Iron Kin: A Novel of the Half-Light City

by M. J. Scott

  “Has she found anything?” Bryony’s voice cut across the square.

  The Fae man cocked his head at her, as if surprised by her presence. “My queen did not ask me to impart any information about her investigations.”

  “Well, that’s convenient,” Fen muttered under his breath.

  Bryony looked equally unimpressed as she stepped forward. “If the other races are to clear their names, they will need access to the hall.”

  He shook his head. “No. Access will not be granted. Until the queen knows who is guilty there is too great a risk that the evidence would be tampered with or destroyed.”

  “Guilty until proven guilty?” Bryony said. “That is not our way.”

  “The queen makes the rules, not you, Bryony sa’Eleniel.” He seized the reins dangling from his horse’s bridle. “I have spoken. That is all.”

  Before he could mount, Ignatius moved into the patch of light.

  “I’m afraid I have to agree with my human colleagues,” he said. “This is not acceptable.”

  The Fae stared down his nose like he was looking at an insect. “You’re in my way.”

  Ignatius stiffened. “You tell your queen that if the negotiations are not resumed and completed by the appointed time, the Blood will judge the treaty to be dissolved.”

  A babble of outrage and horror rippled through the crowd.

  Ignatius nodded up at the Fae. “She should think on that.”

  I saw Guy’s hand close over his sword. Beside him, Liam nudged his side, frowning.

  Sainted earth. Was this the beginning of what Fen had seen? The visions he had been tormented by had shown Ignatius victorious. Was this how it was going to come about? My stomach heaved, but this time I managed not to throw up. Barely. I gritted my teeth, willed the shaky chill to leave my body, trying to draw warmth from the metal around me.

  It helped a little. As I watched the Fae man ride slowly out of the square, I could think of only one thing. We had to stop Ignatius.

  * * *

  “So what now?” Fen was the one who first spoke the words when we were safely back at the Brother House. Guy looked like he wanted to answer, but he deferred to Father Cho. Around us the other members of the human council and the representatives of the metalmages and the sunmages were seated around the Brothers’ long council table. I avoided meeting Master Aquinas’ eyes as I settled into my chair.

  Father Cho paused a moment, as if considering his words. “Without access to the hall, we have no hope of determining who committed this atrocity. I believe our only real option is to convince the queen to reconsider.”

  “How do you propose that we do that?” Barnabas Stoke asked. He was an older man, balding and well fed, his weathered skin pink around the nose and cheeks, speaking of a fondness for good wine. A gray velvet jacket strained over the swell of his stomach.

  “That’s what we’re here to discuss,” Father Cho said.

  “I think we need to act to make sure the Blood have no chance to plan anything,” Guy said.

  “What do you suggest?” Father Cho said. His tones sounded as frustrated as Guy’s. “We can’t attack them. Not while there’s still a chance the Fae will return to the negotiations.”

  “We can find out what they’re planning.” Guy gestured at Lily. “We have the perfect spy at our disposal.”

  Simon’s face turned thunderous, but Lily laid her hand over his. “No, he’s right, Simon. I have to act now. No one else can do this.”

  “And if you’re caught—captured?”

  “The Blood aren’t overly fond of sunlight,” Lily said with a smile. “They can’t stop me any other way.”

  “What if they—” Simon caught himself, cutting off whatever it was he’d been about to say with a snap of his teeth. Lily’s eyes widened slightly and she pressed her lips together before looking away. I wondered what the hell he’d almost given away. Something to do with the secret of the blood-locked?

  “Even that might stretch the terms of the treaty,” another of the human councilors said thoughtfully.

  “Everybody has spies,” another countered. “The Blood, the Beasts. Us. Even the Fae do. No one is going to be able to point an accusing finger at us over this.”

  “We should pull in Henri Favreau and his cronies. They know who amongst the Fae is disgruntled with the queen,” Guy said.

  I blinked. Henri Favreau? I knew he’d been mixed up in what had happened with Holly’s father—along with a number of other younger male Beasts who were estranged from their packs—but I didn’t know exactly how. From Guy’s words, mixed up was perhaps too gentle a term.

  “Which would also be a treaty violation,” Liam said. “We don’t have enough proof.”

  “Who knows what anyone is going to use as an excuse in this situation,” Father Cho said. “We need to make the queen see reason. Send a delegation to speak to her.”

  “She’ll just turn us away at the border.”

  “Not necessarily,” Bryony said. “Lukar didn’t say we were forbidden the Veiled Court. The queen presumably won’t deny any Fae who want to return. She has to let them rejoin their families. I could go.”

  Lukar? Was that the Fae man’s name? I wished Bryony had used his full name. His family name would give me more of an idea where he fit into the Fae courts.

  “We need you here at St. Giles,” Simon said.

  “We have enough healers for now and you can keep St. Giles running.”

  “You can’t go alone,” Barnabas interjected. “How do we know what you’ll say?”

  Bryony gave him a long, cool look and he had the grace to look a little ashamed. But he didn’t back down.

  “I daresay I can take a few people with me,” Bryony said. “They’ll have a better chance of getting in if they accompany me than if they go alone.”

  “Who then?”

  “I’ll go,” said Guy.

  “No,” Father Cho said emphatically. “You’re needed here, Guy. We’re going to need all our able-bodied men. If we need to send a Templar representative then we’ll send Brother Liam. He’s a mage and he’s well versed in treaty law.”

  Guy scowled, but Father Cho made a curt gesture at him and he stayed silent.

  Fen rose then. “I’ll go.” He looked across at me, eyes questioning.

  “If he goes, I need to go too.”

  Most of the delegates looked confused, Master Aquinas amongst them.

  Damn, I’d forgotten that my peculiar ability in relation to Fen’s talent wasn’t common knowledge. “I mean . . .” I tried to think of a plausible cover story. “I volunteer to go. I’m a mage too and I can be useful.” For one thing I could help with weapons suitable for the Veiled Court where iron and steel weren’t tolerated.

  Barnabas made a humphing sound of dissatisfaction. “She’s a prentice. Someone from the council should go. And a Guild representative.”

  “I can’t take a cast of thousands,” Bryony objected. “Fen is all right. He’s hai’salai, and he can claim he wants to find his Family anyway. I can take Saskia and Liam as my retainers. I’m High Family. If I make enough of a fuss, I should be able to take them through. They can represent the Guild and Templar interests too. Three should be sufficient.”

  This started a round of arguments that went in circles for an age as I bit my lip and tried not to wonder what I’d gotten myself into.

  The argument was still going on when there was a knock at the door and one of the gray-clad Templar novices walked in and handed Father Cho a note.

  He opened it, eyebrows shooting up. “Truly?” he asked.

  The novice, who looked somewhat wild around the eyes, nodded.

  Father Cho held up a hand and the room fell silent. “We will have to continue this discussion a little later,” he said. “Lady Bryony and I are required at the gates.”

  Bryony lifted her head. “Why?”

  “It seems there is a group of the Blood waiting to talk to us. It also seems they wish to claim Haven.”


  * * *

  The only way Father Cho and Bryony could have stopped the rest of us following them would have been to set his knights on us. But they were the first two who approached the gates of the Brother House.

  Through the metal bars, the white skin and hair of the group of Blood waiting for them seemed very bright in the moonlight. Tempting targets. They were heavily armed. As were the white-dressed humans who surrounded them. There were almost as many of them as there were Blood. Trusted, I presumed.

  The only one who wasn’t glowing like phosphorous was the woman standing at the very front of the group. She wore a dark cloak with a hood drawn up over her hair. The fabric shadowed her face, hiding her identity.

  Guy and several of the other Templars weren’t far behind the Abbott General, swords and guns at the ready.

  “What is your business here?” Father Cho asked.

  “We seek Haven,” the woman said.

  “It’s a ploy,” someone in the crowd behind me muttered. I didn’t recognize the voice.

  “Why?” The Abbott General’s tone was blunt. I managed to bite back my murmur of surprise. Technically, if you asked for Haven, it had to be granted.

  “Because if we stay in the Night World, I doubt we will live to see the end of the negotiations or even this night,” the woman replied. “Ignatius Grey is making a play for power. He has already killed about twenty of our number tonight.”

  “Why should we believe you?” Bryony asked.

  “Can you not tell if I am lying, Lady?” The woman’s voice sounded amused, if steely with it. “Are you gainsaying the laws of Haven?”

  “You can understand our position,” Father Cho said. “This is not an easy time.”

  “It will not get any easier if you allow Ignatius to kill all of us who oppose him,” came the reply. “We are willing to give up our weapons and provide surety for our behavior.”

  Giving up their weapons was small comfort. A vampire didn’t really need weapons to wreak a lot of havoc amongst a community of humans.

  “If that is not enough, perhaps there are those amongst you who can vouch for me.” She drew back her hood, revealing a starkly beautiful face. It would have been more beautiful without the jagged gash that bit through her cheek.

  “That’s Adeline,” Holly said softly.

  As she spoke I saw Guy move up to Father Cho, bend down, and whisper something in his ear.

  Father Cho turned. “Holly, would you come here, please? Lily, you too, if you would be so kind.”

  Fen growled softly as Holly joined the group near the gates, Lily a few steps behind her. I moved a little closer to him. “Can you see anything?” I asked softly.

  “Violence,” he said, his voice rough. “Death. But I think she’s telling the truth.”

  “Holly, do you know this woman?” Father Cho asked.

  “Yes, Father. Her name is Adeline Louis.”

  “And?”

  “And my belief is that she is no friend to Ignatius Grey. She has never played me false, sir.”

  Father Cho nodded and turned to Lily. “And you?”

  “She was not one of Lucius’ inner circle. From what I know of her, she is . . . moderate.” Lily’s voice was cool in the darkness.

  Father Cho met this with another short nod. He looked at Bryony, head tilted, as though inviting her views.

  “They cannot come to St. Giles,” Bryony said. “There is too much temptation. And it would cause too much fear amongst my patients. That will hinder their healing.”

  “There are tunnels below your hospital, are there not?” Adeline said. “Disused wards. Closed-up rooms. Those will suit us. We have resources to compensate you.”

  Bryony stiffened. “It is not a question of money.”

  Father Cho pressed his hands together. “But it is a question of finding somewhere safe for them to be. They need to be protected from the sun. Though . . .” He turned and looked back at Guy. “What of the storage cellars? Some of those are empty, are they not?”

  “Yes.” Guy’s voice was grudging.

  “Very well.” Father Cho sounded resigned. “I will grant you temporary Haven in the Brother House. You will surrender your weapons, you will submit to guards, and you will abide by all the conditions we set. If there are any infractions, you will be ejected.”

  “Thank you, Father,” Adeline said. “We accept.”

  * * *

  As Guy began to unlock the gates, Simon moved up behind me. “You should go back to Mother and Hannah,” he said.

  I stiffened. “Why?”

  He made an exasperated noise. “We’re about to let thirty-odd vampires through those gates. It’s dangerous.”

  “Then you should leave too.”

  “I’m a sunmage, I’m safe enough.”

  I swiveled around, tried not to raise my voice too high. “And, as you so frequently seem to forget, Simon, I am a metalmage. I’m not unprotected. I can call fire just as you can call sunlight. Besides, I’d imagine the delegation will want to discuss this.”

  He closed his eyes for a moment. “Sass—”

  I touched his face. “Simon, I know you want to protect me, but that’s not your job here. I’m staying.”

  He opened his eyes, looked at Fen. “I don’t suppose you want to try and convince her.”

  “I have more sense,” Fen said. “Besides, if she won’t listen to you, why should she listen to me?”

  Simon sighed. “Very well. We’ll be reconvening in the conference room after we get them settled. Wait for us there.”

  FEN

  * * *

  When Father Cho finally returned to the conference room, he wasn’t alone. Adeline and another of the Blood, a man I didn’t recognize, accompanied him. Adeline had removed her cloak. The black satin of the dress she wore was stark against the snow white skin.

  Her cheek was cut, an ugly tear that had to hurt, though to be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure how much the Blood experienced pain. She gave no indication of it if she did, merely regarding the assembled group of us calmly.

  The man who accompanied her had his long white hair pulled back in a tail. Eyes as green as mine blazed in his face as he scoped the room, anger lurking in their depths. Not reconciled to the change in his fortunes, that one. Though, of the two of them, Adeline’s contained stillness seemed more unsettling and dangerous. I’d met her a time or two at Assemblies when I’d been escorting Holly on business but had never exchanged more than a few words with her, all of those cautious.

  I knew that Holly preferred dealing with her to others amongst the Blood, but that had been back before Holly had chosen the humans’ side. Back then she’d appreciated clients who paid on time and didn’t harass her. Adeline fitting those particular criteria didn’t mean that she was trustworthy.

  Father Cho gestured to two of the vacant chairs and the male Blood pulled out one of them and helped Adeline to her seat.

  “Well,” said Father Cho as he took his seat after everyone had settled. “It seems we have things to discuss.” He sounded not entirely certain how to proceed. Which was unusual. I’d known him only a short time, but he was a born general, making decisions rapidly and giving orders with a quietly confident air that made it difficult not to automatically start to do whatever he was asking.

  Father Cho steepled his fingers, regarding Adeline steadily over his blunt fingertips. “Lady Adeline, you have requested Haven to protect you from Ignatius Grey. As you can imagine, those of us in the human delegation have no wish to see him rise to power either. Perhaps we can join in a mutual cause.”

  There was a murmuring buzz at that.

  Adeline inclined her head. “We thank you, Abbot General, for the gift of Haven. We are open to exploring options. Ignatius Grey ruling our court . . . would not be a welcome development. He needs to be curbed.”

  My stomach twisted Was Ignatius even further along in his quest for power than we had feared? I reached down to loosen the chain at my wrist a li
ttle, preparing to see what my powers might reveal about Adeline.

  But as the chain moved from my skin, the vicious bite of pain from the visions was so intense that I flinched and locked it back into place, choking back the curse that rose in my throat. Struggling for control, I dropped my other hand below the table and groped for Saskia’s free hand, curling my fingers around hers with a spasming grip that had to hurt. To her credit, she didn’t so much as blink.

  By the time the pain had retreated, the conversation had moved on. Adeline and her companion—whose name was apparently Digby Goodall—were being grilled to determine what they knew about Ignatius and his plans.

  Unfortunately it was less than we might have liked to know. Still, they were able to name his main supporters and give rough estimates of the numbers of Blood who were likely to follow him as well as the locations of some of his favorite haunts outside the warrens.

  Some of this was information the Templars already knew, judging by the nods that met some of Adeline’s disclosures. Other revelations caused murmurs of disquiet amongst the group as a whole. After an hour or so, Father Cho called a halt to the proceedings for a meal break.

  I wasn’t hungry, though I would have killed someone for a brandy. I hadn’t had a drink for several days and sometimes the need to blur reality pressed in on me, making my hands itch for a bottle.

  As the assembled delegates began to disperse, Simon approached Adeline. He gestured at her cheek and I drifted toward them a little, interested to hear the conversation.

  “I can do something about that,” Simon was saying.

  Adeline started to smile, then winced at little. “Thank you,” she said. “But perhaps Lady Bryony could assist me?”

  Simon frowned. “Why her, in particular? If you are worried about my powers, then I can assure you that I have treated Blood before and none of them came to any harm.”

  Adeline’s brows lifted at that. “Do you often get my kind at St. Giles?”

  “Not often,” Simon said. Then he fell silent. Which was probably just as well. He risked giving away the fact of Atherton’s existence if he spoke too much on the subject of how exactly a human sunmage had come to heal vampires.