Slater might be new to the body, but he was not new to killing. His shots struck true, and Abraham fell to his knees, then to the floor, unconscious and bleeding on the plush carpet.
Robert couldn’t move. He could barely breathe.
“And for you,” Slater said, strolling over so he could look down upon his own image. “A mercy. I will put you out of the pain I know so well.”
“Why?” Robert asked. “Why kill me when soon I would die?”
“Your death will be on Abraham Seventh’s hands. Your death will fall on House Gray. I will rise in your absence, I will speak for House Orange until your successor is secured. And I will take from House Gray all the knowledge and things that I want. Including Matilda Case.”
The gun he raised was of a more standard design. Bullets to kill a more standard man.
Robert did not look away. If this was death, his final death, he wanted to see every moment of it.
The gun fired. The bullet bored through his brain. And then there was no pain.
31
Some say Alveré Case and his descendants knew exactly the day the world would end. They are not wrong.—2198
—from the journal of L.U.C.
Delightfulwas not the word I would use to describe Hong Kong.Huge,bright,noisy, maybe, but so beyond anything familiar to me, I found myself wishing I’d kept the gun in my jacket pocket instead of back in my duffel at Gray Tower.
No matter. I didn’t need a weapon. I was a weapon.
Plus, I’d packed my hunting knife. And I was wearing the time scarf Grandma had knit.
The city rocketed past us as we traveled the glass speed tubes that blossomed above, through, and around the buildings like the petals of a massive flower pulsing with golden light.
House travel meant there was nothing to stall us—no checkpoints, no searches, just a clear drive, private flight, and private tubes. It was surreal to find myself here. Just a couple days ago, I’d been hiding on the farm, killing crocboars for the lizard and tossing apples into the pond for the leapers.
Now I was going to not only attend the gathering of the most powerful people in the world, but I was also going to have to represent one of those powerful Houses. And reveal that I was a stitch. For all the world to see.
That wasn’t what mattered to me, though. Reeves had promised I would get my brother back. As soon as that happened, I’d find a way to make sure Grandma was safe from House Silver and all their damn spies.
Abraham still hadn’t checked in.
Oscar tried not to look concerned about that when he bid me good night, leaving me to my ultramodern and ultraluxurious room in the corner of the entire floor of the hotel that had been reserved for House Gray. But he was concerned. And so was I.
It was late afternoon, and the gathering was tomorrow morning at dawn. I should have slept, but nerves kept me on my feet, pacing and reading through the information Elwa had given me.
The galvanized would be announced from one to twelve and take their place inside the huge coliseum. The heads of the Houses would walk out with their galvanized and stand beside them. Security was ridiculously high, and every eye in the world would be tuned in.
Reeves said he’d bring Quinten to me after the gathering and that I could look for him there. I didn’t know how I’d get away from everything and everyone to be with him. What I needed was luck and a little time. I drew my fingers over the soft beige scarf I was wearing. Time I could manage; luck was going to be harder to come by.
I watched afternoon fade to evening beyond my suite’s window and then the night pulled fire out of the streets and buildings until the city glowed in dazzling shades of luminosity. From here I could see the building where the gathering would take place tomorrow: a spiraling pinnacle with a globe balanced at the top, rising above even the tallest building in the city, the coliseum at its feet.
If Reeves Silver was true to his word, I’d have my brother back in just a few hours. Whatever happened after that, I would just find a way to handle.
And even though I wasn’t tired, I crawled into the bed that was big enough to sleep a dozen, and waited for dawn.
* * *
Before sunrise,Elwa powered into the room with an entire entourage of stylists, assistants, and I didn’t know what all else, who saw that I was fed, dressed, and fancied up to acceptable standards.
They went with the gray dress I’d tried on, pulled my hair up into curls and swirls to show my stitches, and then applied makeup and shading to better highlight my best features, which, in their opinion, appeared to be the stitches that held me together.
“I bring you a gift,” Elwa said, placing a box on my lap and shooing away the woman who was still fiddling with the ends of my hair, even though it looked fine an hour ago.
