Soul Singer_Iron Souls, Book Two

by Becca Andre

  “I’m sure,” he answered.

  She moved to his side and looked into the pot. The light of Grayson’s lantern reflected off the shiny silver surfaces of the pot’s contents—where the surfaces were visible. Most of the area was smeared with rusty brown stains. Old blood.

  “Are those organs?” she whispered.

  “Yes. A heart and a liver.”

  She looked up, remembering what he had told her the night before. “Those two people you healed.”

  He reached into the pot and lifted out the heart. “It appears Farran left me a gift.”

  Chapter 7

  Briar stared at the silver heart clutched in Grayson’s hand. She had never had the chance to examine a human heart up close and noted with morbid fascination that it was a lot smaller than she expected. The fact that it was completely silver removed a bit of the horror—it didn’t seem real—until she remembered that Grayson had created it.

  She pushed that thought aside. “Why would he leave these for you?” she asked.

  “He’s beginning to realize that killing humans hadn’t stopped me. Now he’s going to try bribery.”

  “Bribery? How is this bribery?”

  Grayson’s gaze met hers. “Creating the soulless isn’t only useful for acquiring servants. You can also harvest soul iron.”

  She stared at the bloodstained heart, so appalled she couldn’t voice a comment.

  He held out his hand, offering it to her.

  Part of her was horrified, but at the same time, profoundly curious. Her curiosity won out. She opened her hand, and he carefully laid it in her palm.

  Closing her hand over the organ, she grimaced as the supple surface gave beneath the pressure of her fingers. A faint buzz tingled across her skin, reminding her of how it felt when Lock transformed.

  “Here.” She handed it back, then rubbed her palm against her thigh.

  Grayson eyed her. “I didn’t think you were squeamish.”

  “It’s not that. It didn’t feel like metal. It felt…real.”

  “It is real.”

  “I mean, it feels like flesh, not iron.”

  “A true iron heart could not function. It might be easier for you to understand if you think of it as living metal.”

  Briar was tempted to touch the pliable metal surface once more, but at the same time, the idea sickened her. “Living metal,” she repeated. “Is that why it tingles?”

  His dark eyebrows climbed his forehead.

  “It’s like when Lock transforms,” she clarified. “But more subtle.”

  He just stared at her.

  “What?”

  “Oh yes, Esme is going to be fascinated by you.” He frowned. “Perhaps you shouldn’t meet her.”

  “Let me guess… Only ferra can sense that tingle.”

  “No, to my knowledge, ferra can’t sense it.” He continued to watch her. “That’s the domain of a ferromancer.”

  “Hey, I might choose to wear the pants, but I’m one hundred percent female.”

  The corner of his mouth quirked. “I’m very aware of that.”

  “Don’t flirt with me when you’re holding a human heart.”

  “I’m just stating fact.” He glanced past her to the doorway.

  She turned and saw Eli standing on the threshold, a frown on his features. “That was a joke,” she told her steersman, trying not to add more fuel to his conflict with Grayson.

  “It’s not a human heart?” Eli asked.

  “Well, that was unfortunately accurate. Or it was a human heart. There’s also a liver.” She turned away to scan her surroundings. “Let me find something to put them in.”

  “You’re taking them with you?” Eli sounded scandalized.

  “They’re made of soul iron.” She found a small cloth satchel hanging on a peg by the door. Judging by the stains, it was probably used for berry picking. “We can’t leave that lying around.”

  “At the rate things are going, everyone will be aware soon enough that there are ferromancers among us.”

  “Until then, I’ll keep up the pretense.” She carried the bag back to Grayson and held it open as he placed the metal organs inside.

  Eli watched them a moment. “So where did those come from?”

  “Our ferromancer stalker.”

  “Did he steal this boat? Where’s the crew?” Eli’s eyes widened. “Or is that all that’s left of them?”

  “I suspect he untied this boat and let it drift into us. As for the organs, they’re from the people he killed last night.”

  Eli’s mouth dropped open.

  She offered Grayson the bag.

  “Keep it,” he told her. “Put it somewhere safe.”

  Briar wasn’t so certain she wanted to keep it. Letting the bag sink to the bottom of the canal seemed like a better idea. When they returned to the boat, she would insist he keep it in his trunk, but she didn’t want to discuss it in front of Eli.

  “Let’s finish supper, then turn in,” she suggested. “Tomorrow, we can haul this boat into Dresden. Maybe that’s where it came from.”

  “Are you certain we should remain here?” Eli asked. “If that ferromancer—”

  “He knows exactly where we are. If he wanted to attack us, he would have already. He’s simply trying to entice Mr. Martel away. Let’s get back to the boat.”

  “Aye, Captain,” Eli said, frowning as he glanced at her bag.

  Grayson nodded. “As you wish, Miss Rose.”

  She slipped the satchel over her shoulder, aware of the weight and faint metal-on-metal clink from within.

  “And sleep on the boat, Mr. Martel. Those Scourge are still out there, I’m sure. Besides, it’s clouded up again.”

  “I—”

  “Yes, I know being on the boat bothers you, but I think we need to be cautious. If it’s that big a problem, I’ll sleep on shore with you.”

  “As tempted as I am to have you sleep with me, I wouldn’t deny you the comfort of your bunk.”

  Eli stood straighter, his large hands curling into fists.

  “It was a joke, Eli.” She swatted Grayson’s shoulder. “Try to behave yourself.”

  “Sorry, my lady.” He offered a graceful bow, then straightened, a mischievous glint in his blue-gray eyes.

  “Let’s go,” she said before he could nettle Eli further. “This empty boat is making me uneasy. It almost feels haunted.”

  That got Eli moving, and he hurried from the cabin.

  “You’re a bad man, Mr. Martel,” she muttered.

  “We’ve discussed my propensity for ungentlemanly behavior,” he replied in the same soft tone.

  Her cheeks heated as she remembered the time he climbed from his bath in her presence—as bare as the day he was born.

  “Indeed, we have.” She headed for the door, hoping he didn’t notice her blush.

  His soft chuckle suggested he had.

  They arrived in Dresden early the next morning. Briar was glad it was a short trip with only two locks. They used the spare mule team to haul the other boat, which turned out to be named the Rusty Rake.

  She wondered if Farran had chosen it for its iron reference and the fact that rake rhymed with drake. Or perhaps she was just being overly sensitive.

  Once docked, she sent Zach to the toll office and had Jimmy ask around the docks for the boat’s owner. If they found no one, they would leave the boat for the owner to collect at his leisure.

  Briar was pacing the deck, awaiting their return, when Grayson and Molly emerged from the aft cabin, baskets in hand.

  “I know you don’t want to stay long,” Molly began, “but since we’re already docked, could we run over to the market? We need more potatoes.”

 
“And some rosemary,” Grayson added, then snapped his fingers. “Oh, and some sage.”

  “Fine,” Briar relented, amused at his culinary extravagance. She reached in her pocket for a few dollars when she saw Zach hurrying toward the boat. He jogged across the gangplank and hopped down into the cargo hold beside them.

  “Did the toll collector know about the reward?” she asked before he could speak.

  “I assume. The poster was hanging on his wall.”

  “You weren’t able to take it?”

  Zach glanced at Molly before continuing, reminding Briar that Molly didn’t know about Zach’s vocal capabilities. “There were two other men in the room.”

  Damn. But then, it might already be too late. How many people had seen the poster?

  “There’s more,” Zach said.

  Briar bit back a groan. “Go on.”

  “The couple we met at that farm is in town.”

  The Scourge couple was here? She rubbed the back of her neck, trying to decide what to do. They couldn’t sit here. The tollhouse was in the next block, and two hundred dollars was a lot of money. She needed to get the boat and Grayson out of town.

  “As soon as Jimmy gets back, we need to get moving.” She turned to Zach. “Have Benji—”

  “He’s still at the tack shop,” Zach cut in.

  Briar resisted the urge to smack her forehead. She had completely forgotten about the harness repair.

  “Can I still get those potatoes?” Molly asked. “I’ll hurry.”

  Briar glanced at Grayson. If that Scourge couple was in town, she didn’t want him wandering around without her.

  “I’ll go with Molly,” Zach offered, clearly following Briar’s train of thought. “I can check on Ben’s progress on the way back.”

  Molly looked faintly puzzled by Zach’s offer. She probably wondered why Grayson wouldn’t be accompanying her.

  “That works,” Briar agreed. “We’ll get ready to cast off.”

  Zach nodded, then took the basket from Grayson. “Mrs. Rose?” He directed the last at Molly, his look questioning.

  “Yes, of course.” With one last puzzled glance, she hurried away with Zach.

  Briar looked up at Grayson now that they were alone. “No argument?”

  “That depends. Will I be forced to harness Big Red?”

  Briar smiled, well aware of what a job that could be—especially for someone who didn’t deal with the headstrong mule daily. “Let me tell Eli our plans, then I’ll give you a hand.”

  “Aye, Captain.” He gave her a mock salute, then headed for the stable cabin.

  “Zach and Molly walked over to the market,” Briar told Eli when he asked why Grayson was hitching the team. “Zach’s voice works on the Scourge—should they encounter them.”

  Eli frowned. “They just want Mr. Martel, right?”

  “They’re hunting the other ferromancer and had wanted to use him as bait. And before you suggest it, the answer is no, I will not allow that.”

  “You know my feelings on this,” Eli said.

  She wanted to tell him that Grayson’s taunts had all been a farce to rile him up, but she didn’t want to go into that now. She would sit down with him and have a private conversation later.

  “I do,” she answered Eli. “We can discuss it later. Right now, you need to get ready to cast off.”

  “Aye, Captain,” Eli grumbled.

  She hesitated, wanting to smooth over this conflict with Eli, but a resounding boom—like a shod hoof hitting the stable wall—echoed through the boat.

  “Doesn’t sound like your ferromancer is much good with mules,” Eli commented.

  Biting her tongue, Briar rushed away. Perhaps she shouldn’t have let Grayson deal with Big Red alone. She knew Grayson had a varied background and was skilled at a variety of things, but he might not have dealt with obstinate mules much.

  She arrived at the stable in time to hear Grayson rattle off an impressive string of curses.

  “You bloody nag.” Grayson smacked Big Red on the hindquarters, forcing the mule to step to the side and allow Grayson to move off the wall where he’d been pinned. “Don’t think you can get the better of me just because you don’t have a soul.”

  “Mules don’t have souls?” she asked from the doorway.

  Grayson spun to face her, then offered a sheepish grin. “They might, but I can’t touch it.”

  “Huh.”

  “That’s not to say I…” Grayson’s voice trailed off and he stilled.

  “What is it?”

  “Ferromancy.”

  “What? Here?”

  “Nearby.” His cool gaze met hers.

  “Do you think it has anything to do with Zach? After what Farran did to the people you healed at the farm, I—”

  “Wait here.” Grayson tried to step past her.

  “No.” She gripped his arm. “I’m going with you. Zach’s crew.”

  His eyes met hers and for the briefest moment, he seemed to consider arguing. Instead, he gave her a single nod.

  They hurried from the stable together.

  Briar eyed the sparse crowd gathered in the market not far from the docks. “I don’t see Zach or—”

  Her gaze settled on a familiar couple on the opposite side of the market. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the pair she wanted to find.

  Kali’s dark eyes met hers before she nudged Perseus with her elbow. He seemed to know exactly where to look, his blue eyes locking with Briar’s.

  “Damn.”

  “I see,” Grayson muttered.

  “Do you think they felt Farran, too?”

  “I’m not that well versed on what the Scourge can and can’t feel.” Grayson fell silent, unable to comment further as their new friends joined them.

  “My lady,” Perseus greeted her, dipping his head.

  “Are you following us?” Briar asked.

  “We’re following the devolved one—who is following you,” Kali answered for him.

  “Feel free to take him out at any point. He’s starting to annoy me.”

  “Lord forbid you become annoyed.” Kali rolled her eyes.

  “Though you annoy me more.”

  Kali smirked. “That’s a shame.”

  “Briar—” Grayson tried to cut in, but Perseus cut him off.

  “Kali, please.” Perseus faced Briar once more. “Kali sensed something.”

  “So did Grayson.” Briar glanced between him and Kali. “You two weren’t sensing each other, were you?” Briar asked.

  “No,” Grayson and Kali answered in unison.

  Perseus watched the exchange, but remained silent. Not knowing him well, it was hard to tell what he was thinking.

  “Did he call you Briar?” Kali asked. “As in the thorn bush?”

  “He did.” Briar glared in return.

  Kali grinned. “Appropriate.”

  “What does your name mean?”

  “Kali is a Hindu goddess of destruction,” Perseus answered for her.

  “Indeed.”

  “Not that Percy here has room to talk,” Kali added.

  A slight smile curled his lips, but he said nothing.

  “Well, the solution is obvious,” Kali said.

  “It is?” Briar asked. Had she missed something?

  “We’re staying with you.”

  “Like hell,” Briar answered.

  “We have the same goal.”

  “You don’t even know what mine is.”

  “I do, but I meant with regard to the devolved one we’d both like to eliminate.”

  “You know me so well?” Briar demanded, ignoring the rest of her statement.

  “I know what you�
��re about.”

  “Stand down,” Perseus muttered, shooting Kali a frown.

  “I’m not part of your platoon, Perce, and come on, indoctrinated as you are, you’ve got to admit that this makes you sick.”

  He didn’t answer, he just regarded her with a cool stare.

  “What are you talking about?” Briar demanded.

  “You, and him.” Kali nodded at Grayson. “He’s your captive, yet you take him to your bed. At least until he gets you pregnant, then you’ll fry him.”

  Briar was so stunned by the accusation that she didn’t know how to respond.

  “You’re just like a damn praying mantis, eating your mate. You’re one twisted—”

  Briar threw herself at the other woman. She probably would have gotten in a good blow if Grayson hadn’t looped an arm around her waist.

  Kali sprang forward to meet her, but like Briar, was stopped by Perseus before she could close.

  “Let me go,” Briar said between clenched teeth.

  “This isn’t the place,” Grayson said.

  Briar glanced around and realized they still stood on the edge of the market. Fortunately, no one was standing close enough to notice them.

  “You’re right.” She relaxed.

  Grayson took his arm away, though Perseus continued to hold Kali.

  “We’re finished,” Briar told her. “Next time I see you, I fry you.” She turned on her heel and walked away before the other woman could hurl more insults. She took the first side street she came to, wanting to put as much distance as she could between them.

  Grayson fell in beside her, and they headed away from the market.

  Briar fumed in silence until they came to an intersection. She glanced over at Grayson to gauge his mood, but he was gazing at their surroundings, no strong emotion on his face.

  “She wasn’t just making that up, was she?” Briar stopped. A wagon rattled past, but they had the street to themselves otherwise. “That’s really how it works in the ferromancer world?”

  “Yes.” His indifferent tone gave nothing away.