House of Blood and Beasts

7. Obligations

Sarai tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for Sabine to arrive. It had already been fifteen minutes since she and Rafe reached the office, and they'd even sent word beforehand. Once their work was done at the warehouse, Sarai and Rafe had wasted little time in returning to Moonwood. They were expected to report to Sabine before going back to Rafe's apartment for inspection and Bonding night.

Sarai was already in a sour mood. Her head was pounding from lack of sleep, and she hadn't eaten or drank anything in the past several hours. The last thing she wanted to do was talk to Sabine and spend the evening with her pack. Perhaps tonight was the night she'd finally say fuck it and go find the Pack of Devils. She'd always had a stronger bond with them anyway.

Sarai lifted her chin as a door opened in the back of the office. Sabine Fendyr entered, accompanied by the Second and Third of her pack, the Scythe Moon Pack. Sabine sat behind her desk, flipping a long silvery blonde ponytail over her shoulder. Her blue eyes glittered with cold disinterest. It was very easy to see that Danika took after her mother. That was probably one of the reasons why she chose to add highlights to her hair.

"Well?" Sabine rolled a hand, waiting for them to speak.

"The Angels took the prisoners, and all evidence gathered was sent to the Comitium for analysis," Rafe reported. "The bust went off without a hitch."

Sabine narrowed her eyes, looking between the two of them. "I was informed that Ruhn Danaan took charge of this operation. Why would you allow that?"

"Asphodel Meadows are often overseen by the Fae division. I didn't want to cause unnecessary tensions in the middle of something that the Governor himself was involved in."

Sabine lifted her chin, the firstlights overhead illuminating the fine, yet harsh angles of her face. "I see. In the future, I expect you to make sure that sniveling Prince knows the Wolves are not his to command."

Rafe bowed his head. Sarai didn't miss the way his throat bobbed, and she knew it grated on his pride and instincts to be forced to show submission, just as it did to her. The two of them backed towards the door, then paused as Sabine spoke again.

"This is the fourth drug bust that has occurred this month," she said, tapping sharp fingernails against her desk. "The sudden rise of drug usage and the clumsy nature of present dealings makes me think that there is something new in the drug world. Perhaps there's a new product on the market that users and buyers are struggling to keep up with."

"That is plausible," Rafe said slowly. "I can't think of another reason why the Governor would get involved in a drug bust, unless something big was going on."

"Indeed." Sabine's mouth curled into a frown. "And something that big warrants our attention. I don't want powerful and dangerous drugs being distributed around Moonwood or any other surrounding districts. Many of the other City Heads agree with me. I was in contact with a few of them just before you arrived."

Sarai knit her brows, wondering what point Sabine was trying to make. "The Oracle, of course, doesn't care much about what goes on in the Old Square. I don't believe the Governor plans on becoming more involved than he already is at the moment."

Sabine's voice took on a sneering tone as she continued. "The Viper Queen won't care about this issue. It means more business for her. I don't expect the Under King will care much about it either. What use have the dead for drugs? However, the River Queen and the Autumn King share my concerns."

"The River Queen is tasking her Captain of Intelligence, Tharion Ketos, to monitor the proximity of drug deals and usage levels in their district of the city. I don't know what the Autumn King's plans are currently, although I assume he'll do the same."