Page 51 of Elven Shadow

“Here’s a permanent solution for you,” the Cruorcian spat, his crimson eyes flashing at Maxwell. “How about a mission leader who actuallyleadsinstead of running off with his tail between his legs?”

Leonard gaped at the back of Diego’s head, pulled his hands away, and held them up in concession. “Woah.”

Rebecca met his gaze and shook her head.

Maxwell pushed himself away from the way and took a single threatening step toward the Cruorcian. “I don’t owe you a damn thing.”

“No, but you oweherfor pulling our asses out of the fire when you were fuckin’ around somewhere else! Why are you evenhere?”

“You wanna see how this thing goes with theelfcalling the shots?” the shifter roared.

Leonard nodded vigorously. “Yes. Finally. That’s what I’m trying to—”

“Can’t be worse than the current dipshit in charge, can it?” Diego snapped, his fingers bursting with crimson light again as thin tendrils of more blood magic seeped from beneath his fingernails in warning.

The shifter hissed through his teeth. “Because you’re not looking at the whole picture,boy.”

Leonard gasped.

Rebecca glanced with wide eyes between Diego and Maxwell.

The others in the library watched everything in stunned silence.

Diego’s face reddened almost as deeply as his burning crimson eyes, his body trembling until he pointed at the Head of Security again and growled, “Say that again, you half-mutt reject.”

“I’ll tell you exactly how this plays out if we handthisone the reins.” Maxwell thrust his finger toward Rebecca without looking at her, glaring at Diego instead as if they were having a private argument just the two of them.

She would have loved to rip that finger off his fucking hand, but unfortunately, the shifter stood on the other side of the meeting.

“She’ll walk all over this task force,” Maxwell continued, “pretending to be one of us while she goes off and does whatever the hell she feelslike—”

“Sheisone of us!” Nyx shouted.

Several other magicals pumped fists in the air and offered their shouted support.

Most of them gaped at the drama unfolding in the back of the library.

“Why, because The Striving didn’t kill her?” the shifter roared.

Rebecca snorted.

Someonehad a major thing for calling her out at the wrong time to the wrong audience. Whatever Maxwell had against her, he was only hurting himself by dragging it all out into the light.

“Sure, she’s laughing now,” he continued, “but we don’t know a damn thing about her. And I haven’t heard the elf volunteer shit-else about why she’s heresince the day she showed up. Have you?”

“Well shewasgonna touch onpermanent solutions,” Leonard muttered. “Hate to be a broken record and all, but maybe we should leave it up toherto—”

“If it were up to her, she’d just sit back, keep doing nothing, and watch Aldous drown us in a pool of his own—”

“Hey, fuck you, Hannigan,” Rebecca snarled as the last of her patience and self-control snapped. “Go play prosecution on your own time, huh?”

He finally deigned to settle that glowing silver gaze on her directly and spread his arms. “Oh, so youdohave a plan.”

She shot him a bitter grimace of a smile. “As much as you have any proof of…whatever the hell you think I am.”

“Okay, great!” Leonard clapped his hands together like they’d just settled all the important issues, oblivious to the silent battle of wills Rebecca and Maxwell had entered together through their furious staring contest. “So then, Knox, if it were up to you—”

“Dammit, Leonard,” she spat, “if it were up to me, I’d slit the changeling’s throat in his fucking sleep!”

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