Page 99 of Elven Lies

That level of trust and belief was rare anywhere. It didn’t come from pity.

It came from Rebecca’s deeply personal familiarity with what it meant to be used, with no consideration for the individual behind their assigned worth. She knew what it meant to be able to act out against such a thing.

She’d never had the option of turning against the Bloodshadow Court in a physical way like this, but she was more than willing to facilitate it for Maddie and the others.

Plus, dealing Harkennr’s operation a massive underhanded blow without him expecting any of it had its own satisfaction. And tonight it was just the beginning.

After the rescued prisoners turned freedom fighters finished their description of the warehouse—including the surprisingly small but heavily armed force stationed there to secure the warehouse and keep the captured victims in line—Rebecca and Maxwell formed their plan of attack, though she deferred to him on most things.

It was hard enough to focus on covering as many last-minute details and contingencies as possible while battling the growing storm of rage inside her.

Harkennr’s operation extended much farther than she’d expected beyond the confines of the Old Joliet Prison. It didn’t surprise her that the warlock’s reach was long, even in Chicago. But it frustrated her that she hadn’t considered just how deeply he’d rooted himself already in her city before she’d had any idea he was here.

On top of all that, she had one other massive problem demanding her attention, and a private plan of her own to solidify and put into play before they moved on the warehouse.

New teams were assigned with slightly different changes, each of them with their own part to play in breaching the warehouse. The freed civilians were distributed evenly among those three teams, as well as armed with top-of-the-line magitek weaponry not yet available even on the black market, thanks to Shade. Then, it was finally time to move.

All three teams set out for the warehouse on foot, sticking to the shadows and staying off the road until they reached their target.

“Blackmoon,” Rebecca called out as the others fell in line and got moving.

Rowan fell back to join her, his eyes wide with curiosity and his ever-present grin lighting up his face.

“Please tell me you’re not sitting this one out,” he said, gesturing toward the teams ahead of them. “You’ll miss all the fun.”

“No, I’m going in. But I have a special mission just for you.”

He glanced over his shoulder to see if anyone was watching, then chuckled, “And here I was, thinking this night couldn’t possibly get any more exciting. What do you need?”

She grabbed his hand and slapped a set of keys down into his open palm with a jingling clank. “It’s not confirmed, but there’s a very high chance this place has additional defenses all around the perimeter, including the back. We can’t break up our teamsfor a flanked assault from every direction. Not if we wanna hit them hard and fast.

“I want you to hold back until the front of the warehouse is breached. Once the fighting starts, you get behind the wheel and bring the fight to them right through the back door. They won’t expect it if we’ve already breached up front, but it’s a final surprise that could really turn things around for us.”

He scoffed. “You wantmeto drive one of your fancy new Shade cars?”

“Only after the fighting’s started. And take out as many of Harkennr’s forces from the back as you possibly can after that. Got it?”

“Crystal-clear instructions, Roth-Da’al,” he said with another chuckle. “Why me?”

“Because you’re the only one I trust to do as much damage as possible in the shortest amount of time. And to do it right. You’re ourspecialflank.”

Rowan cocked his head as he studied her face. He almost looked confused by the special assignment and its apparent secrecy—or suspicious of Rebecca’s motives for assigning it to him.

Then he barked out a laugh, tossed the keys in the air, and snatched them back out of it again with another jingle. “That’s the best idea you’ve had so far. I’m on it.”

“I knew you would be.” She bumped her shoulder against his as she walked past, making him laugh. Then she turned to call over her shoulder, “Afterthe fighting starts.”

“Oh, I’ll be there. I wouldn’t miss this one for the world.”

She let herself smile back at him. “I know.”

Then she spun around again and hurried to catch up with her teams.

Maxwell stood off the road while the others continued on, watching Rebecca approach, his perpetual scowl darkening with her every step. “Something I should know about?”

Rebecca didn’t stop, forcing him to turn away from Rowan left behind with the vehicles so the shifter could walk at her side.

“I told Blackmoon to sit this one out,” she said, refusing to look at Maxwell because of how much it physically pained her to give him even this partially adulterated version of the truth. “I gave him a set of keys and told him to be ready as a getaway driver if necessary.”

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