Page 67 of Elven Lies

She’d only picked the artifact off the floor after dropping it from her pocket, but somehow, it had responded to the chaos and now focused its old-world wrath on the two orcs who’d ambushed her.

A screeching laugh burst from Rowan’s mouth as he stared at the doll made of burlap sack and stuffed with straw and sand, plus an incredibly powerful concentration of old-world magic that shouldn’t have existed in an Earthside object. “What in the Blue Hells isthat?”

Rebecca shook her head. “It’s nothing. Forget about it.”

“That’s a little hard to do when you single-handedly neutralized the enemy with it. Let me see that.”

“Absolutely not.” As soon as Rebecca shoved the doll back into her pocket, both smokey apparitions looming over the orcs dissipated with swirls of blue-gray smoke and what sounded like a scream from way off in the distance.

Both orcs heaved enormous sighs before the crouching one sat back, hugged his knees to his chest, and buried his head between them. The other’s orange eyes rolled back in his head, his body gripped by one more shudder wracking him literally from head to toe. Then he collapsed to the polished marble floor with a ruffling thump and the squeak of flesh across stone.

“Doesn’t get much more convenient than this,” Rowan said, smirking at their incapacitated opponents. “What now?”

Rebecca couldn’t help but notice his gaze repeatedly returning to her jacket pocket, but she commanded herself not to indulge him further. “Now we take advantage of it.”

The thick rope creaked as Rowan gave it a final jerk and Shorty snarled at the pressure. “There. Is that tight enough for you?”

“You have no idea what you’re doing,” Tusks hissed, straining against the ropes binding him from head to toe.

“Actually,” Rowan replied calmly, “I’m quite sure I know exactly what I’m doing.”

“Including just the right amount of rope to keep you two nice and snug,” Rebecca added before shooting Rowan a knowing look. “Which you just happened to have on you in your collection of conjurable items on command?”

“‘Always be prepared.’ That’s my motto.” Smirking, he returned his full attention to the trussed-up orcs on the floor. “Plus, ‘No prisoners, no mercy.’ That’s the other one.”

Both orcs glowered up at him, but their bravado shattered the second Rebecca stepped closer.

“Did Harkennr send you?” she asked.

“Harky-what?” Tusks gaped at her like she’d just said he would make a delicious dinner.

“Whoeverthati-is,” Shorty stammered.

Well, that was one item that she could cross off the list.

When Rebecca took another step toward them, both orcs flinched, trembling in their bonds and looking everywhere but directly at her. She hadn’t even done anything to them yet, but apparently, inadvertently using the old-world hex doll had been more than enough.

“Next question.” She folded her arms. “Two nights ago, a transport convoy was ambushed, the cargo taken, and three of my people hauled off to an abandoned amusement park. Did either of you happen to have anything to do with that?”

Tusks released a lunatic’s cackle before he snapped his mouth shut and cut off the sound.

Shorty said nothing.

“I asked you boys a question,” she said. “Were you involved?”

“No!” Shorty screeched. “I-I don’t even know of any parks!”

“Not like wewould, anyway,” Tusks muttered. “The rollercoasters make me sick.”

There hadn’t been any rollercoasters at that specific amusement park. Plus, Rebecca didn’t think either of her and Rowan’s newly captured prisoners evencouldlie to her now. They were too terrified.

One more point for the hex doll, at least.

“Do you know whodidstage the assault on and capture of my team?”

“Lady, I’ve never even seen you before,” Shorty spat, spit flying from his fattened lip where his enormous lower tusks protruded. “Why would I—”

A streaking flash of gold light shot past the first orc’s face, glancing across the crooked bridge of his nose before cracking into the marble floor with a burst of gold sparks.

---