They headed quickly toward the end of the parking lot and the two security booths on either side. “Where are we going?”
“What?” Yurik turned to look at her. “We say we’re going out to Union Hill, and you have no idea what we’re talking about?”
The halfling raised her eyebrows. “Correct.”
Tate whistled. “Where the hell did Rhynehart dig you up?”
“Nobody dug me up. I showed up.”
“Uh-huh. But you don’t know what’s in Union Hill.” Yurik turned back around, shaking his head.
“So, anyone gonna spill the beans, or are you guys gonna stick with keeping me in the dark too?”
“Attitude,” Bhandi called out from the front. “I like it. Sir’s tight-lipped policy’s making you a little itchy, huh?”
Tate barked out a laugh. “Yeah, jock itch.”
“Shut up.”
“We’re going to Peridosh, halfling,” Yurik finally said. “Ever heard of that?”
“What, you mean the underground bazaar?”
“Ha! It’s bizarre, all right.” The goblin up front slapped his knee, ignoring Bhandi’s eye roll and Tate shaking his head before looking out the window. “But that’s the way we like it, huh? Good to know you’ve heard of that, at least.”
“Yeah, but I’ve never been there.”
“Well, hold onto your pointy little ears, halfling.” Bhandi chuckled and slowed the car to a stop beside the gate booth on the right. “You’re in for a treat.”
Cheyenne frowned at the troll behind the wheel.
Tate leaned toward her and muttered, “They’re not that little. Don’t take it personally. She just likes to fuck with people.”
Pointing to her ears, the drow halfling shot him a sarcastic grin. “Trust me, I’m not overly sensitive about ear jokes.” Just don’t call my sparks “cute.”
The vehicle fell silent, then Bhandi huffed and turned a wide-eyed stare toward Yurik.
“What? You wanted the wheel. Go ahead and take charge.”
“Right. You can slide over and take my seat while I’m grabbing us all masks? I don’t think so. Out.”
“Jeez. You’re taking this way too seriously, you know that?” Yurik unbuckled his seatbelt and jerked open the door. His jaunty whistle followed him out of the car and into the unmanned booth.
Tate chuckled and rubbed the top of his bald head. Cheyenne glanced at him and whispered, “Masks?”
“Oh, yeah. You don’t have to worry about that one, do ya? We’ll get goin’ in a minute.”
Yurik kept whistling all the way until he slid back into the passenger seat. Then the door thumped close, and he held out his open hand toward Bhandi. “One for you.”
“Thanks.”
“Here you go, Grapeface.” Yurik shoved his hand into the back seat and dropped a black metal ring into Tate’s open palm.
“All this time, and that’s the best name you can come up with?” Tate closed his hand around the ring, slipping it on just as Bhandi and Yurik did the same with theirs.
“The other option was Eggplant, buddy. You decide.”
Cheyenne leaned toward the door beside her when the air shimmered around the other FRoE agents in the car. Then what had been two trolls and a goblin in the Range Rover with her were now three more humans. At least human-looking. “Woah. Masks.”
“Yeah, that’s a name we’ve been throwing around for a while.” Yurik flipped over his tanned hands, studying them. “We get to borrow these when we go out on our rec time. Turn ‘em in when we roll back. I heard the guys before us had to drink nasty potions before they went off base.”
Cheyenne raised an eyebrow. “Couldn’t be worse than those energy bars you keep throwing at me.”
The FRoE operatives burst out laughing. Yurik turned again to look at her and nodded. “You’re all right off duty too, you know that? Now let’s ride!”
Bhandi looked up in the mirror on the sun visor, rearranging her auburn hair, which now ran in one braid down the back of her head instead of countless smaller ones. “Can’t wait to slip these damn things back off again.”
“Then go.” Yurik laughed and gestured toward the road ahead of them. “Come on. I could’ve put down at least half a pitcher of grog in the time it took you to ogle yourself.”
“Bite me, Blueface.”
“Not anymore.” Yurik patted his human-looking cheeks and lurched against the passenger seat when Bhandi floored the gas pedal. “Jesus. You got a demon buzzing around inside you or something?”
Bhandi gripped the steering wheel tighter with both hands and wiggled her head. “Probably.”
Cheyenne’s face hurt from trying not to smile too much. Friends are good, I guess.
The Range Rover sped down the narrow road away from the FRoE compound, filled with Bhandi and Yurik’s nonstop banter while Tate just shook his head in the back seat.
The halfling kept a careful eye on where they were going, cementing the route in her memory. No sedatives or black bags this time. I won’t say anything if they don’t.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Half an hour later, they pulled into a public parking lot in Union Hill. Four doors opened and shut, letting out four human-looking magicals. Tate nudged Cheyenne’s arm and jerked his chin up. “Must be pretty nice to just slip in and out of that look whenever you want.”
The halfling spread her arms and looked down at her clothes. “The Goth thing?”
“Ha, ha. Very funny.”
She smirked and followed the off-duty FRoE agents toward the parking meter in the lot. Bhandi punched in the license plate, then hissed out a sigh. “Shit. Anybody have a dollar?”
“You’re so worried about driving fast, you forgot to bring cash.” Yurik folded his arms. “I’m gonna end up paying for all your drinks too, aren’t I?”
The troll woman—temporarily a brunette with hazel eyes and freckles—shot him a cheesy grin and batted her lashes. “That would be, like, so incredible.”
One side of Yurik’s face wrinkled, lifting the same side of his upper lip in wary distaste. “Okay, now you’re taking it too far.”
“Here, just use my card.” Cheyenne slipped her hand into the pocket of her jacket.
“Nope. You’re getting’ everything on us, tonight, halfling.” Tate nudged her again and pulled a brown leather
