Elemental Assassin 02 - Web of Lies

don’t you think about that for a few seconds and get planation for all those silverstone knives you had on you back to me.”
    and the way you threw yourself at me at the party.”
    The dwarf frowned and spit out another stream of toWell, at least he wasn’t stupid enough to think I’d rebacco juice. His blue eyes turned inward as he reviewed ally been attracted to him. That would have been rather the list of folks he’d shared his underground discovery sad on his part. I gave him a thin smile. “Actually, I was with. I was willing to bet it was a real short list—with enjoying my retirement, if you can believe that. But then, only one woman’s name on it.
    as the old story goes, I got one last job offer, and the
    “Mab,” he muttered. “Mab Monroe. That’s who you’re money, well, it was just too good to pass up.”
    working for?”
    Another assassin, Brutus, had said those words to me I shot my thumb and forefinger at him. “Give the man once—right before I’d killed him. of course, they were a a prize.”
    complete fabrication on my part now. But it was just the Dawson frowned. “But why would she hire an assassin sort of fairy tale Tobias Dawson wanted to hear, the story to kill me?”
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    Despite my broken jaw, I managed a laugh. A loud, why not just quietly take them out of the walls yourself mocking laugh that echoed off the walls. “Because, you and be done with it?”
    idiot, she wants all this for herself. All these lovely, lovely Dawson shook his head. “All that Stone magic you diamonds, and the money that’s going to come along have, and you don’t really know anything about your own with them.”
    element, do you?”
    “No way.” Dawson shook his head. “There’s no fuckI shrugged. “Geology isn’t my strong suit.”
    ing way you’re working for Mab. She wouldn’t turn on The dwarf pointed to the ceiling, where water dripped me like that.”
    off one of the stalactites. “This whole cavern is directly I snorted. “Take your head out of your ass. of course underneath a creek that runs through Fox’s property. Mab would turn on you like that. It’s what she does . The ceiling’s strong enough as it is, but if I start digging She’s made a career out of it, as a friend of mine would diamonds out of here, there’s a good chance the whole say. You’re just the latest casualty in her ever-expanding thing will collapse in, leaving a giant sinkhole right in the empire.”
    middle of his backyard—even bigger than the one that’s Dawson paced back and forth in front of me as he there right now.”
    thought about it. I took another small step back. Ten He wasn’t telling me anything I hadn’t already guessed, feet now separated me from the dwarf. Not as much as I but it was nice to have some confirmation. would have liked, but it was going to have to do. After a “And you couldn’t risk that,” I said in a soft voice. “You few seconds, the dwarf stopped pacing. The doubt in his couldn’t risk him finding out about the diamonds that are eyes faded away, replaced by sparking anger. I’d sold him on his own land.”
    on the lie. Even if I didn’t make it out of this cavern alive,
    “Smart and pretty. A shame you’re going to die so Dawson might do something stupid and go after Mab young,” Dawson mocked.
    Monroe himself. She’d probably kill him, but at least he’d
    “I thought we had a deal,” I said, although there was feel her wrath before he died. And he might inconveno real protest in my voice. I’d expected the double cross. nience her slightly. Either way, it was the best I could do, The dwarf laughed. “Ah, the foolishness of youth. But given my current situation.
    I’m a sporting man. I’ll give you a chance to get out of
    “Although I am curious about one thing,” I said. here.”
    “What?” Dawson asked.
    “Really? And how would I do that?”
    “The old man at the store. Why did you brace him like Dawson stared at me. “All you have to do is beat me—
    that? Why do you need his land so badly? We’re in this in an elemental duel.”
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    in with Dawson’s cowboy fetish. Too bad it was going to be the death of him.
    “A duel, huh?” I asked again.
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    “A duel,” he