Elemental Assassin 02 - Web of Lies

rest Sophia’s flat, black eyes met his green ones. “Nuh-uh.”
    of us.”
    The Goth dwarf’s version of no .
    Jo-Jo chuckled, amused by our squabbling. I moved I looked at Sophia’s clothes, but I couldn’t see any blood over to the cabinets and got out four bowls, some spoons, spatters on her T-shirt, jeans, or boots. Even though the and a couple of knives. I also grabbed a gallon of vanilla fabric was black, I was good at noticing that sort of thing. bean ice cream out of the freezer. After the apricot bars But Sophia’s clothes were spotless as always. The truth was had cooled enough so they wouldn’t immediately fall I didn’t know exactly how Sophia Deveraux disposed of the apart, I cut out big chunks of the bars, dumped them in bodies I sent her way. Didn’t know if she buried ’em, burned the bowls, and topped them all with two scoops of the ice ’em, crushed ’em, or put ’em in cold storage. Hell, I didn’t cream. My own version of a quick homemade cobbler. even know where she took the remains in the first place. Jo-Jo swallowed a mouthful of the confection and But the grumpy Goth dwarf could get rid of evidence sighed. “Heaven, pure, sweet heaven.”
    like it had never even existed. DNA, hairs, fibers, blood. Finn didn’t agree with her. He was too busy stuffing his Not a thing remained after she got through cleaning up a face to chime in.
    murder scene. I’d often wondered if Sophia had the same I took a bite. The ice cream was a cool, soft, creamy Air elemental magic Jo-Jo did, if she used it to help her decontrast to the warm, heavy richness of the apricot bars, stroy evidence. In addition to smoothing out wrinkles, Air and both melted together in my mouth in a symphony of magic was also good for disintegrating things like flesh or flavors. Jo-Jo was right. I’d outdone myself again. sandblasting blood off a floor. But I’d never seen Sophia do We were scraping up the remains of our dessert when any sort of magic, Air or otherwise, never felt any kind of Estep_Web of Lies_1P EP.indd 114-115
    12/17/09 9:32 PM
    116 JENNIFER ESTEP
    power crackle off her. Another mystery I’d never been able to puzzle out, along with why Sophia’s voice was so broken and raspy. She was only a hundred and thirteen, far too young for her body to be failing her already. Dwarves could easily live to be five hundred or older. Sophia Deveraux 11
    wasn’t forthcoming with any answers, but still I wondered. Sophia finished her cobbler, pushed her bowl back, and looked at Jo-Jo. “Movie?”
    “I paused it,” Jo-Jo said. “Still on the TV in the den, if you want to finish it.”
    Sophia nodded, got to her feet, and walked into the next room. I grabbed her bowl to rinse it out in the sink. I reached for the faucet to turn on the water—
    And someone screamed.
    I whirled around, one of my silverstone knives already I slid my silverstone knife back up my sleeve and ran water sliding into my right hand. Another scream rang out, folin the dirty bowl before I turned to face the college girl. lowed by some frantic rustling. Sophia sighed and stepped “Sweetheart,” I said in a cool voice. “That’s a butout of the den. A moment later, Violet Fox lurched into view. ter knife. You couldn’t even file your nails with it. Put it The girl looked no worse for wear, despite her ordeal. down before I take it away from you.”
    The only hint anything violent had even happened was
    “Who are you people?” Violet Fox asked in a shaky the crusted blood that coated her sweater. And the fact voice, still clutching the pitiful weapon. She stepped back that her black glasses were just a tiny bit off center on her until her body pressed against the refrigerator. If the door nose. Finn hadn’t fixed them perfectly. or maybe Jo-Jo had been open, she probably would have stuffed herself had straightened the girl’s nose more than it had been inside, like a box turtle retreating into its shell. “Where before. occasionally, the dwarf would throw in a little am I? What do you want with me?”
    rhinoplasty while she was working her healing Air magic. I sighed and looked at Finn. He was much better at An added bonus, if you asked me.
    making nice than I was. He stepped forward, his hands Violet Fox stared at the four of us, surprised and furheld wide. A charming smile showed off his white teeth ther startled by our presence. The girl’s eyes fell on a knife to their dazzling perfection.
    on the kitchen table. She darted