“I don’t care about the Crown.” A darker golden light flashed behind her cousin’s eyes, and he continued his slow, almost predatory stalk toward her. “I don’t want it. I don’t need it. I have no desire to be anywhere but here, where I belong. And I want you to stay with me.”
“Again, no.” Cheyenne spread her arms. “We went over this already.”
“I can change your mind.” Neros’ eyes widened, and he lifted a finger toward her. Bright white light crackled and sparked at his fingertip, throwing eerie reflections into his glassy, colorless eyes. “Let me show you.”
“Nope. I’m good.” So that’s a no on putting a new drow on the throne. At least I can say I tried. “I think we’re done here.”
“I want you to stay.”
Broken record with this guy, huh? “Yeah, well, we all want things, Neros. Doesn’t mean we always get ‘em.” She backed up toward the edge of the plateau and gauged the distance down to the footpath. “Nice to meet you. Good luck with seeing stuff. I’m glad your head’s okay.”
“Cheyenne.”
She spun and jumped off the ledge. Her black Vans skidded across the loose dirt and gravel, then she set off down the zigzagging path a lot faster than she’d climbed it. Silence followed her down the side of the mountain.
He’s not even gonna try to stop me. Would’ve been a pretty decent choice for a new Crown, but Maleshi was right. It’s gonna be hard as shit to find someone else who wants it.
Chapter Forty-Five
When Cheyenne reached the base, L’zar, Corian, and Maleshi stalked toward her from a grove of white-trunked trees. L’zar’s golden eyes were wide with eager expectation. Corian frowned. Maleshi raised her eyebrows and stayed a dozen feet behind the others.
“Well?” L’zar caught up with his daughter as they headed back toward the central grouping of Nor’ieth’s white stone buildings. “What did you find out?”
Cheyenne couldn’t look at him. “He’s even crazier than you are.”
Maleshi snorted.
“That doesn’t tell me anything, Cheyenne.”
“Yeah, well, your nephew didn’t tell me anything, other than that he’s not leaving this valley. And you’re not getting anything out of him that you can use against Ba’rael.”
“He said that?”
“No. Not the last part.” The halfling stopped and whirled toward her father, looking him up and down when he leaned away from her in surprise. “Look, whatever you thought you could convince him to do for you, it’s not gonna happen. He kicked your ass without even trying.”
“He did no such thing.”
“Yeah, he did. You’re pissed because you weren’t fast enough or slippery enough for once in your life.” Cheyenne pointed at the top of the mountain. “Neros is more powerful than both of us, and he didn’t even try to fight me. He just healed his wound and brushed it off like it was nothing.”
“You hurt him.” L’zar dipped his head and studied her intently.
“Accidentally.” She shrugged. “The guy has a problem with boundaries. Probably not a big deal for you. I get it. Runs in the family. No boundaries plus insanely powerful magic and no desire whatsoever to get revenge or fight back or even protect himself. L’zar, you won’t be able to find anything to change his mind. The only thing Neros cares about is staying here, reading the Weave, and…”
“And what?”
Cheyenne glanced at Corian. “And me. I guess.”
The nightstalker ran his fingers back and forth across his mouth and frowned. “What about you?”
“He wants me to stay here so we can fulfill some purpose together.” She turned quickly and marched toward the stone village. “And that’s not happening, so as far as Nor’ieth goes, we’re out of options. At least we tried.”
L’zar snarled and took off after her. “That’s not good enough.”
“Okay, then you go try talking to a drow who’s spent his whole life being pumped with all this magic and doesn’t give a shit about anything you have to say. Oh, yeah, that’s right. You already tried, and he threw you off a mountain.”
“What did you tell him? Did you at least explain what’s happening?”
“Stop!” Cheyenne spun toward her father and shook her head. “I spent the last I don’t even know how long answering Neros’ questions. I can’t believe I’m saying they were more obnoxious than yours, but I’m not in the mood to answer more right now. So back off.”
“Cheyenne!”
“And we don’t need anything from him. Just to be clear.” The halfling glanced at L’zar and then Corian, who was quickly catching up with them. “You didn’t even know you had a nephew until yesterday.”
“Yes, but it changes everything.”
“So, which is it? Huh? Either you had complete faith in me and the rest of the magicals who put everything they have on the line to give your sister these terms she can’t refuse, or you’ve been lying to me the whole time. Is that why you wouldn’t tell any of us what you wanted from Neros?”
L’zar opened his mouth and cocked his head.
“Yeah.” She scoffed, “That’s all the answer I need.”
“Cheyenne, we can still do this, with or without Neros.”
“I know that.” The halfling stormed toward the buildings. “Time for you to start believing it, Weaver.”
L’zar stood perfectly still. He took a sharp breath when Corian placed a hand on his shoulder but didn’t move.
“She’s not wrong,” Corian muttered.
“You’re saying I am?”
“No. It is possible for both of you to be right, you know.”
L’zar snorted. “When did she turn into this…this force I can’t control?”
Corian slid his hand off the drow’s shoulder and nodded. “Looks like your head’s starting to clear a little.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means she’s always been that force, brother. You haven’t had the time to see it until now.” The nightstalker took off after Cheyenne.
L’zar
