Soul Taker's Redemption

by A. S. Hamilton

  'You used to live on souls, yes,' I replied evenly. 'And you still take them, on occasion, I saw that, too,' I paused considering what I wanted to say. 'You are very far from human; I see that clearly. But you changed sides. You saved my soul today and believe me, like the rest of my race, I'm selfish enough to be happy that if it comes down to losing my soul or them losing theirs, I want to keep mine. You saved Maya. You've saved others. You were created a hunter, but you have chosen to be something else, despite it not being an easy path for you. You let Aurealis change you even though it makes your life harder. I see it, sometimes, a look on your face, it hurts you not to do it, but, if I understand what you have told me, you've been at this for centuries. And even when you fail, you keep trying. When Bastien speaks of you, he does so with respect, not fear. The same for Thomas.'

  'Bastien and Thomas are old… friends,' he looked as if the word wasn't familiar to him.

  'And I am very glad for that. I had no idea when you said you'd contacted someone, that I'd end up meeting vampires, but I'm grateful they were here.'

  'Both Bastien and Thomas believe they are repaying a debt, but in truth, bringing so many of their people here and risking them in the presence of soul takers is more than their debt paid.'

  'Was that why they… um… fed from you?'

  'Fed? Oh, not quite.' He looked away, shifting uncomfortably. 'My blood is like an elixir for them, it will keep them strong for… oh… quite some time. There is an extra advantage in that Bastien and Thomas will sense it if I die. They will know to come to you then. They call it a blood bond. That was the purpose of them feeding from me.' He seemed to think things over for a moment and then added, 'Just be careful around them, Jayden, they have a way of inducing humans to believe that they are harmless, indeed, sometimes humans even think they are in love. Many a human has died by a vampire's touch and yet felt like the vampire was doing them an honour.'

  I shivered and realised it was more because I was still in wet clothing than any kind of fear of vampires. 'There are worse ways to die,' I said sombrely.

  That look I had seen on Bastien's face, that peace, if that was the way their 'prey' felt before they died...

  I nodded to the hall. 'I better change or I'll catch a chill.'

  Therion leaned back so I could get past. I collected my underclothes from the bedroom and went to the bathroom. I left the door open so I could talk to Therion who had followed me to the bedroom and remained there.

  'So, what happened to you?' I asked stripping off the wet clothes and towelling myself down.

  Therion sighed at my question. I didn't think he was reluctant to answer, just worn out.

  'I went to Unia-littah, the Dark Realm. It was once my home.'

  'I gathered that part. Bastien said you left a message?' I finished putting on underwear and bra and tossed my wet clothes over the top of the shower screen to dry. I wandered into the bedroom to find some tracksuit pants and a top. Therion was sitting on the blanket box at the end of the bed. He'd moved it out to give his wings room and he had his head in his hands as he rested his elbows on his thighs. The dark hair with its twin golden rivers had fallen forward as he contemplated some spot in his mind well beyond the floorboard he was staring at. He glanced up as I walked in, but returned his gaze to the floor, not out of a sense of decency though, my half-dressed form seemed to elicit no reaction from him, confirming my confidence in not worrying too much about my state of dress. It was odd, because when we were close, or at least when he was close, I felt... as I noted before, drawn to him.

  'Yes. My message explained the situation to Bastien. I said that if he did not hear from me by a certain time, I needed him to protect you.'

  I nodded, as I pulled some pants from the dresser and then moved to the chair in the corner to pull them on.

  'You already suspected you might not make it out of…' I couldn't remember what he'd called it… 'the Dark Realm.'

  'Yes.'

  I found a long-sleeved top, the print was a dragon amongst roses in grey, silver and blue. The sleeves were split on the outer side and held together by a number of ties. I was waiting for more to come. I think he was trying to order things in his mind, working out where to start. I moved over to the newly repaired window and looked out at the rainy night. I could see no evidence of cracks or chips— what an amazing being he was! I thought of all the remarkable beings I had come into contact with in recent days and wondered what, or who, I might encounter in the future.

  When Therion started speaking I turned and leaned against the wall near the window.

  'As I said before, I am not a native of the Light Realm. Dellen-littah, they call it. Despite your earlier words of commendation, my change in sides was a selfish one. I want something, I want it very intensely, and to get it I aligned myself with Aurealis, which in turn, places me in opposition to Ceri-talen, my former master. He is my creator and my murderer, for I was once something far different to what he made of me. Ceri-talen is a god of destruction, so for him, it was a matter of destroying the being I once was in order to make way for a new creation; the being I became.'

  I could sense he was leading up to how this related to me and I let him have the time to find the words.

  He rose abruptly and glided across the room to me, placing a hand on each of my shoulders. The gold eyes were intensely sad. 'You are not a random target and they will not stop, Jayden. Ever will you be in danger.'

  'Why?'

  He stepped away and sighed again, bowing his head as if reluctant to continue, but not having a choice.

  I shook my head, I didn't need the answer, he'd just told me. 'Ceri-talen wants to create something from the being I am.'

  Therion's head lifted and his gold eyes flashed as they caught the light. 'You are like what I once was. Your spirit is yulari, not only is it untainted, it is exceptionally old, and that is something Ceri-talen desires very much. He can re-shape such a spirit into a very powerful being. If he does, he will enslave you, as he did me.'

  I instinctively knew, then, what it was Therion desired above all else, what he had traded with Aurealis for.

  'Freedom,' I whispered aloud.

  In that moment, he looked more human than he ever had, his face full of emotion. 'I have spent centuries on this path of redemption, my freedom is not yet in reach. You— I might be able to save you from my fate.'

  What do you say to that? Well, I wanted to say; No. To deny it. I certainly didn't want a guardian all my life, even one like Therion, who, as guardians went, was the deluxe version. I guess whether I had a guardian or ended up in Ceri-talen's hands, I would lose my freedom either way. In that light, having Therion around for the rest of my life wasn't a bad outcome. I certainly didn't want things like this happening all the time with the monsters that should be in my closet appearing in my home, my mother's home, and my café.

  'It will not always be like this.'

  'No? You think Ceri-talen will get sick of me some day?' I laughed softly, bitterly. 'I could just taint my soul… How do I do that, by the way?'

  His laugh was soft, but full of bitterness. 'I am wholly certain, Jayden, that you are incapable of such a feat, you could not have become the being you are otherwise.' Then, shaking his head sadly, he added, 'Besides, doing so may solve one problem, but will create others.' His eyes narrowed and his tone became intense, though it remained gentle. 'I cannot, in any way convey to you what it would be to ascend, as you are meant to do at the end of this life you have now. All I can assure you is that nothing—

  'Not.

  'One.

  'Thing.

  '—is a better alternative or an acceptable option.'

  'What do I do then, Therion? I can't live like this. Don't you see? Ceri-talen may not have my spirit yet, but he has already robbed me of freedom.'

  Therion shook his head again as he stepped away and crossed back to the blanket box to sit. 'This…' he paused then started again, 'this being stuck with me, with a guardian, yes, you
lose a little freedom, but it is the price for a greater freedom, one beyond this realm. If Ceri-talen were to actually get hold of you, you will not just be restricted to having a bodyguard… Every moment, awake or in oblivion, will be devoted to his will. There have been many things I have done that I did not like, but a great many more that I enjoyed because he made me that way. Nothing,' Therion's golden gaze sharpened and I noticed swirls of red in his irises, 'nothing, Jayden, diminishes the exquisite pleasure of absorbing a soul, not the fact that it is a child, or a mother, a person of great genius or generosity. I feel no guilt, no shame, no sorrow. From what memories I have, that was not who I was before Ceri-talen stole me. He made me like this. If he gets your spirit, he will remove from you what it is that makes you the person you are.'

  Put like that, I could see he was right. I didn't like it, and I could see he understood that. If anyone understood how I was feeling, Therion, having lost all his freedom, would be one who did.

  A long silence followed.

  Finally, I gave myself a mental shake, brooding over the situation wasn't going to help any. 'Does that mean you will be my guardian?'

  Therion leaned back slightly and stared at his hands, which were now resting in his lap. 'I do not know for certain if I have been assigned as your life-long guardian.' He made the admission a little despondently. He flicked his gaze up at me, the swirls of red had gone, diamond-like specks that looked like stars swirled lazily about the narrow, obsidian pupils. 'I think it is Aurealis's intention that I guard you... at least, no others have been sent and I have not been summoned elsewhere.'

  'Summoned?' He'd used that term before, and I wanted to be sure I understood what he meant.

  'It is how Aurealis indicates that she wants me to protect someone. I feel a pull, and when I planes-shift I am drawn to the person who needs protection. Usually these summonings are short-term. Yet, this situation seems different. By now, another guardian should have contacted me, especially when I left to go to Unia-littah.'

  'The Dark Realm,' I confirmed.

  He nodded.

  'So you think that means Aurealis intends for you to remain.' I said hopefully.

  Therion shrugged. 'I am not completely sure. Aurealis will give me a vision or she will come when she is ready.'

  I slumped a little. 'I guess we just have to wait and see.'

  That was it then, I would have to hope my hide was worth enough to Aurealis that she took me under her protection. I tried to imagine what it would be like, to be like Therion, well, as he described back then— to be like him now didn't seem too awful. When he was bound to Ceri-talen though… To find yourself enslaved to your killer… I found myself shaking my head absently, prompting Therion to arch a fine, dark eyebrow.

  'I was trying to imagine your life. I was thinking that even if I do lose a little freedom by having a guardian all my life, I will still come out of this relatively easy in comparison to what you have been through.'

  He gave me a wry smile. 'Indeed, one could see it like that.' After a pause, he added, 'Perhaps it is time for... coffee?'

  His tone and expression made me laugh. 'You don't like coffee…'

  'I know, I meant for you.'

  I pushed away from the wall. 'But chocolate is another matter entirely. You'll love chocolate!' I promised.

  As we entered the kitchen, we found Bastien standing inside the house at the open sliding door. 'It's okay, they will not mind, come in and warm yourself up,' he was saying.

  I couldn't see who he was talking to but seeing as it was Bastien doing the offering and he'd just fought off nightmares I'd never imagined, I said, 'We certainly don't mind. There are even towels if you're wet.'

  At first I thought no one had stepped in, but then I realised Bastien was looking down, at a… cat? It was large for a cat, like a mini panther, with extra-long ears and whiskers. Said cat turned its head towards me and I met striking cobalt-blue eyes rimmed in a teal blue, and my heart melted. Not because she was cute or cuddly, but the pain and suffering and fear I saw there. I turned around to brush past Therion and get one of the towels left in my bedroom and returned to kneel by our new feline friend. 'Let me dry you.'

  I was aware of being stared at by Bastien and Therion but focused on Leya— I don't know how I knew her name or that she was female, I just did. Hesitantly, Leya walked over and I started drying her. 'What do you eat? You must be hungry.' And then I knew, she liked meat. 'Mum has some minced beef, would you like it heated?'

  Yes, but not cooked.

  When I looked up Therion was standing next to Bastien and they looked somewhat astonished. 'What?'

  'I forget some humans are like that,' Bastien said by way of explanation. He looked to Therion. 'I found her outside hiding under the veranda, she said you brought her.'

  While I warmed the mince to room temperature, Therion knelt and gave the cat a head massage that elicited throaty purring. 'She saved me, helped me escape. I remember you rescued her mate at some point, so I thought you might be able to help her find her way to him.'

  'She's from the Dark Realm?'

  Bastien and Therion answered at the same time. 'Yes.'

  Bastien added, 'Leya is a matagot.' At my puzzled expression, he said, 'Let's just say creature of mystic origin that chooses a feline form, because none of your human myths quite agree about her kind.'

  'Ulyn has a lot of creatures caged in the Dark Realm,' Therion put in. 'She experiments on them, but that amounts to torture, really. You are right in assessing Leya as in need of compassion and gentle handling.'

  I placed the bowl of warmed mince on the bench, inviting Leya up. 'It's warmer on the bench than the floor. Mum won't mind.'

  Leya jumped up and I stroked her back before turning my attention to the coffee machine. I didn't miss the feel of scars beneath her fur. If she stayed here, she'd have a permanent spot on my bed if she wanted it.

  'I was planning to leave, I have business I must see to,' Bastien said. 'I wanted you to know that I've checked on all the neighbouring properties and 'had a talk' to the neighbours. All they remember about the evening was that there was a violent storm. I also double-checked that no strays from the Dark Realm had wandered into their yards.'

  I turned from the machine, placing my coffee cup on the bench, so I could look at him while I finished preparing it, although all I really needed to do was add the milk I'd just frothed. 'Thank you. I'm glad you thought of that, because it never occurred to me.'

  'All part of the service,' Bastien quipped.

  Qu-te-se

  'Not only is Uea lost, but Therion prevented us from getting the human. My Dark Majesty, I oath I shall avenge my sister and achieve your goals.'

  Ceri-talen's dragon form towered over us. He was not focused on Ulyn but staring at the glittering canopy above. The glass roof had not been repaired yet and a breeze gently ruffled the feathers amongst the horns crowning his head. This time, he had appeared without Ulyn summoning him. As ever, Ulyn bowed, her head so low, her horns were on either side of her bent knee. The servant who had just delivered the news of Uea's defeat was on both knees, in a pose of utter prostration. While I did not adopt a prone position, I had put aside the digital pad I had been holding, stretched and refolded my wings, and then bowed deferentially before straightening. My god was terrifying in his power and prestige, but I did not fear him the way Ulyn did.

  'Spare me promises you may not be able to keep. This is not the first time Therion has been able to thwart attempts to harvest yulari. Nor is this the first time he has defeated a una-sterath. But this latest failure has severely deteriorated my confidence in you, Ulyn.'

  'Forgive my audacity. Of course, you have greater concerns than the loss of my brethren. By underestimating the resilience of the vampires protecting the human, I have dishonoured your Dark Magnificence.'

  Her words brought Ceri-talen's head down, a frown of contemplation replacing his distracted air. 'You are unfailing in your loyalty. I mourn with you, Ulyn, the squa
ndering of such a spirit as Uea's on the likes of vampires.'

  Death is not distressing in our culture. We are children of destruction; death is another form of birth in our belief. That Therion had used Uea's spirit to heal his allies was a grave waste and my god's empathy was sincere.

  'That vampire is becoming more than a nuisance, your Dark Magnificence.'

  'Do not concentrate on the problem of Arareiks, soon enough he will have distractions of his own. He will encounter a presence he will greatly underestimate and that presence will, in time, devastate him.'

  They spoke of the vampire who called himself Bastien d'Estrees, but Ceri-talen spoke of him by the name he first gave himself in the earthly realm.

  'What is more important,' Ceri-talen continued, 'is that it is becoming more imperative that we reclaim Therion. A problem I must address in addition to those activities that fall under my jurisdiction. If you wish to renew my faith in you, Ulyn, you will gain Jayden Emerline Thaneton.'

  The dragon started to pull back, readying to leave, but Ulyn risked a direct glance up and said, 'What if I can get them both, master? Therion and the spirit you wish?'

  Laughter rumbled from Ceri-talen. 'You might prove yourself worthy of my regard, Ulyn. You just might.' He paused for a long moment and then added, 'In that light, if I were you, Ulyn, I would consider, with great intensity, the matter of timing. I find the longer a foe has to await an attack, the more time has the chance to drain him of his vigilance. Consider, also, that Therion's weaknesses are honour and his sense of loyalty. He has also come to value kinship under Aurealis's tainted influence. If he were to face an opponent to which he applied any of these values, he might find himself less committed to the destruction of his adversary. Especially, if you ensure the one chosen has all the advantages Therion is refused by his current master.'

  He was gone a moment later, but his laughter still echoed about the room.