Page 44 of Elven Lies

“You didn’t hear me the first time?” Rowan tilted his head and wiggled a finger in his ear. “I thought shifters heard everything the first time. But sure, pal. If you wanna dance, let’s dance.”

Rebecca caught the concerned glance in Zida’s beady black eyes and didn’t need more than that. No one in this room wanted this to go any further, but it was about to. Especially when Rowan started poking Maxwell in the shoulder to get even more of a rise out of him.

“Blackmoon!” she shouted. “Hannigan!”

When neither of them stopped their snarling and bickering, she grabbed the closest thing at hand—pens inside the pen-holder resting on the desk—and chucked one at each of their heads.

“Ow!” Rowan hissed and ducked too late.

Maxwell snarled and whirled toward her with murder in his eyes before he registered what had happened. Then he lifted a hand to his temple to rub the new red dot there.

Rebecca snatched up two more pens, just in case. “Get a hold of yourselves. This is an official meeting, not a circus.”

“At this point,” Zida murmured, “I’m having a hard time seeing where one ends and the other begins.”

Rebecca ignored her and stepped around her desk while Rowan and Maxwell watched her, each with their own variation of sheepish remorse.

If they didn’t want to be embarrassed, they shouldn’t do embarrassing things. That was on them.

“This constant bickering stops now,” she told them. “I mean it. Because I made a decision, and we all need to move forward. I’ll go with Blackmoon alone, on theverysmall chance his information actually helps us and we get something out of the deal.”

Maxwell looked like he’d just swallowed a whole frog.

Rowan turned toward him with a smug grin.

“But Blackmoon,” Rebecca added, pointing at him, “I swear, if you’re screwing with me…”

He didn’t even try to reassure her but broke into more laughter.

Did he think herpositionhere was funny, or just the fact that she was willing to let him help? Or did he just find Maxwell’s bafflement that amusing?

“Roth-Da’al,” Maxwell started with more than a little concern etched into his features. “I don’t think—”

“I said I’ve made my decision. That’s final.” She didn’t give him an opportunity to try changing her mind before sheaddressed everyone else. “This meeting is dismissed. Thank you for coming up here again. I don’t plan on having two of these every day from here on out, but I appreciate what we’ve managed to do so far.”

“Ifanything…” Zida muttered under her breath as she pushed herself out of her chair.

“Whatever the Roth-Da’al requires,” Bor added, pushing his chair in beneath the table. “We’re at your command.”

Rebecca dipped her head. “I’m not commanding anyone regarding this just yet, but if anyone thinks of any other leads that can help us find new resources, tell me. Anything goes at this point. We just need somewhere to start.”

Whit and Rick stood as well to follow the two aged old-worlders out of the room. Then Rebecca turned toward Maxwell because she couldn’t bring herself to look at Rowan. “Blackmoon, wait for me in the hall.”

“As the Roth-Da’al commands.”

From the corner of her eye, she noted Rowan’s low, mocking bow before he spun away with a spring in his step and left the office.

Then it was just Rebecca and Maxwell once again. Alone.

He closed the door with a soft click, then headed toward her. “This is a terrible idea.”

“You’re entitled to your opinion,” she replied, watching him warily as he crossed the office toward her. “And I’m more likely to agree with your opinion now anyway. But this is the only option we have right now. Unless you know someone who can tell me about this key and just didn’t want to say anything in front of the others.”

“Believe me, if I had another option, I would have brought it forward.”

He slowed on his way toward her, and once again, with no other distractions to keep the sensation at bay, Rebecca wasconsumed by that growing tingle between them as it intensified with every slow step he took toward her. Pulling at her core. Beckoning her to take the final leap into…what?

She didn’t know, but it felt like a gaping abyss.

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