Page 61 of Wreaking Havoc
Kai would need to keep an eye on him.
Kai had satin on war councils with less tension than this reunion of brothers.
There was nothing but barbed jabs and hostile silence passed continuously back and forth between the two elder brothers—all while they refused to speak directly to each other—and, for his part, Sascha repeatedly attempted to break the tension with silly remarks about silly subjects.
Kai was beginning to understand where Sascha’s spoiled reputation came from in the family—he seemed to brandish his own foolishness like a sword, hacking down the others’ aggression when it grew too potent.
Eventually Ivan insisted on a full recounting of Kai’s summoning, and Sascha obliged, in much more specific detail than Kai would have preferred.
Finally Ivan addressed Alexei directly for the first time since they’d entered the living room. “And your own monster?” he asked, head tilted toward the bloodsucker Jay, who’d remained uncharacteristically quiet since his mate had been shot. “How did that come to pass?”
“Don’t call him that,” Alexei said, the words escaping through clenched teeth. There was another prolonged silence, but before Sascha could interject with another aside about wealthy television housewives or the latest in New York socialite drama, Alexei spoke again. “You were supposed to protect him.”
“And I have,” Ivan told him coolly.
“He wasstabbed.”
Ivan shrugged. “Not by me.” He sneered at his brother. “You’re the one who left, Alyosha. Leave me out of your guilt.”
The callousness with which Ivan treated Sascha’s attack had Kai’s shoulder blades aching, his wings itching to come out again. The horrible, violent things he could do to this human, if only Sascha would let him.
But Sascha had already leaped up from the couch, asking far too loudly, “Who wants to come see the attic?” At the ensuing silence, he let out a strange half cough, half giggle. “It’s where I found Kai’s Book.”
“We’ll pass,” Alexei answered, his hard stare still focused on Ivan.
It was a fair enough answer, considering the offer was a clear attempt to cut through the hostilities, although Kai himself was curious about where his Book had been hiding.
Surprisingly, Ivan stood from his chair. “All right. Show me, then.”
Sascha led the way, and Kai inserted himself between him and his brother, reverting to human form before climbing the ladder in order to fit into the smaller space.
The small, dirty, nondescript space. Such an odd location for a demon’s binding Book to be found. It was all ordinary cardboard boxes and a few dust-covered pieces of furniture.
Sascha waved a hand, encompassing the mess. “So this is it.”
Ivan opened the nearest box, mouth pinched as a small cloud of dust erupted in front of his face. “And how would we know if anything else of consequence was up here?”
Kai reached out with his demon senses. He wouldn’t be notified of absolutely everything, but that which pertained to demons would trigger a certain awareness. Like his Book, downstairs on the coffee table—he could sense the presence of demonic energy in its pages.
“There’s nothing else of note here,” he surmised after a moment. “I’d be able to feel it.”
Ivan arched a brow. “Neat trick.”
They fell into silence.
Ivan brushed his fingers against another box. “You called Alexei,” he murmured.
Sascha shrugged, avoiding his brother’s eye. “Technically, Kai did.”
Ivan did not seem to find that reassuring. “And do you share our dear brother’s belief that I failed to protect you?”
“Ido,” Kai told him.
He was ignored.
Sascha fidgeted with the sash of his robe, his eyes on his twitchy fingers. “I think… Well, Alexei has always thought…even growing up, you know?”
It was a nonsense jumble of words as far as Kai was concerned, but Ivan seemed to catch their meaning. His affect grew even frostier, if possible. “I should have done more? Beennicer? Forced ourfatherto be nicer? What was I to do? A boy in a roomful of guns. The only way to protect us all was to learn how to be just as ruthless.”
