Ruby Rivals (Halfblood Inheritance #1)

Chapter One

Soot's paws make soft thumping sounds on the plush carpet as he trots to keep up with my fast walk, his pink tongue lolling, nub tail wagging. I count off the numbers as I pass the doors, my heart rate picking up as they get closer and closer.

I come to a soft stop at a door near the end of the hall.

Soot wheels around at the end of his leash, picking up his ears and tilting his head curiously.

His eyes are black now, like a normal dog's.

When he's calm, he looks like a regular Doberman Pinscher, but as he picks up on my nervous excitement, I see a spark ignite in his eyes, like the first stirrings of embers in a fire.

Soot sits back on his haunches and lets out a short bark. I'll take that as a yes.

I reach out and slide open the panel covering the keypad. I type in the numbers printed on the embossed card I was given down in the housing office. The employee assured me I can change it to whatever I want once I'm settled in. I've never lived in any place fancy enough to have a door code before.

The door lets out a musical beep and I hear the lock disengage.

I turn the handle and push inside, Soot on my heels.

The inside of the apartment opens wide in front of me, and I suck in a breath.

The place has the unmistakable scent of fresh paint and wood, but the interior is fully furnished.

Wide windows spread before me on the far wall, giving me a full view of the rest of the complex and Central City on the horizon beyond.

Pristine cream couches form a corner around a large modern fireplace. Furry rugs and throw pillows give the space a comforting touch, but most notably, everything is draped in shades of ruby red. A banner embroidered with a flickering flame and a ruby for House Ruby is hung above the fireplace.

Soot bounds inside once I unclip his leash, leaping lithely onto the new couch and rolling. Clearly, he approves of his new surroundings.

I snort and follow him in, still gawking in disbelief as I take in the pricey-looking decor.

I wander into the kitchen, shaking my head at the gleaming new appliances before I pull open the fridge and scoff in disbelief.

Fully stocked. Princess Seoha and Queen Seoyu really spared no expense preparing these apartments. I feel like I need someone to pinch me.

All this, for a bunch of mixed-blood orphan nobodies like me? I just know the full-blooded fae of the other houses are going to be fuming when they find out how far the twin royals went with this pet project of theirs. It's no less than they deserve, really, but it still doesn't feel real.

The doorbell chimes, breaking me out of my reverie. Soot sits up, pricks his ears and barks. Then he sets his ears back, issues a low growl, and his fur erupts into flames.

“Easy, boy. It's just the movers.” I stride from the kitchen, holding out my hand flat as I pass Soot on the couch, signaling the command for “down.” Soot's fur immediately extinguishes, and he lays down, putting his head on his paws.

When I open the front door, several uniformed males with pointed ears stand in the hall holding boxes of my things.

I step aside and gesture them in. The movers file in and start carrying the boxes to the appropriate rooms without my instruction.

Everything is labeled and they move efficiently—quick and professional.

Soot rumbles in warning as they pass, but he stills with one look from me.

One of the movers gives him a skeptical look, but otherwise they don't acknowledge him.

I stay out of their way until the last emerges from the back of the apartment and pauses at the door.

He gives me a low bow and then pulls the door shut behind him, leaving me and Soot alone again. Well, they're effective at least.

I spend most of the afternoon unpacking, putting things away, arranging the furniture the way I want it.

But even when all that's done, I can't sit still.

Excitement buzzes through my veins. I feel like moving, like I have to find some way to celebrate.

And the apartment is just one part of this new home.

Soot fell asleep at some point, so I leave him snoozing comfortably on the foot of my giant new bed and head out to explore the rest of the complex.

They're calling it Halfblood Hall. Like Ruby Hall, or the other palaces, but for halfbloods.

It certainly feels like a palace. In reality, it's a series of apartment buildings centered around a small village of shops, restaurants, a gym, a training center, a clinic, and a school.

Our own self-sustained little ecosystem right smack dab between Sapphire and Obsidian territory. In fae territory.

My apartment is in Ember Unit, where all of the halfbloods of House Ruby, Garnet, and Topaz are being assigned.

All the fire affinities. I haven't gotten a chance to explore the village and the other units, but Ember Unit is a good place to start.

The building is massive. It's as large as a human shopping mall and designed to rival the luxury of the noble-owned high-rises in downtown.

I wander red-carpeted halls decorated with ever-flickering torches and banners of the fire houses on every wall.

I'm burning with energy, so I keep going, exploring the commons areas, the built-in gyms, the entertainment rooms. There's even a racquetball court.

This one building is a whole neighborhood on its own.

Eventually, I make it to one of the top floors and find a set of stairs leading up to the roof.

It's like serendipity. The moment I push open the door, I see the sun starting to set on the horizon, sinking behind the distant mountains.

I stare in awe for a moment, absorbing the breathtaking view.

There are benches up here and a fire pit, so clearly they expected residents might come up here for this exact purpose.

I cross the roof in a few strides. It’s fenced in by a glass wall on all sides as a safety measure.

But as I grip the top and hoist myself over onto the outside ledge, I disregard it.

I might be only half-fae, but I still possess all of their predatory grace and agility, and I think my fellow halfbloods are the same.

I doubt any of us are at risk of slipping.

I don't even wobble as I balance on the short ledge and take in the city and the whole of the Eastern Court stretching out beyond me.

I crouch, sitting on the ledge and letting one of my legs dangle over the side of the roof while I draw the other to my chest. It's early summer, and the sun paints the sky in reds and oranges as it makes its descent, taking the heat with it.

A cool breeze blows through my hair and brushes against my cheeks, and I tip my head back, closing my eyes and soaking it in.

“Do barriers mean nothing to you?” a curt, male voice cuts sharply into my peaceful moment.

I open my eyes and turn my head to look back over my shoulder.

A tall figure looms above me, and I have to blink as the fading sunlight casts shadows on his features.

He's a massive male—even to my standards—dressed in a bright red silk shirt with the emblem of House Ruby on both sleeves over black pants.

Ears that are pointed sharply at the tips stick out of neatly parted, sleek black hair that brushes over a strong brow.

Aristocratic nose and fine bones, a wide mouth pressed into a flat, annoyed line.

The sharpest, most cutting pair of dark brown eyes I've ever seen stare down at me.

I lean back slightly, and he arches a prim brow, like he's preparing to grab me if I tip off the roof.

He's one of those infuriatingly pretty fae males that irritates me on sight.

I can tell with one look he's a noble of some kind, which also means he's probably a stuck-up prick. I instantly dislike him.

“Can I help you?” I ask, giving him an unimpressed look.

The male's jaw clenches slightly, not missing the shortness in my tone for a second.

“Get down off that wall,” he says, jerking his head at me.

My eyebrows shoot up. “Excuse me?”

“I said, get down,” he repeats, tone snappy. “Those barriers are there for a reason.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “And who the hell are you?”

He gestures to the emblem on his shirt. “I work here. It's my job to make sure all of you halflings are safe. What you're doing is decidedly not safe.”

I scoff. Yes, I know he's a guard. I recognized the uniform. That doesn't give him the authority to tell me what to do.

“I can decide that for myself,” I tell him, starting to turn my back to him and return to my sunset watching.

“No, you can't. That's what I'm here for.”

I whip my head back around, glaring at him. “So far, your only purpose seems to be to irritate me. I don't need a guard. So you can go make yourself useful somewhere else.” I give him a condescending smile and jerk my head toward the door.

“I don't take orders from you,” he says, giving me a flat look in return.

“And I don't take orders from you,” I toss back, my temper starting to flare.

The fae male sneers down at me, and I see the tip of one fang flash in the sun as his lip curls back slightly.

“Did they not have rules where you lived last, or is disregarding them habit to your type?”

“My type?” I repeat, feeling heat prickle the skin of my palms.

The haughty guard smirks. “Yeah, your type. An unmannered halfling with a chip on her shoulder.”

I stand straight up, my lips curling back over my fangs. They won't be much of a threat to him, I'm sure, but the gesture is fae enough for him to understand the warning.

“Get lost. Self-righteous fae bastard. I don't need your helicopter parenting and I didn't ask for it.”

He snorts and eyes my fangs but doesn't rise to the bait. “You didn't have to. I'm not working for you, it's just my job to enforce the rules so you clumsy halflings don't hurt yourselves.”

I let out a laugh of disbelief. “I'm a half-human, not an infant.”

The male shrugs. “Same difference.”

That does it. My thin patience officially snaps.

I leap easily over the glass barrier and land in front of him, snarling.

Fire ignites in my palms, the flames licking up my arms as I step into his space.

I'm tall for a human, even as a halfblood, and I'm taller than most of the females, but this male is a fucking giant.

I have to tip my head back to look into his face.

“How about I just blast you off the roof and we'll see which one of us really needs saving?” I growl, anger radiating through my body.

The fae male tips his chin to look down at me. His lips twitch, but he doesn't answer my physical challenge, though I see the same flicker of fire in his eyes. He doesn't back away from the heat of it either.

“No need. I've done my job.”

Then, to my surprise, he wheels around and starts walking away. I blink, my fire dissipating as I process what just happened. My head snaps up, and I focus on his retreating back.

“Yah!” I shout, flaring up. “Where do you think you're going?” How dare he pick a fight and then just waltz away? What kind of fire affinity would walk away from a challenge?

He waves a hand without looking back. “Back to work. Stay off the ledge.”

I blow air through my nose. Is he serious? I contemplate throwing a fireball at his head, but even I won't attack someone with their back turned. How can he just walk away like that?

“Bastard! This isn't over!”

The door slams as he heads back downstairs, leaving me steaming as the sun sets behind me.

Unbelievable. I've been putting fae males in their places for years now.

Never have I had one simply walk away from a fight like that.

The next time I see that male, it's on. I didn't come all this way just to have some peacock in a fancy silk shirt tell me what I can do in my own home.