House of Blood and Beasts

46. The Alternative

Ruhn stormed down the corridor of the processing facility only a few blocks away from the Comitium. If those Malakim bastards laid a single finger on his sister after what she'd just gone through, he'd fucking kill them all and gladly die for it. Two Angels stood outside of a cell, Isaiah Tiberian and Hunt Athalar.

Ruhn barely suppressed a snarl. Athalar was the last male he wanted to see. He glanced into the cell as he walked past, catching a whiff of Bryce's scent. He turned to the Angels. "Where the fuck is she?"

Athalar went rigid at his tone. Good. Let the prick know he wasn't the only powerful male in the room. "Bryce Quinlan has been released," Isaiah said. "We sent her upstairs a few minutes ago."

Ruhn turned to go, but froze as Athalar asked, "What's it to you?"

He glanced back at the foreboding Angel. She's my sister, his thoughts seethed, but he kept them to himself. "She's my cousin, Asshole. We take care of our own."

Rage boiled in his stomach at the grin Athalar threw him. "Where were you tonight?"

"Fuck you, Athalar," he spat, baring his teeth. Isaiah had the sense to back away. "I suppose you heard that Danika and I got into it over Briggs at the Head meeting. What a lead. Good job." Every moment he wasted here was another that might be carrying Bryce closer to danger, but he wasn't finished.

"If I wanted to kill Danika, I wouldn't summon a fucking demon to do it." His and Sarai's encounter with the Dissiri had quelled any inclination he might've once had to do so. "Where the fuck is Briggs? I want to talk to him."

"He's incoming." Lightning danced around Athalar's knuckles. "And you don't get first shot at him. Daddy's clout and cash only get you so far, Prince."

"Keep talking, Athalar," Ruhn growled. "Let's see where it gets you."

"I'm shaking."

Isaiah cleared his throat and spoke before Ruhn could make a move on the assassin. "Can you tell us if Miss Quinlan's behavior before the murder tonight was unusual or..."

"The Raven's owner told me she was drunk and snorted a pile of lightseeker. But you'll find Bryce with that kind of shit in her system at least one night a week."

"Why does she do it at all?"

Ruhn narrowed his eyes, unsure of how that pertained to the Devils' murder and Bryce's involvement, but he answered anyway. "She does what she wants. She always has."

"Just how close are you two?" Athalar cut in.

"If you're asking whether I'm fucking her, the answer, Asshole, is no. She's family." And he had the feeling that Sarai would skin him herself if he dared cheat on her.

"Distant family," Athalar pointed out. "I heard the Fae like to keep their bloodline undiluted."

Ruhn held his stare, already envisioning bashing his teeth in. Athalar's lightning sparked, no doubt imagining reducing him to ashes the minute he moved. Isaiah glanced between the two of them. "We're just trying to do our job, Prince," he said.

"If you assholes had kept an eye on Briggs like you were supposed to, maybe this wouldn't have happened at all."

Athalar's wings flared slightly. "Careful," he growled.

"Stay the fuck away from Bryce," Ruhn snarled before striding back the way he'd come.

Anger shifted to concern as he reached the street and picked up Bryce's scent. It seemed like she was heading back to her apartment, but that wasn't an option. Besides, the Autumn King had already given him orders on where to place his half-sister for the time being.