Heart of Iron (Heart of Iron #1)(70)

Di


On the afternoon before Ana’s coronation, citizens crowded the square in front of the palace. Siege said that at the last coronation, people celebrated for weeks after. Tents lined the broad square, food stalls and festival games, the heavy scent of ale making everyone punch-drunk by the smell alone. Di hiked his knapsack higher on his shoulder and moved his way through the crowd, slowly, cautious not to attract attention.

It had taken longer than expected to get to the palace, between repairing the Dossier at the waystation near Iliad, unloading the Valerio men, acquiring fake IDs, booking legal passage to the Iron Palace, going through security screenings, never mind the dizzying ride to the moon. . . .

Too much time had been wasted. They could not afford any more.

He stepped lightly through the crowded square, this body much more agile than the one before, though he missed being taller. Evening light filtered through the willow trees lining the square, creating swirls of shadows across the cobblestones. Citizens from every corner of the worlds were stuffed into the expansive square, along with vendors selling hot pots and kebabs and sweet ales.

In his knapsack, E0S hummed against his back, the little can opener calming his nerves, and somewhere far, far above him, the Dossier drifted around Eros in silent orbit, waiting. The ship was too far to reach him if trouble broke out, but just remembering that it was there helped.

A little.

Nervously, he pulled at the collar of a coat he had borrowed from Jax’s wardrobe. It was the only one that seemed to fit reasonably well.

“I should be down there with you,” the captain said, her voice resounding in his head like an echo. She had patched herself into his receptor. It was—what was the word?

Intrusive.

“I should be helping you get her—”

I am fine, Captain, he stressed. Besides, I have the can opener—

E0S bleeped angrily, earning Di an alarmed look from a passing family, and he quickly moved on.

And you have seven bounties on your head, he finished, bumping his knapsack again to keep the bot quiet. We will be safe. No one can recognize me.

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” the captain murmured, because he did not look like D09, and they were all afraid that Ana would not believe him.

He squatted beside the willows, assessing the entrance of the palace. Six Messiers stood guard. Seeing a face like the one he used to have, with a placid blue gaze, made his skin crawl.

Now he realized why Ana had always been so terrified of the possibility of his being HIVEd.

Goddess, he hoped to die before ever being submitted to the HIVE.

Captain, I am in position, he said, taking off his knapsack.

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

Do we have a better plan?

“Of course we do! I was gonna—”

That does not involve coming in, guns blazing, and getting everyone killed?

“I was going to do it at night,” she said defensively, and sighed. “Fine. Once you’re inside, Riggs’ll go park the skysailer at the docks for you—and Di?”

Hmm?

“Be careful.”

Of course.

Di untied the top of the knapsack, and E0S came whirring out, bleeping happily.

“Shh!” he hushed the bot. “Remember, all you have to do is unlock that side gate, okay?”

It bobbed in a nod.

“Okay, now if you get into trouble—” But it was already whizzing away over the palace wall. “I cannot help you,” he finished dejectedly.

I am upgrading E0S when we get back, he told Siege.

“What’s wrong with it?”

It is not the brightest bulb in the light socket.

The captain howled with laughter, and he found his lips twitching up into a smile. There was a strange feeling in his throat, but he bit his cheek to keep from laughing.

As a Metal, he had been absent of feelings. But over the last few days he had come to understand a few. Anger, hatred, sadness, annoyance, longing. Siege had to explain that one, the pit he felt in his chest, traveling down and down and down into a metaphorical dark hole. It made him antsy and restless. He still did not need to sleep in this body, so all he did was pace, and try to work out the movement of his new limbs, and . . .

Think.

He had a lot of time to think.

Sitting against the trunk of a willow, he took a tie from around his wrist—another borrowed thing from Jax—and pulled his red hair back into a ponytail, waiting for E0S to unlock the side gate. He watched the crowd, soaking in the sound of the music and the sweet smell of the hot pots and kebabs, until an uproar on the other side of the square drew his attention.

At first it sounded like a cheer, some sort of rabble-rousing for the new Empress, but as he got to his feet again, he caught a few words in the chaos—traitor, rogue, Metal.

Alarmed, he abandoned his empty knapsack by the willow and shoved through the crowd toward the noise.

Siege, there is a Metal here, I believe, he sent through the comm-link, squeezing past onlookers standing on their tiptoes to see over the people gathered around whatever was happening.

“Now, Di, don’t do anything rash—”

He broke out into the center of the chaos.

A Metal lay sprawled on the ground, a knife embedded in its leg. Its white eyes flickered, searching the crowd. It was not HIVE’d. “I apologize for my inconvenience,” it tried to say over the crowd. “I am not here to harm—”