The Soul Eaters (The Thin Hex Line Book 1) by Gwyndolyn Russell (e reader txt) 📕

being wanted that crystal. Wanted to touch it. To hold it. Its voice echoed in his mind. Calling him to it. Beckoning him to take it. Luring him in with the sense of being a hero for it. That only he could do it.

“Take it!” Fenris called from across the water. “You must take it!”

Jackal reached up for the crystal again. Something stopped him yet again. Like an invisible barrier around the crystal, a magnet shoving his hands away.

No one should touch it. Not a single soul in this universe should ever touch it.

He stared at its surface, watching his reflection fade in as if he were looking directly into a mirror. His reflection was that of a scowl, fists visible.

“What are you waiting for?!” The reflection snarled. “Take the damned thing! This is your moment! This is how heroes are made!”

“Yeah. You’re right.” Jackal nodded. He swallowed hard and shoved his hands to the crystal. Through that invisible barrier. His fingers graced its surface. Squeezed it.

Yanked from its pedestal, Jackal brought it to his chest.

The little eos stopped attacking. They squawked at one another, slowly backing up from the intruders.

A series of lights lit up on the shrine. Lilac hues lined the bodies of the serpents from tail to head where they brought the eyes to life. The cavern shook as if the planet was crumbling apart. Rocks fell from the ceiling and walls, crashing down into the wild water. A shriek resonated through the chaos, something like a whale with a voice of nails scratching down a chalkboard. It churned the marrow in their bones.

The little eos screeched and turned tail. They ran as fast as they could away from the danger.

“They come!” One of them squeaked.

“Jurm!” Another hollered.

“Munga!” Another chimed.

Fenris returned to the edge, using one wingarm to brace itself from the quake.

“Quick! Jackal!” It called.

Jackal turned and ran for it.

FIFTY-ONE

That crystal called my name over and over. I couldn't ignore it. Not how it beckoned me to it like a long lost lover. Even when I was face to face with the crystal. Right within the reach of my shaking hands. I couldn't bring myself to touch it. I feared that my touch would break it. Tarnish it in some way. I was only a pathetic little human after all. Undeserving of the greatness that this thing exuded. I knew no one should ever touch it. No human. No eos. No soul. It should have been left alone.

That wouldn’t have been heroic of me. The one item that could stop the eos. The one thing that could make them run screaming. Right in my reach and I couldn’t get the bravery up to snatch it from its pedestal.

Take me. It called.

I wanted to. My hands just wouldn’t move. I couldn’t make them move.

“Take it!” Fenris roared at me. “You must take it!”

I tried again. No. There was a magnet that deflected my fingers. Some sort of invisible force that kept me away.

I looked closer to the crystal. If it wanted to be taken, then why was it forcing me away?

I could see my reflection on its glassy surface. I almost didn’t even recognize myself. Thought it was a ghost rising out of the artifact. The reflection began to move on its own, separate from my own motions. It scowled and glared at me, throwing its fists around.

“What are you waiting for?!” It yelled at me. “Take the damned thing! This is your moment! This is how heroes are made!”

I nodded. “Yeah, you’re right.”

I took a deep breath and shoved my hands forward. Fingers curled around the crystal. I pulled it from its pedestal and brought it to my chest.

As soon as I did, the statues that made up its shrine rumbled to life. The etchings in them lit up in lavender, starting at the tails and working its way up to the heads. Then the entire world shook. It made me think of a volcano erupting a mile away. Or the way the ship rattled when we were at top speed. Everything was caving in around me. Rocks fell from the ceiling. Shook free from the walls. Crashed into the water below that was now swaying side to side like someone were shaking a bottle.

Then there was that sound. That shriek that made me cringe and cover my ears. Hollow and distant, something absolutely massive had woken up. All of the shaking must have been caused by it rummaging about. I half expected it to drop from the ceiling, or to burst through one of the walls, but I saw where Fenris was looking. The water.

The little eos that had been tormenting us, were turning tail. They were screaming and I swear I heard some of them chirp human words.

“Jurm and Munga!” I heard the squeaks. “They come! Run!”

“Quick!” Came a more familiar voice. Fenris was standing on the edge reaching out one of his wingarms. “Jackal!”

I ran for it as quick as my legs would carry me. I jumped over the rushing water to the first island. Then the second. The shaking must have thrown me off on the last jump. Fenris pushed its hand into my back and kept me going forward right over the edge. Once I hit the ground, Reaper and Vactubstein took off heading right for the exit.

We dodged falling rubble all the way back. At times the ground ripped open under our feet, making us jump. I held onto that crystal like it was a football, tucked under my arm, tight against my body. I was just gonna gun it for the entrance of the cave and pray that my legs would do all the work without much of a thought. At least I had Fenris backing me up.

Or so I thought.

The wolf was suddenly not at my side. I heard a thump and he was gone. I feared the worst. Turned around to see him standing there, pulling forward, but unable to go anywhere. His