“He’s about as old as he looks.”
“Oh. So how old are Blue, Green, and Red?
“Just over a hundred.”
“It’s a strange world you live in, Abraham Seventh.”
“You have a dragon in your backyard.”
“It’s a lizard.”
“A lizard with wings.”
“Okay, so that’s a little odd. Why do I have to train for the gathering?”
“Galvanized represent their Houses. If there are House disputes, galvanized may be used to settle the issue.”
“Settle?”
“Fight.”
“Wonderful.” We were out of the stairwell and across the sitting room now. “Is that what those posters of you and Loy Ninth were about on the street?”
“No.”
I looked over my shoulder. “Just no?”
He lifted an eyebrow. “The gathering isn’t the only time we are on display.”
“Okay,” I said, not knowing what else to say. “Should I mention we talked to Welton Yellow when we went for coffee?”
“We know. He’s a friend of our House. He sent you to that coffee shop so I could pick you up. We thought it was public enough no other House would make a move on you, and we thought it was crowded enough you wouldn’t do something stupid. Missed that by a moon.”
“Hey, now. I was handling it just fine before you showed up.”
He raised one eyebrow. “Broken arm and a revolver. Arevolver, Matilda? You’re a couple centuries out-of-date in your choice of weapons.”
“I like that revolver. You’d be surprised what a chunk of lead and gunpowder can do to even out a situation.”
“No,” he said, “actually, I wouldn’t be surprised.”
“It’s not illegal to own a revolver.”
“Neither is it illegal to own a canon. Not a lot of people lug them into a crowded metropolis.”
“Well, I hadn’t planned to be walking around in a crowded metropolis. Then you showed up on my doorstep, all good-looking and bleeding and . . .”
We were in front of my door now. He stepped up and draped his hand on the door above me. Leaned in just a fraction shy of intimate distance. Close enough I could feel the heat of him, smell the warm notes of the cologne he wore.
“Good-looking and what?” he asked with a burr in his voice that gave me shivers.
“And I couldn’t leave you bleeding.”
“For that, I should thank you.” He moved just a half inch closer, his mouth opening slightly on a smile. “Thoroughly,” he added. Then, “Unfortunately, I have other pressing matters to attend.” He reached behind me and was skillful enough that we didn’t even touch as he opened the door. He leaned back so I wouldn’t fall through it by accident and pointed at the room.
“I do hope you will refrain from running out for another cup of coffee or starting an in-House war for the next few hours.”
I released the breath I’d been holding and tried to get my heartbeat under control. The man did such things to me. Stirred my thoughts and need without even a single touch.
