Casting Souls

by Becca Andre

  “Nah, this was pure pride, plain and simple. When I realized that, I agreed to speak to you, once you were well enough for me to visit. But Miss Molly got to you first. She didn’t need no prodding to do what was right.” A mixture of shame and approval came through in his voice.

  “I gave in when I realized I couldn’t play the fiddle,” Briar admitted.

  “There ain’t nothing wrong with that. I don’t wanna think about what’d become of you if you couldn’t play. Music is your soul.”

  She looked up at that. “According to Grayson, that is literally the case.”

  Eli cleared his throat. “So what happens after you save him?”

  “Don’t you mean if I save him?”

  “No, I don’t.”

  Heart full, she gave his hand a squeeze. “Thank you. I hope I can live up to the faith everyone has in me.”

  “You will.” He cleared his throat again. “And after. Will you marry him?”

  Her cheeks heated. “That’s a very personal question.”

  “I’m all you have left, Miss Briar. I intend to live up to my responsibilities—even if I did appoint myself to the position. I mean to see that man do right by you.”

  Did Eli know about the night she’d spent with Grayson at that pond? “I reckon he’d have to ask first,” she answered, keeping her tone neutral.

  “Maybe I should have a talk with him—now that I know his kissing you wasn’t just a ploy to get to me.”

  She smiled at his grumpy tone. It seemed Eli didn’t know about the pond. “No, you shouldn’t. If we ever get to that point,” if she was able to save him, “I want him to ask because he wants to.”

  Eli grunted. “So what would you say?”

  “Eli!” She laughed. “That’s between Grayson and me. Besides, that’d certainly be rushing things. I haven’t known him that long.”

  “Sometimes, it don’t take long.”

  She looked over at him.

  “I hear,” he quickly added.

  “Hmm. I reckon that’s true.” She chewed her lip to keep from smiling.

  “Miss Molly says the two of you suit. She says you’re like peas in a pod.”

  “What about you?” Briar asked, turning the conversation on him. “If you found your fellow pea, would you ask her to marry you—even after a short acquaintance?”

  “I ain’t got anything to offer. I don’t even own my own boat.”

  “I bet you have some money saved up.”

  “Some, but not much compared to other men my age.”

  Was he comparing himself to Andrew?

  Briar was trying to find a way to discourage Eli from making such comparisons when Molly pushed the hatch open.

  “Mind the tiller, Captain?” Eli got to his feet, barely waiting for Briar to comply before he stepped up onto the aft deck to give Molly a hand.

  She thanked him with a bright smile and let him guide her to a seat on the rail beside him. “I’m not interrupting, am I?” she asked them.

  “Of course not,” Eli answered.

  “We were just planning our futures,” Briar said, “provided we live through the next few days.”

  “It’s refreshing that you both have such positive outlooks.”

  “That’s us,” Briar agreed. “Nothing but flowers and sunshine here.”

  Eli rolled his eyes and Molly laughed.

  They docked in Portsmouth just after three in the morning. Unable to check with friends or family—or go find Solon in Briar’s case—they opted to take to their bunks for a few hours of sleep. Everyone except Jimmy, who simply couldn’t wait.

  Briar watched him hurry away, then smiling to herself, returned to the boat after making certain the moorings were secure. She was surprised to find Grayson spreading his blankets in the cargo hold, not far from where Perseus and Kali bunked each night.

  “I don’t guess sleeping on shore is an option here,” she said.

  “I spent most of the night walking the towpath,” he answered. “I think I’ll sleep just fine here. Or anywhere.”

  She smiled. “Maybe I should have walked with you. I don’t think I can sleep.”

  He straightened from spreading his blanket and faced her. “I won’t let Solon hurt anyone,” he whispered.

  She held his gaze. “Oddly, he worries me the least.”

  Grayson sighed. “I hate that this rests on you. It’s not right. You’re not even part of this world.”

  “Maybe I should have thought of that before I kidnapped a ferromancer,” she said, turning the words he’d once used back on him.

  The glint in his eye suggested that he remembered. “Aside from the problems it has caused you, the ferromancer is grateful.”

  She glanced over her shoulder and, seeing that Perseus and Kali were busy with their bedrolls, rolled up on her toes and gave Grayson a quick kiss.

  “Sleep well,” she said, stepping back. “In a few hours, we finish this.”

  He solemnly agreed, and she hurried away, retreating to her cabin. Molly rose from her seat at the table when Briar stepped inside.

  “If this is to be my life,” Molly said, giving Briar her back, “I should probably sell off these gowns and purchase clothing more suitable for the canal.”

  Briar’s hands stilled on Molly’s laces. “You’re not considering trousers, are you?”

  Molly laughed. “No, but I can’t keep using you as my dressing maid. I’ve been noting what other women on the canal wear. I would welcome lighter fabrics and greater maneuverability.”

  “Huh.” Briar tried to imagine Molly dressed in something other than the latest fashion and failed. She was beginning to understand Eli’s comments about his lack of funds. Like her, he couldn’t see Molly living the life of a canaller.

  “What is it?” Molly asked, breaking into Briar’s thoughts.

  Briar decided to be honest. “I know we’ve discussed this before, but I don’t see you being happy with a canaller’s life.”

  Molly faced her. “Why not?”

  “The Molly I’ve always known lived a very different life from this one.”

  “A life not of her choosing. I was raised to be a gentleman’s wife—and nothing else. It wasn’t what I wanted, but what was expected. I tried to live up to those expectations. Now I don’t have to.”

  “And you choose to be a canaller?” Briar could hear the skepticism in her words and knew Molly had to hear it as well.

  Molly gripped her skirt, nervously wadding the fabric in her clenched hands. “Do you think I would make a poor canaller? Mr. Waller said the boat sustained no damage when I bumped the walls in that lock.”

  “The boat is fine, and so are your skills. It’s just…” Briar waved a hand at her. “I can’t imagine you being anything other than this high-society lady. I fear you won’t be happy.”

  “Aside from our troubles with the ferromancer world, this is the happiest I’ve ever been. Why shouldn’t I wish to continue?”

  Briar studied her open, honest expression. How unhappy must she have been to see the hard life on the canal as a suitable alternative to her previous life of ease?

  “Well, I see it as the very best sort of life,” Briar answered. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that you enjoy it as well.”

  Molly beamed. “Exactly. I now understand why you were so adamant.”

  It pleased Briar to see her enthusiasm. “It’s a life of adventure with an amazing crew. Maybe some a little more amazing than others.”

  Molly studied her, an amused twist to her lips. “You’ve noticed my fondness for Mr. Waller.”

  “I’ve noticed.” Briar grinned. “I’ve also noticed his interest in you.”

  “Oh?” Molly pressed her lips together before continuing. “Has he said something?”

  “He doesn’t have to. I kno
w him well.”

  “And?” A concerned wrinkle appeared on her forehead. “What have you observed?”

  “Nothing was said specifically, and your name didn’t come into it directly, but he admitted that he had nothing to offer a woman.”

  “That’s certainly not true.” A bit of outrage flavored Molly’s words. “He’s an intelligent, handsome man who—”

  “Monetarily,” Briar cut her off.

  “Oh.”

  “Which is not something he’s ever brought up before.”

  “And you think it’s because I’m a gentleman’s daughter?”

  “I think that’s exactly the reason,” Briar agreed.

  Molly sighed. “I suppose everyone wants what they don’t have, but I’ve often wondered if the circumstances of my birth had been different, would I—”

  A loud knock at the cabin door made Briar jump.

  “Captain!” Jimmy called.

  “Didn’t he leave to go home?” Molly asked.

  Briar met her wide-eyed gaze, her own heart pounding. “Yes, he did.”

  Chapter 5

  Briar pulled open her cabin door to find Jimmy standing on the threshold. Perseus, wearing only his pants, was up and moving silently toward them, while Kali and Grayson were still pushing their way out of their blankets.

  “Jimmy, what’s wrong?” Briar gripped his upper arm. “Please tell me Mildred is all right.”

  “I didn’t get as far as my neighborhood,” he answered, his breath coming quickly as if he’d been running. “I was passing by the train yard when I heard a scream. I couldn’t just go on, so I went to see what the trouble was.” He stopped for a breath.

  Briar released his arm and bit her lip to keep from filling the momentary silence with questions.

  “There was this big shed at the end of some tracks,” Jimmy continued.

  Briar glanced at Grayson who’d quietly moved closer. “I think I know the one you’re talking about,” she answered. Last time she’d been in the train yard, she’d found Grayson’s prototype locomotive in such a shed.

  “What did you see?” Perseus asked Jimmy, his tone cool and all business.

  “The screams stopped just before I reached the shed,” Jimmy answered, his words softer. “I stopped, too, not sure what to do. It was a good thing I did, because a moment later, this…thing crept out of that shed.”

  “What kind of thing?” Briar asked.

  Jimmy looked over at Grayson. “A shiny silver creature the size of a large dog.”

  “A lion?” Briar asked. Solon’s construct was about that size.

  “I couldn’t see it that well in the moonlight, but it didn’t look like any animal I’ve ever seen.” Jimmy continued to Grayson, “Are there other constructs that are mythical animals, like yours?”

  “None that I’ve ever heard of, but there are ferra strongholds in various foreign places. A ferromancer living there might design a construct based on an animal you have never seen.”

  Jimmy frowned.

  “Constructs are kept close and protected,” Perseus said. “They’re not sent out to harm others.”

  “What about the one that Gordon fellow told us about?” Briar asked. “I was able to dissolve its claw, so it had to be a construct.”

  “I’m saying that such behavior isn’t typical. I wouldn’t expect it from Solon.”

  “Unless he’s trying to set a precedent,” Briar said. “Maybe he wants to have evidence to show me that he’s serious.”

  She expected Grayson to have an argument, but he only frowned.

  “I would like to check this train yard,” Perseus said. “In which direction is it?”

  “I’ll show you,” Briar spoke up.

  “And I will accompany you as well,” Grayson said. “If Solon is behind this, I want all the facts before I face him tomorrow.”

  “You mean today.”

  “Right.” Grayson met her gaze before he turned and rushed off to retrieve his boots.

  The train yard was just as Briar remembered it. They still had a few hours before dawn, so all was quiet. Too quiet, in Briar’s opinion.

  Jimmy had walked with them this far, but had hurried on toward his house once they arrived. She didn’t like him going off by himself, but she couldn’t talk him out of it. Not when this trouble had hit so close to his home. She would have liked to send Perseus with him, but Perseus was already walking toward the shed that Jimmy had indicated, Kali at his side. It was indeed the one that housed Grayson’s prototype.

  Briar pulled her gaze from the direction Jimmy had gone and whispered to Grayson, “Do you sense anything?”

  “No. Kali didn’t either,” he reminded her. He and Kali had both scanned the area when they arrived. “And she’s far more sensitive.”

  “All right.” She walked toward the shed, and he fell in beside her. She expected a comment from him about the situation, but he remained silent, keeping his attention on their destination. Perseus and Kali had already stepped inside. A faint golden glow could be seen through the large open doors, indicating that Perseus had turned on the pocket lantern Grayson had made for him earlier on their trip.

  No shouts or screams accompanied the flicker of light, so whatever had been inside must be long gone. Briar was about to comment when Perseus’s voice carried to her.

  “My lady, please wait outside.”

  Grayson gripped her shoulder as they reached the door. The glow from Perseus’s light was coming from the other side of Grayson’s locomotive, which was little more than a silhouette in the darkness.

  “Why?” Briar called to him.

  “This is not something you need to see,” he answered. “Kali, go stand with her.”

  “I’m not going to pass out, Perce.”

  “You’re white as a sheet,” his soft voice carried to Briar. “And there is the matter of our oath. I would prefer she not be alone.”

  “Right,” Kali answered. Was there a note of relief in her tone?

  “Grayson,” Briar began when he took a step toward the locomotive and whatever waited on the other side.

  “I would imagine he’s found evidence of violence,” Grayson said.

  “I can handle it.”

  “Yes, I know, but you don’t need to see this. Please?” he added when she started to speak.

  “It makes me feel weak to cower out here,” she admitted.

  “You are not weak. You are giving me the honor of protecting you from this.”

  She smiled, amused at the way he was trying to persuade her. “Fine.”

  Holding her gaze, he touched her cheek, then turned and hurried away. She could still sense some distance between them, but the gap seemed to be closing.

  Briar watched him go.

  He passed Kali, but neither spoke. He continued on around the locomotive as Kali came to stand beside her.

  “Was it a body?” Briar asked.

  “What was left of it.” Kali swallowed. Briar couldn’t tell if she looked as pale as Perseus claimed in the low light. “It was in pieces, strung around the back of the shed. I couldn’t even tell you what the person had been wearing.” She frowned out across the train yard. “All I could see was that it had been a ferromancer.”

  “How did you know?”

  “The visible soul iron that had replaced a lot of the skin. If it’d been soulless, it’d just be the innards.”

  “Huh. Perhaps it was just a feud between ferromancers?” Maybe Solon wasn’t behind this after all. “Do they typically sic their constructs on each other?”

  “I haven’t a clue,” Kali answered. “I’ve never seen anything like it. Of course, considering how long I’ve been at this, that isn’t saying much.”

  “How long have you been at this?” Briar asked, curious.

  “A little over six m
onths.”

  Briar studied her. “That’s all? But you know so much about the ferromancer world, and you’re so good at fighting.”

  “Perseus is a good teacher, and I was really inspired to improve. I got in a bad way after our first ferromancer encounter.”

  “Your father?”

  “Yes.” Kali continued to stare across the train yard. “Once my bones healed, Perseus got serious about training me.” A faint smile appeared. “He can be merciless.”

  “Yeah, I bet. Did—”

  Kali gripped Briar’s arm. “Shh.”

  Briar frowned. “What do you sense?” she whispered.

  “Ferromancer.”

  “Grayson?”

  “No. Different, yet similar.”

  “Huh?”

  “A different person, but of similar devolution.”

  “Solon?” Briar asked. After all, the size of the construct suggested as much.

  “I don’t know him well enough to recognize from a distance.” Kali released her arm and took a step away from her. “Tell Perseus I—”

  “You’re not going out there alone. I’ll come with you.”

  Kali looked over. “No. Perseus needs to know, and the ferromancer is creeping away. I’ve got to go before I lose him.”

  “Let’s go. I’ll tell Grayson as we walk.” Briar gestured for Kali to lead the way.

  The corner of Kali’s mouth kicked upward. “That’s so handy.”

  “One of the few perks my talent gives me.”

  A nod, and Kali hurried away from the shed, Briar beside her.

  The train yard was mostly open track—a tripping hazard in the dark—and an occasional train to navigate around. When they weren’t near the front or back of a train, they had to squeeze in between the cars, banging knees and elbows in the low light and picking up smears of grease and soot. Who the hell had come up with these things as a way to travel? Yeah, the canal was a much better mode of transportation.

  She reached out to Grayson as they walked, letting him know what they were doing.

  Wait for me. Grayson’s response came as a burst of anxiety.

  I can’t. He’ll move beyond Kali’s senses, and we’ll lose him.