Katu finally dug claws into the ley line, leaping forward as he grabbed hold of the faster black streaming away from the gate.Cha held on for dear life and sanity, searching with her magic senses for the fastest black possible, sending Katu into it blind.She didn’t necessarily need to see, but it still disoriented her to be so fully head down, having to trust Katu to steer them around any obstacles, including other vehicles.She didn’t dare raise her head however, with so much of her weight unbalanced on the outside of the carriage.
Instead, she used all her strength to haul herself, finger by finger, hand over hand, into the passenger seat, where she finally landed with a thump in a puddle of vibrating adrenaline and prickly Moonruby wand.That was too close and the game wasn’t over yet.Fuck her life.
No time to have a breakdown though.Sternly talking herself into getting her shit together, she levered herself upright and slid into the driver’s seat.Taking stock of the situation, she encouraged Katu to go even faster up the Obsidian Thorofare.A glance behind her showed all the gates had closed, and fae boiling out of the cubicles, guards racing in excitement.No pursuit yet, but there would be soon.They had to get off the main ley line and fast.
Taking the risk she’d be overheard, Cha said to the still open opalite channel.“Goldilocks, Bandit here and—”
“What the fuck happened?”Dy screeched, the path box almost shaking from the volume of her voice, Cha wincing at the tone.“This was theeasycrossing.What did you do?”
“Old chickens coming home to roost and shit on me,” Cha answered.“Can we chat later?I need to duck and cover.Throw me a line?”She hoped Dy wasn’t too far ahead to create a side ley line for Cha to take, to get off the main drag until she shook pursuit.Hopefully, she could shake it.
“No.”
Cha did a double take.Was Dythatpissed?This time wasn’t Cha’s fault!Or it was past-Cha’s fault, kind of, but not really.“No?”
“No.Come to Mama.”
Cha paused another moment in sheer surprise.It seemed early in the game for that move.But Big Betty did have the room with their smaller than usual cargo.“Seriously?”
“I said so, didn’t I?”Dy snapped and toggled off.
“Okay, baby cat,” Cha said.“We’re going for the medal on this one.”
Katu snarled with glee, digging his metaphorical claws into the ley line, gleefully accelerating into the rich vein of pure, high-test black dust of the Thorofare.Just in time, too, because a glance in the rear-view mirror showed increasingly frenzied activity back at the border.No other traffic yet, beyond the few family cars toodling along in the slow lanes well behind her.They must have closed the border then and she sent a silent apology to all of her community who’d get stuck—especially aggravating after they spent the day stuck at Lordgay or crawling up the loop-de-do.She’d broadcast the apology—and warning—but didn’t dare with the fae law hot on their tail.
In fact, curse it and right on schedule, there came the fae law hounds.Sleek carriages enchanted from greyhound hybrids exclusive for fae use, the carriages could overtake about any carriage except for maybe a cheetah—and those were only good for sprints.
“Getting warm out here,” she advised Dy.“You sure about this?”
“Good a time as any.I got you in my sights.”
Indeed, there was Big Betty up ahead, hoving into view like a welcome oasis on the horizon.“Likewise.You want to move over?”Big Betty was also in the fastest section of the black.Usually, they pulled this maneuver in the slowest ley possible.Using the word “usually” very loosely as they’d only pulled this off twice before—and attempted it more times than that.
“No time for it,” Dy answered crisply.“Unless you’re chicken.”
Katu, understanding the taunt perfectly well, growled.Big Betty made a sound halfway between a trumpet and a snort, while Warg warbled snottily in the background.Cha set her teeth.“You’re the one taking the ass bruise if we time it wrong.”
“You can kiss it better.”
“And risk Mama Bear’s wrath?I don’t think so.”
Dy chuckled.“Going offline for the bump.Don’t fuck this up, Bandit.”
Words to live by—and unfortunately ones she seldom heeded.But they did have a rare, clear road to maneuver.As Katu neared, the back of Big Betty opened, the rear door lowering to make a ramp.Cha focused all of her attention on matching Big Betty’s speed.That was the key.Instinct always made you want to brake, certain you were about to crash into the big object ahead of you.But if you slowed too much, you wouldn’t have the speed to make the sync.Goosing acceleration at that point could lead to smashing Katu’s nose into the crates of black dust laced agnicurna stacked at the back.
Katu sped just enough to catch up, then matched speed for a long minute, getting the feel for it.They’d have to goose just enough to overtake Big Betty, and overcome the immediate friction induced by the dustless ramp and interior.Bonus: that would help slow them and prevent the aforementioned snout-smashing.Downside: they could get kicked out and dropped off the bottom, which is what happened nine times out of ten.
“No mistakes.Not this time, baby cat,” Cha muttered.“We’re going to nail this one.”
Katu snarled agreement and coasted up to the back of Big Betty, pacing her perfectly.They passed a hippo busload of schoolchildren, all of them gaping at the sight and yelling incomprehensible things at them.Cha decided they were compliments and waved cheerfully.Something sailed through the air and splatted wetly against her nice upholstery.Fucking brats.
Slowing Katu just a little, so they had room to accelerate, Cha patted his dash.“Let’s show ’em how it’s done, baby cat.On the count of three.”
He revved and lashed the tail he didn’t have in carriage form, but that Cha sensed anyway.
“One.”
She cleared her mind, the obnoxious kids thankfully, falling behind.