by J. M. Briggs
The Iron Hammer
Book Six of the Iron Soul Series
J.M. Briggs
© 2016 by J. M. Briggs
© 2016 by J. M. Briggs
All rights reserved. No unauthorized reproductions permitted except for review purposes.
Published by J.M. Briggs
www.authorjmbriggs.com
Printed in the United State of America
First Printing 2017
ISBN 978-0-9991171-2-5
To the Montana Mythcreants. You people are weird, but I’m glad to know all of you, especially during November.
1 Magical Path
2 Walking the Old Path
3 Lord of Thunder
4 Sense of Dread
5 Destination of Dreams
6 An Odd Gathering
7 Interlude in Portland
8 Waking a Goddess
9 Svartalfheim
10 The Red Flag
11 Finding the Way Forward
12 Occupants of Paris
13 The Earthen Cache
14 The Departing
15 Lady from the Waters
16 Confrontation of Half Breeds
17 Life of Fear
18 The Professor of Languages
19 Vision in Paris
20 His Partner
21 Sympathy for Old Enemies
22 The Ahnenerbe
23 Living in Another’s Memory
24 Dangerous Discovery
25 Timothy Talks
26 The Mines of Paris
27 The Jǫtnar
28 Land of Bones
29 Baited Breath
30 Thieves in the Day
31 First Attempt
32 Cauldron of Ice
33 Realm of the Dark Elves
34 Iron Touched
35 Vacant
1
Magical Path
Magic was complicated. There were a lot of strings attached to it and many aspects of her experience with it that Alex had yet to fully process. She was worried about just what she’d find and how she’d feel when she did stop to take a look into that potentially bottomless pit. Reincarnation and destiny seemed to be part of the price of magic and yet it wasn’t all bad.
Her own magic was dancing over her skin in small flickers of gray light as she called more and more forth. She’d kicked off her tennis shoes and socks as part of an experiment and squeezed the grass with her bare toes. Beneath her, Alex could feel a pulse of magic rippling over the surface of the ground that sent a wave of giddiness through her. It was a bit like she’d just taken a shot of liquor that she couldn’t handle and for a moment the world spun though she didn’t move. Alex took a deep breath and sidestepped onto the edge of her family’s patio, allowing the warm wooden planks to insulate her from the rush of magic a little. Her head cleared and she breathed a bit easier.
“Alex?” Aiden called with a hint of worry behind her.
“It was just a bit much.” She nibbled nervously at her lower lip.
Alex looked around the large yard carefully. Her family’s home in Spokane, the very house she’d grown up in was surrounded by a tall privacy fence that she hoped would be enough to keep out prying eyes. Magic was powerful, but not as convenient as it was in the stories. While Merlin could erase someone’s memory, Alex knew that she lacked the control needed for that. Alex forced herself to focus on the task at hand. She hadn’t come back to Spokane from her university town of Ravenslake to ponder the role of magic in her life or the likelihood of her killing someone because she tried to erase their memory.
Calling on the magic again, Alex smiled in relief when it came forth around her, but didn’t overwhelm her mind as it had before. More gray sparks of magic swarmed around her right arm and Alex licked her lips as she slowly brought her left arm up. There was an iron dagger with a sharpened edge clutched in her hand that she fought to keep from shaking. She hadn’t gotten used to this yet, but grit her teeth and quickly cut a slice into her right palm, careful not to go too deep. Her blood on the edge of the blade began to glow for a moment as her magic jumped into the iron-rich liquid.
Holding out her right hand, Alex let the blood gather in her palm. Gray sparks of magic were pouring into it and making it glow a dangerous bright red color. Around her, everything was becoming hazy as a thick fog of magic swept around her and closed Alex off from the rest of the world. Sounds were muted though she could hear her friends behind her on the deck and a few nearby birds, but the magic was taking over. As before, a rush of energy rolled through her body, making every nerve flare. It wasn’t painful, but the air was forced from her lungs and her heart began to race as the blood still running through her veins became soaked in magic. She was grateful that her bare feet weren’t touching the grass anymore.
Stepping forward, Alex brought her hand out over the grass and tilted it. The first brightly glowing drop of blood rolled out of her palm and hung at the edge of her hand for a moment. Staring at it in fascination, Alex felt a tingle of excitement roll up her spine. This was an unusual way to spend sophomore spring break, but as she watched the magic gather as her desire to protect this area sinking into it, Alex couldn’t argue. The droplet fell from her hand, glittering in the sunlight before striking a blade of grass and rolling down the green stalk to the ground. Her magic in the droplet connected with the earth below violently, pulling magic from all around to fuel her spell.
Magic rushed out of her body, her knees shaking as her heart skipped too many beats. It was like standing in a downpour as energy flowed over her skin and into the blood still dripping from her palm to the ground. The world slowed down and ripples of bright red rolled around the yard like waves on a pond after a rock was thrown in. Prying her eyes off the grass, Alex fought to retain awareness of the moment. To her eyes, the world gained a reddish hue. Her childhood yard bathed in a strange almost fiery glow. She could hear their golden retriever Anne whimpering, the sound cutting through the haze.
Regaining more awareness of what was happening, Alex pushed the magic out of her body forming a short glittering gray thread between her chest and the pulsing orb of spinning blood red and gray that began to form in her hand. Holding it out, Alex moaned as the pressure in her chest eased and tilted her head curiously as she watched the magic flow out of the orb and down to the ground, creating another longer thread of magic. Alex willed the magic to connect outward, trying to visualize it doing what she’d done only days ago in Ravenslake.
When Arthur had attacked them with a force of Sídhe creatures under the control of the warped magic of the Iron Chain, she’d taken both his and the surrounding magic and used that for the blood spell instead. Her mind continued to clear and she watched as sparks of magic flew into the orb from the air like a magnet attracting tiny flecks of metal. A smile tugged at her lips, this spell was dangerous. Merlin and Morgana had made that clear and yet… the tension in her body was fading quickly as she was no longer the focus of all that power.
She kept pulling on more and more magic, watching the air shimmer around the orb like waves of heat were rolling off of it. This might be dangerous, gathering up and forcing so much magic into her own blood as it kept dripping off her palm and carrying more of the magic into the ground. Inwardly she kept chanting for it to protect Spokane, to protect her home and her family, tying that wish into the magic as tightly as she could. The city was far larger than any of the towns other mages had ever used this spell to protect, but she didn’t care.
Alex’s hands trembled as the orb’s soft gray color darkened into a metallic sheen, like iron metal, and the vibration around it increased. Breathing slowly, Alex shifted her hands over the orb before pushing the whole burst of magic down into the ground with the blood splatter. Everything around her
shook, though Alex wasn’t sure it really did and the orb shifted form, becoming a flood of magical sparks falling to the ground like pouring water. The blood gleamed a sharp red color before turning white for a moment. Then it vanished and the last flickers of magic faded from the air. Around her, the world smelled sharp and clear like a thunderstorm had rolled in, but the sky remained a clear blue.
Her knees were giving out. The odd thought consumed her mind yet Alex didn’t feel her body trying to do anything to prevent it. Her nerves were raw and there was definite exhaustion clawing at the edges of her awareness. Yet she wasn’t unconscious which was a victory. A giggle escaped her. There was an ache in her chest where the flow of magic had been. Maybe not unconscious, but she’d be feeling it for a bit.
“Alex,” Bran called. He jumped forward and caught her right arm as her legs finally gave out. “Easy, easy.”
“Wow.” Aiden’s brown eyes were bright with excitement as he caught her left arm. “You looked so calm and in control.”
“Not completely.” Alex brought up her right hand to push some of her blonde hair out of her face, completely forgetting about the blood on it. “But I do think this method works well.”
“Well, you’re still on your feet,” Nicki said. “That’s something.”
Lance was kneeling down with one hand holding the collar of Anne and the other gently stroking the dog’s fur. He offered her a warm smile, his brown eyes bright with relief. Next to him, Jenny jumped up and pulled one of the deck chairs closer. Bran and Aiden half lifted half dragged her over to the chair and set her on it. Someone took her hand and Alex looked over to find Nicki inspecting it, but instead of a long cut, there was a thin white line surrounded by pink.
“You healed yourself.” Nicki sounded surprised, turning her hand over with a slight frown. “That’s new.”
“Really?” Alex’s mind began to re-engage with what was happening. “That’s… neat I suppose.”
Nicki smiled at her and patted her hand before releasing it and standing up. She moved over to join the boys as they looked down at the grass. The red glow was gone now and Lance released Anne who scurried over to her and nudged her hand. Smiling, Alex rubbed the top of Anne’s head as her body gave a small shudder as the last of the magic in her veins settled.
Alex took advantage of the others giving her a little space and eyed them all. Everyone seemed calm and in good spirits with was a gift given how challenging the last few days been. The reminder of how brief a time it had been made Alex’s head spin. They had been on the last day of midterms, though thankfully everyone had finished theirs early, and suffered a major attack at the hands of Arthur. A small army had marched on them and yet here they all were healthy and alright. It hadn’t been something she’d anticipated being worried about when she started college almost two years ago, but then again she hadn’t known the truth then.
“Alex,” a voice called tentatively from the house.
Climbing to her feet, Alex was pleased when she remained steady and gave her friends a small wave when Aiden took a step towards her. The others lingered outside in the warm spring air while Alex pulled open the screen door and stepped into the kitchen. Turning to the right, she found her mother standing at the counter and chopping vegetables for the lunch salad. Alex really wished that her mom hadn’t had today off, but they’d rushed up to Spokane too quickly for her to even check that. Her mom looked older than even a year before. They’d had the same long blonde hair, but the gray was fast taking over and the worry lines gained in the past few months were far more than even her years as a doctor had given her.
“Did everything go okay?” her mom asked in a forced cheerful tone.
“Yeah, there’s now blood protection extending out around the house,” Alex said. “It’ll keep any Sídhe or fae from coming after you.”
“And you really thought that was a problem?” Her mom looked out the window of the kitchen and into the yard.
“You’re my family.” Alex shrugged weakly, rubbing her left arm nervously. It really didn’t need any more explanation than that. “I care about you, for the Queen that may be enough.”
Her mother’s frown tightened and Alex again wondered if telling them had been the right course of action only to dismiss the doubts. She’d told them the truth so that if she died or was injured they’d at least know why. It was a sobering thought and one Alex knew shouldn’t have been a part of her life when she couldn’t even legally drink yet, but it was there.
“Will you be able to stay long enough to see your father?”
“Uh… yeah, we can stay tonight, but then we’re getting on the road tomorrow for Eugene and Portland. I want to get the blood protections down as soon as possible.”
“Alright, well it’s nice to have you home now.” Her mom smiled and reached over to hug her. Alex heard an intake of breath from her mom as she prepared to say something more, but nothing more came. “Anyway let’s get you mages fed,” her mom said a moment later as she released her and stepped back.
Still braced for more to be said, Alex helped her mom put all the sandwiches on a large platter. Her younger brother Ed looked over at her uneasily as he was called into the kitchen to help. The excitement that had been present in his eyes when she’d first revealed her magic had dulled. They’d probably talked about it since that day; quiet conservations here in the safety of their own home as they tried to understand just what to make of it all. Alex felt sorry for her parents, their only daughter was a mage doomed to fight back the things that didn’t belong on Earth.
Still Ed gave her a smile and moved to follow their mom’s instructions by taking the food out onto the porch with Alex falling into step behind him. Setting the bowl of salad on the table next to the plate of sandwiches, Alex gave her friends a real smile. The sun was shining down on them and while it wasn’t the best circumstances she was getting to see her family for a little while this spring break. Everyone grabbed the plates and made their way to the table before spreading out amongst the various porch chairs. In the corner of her eye, Alex thought she still saw a soft shimmer of red rolling over the grass and was filled with a sense of relief. Magic might have complicated her life, but at least she could use it to protect those she loved.
“So Jenny’s your ex-wife,” Ed said with a mischievous smirk. It earned him a warning glare from their mom as he picked up his sandwich.
“Suppose so.” Alex balanced her plate of salad and half a turkey sandwich on her lap. “But then again apparently I’ve got other ex-wives.”
“True,” Nicki said. “Could be funny to have Jenny meet Sif.”
“I’m pretty sure that marriage vows don’t extend into the next reincarnation,” Bran offered with a cautious glance towards her family. “But it’s something we’re dealing with.”
That remark got an odd look from her mom and Alex rushed to explain. “Bran’s a reincarnation too. He and I were mages and friends in another life too. Wales… uh…”
“About 2,300 years ago,” Bran told them quickly.
“Wow, that’s got to be a head trip.” Ed gawked with wide eyes. “What about you two?” he asked looking at Aiden and Nicki. “Are you reincarnations too?”
“Not that we know of.” Nicki shrugged lazily. “Might be though. We don’t really know how that works. Bran established a link with his previous life so we could find the Iron Chalice and Merlin and Morgana have observed Alex, Lance, and Jenny be reborn, but that’s what we know on that topic.”
Looking down at her plate and her feet, Alex tried to ignore the talk of reincarnation. She still hadn’t really adjusted to the notion that she was the current life of the three-thousand-year-old soul that had inspired the mythology of King Arthur and had been the historical basis for the Norse God Thor. She wasn’t sure just how many lives she’d had, but recently there had been the uncomfortable revelation that one of her lives had been a slave ship captain and had used his magic to bind others to his will. Add it all together and it was be
coming more and more uncomfortable. Not to mention that for some reason she was the first known female incarnation and as much as Alex wanted to be proud of that or wanted to believe it meant something important she was at a loss.
“You can understand why we’re worried,” she heard her mom say. Alex forced herself to focus on the conversation around them. “It’s just a frightening thing to know that your child is fighting monsters.” Her mom’s frown deepened. “And the concerns about what will happen if you’re discovered.” Alex wanted to say something, to reassure her mom, but her mouth was painfully dry.
“We’ll look after each other,” Aiden promised. He met Elizabeth Adams’ gaze calmly. “The others found the Iron Chalice and saved me. We know that we can accomplish more together and I promise that you don’t need to be worried about the loyalty of those present.”
If her mother’s eyes jumped over at Jenny and Lance for a moment they didn’t flinch back from the look. Alex could understand her mother’s fears. Everyone, at least everyone in the Western world, knew the story of Lancelot and Guinevere. It was the sort of story that everyone knew, even if you couldn’t remember when you first heard it.