Casting Souls

by Becca Andre

  “If I may ask…” Gordon turned to Liam. “How is it that you are godfather to ferra?”

  “My goddaughter isn’t ferra. She is a unique variant of Scourge. One that I suspect has never existed before.”

  Briar wished Liam wouldn’t categorize her as Scourge, especially with Grayson listening, but there was nothing to be done about it now.

  “Her talent gives her several ferra-like abilities,” Liam explained. “She can resist soul fire and take a construct.”

  “The ferromancer?” Gordon glanced in Grayson’s direction.

  “Hers,” Liam answered. “And there’s more.” His look turned smug as he continued. “She’s a soul singer.”

  “What?” Gordon took a step back as if Liam’s admission had been a physical blow, while several others voiced astonishment or disbelief.

  “Like the ferra, it’s not an active power, but one she must channel through something else. In Briar’s case, it’s music.”

  “Music?” Gordon looked stunned.

  “And it’s not soul fire she channels,” Liam added. “She channels Scourge magic.”

  “A Scourge soul singer,” Gordon concluded, awe in his tone.

  “And since she uses music, she doesn’t need to touch.”

  “Liam,” Briar muttered as those gathered behind Gordon burst into excited conversation.

  “Then why have you called us here?” Gordon asked, a smile on his face. “Doesn’t sound like we’re needed.”

  “You’re backup.” Liam returned the smile.

  “Would you excuse us?” Briar asked Gordon. She didn’t wait for an answer. Gripping Liam’s arm, she pulled him aside. “We discussed this, remember?” she whispered. “I’ll be your assassin only if all else fails.”

  Liam studied her, but instead of arguing, he sighed. “At least give these men a demonstration of your power. Let them see that if it comes to a fight, the losses won’t be too great.”

  “There won’t be any losses if I accomplish my goal.”

  “Please? It’ll be good for morale.” He held out his hand. “I’ll hold your case for you.”

  She sighed. “Fine.” She handed him her case to hold while she opened it. She removed her bow, then went to pick up her fiddle.

  “Use the soul-iron violin.”

  Lock? “But…”

  “No one will act unless I command it,” Liam said, his gray eyes holding hers.

  The Scourge encircled them, watching quietly. Would Liam’s power over them hold when she revealed that she carried the construct of a drake? None of them had seen what Jack had.

  Briar glanced at Perseus who silently nodded. He trusted Liam to keep order.

  She closed the case, leaving it for Liam to hold. “Lock?”

  A sense of uncertainty washed over her.

  “It’s all right,” she reassured him.

  A tingle of static encircled her throat, then Lock’s slight weight settled on her shoulder.

  More exclamations came from those watching, and she heard several pronouncements of missing drake. Lock leapt from her shoulder, morphing into the fiddle in midair. She caught the instrument by the neck and gave Liam an expectant look.

  “What exactly do you want me to do? I can’t show off my Scourge magic—as you advertised.”

  Liam turned to Gordon. “May I see that claw?”

  Gordon dug the construct claw from his pocket and passed it to Liam.

  “Hold this?” Liam passed him the fiddle case, then faced Briar. “Let’s see if you can dissolve this.” He held up the claw.

  “You know I can’t—”

  “This isn’t inanimate soul iron. It’s part of a construct.”

  “Or you suspect it is.”

  Liam shrugged. “This is the perfect opportunity to try.”

  Grayson’s eyes met hers, but he said nothing. He didn’t look angry, but there was a tightness around his eyes that suggested he wasn’t happy.

  You don’t have to watch this if it makes you uncomfortable, she told him.

  I believe you are the one who’s uncomfortable. I do not like to see you manipulated.

  It’s just a demonstration, she insisted.

  “Briar?” Liam prompted.

  She turned back to her godfather. “I make no promises that this will work.”

  “That’s fine.” He bent to place the claw on the deck. “Whenever you’re ready.”

  She brought the fiddle to her chin and began to play. Focusing on the silver claw lying at her feet, her song turned harsh and aggressive. Much as she had done the time she faced Farran, she lashed out, striking at the small piece of soul iron.

  Just when she thought it wouldn’t work, an explosion of violet arcs of light danced across the surface of the claw. An instant later, the claw vanished in a burst of white-hot light.

  Briar gasped along with everyone else. Her song ended mid note, and she took the fiddle from her chin.

  “I didn’t believe you,” Gordon said softly. “But…”

  Liam laughed. “See?” he said to her. “Nothing to it. Just play them a song.”

  “Liam, stop,” she cut in. “I told you. My way first.”

  His amusement faded, a stern expression in its place. She knew she was in for a fight. It would be nice to do this in private, but she wouldn’t back down just because they were in public.

  He stepped closer. “I know you’re doing what you feel is right,” he said to her, his words soft. “But you must understand that I know far more about all of this than you ever will.”

  “That doesn’t—”

  He held up a hand, and she saw the blood on his sleeve. “Let me speak my piece. I’ve been working on it for a bit.” A bitter smile twisted his lips. “The fact remains that you are a twenty-two-year-old young woman who is following her heart, and I stopped making decisions based on sentiment over six centuries ago.”

  Briar was about to respond to his comment on her youth and sentiment, but the mention of his true age silenced her—and was why, when he lunged toward her, it took her completely by surprise. He grabbed the silver fiddle before she’d done little more than register the movement, and wrenched it from her hand.

  “Liam!” she cried, stunned and horrified.

  “Don’t,” Liam said when Perseus took a step toward him. “Yes, if we fought, I know you’d be the victor, but not before I dissolve the construct.”

  Grayson gripped her shoulder, having moved up behind her.

  The Scourge that had gathered behind Gordon moved closer, several pulling out their weapons.

  “What do you want?” she asked Liam, her tone as cool as any ferromancer’s.

  “I love you, Briar.” Liam’s gray eyes held hers, and though she was absolutely furious with him, she knew he told the truth. “But I can’t let your youth and naivety destroy this opportunity. We’re going to do this my way.”

  Chapter 3

  Briar’s heart pounded in her ears. She couldn’t believe that Liam would do this to her.

  “And what is your way?” she asked between clenched teeth. She already knew the answer, but she wanted to hear him say it.

  “You and Drake will continue to Portsmouth as planned. You will tell Solon Leon that you have found the solution. He will gather the others, and you will play them a song.”

  “No,” Eli said, his voice heavy with anger. “I won’t stand by and let you use her like that.”

  “I appreciate that you have watched over her all these years, but this fight isn’t yours.”

  “The hell it ain’t. She’s our captain, and that’s our hometown.”

  “Aye,” Jimmy voiced his agreement.

  “Then this is the solution that will save your friends and family.” Liam held up a hand when Jimmy started to speak. “Enough.”

 
“If you loved Miss Briar at all, you wouldn’t ask this of her,” Eli continued. “Using her as your killing machine will destroy her soul. I won’t let you do that.”

  Liam sighed. “And what are you going to do, Mr. Waller? Certainly, you must realize this is a fight you can’t win.”

  “Doesn’t matter. I’d rather die doing the right thing, than step aside and let you kill my best friend. But I realize that ain’t something you can understand.”

  “Do not preach to me about right and wrong when you have no comprehension of what is at stake.”

  “I do know what’s at stake. My sister and her children live in Portsmouth, as do most of my friends. But I ain’t willing to sacrifice Miss Briar to save them. I’ll find another way.”

  “What way?”

  “Her way.”

  “She doesn’t have a solution. Her hopes are based on a fairy tale that doesn’t contain a bit of truth.”

  Eli shrugged. “She believes, and that’s enough for me.”

  Briar blinked, overcome as she often was by Eli’s faith in her.

  “The big guy’s right,” Kali said. “I grew up thinking I was some kind of oddity, only to discover that fairy tales were real. I think you ought to give Briar the chance.”

  Liam frowned, but the glimmer of doubt quickly changed to a look of determination.

  Grayson stepped up beside her, and the Scourge gathered around them became restless. Knives held at the ready glinted in the afternoon sun.

  Ignoring them, Grayson addressed Liam. “Why won’t you let us try?” His words were neither cool nor spoken in anger.

  “And if you fail? What then? How do you think Leon and the others will react?”

  “I won’t let it come to that,” Grayson said softly.

  “You’re just one man, Drake.”

  “You may even keep my construct if you feel it gives you power over us,” Grayson continued. “But in the meantime, give Briar the chance to try. Do not damn the innocent for the crimes of their ancestors.”

  “Leon isn’t innocent. And neither are you.”

  Grayson spoke before Briar could protest. “True, but there’re those among them who are. Solon’s son, for one. If Briar can save him, I guarantee you that Solon would turn himself over to you.”

  Liam scoffed. “That’s bullshit.”

  “You don’t know him as I do.”

  “And you have no inkling of the damage your kind can do.”

  “I have an inkling,” Grayson said softly.

  “I will of course accompany them,” Perseus spoke up. “There are things I have seen that you have not,” he added to Liam.

  A look of indecision returned to Liam’s features.

  “You’ll let us try?” Grayson prompted.

  Liam pursed his lips as he considered the question.

  “Hang on,” Briar cut in. “I need Lock to do this.”

  “No, you don’t,” Liam said. “You channel your power through soul iron, which is what your violin is strung with.”

  “It’s not my power I intend to channel.”

  “It is if you want the construct back.”

  So this was it. There was no persuading him. Was he so jaded that he wouldn’t even let her try?

  “I’m sorry it’s come to this, Uncle Liam. The consequences will be yours.”

  “They always are.”

  She held his gaze. In her mind’s eye, she pictured that moment in a Chillicothe alley when Owens held Lock captive. Lock had freed himself by morphing into a saw-like device. She sent that image to Grayson. Could Lock free himself before Liam dissolved him?

  I wouldn’t want to test it, Grayson replied.

  She frowned. Then how could—

  Her gaze settled on her fiddle case in Gordon’s hands. Inside was her wooden fiddle with its soul-iron strings. Liam was right. She could channel her power through them.

  “Then give me my fiddle, and we’ll go,” she said.

  “Gordon.” Liam waved the bigger man closer. “Open the case.”

  Gordon complied, turning the case on its side and unlatching it.

  “Hand me your bow,” Liam said to her.

  She frowned, but did as he asked.

  Liam returned the bow to its case, then reached for the fiddle.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “It’s just a precaution. Drake can make you new strings.” Liam was on to her.

  Grayson, my fiddle! She shared what she wanted and why.

  Her fiddle sprang from its case as Grayson used its soul-iron strings to pull it toward him. The instrument shot across the space between them, but before it reached him, he doubled over with a grunt.

  Briar lunged forward, catching her fiddle before it hit the ground.

  A thump followed as Gordon dropped the fiddle case to pull a large knife from his belt. Her bow tumbled free, landing on the deck with a clatter.

  An indignant screech of metal on metal filled the air. Liam no longer held the silver fiddle. Instead, he held an angry metal dragon.

  “You hurt Grayson, and I will never, ever forgive you,” she whispered in the momentary silence.

  “Return your fiddle to its case and close it,” he answered, ignoring her threat. Would he really kill Grayson? Her godfather knew her well enough to know that she would never help him if he did.

  Or would she? Solon still held Portsmouth.

  “You can’t win this, Briar,” Kali said. “Here.” She bent to retrieve her bow, then picked up the case and faced her. “We shouldn’t be fighting each other when there’s a whole nest of ferromancers waiting nearby.”

  Briar glared at the woman. “You would side with him.”

  Grayson dropped to his knees with a pained gasp.

  “Come on.” Kali offered the open case, still holding the bow at her side.

  Briar hesitated. She could pluck out a tune without her bow, but not anything with the power or versatility to take down so many. She might be able to get Lock free, but then what? Grayson and her crew would be at the mercy of all these Scourge. She had Perseus, but he was just one man. He couldn’t defeat so many without her crew being injured, or worse.

  Then there was Kali. Briar had sparred with the woman enough to know that she’d never get the better of her if she tried to wrestle the bow away. Briar couldn’t believe she’d side with Liam. But she and Kali had never truly seen eye to eye.

  “Briar?” Kali prompted.

  “Put the fiddle away, Briar,” Liam added.

  Lock screeched again, but in anger rather than pain.

  Seeing no recourse, Briar stepped over to Kali. She lifted the fiddle, intending to lay it in its velvet-lined box when Kali jerked the case away. She slung it aside—or more accurately, hurled it at Liam.

  “Here!” Kali shoved her bow into her hand.

  Liam threw his empty hand up to bat away the case, but it must have been enough to break his concentration because Grayson leapt to his feet. Unfortunately, the thrown case didn’t stop the others who surged forward. Every one of them fixed his attention on Grayson.

  “Play, Briar.” Kali jerked a knife from her belt.

  Briar pushed aside her shock at Kali’s actions and brought the fiddle to her chin. Without needing to think about it, she launched into an original song. She didn’t want to hurt anyone. After all, these people were allies. They were just misguided. Her thoughts went to Lucrezia’s guardsmen and how she’d used her music to mesmerize them.

  The tune she played was upbeat and confident, a lilting melody of beauty and charm. She shared her soul with the men around her, mesmerizing them. She was a compassionate and capable leader who had only their best interests at heart. Follow me.

  The men froze where they stood, their expressions only momentarily confused before they began
to relax. With a little encouragement from her, they tucked away their weapons.

  Confident that no one would be attacking Grayson, she turned her attention to Liam. Like the others, he watched her with wide-eyed wonder. But he still held Lock in his fist.

  Release him, she commanded through an abrasive counter melody.

  Liam gasped and opened his hand.

  Lock leapt into the air with an indignant screech and flew to Grayson’s shoulder.

  Grayson, are you all right? She wasn’t certain if she asked through the music or the connection between them, but she didn’t stop to analyze. It was taking a good bit of concentration to keep so many entranced.

  “I’m fine,” Grayson answered.

  Lock reached up and rubbed his cheek against Grayson’s.

  “How can we help?” Jimmy asked softly.

  “Finish locking us through,” she answered, though she didn’t stop her song. “You get your wish. We’ll go straight through to Portsmouth without stopping tonight.”

  “Aye, Captain,” Jimmy happily agreed and hurried off to do her bidding.

  “What about them?” Eli nodded toward the Scourge staring at her in adoration. “When you did this in Peninsula, it wore off quickly.”

  “I’m adding a little…extra, like I did with Lucrezia.”

  “Are you certain it’s safe?” Was he defending them?

  “No, Eli, I’m not certain about any of this.” She continued her tune, mesmerizing those gathered around them. “Do you have a better suggestion?”

  “We could tie them up and give us a chance to get on down the canal.”

  “They’re talented warriors. I bet they’d get free a lot quicker than we’d expect.”

  “Maybe Grayson could do it. Bind ‘em in metal—real metal. They can’t dissolve that, right?”

  Briar wasn’t certain which impressed her more: the idea, or Eli using Grayson’s name instead of calling him the ferromancer as he usually did.

  “Not bad.” She turned to Grayson who stood silently listening. “What do you think?”

  “Since your gift is unproven, it might buy us more time, but it would take a lot of iron.”

  “We’ve got spare horseshoes, iron-tipped pikes, and pots and pans,” Eli offered.