“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 more than just the trials. Centuries of magic and knowledge grow on those trees, Cheyenne. Same as in the blood you and I share.”
“That’s it?” The halfling studied her father’s apathetic expression. “Focus on a seed I swallowed while I’m trying to focus on training with new abilities?”
“Well, there’s a certain art to it, but it becomes second nature. Eventually.”
“Any tips on how to do that?”
He chuckled. “I heard meditating helps.”
Cheyenne snorted and closed her eyes. This was a waste of time. Maybe it doesn’t have to be.
“I’m serious about that, Cheyenne. A little meditation and centering go a long way.”
“Yeah, I’m taking notes. Thanks.” When she opened her eyes again, he laughed at her, his leg bouncing up and down where it crossed over his other knee. “So, since we’re speaking more freely, maybe you can answer another question for me.”
“Ooh. We’re opening up, are we?”
Don’t push it. “What’s with the bull’s head?”
L’zar’s leg stopped bouncing. “You’ll have to be more specific. Earth’s a relatively big realm. Lotta bulls.”
She gritted her teeth and forced herself to keep going. “Specifically, the ones worn by more assholes than I can count hunting me down and trying to open a bunch of portals around me. Ring a bell?”
For the first time, the drow prisoner looked like he didn’t want her there. L’zar swallowed and pressed his lips together, but his smile lost all trace of amusement. “Portals.”
“Yeah. And nobody will tell me what the hell those people want from me. They’re everywhere. One of them blew up my car this morning, and I’m pretty sure he was the same moron who drew a bloody symbol on my front door. Same thing with the pieces of shit who kidnapped all those kids for whatever sick ritual they were planning. I can keep going if you need the full list.”
“So, you found those kids after all.”
“Yeah, by following a guy pretending to be— You know what? That’s more stuff I already know. I asked you what the bull’s head is and why those nutjobs are telling me to just give up already and swear fealty so some chick can finally get her way, or whatever.” Cheyenne took a deep breath and brushed her hair away from her face. “I know it has something to do with the drow trials, too. Even Corian said someone doesn’t want me to finish them—”
“Yeah, well, someone can go fuck themselves!” L’zar lurched forward again, his eyes blazing.
The inmate on the other side of L’zar’s cell pounded a huge fist into the wall they shared. “Keep it the fuck down, Verdys. I’m tired of your shit.”
The drow looked slowly over his shoulder to glare at the wall and pulled himself back together with a deep breath.
Cheyenne stared at the wall too. They can all hear him talking to himself.
Slowly, he turned back around and blinked quickly, like the interruption was sand grains in his eye. “None of that is for you to worry about, Cheyenne. That’s not why I made the crossing as many times as I did, and it will not stop you from being who you were meant to become. Nothing will.”
“It’s something for me to worry about when those people know where I live.”
“Then move. I can’t imagine you don’t have the means to do that, at the very least.”
The halfling barely felt her fingernails digging into her palms. Either she’d lost feeling already, or sensation wasn’t as strong on the astral-drow plane. “I need something more than that. Please.”
“You’ll have plenty more than that in time.” L’zar’s sneer wasn’t meant for her, but it made his daughter’s stomach clench just the same. “Not now. Just keep the pendant on until I say otherwise.”
She scoffed. “Should I be expecting a phone call?”
“Cute.” His nostrils flared even as he smiled at her. “This connection can be used any time you like, by the way, to reach out to me again. I’ll be—”
Footsteps pounded across the metal grate of the catwalks stretching across Alpha Block. Unintelligible shouts followed.
L’zar pushed himself back onto the bed and grimaced at the barred door of his cell. “They’ve got a knack for poor timing, I’ll give them that. Gotta love a random cell search, am I right?”
“What?”
“Our time’s up tonight, Cheyenne. The best time to reach me is after ten at night. Unless some asshole decides he wants to wake everyone up just to keep us on our toes,” the drow said, “nobody comes around after lights out. I’ll be here when you’re ready to come back.”
The red light outside his cell winked out just before the room beyond filled with bright light. The muffled sound of the other inmates groaning in protest followed, and L’zar shot the drow halfling another wink before kicking his legs up onto the cot again and lying back with his hands laced behind his head.
The prison cell inside Chateau D’rahl and L’zar Verdys vanished, and Cheyenne was pulled back into her body without another word being said.
Chapter Forty-Six
Cheyenne jerked awake again with a gasp, her wide eyes fixed on all the stars dotted across the black sky. “Oh, sure. After ten. I’ll just call
