“Not yet, baby cat.Not yet, but soon we’ll ride again.”
~11~
Dancing with Myself
Cha’s discomfort didn’tdissipate, instead intensifying with the claustrophobia of being confined to the small compartment.Katu handled it much better than she did, only growing restless in reaction to her fretfulness.She tried to lie still—not her forte—picturing the events outside from the sensations of movement and the faint noises she could hear.
She had to give it to Dy.The plan had worked and they didn’t get stopped again.Even the compulsory stop at the Obsidian depot seemed to go smoothly.She knew Big Betty approached the depot by the gradual slowing as the Obsidian Thorofare narrowed to a single lane.She could picture the big, sprawling complex, mostly horizontal, with none of the stereotypical fae spires and towers.It was still otherworldly pretty, though, like a giant glittering starfish, if a starfish had more than five arms and was encrusted in gems.
The structure was a rare example of fae-human collaboration, optimized to relay Obsidian exports to the human realms, and was practically a historical monument, with an actual guided tour and gift shop.Imported goods from the higher fae realms were also funneled through the depot, and from there into the human realms.A much smaller volume of human-produced goods went through in the other direction—though the fae handled distribution from there.
The Obsidian Thorofare terminated at the depot, splitting off into smaller, slow black ley lines that conveyed vehicles to gates on various arms of the starfish, according to the nature of their business.
On the far side of the complex, a smaller section handled the relay of the few human-realm imports the fae actually wanted, with a ley line leading from there to lines that splintered off to parts unknown in Obsidian.Among them would be a fat ley that shot straight for the distant, opalescent glow of Moonstone and beyond.Beyond being Citrine.A vast unknown.
And Cha was going in blind.
Dy didn’t linger at the depot.Just stopped long enough to pass the standard inspection and pass off the paltry shipment of human goods they’d brought as cover.Then she’d pretend to return on the loop that led back to the border and human lands.Cha knew this part by heart, too.Running the Obsidian depot to transport illegal goods had been their bread and butter back in the heyday of the Bandit and Goldilocks smuggling team.Last time they’d been through—not all that long ago, though it seemed like an age—the ley-line workaround Dy had made back in the day was still there.Usually, Cha would be creating a flashy and quasi-legal distraction while Big Betty diverted from prescribed routes and slipped onto the illegal ley, but Dy didn’t seem to need that either.Enough time passed with steady, if slow movement, that she surmised they now traveled Dy’s homemade ley line.
Feeling like nothing more than useless baggage, Cha sulked.Finally, she decided she should study the Moonruby wand textbook and see if she could master Lesson Two.She couldn’t flip the page to see if there was another of Nerd Girl’s diabolical quizzes, but of course there would be.Belatedly, she realized she’d left the book folded up inside Katu, currently sleeping peacefully in jaguar form.That left her with nothing to do but stew.And fret.Uselessly.
If anything extraordinary happens, you’ll know,she told herself.
Oh yeah?And what will you do about it?The snarky Azul-sounding voice answered.You don’t seem to be pulling off this purported “rescue” very well at all.
I’m working on it, okay?And since this is foryou, I’d think you could afford to be just a little more grateful.
The fae don’t do gratitude,he sneered.I thought even a brainless ley line jockey like you knew that.
Listen, you bat-winged, overgrown blueberry, if I were you, I wouldn’t insult the person you’re counting on to get you out of this mess you’re in.
ThatIam counting on???Has it ever occurred to you that I’mnotcounting on you, that this is a trap?
Why would the Citrine fae want me?No, I don’t kid myself that I’m important enough to send Lenorae to fetch and lure to the Citrine court just so they can have another human to torture, mutate, maim, and murder.She should have thought of another “m” word for “torture,” but she’d gotten on the alliteration roll after that point.
Spare me the blithe ignorance of mortal kind.They don’t wantyou; they wantme.
I may not be a genius, but isn’t the whole point of this rescue that theydohave you?And at what point had she begun arguing with the voice in her head like it really was Azul?Being trapped in this compartment was apparently not great for her relative sanity.I’m the one who will be depriving them of having you!Her triumphant finish lost a bit of verve when her pussy sparkle flared to inconvenient but glittering life at the logical progression of the thought that she would then have him.And he would have her.In the most delicious of ways…
Would you pay attention, please?I’ve never met a randier human female.
Hey!You seemed to like it just fine when you had your way with me in the bath.And on the bathroom floor.And against the bathroom wall.And in the bed.It had been a memorable interlude.
Yes, it was,he murmured warmly and she could almost imagine his sensual lips purring against her ear.But, he continued sternly,you need to get your head out of that pussy sparkle and pay attention.This is a trap because they want to use you against me, to force my compliance.You need to go home.Where I left you.Where you were supposed tostay.
I’m not a dog to be told to sit and stay,she retorted, annoyed.
No, you’re a cat.You can’t be taught to keep your curious nose out of my business.
For the record, Iwasstaying home and keeping my nose in much more interesting business than fae shenanigans, but your bride came to fetch me.What was I supposed to do?
Stay home,he repeated with grating condescension.Do all humans require information to be repeated as much as you do?
You’re making me regret staking life, limb, and a shiny platinum coin on rescuing you,she warned.
Finally!He nearly screamed in her mind, making her flinch.Now, listen to that regret and go home before—
The world turned inside out.