Elemental Assassin 04 - Tangled Threads

Bria’s strength and determination, her dedication to her day job also had the unfortunate reality of interfering with my plans to kill Elektra LaFleur, Jonah McAllister, Mab Monroe, and anyone else who threatened the people I loved.
    Instead of reaching for the bag or digging into her jeans for some cash to pay for the food, Bria stared at me with her blue eyes—eyes that reminded me of our mother and older sister. They’d all had the same beautiful features and coloring. I was the only one who’d gotten our father, Tristan’s, gray eyes and chocolate brown hair—along with his Stone magic.
    My Ice magic had come from our mother, and Bria had inherited it as well. I’d seen her use her Ice power only a few times, most notably to try to save herself from being murdered by Elliot Slater and his giants. They’d paid her a late-night visit when she’d first come to Ashland a few weeks ago, but luckily, I’d been there to take care of them instead. Still, Bria’s magic had felt strong to me, just as strong as our mother’s had been.
    “Have you heard anything?” Bria asked me in a low voice. “Any … talk in the neighborhood about the Spider and this vendetta that she has against Mab Monroe? Because the men that she killed last night were giants, two of them anyway, and from what I can tell, they worked for the Fire elemental.”
    “Why would you think that I would know something?” I asked.
    Bria shrugged. “This is a popular place. Lots of people come in and out of here all day long. I thought that maybe you or one of your cooks or waitresses might have overheard something. Somebody bragging about being the Spider. Something like that.”
    I raised an eyebrow. “From what I read in the newspapers, the Spider doesn’t seem like the kind of person to brag about what she does. She kills people and then vanishes without a trace. At least, that’s my impression of her.”
    Bria turned around one of the rings on her index finger. The top ring, the one with the spider rune stamped on it. My ring.
    “Yeah,” she said in a soft voice. “That’s something that I plan on talking to her about, when I find her. And I
will
find her, Gin. Make no mistake about that.”
    We didn’t speak. Sophia continued wiping down the counter, but the dwarf kept her black eyes on the two of us, just watching.
    Bria let out a long sigh and started digging into her jeans pocket. “So what do I owe you for the food?”
    I waved my hand. “Your money’s no good here tonight. It’s on the house.”
    Bria shook her head. The motion made the light dance on the primrose rune around her neck. My heart twisted at the sight.
    “You should let me pay you, Gin. I know how hard you work.”
    I held back a snort. I doubted that her tone would be so kind, so considerate, if she knew how much money I had stashed away in various bank accounts—money that I’d gotten for killing people.
    I glanced at the ticket stapled to the bag. “It’s a ham sandwich, beans, fries, and two pieces of strawberry pie. Don’t worry. It’s not going to break me. Besides,” I said, thinking of Jonah McAllister and his measly thirteen cents. “A customer gave me a big tip tonight anyway. More than enough to cover your meal, detective.”
    She opened her mouth, but I cut her off.
    “I insist,” I said in a firm voice. “Think of it as an early Christmas present.”
    The least I could do was slip my own sister a free meal now and then. The
very
least.
    “All right,” Bria said, being gracious enough to take me up on my offer. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”
    She grabbed the bag, gave me a nod and a smile, and turned to go.
    Sophia cleared her throat—loudly. I glanced over at the dwarf, and she stabbed a stubby finger in Bria’s direction before stabbing it back in mine. Then, Sophia crossed her arms over her chest and gave me a flat stare. I felt like a naughty schoolgirl being chastised by her nun of a teacher. I knew what the dwarf wanted. For me to talk to Bria, to get her to stay, to do something, anything, to further our relationship, even if it was only the tiniest bit.
    “Um, detective?” I said.
    Bria stopped and looked over her shoulder at me.
    “I know that you don’t have any … family in Ashland.” The lie stuck in my throat like lumpy gravy, but I forced it out. “I was wondering if you had any plans for Christmas.”
    I knew that because I kept an eye on Bria whenevershe came into the Pork Pit, trying to learn everything I