The grinning drow chuckled. “The Don’adurr allows us to speak a little more freely to each other. You know, without a moron in a booth listening in on every word. This is how I prefer it.”
When he winked at her, a burst of purple sparks exploded in the halfling’s hands. They both looked down at her spell, which wavered in and out of existence. Cheyenne frowned and lifted her hand toward her face until the sparks petered out—not because she’d cut off her magic, but because it didn’t come through as clearly as she did. She turned her hand over and could see the cracks in the stone floor through her palm.
I know I’m pale in human form, but this is taking it a little too far.
“Corian made me drink that stuff for some kind of...drow astral projection?”
“If that’s the best way for you to wrap your head around it, sure.” L’zar sat up and propped his forearms on his thighs over the gray prison-issue sweatpants. “It’s an old trick, but it never fails. I’m glad to see your drow blood runs as true on the inside as it does on the outside.”
“Blood bonds with blood and all that, huh?”
The drow prisoner’s grin disappeared, and he blinked once before plastering the mad smile on his face again. “That’s something we can return to another time. Right now, I believe you want to ask me again how to speed up your trials. That’s why you’re here tonight.” His low chuckle echoed a little in the cramped cell. “Well, in a manner of speaking.”
“Sure. Let’s go with that.” This is the last thing I expected, but it’s a way in, I guess. Cheyenne took a deep breath and stared at her incarcerated father until she realized he was waiting for her to move this weird-ass conversation forward. “Okay. How do I speed things up?”
“How many layers of the Cuil Aníl have you unlocked already?”
“Two.”
L’zar cocked his head with a little frown. “So few, huh? Yes. Good thing you came to ask for help.”
Cheyenne pressed her clenched fists into her thighs.
“That’s all right, Cheyenne. Everyone starts somewhere. So, you’ve got two under your belt, and there are five. For most of us, at any rate. What other abilities have popped up out of nowhere?”
If he didn’t know about the drow trials, I’d swear he’s been stalking me. From a magical prison. The halfling licked her lips and forced herself to focus on the conversation and the answers she might finally receive. “Ripping up the ground, for starters.”
“Oh.” L’zar’s thin white eyebrows rose. “A connection with the earth is a lot more subtle than most are willing to believe. No control with that one, I’m guessing.”
“Clearly.”
“Hmm.” His smile was tight-lipped and grim now.
Good. Finally struck a nerve.
“Any others?”
Cheyenne lifted her chin and said, “I threw some goblins into the ceiling without casting a spell.”
“Useful.”
“And I almost knocked an ogre’s head off his shoulders when my fist burst into black flames. Didn’t get to use that one.”
L’zar’s eyes widened in tandem with that creepy grin again. “There it is. That! Now, that is something I would very much like to see.”
“Then tell me how to speed it up.” Cheyenne shot him a sideways glance. “And stop looking at me like I’m a sixteen-ounce steak.”
He chuckled and shook his head, dipping it to his shoulder to run a hand over the top of his white hair. “Better save that one for later.”
“You have no idea how sick I am of hearing that. Why save that one for later? You’re obviously looking forward to it.”
The drow lifted his head to peer at her from beneath those thin eyebrows. “When you get there, Cheyenne, you’ll know why. Any other latent powers creeping up on you before we move on to the father-daughter advice schtick?” He spat the last word through his teeth.
He’s insane. Excited and pissed off at the same time. Cheyenne closed her eyes and forced herself not to give away her thoughts. Okay, admittedly, that applies to me too.
“I see those wheels turning again. Something you’d like to get off your chest?” L’zar leaned closer, his golden eyes sweeping across her face, taking in every detail.
“I already covered the part about you not looking at me like that, didn’t I?” Normally she would’ve stormed out at that point and left him to his messed-up thoughts, but she stayed right where she was with her legs crossed. Drow ritual, my ass. Might as well be locked up in this prison right next to him. The ghost of a shiver trickled down her spine.
“I’ve spent twenty-one years waiting to look at you, Cheyenne.” L’zar’s smile remained, but his voice was low and threatening. “If I want to spend a few minutes taking in the sight of my daughter, that’s exactly what I’ll do.” He pulled back a little as if he’d just ripped himself out of whatever rage had been building beneath that tight smile. “Besides, I’m an excellent multi-tasker.”
“Then multi-task and tell me how to speed things up.” The halfling swallowed. He doesn’t like being told what to do any more than I do. “Please.”
“Ah, yes. That was a good start.” Leaning back, the drow prisoner propped his hands behind him on the mattress and crossed one long leg over the opposite knee. “Start with either the telekinesis or the earth-ripping, whichever comes easiest. And when you’re working on those, focus on the Nimlothar seed. I’m sure Corian told you what that is already.”
“Yeah. The tree tied to drow magic.”
“Very simplistic. I suppose there’s a time and a place for that too.” L’zar tilted his head from side to side as he studied her. “Draw on the seed for an extra boost, yeah? When you learn to tap into the Nimlothar, you’re unlocking a lot
