“Took a lot to get there.”
“Bet you slept like a rock, huh?”
“Just until the end.” Cheyenne cleared her throat. “Sorry I wasn’t up to help you with...whatever.”
“Oh. Yeah.” Ember spread her arms and glanced around the apartment. “I obviously needed you.”
“Ha-ha.” Walking toward her friend, the halfling blinked heavily and took a deep sniff. “And you made coffee.”
“Best part of waking up, right? This stuff’s supposed to be killer.” Ember sniggered and lifted the heavy-duty thermal coffee mug from where she’d wedged it in her lap. “Just finished brewing, if you want some.”
“Yeah, I do.” When Cheyenne reached the kitchen, she smirked as Ember expertly spun her wheelchair to follow the halfling toward the counter. “Man, just the smell is getting me caffeinated.”
“That’s nothing.”
The half-drow glanced at the bag of coffee sitting beside the coffeemaker—black with a white skull and crossbones in the center and the bold-text brand name scrawled across the top. Just to be sure, she picked up the bag and studied it at a closer angle. “Death Wish Coffee, huh?”
“I said it was killer.”
Cheyenne chuckled. “This is my kinda coffee. You find this stuff online to match my Goth box?”
“Uh, no, actually.” Ember lifted the coffee mug to her lips and took an unusually long slurp from the hole in the lid. “Matthew brought it over.”
The coffee bag thumped back onto the counter. “Of course he did.”
“His only condition for offering a friendly one-pound bag of neighborly coffee was that I convince you to try it.”
Cheyenne squinted at the fae. “He obviously didn’t consider that saying it’s from him would convince me not to try it.”
“No, but I did. And I call bullshit.”
The halfling shot the bag of coffee—perfectly matched to her Goth tastes—a sidelong glance. Then she shrugged and opened the cabinet above the coffee maker to pull down a mug. “Good thing you know me better than he does.”
“It would be weird if I didn’t.” Ember laughed. “There’s creamer in the fridge.”
“I’m good.” Cheyenne filled the mug to the brim and bent over to slurp as much as she could off the top. “Dammit.”
“I know.”
“Now I’m gonna have to thank the guy for turning me on to…” The halfling picked up the coffee bag again and read over the label. “‘World’s strongest coffee.’ They can actually put that on the packaging and get away with it. Unbelievable.”
“Unbelievably delicious.” Laughing, the fae raised her to-go mug again for another sip. “I think I’m in love.”
Cheyenne snorted. “Okay, I’ll thank Mr. Matthew Thomas for the coffee, but you’re gonna have to tell him that last part yourself.”
“What? Shut up. I meant the coffee.” Ember wound her arm back with the coffee mug held tightly in her hand and pretended to throw the whole thing at the laughing half-drow.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Cheyenne leaned against the counter and brought the mug to her lips with both hands. “I’m with you on the coffee part, at least.”
They stayed like that, sipping their beverages. Ember cocked her head and studied her friend’s tangled nest of black hair and the sweat stains barely visible on her black shirt. “More bad dreams?”
“Wow. You’re takin’ pages right outta Sherlock Holmes, aren’t ya?”
“Seriously, Cheyenne. I don’t know why you’re still surprised when people can see what’s going on. It’s written all over your face.”
“Yeah, people keep saying that.”
Ember smirked. “This time it’s written in dirt, though.”
“Oh.” Cheyenne wiped her cheek and smeared a streak of sweat and dirt.
“Aw. That just made it worse.”
“Okay. In lieu of wanting to drink the best cup of coffee I’ve had in a ridiculously long time while it’s still hot, are you up for ignoring the way I look right now so I can drink the Death Wish and tell you all about it?”
“Halfling, I thought you’d never ask.” Ember wedged the to-go mug between her legs again and wheeled herself across the kitchen and into the massive living room. “And just FYI, I’ve been ignoring the way you look since we met.”
“How very thoughtful of you.” Cheyenne pressed her lips together through another smile and followed her friend toward the new black leather couch and the matching recliners. “Next, you’re gonna say you never judge a book by its cover, and the only thing that matters is what’s on the inside.”
The fae pulled her wheelchair up to the edge of the black and silver area rug and shot the halfling a condescending look. “No, next I’m gonna tell you to quit being such a smartass and get to the good stuff already.”
“How ‘bout one outta two?” Cheyenne lowered herself onto the leather recliner closest to her friend. “I don’t think I moved an inch all night.”
“You know, I almost came to check on you. Then I figured it was in my best interests not to get my head blown off by a cranky drow halfling needing her beauty rest.”
Laughing, the half-drow ruffled her mussed, damp hair, then waved her hand in a circle around her face. “Obviously, that was successful.”
“Okay, I know I’m the one who brought it up, but if you can promise me this is the last time we ever say the words ‘beauty sleep’ again, I’m willing to forget this part of the conversation ever happened.”
“Deal.” Cheyenne hovered over her steaming mug of coffee and took a long sip. “Okay. Where do you want me to start?”
“How about right after you bounced yesterday morning, rambling about urgent messages and driving to DC?”
“Huh.” the halfling nodded slowly and lifted the mug over the side of the armchair so she could pull her legs up off the floor and cross them beneath her. “That feels like three days ago.”
“Uh-huh. So does spending all day with our friendly neighbor, who’s apparently got an endless supply of ways to ‘make himself useful’ and excuses to stick around a little longer.” Ember smirked over the lid of her mug and took another sip when her friend snorted. “Just a heads-up. ‘I’ve got some time
