Page 103 of The Souls Harvest
For a moment, Galen stares at the top of the tree, lost in thought. “He’s so many things, but nothing like you. You can harvest our souls; you can destroy them - well, a good thing you’ve never learnt how, or I could be dead by now,” he allows himself a quick shrug and a smile, “Kristyon can’t harvest, but can cure them and put them back wherever he pleases. That’s why Reds are attracted to him. They seek revenge for what’s been done to them, and his soul smells like a miraculous elixir.”
The words of the woman in the alley punch me in the face. I kneel before him, taking his hands in mine. “Because they werestolen…”
He looks at me, his eyes heavy with guilt. “We lost so many. They only have a small window of autonomy after Roden starts playing with them. But those who made it are safe within The Mother’s territory.”
I brush my thumb over his fingers. “How does he do it? Howdoes Kris help these souls if he can’t harvest them?”
Galen’s chest deflates in a way that makes my heart ache. “He sacrifices a small part of his soul. It’s the only way. He can willingly let go of a tendril of his soul to purify a red one. But he can’t do it forever without…”
I don’t want him to say it. I take his face into my hands. “I can help him. That’s why Roden wants him, because we can complement each other with our abilities. Is this why you stopped me from learning my true power?”
Something sparks behind his eyes. He touches my forehead with his, running his hands over my arms. “The meeting will start soon. But if you wish to stay out here for a bit longer…”
“I get it.” I get up and put some space between us. “You don’t want to spoil the surprise.” A light sense of freedom warms my chest as I can finally look at Galen like I used to.
“I missed you,” he mumbles, pushing himself up as well.
“Missed you too.” I slap his arm. “Thanks for keeping me alive.”
He shakes his head, and his gaze roams towards the high walls protecting this place.
I follow suit. “That’s definitely a lake!” I blurt out when I capture a faint shimmering in the distance.
Galen lets out a surprised sound. His profile waves and changes in the sunlight every time I blink. Another Galen is trying to break through the face I know so well.
“That’s not possible.” I hear him saying under his breath.
He places himself between me and the supposed lake, frowning. “July,did youguess, or do youactuallyremember the lake?”
“I…I don’t know, but I have a strong feeling that there is water down there and that nobody should ever get too close.” My voice drops, heavy with uncertainty.
I should be scared and confused, but the more I let the blurry image of a lake sink inside me, the more I feel—at home.
Tears start running down my cheeks. “The room I woke up in this morning—”
Galen tilts his head as if struggling to understand what I’m saying.
“Is thatmyroom?”
I take in every detail of Galen’s face, the sweetest smile slowly blooming on his lips and the spark in his eyes, and my heart starts beating wildly.
He lets his arms rest by his sides, but he’s fidgeting as if to stop his hands from doing something else.
“I’m telling you everything I know, Sof.” He opens his arms, defenceless, “Like I never could before because we need you to be ready this time.Ineed you to be prepared.”
“Why this time?”
Every inch of his face calls to me: the sudden melancholy in his eye when he lowers his lashes, the slight drop of one corner of his lips, his gentle gaze on my cheeks.
“Because the one thing Roden never lied about is that the souls he touchedbelongto him, and sooner or later, they will bend to his will. We don’t know where his power comes from, but Roden isgrowing tired ofeducatinghis children. And if taming Kris to his will doesn’t work, he may try something drastic.” He distractedly plays with my necklace while his words come out like a river held by a dam for too long, fed by tempests and secrets.
I know Galen’s every smile—when he closes his eyes and allows his whole face to show true happiness, the smirks that lift only a corner of his lips and make even strangers blush and their knees weaken.
But the one stretching now on his face makes my heart ache. It speaks of longing and regrets.
My hand has a mind of its own. As if watching from outside my body, I see it slowly lifting and stopping inches from Galen’s face. My fingers tremble. My chest rises and falls fast, betraying my desperate need to eliminate the distance between us.
“Sof…”
