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

widened, her famous composure, for once, disturbed. “Was he now?” One hand strayed up to toy with the chain at her neck. Worried, then. “Saskia, your mother asked me to fetch you. The speeches will be starting soon.”
    I knew that tone well enough to get the “you stay right here, Fen” intent. I was being warned away from Saskia, which I had to admit stung a little. For one thing, did Holly really think I was stupid enough to mess around with a well-connected human and, for another, if she did, did she really think I wasn’t good enough for her future sister-in-law?
    I watched the two of them leave, my wrist throbbing and the taste of champagne sour in my mouth. I turned back to the barman. Fuck restraint and fuck Martin Krueger. I needed a proper drink.

Chapter Two
    S ASKIA

    The half-healed burn on my right hand itched under the leather of my glove. I resisted the urge to pull it off and scratch.
    Young ladies don’t scratch in public. It’s impolite.
    My mother had drummed that, amongst many other rules of correct behavior, into my head from the time I was big enough to appear in anything even vaguely resembling a public place.
    Of course, I was hardly a polite young lady despite her best efforts. I had stopped being a polite young lady when my powers came in, but Mother did her best to ignore that and I did my best to pretend she was right when I was with her. It was easier that way, even if sometimes the pretense itched worse than the burn on my hand did. Itched and scratched and made me feel like I couldn’t breathe, as though I was wearing a too tight corset. Which I often was, around my mother.
    Still, I could never quite banish her voice telling me exactly how I was falling short of her standards at times like these.
    I tried to think of something else as I listened with half an ear to whatever it was the always dull Anthony Killington was pontificating on to his circle of admirers. The trouble with trying to think of something else at this point was that the only other things my mind kept returning to were the amused dark green eyes of the mysterious Fen and the iron chain wrapped around his wrist.
    It only proved my point. He wasn’t the sort of man polite young ladies thought of. No, they would have the sense to give him a wide berth, to feel that hint of otherness about him and distance themselves. Men like him didn’t keep you safe from danger. Men like him attracted it. The same atmosphere that surrounded Holly and Lily—that same sense of potential for . . . mayhem? Danger?—hells,
freedom
—surrounded him like burning spice. Exotic. Enticing.
    I wanted to let it surround me too.
    But Fen wasn’t the right path for that. No, if I wanted to be finally allowed to
do
something and not be kept wrapped in cotton wool by my brothers, then my best chance was the Guild of Metalmages and mastery of my powers.
    My hand itched again. The Guild. I couldn’t wait to get back there. Back to the power and fire and the place where I was valued for myself, not for some idea of who I should be. Back where the metal sang and everything seemed simple. Where no one looked at me with that polite face that said, “Oh, Saskia, she’s a little . . . odd.” At the Guild, those without powers were the odd ones.
    Tomorrow Master Aquinas would be choosing the students who would be part of the Guild’s treaty delegation. Choosing me, if all my hard work had paid off.
    One more night.
    But first I had to get through this hideous ball.
    The first ball of treaty season, thrown by my mother, as usual. Short of actually setting myself on fire, there was no way I would be able to leave until early morning. Not whilst Hilary was keeping her eagle eye on me. If I tried to slip out any earlier, I’d have to deal with weeks of lectures on my shortcomings. A few hours of pain now were worth avoiding that. Which was why I was standing in uncomfortable shoes, in an uncomfortable dress, pretending to enjoy myself while my