Page 53 of Savage Blood
“I made a promise to find my brother’s killer.” Fane slammed Ruin against a wall so hard the entire building shook.
The high demon coughed, black blood oozing from his mouth. “I don’t think you want to kill me just yet. There’s something?—”
My heart plunged to the bottom of my gut as Fane’s onyx talons extended, going straight for Ruin’s throat.
If he killed him, we’d lose our spy in The Collective Nosterium. And we might never get the chance to steal the Infernal Sol from Barric.
Chapter
Thirteen
I dartedacross the small living room, nearly running into a rickety table where a few flaming candles spilled flickering shadows and light across Fane’s lethal talons.
“Fane, don’t!”
Fortunately, the demon shifter had stellar reflexes and stopped nanoseconds before his claws sank into Ruin’s flesh. They still punctured him, though, lines of black blood gliding down his pale, tattooed throat.
“You better have a damn good reason for stopping me, Tate,” Fane growled, his pupils in slits and irises flashing scarlet.
The edges of Ruin’s lips twitched. “She does.”
I gave the high demon a warning look. “If I were you, I’d keep my mouth shut.”
“Well, I can’t wait to hear this.” Wrath crossed his arms and leaned casually against the thick boards covering a window that overlooked the street below. “What could you have possibly done to keep Fane from ripping your head off, brother?”
Ruin shrugged, wincing as Fane’s talons dug into him a little more. “Just hear me out.”
“I’d rather not.” Fane angled his head toward me while keeping his gaze on Ruin. “Tate, start talking before my control breaks.”
“This won’t go over well,” Enid muttered, bandaging Alicia’s thigh as they sat on the lumpy couch across the dim room.
Saint knew better than to hover around me while fury throbbed out of Fane, so he crossed the room and leaned against the boards with Wrath.
I rested my hand on Fane’s back, using our bond to pull his emotions into my own body. Realizing what I was doing, he glowered.
“Stop that,”he snarled into my mind.
Instead of removing my hand, I gave him a saccharine smile.“This is payback for all the times you took my pain without my consent.”
Fane grumbled under his breath, but he removed his claws from Ruin’s throat.“Fair enough.”
My hand slid down Fane’s arm, and I curled my fingers around his. “Because of Ruin, we now have a spy in The Collective.”
The demon shifter’s eyebrow arched. “A spy?”
“One I have sway with.” Ruin smirked. “I can assure my little Renfield will remain loyal to me, uh, us.”
“No fucking way.” Wrath pushed off the wall, scrutinizing his brother from head to toe. Dark spots, no doubt blood, splattered his jeans and navy shirt. “You created a demon bond.”
Ruin lifted his palms. “Guilty as charged.”
“You always said you’d rather die than have someone elseconnected to your mind.” Wrath’s brows furrowed as he neared his twin. “What gives?”
Some of the humor faded from Ruin, and the haunted look he was trying to mask bled across his expression. Neither Fane nor Wrath knew the extent of Ruin’s torture.
The former high demon lord swallowed hard, his stare falling to the chipped and scratched wooden floor. “Death would have been better than where I ended up.”
“Would Warin agree?” Fane snapped.
