The Drow There and Nothing More (Goth Drow Book 3)

her mom, who glared at him, one eye twitching until Cheyenne pulled the French doors closed behind her.
“What were you thinking? You can’t just open a portal wherever you want. Especially not in this house.”
The nightstalker snorted and shook his head, unable to wipe the surprised smile off his human-looking lips. “Good to see you too, kid. I got your text.”

Chapter Two
“That was seriously delayed.” Cheyenne folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. “I texted you almost twelve hours ago.”
“What can I say? I was busy following that name.”
“Did it lead to a person?”
“Oh, yeah. And then some.” The fiery light of triumph glinted behind the nightstalker’s eyes, even through his illusion. “And I stopped by your apartment. You did it, Cheyenne.”
The halfling’s eyes widened when Corian withdrew her drow legacy box from behind his back. The runes glowed with a soft golden light all over the copper surface, every layer locked into place and now forming a much larger pattern of runes she still didn’t understand.
“I did it,” she muttered, staring at the lockbox.
“My guess is your run-in last night with those things from the in-between did the rest of the work for you.”
Cheyenne’s fingers tingled with warm energy when she took the Cuil Aní from her mentor’s hands. “So, all it took was for me to almost die fighting off those things on my own. Good to know.”
Corian snorted. “Open it.”
“Are you crazy?” The halfling shot a quick, cautious glance over her shoulder at the closed French doors and lowered her voice. “I can’t open this here. One Border portal and a team of FRoE agents in her backyard is about all the magic my mom can handle. You pushed her tolerance over the edge when you popped in unannounced like that.”
“I didn’t know she was there. I was looking for you.”
“Obviously.” She brushed her fingers over the locked layers of the puzzle box and nodded. “I need to go clear up that mess first.”
“What mess?”
“Hey, when Bianca Summerlin stands from her chair and shouts in surprise at the first nightstalker she’s ever seen, there’s a mess.” Cheyenne tapped her temple. “It’s all up here, but that makes it even more important to deal with it as soon as possible. And then I have to take Ember home and make sure she’s good before I start running around opening drow legacy boxes.”
“That’s your friend?” When the halfling nodded, Corian’s human-looking nose twitched in a very catlike way. “Smells like fae in that room.”
“Well, there’s nothing wrong with your sense of smell.” She glanced at the closed doors again. “You really need to go. I’ll call you when I’m back at my apartment.”
He flashed her an oddly feral grin for his human illusion and nodded. “You’d better. And hurry, kid. The real work begins now, and L’zar will want to know as soon as possible.”
“Yeah, he visited me last night in my head.” Cheyenne’s lips twitched into a smirk. “He’s not very happy with you for going off on your own little mission, by the way. Apparently, you’re supposed to be my babysitter.”
“Very funny.” The nightstalker’s fingers worked in a quick series of precise patterns, and the dark circle of a new portal opened in front of him. “Call me as soon as you can.”
“Yep.”
Corian glanced at the Cuil Aní in Cheyenne’s hands one more time, then stepped through the portal back to wherever he’d come from. After the circle of dark light disappeared with a soft pop, Cheyenne darted into her childhood bedroom and tossed the activated lockbox on her unmade bed.
Last thing Mom needs to see is the one thing L’zar left her that night besides me.
She quickly returned to the breakfast room, knocked lightly on the doors, and turned both handles to push them swiftly open again. “All taken care of. Sorry about that.”
Bianca and Eleanor had both sat down again in the cream armchairs. Bianca’s long, calm inhale sounded particularly loud in the silent breakfast room. “I accept your apology, Cheyenne. And I expect that little mishap to be the first and last of its kind.”
“It will be, Mom. I promise. It shouldn’t have happened in the first place.”
“I should think not.”
Cheyenne pressed her lips together and met Ember’s gaze when the fae girl looked over her shoulder. I left Ember right in the thick of Mom’s rage. Time to get out of here.
“You ready to head out?”
Ember gave her a thin smile and rolled her wheelchair back before turning around smoothly. “Ready when you are.”
“Yeah, I think it’s time. I’m gonna go check in with those agents outside, then we’ll head home.”
“Sounds good.” Ember glanced at Bianca, who stared straight ahead through the curving wall of windows. “Thank you for inviting me up here, Bianca. And for your hospitality.”
The woman of the house didn’t move an inch. Ember glanced at Eleanor, who gave her a sympathetic smile. When the fae looked at Cheyenne, the halfling nodded toward the open doors.
The second Ember started to wheel forward again in her chair, Bianca’s hand shot out and settled lightly and briefly on the fae girl’s forearm. Ember stopped to look at Cheyenne’s mom with wide eyes.
“You are always welcome here, Ember. That’s not an invitation I hand out lightly.”
“Thank you.”
Bianca extended her hand, which Ember took after a second’s hesitation. “It was a pleasure to meet you.”
“You too. Thanks again.” As soon as Bianca released her hand, Ember wheeled forward again.
Eleanor stood from her chair. “I’ll see you out.”
They got to the open doors together before Bianca called after them without moving from her chair. “Eleanor, please bring up some tea. A strong Earl Grey, if you don’t mind.”
“Of course.” The housekeeper turned and dipped her head, even though Bianca couldn’t see it. Then she ushered Cheyenne and Ember out into the hall and closed the French doors softly behind her. “Not one of our better mornings.”
Cheyenne raised her eyebrows. “I noticed. Mind if I take the wheel, Em?”
“Take all of them.”