“Hello.” His gaze fell to the Heart of Darkness pendant, but he didn’t react in any other way. The halfling forced herself not to cover the necklace. “Can I help you with anything?”
“Oh, no. I’m good. I just came with my friend.” She nodded toward the gym.
The bodybuilder guy nodded and folded his arms. “Her first time in?”
“Yeah, actually.” Cheyenne turned toward him and raised her eyebrows. “Good guess.”
“Well, I’ve been watching people come in and out of here long enough. Plus, Dr. Boseley really puts on the charm with new patients.”
“Uh-oh. Are we looking at Dr. Boseley and Ms. Hyde here, then?”
He chuckled. “Definitely not. She’s really good. And admittedly, I was working through the schedule before I stepped out here and saw she had a new patient appointment right now.”
“Right. Got me.”
“Wasn’t sure you’d come, though.”
Cheyenne froze and stared through the clear glass into the gym. “What was that?”
“Well, it’s usually just really close friends and family who come in with new patients for the first few sessions.”
The knot of hyper-awareness in the half-drow’s mind loosened a little. He’s just talking about normal medical stuff. “Well, it’s kinda both with Ember and me. We’re not related, but I think I’m the closest thing she has to family right now. It’s just been her and me since...well, since she was put in that wheelchair in the first place.”
“I get it.” The guy beside her nodded, then leaned toward the halfling.
Cheyenne glanced at him and leaned away. “What are you doing?”
“You don’t have to explain it, phér móre. You’ve chosen. We’ll take good care of her here. Don’t worry about that.”
The halfling stared at him. “Chosen what?”
“Like family, right?” He nodded toward Ember and Dr. Boseley on the other side of the glass. “It’s a good thing fae have such a strong smell. I wouldn’t have been sure about that one, otherwise. A human’s not gonna cut it, but your friend’s full-blooded fae all the way through. Just without her magic, huh?”
Blinking slowly, Cheyenne nodded and tried not to act clueless. If he was a loyalist, he’d be trying to kidnap me right now.
“Three.” The man smirked and bounced on the balls of his feet before sinking back down.
“I’m sorry?”
“Three of us in this clinic, phér móre. Just a coincidence that you brought your Nós Aní in here over anywhere else, but I’m glad you did. If you were worried about leaving her alone until she’s strong enough, you have my word we’ll keep her safe while she’s here.”
“I appreciate that. Gotta admit, though, it sounds like you’re telling me Ember’s in some kinda danger.”
He shrugged again. “You never know, right? Especially in times like these. Hey, I gotta get back to work, but send a word to the Cu’ón for House Keldryk, huh? We’re ready. Guess that’s kinda meant for you too, huh?”
“I guess.” The halfling frowned and took the risk anyway when she stuck out her hand. “What’s your name?”
“Marsil.” He took her hand and gave it a firm squeeze. When he dipped his head, it looked like a little bow. “Mark around here, but that’s just on Earthside paper, you know what I mean?”
“Yeah. Cheyenne.”
Marsil grinned, then they released each other’s hands, and he brought a fist quickly to his chest before dropping it again. “Of course, I already know who you are. Wasn’t expecting to get your name, though. Thank you.”
“Well, it’s the only one I have, so you won’t run the risk of getting them confused.”
“Funny.” The magical, who was wearing a human illusion charm as a medical professional at Ember’s PT clinic, dipped his head again and headed slowly down the hall toward the front of the building. “For as long as you need, phér móre. We’ll take care of her.”
He spun again and disappeared around another corner before she had the chance to thank him again.
Cheyenne cleared her throat and glanced down at the gently pulsing Heart of Midnight resting against her chest. Apparently, I’ve chosen Ember as my Nós Aní, whatever that means. Magicals popping out of the woodwork.
Shaking her head, she tucked the pendant beneath her loose black shirt. The pendant looked ridiculous, pushing against her shirt, but she wasn’t taking any more chances by leaving it out. Good thing Corian finally gave me his number.
With a glance up and down the hall, the halfling pushed off and headed back toward the door into the gym. It opened quietly enough, but Ember was focused on what Dr. Boseley was showing her on a chart of the human spine in full color and she didn’t hear her friend step inside. Cheyenne went to the metal chairs with black plastic seats and backs against the glass wall and sat. Then she pulled out her phone and opened the text from Corian, which was the letter C.
“Good enough,” she muttered and opened a new text.
P find what he was looking for yet?
She tried not to stare at her phone while she waited for a reply. It took him about forty-five seconds.
Not yet.
Guess that’s pretty obvious by now. The guy does go the extra mile to keep his promises. She wrinkled her nose at her phone, then shrugged and wrote the text she actually wanted to send.
What’s a Nós Aní?
The little dots at the bottom of her screen blinked on and off.
Second in command. Race-specific for you. Could be anyone. Can talk more in person but scrub these messages. Stupid to send on an open line. You know that.
“Sorry,” the halfling whispered with a little sneer at her phone. She deleted all but the first text straight from him. I’ll scrub harder when I get home.
Cheyenne leaned back in the chair and crossed one leg over the other, folding her arms. She offered Ember a smile and a thumbs-up when the fae glanced over her shoulder and saw the halfling sitting in the room. Ember shrugged and turned back when
