Page 145 of Tainted Souls
I nod grudgingly, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of being right. We sit in silence for a while, smoking our cigarettes in the silent cavern. For a moment, the scene feels almost peaceful.
“Why did you let me live?” I ask, breaking the silence. “After I killed Hanae. The real reason.”
Ace takes a lazy drag, considering his answer. “Because death would have been too easy. For both of us.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He takes another hit, watching the tip smolder before fading, then looks at me. “It means I’ve killed enough Rosens for one lifetime.”
The admission throws me off. Is this his way of showing regret?
“And because your mother would never forgive me,” he adds as an afterthought. “If we ever get her back.”
“When,” I correct him. “When we get her back.”
The corner of his mouth twitches. It’s not quite a smile, but close enough. “When.”
I take a longer drag, making my senses dull just enough to make the proximity to him tolerable.
He crushes out his cigarette against the stone floor. “Get some sleep. We move at midnight.”
As he rises to his feet, I find myself observing the unnatural grace of his movements, while he settles into a position where he can see both the cavern entrance and the rest of his people.
Always the vigilant leader, even in moments of rest.
I finish my cigarette slowly, savoring the strange calm it brings.
When I finally crush it out, I curl up against the wall, using my arm as a pillow, and close my eyes.
I’m tired of running, fighting, and losing the people I love.
So I surrender to exhaustion, because it’s the only escape I have left, however temporary it might be.
Sleep comes in fitful bursts, interrupted by dreams of Saul calling for help, Max sitting motionless beneath a tree while something else wears his skin, and my mother’s face blurring with Ace’s.
In the moments between, I listen to the soft sounds of the Ravens at rest—breathing, shifting, murmuring.
Even in sleep, they seem connected, oriented toward each other like planets in a shared orbit. And I, the comet passing through their solar system, remain alone.
I wake with a start, unsure how long I’ve been asleep. The cavern is darker now, the torches burned low.
The Ravens are still resting, except for Kale, who sits alert near the entrance, keeping watch. Though there’s no way to tell the time in this windowless space, my body tells me several hours have passed.
Pushing myself up, I stretch my stiff limbs and try to shake off the lingering unease from my dreams. As my eyes adjust to the dim light, I notice Ace is no longer in his previous position either.
A quick scan of the cavern reveals he’s not here at all.
Kale eyes me warily as I near the entrance, restlessness propelling me forward.
“Where’s Ace?” I ask him, keeping my voice low to avoid disturbing the others.
Kale’s expression remains neutral. “Scouting.”
“Alone?”
He doesn’t bother to answer, just gives me a look that clearly says it’s none of my business.
I hesitate, then decide to push my luck. “I need some air.”
