House of Blood and Beasts

11. Assorted Conversations

The artwork above is not mine.

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    "He's such a fucking bastard!" Ruhn hissed, lighting the rolled cigarette that balanced between his lips. "He can't even be bothered to send over a handyman once every few weeks just to look at the house. I suppose he wouldn't have cared if she broke her fucking neck when she fell."

    "Your dad's a dick," Flynn said. "We already knew that."

    "He grows worse with every passing day." Ruhn tipped his head back against the wall, blowing smoke out his mouth and nostrils.

    "There's not much you can do to change that," Declan pointed out. "She's all right now, and confronting the Autumn King will just make him angry."

    "Burning Solas, I want to make him angry," Ruhn grunted.

    "We know." Flynn patted his tattooed arm. "Did you at least hear back from the Comitium?"

    "No."

    "What about that sample you brought from the warehouse? Did you make any progress with that?" Declan asked.

    "Demelza uncovered a few properties of the liquid, but she still doesn't know what it is."

    "I'm sure she will soon."

    "I hope so. If we don't hear from the Comitium, I'm not sure what..." Ruhn broke off as his phone began to vibrate. Flynn raised his eyebrows, taking the cigarette, and Ruhn quickly answered the call. "Hello?"

    "Ruhn Danaan?"

    "Just Ruhn is fine."

    "This is Isaiah Tiberian, Commander of the 33rd Legion. Naomi Boreas spoke to me on your behalf. She said you and the Shifter, Sarai Ilerion, need to speak with the drug dealers who were arrested during the latest bust?"

    "That's right. The Aux opened an official investigation on the rise of drug related activity throughout the city, and my partner..." Both Flynn and Declan seemed surprised by the term. Ruhn pursed his lips and turned away from them. "...and I, thought we might be able to learn something from the dealers."

"I've already obtained clearance for your interrogation, but I can't promise you'll learn anything. The Humans wouldn't even answer Hunt."

    Ruhn blinked in surprise. He wasn't sure he'd ever heard of anybody Hunt Athalar couldn't break. "We'll take our chances," he said at last. "When can we come?"

    "Tomorrow afternoon. I'll send you a digital admittance transcript. Show it to the guards when you arrive. They'll let you in and alert me."

    "All right. Thank you." The last word had barely left Ruhn's mouth when the line went dead. He lowered his phone just as an unknown number sent him a file. The number matched the one who had called, and he guessed the file was the transcript Isaiah had promised.

    "Well?" Flynn urged.

    Ruhn took his cigarette back and pulled up Sarai's contact file. "We're going to the Comitium tomorrow."

    "Have fun with that." Declan dropped onto the couch and switched on the TV. "The sunball game is starting." Flynn joined him instantly.

    Ruhn frowned, staring at the empty message thread he'd opened with Sarai. Should he start with his name or just send her the details Isaiah passed along? She'd piece it together anyway, right? Ruhn hesitated, his thumb hovering over the phone screen.