“If that.” Tate shrugged.
“Crazy place to keep underground,” Cheyenne muttered.
“Where else were they supposed to put it, under the train tracks at Triple Crossing?” With a chuckle, Yurik just shook his head. “First step, Cheyenne: don’t let them see you.”
“Yeah, that was always my—” She stopped and cleared her throat. Not a good time to bring up my mom. “That’s been my first rule for a long time too.”
“And it’s a good one to have. Especially for a halfling, right?”
“Right.” Cheyenne leaned against the wall of the elevator as it made the slow, wobbly climb to the Fro-Yo shop. And no one chasing me seems to know. The elevator fell silent. Bhandi swayed on her feet a little and quickly shook her head. “Hey, you guys ever seen a silver pendant shaped like a bull’s head?”
Tate snorted. “No, but I bet someone’s made that shape before.”
“No, I mean other magicals wearing them. Like the guys we’ve been dragging in.”
“Not that I remember.” Yurik folded his arms and nodded at her. “Does the bull’s head mean something?”
“Not sure. I’ve just seen it around.” The halfling shrugged. “Thought you might have an idea about what it is.”
“We couldn’t tell you the first thing about fashion from the other side, Cheyenne.” Bhandi pointed at Yurik and narrowed her eyes. “Except that their tastes are worse than his.”
Tate snorted.
“Uh-huh. You think you’re pushing my buttons, don’t you?” Yurik smoothed down the front of his loud zig-zagging sweater, then slapped his chest with both hands. “But under this muscular physique is a—”
“Flabby Blueface?”
“Bunch of tasteless gristle?”
The goblin looked at his troll friends and cocked his head. “I was gonna say ‘goblin with a thick skin,’ but don’t hold back. Tell me how you really feel.”
The trolls chuckled and swayed with the elevator’s bumpy ride to the surface.
Cheyenne couldn’t help a little smile, and when Yurik saw it, he nodded at her again. “Cheyenne knows what I’m talkin’ about.”
“Uh, I can’t speak for a thick-skinned goblin.”
“Or a thick-skulled idiot,” Bhandi muttered.
“But you can speak to having thick skin, right?” Yurik gestured toward her, then shoved his hand into the front pocket of his yellow pants. “Forget the Goth part. You’re a halfling. When people see what you are, I bet they’ve got more to say about it than Bhandi’s dumbass imagination can say about my clothes.”
The halfling gave him a little frown. “More people comment on the Goth thing, actually.”
The elevator jerked to a stop, sending the half-drunk magicals and the wasted Bhandi staggering against the walls. The troll woman tried to cram her hand into her pocket, grunting with the effort.
“You need some help with that?” Tate asked, chuckling and slipping his black illusion ring onto his pinkie.
“Oh, no. Those mitts aren’t goin’ anywhere near my…” Bhandi grunted again and finally whipped out her ring. “Shit.”
The black band flew from her fingers, and Cheyenne leaned forward to snatch it out of the air. Then she offered it to the troll with a knowing smile. “Probably wanna hold onto this.”
Bhandi’s scarlet eyes moved lazily across the halfling’s face, then she snatched the ring and jammed it onto her finger. “Thanks. Showoff.”
The elevator doors screeched open, revealing the back of the fake Employees Only entrance. Yurik laughed. “Someone sounds a little jealous.”
“What? I don’t do jealous.” Bhandi grabbed the handle and jerked inward on the door until Tate pushed it out. The troll woman stumbled forward, now looking like a human with auburn hair and blue eyes. “Stupid. I swear this thing opened the other way.”
“From the outside, yeah.” Chuckling, Yurik and Tate stepped out of the elevator, and Cheyenne followed.
The guy running the shop that fronted one of Peridosh’s entrances stared at the group as they passed him toward the front door. “What the hell are you jokers doing back up here?”
Bhandi snorted and spread her arms. “What? You disappointed to see we made it out alive? Again?”
Tony’s mouth twisted in an amused grin. “Well, there’s that too. But you people are usually down there a lot longer than two hours.”
“What time is it?” Yurik asked.
He turned and eyed the clock on the wall behind his desk. “Just after eight.”
“Jesus.” Yurik shook his head and walked toward the front of the shop.
Tate lifted a fist at Tony, and Bhandi clapped her hands together. “Fast and hard, Tony. That’s how we roll.”
“Yeah, don’t forget shitfaced.” The man chuckled until he saw Cheyenne, and the laughter cut off as his eyes widened.
Oh, right. She slipped out of her drow form, returning to the black-haired, pale-skinned Goth chick, and shot the man a smirk. “Have a nice night.”
“Uh-huh.” Tony rubbed his chin and watched the group pass through his store.
Yurik shoved the door open and laughed. “See that, Bhandi? I’m pretty sure most places make you push to get out.”
“Don’t make me push you.”
“So, Cheyenne.” Tate reached out to nudge her again, then thought better of it and shot her a thumbs-up. “Minus the whole barfight you wouldn’t let the rest of us enjoy, what do you think of Peridosh?”
“Uh…” A laugh escaped her. “I think I could handle it about as often as you guys get to leave the compound.”
“Ha.” Yurik turned back toward her as they crossed the street toward the parking lot. “’Cause it got crazy in there, huh? Yeah, this wasn’t a normal night. It’s usually more chill.”
“Yeah, and Bhandi’s usually the one making trouble when we go out,” Tate added.
“Hey, I didn’t start a single one of those fights.” Bhandi rolled her shoulders back and stumbled before stepping up onto the sidewalk. “But I sure as hell finish ‘em.”
“Not like Cheyenne, you don’t.” Tate leaned toward the halfling and muttered, “Most of her fights end with the other guy giving up or Bhandi passed out on the floor.”
“Gotta get the job done somehow.”
Cheyenne barked a laugh. “Please don’t tell me ‘Bare-ass Bhandi’ is your fighting name.”
Yurik and
