Soul Keepers (Editing) #Wattys2020

21|

He wasn't looking at her now, his gaze glued to the ceiling.

"There were six of them, parents and four kids. The parents were human the kids they weren't exactly human but close enough that I didn't think too much on it. I was sent there to kill them. It wasn't anything unusual. I'd done it before, children were no different in my mind. A target was a target," there was heavy guilt in his voice.

"You don't have to tell me any of this," she interrupted sensing the pain in him.

"I watched them for days but somehow I couldn't do it; and I'd had many chances. Or really all I had to do was slip in the father's head or even the mother's and the entire family would have been dead in minutes. Slip into the father's head, make him kill his children, his wife not completely taking over, leaving him aware justnenough to know what he was a bout to do," a slow scornful look passed over his face. "I would have enjoyed it."

A cold shiver went down her spine, but she shielded him from her reaction.  She was getting better at doing that.

"But I couldn't. The youngest, she was barely two she had a beautiful laugh; unhabited, happy there was so much life in her eyes. I can't say for sure why I hesitated, what about those particular people that made me stop but I couldn't kill them, or more I didn't want to," a sad smile curved on his lips. "They sent another to finsh what I couldn't, to kill me."

She listened, he realized. Listened to everything he was saying. He had blocked out her emotions until he finished,  he wouldn't have been able to take her disapproval of him.

"They died in pain. All of them. It was unecessary brutality. It was just so violent, like he wanted to prove a point to me and I was too late, not strong enough. I fought hard, eventually killed him but I couldn't save them."

"But you still tried."

"Yes, but in the end I didn't save them.  I keep wondering how many innocent people died because I didn't question orders, orders I knew were wrong. How much blood do I have on my hands? How many deaths could have been prevented if I had only made the right choice. I took an oath then, to protect those who can't protect themselves."

He was fighting the same battle she was, Millie realized. His heart was heavy with the guilt of innocence that didn't have to be lost.

Thank you, she smiled, softly kissing him. There was no condemnation in her eyes but the same warmth that he always saw in them.

What for?

For telling me, for trusting me. I know it wasnt easy.

She straddled him running her hands over his chest, enjoying the feel of his hard muscles under her touch. She leaned over to kiss him but it was then that her stomach decided to make itself known and let out a loud growl. Theos laugh was hearty and booming as embarassment pinked her cheeks. He flipped her over and bent to kiss her nose, humor alight on his face, the shadows of the past receding from his eyes.

Lets get you fed.

The others were in the dining room, happy chatter leaking out from the space. It was an odd place to meet, thought Millie—considering that they never really ate—but it was where they often all came together. Kate had blended well into the Theo's family and was currently engrossed in a conversation about clothes with Kit who was sitting on table drinking from a blood bag like a juice pouch.

Bastain was in a corner broodingly looking at the others as they discussed a football match.

Theo's arm was slung around her shoulders and all the talk in the room subsided as heads turned to them.