Unraveled by Jennifer Estep

hotter, elemental magic that lay just below the surface of her skin. Roxy started to drop my hand, but I wrapped my free hand around both of our joined ones and gave hers another long, vigorous shake, trying to determine exactly how much power she had.
    I didn’t sense an explosive, deadly burn, one that could incinerate you on the spot, not like I had with Mab Monroe and Harley Grimes, two other Fire elementals that I’d battled. Oh, Roxy could still light someone up and toast them alive with her magic, but it would take her a while. Her Fire power was moderate, at best.
    Roxy gave me a strange look, and I flashed her a smile and finally dropped her hand.
    She stared at me a second longer, then gestured over at a large wooden cabinet adorned with bone handles. “Can I offer y’all a drink? You must be thirsty after driving down from Ashland. Water, tea, coffee, something stronger?”
    We all asked for waters, and Roxy passed out the bottles before telling us to make ourselves comfortable on the leather sofas.
    Roxy plopped down in her desk chair again, cracked open her own water, and took a long swig before setting it aside and looking at Finn. “I was very sorry to hear about your mother’s passing. Please accept my heartfelt condolences on your tragic loss.”
    I snorted. Roxy gave me a sideways look, but Finn leaned forward on the sofa, blocking her view of me, and cranked up the wattage on his smile.
    â€œThank you,” he said. “How well did you know Deirdre?”
    Roxy leaned back in her chair and laced her fingers ­together over her sparkly belt buckle. “Well, Ms. Shaw hired me as the new resort manager about two months ago. I only ever actually met her in person a few times, although I emailed with her frequently about resort matters.”
    Finn nodded. “My mother told me that she owned the hotel and theme park, but I have to say that I was surprised to get the deed in the mail. And so quickly.”
    â€œYes, well, Ms. Shaw called me up about a week before her, um, passing and told me that she was changing her will and leaving you the whole kit and caboodle.” Roxy held her hands out wide. “I want to honor her wishes to the fullest, especially in death.”
    â€œI appreciate that,” Finn murmured.
    Roxy gestured at several neat stacks of papers on her desk. “I’ve prepared some information about the hotel and theme park for you, if you’d like to review it now. Or maybe a quick tour of the hotel first? I’ve got to go get ready for the high-noon show soon, but I could show you around for a few minutes right now.”
    â€œActually, I’d like to see my mother’s room,” Finn said in a smooth voice. “Deirdre told me that there was a suite set aside for her personal use. I’d like to go through it and see her personal effects. And, of course, I’ll be boxing those up and taking them with me when we leave.”
    Finn sold it well, and it sounded like a perfectly innocent request from a grieving son, instead of the plan we’d worked out to get access to Deirdre’s suite without attracting any unwanted attention. Finn might own the resort, but this was still new, uncharted territory, and we needed to tread lightly until we knew exactly whom we were dealing with.
    Roxy blinked, as if she hadn’t expected Finn to ask for that right off the bat, and for a split second something almost like satisfaction flashed in her green gaze. My eyes narrowed. Why would she be so interested in our looking at Deirdre’s suite?
    But the emotion vanished, and she smiled again, her white teeth gleaming almost as big and bright as the rhinestones on her fancy belt buckle. “Sure thing. Just let me text Ira. He has the keys to all of the hotel’s private areas, including Deirdre’s suite. He should have time to show you where it is before he announces the high-noon show.”
    She pulled her phone