Elemental Assassin 02 - Web of Lies

somehow been tortured until it broke. The murmurs ing the course of the evening and do anything— any- grew louder, harsher the closer I got to the mansion, until thing —Mab’s guests wanted. Those guys and girls who all I could hear was the stones’ wailing cries. went home with one of Mab’s guests for the night would I gritted my teeth and blocked out the noise of the be generously compensated after the fact. All outstandstones’ unending pain. My only concern was Tobias Dawing bills, hospital and otherwise, would be paid in full son, getting close enough to kill him, and getting away afby Mab. terward. Not the insanity that permeated the foundation The man with the clipboard jerked his thumb over his of Mab Monroe’s mansion—or why it made me want to shoulder. “Go on in.”
    seriously hurt the Fire elemental.
    one of the giants pinched my ass as I walked past. I walked up the steps and stopped in front of the douAlthough I wanted nothing more than to palm one of my ble doors.
    silverstone knives and slit his throat for putting his hand
    “Invitation?” the man with the clipboard asked. on me, I deepened my smile.
    I pointed to the black velvet choker around my throat—
    “Now, now.” I waggled my finger at him. “I’m here for the one with the heart-and-arrow rune on it. “I believe this the guests, sugar. Not the hired help.”
    is all the invitation I need, sugar. But here’s the hard copy His face flushed at my insult. The giant stepped forEstep_Web of Lies_1P EP.indd 276-277
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    ward, but the other one put a restraining hand on his But not Mab Monroe.
    shoulder.
    The Fire elemental hadn’t skimped on anything in her
    “She’s right,” the second man rumbled. “Mab will be mansion. Not a thing. White marble coated the floors like pissed if you touch her. Remember what she did to Steglossy varnish, while gold and bronze leaf glittered on the venson last time? Do you want that to be you?”
    ornate cathedral ceilings a hundred feet above my head. The giant paled. Evidently, whatever Mab Monroe had Genuine Tiffany lamps lined the hallway like soldiers, done to Stevenson had made an impression on the rest of the hidden bulbs sending out sprays of jewel-tone colors her guards. The giant shot me a sour look, but he stepped through their stained-glass shades. A few lights glowed in back. I winked at him and headed inside the mansion. the various rooms that branched off the hallway, illumiThe insane shriek of the stones washed over me again, nating delicate antique furniture from a variety of eras. so loud the spider rune scars on my hands itched from the Everything in the house was tasteful and expensive, sound of it. But I gritted my teeth and pushed the noise whispering of casual elegance that looked effortless, away, buried it so deep that it was nothing more than a though it had cost a pretty penny to procure. I might murmur in my head. I needed to concentrate on my mishave been momentarily dazzled by it, if the shrieking sion, not wonder what Mab Monroe had done in her own stone of the mansion hadn’t told me exactly how Mab house to make it sound like that.
    had gotten the money to pay for all this finery—and all A hallway that was at least a hundred feet wide cut the nasty things she’d done in here since. through the center of the massive mansion. Despite the I walked on, passing dozens of people. Silk, satin, relatively early hour, the party was in full swing. The trill crushed velvet. Everyone sported their Sunday best eveof laughter and the murmur of conversation resonated ning gown or tuxedo. Nothing less would do for one of through the house, low and mellow, like hidden cicadas Mab Monroe’s parties. In addition to the stone of the cooing in the tall grass in the summertime. It helped mansion, I could also hear the whispers of the gemstones drown out the stones’ insane shrieking.
    the men and women wore on their necks, wrists, fingers, During my years as an assassin, I’d gotten close to a lot and even toes. Beauty, elegance, fire. But even the grandof wealthy, powerful, influential folks. As a general rule, est diamond’s vibration paled in comparison to the singthe richer a person, the stingier he was with his money. ing clarity of the one I’d seen in Tobias Dawson’s safe. Finnegan Lane agreed with my observation. He often reoh yes, the dwarf could make quite the fortune mining galed me with tales about his