Elemental Assassin 02 - Web of Lies

tin roof, black shutters, and blue eaves. The whole thing of silverstone glistened in the granite, adding to its dark reminded me of a pincushion someone had haphazardly beauty. But the magical metal served another purpose bestuck a variety of implements into, with no thought for sides mere decoration. Silverstone could absorb any kind whether they actually belonged together or not. of elemental magic that came its way—Stone, Air, Fire, or I parked the Benz and ran my eyes over what I could Ice—as well as offshoots of the elements. Instead of being see of the yard. It stretched out a hundred feet in front true elementals and being able to tap into one of the big of the house before falling away in a series of jagged four, as they were called, some folks were gifted in other cliffs. Beyond the dropoff, the surrounding Appalachian areas, like metal, water, electricity, or even acid. Mountains were coal smudges in a night sky covered with Regardless, the silverstone in the door would absorb a blanket of diamond stars and the gleaming crown of a quite a bit of power should anyone decide to use magic to half moon. Hell of a view, especially at night. force their way inside. I’d spent a fortune having the granI got out of the car and stooped down behind the ite installed here and in other strategic places throughout Benz, keeping it between myself and the sprawling house. the house, but it was worth it to make sure I was secure. To a casual observer, it probably looked like I was tying Helped me sleep easier.
    my shoe. You would have had to look hard to see the glint The granite’s hum was low and muted, just like the of magic in my gray eyes or realize I had my hands pressed gravel in the driveway. Nobody had been near the door all against the cold, wet gravel of the driveway. day. Good. I’d had enough excitement already. The sounds of the trees, wind, and small, scurrying I unlocked the door and stepped inside. Given its unanimals ran through the stones. Soft, comforting murusual construction, the interior of the house resembled a murs as familiar to me as a lullaby. No visitors today. I rabbit’s warren. Small rooms, short hallways, odd spaces hadn’t expected any, but it never hurt to double-check. I’d here and there that doubled back and opened up into stayed alive this long, despite all the incredible odds and completely new areas. When I was living here as a kid, job hazards of my former profession. I wasn’t going to I’d had to draw myself a map just to get from my upstairs get dead now because I’d made a rookie mistake, like not bedroom to the front door and back again. I threw my checking the gravel before I stepped into Fletcher’s home. keys down into a bowl by the front door, kicked off my Estep_Web of Lies_1P EP.indd 40-41
    12/17/09 9:32 PM
    42 JENNIFER ESTEP
    Web of Lies 43
    boots, and headed toward the back of the house, where was far weaker, though. All I could really do with it was the kitchen was.
    make small shapes, like cubes or chips. The occasional Fletcher Lane had lived in this house seventy-seven lock pick. A knife, when the need arose. But often it was years. He’d been born here, and he probably would have the little things that saved you. A lesson I’d learned when died here, if he hadn’t been murdered by an Air elemenbattling Alexis James a few weeks ago. The Air elemental tal. The old man had collected a lot of stuff in his time would have killed me, would have flayed me alive with on this earth. Furniture, plates, tools, odd bits of metal, her magic, if I hadn’t formed a jagged icicle with my wood, glass. I hadn’t had the heart to clean any of it out power and cut her throat with it.
    yet. The air stilled smelled faintly of him—like sugar, I reached for my cool Ice magic, and a moment later, spice, and vinegar swirled together.
    small, snowflake-shaped Ice crystals spread out from my But the kitchen, the kitchen was mine. Always had been, palm and fingertips. They frosted up the side of the glass, from the moment I’d moved in as a homeless teenager to arced over the lip, and ran down into the lemonade. Then when I’d taken up residence again several weeks ago after I held my hand palm up and reached for my magic again. Fletcher’s funeral. I stepped inside and flipped on the light. A cold, silver light flickered there, centered in the spiThe kitchen was one of the largest rooms in the house, der rune scar embedded in my palm. After a moment, and a long,