Page 37 of Soul

“MC rules can be as easy as stealing candy from a baby but can also be complicated. Soul will clarify in time, I’m sure,” Lila said and looked at Soul. “Are you going to talk?”

“Holy shit,” Soul gasped as Lila thumped him on his back.

“Eloquent as always, brother. Explain why you’re gazing at her like she’s a rare diamond,” Lila teased.

“Because she is!” Soul exclaimed.

I frowned. What had got into him? Soul didn’t look himself at all, and I grew a little scared.

“Bryony, you are my anchor,” Soul said, and his excitement was clear to hear.

“Your what now?”

“Anchor. Let me explain, as Jayden clearly can’t formulate a sentence,” Lila interrupted.

“Please do.”

“An anchor is somebody who stabilises someone with abilities. Those with empathy, or healing, telepathic, etc., all get a kickback when we use our powers. Or for people like me and Soul, we get pain when idiots lie around us. Nobody knew they existed until a woman in New Orleans…”

“Seeker,” Soul added.

“Good name with her abilities,” Lila agreed. “Until Seeker discovered someone who balanced out the backlash. None of us had ever heard of such a thing, so it seemed like a miracle when…”

“Craft,” Soul offered.

“Yeah, I can see that,” Lila retorted. “When Craft made Seeker stop feeling pain and stopped her passing out from intense visions. Seeker was able to use her powers without feedback, consequence, or health issues. Those who’d heard of Craft and Seeker had thought them a one-off. Until Warden discovered his anchor was Iona, his old lady. That meant Seeker and Craft weren’t unique, and there was hope for all of us.”

“And you think I am Soul’s?”

“Nope,” Lila said, and I felt strangely deflated. “I know you are. Soul suffers a great deal of agony when someone lies around him. As do I. I’m sure your Maci does, too. But you just told some whoppers, and Soul didn’t react once. I was hurting, but he wasn’t.”

“I caused you pain?”

“That’s not important,” Lila brushed that aside. “What does is the fact that Soul experienced no reaction when you lied.”

“There was nothing. I didn’t pick up on it. I know Bryony was lying, but I didn’t register the lack of pain.”

“So, what does this mean?” I asked, even as my mind raced ahead. Could there be someone like this for Ham and Maci? How long would they have to wait? Did I need to start searching shit out?

“For you? Nothing, everything stays the same. For Soul, it gives him a chance at a normal life. Jayden has three homes, Bryony. He has his bunk at the clubhouse, which is heavily shielded so he can flee the lies the club whores spout. Soul owns next door; his main home, and we both share a cabin in the woods, which we escape to when overloaded.

“Thanks to you, Soul will be able to be around people who lie, and his ability will work with no backlash. Soul will never have to fear pain or agonising debilitation again. Which to anybody like us is a fuckin’ miracle,” Lila explained.

“Do I need to be near him all the time? I have work and the kids. I don’t want him to suffer, but I honestly can’t help anyone else,” I replied. “And no offence, we’re strangers.”

“From what Seeker and Craft described, the moment they met, a bond began forming. The bond helps Seeker, but sometimes Craft needs to be near her, especially when having a strong vision or when she’s remote viewing. On the other hand, Iona’s and Warden’s bond is so strong, Iona doesn’t have to be around him,” Soul mused.

“Maybe because Iona and Warden are in love? Seeker and Craft aren’t. They’re friends,” Lila suggested.

I wriggled a bit uneasy.

“This is a lot to take in, Bryony,” Lila said.

“Yes. Does this mean I’m Maci and Ham’s anchor?”

“Sadly, no. Or they’d already be pain free. What it means is Soul’s pain will ease, and he’ll start to get a balance. Even if you moved away, he’d still have that link, but it wouldn’t be as strong as if you were close by each other. That’s our understanding, anyway. We only know a bare minimum, Bryony. This is new to all of us,” Lila explained.

“Why did you come to see me?” Soul asked me suddenly, and I jumped. I sent Lila a sideways look and bit my tongue.

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