Clockwork Heart by Dru Pagliassotti Read Free Book Online

into his coat pocket, where it made an unsightly lump. Now Taya had to look up to meet his eyes— like most icarii, she was small and slight, whereas he had an exalted’s height. The cold night breeze ruffled the uneven ends of his dark hair.
    â€œWell, Icarus,” he said, frowning. “You’re either very careless or very unlucky.”
    His words irritated her. She turned back to her armature before he could see her expression.
    â€œActually, I consider myself very lucky,” she said, working hard to keep her tone even. “I’m still alive.”
    â€œYou’re bleeding.”
    She glanced over her shoulder at the dark stain on her flight suit. The wound stung, but it was less inconvenient than the cut across her fingers.
    â€œIt’s just a scratch.” She turned back and tried to find the bottom of the net.
    â€œDon’t. You’ll break it if you try to untangle it here. Take it back to my shop and do it in the light.”
    She hesitated. She didn’t like his manner, and if she weren’t so worried about her wings, she’d take great satisfaction in turning him down.
    But it wasn’t worth damaging her wings for the sake of pride.
    â€œIs your shop close?”
    â€œA few blocks away.” He stepped next to her and began gathering the net’s loose ends. She scooped the whole bundle off the ground. He turned his frown on her again. “I’ll get it.”
    â€œI can do it, Exalted. It’s not heavy, and they’re my wings.”
    He gave her a cool look, then handed her the rest of the net. As soon as she’d gotten all the ends wrapped up, he began walking, one hand jammed in his coat pocket.
    Taya followed, wondering if this might be a test, after all. Her classes in diplomatic protocol had never covered how to deal with an outcaste exalted.
    Cristof’s workshop was small, tucked into the basement of a larger building that was filled with small businesses. They descended three steps from the street to get to the door, which he unlocked with two keys.
    â€œBe careful,” he said, leading her in. Taya followed, tugging her floating bundle behind her.
    The first thing that struck her was the sound — a loud ticking, whirring, and clicking that came from every direction at once.
    Cristof struck a lucifer match and lit a wall gas lamp. Taya looked around with wonder as he turned up the flame to its highest level.
    Everywhere she looked she saw clocks and watches, pumps and wind-up toys; every kind of clockwork mechanism imaginable. Most were in motion, their hands turning, pendulums swinging, and gears rotating.
    â€œYou have so many!” Taya breathed, her annoyance forgotten. She clutched her bundle and stared. Enamelwork and metal gleamed in the bright light like moving jewels. Cristof had a small fortune hanging on his walls and sitting on his shelves. “Did you make them all?”
    â€œNo. Not all.” He hesitated, then walked to a desk. The light reflected off his tattooed cheekbones, making his face look even thinner. “Put the net on the table. Make sure the armature doesn’t float too high.”
    Reminded of her business, Taya tied two ends of the net to the table legs, letting the rest of the bundle float. Cristof returned with two knives and offered her one. His hands were dark with dirt or machine oil, another indication of his outcaste status. Exalteds were fastidious about their appearance.
    â€œIt’ll be faster to cut the ropes,” he said. “That way we won’t bend any feathers.”
    â€œIf those bastards broke my wings, I’ll kill them.” Taya grabbed the knife, sawing at the cords.
    â€œYou may have, already. The man you stabbed was losing a lot of blood.”
    Taya cut through a rope and attacked the next. Then she set down the knife, looking at the blood welling from the cuts on her fingers.
    Had she really killed a man?
    If he got to a hospital,