Iron Kin: A Novel of the Half-Light City (31 page)

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.”

F
EN

* * *

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 little, 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.

“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.

S
ASKIA

* * *

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.