“Hey, it’s not like I’m clueless, here.” Cheyenne shrugged. “Chance doesn’t play nearly as much into it with them helping us.”
“You really think they will?”
She turned to look at Persh’al, who’d finally sat in his chair behind his computer and was typing furiously again, oblivious to everything around him. “I think Persh’al was right to show Rhynehart how much he knows about the prison and how long you guys have been watching it. Yeah, I think that’s what convinced the guy this has to happen. Plus everything else we had to deal with this morning.”
Ember snorted. “You’re welcome.”
“Hey, goes without saying, Em. We wouldn’t be planning to break into a max-security prison for magicals without you.”
“We wouldn’t be planning a fell-damn thing without you, Healer.” Lumil shot Ember the guns with both hands. “You’re really comin’ into your own these days.”
“Great. Then maybe you’ll take me seriously when I say drop the ‘Healer’ thing, huh?”
Byrd snickered. Lumil laughed too and didn’t bother punching the amusement out of the other goblin. “I like your style, fae. Point taken.”
Cheyenne glanced at the closed door of L’zar’s room. “Looks like he’s in a better mood too.”
Corian dipped his head. “For now.”
“You think the other shoe is gonna drop? If there even is another shoe?”
“Let’s call it progress and leave it at that, huh?” Corian and Maleshi exchanged glances. “We could all enjoy a good distraction while it lasts.”
“What distraction?” Cheyenne snorted. “There’s nothing going on.”
“Exactly.”
“All right.” She ran a hand through her hair and turned to Ember. “I’m ready to go home.”
“I’ll be right behind you.” Ember gestured at the center of the warehouse, and five seconds later, Corian’s newest portal opened there to take them back to their apartment.
“I’m assuming the human will get hold of you when everything’s ready?”
Cheyenne raised her eyebrows. “I guess. We didn’t cover that part.”
Behind his computer, Persh’al snorted. “Well, don’t look at me. I sure as shit didn’t give him my number.”
“Okay, then yeah.” Rolling her eyes, Cheyenne stepped toward the portal. “I’ll let you know when I hear from the human.”
“It’s much more fun to say than anyone’s name,” Lumil muttered. “Don’t know why he has to be such a baby about it.”
“See ya.” Cheyenne tossed a hand in the air and stepped through the portal. Ember floated through behind her, and the oval of dark light in their living room disappeared.
“Whew.” Ember ran a hand over her hair and shook her head. “How about the last twenty-four hours, huh?”
“You can say that again.”
The fae chuckled. “But I won’t. I know you get it.”
“And I know what I smell like.” Cheyenne sniffed at the front of her shirt and scowled. “Everything. I smell like everything, and I need to wash it off.”
Ember turned toward the kitchen. “You know where the shower is.”
Frowning at her friend over a surprised smile, Cheyenne cocked her head. “Yeah, I do. You know, maybe there is such a thing as me rubbing off on you too much.”
“What, you can’t handle the flippant attitude and the unnecessary comments?” Ember looked over her shoulder and grinned. “I’m starting to come into my own.”
“Oh, jeez.” Cheyenne turned toward the bathroom beneath the mini-loft.
“You want food?”
“Always, Em.”
Ember pulled a frozen dinner out of the freezer and turned it over to look at the directions. “All right. I’ll slave away for a full five and a half minutes in the microwave just to feed your drow ass.”
“I’m so lucky.” Shaking her head, Cheyenne closed the bathroom door behind her and turned on the shower to let the water heat up. Then she looked at herself in the mirror. Not as beat-up as I usually am. And shit, I really liked this trenchcoat in one piece.
She cracked the door open and shouted, “Hey, Em.”
“Yeah.”
“You think you can work a healing spell on my coat?”
The fae snorted, followed by the beep of microwave buttons and a low hum as it turned on. “Ask me again after I stuff my face.”
“Yep.” Cheyenne shut the door and stripped before hopping into her first shower in five days with hot running water.
Chapter Seventy
The next afternoon, Cheyenne entered the apartment and found Ember sitting on the couch, staring blankly at the wall beside the door. “Hey. You know the TV’s still in its little cubby, right?”
“Yeah, yeah. Make fun of the fae girl who likes to veg out and binge-watch. I get it.” Ember looked up at the halfling and grinned. “And I found something way more exciting than Netflix.”
“Uh-huh.” Cheyenne closed the door behind her, locked the deadbolt without looking, and raised an eyebrow. “What’s that?”
“Observe.” Ember twirled her hand with a flourish and gestured to her legs, which were spread out fully on the couch as she sat back against the armrest. Her right foot twitched, then her calf lifted off the cushion by half an inch before dropping back again. Ember said, “Progress, bitch.”
Cheyenne barked a laugh. “You talkin’ to me or your leg?”
“What? Oh.” Ember wrinkled her nose and grinned. “My leg. Obviously. At least when it’s just you and me.”
“Very funny.” The halfling shrugged out of her backpack and dropped it on the floor beside the closest black leather armchair before she sank down into it. “That’s awesome, Em. Moving your legs again.”
“Yeah, a little. But it’s a hell of a lot better than nothing.” Ember rubbed her thighs, then sat back against the armrest. “I don’t know how the hell they did it, but the olforím really packed a punch when they helped me get my magic back.”
“I don’t think that was them. I mean, yeah. You said they drugged you.”
“They did drug me. With weird fruit. Probably something in the water, too.”
“Okay, but they did that to help you see, right? Isn’t that what’s supposed to happen with psychedelics or whatever?”
“You mean, you don’t know?”
Cheyenne snorted. “The closest I ever came was when Corian mixed up some nasty-ass potion and made me drink it so I would
