Page 58 of Elven Prince

The troll’s ceaseless cackling made it increasingly difficult to hear her own thoughts, so Rebecca turned to head toward the dark bedroom hallway, wracking her mind for any potential puzzle piece that might fit with what little they already knew.

The attacks today had come down swiftly and without warning, first on Archie, then on Kash’s distribution warehouse and its crew.

Rebecca and her team had anticipated more immediate attacks on other Shade contacts, and they’d been right. At least about this one.

But what did these two dumbasses tied up in Bruce’s living room have to do with the attack on Archie or the warehouse? They weren’t the same. This was the only site with any proof of a confrontation, which was currently strewn all around them. The M.O. was completely different.

But they’d still expected Bruce to be hit next, and they’d been right…

Only when she’d contemplated herself in circles several times did she emerge from the bedroom hallway toward the living room.

The trolls’ mad cackling had stopped.

“Oh good,” she said. “Someone’s finally starting to take this seriously.”

Two successive thumps rose from the direction of the couch, then an unexpectedly eerie silence filled the living room.

“Uh…boss?” The apprehension in Tig’s voice made her stop.

Then Rebecca noticed the bigger immediate issue.

The troll’s cackling laughter had stopped not because he was tired of it but because he’dbeenstopped.

Both prisoners now lie motionless on the floor, their eyes wide open and glassed over with the fresh absence of life.

Holy shit, were theydead?

Rebecca darted across the living room, stopped in front of the prisoners, and gave them each a quick once-over before she reached down for the troll’s neck to feel for a pulse.

Nothing.

“What the hell did you guysdo?” she shouted.

“Hey, it wasn’t us.” Lerrick lifted both hands, one of them still clenched around his magitek firearm. “I swear.”

Rebecca checked the half-changeling’s pulse as well, only to find it equally non-existent.

She leapt to her feet and spun around, instantly finding Maxwell’s gaze before she even realized that was what she was looking for.

All the anger and frustration she’d kept at bay during this clusterfuck of a mission roiled inside her, threatening to break free at the slightest poke. Just one more…

Before the accusation on her lips made it past her next sharp inhale, something shifted in Maxwell’s gaze that made him look almost guilty.

Which directly contradicted his next statement.

“I haven’t moved an inch from where I’m standing now.”

She scoffed. “Oh really?”

The rest of her small team gave her matching stares of sheepish cluelessness.

“You mean I stepped into the hall to gather my thoughts, and our only two leads on this attack just…what? Dropped dead on the spot at the exact same time?”

No one replied. They didn’t have to.

The implication of it hit her.

“Oh shit…” Rebecca looked sharply at Maxwell and gestured toward the bodies. “Is this what we’re looking at right now? The same as whoever hit Kash’s warehouse?”

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