by Becca Andre
“How do I cook your meals without cookware?” Grayson asked.
“We’ll be in Portsmouth by morning.”
“Where I’ll meet my fate.” Grayson frowned.
“I guess,” Eli allowed. “I was thinking that we could purchase replacements on Market Street.”
Grayson stared at him, clearly not expecting that response. Briar would have laughed if she wasn’t focused on her music.
“Would that be enough iron?” Eli asked.
“Yes,” Grayson answered.
“Then let’s do it.” Eli headed for the aft cabin. “Ben, you want to grab the spare shoes?”
Benji grinned and hurried off on his task.
Grayson’s eyes met hers. “Was your music affecting Eli?”
She slid her fingers up the strings in a happy little riff. “No.”
“Huh.” Grayson followed Eli, a bemused smile on his face.
With their limited iron supply, Grayson couldn’t bind each man hand and foot. Briar found his solution an ingenious one. Through her song, she encouraged the men to move back into the trees, well away from the canal, then divided the men into groups of three—there were nine men, counting Liam. Grayson bent a finger-thick iron rod around each man’s ankle and looped it around the ankle of the man beside him, forming a figure eight. To further hamper their mobility, the man in the middle of each trio stood facing the opposite direction from the other two.
When the last binding was in place, Briar took the fiddle from her chin and flexed her sore fingers. Grayson rose to his feet and, clapping the nearest Scourge on the shoulder, walked over to join her. The men said nothing, standing happily in their little groups.
Kali chewed her lip in a failed attempt to muffle a laugh. To Briar’s relief, neither she nor Perseus had been affected by the music. Maybe she was getting better at this.
“You shouldn’t laugh,” Briar said to Kali. “These were supposed to be our allies.”
“Allies help you,” Kali answered. “They don’t ignore your wishes to follow their own agenda.”
“I’m sorry I doubted you,” Briar told her.
Kali shrugged. “We’ve had our differences. No hard feelings. Besides, I wasn’t talking about me when I mentioned allies.”
Briar glanced at Liam who stood in the middle of a trio. Perseus had brought his pack from the boat and set it next to him—before he and Zach had carried Jack’s body away from the lock. She didn’t expect the body to go unnoticed, but it would be a few days before it was found.
“I’m not happy with him,” Briar admitted, “but Liam wasn’t acting out of ill intent. He’s seen a lot of bad stuff over the years and—”
“You think Perseus hasn’t?” Kali looked back the way Perseus and Zach had gone. “He has nightmares from time to time. He wakes up screaming on occasion. I don’t even want to imagine what could make him scream.”
“I’m sure he’s dealt with things just as bad,” Briar agreed. “But every person handles trouble differently.”
Grayson huffed. “How many times does he have to betray you before you understand what he is?”
“He hasn’t betrayed me.”
“He lies to you at every turn. He never told you anything about your ancestors or his past. He sent Perseus after me. And just now, he was going to hold my life in the balance to force you to kill—then he probably would have finished me off for fun.”
“Some of that is true, but you’re grossly exaggerating the rest of it.”
“Look, I get that he’s a father figure to you, and that you love him, but you need to look beyond that.”
Briar sighed. She really didn’t want to have this argument. Again. “You’re just mad because he keeps threatening Lock.”
“No, I’m mad because he keeps threatening you—and he will continue to until he gets what he wants.”
“You know him so well?”
“I recognize his kind. You could say it’s my particular talent.”
She stilled.
“That’s right,” Grayson continued in a softer tone. “If he were human, he would make a dandy soulless.”
“He’s nothing like Owens or Andrew. They were, are self-serving bastards.”
“You think Liam isn’t? He is every bit as selfish, but instead of serving his own greed, he serves an ideal. In some ways, it makes him more dangerous. He can use that ruthless devotion to influence others to join him.” Grayson waved a hand at the bound men silently watching them.
“No.”
“I would never lie to you, Briar.”
“I’m not saying you’re lying. I’m saying you’re wrong.” Finished with this argument, she headed for the boat.
“That was harsh.” Kali said to Grayson, her soft voice carrying to Briar.
“You disagree?” Grayson asked her, a hint of anger in his tone.
“About McAdams? No, you nailed it. I meant the way you handled that.”
If Grayson had an answer, Briar didn’t catch it.
Chapter 4
Evening was well upon them when they reached Waverly. Briar was grateful for the failing light, but it was a tense hour spent passing through the town and its locks. According to Liam, this was where he told his fellow Scourge to meet. Fortunately, none of them were waiting along the canal. Perhaps he hadn’t mentioned his mode of travel.
They stopped for supper south of Waverly, after locking through at Jasper.
Grayson took his usual seat on the crate beside her, but remained silent throughout the meal. But then, everyone seemed to be quiet this evening. Maybe because the end of their journey was now in sight. By early morning, they would know whether Solon had kept his word to leave their hometown alone until their arrival.
As soon as the supper dishes were cleared away, they set out once more. Jimmy volunteered to take a turn as driver since Zach and Benji had already spent most of the day out on the towpath.
Briar took over as bowsman and sent Zach and Benji to the bunkhouse to get a few hours of sleep.
Alone in the bow, Briar lay back on the deck and stared up at the stars. The position reminded her of the dream where she met her parents. And where her father had told her she would have to make a choice: to save the ferromancer race or end them. What kind of choice was that?
“Are you sleeping?” Perseus asked from above her.
She sat up with a gasp. “Damn, you move quietly.”
“Sorry. Habit.”
“Is something the matter?” she asked. Certainly, there had been no indication that Liam and his friends had gotten loose and come after them.
“No, nothing like that. At the next lock, Grayson and I would like to take a turn driving the mules.”
“Was that your idea, or his?”
“His, but not for the reason you think. He will not be able to sleep on shore this evening and seeks a reprieve from the confines of the boat.”
Briar frowned. “And what reason did I think it was?”
“Your argument about Liam earlier.”
“Kali told you.”
“Yes.”
She huffed. “I didn’t realize she was such a gossip.”
Perseus squatted beside her. “She was concerned.”
“About?” Briar snapped.
“You.”
She closed her mouth on any further argument, though her bad mood remained.
“She had a similar experience with someone who should have been a protector.”
“That was her father, right?”
“Yes. She’s come a long way since then.” A hint of pride colored his tone.
“Did you know she was faking when she pretended to side with Liam?”
“Yes.”
“Because you know her so well?” Briar teased, trying to get him to acknowledge the closeness he and
Kali shared.
“That and because of her oath.”
“Her oath? What does that have to do with it?”
Perseus looked over, his vivid blue eyes appearing gray in the low light. “Our souls are joined to yours. Threatening Lock and Grayson is a threat to you. We feel it and react accordingly.”
“You feel it?” Briar ground out a curse. “Are there any other surprises about this oath-thing you haven’t told me?”
“I’ve not been intentionally withholding information,” Perseus answered calmly, unruffled by her anger. “It is merely a life I’m familiar with, and I forget that you’re not.”
Briar rubbed a hand over her face. “I should never have taken either of your oaths.”
“I would argue to the contrary. Both Kali and I have benefited from the connection.”
“She told you that?”
“I can observe it in her demeanor.”
“You know, just when I feel like I’m getting a grasp on this world, it gives me a toss.”
“You’re doing fine, my lady.”
“I’m really not,” she admitted. “I’m in way over my head.”
“Good thing you’re an excellent swimmer.”
She hesitated, not sure how to reply. His jokes always took her by surprise. “So… Uncle Liam is over six hundred years old?”
“So he claims.” Perseus didn’t elaborate further.
“He also seems to have quite a reputation,” she continued.
“He is well-known within the community.”
She studied him, but Perseus was watching the shore, not her. After a moment, he must have noticed her attention and looked over.
“You’re not going to elaborate, are you?” she concluded.
“What do you mean?”
“How is he so well-known? Even Grayson had heard of him, though he hadn’t heard of you.”
“These days, I prefer to remain on the outskirts of our society.”
“And Liam?”
“Until the last few decades, the ferromancers had been well contained. The half-bloods served as guardsmen rather than hunters. The problems within our society came from those with the freedom to cause trouble.”
“The ferra.”
He dipped his chin. “Though each stronghold was self-maintained and governed, there was a secret task force composed of uniquely talented half-bloods who were called in when something went wrong.”
“A police force the ferra used to keep each other in line?”
“The ferra did not command them. As I said, they were a secret organization and self-directed. And it wasn’t only the ferra who could cause trouble.”
“Other half-bloods?”
Again Perseus nodded. “It was the fear of Liam and those who worked for him that kept everyone in line.”
Briar considered that a moment. “If it was a secret organization, how does everyone know his name?”
“With the ferro uprising, things changed. Liam and his fellows became the Scourge, and the agenda was now to hunt ferromancers. Their numbers grew, but the original group still ran the organization, and Liam McAdams was still its head.”
“So the man who helped raise me was not only Scourge, he was their leader.” Which explained how Grayson had known his name.
“It was more along the lines of founding the organization. He was spending more and more time in America. I know now that it was because he was watching over you, but when the ferro began to flee to this country, his aid was sought more and more.”
She remembered spending the winters with Liam and Agatha when she was little, but when she got older, she stayed with Uncle Charlie, then Andrew after he married.
“Grayson suggested that if Liam were human, he’d make a good soulless minion.”
“I should think not,” Perseus answered.
She slumped in relief. So Grayson had just exaggerated out of anger.
“The ideal soulless,” Perseus continued, “must be sheep-like and easy to herd. Liam is too much of an independent thinker. A leader in his own right.”
“Grayson said he’s ruthless and selfish, but instead of chasing greed, he chases an ideal.”
Perseus grunted. “An accurate assessment.”
“You agree with Grayson?”
Perseus placed a hand on her shoulder. “That doesn’t mean that your godfather loves you any less.”
“But it does mean that he would sacrifice me if the price was right.”
Perseus squeezed her shoulder and took his hand away, his silence one of agreement.
Briar rubbed a hand over her face, hoping the gesture appeared one of frustration rather than despair. First Andrew, now Liam. This was her family? Well, Liam wasn’t a blood relation, but still…
“It is a special kind of pain when those we love betray us,” Perseus said softly.
“I suppose you speak from experience. Probably multiple experiences.” Not that she expected him to share.
“Not as many as you would think. I am capable of learning.” A hint of humor laced his words.
“True. You already admitted that you avoid close relationships.”
“Yes.”
She sighed. “It doesn’t sound like a bad plan.”
“On the surface, but without friendship and love, what do we have?”
“I bet you know.”
“You have death, my lady.”
She studied him in the dimness. “But you’re immortal,” she whispered.
“Death on the inside. I think it worse than the other.”
“Maybe, but how would you know?” she teased.
He chuckled. “Point taken.”
She longed to ask him how old he was, but she wanted him to volunteer the information, not give it because he felt obliged to appease her.
“But you’re no longer dead inside,” she said.
“No, I’m not,” he answered, the words soft. “And when I’m alone again, I don’t know how I’ll bear it.”
She reached over and took his hand. “Shall I promise to save you, too?”
“But to give me what I want would require you to perform the same task that Liam expects of you. I would not do that to you.”
She released his hand. She could understand him wanting to be mortal and to have an end to his life on earth since everyone he cared about was gone, but… “You truly want to die? Now?”
“Lock ahead,” Eli called from the stern, his loud voice startling her.
Perseus rose to his feet and helped her up. “I’ll assist with the gates, then take a turn on the towpath.” It seemed he wasn’t going to answer her question—and maybe she didn’t want to know the answer.
“You’re becoming quite the canaller,” she teased.
“Perhaps you’ll hire me on after you win this fight. I’ll be in need of a job.”
“Absolutely.” She laughed to hide her doubt. Why did everyone have such faith in her? And how would she face them if she failed?
After locking through, Jimmy returned to the boat, but refused to take a rest and resumed his usual duties in the bow. Briar retreated to her place in the stern and took a seat on the rail beside Eli. Together, they watched the moon rise.
“You’re very quiet, Miss Briar,” Eli observed. “I don’t reckon I need to ask what’s troubling you.”
“It would be easier to list what isn’t.” She leaned forward to brace her elbows on her thighs. “What happened to our simple life, Eli?”
“We’ll get it back.” He patted her shoulder. “Though I doubt your life will ever be simple.”
“Because I’m a quarter ferra, or because of Grayson?”
“You’ve had that same blood in your veins all along.”
So Grayson then. She straightened. “I guess I better—”
; Eli gripped her knee, stopping her from standing. “I ain’t gonna say anything bad about your man.”
Man, not ferromancer. Once again, he’d humanized Grayson.
“You feeling all right, Eli?”
“Ha ha.” He released her knee and rubbed his hand over the worn tiller in a nervous motion. “He came to me after Newark, begging me to convince you to let him heal you.”
She looked down. She didn’t want to discuss this, but at the same time, she was intensely curious about any conversation Grayson and Eli might have had.
“I wanted you healed, of course,” Eli continued. “But my pride kept me from cooperating with him. I refused to be his go-between.”
Briar maintained her silence, letting Eli tell the story in his own time.
He took a deep breath. “When I refused, he seemed to…crumble. He fell to his knees and…” Eli paused as he considered his words. “I ain’t ever seen a man so broken. It wasn’t just what had been done to you, but his own terror about what he was becoming.”
“Yes, that terrifies him,” she agreed, her voice little more than a whisper.
“I reckon it was my own pride, but prior to that, I thought he just whined about devolving as a way to gain everyone’s sympathy. Him losing his flesh and all.” Eli’s voice grew softer as he continued. “But that wasn’t it at all. What truly scares him is the destruction he would cause after he loses all sense of himself and no longer cares.”
She nodded. “I’ve come to realize that it’s our emotions that make us human. Emotions like empathy, compassion, and love. Without them, we would all be self-serving monsters.”
“He’s not a monster yet, because he sure does love you. I seen that, too. He could have just as easily threatened me—and it would have worked. God knows, I seen what he can do.”
Briar bit her lip, blinking back the dampness in her eyes.
“But he cast aside his pride right before me,” Eli continued. “A man who he must see as an enemy. It shamed me. Here I was, too proud to help him heal you, yet he showed me his insecurities, his own heart in an effort to save you.”
She reached over and took his hand. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. You were just protecting me—as you always do.”