Ember scoffed. “Don’t change the subject.”
Cheyenne shook her head. “Sorry.”
“Hey, the first time I asked you about it, you said you’re Goth because you’re not a quitter. There’s no way in hell you’re backing out of this now because you don’t understand all the pieces. Got it?”
A slow smile bloomed on the halfling’s lips. “Loud and clear, Em.”
“Good. I made eggs and bacon, so eat it if you want. Or don’t. Just stop trying to take on everyone else’s problems.” Ember pointed at one of the plates on the island, and it floated into her lap on a cloud of purple light before she wheeled herself into the living room.
“Coffee, breakfast, and a badass pep talk. Happy Saturday.”
“Yeah, you’re welcome.” Ember laughed and dug into her food. “Don’t expect it to be a regular thing.”
Cheyenne grabbed a new mug to fill with the coffee from the one she’d almost shattered, then grabbed the other plate and headed into the living room to join her friend. “I don’t expect it at all. But thanks.”
“Hey, that’s what a Nós Aní is supposed to do, right? Check their drow when they’re making drow asses of themselves.”
“Ha. I can always count on you for that.”
“Damn straight, you can.”
Cheyenne sat on one of the leather recliners and set her plate in her lap before starting with the bacon. She’s right. If I’m gonna get pissed off, I better make sure I can do something about it. No point otherwise.
Five minutes into their breakfast, Cheyenne heard her phone buzzing on silent in her bedroom. “Oh, boy.”
“What?”
“Phone call.” She set her plate on the coffee table and hurried into her room.
“Is it Corian?”
“Yep.” Cheyenne stared at his name on her phone, then answered the call and went back into the living area. “Hey.”
“Hey. You still having a hard time with cabin fever?”
Of course Maleshi told him. “Not so much right now. I guess that depends on how much longer I have to stay here.”
“Is today soon enough for you?”
She paused behind the recliners and stared at Ember.
“What?” Ember whispered.
Cheyenne shook her head and muttered into the phone, “To do what?”
“To make our move, Cheyenne. L’zar finally finished what he started Earthside. Now it’s time to finish what he started in Ambar’ogúl. Pack a bag and be ready to move. A light bag, but enough for longer than a day if we have to stay. And bring Ember. You’ll need her.”
“Wait, we’re leaving today?”
“That’s what I said, kid. In the next few hours. So buckle up.” Corian hung up, and Cheyenne stared at her phone.
“Holy shit.”
“Time to make the crossing again, huh?” Ember stared at her friend and slowly lifted a forkful of eggs to her mouth.
“Yeah. I didn’t expect that to happen now. I haven’t even been back Earthside for twenty-four hours, and now I’m doing it again.”
“That was fast.”
“No kidding.” Cheyenne slipped her phone into her back pocket and took a deep breath. “He told me to bring you with me.”
“What?” Ember choked on her mouthful and set her plate down on the coffee table. “No, no. I don’t do Border crossings.”
“Em.”
“Uh-uh. That’s a terrible idea.”
“Okay. How about if I ask you to come?”
Ember rolled her eyes. “Now you’re splitting hairs, and I still can’t go with you.”
“Why not?”
“Um, hello?” Ember slapped the armrests of her wheelchair and spread her arms. “Paraplegic fae isn’t an advantage for any of you, Cheyenne.”
“Yeah, and you broke through all that when you blasted that shadowy whatever-it-was back through the portal at the ceremony. That was all you. I’d be in the Crown’s hands right now if you hadn’t been there with me. Corian’s right, Em. I do need you.”
Ember clenched her teeth and took a deep breath. “So, someone’s gonna carry me across the Border?”
“Whatever we have to do to make it happen, we’ll do, Em. He wouldn’t have said you need to come with us if he or any of the others thought there would be a problem.”
“Just to be clear, I blasted that thing back through the portal out of pure instinct. I don’t know how to fight.”
Cheyenne folded her arms and smiled. “How do you think I learned?”
“Oh, jeeze.” Rolling her eyes, Ember thumped back against her seat. “I’m not getting out of this, am I?”
“Nope.”
The fae girl sighed. “And I can’t convince either of us that I don’t want to go. Making the crossing sounds like the worst thing most magicals could ever go through.” Ember’s smile looked more like a grimace until she looked at Cheyenne and forced herself to grin about it. “I do wanna go.”
“Despite how creepy your smile is right now, I believe you.” Cheyenne pointed at her friend. “We’re doing this. Corian said a few hours and told us to pack a light bag in case we’re over there for a few days.”
“A few days.” Ember ran a hand through her purple-tinted hair and puffed out her cheeks. “Damn. We’re doing this.”
“There you go. Let it sink in, then go pack a bag, I guess. This is it.”
Chapter Eighty-Four
Cheyenne had her backpack mostly filled ten minutes later and dropped it on the couch to double-check the inventory.
Ember returned to the living room with a brown and green backpack in her lap and stopped on the other side of the couch. “What am I supposed to put in this besides a few clothes? I don’t know what to be prepared for.”
“Probably just clothes.” Cheyenne glanced at the mostly empty backpack in her friend’s lap. “Yeah, that looks like pretty light packing.”
“Because it is. I feel ridiculous.”
“Don’t. I know a little more about what I’m doing because I’ve already been there, only this time is gonna be a lot different.”
“No kidding.” Ember peered across the couch at her friend’s backpack. “What are you bringing?”
“Clothes. The darktongue salve.”
“Naturally.”
“The legacy box and the coin are down in the bottom somewhere. This.” Cheyenne lifted the thick silver cuff L’zar had given her to keep her human side hidden from
