Chapter 221: Night of Hailstorm
When they arrived back at the castle and disembarked from the carriage, Emily asked Raylen, "How did you know about it? About the man and me..." She was puzzled because she had never breathed a word about it to him before.
Raylen gazed at her for a moment before responding, "Your grandmother and I had a little chat when you were sick. I had my suspicions that needed clarification."
"And what did you learn?" Emily inquired, feeling her heartbeat quickening its pace.
"You possess a Barter Soul," Raylen explained to her. "In simple terms, a tradeable soul that can be used for other purposes, much like a joker in a deck of cards. It’s likely what he’s after."
"Why me?" Emily asked, as everyone else in her family was seemingly normal.
Raylen shrugged his shoulders and replied, "Your luck seems to have fallen short. It’s probably the trial and tribulation of the Blackthorn bloodline. The trial didn’t end with Dante and has been passed on to the other siblings? Which might explain the root-like markings," he tapped his chest with his finger.
"Great," Emily whispered under her breath.
As if one headache wasn’t enough, another concern arose. Voicing her uncertainty, she said, "There must have been plenty of opportunities to... abduct me again."
"He’s waiting for you," Raylen responded calmly, and Emily looked at him with a questioning expression. "He’s waiting for your soul to corrupt, like a fruit that needs to ripen before it can be plucked. Each soul progresses through different stages."
"Thank you for explaining it to me," Emily said while her anxiety began to kick in.
This meant she would need to be cautious, and her movements would be restricted. She wouldn’t be able to visit her relatives or Janelle as freely as she had originally thought.