Page 98 of The Souls Harvest
His double-coloured eyes soften, and he pulls me into his arms, holding me so tight that I don’t think he will ever let me go again.
Every second I spend in his arms strips away heavy layers of lies, doubts, and pain. I press my face against his chest, inhaling the fresh scent of his clean cotton shirt.
His chest rises once before his hold on me loosens a bit, allowing me to lift my chin and look up.
“You’re Roden’s daughter. The only one sharing his bloodandpart of his soul.”
Something cracks inside me, but before every single sharp piece drops and makes me lash out, Galen cups my cheeks and forces time to stand still by bringing our faces close together.
I can almost feel the softness of his lips over mine, lips that I only remember kissing me with fierce and desperate need. Lips I sought to wash away the bitter taste of days spent harvesting souls whose only fault had been seeking Roden’s help in their most desperate times.
I’m unsure how long my heart has been hammering, and I cannot say if it was because of sudden exhilaration or fear.
My eyes dart from Galen’s face to his mouth and back. I’m lost in such a daze that I can’t even find the words to reject his unexpected revelation.
“So, I’m just another one of his secrets. One, he decided to use against an innocent soul. And he made me suffer over and over,despite my failures, only to wipe my mind clean and start again….Why?” I throw my hands out.
Galen’s fingers on my cheek twitch, his eyes narrow for a second before softening with a smile. “Because you are the only Harvester who can holdanddestroy souls with your hands. Completely. Any soul. Rogues, Nistarei.Harvesters…” A pause that feels like aeons before he adds, “Without anyone’s aid. Just your simple, raw power. Roden trained you to do it, but never to your full potential. He never taught youcontrol…”
Galen’s mouth purses with a note of disgust. I’d probably feel the same had I been so close to someone capable of such utter destruction.
He lowers his hands onto my neck, stroking his thumbs against my exposed collarbones and the chain Popplewish gave me. Someone must have found it on me after I got knocked out by Mack’s genius and put it around my neck while I was unconscious.
My heart tries to escape from my rib cage. The way Galen is touching me—his hands in the perfect position to snap my neck.Me…Not his friend, but someone with the power to claim his life forever.
“And you stayed at my side all these years knowing this….” My throat bobs with my next thought. Something far flashes behind his eyes, then quickly disappears.
I wriggle, trying to get away from his unsettling touch. “Roden made you his eyes and ears, didn’t he? He wanted to be sure I wasn’t going around annihilating random Harvesters. Why would Ieven do that? How?”
He smirks. Galen looks me straight in the eyes, registers the confusion, doubt, and fear slowly devouring me, and grins.
Then he sighs and, for a split second, I swear he focuses on the brass key at my neck before his fingers and shoulders relax, and his wicked expression softens into a sweet smile.
“I hoped seeing me interacting with Tabs and the others would convince you I’m not on Roden’s side. Tabitha wouldn’t even let me set eyes on HQ if I were a threat.” He drops his hand, and my heart returns to its normal rhythm.
I unintentionally touch my fingers to my warm - I’m pretty sure - blushing cheek. But blaming the heat doesn’t make me feel less awkward. Or guilty.
“As far as Roden knows, you’re still his big secret. The Chapter’s members are aware that your gift is a bit different from the other Harvesters. They know you can harvest Rogues. But afewfound out about the extent of your abilities and who you are to Roden.”
“Like you—” I cut him off.
He tilts his head, shows me his hands and curls down a finger. “And Evelyn.” Another finger folds. “Tabitha, of course,” he crosses his arms over his chest, jerking his chin to the building behind me. “Everyone in there, really. Thanks to Mack. He…he studied your blood cells.”
“For the love of souls, please do not say another word, this is…” I shiver, sticking my tongue out, and brush my arms as if covered in spiders. “So, why am I still—”
“Alive?”
I arch an eyebrow, shifting my weight onto my left foot. “I meant—here.”
Galen’s gaze darkens quickly, and I can’t help noticing it before he turns to face the walls surrounding HQ, stretching for miles tall and thick. “It is not your nature. Nobody, not even Roden, can manipulate your talent to make it lethal. But you did make a deal and promised to bring Kris back to him, despite knowing the truth about him—well, part of it. You’ve never done anything like that, so Tabitha decided to keep you closer.”
My heart feels heavy, like his voice.
I should stop digging. The more I do, the more the image I have of myself rots into something disgusting and cruel. “But I wouldn’t even know where to begin. Even if I harvest his soul entirely, I wouldn’t know how not to turn him into dust. I’m useless anyway…” my voice breaks.
In the bright morning light, the locks of hair dancing on Galen’s forehead catch the sunshine, turning copper and golden brown.
When he finally looks at me, the sadness in his eyes makes me want to disappear.
