Page 46 of Elven Shadow

Closer than ever, in fact.

Because no matter who it was, Shade’s new commander would have the power to either help her along in her own endeavors or rip her silent anonymity to shreds before endangering them all.

She had to prepare for both outcomes. All she needed now was a name.

When she swept her gaze across the gathering one more time and stopped at Maxwell, his cold smile sent a chill racing down her spine.

He knew something, and an instant certainty filled her that, whatever it was, it could destroy everything she’d fought to protect.

12

Narrowing her eyes, Rebecca clenched her jaws and scanned the room. She could almost smell the fear and hesitation thickening the air. If no one spoke up soon, she’d have to make the decision herself.

And that would expose more than she was willing to risk.

No one moved.

No one said a thing.

Even the whispered conversations had died down into an awkwardly flaccid stillness.

Talk about anticlimactic. What the fuck was taking them so long?

The thickening silence started to make her itch.

Rebecca’s eyelid twitched before she took another investigative pass across the faces of one Shade member after another.

Someone had to voice their next steps. Someone had to say out loud what everybody already knew needed to be done.

If it didn’t happen in the next few seconds, Rebecca didn’t think she could stick to her own rules about not opening her damn mouth, just because she couldn’t stand to see this spark of rebellion fizzle out so close to the end.

“We need a better option,” Leonard said as he resumed his slow perusal of the crowd facing him. “We have to takeaction. So whatever you guys are thinking, throw it out there now. Whatever sticks, sticks. Then we’ll see what we can do about it. I’m all ears.”

Rebecca fought the urge to smack her own forehead in exasperation.

The mage hadhadit. He had everyone’s attention. He clearly had everyone’s trust. No, Leonard wouldn’t have originally been the obvious choice for new leadership, but comeon.

How did he not recognize this was his moment?

Someone cleared their throat. “We start by getting Aldous out of the captain’s chair and into something else!”

Rebecca peered through the gathering, trying to find who had spoken. She didn’t recognize the voice, but then it was too late to try.

Now that the seal on their silence had been broken, everyone else started chiming in too.

“We couldtalkto him. Nothing like straight-up honesty when it counts, right?”

“Yeah, because that’s worked outsowell every other time anyone else tried it…”

“A petition! This kinda thing normally works with shit like that, right? We draw up a petition, sign it, send it up the chain—”

“Man, Aldousisthe chain. And who the fuck would we send it to for signatures?”

“Heads of the old-world families might do the trick. Sounds archaic, sure. Like something humans have been doing forever. But Aldous still has friends in those circles.”

“So…what? We ingratiate ourselves with the assholes already pulling his strings? Pump out a few more jobs outside Chicago, make ourselves invaluable, and say we’re available for hire?”

“Can’t do that if Aldous is still running the show. First, he’s gotta be…you know.Moved onto something else—”

---