She skidded to a stop when she saw the black-cloaked figure walking slowly toward the center of the courtyard. Great. I thought I was in the clear.
The halfling stepped forward, staring at the two glowing golden eyes within the black hood as she summoned a black energy sphere in one hand and pulled out the gold drow coin with the other. Her fist closed around it tightly. Here’s hoping whoever that is doesn’t know what I’m about to do.
The figure stopped walking and slowly lifted their hands to remove the hood. The slate-gray skin and bone-white hair coiled in thick braids on top of the drow woman’s head made Cheyenne’s heart drop. The Crown.
The drow woman smiled as she stared unblinking at the halfling in her courtyard. It was a dead smile, amused but without sympathy. The Crown raised a hand shrouded by the sleeve of her black robes and flicked her wrist.
The courtyard filled with the rumble of moving stone and shifting metal. All around the circular courtyard, every space between the overhanging wall and the floor of the walkway was sealed by thick, heavy walls of black metal dropping into place. One after the other, the walls clanged against the stone floor of the walkway, blocking Cheyenne off from the magicals fighting on the other side. The same metal doors dropped with an echoing bang to block off the other corridors on the courtyard’s ground level. Two horizontal doors slid into place with a boom overhead, blocking out what little light there was from the domed glass ceiling at the top of the courtyard.
Cheyenne stood alone in the stone courtyard with the Crown of Ambar’ogúl, separated from the fighting rebels and the orc army. Separated from L’zar.
She turned quickly to search for any archways left open as the muted battle sounds faded behind all the metal walls. The only exit now was behind the Crown.
Turning toward Ambar’ogúl’s dark drow monarch, Cheyenne bared her teeth. “Scared someone else is gonna come down here and help me?”
“Not at all.” The Crown tilted her head and glanced up at the closed-off walkways far above them. “I merely wish for us to have a more private conversation, Cheyenne.”
Cheyenne’s blood ran cold, and she was vaguely aware of a sudden ringing in her ears. I’ve heard that voice before.
“You didn’t have to come all this way just to speak with me, hidna, though I’m quite flattered.” The Crown chuckled. “I did what I could to reach you before you were forced to go to all this trouble. For some reason, you didn’t seem to want my help.”
“I still don’t.” Cheyenne took another slow step toward the Rahalma. Six feet away. I can make that. “I never will.”
The halfling darted toward the table. The Crown hissed and reached out with both hands, sending a wave of crackling black light barreling toward the halfling like a cyclone. Cheyenne stopped to throw up a shield against the whirling storm. Sparks and dark light spewed when the Crown’s spell met her shield, then the spiral vanished.
“I see you’re hasty.” The drow woman dipped her head and grinned. “Don’t be. We have all the time in the world.”
Gritting her teeth, Cheyenne darted toward the altar again. This time, she was stopped by a blast of invisible force hurling her back. She staggered against it and felt the sharp bark of the Nimlothar biting into her back. The rushing spell pressed her against the tree, her white drow hair fluttering around her face and shoulders. Cheyenne roared and tried to peel herself away from the bark, but she couldn’t.
No black fire either, or that vision comes true, and I’ll be the drow-halfling fuckup who burned the last Nimlothar to the ground.
The howling wind of the Crown’s invisible force cut out, but Cheyenne was still pinned to the tree. The Crown spread her arms and smiled. “Don’t go anywhere. I just want you to stand there and listen to my offer.”
“What offer?” Cheyenne spat. She glanced up at the sealed metal doors along the walkway. L’zar said he was right behind me. Should’ve known he’d screw that up too.
“An offer to join me, Cheyenne. You’ve been made a pawn in someone else’s war, one that was never yours to fight. You belong in a seat of power, hidna. One like mine.”
“You don’t want to just give up the throne.”
The Crown threw her head back and laughed. Cheyenne expected it to sound like an evil cackle, but it was one of the gentlest lilting laughs she’d ever heard. “I appreciate your ambition. I really do. I’m staying in my seat for quite some time, thank you. But I want to offer you a place beside me. To be my eyes and ears. To use the power you have to serve the Crown and the world that birthed you.”
“Not gonna happen.”
“Hmm. Did that grinning thief tell you he meant to bring me down?” The Crown’s smile tightened into a grimace, her upper lip twitching. “Did he promise you power at his side when he returned to Hangivol to wrest my power out of my hands?” The drow woman lifted her hands and spread her fingers, wiggling them.
Cheyenne struggled against the force pressing her to the tree and looked down at her right hand. She opened it and summoned an energy sphere, but it flickered right back out again. Fuck.
“I understand L’zar Verdys can be immensely persuasive.” The Crown pursed her lips, her nostrils flaring in disgust as she looked Cheyenne over. “But where is he now, hmm? He sent you into the heart of the throne he wants to take, and he
