Still hunched over the Cuil Aní, Maleshi shot her former student an amused glance. “Did you really almost die?”
“Yeah. New Border portal opened, new crazy-ass in-between monster tried to squeeze out, and the thing almost squeezed the life out of me. I fried it into a pile of ashes and sent it back where it came from.”
“With what?”
“Black fire.”
Maleshi stared at the halfling with calculated intensity. The corners of her mouth twitched, and she let out a short, harsh laugh of disbelief. “Yeah, I’d say that’d just about do it. Looks like you made it out of that little skirmish well enough.”
Cheyenne shrugged. “I’m chalking that up to lots of practice getting my ass kicked, plus a huge jar of darktongue salve.”
The nightstalker grinned. “Stings like a bitch, doesn’t it?”
“In the best way.”
They shared a laugh, and Maleshi tucked the long black waves of her human-illusion hair behind one ear. “So, you almost died, but you didn’t. Then you opened your legacy box and put a whole new level of detailed plans in action. Get used to it, kid. With what we’ve got comin’ down the pipeline, I’d say that’s gonna be your new normal.”
“Yeah, I figured.” Cheyenne picked up the box and stuffed it back into the bottom of her bag.
“Where did you find yourself fighting in-between monsters that almost squeezed the life out of you?”
Zipping up her backpack, the halfling shook her head. “In my mom’s backyard.”
“No shit?”
“Yeah, and I was the only one around who knew how to handle it. I almost got my ass handed to me, but it could’ve been a lot worse.”
Maleshi folded her arms, then lifted one hand to rub her lips. “A new portal on Bianca Summerlin’s property with only a drow halfling to see it happen. That’s pretty big.”
“Big enough to make L’zar break out of prison again to come find me.”
The nightstalker froze. “Say that again.”
“He’s out, Mal—” Cheyenne glanced over her shoulder at the closed office door. I can’t call her that here. “Saw him up close and personal this morning. He almost ran me off the road.”
A bark of surprised laughter escaped the professor, and she slapped her hand over her mouth. “Why the hell would he risk everything to do that now?”
Slinging the backpack over her shoulder again, the halfling could only shake her head. “He said he’s here to protect me now that I passed the trials, which I guess means he thinks he’s in the clear.”
“Since his dead-child prophecy is a moot point these days.” Maleshi’s eyes widened. “He could protect you, sure, but if the wrong people find out he flipped that prison the bird and is out walking around, it’s gonna take a lot more than one drow’s protection to stop the Crown.”
“I know. We went over all that this morning.” Cheyenne paused, studying the war general’s face. “Can you give me an honest answer about something?”
“Hmm?” Maleshi shook herself out of her thoughts. “Honest answer? I’ll try, Cheyenne, but I’ve been out of this game for so long, there’s a whole lot I can’t even pretend to know.”
“You’re back in it, though, right?”
The nightstalker smirked. “Was that your question?”
“No. That was a bonus.”
“I’m back in it. What we saw the other day at that new portal? What we did?” Maleshi tapped the edge of her desk and cocked her head. “I never thought I’d say it, especially Earthside, but I’ve lost the option of staying neatly hidden away in a fake human life to avoid the whole thing. And if L’zar’s out for good this time, I don’t have a choice anymore.”
“Lucky for us, right?”
The nightstalker laughed. “For you, maybe, and those other goons who’d follow L’zar into their own undoing without a second thought. What’s your question?”
Cheyenne tightened her grip on the straps of her backpack and scanned the bookshelf behind Maleshi’s head. “Has he always been this crazy?”
“You’re not talking about eccentricities, right?”
The halfling shot her former professor an exasperated look. “You know I’m not.”
“Yeah, I know you’re not.” Maleshi smoothed her hair away from her face with both hands and tilted her head from side to side. “The short answer is yes. He’s always been at the top of the drow-lunatic list.”
“What’s the long answer?”
“Ha. That covers centuries of O’gúlhistory, kid.”
Cheyenne smirked. “We have a few hours.”
“Uh-huh.” Maleshi tried not to smile, but it didn’t work.
Chapter Nine
“I can tell you this much, at least. Everyone in Ambar’ogúl knows that drow father of yours as a charlatan and a prankster, one of the greatest O’gúl thieves to make a name for himself like that before he lost his head for his crimes. That prophecy he tried for so long to disprove wasn’t the first he paid for. I’m sure it won’t be the last, and as far as I know, all the others have been just as dark and just as disappointing.” Maleshi frowned, closing her eyes briefly as the memories came slowly to the surface. “If he wasn’t a little crazy before trying to undo this last prophecy, he sure as hell is now after breaking it with you. How does anyone spend hundreds of years trying to create and groom an heir promised never to live through their trials and hold onto their sanity?”
“Yeah, it doesn’t sound possible.” Watching dozens of his kids die when he already knew they would. Definitely a recipe for crazy.
“Well.” Maleshi chuckled. “On the other hand, this isn’t his first time making the impossible possible. You’re his heir, Cheyenne, whether you like it or not. You passed your trials, and you’re still alive and kickin’.”
The halfling scowled at her backpack and the legacy box inside. “L’zar didn’t have anything to do with that. I made it possible.”
“That’s my point. L’zar’s prophecy was unraveled because he did nothing. If I had to guess, I’d say he had a hunch about that, and that’s why he let himself be locked up in that
