Ember took another sip of her fae drink. “But my story’s not nearly as interesting as hers.”
Yurik barked a laugh and sat back in his chair. “Oh, yeah. We know all about Cheyenne’s interesting story.”
“I doubt that.” Ember’s eyes flashed violet.
“Now, this is getting good.” Bhandi propped her forearms on the table and stared expectantly at Cheyenne. “I have a feeling that if you don’t tell us what’s up, Goth drow, your friend’s gonna spill the beans for you.”
Cheyenne laughed it off but eyed Ember with a raised eyebrow. “You feelin’ okay?”
“I feel fucking great!” The fae grinned at her, then eyed the chalice in her hand. “Shit. That orc got me drunk on four sips.”
The FRoE agents burst out laughing.
“That’s her job, man.” Tate’s laughter settled into a chuckle as he scratched the back of his bald head. “Enjoy it.”
“Yeah, especially ‘cause it’s free,” Yurik added, feigning insult.
“You know what, greenface? We’re all tired of hearing you bitch about the tab you haven’t even paid yet. Quit changing the subject.” Bhandi pointed at Yurik, who flipped her the middle finger before the troll woman returned her gaze to Cheyenne. “I wanna hear this interesting story Ember’s so sure we don’t know.”
“You don’t know it.” Ember tossed a hand in the air and laughed. “It happened last night.”
“So, what the hell is it?” Bhandi’s wide eyes didn’t leave Cheyenne’s face. Tate and Yurik reflected the troll woman’s intense fascination as they leaned forward over their tankards.
Cheyenne shot Ember a sidelong glance. “Remind me not to take you out for drinks if I wanna bring up any subject on my own.”
“Oh, come on.” Ember snorted. “You were gonna tell them anyway.”
“Tell us what?” Yurik sniffed and slid his finger beneath the giant bullring in his septum to scratch his upper lip.
The halfling smirked and slowly raised her tankard to her lips for her second sip of the night. I guess now’s as good a time as any.
“Quit fuckin’ around, Goth drow,” Bhandi muttered. “What the hell happened?”
Cheyenne lowered her tankard and glanced at the ceiling. “I had another one of those almost-dying moments last night.”
Tate hissed out a laugh. “Is that all?”
“Not even close.” This is so weird to talk about. L’zar and Corian were right, though. Keep the FRoE on a tight leash as long as I can. “A new portal opened at my mom’s house.”
“What the fuck?” Bhandi’s amused smile disappeared, replaced by a deepening frown.
“Like, at her house?” Tate asked.
“Yeah. Right outside in the backyard.”
“Damn.” Yurik let go of his tankard and sat back, stroking his chin. “So, it’s really happening.”
“Seems like it. Whatever it is.”
“Man, I was seriously hoping Sir was full of shit.” Bhandi tried to laugh, but it didn’t have any of her usual gruff lightheartedness.
Cheyenne shrugged. “I mean, he is.”
The agents chuckled, shaking their heads.
“I’ll drink to that.” Bhandi lifted her tankard to do just that.
“You’ll drink to anything.”
“Damn straight.” The troll woman knocked back another gulp, set her tankard down, and raised an eyebrow at Tate. “And you’re about to get your face bashed in if you keep acting like you’re not as bothered by all this portal shit as the rest of us.”
“Yeah, I’m bothered by it.” Tate folded his arms again, the dark-blue and black tattoos rippling on his biceps. “Mostly ‘cause I don’t know what the hell it is.”
“Neither do I,” Cheyenne added. Mostly. “But what I do know is that the new Border portals popping up don’t act like they’re supposed to.”
“Well, that’s obvious.” Bhandi leaned forward. “Those things aren’t supposed to exist.”
“Right. They’re doing a lot more than existing, though.” The halfling took another sip of her grog and watched the agents’ reactions. I don’t know how much I can tell them, but they might know something I don’t.
“Wait.” Yurik frowned. “There’s more than one?”
“Probably.” Cheyenne gestured toward herself and Ember. “The only one we’ve seen up close and personal is the one that sent an earthquake through my mom’s house and opened in her backyard.”
Ember blinked quickly and shot her friend a confused look.
Please just roll with it, Em. The FRoE can’t know I’m hiding a second portal with L’zar Verdys and his crew.
“And the earthquake almost killed you, or what?” Bhandi squinted and glanced between Cheyenne and Ember.
“Not the earthquake. The portal’s leaking.”
Yurik snorted. “Okay. Now it sounds like you’re playing Sir’s bullshit game.”
“She’s not.” Ember shook her head. “I’ve never seen anything like what came out of that weird black rock last night.”
“So it’s leaking.” Tate cocked his head. “Leaking what?”
“You guys have heard O’gúleesh talk about the crossing, right?”
“Once or twice, sure.” Yurik scratched his head. “Honestly, it sounds more like they all drank the Kool-Aid before coming Earthside.”
“Crazy-ass stories,” Bhandi added, waving the whole thing aside. “Shit about monsters made of smoke and octopuses coming up out of the ground or whatever.”
Tate frowned at her. “It’s octopi.”
“What? Are you shitfaced already?”
Ember shrugged. “They’re both right.”
The troll looked at the fae with surprise and confusion.
Yurik shook his head. “Who gives a shit? Cheyenne’s trying to make a point, and I wanna hear it.”
Cheyenne glanced around the crowded tavern, pleased to find that most of the other patrons were deliberately not looking at her. Then she leaned over the table toward her friends and lowered her voice. “My point is that whatever those things are, that’s what’s leaking out of the portals.”
“Bullshit,” Bhandi muttered.
Ember pulled the chalice closer but didn’t pick it up. “No bullshit. I saw it too. That’s what Cheyenne had to fight off by herself last night.”
The halfling shrugged. “That’s what almost killed me last night.”
Yurik swallowed. “Damn.”
Tate vigorously rubbed his bald head, his scarlet eyes darting around the table before settling on the tavern’s ceiling. “How the hell are our people supposed to keep things under wraps if new portals start popping up everywhere?”
“New portals that fight back,” Bhandi added with a grimace.
Cheyenne cocked her head. “I’m pretty sure that’s the question that launched Sir into
