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

see the good doctor.” Fenris said, looking at the burns and scrapes on Jackal’s arms.

Yaaranam stared at the valkyrie wide eyed. She shook uncontrollably. Her heart thumped in her chest. What the hell were those creatures? What exactly was Fenris? Monsters? They were all monsters.

“Hey!” Reaper called. “Let’s get out of here before they decide to attack!”

“Yes, you should leave.” Fenris gave a nod of its head.

“You’re coming, too.” Jackal glared at it.

“There are eos here.”

“We can come back for them later.” Reaper said.

Fenris stared in silence at Jackal for a good minute while the others boarded the shuttle.

“As you wish.” It nodded its head and followed Jackal into the shuttle.

THIRTY-FIVE

Yaaranam was left disappointed from the troubles on the planet. No sign of her father anywhere. The only hope she had now was that bichani they pieced back together. She wanted to question him more, but since much of his internals had been damaged, he could not remember much of anything. She was put under strict orders to let him rest and repair and when he was ready he could tell her. She sat around impatiently, staying busy with training.

The bichani on the other hand was happily welcomed aboard the ship. He had a long private conversation with Reaper to find out anything at all about who he was and why he had been there. He liked adventures. He thought exploring the universe and learning all that he could brought him that much closer to God.

Reaper had never thought about it like that, but hearing the bichani talk about it passionately convinced him of the idea. Their conversation delved into the ideals of religion. Having never heard of Christianity, the bichani was filled with questions. They talked for hours on end. By the end of the conversation, Reaper had decided on a well fit name for the bichani since he could not remember his own.

Nostradamus.

A bright, adventurous spirit. He loved it.

Nostradamus made himself at home on the Syndicate. He had a good way of cheering everyone up with random images he would generate on his face. He had plenty of stories to tell. Adventures most could only dream of having.

He decided to help fight the eos, knowing that an extra brain on the case would be of significant help. Though he preferred a more peaceful approach, he agreed that violence could be a solution as well.

As the days went by, the ship was decorated each day and night with greens and reds. Wreaths were hung on doors, evergreen trees in each corner, ribbons crowned the walls, and artificial, sparkling snowflakes hung from the ceiling. Music played at a volume low enough to be completely tuned out, yet just loud enough to be heard through the soft chatter of conversation.

All duties were put on a relaxed state, giving everyone on the ship plenty of time to spend with friends and family. Small parties were held each night leading up to the Eve's party.

On that night, everyone on the ship gathered in the main mess hall. The largest of the evergreens was sat in the middle, all of the tables and seats rearranged around it. The most beautiful, bright and sparkling baubles were attached to the branches. Ribbons and strings wrapped around. A pretty angel dressed in white robes sat upon the top, playing a harp. Music filled the room just louder than the chatter of people.

The night was only beginning, not everyone had arrived quite yet. It was here, among his squad and newest members Jackal realized someone was missing.

"Has anyone seen Fenris?" I asked.

"No, actually. Haven't seen him at all tonight." Mjolnir looked around the crowd.

"This human event is quite...chaotic. I'm not surprised he's hiding somewhere." Yaaranam said around the straw of her glass.

Sparrow laughed. "It's called Christmas! It's the most important day of the year!"

"It's almost like our annual festival back home." Mjolnir said. "Only there's no fighting, gifts are exchanged instead!"

"Gifts? We save gifts for graduations." Yaaranam raised a brow. "Why for this day?"

"Something about celebrating the birth of an ancient martyr. The Captain tells the story every year!"

The holidays were a good time of year for everyone. Even during the war we took a break to celebrate. Surprisingly, the ravens respected the tradition despite knowing nothing about it. Still, it bothered me Fenris wasn't here. Reaper always went on about how this was a time to be together with family and friends and celebrate the passing of another year and all the good of it.

While the others explained everything to Yaaranam, who was absolutely confused about the concept, I slipped away unnoticed.

I checked my room first just to be sure Fenris didn't tuck himself away there. I wondered if all the noises bothered him. Most dogs had issues with large crowds…

He wasn't there.

The only other spot he would be would be was at the core. It was odd how quiet the ship was. Everyone was gathered near the top having a blast at the party. Down here, all of the clicks, beeps and whirs of the machines were clear as the sun. Even the core itself had a series of hums that was easy to miss through the chaos of people.

Fenris was there, curled into a ball. Sleeping.

"Hey, Fen." I said reaching down to grab one of the bars on the floor.

The lights on his armor lit up. His head lifted slowly. For a brief second, I thought he would lunge at me like he had last time. I got the sense of curiosity from him.

"How come you're down here? We're all celebrating the holidays upstairs." I pulled my legs around to sit against the floor.

"Yes." He said. "It is Christmas for humans."

"Oh, you know what it is?"

"No." He sat up and scratched at the back of his head. "Mother…" he shook his head. "Dr. Schreider mentioned the word. We were not allowed to join."

"Why not?"

"She said we have no time."

"Well, there's time now. You should join us."

He was