Iron Kin: A Novel of the Half-Light City

by M. J. Scott

  Guy’s pale eyes narrowed again. He swung back to me. “You can’t fix”—he stopped and pointed at my head with an accusing finger—“that any other way?”

  “I’ve tried. But the iron isn’t helping as much anymore,” I said. “I don’t know why exactly. There isn’t much else I can do. The only other people likely to be able to help me are the Beasts or perhaps the Fae. I doubt they would help me out of the goodness of their hearts. They’d want something from me in return.”

  I paused, let that sink in. Guy knew all too well the dangers of the Veiled Court and the games they could play with their half-breed by-blows. Holly had almost fallen foul of her own father. With my power, I would be a valuable tool for an unscrupulous Fae. They had their own seers, but it was a relatively uncommon power. Plus Guy knew that not all the Fae were on the humans’ side of things when it came to the treaty.

  If he made me take that path, then he wouldn’t get what he wanted from me either.

  So the question was, just how badly did he want me? He was an interesting man, the Templar. Devoted to his duty and equally devoted to his family, including Holly. Sometimes I wondered how the strain of it hadn’t split him in two before now, how he managed to balance on the knife’s edge and not fail either side.

  But now I was asking him to make a choice that squarely hinged on that dilemma. Who to put first? Saskia or the City? I hoped I’d made the right gamble as to which he was likely to choose.

  “You’d sell yourself to the highest bidder?” Guy’s voice was dark with distaste.

  “I’m not selling myself,” I snapped back. “I’m trying to make the best of a bad situation.”

  “Don’t loyalty and honor matter?”

  “Whom should I be loyal to? Nobody wants the mongrels like me.” I refrained from looking at Holly and Lily and including them in my statement. Through those two, Simon and Guy knew very well what the demi-Fae went through.

  “You’d choose to go to the Beasts for help?”

  “I don’t want to choose to go anywhere. I was quite content as I was.”

  “The world isn’t going to stay as it was,” Simon said.

  “I know that.” As much as I wanted to deny it, I couldn’t.

  “You’ve seen something, haven’t you?”

  I stayed silent. Guy started to swear, a long steady stream of curses half muttered under his breath.

  “No point muttering,” Saskia said to him. “You’re not saying anything I haven’t heard before.”

  Guy shot her a look but kept stalking around the room, his curses a little louder. Simon stayed where he was, eyes fixed on me as though he could read the truth in me. Maybe he might have been able to if he was touching me, reading a lie in my bodily reactions, but not even a Master Healer can read another’s thoughts.

  Saskia crossed to me. “You did see something, didn’t you?” she asked, laying a hand on my arm. My skin warmed beneath her touch as the pain melted from my wrist and my skull. Involuntarily my head turned to her, our eyes meeting for a breath too long. She looked away first. Then looked back.

  “Well?” she repeated.

  I shook myself and stepped away. Saskia made no move to follow, though her cheeks flushed as she watched me go, something close to hurt flashing in her eyes. Damn. I didn’t like the answering flare of guilt in my gut.

  I couldn’t care what she felt.

  “If I did see something, I’m hardly likely to tell anyone until it’s decided whose side I might be on,” I said.

  Across the room, Guy’s cursing cut off midbreath. Simon’s face grew even grimmer. “Is that a threat?”

  I folded my arms across my chest. “Just good business.”

  Simon squared his shoulders. “What makes you think we’ll just let you go?”

  “What are you going to do, beat me up in front of your sister, then throw me in a Templar cell?” I stood my ground.

  “If I—,” Guy growled before Saskia stepped forward, shaking her head at us.

  “There’s an easy way to settle this,” she said. “Without any of you having to act like petulant children.”

  Guy started to splutter. Simon nudged him. “Such as?”

  Saskia nodded toward me. “Do as he asks. Let me be on the delegation. Then I’m sure he’ll tell you whatever he knows.”

  I tensed as Guy and Simon turned their blue eyes on me. One pair frosted ice, one pair bright as summer, they held identical expressions of anger. Guy was glaring. Simon looked only resolute.

  “Don’t make me get a bucket of cold water,” Saskia said. I wondered whose tone she was mimicking to get that snap of exasperated authority. Her mother perhaps? Or maybe one of the Masters from the Guild?

  Saskia moved a few steps toward her brothers, putting herself between them and me. Foolish girl.

  “Simon, you want Fen’s help. Surely letting me be on the delegation isn’t such a terrible thing?” she said.

  Simon and Guy both stiffened. I knew what they feared, but I also understood Saskia’s need to be allowed to make her own way in the world.

  She looked just as determined as her brothers, hands planted on her hips as she scowled at them. “Guy, you always say you believe in the greater good. So do I. So you need to take your emotion out of this. If it were anyone else, you wouldn’t blink.”

  “Maybe not. But it isn’t anybody else—it’s you. You’re my sister,” Guy said.

  “And that’s the mistake you keep making. I’m not just your little sister anymore. Not in the way you think. I don’t need your protection. I can help. So stop cutting off your nose to spite your face and give in.”

  Another look passed between Simon and Guy. Then they turned to me.

  “Will you tell us?” Simon asked. “The truth? If we agree to what you want?”

  In other words, was I joining their side? Veil’s eyes. How had I gotten to this point? I nodded, curtly.

  “Say it out loud,” Guy demanded. “I want your word.”

  One side of my mouth curled. “I’m not Fae, you know. I could lie.”

  “But you won’t.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I don’t,” Guy said shortly. “But Holly has faith in you. And you helped us when we needed it. I believe you’re a good man. I hope you don’t prove me wrong.”

  I paused for a moment, feeling the weight of the chain around my wrist, the aching bite of the skin beneath it. Thinking of Reggie, wherever she was. To be rid of one and to save the other, I would do this utterly stupid thing and help the DuCaines. “Yes. I’ll tell you what I saw. I’ll join your delegation. As long as Saskia is assigned to assist me. She has to be where I am.”

  Guy pressed his lips together but Simon nodded. “All right.”

  “Say it,” I said. “Out loud. Your word for mine.”

  “You have a deal,” Simon said. “If you join the delegation, Saskia will be assigned to you.”

  Guy nodded agreement. “Though if something happens to her—”

  I nodded back. “You don’t have to worry about that. I will look after her.”

  Saskia looked vaguely indignant at this exchange but she wisely didn’t say anything.

  Holly came forward to join Guy again. “Good. Now, if you boys are finished, can we get back to Reggie?” she said in a tight voice.

  Guy and Simon had the grace to look vaguely sheepish. Guy reached out to put his arm around her.

  “Ideas?” Holly asked, leaning into Guy.

  “Either the Blood have her or the Beasts do,” I said.

  “I can search the warrens,” Lily offered. “Once the sun sets.”

  Simon opened his mouth, then snapped it shut again. There was no point protesting. Lily was the only one of us who could get deep inside Blood territory without any risk of being discovered. She was a wraith and as long as there was no sun to snare her she could turn invisible and incorporeal, barred by no wall or door.

  “I could go with her—,” Holly said.

  “No.�
� Guy and I cut her off at the same time. Holly’s charms were good but she wasn’t a wraith. If she was discovered, we’d just end up with someone else in need of rescue. Holly looked mulish but she didn’t argue any further.

  “What happens if you find her?” I asked Lily.

  Lily shrugged. “If she’s somewhere that I might be able to get her out on my own, I’ll try. If not, then I’ll come back and we’ll figure it out.”

  Meaning we’d lose more time, given that it was far more likely to be the latter option. If Reggie had been taken by the Blood, we didn’t have time to spare. Every second she remained there was time she would be helpless. Unable to stop them from doing anything they wanted to her. The thought was terrifying. There was no time to waste.

  “All right. And I’ll go and see Martin Krueger,” I said. I hoped like hell it was Martin who had her. He was definitely the lesser of two evils at this point.

  “Why would he tell you if he has her?”

  “He will if he thinks he’s getting what he wants. That I will see for him.”

  “You’d lie to him?” Holly said.

  “Why not?” After Martin learned the truth, that I’d picked a side that wasn’t his, he would, most likely, seek revenge. Lying to him couldn’t make things any worse.

  “Or maybe you’d be telling the truth,” Guy said.

  “I gave you my word,” I shot back. “You either need to accept that or not. This isn’t going to work if you’re going to jump down my throat every other minute.”

  “He’s right,” Simon said. “All right, Fen. Tonight, you go talk to Martin.”

  “What are we meant to do until then?” Holly said.

  “Sleep,” I said. “Go about our business. Whoever did this wants to get to us. We need to act like everything is normal.”

  “I agree,” Guy said after a pause.

  Thank the Veil for that. Gods, I wanted to sleep. Then I remembered Reggie once more and guilt sliced through me. Guilt didn’t change how tired I was, though. Sleep would help me function. We all just had to pray to whoever might listen that Reggie would survive until we came for her.

  I watched Holly lean into Guy, wrapping her arms around him, seeking comfort. My stomach tightened as I read the strain on her face. Once upon a time she would have turned to Reggie and me for comfort, but now Guy was the one she needed for strength. She’d gone through this before with her mother. I’d been worried then but not in the same way. That time I’d been fairly sure that Reggie would be okay, that Holly’s bastard of a father wouldn’t actually hurt them.

  This time I didn’t have that vague reassurance in the back of my mind. This time I felt as though there was a clock ticking. The worst of it was that I was too tired to tell if it was premonition or just worry. Veil’s eyes, I needed a drink. There was no one waiting to wrap her arms around me and make me feel any better.

  Guy whispered something to Holly, then straightened. “So now there’s only one more thing to deal with.” He hesitated a moment, looked over at Saskia. “Sass, why don’t you go arrange some tea for everyone?”

  Saskia shook her head. She had a slightly wild look about her, as though she wasn’t quite sure she’d actually gotten what she wanted. Or that she wanted it now she had it. But the vague air of uncertainty was mixed with determination. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

  Chapter Seven

  FEN

  “Tea will have to wait,” Saskia said. “We need to hear what Fen has to say.” Lily nodded agreement.

  I swallowed, mouth suddenly dry. These people . . . the DuCaines. Holly. Lily. They were all willing to fight to save the City. They believed they’d win. That their side was right and that right would triumph. How could I tell them that maybe that wasn’t going to happen?

  “Tell us what you saw,” Guy repeated.

  “You’re not going to like it,” I said, stalling.

  “I don’t like much of what’s happening lately. One more thing isn’t going to matter. Talk.”

  Five expectant faces focused on mine. There was no way I’d be allowed to leave this room before I told them. “I saw Ignatius Grey,” I said bluntly. “Seated on what looked like a throne with Fae and humans kneeling before him.”

  Behind me there was a startled gasp. Saskia. Damn. Across from me, Holly’s face had turned pale. Lily was pale to begin with, but her eyes had turned to silver ice.

  “Anything else?” Guy asked.

  “Isn’t that enough?” I didn’t want to remember anything more. Mostly I remembered the feel of the vision. The chill of hopelessness against the fierce, piercing heat of victory in Ignatius’ eyes. The dread that had opened up before me and swallowed the world.

  “Did you recognize anybody else?” Simon asked.

  “No.” I made myself face the memory to make sure it was the truth. Ignatius on the throne was clear enough. I turned my attention to the faces of those in front of him. Not easy—they had their heads bent in homage or fear or both. I could see their hair and the clothes. The long robes of the Fae, which meant they were from the Veiled Court rather than those who lived outside of Summerdale. Which only made the vision worse.

  Please be wrong, I thought, even as I turned the image in my head, looking for anything familiar.

  Nothing.

  Which might mean it was a false vision or just that there truly was no one I recognized who was present when this came to pass. I was hardly on intimate terms with the Fae who lived in Summerdale, nor did I know many of the humans from the DuCaines’ level of human society. I’d attended exactly one ball. I wouldn’t be able to identify any of the members of the human council if someone had offered me gold. I was more familiar with the humans and Fae who worked at St. Giles with Simon, but they, except for Lady Bryony—the Fae healer in charge of the hospital—and a few other senior healers, were hardly likely to be involved in the negotiations. And I couldn’t imagine Lady Bryony kneeling for anybody.

  “No,” I repeated. “Nothing.”

  Not yet at least. I would be paying strict attention to the faces that crossed my path during the negotiations.

  “Does that mean it’s not a true vision?” Saskia asked.

  “I rarely know if something’s a true vision. Not at first.”

  “How, then?” Guy asked.

  “If the same thing shows up over and over again, it’s more likely to come true,” I said. I didn’t want to mention the flames and blood I’d been seeing for weeks now as an example. “Like you and Holly,” I said. “When I see you together, I see gold bands on your fingers. Every single time.”

  Simon grinned at this, whereas Guy just grew still. Beside him, Holly looked somewhat astonished.

  Saskia frowned. She’d pulled her prentice chain out from beneath the high neck of her dress, the bright silver and dark gray metal heavy against the dark green fabric. One hand strayed to it now, fingers twining around the wide links nervously.

  “Perhaps. But it’s not like I can re-create a particular vision at will. For a start, I usually have to be near the person. Or near someone who’s spent a lot of time with them.” I realized that the three DuCaines had identical expressions of concentration on their faces. I shifted my weight, uneasy to be the subject of their regard. Since Holly had first met Guy I’d learned that when you put Simon and Guy together, a plan to do something seriously foolhardy in the name of getting what they wanted was quite often the result.

  Saskia, I had started to accept, was cut from the same cloth as her brothers.

  “Someone like Martin Krueger, perhaps?” Simon said.

  Fuck. I hadn’t thought of that. “Maybe—” I shook my head. “No. That’s not a good idea.”

  “Why not? You said Martin wanted you to see for him,” Simon said. “That gives you the perfect opportunity.”

  I had the sudden nasty sensation of a net dropping neatly over my head and holding me fast. “If Reggie’s there, I’ll need my strength to get her out. The visions . . . they—” Hur
t like hell. I didn’t know how to say that to Simon and Guy. “They take power—energy. Simon, you’re a sunmage. You know what I mean.” Unlike Simon, I couldn’t just step into the nearest sunbeam and refuel myself.

  “If Reggie’s there, then it will mean Martin’s trying to force you to do what he wants,” Guy countered. “And what he wants is your visions.”

  The net closed more tightly.

  I could argue, but that wasn’t going to change the reality of the situation. “I’m not promising anything,” I said. “I can’t control what I see.”

  “But you’ll try?” Saskia said.

  “Reggie is my first priority. But if I get a chance, then yes, I’ll try.”

  “Good,” Guy said. He sounded satisfied. Mostly. I doubted he was completely happy with a situation where he couldn’t take direct action himself. But for now he was going to have to wait and see what Lily and I could find out.

  I hoped like hell it was Martin who had Reggie. Getting her free from the Beasts would be a lot easier than spiriting her away from the Blood warrens. Presuming she was alive . . . My throat tightened and I jerked my hand, wanting the sting of the iron to drive out the fear.

  “I suggest everyone gets some rest until then,” Guy continued. “Saskia, you should go back to the Guild.”

  She frowned. “Stop trying to get rid of me.”

  This time it was Simon whose face turned stern. “You may be part of our delegation, Sass, but you’re still a student at the Academy. You need to go back and tell them that you will be absent for the length of the negotiations.”

  Saskia’s expression turned . . . well, it was still somber, but there was a certain degree of satisfaction in it. “I do, don’t I?” she said. “But you wanted tea—”

  “We can manage,” Simon said. “The Guild needs to know where you’ll be. Come back afterward, if you must.” He sounded resigned, as if he knew there was little chance that Saskia would choose not to get involved in the hunt for Reggie.

  “I will.” Saskia took a moment to hug Holly, smile at Lily, and then she dropped a kiss on Simon’s cheek before walking to the door. She paused, looked back at me with something like reluctance in her expression. I looked away, not wanting to complicate things any further than I had already. But I still felt it when she slipped out of the room.