Soul Snatcher (31 page)

“
You look breathtaking,” he said softly. His voice
matched the flames, they were warm and melted all over her skin.
Her breathing fluttered a little and she tried to tame it as she
was coming to realise that he noticed every little thing about her.
She looked down to her dress as if to try and see what he was
seeing. Before she could answer there was a knock at the
door.

Annie quickly
looked up at Baden and their eyes locked. There seemed to be two
distinct questions in his eyes; how much do you care and how much
do you trust me? By answering her visitor it meant that he might
get caught and that she didn’t want him around. If she didn’t
answer then it meant she would be left alone with him.

They both
just stood there looking at each other, waiting to see what would
happen. Though Baden still stood casually he looked
tense.

“
Annie,” Eli called from behind the closed door. She
steadied her breathing so as not to be heard. Suddenly she heard
the doorknob turning and she yelled the only thing she could think
that would stop him from coming in.

“
I am getting changed,” she said clearly and loudly.
Eli quickly pulled the door closed.

“
I apologise. When you did not answer I was coming in
to ensure you were safe,” he explained through the door.

“
I am fine. I am off to bed, it has been a long day,”
she lied as she stared at Baden. He watched her intently as she
spoke.

“
I will speak with you tomorrow then,” Eli called
out.

“
Thank you, have a pleasant sleep,” Annie said to try
and make sure he would leave.

“
You also,” he responded then there was silence. After
a moment Baden spoke.

“
Eli is gone,” he assured her. Annie still had a little
fear in her due to Baden. She had no idea what he was capable of.
Maybe he
was
trying to steal her soul? All she
knew was that he was doing a fine job of it. She looked off to the
flames to try and give herself a moment to concentrate.

“How is it
that you are able to read me so well?” She asked, thinking back to
all the times he had done so.
When he didn’t answer straight away she looked over to him
to find that he was just staring at her.

“When you are
turned into a snatcher your human
senses and abilities are magnified greatly but there are
some who become even more developed.” He seemed reluctant to go on
but he could feel that she wanted him to. “Some who are changed,
depending on the bane that changed them and how strong they were to
begin with, get other senses also. They sometimes can sense
someone’s soul.”

“
What do you
mean, sense?” Her voice was quiet as she tried to take it all
in.

“It helps to
determine what type of souls there are out there. We can also tell
if someone is lying or hateful or…in love…” he explained. Great,
well the cat was out of the bag in this instance.

“What is the
purpose in having that sense?” She thought it was a rather intimate
thing for deadly
beings to
have. He swallowed hard before he answered, like the next words
were going to change everything.

“
It helps for
when they are trying to steal souls.” He felt her soul churn in
anguish at the thought and it made him feel despicable.

“So
you
‘read’ me then?” She felt
even more vulnerable than she did before.

“I have
learned how to turn it off and can choose to…but I did not with
you,” he confessed. She wasn’t sure if she was annoyed or
complimented by that.

“Why not?”
Her voice was even but he could feel that there was hope inside of
her. He smiled to himself, as if it should be clear.

“With your
soul I cannot only feel it but I can see it and taste it and even
hear it sometimes…your soul is...beautiful. It is unlike any other
soul I have ever found and it has become my escape.” His words were
said so lovingly that she felt tears sting the back of her eyes but
she pushed them away immediately. She was not going to let him
manipulate her with nice words.

There was
silence for a time. She didn’t know what to say to him and he could
feel that she was refusing to believe him.
Her struggle made him feel guilt because he was a
burden to her. She stared into the fire trying not to let her soul
trust him.

“
I thought you were…” She said softly, opting not to
say the word dead. That night in the rain had tormented her every
night since it happened.

“
Unfortunately I cannot die so easily,” he said with
sorrow in his voice. Though she was not looking at him she could
feel his eyes on her. She didn’t like his comment and couldn’t look
away any longer.

“Why were you
l
aying on the ground looking
lifeless? Why not just stand up if you were still alive?” She
asked. She could have been spared the agony of losing
him.

“When you
s
tabbed me you only just
missed my heart. Usually, even if it had gone through, the dagger
would have no effect,” he answered.

“
Usually,”
she repeated, picking up on the word. He paused before he
answered.

“Because of
my feelings towards you it could have brought me to an end,” he
added almost reluctantly. He had never felt so vulnerable in his
life. He was typically the one who had power and control over
things and now he had none of that, all because of this one
person.

“What
feelings? What is the difference?” She asked, missing the
point.
He looked at her
closely, gently.

“
The one that
a soul snatcher loves, regardless of the snatchers strength, has
the ability to kill them,” he said seriously.

Annie was
stunned but tried to seem unfazed. Her heart beat fast
and she tried to steady it but
failed miserably. He could just be lying and she shouldn’t believe
him. His revelation was too much to take in at the moment, whether
it was true or not, so she changed the subject.

“
Eli told me what you were...you were a tracker.” She
said the words evenly. Baden couldn’t tell how she felt about it
because there were so many conflicting emotions playing around in
her. He nodded and looked away from her because he was
ashamed.

“
What else did he tell you?” He asked knowing Eli would
have left out one major detail.

“
I have been told what you have done, to so many
people.” Again her tone was even. She was afraid and disgusted by
his actions but she couldn’t ignore how she felt for him. Somehow
she still cared and it confused her. She felt like the common sense
part of her was beating the illogical part of her over the head to
try and stop the stupidity of it but it wasn’t getting through. He
nodded once, keeping his eyes on the flames.

“
I have been a nightmare in the lives of countless
people. I have killed the innocent, taken their lives because I was
full of hate. I am a monster in the purest sense of the word.” His
voice was coated in honesty and filled with remorse. He knew what
all of this meant, that she would not want him, but he did not want
her to love him not knowing what he had done. That would not even
be love.

“
And now it pains you?” She surprised him by asking. He
looked over to her to find her watching him closely. All he could
do was nod as the guilt swam around in him. Though she was only
human he felt as if she could read his soul, like no one else
could. “Why?” She asked. He thought for a moment before he
answered.

“
For most of my life I was someone who did what they
were told. I was a tracker so I did what I had to when in that
role. When I was turned I took the role of a soul snatcher but I
will not lie, it was my choice to kill. I hated everyone because
someone I trusted had betrayed me. I foolishly took it out on
others,” Baden answered honestly.

“
But what is the difference now?” Annie asked feeling
she had not gained her answer. He pushed off the wall and stood
straight. She took half a step back in reaction to his
movement.

“
You
are the
difference.” The words were said so softly that she almost didn’t
hear them. She looked at him in shock. “I had not found value in
anyone or anything and I did as I pleased, disposing of people like
they were nothing. Even if there was good in anyone’s soul, I could
not look past their failings to see it. Soon enough I just stopped
looking for the good altogether and I saw everyone as if they were
rodents. But then I found you…” Baden paused for a moment just to
look at her. “Your soul was laced with nothing but purity and after
that, every soul I saw I couldn’t help but look past their faults
and see their value. I discovered that I was the one choosing not
to see the goodness within others, though it was there. Then I
realised what I had become and what I had done.”

Annie was so
stunned by
his words that her
mouth fell open. Baden took a small step forward and she remained
where she was.

“
I know you have your doubts. I know it seems that I
may be doing all of this just to steal your soul and no matter how
much I assure you, it does not mean anything. I am here to return
the book you intended to read before I took it from you. After you
have read what it has to say then you may decide what to believe,”
he offered. She glanced and saw the book laying on her pillow, she
had missed it when she first came in. It was ‘Methods of the Soul
Snatcher’. She looked back to him.

“
And what if I refused you, what would you do then?”
She asked trying not to let her emotions carry her away.

“
Then I will not bother your life any longer.” Even
though there was pain in his voice he masked most of it. She
deserved to be able to decide without his emotions being a factor.
He wanted her to choose what was best for her life.

“
How is it that you have kissed me and I am still
alive?” She asked him feeling like she was about to give in
already.

“
There are a few different possibilities and then there
is the reason. I will tell you what it could have been and then I
will tell you what it I think it was…if you would like,” he
offered.

“
That sounds fair,” she reasoned knowing that anything
he said could either be a lie or bias.

“
Option one: soul snatchers have the option whether or
not to take a soul from someone who loves them, so I could have
merely decided not to take it at that point or failed to,” he
explained.

“
I see,” she said processing that option.

“
Option two: it could be that you did not love me.” She
highly doubted that was the case.

“
Continue,” she advised trying not to sound like she
was skipping the option entirely, even though she was. Baden
couldn’t help the hope that rose within him at the prospect that
she might love him.

“
Option three: it could have been me setting you up to
make you believe I would not steal your soul and use you for a time
before I took it.” He paused after the list of possibilities to
give her some time to think about them.

“
So that leaves what you believe the reason is.” She
was nervous about what his reason might be. He took an audible
breath in and slightly tilted his head to one side as if the answer
was ridiculously obvious.

“
The reason I did not steal your soul is because I love
you.” It was the truest thing he had ever said.
“
I love you, Annie.” He
repeated himself to make sure she understood. He walked towards her
and stopped when they were toe to toe. She looked up into his face
and searched for any lies she might find there but she could not
see any.

He placed his
hands on either side of her face and just looked at her for a
moment. He had to hold himself back from kissing her because she
might be scared. She swallowed hard, preparing herself for the kiss
she thought was to come.

“
I will not kiss you tonight, even though I want to.”
He let out a breath as if to say, ‘that was an understatement’. “I
will kiss you when you have decided that you are not afraid of
me.”

And before
she could say anything he leaned in and kissed her forehead. She
reached up and clasped her hands around his wrists as he kissed her
because she just had to touch him. He pulled back and looked down
to her face, enjoying her touch.

“
I will be back when you have finished the book,” he
said.

“
How will you know when I am done?” She asked. She
wished that he would stay but she knew this was the best way to
sort through the mess.

“
I will know and I will not be a moment longer,” he
promised.