Page 79 of The Souls Harvest
While Merya whispers into the radio, someone approaches me with unsteady steps. Galen clears his throat, and I turn to see his hand stretching towards me, gesturing to follow him to a spot away from the rest of the group.
Jyn intercepts us and nods as if to grant permission, “Stay where you can see us. When Merya gives the signal, we only have ten minutes to reach the gate.”
“I know. It will only take a moment,” Galen replies flatly.
His face has regained some of its usual colour, but it’s hard to say in the weak light of the tunnel. Besides, his voice is grave, weighed down by recent events and whatever secret he is keeping from me.
He guides me towards a niche in the wall, where the densestream of mud has dried out to a more concrete path, and where our steps resound louder.
I fit inside the hollow without needing to bend, but Galen has to lower his head.
“Was there a door here?” I ask, running my hand over what’s left of the metal hinges on one side of the niche.
He nods and stares at the phantom door as if remembering something. “This was the entrance to a secondary tunnel, but it was destroyed years ago, during an attack.” His hand follows mine along the edge of the entrance, brushing it lightly.
“The people who tried to kill us above ground?” I study his face, searching for a single detail that would remind me of the Galen I used to know, but his jaw his clenched, and his eyes are full of memories he’s never shared with me.
“Those were not Herionos,” he mutters.
“How do you— ”
He looks me straight in the eyes, and I shrink. His face is filled with knowledge—and a shadow that scares me.
His hand moves away from mine, and he traces the empty frame of the arch with his fingertips. “Another time,” - he cuts me short - “I need you to promise me that whatever you see, whoever you meet once we’re back above ground, you will not overreact.”
“Overreact? After everything we’ve just been through?” I exclaim with a hint of a smile. “A bit too late for that, don’t you think?” I make to move to rejoin the others, but Galen steps in front of me.
“Just promise you will keep an open mind and count to ten before saying anything.”
I cock my head to one side, examining his face. “You should teach that to Mack.”
“I’m serious…”
“To five?”
He allows himself a quick smirk and exhales, defeated. “Fine. Just remember,theydon’t know you—yet. We’re equal here, but we’ve survived by codes and rules.”
We.I promised an open mind starting now, despite how odd it is to listen to Galen refer to a life he could have never had while being with me in Libera.
An open mind, starting with letting go of my doubts.
An alarmed whistle breaks us apart.
“That’s the signal. Go!” he prompts.
I start running towards the column of light, with Galen following right behind, and I halt right before my face can hit Tabitha’s back.
Agitated footsteps scurry above us, and Galen pushes me out of the way before a shower of little stones and debris rains down from the hole. Above us, disembodied voices whisper orders.
Silence reigns again, and Tabs gives us a quick look to ensure we’re all fine. “Get ready to climb,” she orders with a stern nod.
Three rope ladders descend from the hole in the ceiling, thick and lined with wooden rungs.
“Jyn—you, Mack and Merya go first. Help Galen once you’re upthere.” While Tabitha speaks, Jyn is already a couple of steps up on his rope. The siblings follow him, dangling from the other ladders at his sides.
They’ve done this before. They’re climbing effortlessly, no matter the arsenal they’re carrying on their bodies.
I look up where someone, also wearing a helmet, is leaning over the edge of the hole and pulling the ropes towards them to speed up the ascent.
