Iron Kin: A Novel of the Half-Light City Read Online Free PDF Page B

pleasant things associated with the negotiations,” Simon said.
    “This is hardly news,” I said. “Your point?” They wouldn’t risk dragging me in here for no good reason. I wondered exactly what Simon had to say that had him dancing around the subject like one of those silly girls who came to the Swallow and took several nights to screw up their courage enough to sit down at my table and pay to hear their fortunes.
    “Do you have somewhere more important to be?” Guy asked, tilting his glass slowly so that the whiskey glowed red in the firelight.
    I looked away quickly before the color could spark the visions to renewed strength. That happened sometimes. The insistent fog of futures had mostly dissipated here in the study, away from the crowds, but Simon and Guy had always been hard to be around. The futures swirled around them like moths circling a lamp. Men with destinies.
    Destinies that, at this point, seemed as full of blood and fire as everybody else’s. I didn’t know whether I was seeing true or still picking up the overflow from what I was seeing from the masses below. Either way I wanted to close my eyes until I didn’t have to see any more.
    “As a matter of fact, I do have another appointment this evening,” I said.
    “Anyone we know?” Guy asked, head tilting like his glass. His eyes, paler than his brother’s, were suddenly coldly intent.
    “I doubt it. She doesn’t move in these circles.” I lied glibly. No need to bring the Kruegers up at this point. If I learned anything useful about them, I would pass it on, of course, but until then what the DuCaines didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them. I didn’t have the patience for hashing over whether or not I should risk a trip to Beast territory tonight.
    Guy relaxed, mouth twitching. “I should have known.”
    “Don’t tell Holly. She wants me looking after Regina.”
    “Reggie’s doing very well,” Simon said. “Holly hovering over her isn’t going to help her.”
    I tipped my glass in his direction. “I’ll let you tell Holly that. If you dare.”
    “I’ve said as much to Lily.”
    Braver man than I. I didn’t understand how or why, but Holly and Lily were friends. Or friendly, at least. A wraith befriending a half-Fae former spy. A dangerous combination. “Oh yes? What did she say?”
    “That fussing made Holly feel better and that Reggie would put her foot down when she wanted to. And that we should stay out of it.”
    We all sat silently for a moment, none of us wanting to contemplate crossing Lily.
    Guy roused himself first, setting his glass down and leaning forward. “You won’t have to stay here until the end of the ball anyway,” he said. “Holly and I are staying here tonight and Mother has invited Reggie to sleep here as well.”
    “Good,” I said with a nod. “Which brings us back to the topic at hand. Why am I here?”
    “We want you to be part of the human delegation,” Guy said bluntly.
    Brandy burned my throat as I coughed. “Me? Why?” I’d known they wanted to use my visions to their advantage, but I’d never expected this. It wasn’t completely unheard of—or against the rules—for members of other races to be included in a delegation, but it was unusual. Including someone like me, who didn’t even strictly belong to any race, would be even more unusual. Not that that would stop Simon and Guy from doing something if they decided it was right.
    “We need every advantage we can muster, Fen,” Simon said. “Anything you see might help us.”
    I swallowed as I regained my breath. “No.”
    “Why not?” Guy asked. His voice had deepened, cooled. Not a good sign.
    But still, was he seriously asking why not? Why not put myself in the very center of whatever it was that was coming? A healthy sense of self-preservation for a start. Feeding information to the DuCaines under the table was one thing. Being an acknowledged member of the humans’ side of the fight was another altogether. “We agreed