PRAISE FOR BESTSELLING AUTHOR
JULIE KAGAWA
âKatniss Everdeen better watch outâ âHuffington Post on The Immortal Rules
âJulie Kagawa is one killer storytellerâ
âMTVâs Hollywood Crush blog
âJulie Kagawaâs Iron Fey series is the next Twilightâ âTeen.com
âFans of Melissa Marr ⦠will enjoy the rideâ
âKirkus Reviews on The Iron Queen
âwholly satisfyingâ
âRealms of Fantasy on The Iron Queen
âa book that will keep its readers glued to the pages until the very endâ
âNew York Journal of Books on The Iron Daughter
âThe Iron King surpasses the greater majority of dark fantasiesâ âteenreads.com
I smelled blood as soon as I walked into the room.
A blast of snow-laced air accompanied me, swirling around my black coat, clinging to my hair and clothes as I shoved back the door. The space beyond was small and dirty, with rotting tables scattered about the floor and steel drums set at every corner, thick smoke pouring from the mouths to hover near the roof. An ancient ceiling fan, half its blades broken or missing, spun limply, doing little to disperse the choking air.
Every eye in the room turned as I stepped through the frame and, once settled on me, didnât glance away. Hard, dangerous, broken faces watched intently as I passed their tables, like feral dogs scenting blood. I ignored them, moving steadily across the creaky floorboards, feeling nails and chips of glass under my boots. I didnât need to take a breath to know the air reeked of sweat and alcohol and human filth.
And blood. The scent of it clung to the walls and floors, soaked into the rotting tables, smeared in dark stains across the wood. It flowed through the veins of every human here, hot and heady. I heard several heartbeats quicken as I made my way to the counter, felt the eager stirrings of lust and hunger, but also the hint of fear, unease. Some of them, at least, were sober enough to guess the truth.
The man behind the counter was a grizzled giant with a snarl of scar tissue across his throat. It crept up his neck and twisted the left corner of his lip into a permanent scowl. He eyed me without expression as I took a seat on one of the moldy bar stools, resting my arms on the badly dinged counter. His gaze flicked to the hilt of the sword strapped to my back, and one of his eyelids twitched.
âIâm afraid I donât have the type of drink youâre looking for,â he said in a low voice, as his hands slid under the bar. When they came up again, I knew they wouldnât be empty. Shotgun, probably, I guessed. Or maybe a baseball bat. âNot on tap, anyway.â
I smiled without looking up. âYou know what I am.â
âWasnât difficult. Pretty girl walking into a place like this either has a death wish or is already dead.â He snorted, shooting a dark look at the patrons behind us. I could feel their hooded gazes even now. âI know what you want, and Iâm not about to stop you. No one here will miss these idiots. You take what you have to, but donât trash my bar, understand?â
âActually, Iâm just looking for someone,â I said, knowing I didnât have a lot of time. The dogs at my back were already stirring. âSomeone like me. Bald. Tall. Face scarred all to hell.â I finally looked up, meeting his impassive gaze. âAnyone like that come through here?â
A muscle worked in his jaw. Beneath his grimy shirt, his heartbeat picked up, and a sheen of sweat appeared on his brow. For a moment, he seemed torn about whether he should pull out the gun or whatever he had beneath the counter. I kept my expression neutral, unthreatening, my hands on the bar between us.
âYouâve seen him,â I prodded carefully. He shook himself, then turned that blank stare on me.
âNo.â The reply seemed dragged from somewhere deep within. âI didnât see him. But â¦â He glanced at the men behind me, as if judging how much time we had, before shaking his head. âAbout a month ago, a stranger came through. No one saw him enter, and no one saw him leave. But we found what he left behind.â
âLeft behind?â
âRickson and his boys. In their home. From one end of it to the other. They said the bodies were so scattered they never found all the pieces.â
I bit the inside of my lip. âDid anyone see who did it?â
âRicksonâs woman. She lived. At least, until she blew her brains out three days later. But she said the killer was a tall, pale man with a face scarred like the devil himself.â
âAnyone with him?â
The barkeep frowned then shook his head. âNo, she said he was alone. But he carried a large black bag with him, like a body bag. Thatâs all we could get out of her, anyway. She wasnât terribly coherent, if you know what I mean.â