Hearing those words from him triggered my anger like nothing else. Both magics surged inside me as my temper snapped.

"Your own niece!" I found myself on my feet, my entire body on fire as the living metal reacted to my fury. "You have no soul, Samuel Brindle. No soul at all."

He laughed at me, an extravagant sound. The humor of it lit his frigid eyes, his deep chuckle muting the sound of Kate's muffled sobs. "Why thank you," he said. "Wonderful of someone to finally ...