Page 63 of The Souls Harvest
He sighs but keeps his eyes steady on the Wise. The silver in his left eye gleams with the orange reflection of the castle in flames when he tilts his head towards me. “They knew the cost, and the time they bought us will be wasted if we don’t leave now—”
“Now…” I exhale, standing my ground. Perhaps I’m too scared to find out what else awaits.
“Sofia, we must go.” An order, not an offer, even if his hand is gentle on my shoulder.
“If they were there, they knew this was coming— ” I scan his face, the scratches on his forehead, his hair darkened by soot and soil.
“July!” Galen roars, and Libera echoes him, snatching me out of my reverie and throwing me against a wall of panic. Until everything around us goes unnervingly quiet.
I gape in awe, commanding my lungs to start working again.
The alarm in his eyes is enough for me. I flee, careful not to twist my ankles every time I stomp on uneven ground, following Galen when he speeds past me down the path to the shore. It falls steeper than I remember, but it all becomes insignificant in theblink of an eye—the Blind Wise bellows behind us.
A gust of hot wind thrusts me forward with such strength that I fear my spine will snap if I don’t roll to the ground and down the hill. I wrap my arms around my head to shield my face from the shower of embers, hot stones, and debris that begins to rain after the apocalyptic sound.
Grass and soil, green and dark purple sky spin above me like I’m inside a wheel. When the optical illusion stops, I land face up with one arm braced over my forehead. My chest aches when I try to calm my breath down, but I’m alive.
Someone is tugging at my jumper, ripped in some places after tumbling down pebbles and rocks.
“Are you okay?” Galen coughs next to me.
“I think so—oh... Oh no…” I whimper, scrambling on my elbows to sit up. I should have stayed down, with my eyes to the sky. I should not have looked at the hill—never again.
Even from the hill’s foot, I should be able to spot the majestic building towering over Libera, reddish brown and sturdy against the sky.
Not a pile of ruins and smoke.
Against the fire-lit sky, indistinct dark silhouettes run and scream, confused by what’s just happened. The islanders must have woken up at the sound of the terrifying explosion and left their houses to investigate. Some head for the tall wall of dust rising from the sad remains of the castle, while others just stand in front of it, frozen by the sudden tragedy, or swinging like branches,dancing to the sound of their own lament, a constant background, a gut-wrenching, desperate melody.
I crawl away from that nightmare, shaking my head even if denying it wouldn’t make it any less real. When I look at Galen, his clenched jaw and resolute expression confirm I’m not dreaming.
My thoughts race each other, and I can’t control them. I try to get back on my feet, but my hands slip on the drenched soil, and I fall back on my elbows. “We need to go back—we need—” My eyes burn, but I can’t stop staring at the mayhem unravelling so quickly.
“Sof, look at me,” Galen kneels between my legs, obscuring for a moment that image of terror, and cups my face, “The choice is up to you. I’d follow you anywhere, even if that means marching towards certain death.”
Under his damp curls, his eyes skim my face for any sign of significant wounds, like he does every time I come back from a mission, then he gently rubs a thumb on my dirt-covered jaw before lowering his hands to my shoulders.
“Has this got anything to do with that Rogue Roden so desperately wants?” I sink. Deflate.
Galen’s eyes widen, but he quickly regains control. Only a nod as if saying the words will break whatever protection spell has kept us alive until now.
“Those people on the tower… the man who nearly killed us. The…” The word gets stuck in my throat.
“Herionos? It’s not that simple.” He nods, distractedly brushingthe exposed skin of my collarbones.
Of course, it is not—especially when the closest threat comes from a myth.
The Herionos were -are -Harvesters who never approved of the way Roden decided to use our powers. They were the leading cause of the riots that forced the Harvesters away from Horigos. But they didn’t let Roden and his followers go without leaving a trail of casualties on both sides.
Or so the books say.
The warmth I felt back at the tower, burning my skin through the stone walls and forcing me down the hill, is nothing compared to what’s brewing inside me now. Pushing my hands and knees against the soft ground and digging my fingers into the soaked soil, I slowly peel myself back up.
I’ve spent years thinking I was alive when, in fact, I’ve only let others impose their purpose upon me. But now I can see clearly what I have to do and what Iwantto do.
“Ask me again? Ask me why I want to leave this place?” I look Galen straight in the eyes as he kneels at my feet.
He bows his head, and I extend my hand to help him up.
