Web of Lies

by Jennifer Estep

  “Yeah, I’m sure.”

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  owen escorted me through the crowd. We passed

  “Hello, Tobias,” Grayson said. “How are you this eveMab Monroe, who was now speaking to an elderly Asian ning?”

  vampire. The Fire elemental saw me on Grayson’s arm The dwarf looked around me at the other man. “oh, and raised her champagne glass in a silent toast. I must hello, owen. I’m fine. And yourself?”

  have made more of an impression on her than I’d realized.

  “Marvelous,” owen replied in a glib tone. “Allow me Not good, but I smiled and tipped my head to acknowlto introduce my acquaintance. This is . . .”

  edge her. More importantly, Mab’s toast also told me

  “Candy,” I said in a flirty tone. “Because I’m so she hadn’t found Jake McAllister’s body in the bathtub. sweet.”

  Which meant I still had enough time left to kill Dawson. The dwarf’s eyes latched onto my boobs, then flicked We also swept past Finn and Roslyn. Finn’s bright up to my blond hair, thick makeup, and blue contacts. green eyes flicked from Grayson to me, and he raised his He must have liked what he saw, because he smiled. His eyebrow in a silent question. I shook my head the tiniest yellow teeth matched the dirty, sandy color of his hair and bit, telling him that I was okay. Still, Finn’s eyes stayed mustache. The dwarf tipped his oversize cowboy hat at on the two of us, even as he and Roslyn chatted up some me. “My pleasure, ma’am.”

  Hispanic giant with legs that seemed to go on forever. Given what Roslyn Phillips had told me about Tobias It took us about two minutes to maneuver our way Dawson’s cowboy fetish, I decided to play the part of a over to the bar. owen arranged it so I stood between him hooker with a heart of gold. “Aw, aren’t you just the perand Tobias Dawson, whose back was turned to me. Grayfect gentleman.” I lowered my lashes and batted them. son ordered a Scotch.

  “Handsome too.”

  “And for the lady?” the bartender asked.

  Dawson’s smile grew a little wider, but his pale blue

  “Gin,” I said. “With a twist of lime.”

  eyes took on a sharp, predatory look. I’d interested the owen’s mouth twitched with amusement, but he dwarf. Time to reel him in—or at least let him pretend he didn’t say anything about my choice of drink. The barwas the one doing the reeling. tender handed us our orders. I took a sip of the gin. The I turned to owen and put a big, fake pout on my lips. cold liquid burned down my throat, before spreading a

  “So when are we going to dance? You promised me a pleasant warmth through my stomach. After we’d put a dance.”

  dent in our drinks, Grayson reached across me to tap ToAgain, Grayson’s lips twitched with amusement. bias on the shoulder. The dwarf turned. I made sure the

  “Sorry . . . Candy, but I’m not much of a dancer.”

  first thing he saw was my boobs, pushed to new heights

  “Perhaps I could dance with the lady,” Tobias Dawson by Roslyn’s power bra.

  offered. “If you don’t have any objections, owen.”

  Dawson blinked.

  Grayson waved his hand. “of course not. I’ve already Estep_Web of Lies_1P EP.indd 314-315

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  had my fun with Candy this evening. She’s all yours, Tosmile steady as we whirled around. Dawson’s hand tightbias.”

  ened on mine. His palm felt curiously warm against owen’s violet eyes met my narrowed gray ones. More mine, something I’d expect from a Fire elemental, but amusement danced in his light gaze. He was actually ennot a Stone like the dwarf. joying this little charade.

  “You know Candy, you’re a very attractive woman,”

  The cowboy dwarf offered his short, stubby arm to Tobias Dawson said. “Then again, I’ve always been parme. “Shall we, Candy?”

  tial to blondes.”

  I sniffed at owen, turned my back to him, and beamed I let out a small, girlish giggle. “Aren’t you just the at the dwarf. “Thank you, Mr. Dawson. At least someone sweetest thing? You’re a real charmer, if I do say so, Mr. here still knows how to treat a lady.”

  Dawson. I’ll have to tell the other girls here tonight to The clichéd patter made me want to gag, but I’d said watch out for you.”

  worse to get close to targets before. I could drop a few The dwarf smiled, but his eyes were cold and distant more groaners if it meant eliminating Tobias Dawson. in his face. Again, I got the feeling I’d done something My fingers skimmed down the dwarf’s arm before setwrong, but I couldn’t imagine what it could be. There was tling on his bare, brown hand. For some reason, Dawson no way Dawson could know who I was, that I used to be frowned at the contact. Something flickered in his eyes, an assassin called the Spider, that I was working for the but it was gone before I could interpret what it was. But Foxes, that I’d come here tonight to kill him. There was he suddenly looked at me with far more interest. Perhaps no way he could know all that—could he? The dwarf had I’d static-shocked him or something, although if I had, I been smart enough to find a mountain full of diamonds should have felt it too.

  and use a slab of granite as a safe. There was no telling But I shrugged away my unease and let the dwarf lead how clever he was.

  me onto the dance floor. Dawson was barely five feet tall, We lapsed into silence again. The dwarf stared at me. which meant his eyes were just level with my boobs. But Then his eyes went to the rune necklace around my his soaring cowboy hat reached up over my teased wig. throat. The dance ended, and we both applauded poThe orchestra began a classical waltz, and Tobias Dawson litely. The orchestra started another tune, something a pulled me close. The only thing that kept him from burylittle jazzier. ing his head between my boobs was the crinoline in my I held my hand out to Dawson. “Could I interest you skirt. It was too stiff and thick for him to maneuver in the in another dance?”

  way he wanted to. I’d have to remember to thank Roslyn

  “Perhaps you’d like to go somewhere more private,”

  Phillips for that small favor.

  Dawson suggested. “I hear Mab’s gardens are lovely in the We danced in silence for a few moments. I kept my moonlight.”

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  I thought of the secluded gazebos, copses of trees, smile didn’t reach his pale eyes. But I brushed off my unand thickets of rose bushes I’d spotted outside. I easily ease. All I had to do was get him away from the doors, could drop Dawson in the garden. With any luck, no and the job would be done. Dawson offered me his arm one would stumble across him until morning. It was my again, and I took it. With my free hand, I palmed one of best option at this point, unless I could somehow mamy silverstone knives. neuver the dwarf back to the bathroom where I’d killed We walked down the terrace steps and onto a stone Jake McAllister. Given the way Dawson was staring at pathway that meandered into the dark gardens. A my boobs, I doubted he’d wait that long before he forced woman cried out softly in a gazebo to our left. A mohimself on me. ment later, another woman joined her throaty chorus. I smiled at him again. “I’d love to go out to the garDawson ignored them and moved on. I let him lead me dens.”

  farther into the shadows that cut through the garden like black knives.

  I put my hand on Tobias Dawson’s arm, and we left the The dwarf didn’t stop until he reached a gazebo hiddance floor. Across the room, I saw Finnegan Lane starden underneath the tendrils of a weeping willow tree. ing at me. He still stood next to Roslyn, but I saw the I glanced over my shoulder. We were two hundred feet relief in his green gaze. Finn knew the longer I stayed the away from the terrace, well out of sight of anyone looking more risk there was of someone trying to proposition me through the glass doors. I tightened
my grip on my knife for real—and the slimmer my chances got to take care of and got ready. Dawson led me over to a long wooden Dawson.

  bench inside the gazebo. I sat down, but the dwarf didn’t Finn wasn’t the only one staring at me. So was owen join me. Instead, he stood before me and rocked back on Grayson. He nodded his head to me as we walked by. I the heels of his cowboy boots.

  smiled at him in return.

  “You look like a smart girl, Candy,” the dwarf rumTobias Dawson opened one of the double doors for bled. “So I think it’s pretty safe to say you know who I am me, and we stepped outside. The night air had grown and what I do for a living.”

  even chillier since I’d been out here with owen Grayson, I didn’t know where he was going with this, but I and I shivered.

  smiled. “of course I’ve heard of you, Mr. Dawson. You’re

  “Cold?” the dwarf asked, closing the door behind us. one of the biggest coal miners in all of Ashland. A very re“A bit.”

  spectable businessman. Very smart. Very strong.” A little He smiled at me. “Don’t worry. What I have in mind over the top, but flattery never hurt.

  will warm you right up.”

  He nodded. “I am very strong and very smart. I’m also Dawson was saying all the right things, but again, his a Stone elemental, did you know that?”

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  I shook my head. “No. I’m afraid I don’t pay much attention to magic.”

  Dawson nodded again. “Fair enough. As you said, I’m very powerful. But what few people know is that I have another elemental talent. Something small but very 29

  handy at times.”

  I kept smiling, although by now, my cheeks hurt from the effort. The dwarf needed to step closer so I could come off the bench and stab him, not talk me into a glassy-eyed coma. “And what would that be? A talent for metal perhaps?”

  Dawson shook his head. “oh no, nothing that grand. But I do have the ability to sense others’ magic and know exactly what their power is, just by touching their skin. Almost like a magical fingerprint, if you will.” His face

  “Are you sure it was her, Tobias?”

  hardened. “And your sticky palms were all over the safe in A female voice sounded somewhere above my head, my office, bitch.”

  although it seemed far away. I couldn’t tell exactly where Uh-oh.

  it was coming from. The pounding in my head drowned Tobias Dawson had sensed my magic—and worse, he out just about everything else, although I felt dew-covknew I was the one who’d broken into his safe at the minered grass underneath my back, and the cool kiss of the ing office.

  night wind on my face. Why was I lying down? I couldn’t I immediately came up off the bench, already bringremember anything through the ache in my skull. ing my hand up, ready to drive my silverstone knife deep

  “I’m positive,” a man muttered. “This is the bitch who into the dwarf’s chest. But Dawson was quicker. His fist broke into my office. She has the stench of that Stone slammed into my face, and the world went black. magic all over her. Then there are these.”

  Something rustled. I wanted to open my eyes to see what it was, but for some reason, my eyelids just wouldn’t lift.

  “Is that silverstone?” the woman asked again. Some small part of my mind frowned in thought. I knew that voice, that soft, breathy voice that resonated Estep_Web of Lies_1P EP.indd 320-321

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  with so much raw power. I just couldn’t remember whom Her voice short-circuited my train of thought. I tried it belonged to.

  to grab hold of the wispy tendrils of memories, but they

  “Yeah,” the man replied. “She had five of them on her.”

  retreated back into the darkness—a darkness that was

  “And you really think she lured you out here to kill slowly swallowing me once more.

  you?” the woman asked. “Perhaps she was just carrying

  “outside? Why? I want to take care of the bitch right them for protection. Hookers tend to do that, you know.”

  now.” The man sounded whiny and petulant.

  “I know it was her. I’ve seen her before. She was at

  “Because in case you haven’t noticed, Tobias, I’m hostFox’s store yesterday, along with a cop. She must be working a function for several hundred people. A dead body in ing for the old man.”

  the garden would put a damper on the evening, don’t you Silence. Again, I tried to open my eyes to see what was think? Besides, you claim she came here to kill you. So going on. once again I failed. The pounding in my head you can take care of it. I have no desire to get my hands or intensified, as though another drum had been added to any other part of my person dirty tonight. Besides, she’s the band.

  unconscious. No fun to be had there.”

  “What a pity,” the woman said in a mocking tone.

  “Well, what do you want me to do with her?” the man

  “She had such potential.”

  asked again.

  I sensed someone crouching beside me, and a sweet,

  “I don’t fucking care,” the woman snapped. “Just get slightly noxious smell filled my nose—like jasmine mixed her off my lawn. Now.”

  with smoke. A finger trailed down the side of my cheek. Rough hands closed around my arms and yanked me Hot needles of pain stabbed my skin, but I couldn’t even up, but by that point, I’d sunk into the blackness once cry out. No part of me seemed to be working. The burnagain. ing finger skirted down my cleavage, before sliding off my stomach.

  The first thing I was aware of was the soft soil underneath A soft laugh echoed above my head. The sound made my cheek, interspersed here and there with small pebbles. me think of fire, smoke, ash. Rough hands holding me Tiny little stones that felt like smooth peas muttering down. The spider rune heating up between my palms. against my skin. I concentrated on that sound, that faint Questions. So many questions about Bria. The silvermuttering, letting it pull me out of the darkness I’d been stone searing my skin, melting into my flesh. The Fire floating in. After a few moments, I realized I was lying elemental laughing as the rune burned me. Laughing. facedown, but I didn’t try to move. My head hurt too The Fire elemental. Mab—

  much for that, the previous pounding now a hot, throb“Very well,” the woman said. “Do whatever you want bing ache behind my left eye.

  to with her—outside.”

  But I focused, and slowly the evening came back to Estep_Web of Lies_1P EP.indd 322-323

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  me. Dressing up and crashing Mab Monroe’s party. KillThe low, deep baritone of a giant. But the most curiing Jake McAllister. Running into the Fire elemental ous thing was the voice echoed like an organ, bouncing herself, then owen Grayson. I also remembered going off the rock walls that surrounded us. I listened again, out into the garden with Tobias Dawson, and the dwarf more closely this time, not just to the pea-size pebbles sucker punching me. And now, well, who knew where around me but also to the underlying stone beneath my the hell I was. But I was still alive, which meant I still had body. And I realized it surrounded me. The ground was a chance. To run, to fight, to cower in a cramped dark soft, but the ceiling and especially the walls were harder, hole until the bad guys went away. Whatever it took to rockier, and all made of stone. Given what I knew of Tosurvive. The will to do so no matter what—the very first bias Dawson, there was only one place I could be—inside lesson Fletcher Lane had ever taught me. Something I’d the dwarf’s coal mine. Dawson Number Three. A place known even before he’d articulated it to me. where no one would hear me scream—or ever find my So I focused on my body, assessing the damage that broken body.

  had been done. My face felt like it had been hit with a Footsteps scuffed on the ground behind me, and I sledgeha
mmer. Given the stiffness and constant throbstarted rocking back and forth and moaning. No need to bing, I was pretty sure my jaw was broken, maybe my let the bastards know I had my wits about me just yet. I left cheekbone too. A couple of my teeth felt loose, and also opened my eyes and started blinking away the white the coppery tang of my own blood filled my mouth. I spots that swam in and out of my vision like lazy catfish. cracked my eyes open. A bit of light trickled into my viSlowly, I pushed myself up to my hands and knees, then sion. Well, at least he hadn’t ruptured my optic nerve. leaned back on my heels. My head and face pounded, but Next I wiggled my fingers and toes. My arms felt sore, I blocked out the pain, even as I huddled there with my as though I’d been manhandled, which I probably had head in my hands.

  been. My knees were scraped and raw. So were my hands. A pair of boots appeared before me. Cowboy boots. Minor annoyances. But to my surprise, I didn’t seem to Black snakeskin with red flames and pointed, silverstone have any other injuries. No broken bones, no missing tips. I looked up to find Tobias Dawson looming over me. limbs, no trauma between my thighs. Which could only As much as a five-foot-tall dwarf could loom. mean one thing. Tobias Dawson wanted to question me

  “About time you woke up, bitch,” he said and hit me before he killed me—or the dwarf just wanted me awake again.

  while he tortured me. Neither option was a pleasant one, but I’d faced them both before and come out more or less I didn’t have time to reach for my Stone magic to harden in one piece. I’d survive this too.

  my skin into a rocky shell. Besides, that was a card I didn’t

  “I think the bitch is awake,” a voice said. want to play just yet. Tobias Dawson might have sensed Estep_Web of Lies_1P EP.indd 324-325

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  my magic, might have been able to finger me as the one ation. But anger—anger was another story. Sure, anger who broke into his safe, but he probably didn’t realize could make you reckless, sloppy, but it could also made how strong I was. otherwise, he would have done the you strong. Determined. Both of which were things I was smart thing and killed me while I’d been unconscious in going to need if I had any hopes of getting out of here Mab Monroe’s garden.