Page 112 of The Souls Harvest
“Yes, but those episodes usually last a few days—weeks maximum. Until the soul adjusts inside the new vessel. What does the Chapter like to call them?” Mack claps and waves a hand towards Galen, asking for help remembering what he can’t.
“Regressions—” Galen mumbles, following Merya as she stands, stretches her neck and approaches her brother.
“How original! I call itwe-fucked-up-but-we’re-proud-pieces-of-shit.” Mack tilts his head at every word, making a note of the name on his piece of baking paper. Shorter locks of hair dance across his eyes.
“Here, use this.” Merya pulls out a small notepad from a side pocket of her wide maroon trousers. “That piece of paper is oily; your scribbles will disappear in minutes, and I don’t want to hear your tantrums later on,” she grunts, snatching the scrap of paper away and pressing the notepad in her brother’s hands. But she ruffles his hair in such a motherly way that I feel jealous of a family I never had.
“You need to find a better insult if you want to use it next time we meet the big bad Chapter,” Kris playfully elbows Mack in the ribs.
“Big C…as in big Cu—Ouch!” There is no trace of playfulness in Merya’s hand smacking his head.
Kris and I scoff simultaneously, and his light green eyes find mine again. They’re so vivid, unlike those I’ve met in my dreams.When he looks away, I linger a little longer on him, trying to recall more details that could help me remember.
Until Galen clears his throat.
He’s pacing the room again, the sound of his steps a steady, almost hypnotic rhythm.
“Regressions, or whatever you want to call them. The soul from Cleryce was experiencing something completely different. Those weren’t just voices from his past life. They never belonged to him to start with.”
“The poisonous blood. Acid. Whatever that is. Was that the natural reaction of his body trying to cleanse him from unfamiliar souls?” Kris’ voice carries sad notes that pinch something inside me. When I look over, his eyes are fixed on the table as if hiding his true emotions.
“And everyone let this event be swept under the carpet without raising questions—why?” I ask, attracting all the eyes on me.
“Unfortunately, that’s a collateral effect we’ve only witnessed once—until now. We thought Cleryce was done and dusted and a once-in-a-million-years event.” Tabitha materialises by the kitchen’s main door, silent like a cat. Her voice follows the trail of my question, capturing - with my immense relief - everyone’s attention.
“But we were wrong.”
Chapter 40 - Water Graves
Kristyon
“You knew as well?” Two voices merge into one, the same astonished look matched in Merya and Mack’s blue eyes.
Merya lunges for the table, the only object separating her from Tabitha, and slams her fist on it, sending cutlery and mugs jangling and rattling across its hard surface.
“And,still, you sent us out there to fight what we thought were just Herionos—bastards with no powers…likeus.” She throws a hand behind her, pointing at Mack, who seems glued to his chair and lost for words.
Tabitha sighs but smiles at her. “You knew from day one that this wasn’t an easy job. Besides,” she holds her hand up when Merya opens her mouth again, “Theirblood is like water tous.Otherwise, Roden would have used it against the rebels since the accident in Cleryce.Wehave been studying it ever since that day to try to find a cure. But you were never in danger, believe me—”
In the corner of my eye, a chair topples to the floor, and a sound like an animal in pain makes me shiver.
“What about our nature? As much as I like to thinkof you as a mother, our freaking blood doesn’t protect us fromshit…” Mack gasps for air, holding one hand to his chest while erratically fidgeting with the other and scratching the skin around his nails.
I intercept July’s puzzled look while I stand up and reach out for Mack’s arm. She starts to move towards us, but I shake my head slightly.
“I’ve always kept you and your sister under strict surveillance. I’d never endanger your lives, but I didn’t want you to be left out because you would hate me for that. You’re invaluable fighters in this war, just like the others…” Tabitha brings her palms together in front of her chest, but Mack ignores her plea.
He slaps my hand away. “But we’re also expendable,” he hisses, his voice resounding like one I haven’t heard in years.
I jump between him and Tabitha before he decides to act irrationally and, pressing a hand onto his chest, I invite him to sit back. “Mack, please, listen to her before saying something you may regret later.”
A large cloud crosses the sky, dimming the light inside the kitchen and turning Mack’s eyes a darker shade of blue. Blood stops pumping violently beneath his cheeks, and he retreats against the wall, clutching the notepad as if wanting to strangle it.
Tabitha’s wince lasts a heartbeat, but I can clearly read the shadow of pain in her eyes when she forces a straight face and moves further inside the kitchen, pointing at the doors.
“Galen, please close the back door. Kris, the main one as well, before Sable decides this clamour is worthy of her invisibleattention.” She sounds tired.
Her face is so tense I don’t even dare answer. I just nod and ensure Sable’s little eyes and busy ears are not hiding in the corridor before closing the door.
