The halfling dropped to the ground and crumpled when her legs wouldn’t hold her up. The fire was gone, and when she opened her eyes with another gasping breath and a groan, the golden glow behind them had returned.
“Cheyenne!” Bianca’s shout echoed across the swath of green lawn between them.
Growling, the halfling pushed to her feet and fought to catch her breath. She had to bend over and prop herself up with both hands on her knees, but she lifted one of those hands toward the house.
“I’m fine.” The words croaked out of her. “I’m fine!”
The shallow echo barely made it back up to Bianca Summerlin, who stood at the edge of the veranda, gripping the railing with both hands. She swallowed and pulled herself together, but she didn’t move until she saw her daughter straighten and head back toward the house.
The woman’s eye twitched as she walked toward the open French doors into the house. Eleanor stood beside Ember just inside, their mouths hanging open as they stared at the dark ridge of stone and the drow halfling walking away from it. Bianca gave them a perfunctory glance before slipping inside. “She’s fine.”
Eleanor shut her mouth and cleared her throat. “I’ll just…” She patted Ember’s shoulder and turned in a daze to head toward the front of the house.
The fae watched Cheyenne until the halfling disappeared beneath the wide edge of the veranda, then she slowly wheeled the chair around. One of her sweaty hands slipped on the wheel, but she caught herself and tried again.
At the bar, Bianca filled her glass with vodka and didn’t bother with the soda water or the lemon. Not even ice. She knocked back a huge gulp and sucked in a breath through her teeth. “That was certainly entertaining.”
Ember’s mouth opened and closed quickly before she found her voice. “That’s one way to put it.”
“Mmhmm.” Bianca took another long swig and set the half-empty glass back down on the bar. “That’s enough.” She looked at Ember and took a deep breath through her nose. “In case you’re wondering, Ember, I’m still very glad you two decided to join us tonight.”
An unintended chuckle burst from the fae’s mouth, which she clamped shut immediately. “Me too.”
The woman nodded and gestured toward the other side of the staircase. “Shall we?”
“After you.” Ember dipped her head, her eyes burning because she couldn’t seem to blink.
Bianca quickly headed past the fae, and Ember forced herself through the shock so she could wheel across the shiny floors of the Summerlin mansion.
When they reached the foyer, Eleanor had already opened the front door. The Goth version of Cheyenne appeared around the right side of the house. She brushed carelessly past the bushes in the front garden, snapping off branches. No one said anything about it.
The half-drow climbed the wide stone steps and paused when she looked up to see all three women in the doorway. “Well, at least we know what caused the earthquake.”
Then she stepped into the house and past everyone to give herself a little space. Eleanor closed the door firmly and stayed there with her hand on the doorknob.
“Perhaps you’d care to enlighten us as to what that thing was?” Bianca murmured.
Pulling her cell phone from her back pocket, Cheyenne unlocked the home screen and looked at her mom. “Something that’s not supposed to be here.”
“Yes, that’s more than obvious, Cheyenne. But that’s not what I asked.”
“Well, you didn’t actually ask me anything,” the halfling spat. Immediately, she dropped the phone by her side and looked at Bianca. “I’m sorry, Mom.”
“I appreciate your apology, Cheyenne, but would not have held it against you if you hadn’t given it.” Bianca raised her eyebrows and nodded. “I would still very much like to know what’s happening in my backyard.”
“Even if it’s magic stuff?”
The foyer filled with a tense silence. Bianca stepped back and turned to meet Ember’s gaze. “Which, by your lack of reaction, I assume you already know plenty about?”
The fae dipped her head with a little shrug. “I might be a part of that whole world, yeah.”
“All right.” Bianca nodded and glanced at Eleanor. “As illuminating as that information might be, it doesn’t change anything about what just happened outside.”
“I know.” Cheyenne lifted her phone and caught her mom’s gaze again. “I need to make a call. After that, hopefully, I’ll know more too. Then I can tell you what that was if you still want to hear it.”
Bianca studied her daughter and pursed her lips. “We’ll give you some privacy.”
Eleanor jumped when her employer took off around the side of the huge house toward her study in the back. The housekeeper followed quickly, stopping to throw her arms around Cheyenne and kiss the halfling’s cheek with as much force as her crushing hug. The halfling winced, and Eleanor instantly released her. “Sorry. I’m sorry. What hurts?”
Cheyenne grimaced and shook her head. “Everything.”
“Hmm.” The housekeeper raised a hand to the halfling’s cheek, nodded, and stepped around her to hurry after Bianca.
Chapter Ninety-Nine
Ember stared at Cheyenne after both women disappeared behind the curve of the grand staircase in the center of the foyer. “Does anything scare her?”
“Not much, no.” The halfling pulled up Corian’s number and pressed the phone against her ear.
He answered on the third ring. “I know you’re smart enough not to call me about the same thing after your little slip up with that text earlier.”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks for asking. Almost died, though.”
“Where’s the pendant?”
“It’s here. I’ll put it on when we’re done.”
“Cheyenne, I’ll wait.”
Rolling her eyes, she stuffed the phone into her back pocket and pulled out the broken silver chain with way too many knots in it, tying a new one. The Heart of Midnight flashed pale, silver light, and she took out her phone again. “There. I think it’s starting to wear off pretty quickly now, by the
