Soul Bringer

Chapter 9

I crossed the threshold into the foyer of my home, startled at the sight. The chandelier hung high above, giving off its fading gray light. A black, grand piano stood next to an arched window, reminding me of the nights my father had played the notes of his very soul. At the base of the twisting stairwell I saw my father as he held a child's head in his hands. A breeze of light from the child's soul was being pulled out of the boy as my father breathed his soul in. The effort of consuming the boy's soul was draining him and I could see the flickering life within the child as he held onto that faint pulse of life.

The door slammed behind me on its own and my father turned to look at me, angry at being interrupted.

"Meleena. You've returned." He said with a sneer.

"Let the child go." I ordered him as I took a step forward. The boy let out a whimper as my father dug his fingers into the boy's arms.

My father studied me with his black eyes, the anger rippling off him as if I could see it clouding against him.

"Did you enjoy your stay with your mother?" He asked softly, clearly annoyed with me.

"Yes." I said simply. There was no use asking him why he had kept her from me. I knew it was so I would be easily bent to his will. "So, it's true then. Consuming a pure soul has gifted you with my abilities."

"Close." He said with a dark smirk. "I need more until I'll be truly invincible. And you will help me child."

From beyond the Echo a voice called out to me.

Meleena, please.

It was my mother's voice.

My father could hear it too. He let the child go in his surprise, his eyes alive with hunger.

"Nessa is close." He said eagerly. "Perhaps it is time for a family reunion."

The boy ran to my arms. My father studied the boy for a moment before he turned his dark gaze to me.

"You can save the boy Meleena. But in return you will remain here, with me, for eternity. And I will promise you that once I've consumed enough pure souls I will never harm another child."

Lies.

I could see the thirst in his eyes. He loved the taste of a pure soul. I searched my father's face, hoping to see a trace of the man that my mother had once loved. But whatever goodness that had once been inside of him was now replaced by the dark creature that stood before me.

I held out my hand, searching for the fabrics of the Echo, but I couldn't feel it in my father's fortress.

My father let out a cruel dark laugh.

I let out my song, calling forth my powers. The darkness from this world answered my call as I flung my arms towards him, knocking him to the side. I grabbed the child's hand and we ran towards the doors. My father let out an angry cry as he rose from his place on the floor.

My father's dark pets gazed up at me with their crimson eyes as the boy and I raced down the steps of the fortress. The creatures let out a howl, knowing I had betrayed my father.

I pulled the boy forward as we hurried through the black forest, the creatures snapping at our heals.

The blade.

I should have grabbed the blade.

The boy stumbled behind me and with effort I kept him upright. He let out a terrified whimper as he held on my arm. We clambered over the rough terrain as we sped forward. One of the Vorkens was upon us now.

Ratton.

He had always been the fastest of my father's dark pets. Ratton let out a harsh cry as he leapt towards me. He sank his sharp teeth in my shoulder and we tumbled forward. The boy rolled away from me and let out a startled cry.

I couldn't feel the discomfort that I knew must be there. There was no pain, no sense of touch in Remna. But the creature could kill me regardless of what I felt.

"Run!" I yelled at the boy as I turned to face Ratton. The boy took off in the direction we had been running as I studied the agile creature before me. Ratton was sleek and beautiful, unlike the rest of the Vorkens. He was small for his size, which made him faster than the rest of them.

He snarled at me as he jumped towards me.

I let out my song as I reached for the creature at the same time. He landed on top of me just as my hands found where his heart was placed. We landed on the broken ground and I felt his soul as he tore into my shoulder. I gritted my teeth as I fought to claim the beast's soul. I let out a roar as his soul surged forward into my hands. The creature fell down dead. I scrambled out from underneath him as I held the soul in my hands, unsure of what to do with it.

But this soul was not of this world, for my father had engineered this creature. In a flash, the dark orb of light disappeared along with his body. My father's creatures didn't belong in any of the realms. They shouldn't even exist. Perhaps there was no realm for this soul to go.

I rushed after the direction I had seen the boy. I found him just at the edge, pounding against the barrier as if he could tear it down with his little hands. I thought of the once place I belonged, the home my mother lived in. I ripped the fabrics of the Echo opened with a sweep of my hand and we shot through the tear. I landed on other side, the boy falling against me and we rolled along the soft smooth grass. Pain instantly burned in my skin from Ratton's assault. I ignored the pain as arms helped me stand. Another Mal'ak grabbed the boy and took him away. No doubt to return him to where he belonged, a place far from here.

There was no point closing the barrier. My father had his blade and he was coming. I could feel the dark thunder beneath my feet from his anger.