Page 87 of The Inheritance

She shook her head. “Just me and Bear.”

The monster dog twitched her ear.

“Could you walk us through what happened?” Elias asked.

She studied him. This woman didn’t trust him at all.

“London stated that there were humanoid hostiles. We need specifics and confirmation,” Leo said.

She ignored Leo. She was looking straight at Elias instead. Their gazes met.

“Did you know? That he was a coward?”

He could’ve lied but he didn’t want to. “Yes.”

“And you put him in charge of the escort anyway.”

“The best escort captains are cautious,” he said.

“The best escort captains don’t look you straight in the eye and throw an aetherium grenade at the people they are supposed to protect.”

“Is that what he did?” Elias asked.

“Yes. There were hostiles at the mining site, but we were not their targets. We simply got in their way. Some of us died instantly. The rest of us ran for the exit. He murdered four people with that blast, activated his shield and got the fuck out. When you find the bodies, look at their injuries.”

“I will,” Jackson said. “I will confirm exactly how they died. My Talent identifies the cause of death. It’s never wrong.”

She ignored him.

“What about Melissa Hollister?” Leo asked.

“What about her?” Adaline asked.

“What was her role in this?”

“She reacted exactly as you saw. When the slaughter started, she shoved people out of her way and ran for the exit. I believe her last words were, ‘Throw it!’”

He almost flinched from the venom in her words. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For confirming my worst fear and giving me the justification I needed.”

“Are you planning to fire him?” She raised her eyebrows.

“For starters.”

“You will have to do better than that.”

He had this weird feeling that they were the only two people in the room, circling each other, their blades out, looking for an opening.

“How did you survive?” Leo asked.

She didn’t answer.

“Where did you get this bag?” Leo asked.

He’d noticed her backpack too. It was made from a fabric he didn’t recognize.