Iron Kin: A Novel of the Half-Light City

by M. J. Scott

  “I see,” Adeline said. “In any case, it wasn’t your powers that I was concerned with. Rather, I have a matter that I wish to raise with Lady Bryony. It is somewhat . . . delicate.”

  Simon cocked his head. “Keeping secrets?”

  “No. Not entirely. If Lady Bryony wishes to share the information after I have told her, then I will not try to stop her.”

  My curiosity was definitely piqued. I wondered whether Bryony would agree. The Fae and the Blood have an uneasy relationship at the best of times, and this was hardly the best of times. The Fae do not go so far as to call the Blood abominations, as they do wraiths, but nor are they easy with the existence of vampires. Drawing their power from the earth and the energy of all living things, they do not like the living dead.

  Simon looked unconvinced. “I will pass your request on. But I cannot allow you to be alone with Lady Bryony. Security, you understand?”

  A nod. “Certainly.” Adeline’s head turned slowly, surveying the room. “What about the metalmage?” She gestured toward Saskia. “She can call fire, I presume? Surely that is security enough for Lady Bryony?”

  I felt myself bristle at the suggestion. Careful, Fen. This was not the time to give myself away and reveal to Simon and Guy the exact nature of my relationship with their sister. Still, I didn’t want Saskia anywhere near Adeline. Not that I had any say in the matter.

  I watched Simon, as he obviously debated the matter with himself. Would he be more curious about what Adeline might have to reveal or would he put his need to protect his little sister first?

  Finally he nodded his head, bowed slightly to Adeline, and crossed the room to Bryony. After a minute or so in conversation with the Fae healer, he sighed and walked over to Saskia.

  SASKIA

  * * *

  I wasn’t about to give Simon a chance to change his mind, so I stuck close to Bryony as we were escorted by two Templars to a small office not far from the conference room. The Templars took up station outside the door, the suspicious looks they aimed at Adeline as she passed them speaking volumes.

  Bryony shut the door behind us, but she didn’t lock it. Nor did she make any move to set wards. Not taking any chances. I couldn’t argue with that. Adeline was unnerving, so still and pale, her skin, even in the well-lit room, seeming to glow a little, like a moonlight on a pearl.

  Or maybe that was my imagination.

  I shook myself. Pay attention, Saskia.

  I was here to guard Bryony, not be distracted by just how beautiful the Blood were up close.

  Remember Edwina.

  Bryony indicated that Adeline should sit, set the small bag of supplies she carried on the desk, and then began to inspect the vampire’s cheek.

  “Silver blade?” she asked in a cool professional tone.

  Adeline nodded. “Yes. Ignatius used Trusted. He armed them well. Though not well enough.” There was a certain ring of vicious satisfaction in the last statement. I guessed that whoever had attacked Adeline had not survived to tell the tale.

  That made me shiver. I didn’t understand why anyone would become a Trusted—a servant of the Blood, one who hoped to be turned one day—but I still didn’t like the thought of Ignatius casually throwing away the lives of those who presumably believed in him.

  All in the quest for power. I understood wanting power—the magical kind—but dominion over others was a different goal altogether. What type of mind gained satisfaction from such a thing?

  Bryony’s fingers touched Adeline’s skin lightly. The chain around the Fae’s neck was a curious mix of pale silvery green and tiny sparks of red.

  “I will clean this before I heal it. There shouldn’t be a scar.”

  She turned back to her bag, withdrew some cotton cloths and a small glass bottle. She tipped the bottle over one of the cloths, filling the air with a pungent herbal scent.

  “This may sting.”

  “I’m sure I can bear it,” Adeline said dryly. She didn’t flinch as Bryony started gently dabbing at the edges of the wound, removing the traces of dried blood with precise motions. “Aren’t you going to ask me why I wanted to speak to you?”

  “First things first,” Bryony said. She reached for another cloth, dampened it, and continued her cleanup. When she was finally satisfied, she gathered the cloths into a small pile, returned the bottle to the bag, and then laid her hand against Adeline’s cheek. I felt the cool flow of power, like stepping into a mountain stream. It felt so different from the warmth of my own power or Simon’s sunmagery, but not bad. Like chilled bubbles flowing over my skin.

  The sensation didn’t last long enough for me to analyze it in any depth. Bryony took a final deep breath, then lifted her hand. The gash was gone, leaving only a fine white line across Adeline’s face.

  “That will heal further,” she said. “Now, what do you want to tell me?”

  Adeline’s hand drifted up to her cheek, but she allowed herself only a brief touch before she returned her hands to her lap. “I have good reason to believe that Ignatius has been abducting Fae women,” she said.

  “What?”

  The two of them locked gazes, Bryony’s chain sparking true red now.

  Adeline nodded. “I see you take my meaning.”

  “How long has this been going on?” Bryony’s voice was ice.

  “It came to my attention not long after Lucius . . . vanished. Though there were occasionally rumors before Lucius died.”

  “And you think he’s trying to . . .” Bryony trailed off with a glance over at me.

  I held my breath. I was desperately curious as to what they were discussing but feared if I interrupted to ask, the topic might be closed. What would a vampire want with Fae women? Perhaps Holly might know . . .

  “Yes.” Adeline lifted her chin. “There are not many things worth risking the wrath of the court for. But this, this may be enough of a temptation. It would strengthen his position considerably.”

  “Surely the rest of your court would not want him to gain such an advantage?”

  “True. But no one has yet been able to discover where he may be keeping them. Whoever is assisting him must be well protected. And well compensated to keep this secret.”

  “How then do you know it to be true?”

  “I have made inquiries of my own.” Adeline smoothed down the long ruffle of satin at her wrist. “I have confirmed some of the disappearances. And then Holly’s friend was taken, in company with a Fae woman, I understand?”

  Sainted earth. My stomach twisted. Was that why Reggie had been taken? Had she simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time? Gods. She deserved far better luck.

  Bryony’s lips thinned as she nodded. “Yes. I see. Thank you. I will consider what to do with this information.”

  “Good. You understand my concern that this information not become widespread? It is not an experiment we wish to encourage others to attempt.”

  “I understand,” Bryony said shortly. “The Fae have no desire for such an outcome either.”

  I watched the two of them exchange another inscrutable gaze, the air between them boiling with tension. Whatever Ignatius was doing with Fae women, it wasn’t good—though I had no idea what it might be.

  But it seemed they weren’t going to discuss things any further. Bryony gathered up her bag and the cloths and then opened the door. “Please escort Lady Adeline back to her quarters,” she said to the Templars outside the door. “Saskia, you will come with me, please.” She swept out of the room without a backward glance and I had to half-run to catch up with her.

  “Why does Ignatius want Fae women?” I asked. I didn’t think she would tell me but it was worth a try.

  As I expected, she didn’t answer my question. “I have to find Simon,” she said. “Do you know where he is?”

  I bit back my protest at her change of subject. There was no point trying to wring information out of a Fae who didn’t want to tell me. Fae couldn’t lie, but they could avoid answering just like
anyone else. And I had no desire to be zapped into oblivion because I’d angered Lady Bryony.

  It didn’t take long to home in on the little spark of sensation that told me Simon’s direction. It was bright and strong, a blue-edged yellow feeling that pulsed calmly in a way I associated with him being at ease. “He’s in his office. I think Lily may be with him,” I added.

  Bryony halted abruptly. “You can sense Lily?”

  I shook my head. “Not exactly. But he feels more content when she’s nearby. I don’t know how to explain it better than that.”

  Bryony tapped a finger on her chain. “One day you and I need to have a conversation about this ability of yours.”

  “I’m not the only metalmage who can do it.” Some of the other ironmages shared my ability.

  “No, but you are the one I see most often. Still, it saves me going looking for Lily as well. You should go back to your family. You need sleep.”

  It was a dismissal, but I was hardly sleepy. Not when my brain was suddenly putting together a whole new and disturbing possibility. Adeline had told us that Ignatius was taking Fae women, and the first people that Bryony wanted to see were Lily and Simon. Not any of her fellow Fae, not sending a message to the Veiled Court, but my brother and Lily. Lily the wraith.

  A wraith, who like all her kind, had a parentage that was shrouded in mystery. Born of Fae and . . . Sainted bloody earth. What if Ignatius was trying to breed more wraiths?

  Chapter Nineteen

  SASKIA

  I wasn’t ready to return neatly to bed as Bryony had ordered. I was too alarmed by the possibilities that my suspicions had aroused. And, though I was ashamed to admit it when there was so much going on around me that was far more important, I wanted to see Fen. To breathe in the scent of him for a while. I missed him, I realized. Missed those moments we’d shared when we’d been skin to skin but sated. Of course, I missed what came before as well, but that wasn’t what I longed for just now—I just wanted time alone with him.

  Perhaps we could find a private nook somewhere. We hadn’t shared anything more than the sedate touches that Simon and Guy expected of us since the night after the explosion, let alone a conversation that didn’t involve the negotiations.

  I sent my powers roaming again. I couldn’t sense Fen in the same way I could my family, but the iron around his wrist should be detectable. Though here in the Brother House, there was probably more iron and steel than almost anywhere else in the City, except for the railways and the Guild of Mechanizers. The Templar armory was worth a fortune. They used other metals—the best that the metalmages could come up with—but nothing was as true as cold iron and steel for swords and armor. As well as the silver they had for weapons used to subdue Beasts and Blood.

  If one had a suicidal desire for wealth, stealing Templar arms would be a quick source.

  Not that anyone in the history of the City had ever been quite that stupid.

  I sorted through the various metalsongs, searching for the thread of Fen’s chain. Finally I found it . . . after I widened my search toward St. Giles. I should have thought of that sooner. He was in the hidden ward. With Reggie.

  * * *

  “All I’m saying is that you should ask him,” Fen was saying as I opened the door to the outer room of the hidden ward. I paused, door still in my hand. Fen was standing with Holly, both of them looking tense and tired.

  “You don’t even know if they’ll help,” Holly replied.

  “They won’t if he doesn’t ask,” Fen snapped.

  Holly flinched and I stepped forward, not wanting to see any more arguments tonight. “Ask what?”

  “Simon should ask Adeline about blood-locking,” Fen said. “It might help him find a cure.”

  “It’s not exactly a subject that you can bring up in casual conversation,” Holly said. “You don’t talk to the Blood about the locked. It isn’t done.”

  Fen dismissed this with a flick of his fingers. “When is there going to be a better time? She needs us right now, so she’ll have to cooperate.”

  “He has a point,” I said, thinking of Adeline’s conversation with Bryony. “Without us, Adeline and her friends will wind up dead.”

  Fen nodded. “It’s important, Holly.”

  Holly threw up her hands. “So is not having our own version of a blood war here at the hospital if the Blood decide to take offense. Or have you seen something?”

  “Can you even see down here?” I asked curiously. I would have thought that the doors were enough to give a boost to the chain around his wrist. Maybe that was part of the reason he spent as much time here as possible.

  “No and no,” Fen admitted. “It’s just a feeling. Don’t you want to see Reggie cured?” He aimed the last at Holly.

  “Of course I do,” she said with a scowl. “But that’s not the point.”

  “It’s the only point,” Fen said. “Reggie is our sister. If there’s a chance of finding the cure, you need to ask Simon. And you need to make sure he tries whatever he comes up with on her.”

  Holly bit her lip. “What if it makes things worse?”

  “She’s stuck down here, hidden from the world, barely conscious. It can hardly be worse,” Fen said with a shake of his head that made the gem in his ear spark green.

  His voice was strained—edged with guilt? Anger? I couldn’t quite tell. I moved closer still, wanting to reach out and touch him. But I didn’t. I didn’t know if he’d told Holly about us, but if he hadn’t, I didn’t want to be the one who gave us away. “Fen,” I said, “give Holly a chance to think about it. You’re both tired and worried about Reggie. And it won’t make any difference tonight. Everyone’s going to bed.”

  He took a deep breath and his face eased. Holly looked relieved. “Why are you here?”

  I thought fast. “I was on my way back to the hospital. I thought Simon might be here. Bryony is looking for him.” I hoped neither of them would remember that I could tell where Simon was without any need to come and look for him.

  “You came here alone?” That brought the frown back to Fen’s face. “You shouldn’t have. Not with the Blood here.”

  “The Blood are all safely in the Brother House.”

  “So we hope,” Holly muttered. “I’d imagine they could get past a bunch of Templars easily enough if they wanted to. Atherton almost threw a fit earlier when Simon told him what had happened. He made us promise not to tell them he was here unless it was absolutely necessary.”

  “Is he scared of Adeline?” That was not a good sign, if it was true. Atherton had been amongst the moderates of the Blood Court before Lucius had tried to kill him. If he didn’t think Adeline was trustworthy, then perhaps we should pay attention.

  “I think it’s more a case of him not particularly trusting any of the Blood,” Holly said, pushing back her hair. “I don’t blame him.”

  I didn’t either. And I had to admit I hadn’t given much thought to exactly how the Templars intended to keep the Blood contained, other than relying on the vampires’ goodwill. The Blood can wrap themselves in shadow—not as a wraith does, stepping into another world—but they are very good at illusion and concealment.

  Which gave me the perfect excuse to ask Fen to escort me back to St. Giles. Surely we could find an empty room somewhere along the way and spend just a little time alone.

  “Perhaps Fen could walk me back,” I said, trying to sound nervous. Hardly difficult. “Holly, are you staying here?”

  “I’ll sit with Reggie a while longer,” she said. “Guy is patrolling tonight. I probably wouldn’t sleep well anyway.”

  I knew that worry all too well. Guy had been a Templar for a good portion of my life and I’d never gotten entirely used to the anxiety. I squeezed Holly’s hand, then tilted my head at Fen. “Well?” I asked. “Care to play escort?”

  His face was shuttered, eyes dark and unreadable. He glanced at the door that led to the inner door as though torn.

  “You should go,” Holly said. “You h
ave long days ahead of you. I promise I’ll think about what you said. You take Saskia to her room, then get some sleep yourself.” Her voice was soft but somehow big sisterly. I realized I didn’t know exactly how old Fen was. He looked about the same age as Holly and Simon, but with Fae and Beast blood he could easily be older. I would have to ask him. But not right now.

  I faked a yawn. “Come on, Fen,” I coaxed. “I’m going to fall over if I don’t sleep soon. And then you’ll have to carry me.”

  * * *

  We didn’t speak until we were back in the corridors, safely past the junction that led to the hidden ward and able to shed the invisibility charms that I still hadn’t quite gotten used to.

  I moved closer to Fen, slipped my fingers through his. “Holly will come around,” I said. “You’re right. Simon should talk to the Blood. My guess is he will. He’s determined to . . .” I looked around, conscious that we could be overheard. “Well, you know.”

  Fen’s hand was warm around mine. “I know. I just don’t like feeling helpless. Reggie—”

  “I know,” I said soothingly. “Let’s just walk.” I leaned my head against his arm for a moment, wishing I could curl up somewhere with him and fall asleep. Perhaps that would make my dreams easier. They were full of nameless unpleasantness that had me bolting awake at least once a night. I didn’t have clear memories of them, but I was grateful that most nights I was too tired to worry too much about them before I fell asleep again. I was thinking about where there might be an empty room, sighing a little as Fen dropped a kiss on the top of my head when we turned a corner—and almost ran into Guy.

  I dropped Fen’s hand and straightened, but it was too late. Guy’s expression turned thunderous.

  “I thought you were patrolling,” I blurted, hoping to stave him off.

  “I thought you were in bed,” he said. His icy blue gaze turned to Fen. “Care to explain?”

  “Fen was just walking me back to St. Giles,” I said.

  “I didn’t ask you,” Guy said. “Fen?”

  “I don’t owe you an explanation,” Fen said.