Page 10 of My Soul Is His

Marla presses against me harder, her body trembling, tears streaming down her face, wetting my shirt as she releases me after what feels like forever.

The quivering of her small form intensifies as the sobs wrack her, the sounds choked and raw with the weight of past traumas, and I hold her close, feeling the intensity of her grief.

At this moment I decide I will do whatever it takes to make her life more bearable.

There are other people here with demons as bad but none of them are my dove. I’d cut myself into pieces and offer them to the Lords if it meant she could live a day with peace.

“I can’t live without you. When I say I want to go there, it isn’t because I love you less.”

Her words pack a punch, but not the one she thinks it does. I’m a selfish prick. I crave her eternal companionship, but the profound tranquillity she’s gifted me would make me move heaven and earth for her.

“One doesn’t negate the other. You’re allowed to want two different things at the same time. To heal in a place of hope and to stay here in this world of deranged damage with me. Emotions are a funny thing, you know. Are you ready?”

Marla pulls away from me and nods as I brush the tears from her skin. We both stand. I hold her hand as we walk home.

“What will we tell the others?”

“Nothing. We went for a stroll. No one needs to know your business unless you want them to.”

Thunder booms around us, the skies swirl a deep orange and red colour and fear pulsates through the air. Something bad has happened. It nudges at my stomach and twists it into knots.

Rushing over the broken pathway, I shield her from the branches as we reach the lovely tunnel we’ve had for centuries, only to find it torn apart.

Cracked rocks topple over, tree parts have been decimated into sawdust, and our few belongings are long gone. Grief grips me in a tight fist, and my breathing slows, but I squeeze Marla’s hand and walk toward the wreckage.

“SID, CHLOE!” I shout and toss chunks of rock away from the entrance.

“We’re here,” Sid whispers. He emerges from behind the boulder, crushing the dead grass beneath his feet and gripping Chloe’s hand.

“What happened?” I ask, running my fingers through my hair.

They join us, and I scan the surroundings, looking for any indicator.

“We woke up to a colossal bang and ran out of the tunnel to watch it fall apart. I don’t know if it was one of our demons or not,” Chloe says and wrings her hands together.

“Grabbed a bag of rags, but couldn’t do much else. I wanted to get her out, and when shards of rock fell, I figured it was best to bounce.” Sid gives me the sack.

“You did good. Don’t worry about who caused it, but now we have to hustle and find another place to hide,” I tell them.

It seemed like an eternity before we stumble upon a small, dilapidated hut, a long-abandoned past, the air heavy with the scent of damp earth and decay. We are sitting on top of each other in a cramped space, but it’ll do for now.

The mud floor is squishy, scratchy straw lining the structure for walls. Marla and Chloe lie on a bed of yellowed grass and use each other as pillows.

“The girls are exhausted. Walking about killed them,” Sid jokes, but my smile has disappeared for a while.

“Sid, I need you to protect both of them. There is something I must deal with right away. Guard them with your life and when I return, I’ll let you sleep while I watch over all of you.”

I stick out my hand and he grips it tight before pulling me in for a light hug.

“You have my word. Where are you going?”

“Best not to ask questions. Marla will torture it out of you.”

With a sharp turn, I follow the well-worn path, the rough texture of the stone under my shoes until I reach a main road and run as fast as I can to the Lords’ cabins.

I haven’t dealt with intimidation in the past. I’ve never been afraid of anything before, but everything to do with Marla holds me in a grasp of constant worry. This is the only thing I can do to ease the hell she’s living through.

Though as I walk the overgrown pathway to Berimund’s cabin, a cold sweat prickles my skin, and I pull myself up straight as I rap on the dark wood of the door.

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