Chapter 10
Situation Normal, All Fucked Up
“Well, we’re fucked,” Dy commented as Cha pulled herself through the sliding window that led from Big Betty’s cargo space into the cab.
Cha wedged herself into the seat. “Move over, Warg. Ugh!” The purple polka dotted creature licked the side of her face again with an enthusiastic and decidedly slimy tongue. “Can’t you stop him from doing that?”
“And miss watching you squirm in misery?” Dy slid her an amused look. “Not a chance. Besides, he was here first. And you are not supposed to be.”
“Don’t remind me,” she replied sourly, kicking back and propping her boots on the broad dash.
“Don’t put your feet on the dash,” Dy reprimanded in the same tone she used with her kids. “Were you raised in a barn?”
Thinking back to all the times her mother made her sleep in the barn as a punishment, Cha had to nod. “Pretty much, yeah. Besides, Betty doesn’t mind.” But she put her feet down and sat up. “The hounds went right past?”
“Yes. Didn’t even blink at us. We’ll see how long that lasts. What happened?”
“What you’d expect. Handed over my papers expecting the usual and bam!” She hit one fist against the palm of her hand. “Suddenly there’s a guard on me making noises about an arrest warrant from Moonstone.”
Dy sighed. “I guess we should have factored that in. I thought, however, that Prince Charming had taken care of that.”
“Yeah, well, apparently the cloak of princely protection only works while you’re physically under it,” she replied, feeling sulky about the whole mess.
“Did you get your papers back?”
Fuck. She’d forgotten. Not that she could have, if she had factored that in. “No such luck.”
“I kind of figured that would be the case. What do you want to do now then? I can get us back over from here, but the deeper into Obsidian we go, the harder it will be. And you’re undocumented now.”
“I do have several sets of false papers hidden in Katu.”
“True. And you have the platinum coin for bribes, at least while we’re in Obsidian.”
“Ah, about that…”
Dy gave her an incredulous stare. “You lost another platinum coin—do you have gaping holes in your pockets or something??”
“I tried to bribe ram’s horns with it, but he took the coin and tried to arrest me anyway. Mistakes were made.”
With a sigh, Dy stared out the front window at the unfurling black ley line. “Then we’re back to what you want to do now, except with the knowledge that we’ve gone another degree into fucked.”
She didn’t want to run for home and safety, but… “Do you have ideas?”
“This is your party, babe,” Dy answered, hard blue gaze on the ley ahead.
“Your man candy we’re after. We don’t have long until we hit the depot and another inspection.
I’ve got to pass that on the up and up unless we want the hounds chasing Big Betty, too, and now we don’t have you to play distraction. ”
“Don’t remind me.” Cha drummed her fingers on one knee. “I did transform Katu back to animal form. He and I can hide in the secret compartment if it comes to that.”
Dy softened and flicked her a sympathetic smile. “How is he?”
“Oh, he thought it was fun. Nothing rattles that cat.” A siren wailed in the distance up ahead, getting closer. “Ears pricked. They’re coming back. No…” she corrected after listening another moment. “They’re sitting still and we’re gaining on them.”
“You always did have good hearing. Better get in the compartment in case they decide to pull me over.”
It sat ill with her to cower in the back while Dy dealt with the law. “I’ve got a few minutes. Why did you want us to take the risk of berthing instead of giving me a side ley?”
Dy didn’t answer immediately. They drew closer to the sirens. Cha thought it was only some of them, which would make sense. Half to keep searching ahead; half to backtrack. Who imagined they’d send so many hounds after little old she?
The path box lit up on the general channel. Dy punched it open. “Heya, all you mortal riders,” a voice drawled. “Willy Nilly here with breaking news if you’re headed farther up and deeper in. Dusties built a fence and feeling frisky. Watch your ass.”
Great. Just great. “A ley block. Of course. And inspecting everyone,” Cha said aloud.
“I think I should carry you to Citrine,” Dy said slowly. “Not just for this inspection. If we make it through, I think you should stay hidden through the rest of Obsidian and all of Moonstone.”
“The whole time?” Cha was appalled by the idea.
“It’s not that long. A bit more past the depot. Then overnight through Moonstone. You can sleep.”
They’d planned it that way, to make the pass-through Moonstone during the night as the day was far too bright for human eyes. “What about you, though?”
“I can keep myself awake. Really, it’s smarter for only one of us to power through the night without rest.”
“This wasn’t the plan,” Cha grumbled.
“Yes, well, the plan has already changed. It’s too dangerous for you out there.”
Cha absorbed that for a long moment. “You said it already. You won’t have me to divert the law, at this ley-block or later, if they come sniffing.”
“I’m carrying legal cargo.”
“For Obsidian. Not once you cross into Moonstone. And we’ve learned how the snow fae play.”
“It wasn’t snow; it was white pixie dust.”
Cha shuddered at the memory, how the pervasive drifts and spikes of the dust reminded her of lethal ice storms that had destroyed animal and human lives during her benighted childhood. “I don’t want to ask you to do that.”
“You’re not asking. I offered. I’m here to help you on this wild prince chase. Let me help you.”
“And hide all the way through Moonstone?” Cha replied doubtfully.
Dy raised golden brows, her angelic appearance making her snide expression that much more pointed. “Pride, Bandit?”
“Goeth before a fall, I know. Why do they even say that? Isn’t it the fall that bruises your pride?”
“It means that people spend so much effort protecting their pride that they don’t see the big fucking pit they’re about to pitch into face-first.” Though Dy said it blandly, the words were pointed enough to draw blood.
“This isn’t about pride though,” Cha retorted, stung. “I’m your partner. I’m supposed to have your back not cower in the back.”
“Arantxa Evermore,” Dy burst out, slamming her palms on the dash in sheer frustration.
Warg warbled snottily and tried to climb over Cha to get to his sorceress. Cha spent a few, frustrating moments trying to fight him, then gave up and let him crawl over her to flop across Dy’s lap, crooning and drooling in his concern.
She stroked him absently, fiery gaze fixed on Cha. “Do you know what it would do to me to know you were taken off to Moonstone jail, again, knowing what they did to you last time? You nearly died. Would have died if Prince Charming hadn’t rescued and healed you. Isn’t that right?”
“Well, it depends on—”
“Isn’t that right?” Dy demanded on a hiss, blue eyes blazing.
Cha squirmed, a high wine in her ears. Oh—that was the approaching law hounds. “Yeah, maybe…” she conceded.
“Exactly. Now get in the back and get hidden. We’re coming up on that ley-block.”
Tempted to grumble, but definitely out of time—the low volume of traffic worked against them again—with a distressingly short queue ahead of them, even with vehicles stacked single file. Impulsively, she leaned over and kissed Dy’s cheek. “Love ya, babe.”
Dy snorted. “You can demonstrate that by not showing your face again until I give you the all clear. The hidey hole has snacks for Katu and supplies for you—food, water, and some blankets. Better eat now while we’re still in Obsidian because we shouldn’t in Moonstone and definitely not in Citrine.”
The higher the fae realm, the more likely it was that even human food they brought with them could have mutating properties. Cha narrowed her eyes. “You expected this.”
“Suspected,” Dy corrected. “And it never hurts to be prepared.”
Feeling better about things in general, even if she’d much rather be riding the leys at high speed than hiding in the cubby, Cha slithered back through the window and closed it carefully.
Katu ran to her when she dropped into the cargo bay, ready to play some more.
“Not now, baby cat,” she told him. “Covert mode.”
Katu was smart. All carriage animals were smarter than their natural versions, likely as a result of the fae breeding and enchantment.
Beyond that, though, Katu was simply more intelligent.
Cha had seen that in him when he was a kitten.
He’d learned more than a few basic commands, and she’d trained him for a variety of circumstances.
The jaguar immediately bolted for the hidey hole behind the crates of black dust. Cha took a moment longer, not nearly so nimble at leaping over the crates.
She worked the mechanism—hidden, but not glamoured or magical as the fae could detect that kind of thing and it wasn’t the human law they worried about—opened the disguised panel and slid inside.
Another advantage Dy brought to the table as a powerful sorceress: she’d made some clandestine modifications to both Big Betty and Katu.
The secret compartment hadn’t been factory installed, so the fae wouldn’t know to look for it.
The space wasn’t large enough for smuggling purposes—unless they were moving something small—but it did serve to hide one human and her big cat.
Katu circled the small compartment several times, then curled up into a glossy, black pillow. Cha secured the panel, then laid down also, resting her head on his satiny flank. Katu’s purr reverberated under her cheek. It would be soothing, if she wasn’t so wired, worrying.
She’d much rather be the one at the helm, talking down the suspicious fae.
Tracking the feel of Big Betty’s momentum as she slowed, stopped, then crept forward, Cha allowed herself to fret.
Another lurch and stop. Faint voices carrying from outside, sternly issuing orders.
She couldn’t hear Dy’s higher voice, but she did feel the vibration of the cargo door opening.
She and Katu lay very still. The hidey hole was soundproofed, but clearly not with zero leakage, and many of the fae had preternatural hearing that did work this close.
She tapped Katu and he stopped purring, lying still as death.
They both barely breathed as the crates of dust slid around, scraping against the floor, fae shouting at one another, wood screeching as they pried open lids.
Big Betty rumbled a protest, quickly shushed.
Booted feet stomped over Cha’s head and she didn’t dare move. Someone even kicked the panel.
And then, blessedly, it went quiet again.
The cargo door rumbled closed again, and Big Betty crawled into motion, then hit the ley line at speed, the magic singing to Cha through the flooring.
The ley line flowed right beneath them, fast and smooth, beckoning her.
Katu made a sound of query, wanting to dig in his claws, and fly with the powerful magic. She did, too. So much. She petted him.
“Not yet, baby cat. Not yet, but soon we’ll ride again.”