forward. Inside the oval, she saw an open field of moonlit grass, plus pine trees scattered among yellow poplar and black cherry trees. “Is that…”
“You’re nowhere close to conjuring portals, kid. After you.” The Nightstalker nodded toward the oval doorway leading who knew where and waited for Cheyenne to do what she was told. “Make sure you step over the candles. I don’t wanna have to clean up the mess before we even get a chance to start.”
“Right.” She clutched the copper puzzle box in both hands and took a slow step over the closest flickering candle into the circle. Another burst of charged energy flowed through her, and her black hair fluttered around her face in the sudden cool breeze. Just like that. Right through an actual portal.
Gritting her teeth, she took one more step toward the dark, shimmering light of the oval doorway and forced herself not to look back at Corian before she walked through to the other side.
Chapter Thirteen
The burning zap
