The Twisted Souls Series (Box Set: A Soul Ripper, Twisted Souls, Soul Cycle, A Soul to Settle): Twisted Souls

The Twisted Souls Series

THE SOUL RIPPER

TWISTED SOULS

SOUL CYCLE

A SOUL TO SETTLE

by

Cege Smith

Copyright 2013 by Cege Smith

All rights reserved.

Ebook Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebookstore and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE SOUL RIPPER (TWISTED SOULS #1)

TWISTED SOULS (TWISTED SOULS #2)

SOUL CYCLE (TWISTED SOULS #3)

A SOUL TO SETTLE (TWISTED SOULS #4)

The Soul Ripper (Twisted Souls #1)

By Cege Smith

Copyright 2011 Cege Smith

Kindle Edition

Visit Cege's website and blog at http://www.cegesmith.com

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Ebook Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to the retailer of your choice and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

There was Before and then there was Now. Do not grieve the loss of Before. It was a wicked time when people turned away from the Light, and for their sins they were punished. Rejoice in the Light and Rejoice in the Now for it is your salvation.—A History of the Territory of Malm, Authorized Version

BISHOP

It was a memory that would haunt him forever. When he was a younger man, Bishop would sit near the fountain and stare into its crystal-clear waters trying to discover its secrets. The fountain was an elaborate three-tiered masterpiece designed from plans found in a book that had survived from Before. It loomed over its small circular courtyard. From the top, water sprouted out of a small tube and then cascaded down the tiers to join the water that rested in the shallow pool at the base of the massive sculpture.

It was the ripples that fascinated him; the way they would crest and move from side to side. When souls were present in the fountain, it looked like they danced and frolicked just under the surface. Bishop couldn't actually see them, no matter how hard he tried. The souls remained invisible to him. The Residents of Malm believed it was a magical thing given to them by the Creator. Bishop wasn't so sure.

That night was the eve of a Soul Distribution Day, and so the fountain was inhabited by several souls who had been Called from wherever they were kept when they weren't in the fountain. Bishop had sneaked out to the fountain to watch the souls at play. After watching for what seemed liked several hours, Bishop had been gripped by an irrational desire to jump into the fountain to play with them.

If he joined them, he wouldn't have to be alone any longer. It was like they knew that he felt like an outsider; not being able to recall his parents or childhood. The only thing he knew was the garden. They told him that the only thing he had to do was crawl into the shimmering water and float with them and he would never be alone again. He could hear them whispering to him. They wanted to play. They wanted to share their secrets with him. They wanted him to be one of them.

His foot had just brushed the surface of the water when Bishop heard yelling behind him. Suddenly, two acolytes were at his side, dragging him back from the fountain's edge.

Years later, Bishop could recall the sinking feeling of despair as he fell backwards, as if in slow motion. The three of them landed in a heap several feet away from the fountain's base. His voice, howling in frustration and rage, penetrated his ears. He struggled against the acolytes; he wanted to be with the souls in fountain. He wanted to play. He wanted to be free.

And that's when he saw it.

The water surged up from the surface of the pool and formed a vaguely human shape. Bishop stopped struggling and watched with his mouth agape as the figure grew even taller. Then it stretched towards them. One of the acolytes screamed and untangled himself from Bishop. He was on his feet in seconds. The figure loomed above them and the standing acolyte turned and ran. With fountain's spell all but gone, Bishop was paralyzed. He shrunk back as a thin tendril broke off from the main body and stretched out to hover inches away from his face.

It wasn't playfulness Bishop heard from the voices hiding in the water then. The voices were angry. They wanted something, something that Bishop had been on the cusp of giving them; something that was being taken away.

The acolyte next to him whispered words fervently and swiped a symbol in the air. Just when Bishop thought the tendril was going to wrap itself around him and pull him back in, it slapped at the acolyte and then flipped high in the air. Then the whole figure slipped back into the fountain and water sloshed over the fountain's edge as it disappeared back into the water's depths.

Bishop still felt a seething energy wafting from the water. Whatever spell the acolyte cast had saved them. He slowly got to his feet and looked at the man who rose with him.

The acolyte was barely more than a boy, but his sandy brown hair and intense green eyes were familiar. Then Bishop realized that it was Samuel, a perimeter boy who was being groomed within the Office of Souls to take on the role of Lead Acolyte to the Head Master. That also meant there was no shoving under the rug what had just happened. He was in trouble.

The Head Master's punishment had been a week confined to his room. Bishop had been grateful that the punishment hadn't been losing his own soul. But on his pillow the morning after the incident, he found an ominous message waiting for him. You are to tend to the garden, Bishop. The Office of Souls tends to the fountain. Keep your distance.

And so Bishop did, for many years. But he never forgot that menacing, hungry tendril of water that had hovered right in front of his face. He still sometimes woke up in the middle of the night drenched in a cold sweat after dreaming about it. He ignored the voices that sometimes scampered on the edge of his consciousness as he pruned the shrubs that bordered the fountain's courtyard. He tried to forget.

Then came Soul Implantation Day 3675, the day that all hell broke loose.

MALCOM

Malcom and Eve woke up early the morning of Soul Implantation Day 3675. They didn't get up right away, but instead laid in bed whispering and grinning at each other like fools.

I can hardly believe that today is the day, Malcom said, reaching over to caress his wife's cheek. Every time he looked at her he felt like the luckiest guy in the world. He truly felt like he had it all. He had a good job, a comfortable home, and a gorgeous wife. Plus, Eve was as smart as she was beautiful, and when he looked at little Cameron, he thought that he could see Eve in the shape of his daughter's face as well as her nose and chin. He hoped as Cameron got older that she took after Eve instead of him. He didn't think he could love two people more.

Today is the real start of our family, Eve agreed in a low voice. It'll all be worth it after today, right?

Malcom knew she was worried. He was worried too, but he wasn't going to tell her that. Today they were taking Cameron to the Soul Garden for her soul implant, and when they came home they would have the baby they always wanted.

Everything is going to be great, he said, stroking her cheek again. Cameron is going to be the smartest, brightest, warmest little girl this world has ever seen.

Eve smiled and giggled. It was music to Malcom's ears. Then they heard the baby's cry. Eve's face fell. I didn't mean to wake her. It's a big day for her. I was hoping she'd sleep longer, she said with a pained expression.

Although she had tried to couch it, Malcom knew his wife's words were less about concern for their daughter and more about minimizing the amount of time that Eve actually had to spend with her. Caring for Cameron, in Cameron's current state, had been difficult for Eve. Malcom was able to go off to work every day, and often his work required long hours and frequent travel out to other territorial cities. Since both of their parents were dead, Eve had been left alone to care for their daughter.

It's okay, he reassured his wife. Deep down, I bet she understands what's going to happen today, and she's probably just as excited as we are. Tell you what. How about you whip us up some breakfast, and I'll get Cameron ready?

Eve reached over and gave him a tight squeeze. As she pulled away, he could see grateful tears in her eyes. Thank you. I love you, she said.

I love you too. You and Cameron are my girls, he said as he gave her a peck on the forehead.

Eve nodded and then rolled over. She got out of bed and went into the bathroom.

Malcom swung his leg over the edge of the bed and sighed. Cameron was fussing in her bassinet in the corner. Malcom walked over to the edge and gamely put a smile on his face. He knew that doing this would help even his tone of voice. How are you this morning, Cameron?

Every infant born in Malm was born soulless. Eve had been inconsolable for weeks after Cameron was born, because had they naively believed that as soon as Cameron had been born they would be able to get her soul implanted right away. It was only then the Office of Souls advised them that there was a waiting list for souls. They also learned that for Cameron's safety as well as other Residents’, they were required to keep her sequestered at home until her soul implantation. No one had told them what it would be like to care for a soulless baby. It had taken six months for the name Cameron Lowden to be called over the public soul announcements as a Chosen.

Malcom wondered whether he would be as reluctant to be around Cameron as his wife if he had been the one to stay home with her. He looked down into the bassinet at Cameron's small face. As usual for a soulless one, her skin was a dark mottled grey and her hair was a dingy brown that looked dull and filthy no matter how many times they washed it. Over time, he had adjusted to seeing her sickly pallor day after day, but it was her eyes that still made his stomach do tiny flip-flops every time he looked into them. Her honey brown irises were perfectly matched to his own, but hers were rimmed in red.

There was also the matter of temperament. Soulless ones just didn't act the way that everyone else acted, and there wasn't a guidebook to follow that told them what Cameron needed. She never smiled. She rarely made noise. The only thing that Malcom ever knew for sure when interacting with his daughter was when she was hungry—the most basic survival instinct. Otherwise, he wasn't sure if Cameron had any feelings at all.

He thought it was luck when he and Eve had even been selected in the procreation lottery. They had submitted their names on a whim after drinking too much wine on their fifth anniversary. Only one hundred couples in the territory of Malm were selected every year to procreate, and it was made out to be a big honor. Children were a rarity in Malm.

Malcom had found the whole process to be invasive; there was nothing natural about it. But the procreation rules were a necessary precaution to regulate the population because souls were in short supply. The Office of Souls said it wouldn't be safe for the Residents if there was an overflow of soulless.

While the procreation process had been clinical and callous, Malcom and Eve had been treated like royalty by their friends. Malcom knew many of their close friends were envious, at least until the day that Cameron had actually arrived. And then there had been a noticeable drop-off in the number house visits and phone calls, until they had stopped altogether. It seemed no one knew how to behave around a soulless baby, including her parents.

But all of that changed today. Today is the day you are going to get a soul, Cameron, Malcom cooed as he picked her up. She weighed next to nothing. Next to his bare skin she felt like an ice cube because soulless children didn't generate any warmth—another detail that was missing in the Official Handbook of Procreation Procedure. Cameron squalled and then opened her big red-rimmed eyes wide at him, and her mouth made small sucking noises. She was hungry.

Malcom rocked her as he walked to the kitchen. He quickly warmed a bottle and Cameron latched on it as if she hadn't eaten in a week. In the first days after Cameron's birth Eve had reluctantly tried to breastfeed her, but wasn't able to get past the chilly little body latching onto her breast and leaving bruises from the force of the sucking. After watching several painful rounds and seeing Eve's fair skin turning black and blue, Malcom finally told her to stop. He had seen the relief in Eve's eyes, and struggled to not get upset at the unfairness of it all. This was nothing like the family that he had envisioned in his mind.

Eve breezed into the kitchen, pulling her long blond hair back into a ponytail. She glanced at Malcom and Cameron before reaching into the cupboard for a pan. Even though Cameron was doing nothing but eating, Malcom felt the tenseness coming off Eve in waves.

Everything okay in here? she asked as she pulled eggs from the refrigerator.

It's great, Malcom said, looking back down at his daughter. The infant's gaze was hypnotic as she sucked fiercely on the bottle. I was just getting ready to go over the rules again for Cameron, to make sure she doesn’t mess anything up. Although Malcom's tone was lighthearted, he felt the niggling doubt in the back of his mind.

Even turned to him with a panicked look on her face. You don't think she can mess it up, right? I mean, she is just a baby, so they'd have to understand that we can't control that.

I'm kidding, Eve, relax, Malcom said. He wondered who he should be more worried about, Cameron or Eve.

Cameron finished her bottle, and Malcom lifted her up onto his shoulder to burp her. He winced as chills ran down his spine from Cameron's cold cheek as it touched the sensitive area of his neck where it met the collarbone. He started to pat her back. An irrational thought flitted through his mind that she would latch onto his neck to continue her meal. He pushed the thought away.

She's not going to get a bad one, right Malcom? Eve asked.

He could see that breakfast had been forgotten as tears gathered in her eyes. That's just a myth, Eve. A stupid story they used to tell us when we were young to keep us in line.

What about Molly Jenkins? Eve persisted.

Molly Jenkins was an innocent little girl who got stuck with an abusive couple who should never have been able to procreate, Malcom said firmly. He turned away so that Eve couldn't see the doubt in his eyes.

Many years ago, a little girl named Molly Jenkins killed her parents in their sleep. Even after it came out that she had been abused, there had been whispers that her parents were not the first people who had died around Molly. The punishment for murder was soul extraction, but it had taken the Office of Souls months to decide if the usual punishment would apply given Molly's age.

But in the end, the Head Master decided that there could be no exception. Molly Jenkins became the youngest soul extraction in Malm's history, and then the rumors had started to fly that Molly had never stood a chance because her soul was flawed from the start. The rumors said that a man who had been convicted of serial murder had his soul extracted just days prior to Molly's implantation day.

Whether they liked it or not, souls were in short supply in Malm. If a soul was identified as flawed, it supposedly went through a rehabilitation process before it went back into the pool of available souls. Malcom shuddered to think that a soul that had belonged to someone evil could end up in his daughter. But he didn't have any say in the matter. The Office of Souls controlled the souls that were called to the fountain. The only thing that he and Eve could do was make sure Cameron's natural aura was more attractive than the others due a soul so that she drew the attention of the best soul.

He didn't believe for one second that whatever the Office of Souls did to those flawed souls made them any better. Evil stayed evil. There were still people in the Malm who lied, stole, cheated, and killed. But the risk of a bad soul was a risk his family had to take. A child without a soul would forever be a societal outcast, and that wasn't what he wanted for Cameron

He hugged his daughter closer to him despite the chill and smiled at Eve. Everything's going to be great. Just you wait and see.

SAMUEL

Samuel had been with the Light in the Office of Souls almost a hundred years, and served in the role of  Lead Acolyte to the Head Master for half that. But if asked, a Resident would probably have said he was in his mid-twenties. He had been told that time moved differently in service of the Light, and he had no reason not to believe it. Since his boyhood, he had known his life's purpose; to serve the Office of Souls and the Head Master with unwavering loyalty. He had never deviated from that mission, and he didn't ask questions even when he was asked to do things that made no sense.

Samuel was accustomed to a very strict routine at the Office of Souls, especially on Soul Distribution Day. Soul implantation was a very delicate procedure, and in the last several years, Samuel had noticed that the Head Master was becoming more fatigued after each ceremony. Although he worried, he said nothing. It wasn't his place.

So when he entered the Head Master's office to start the morning's preparations on Soul Implantation Day 3675, he was surprised to find him already at his desk. Usually the Head Master rested until an hour before the ceremony's commencement to conserve his strength. He was hunched over a large book, and he had papers with strange markings spread out all over his desk.

There you are, Samuel. The Head Master gestured for the acolyte to sit down in the chair across from him, although he didn't look up from his book. Sit. I'd like to review the implantation procedures with you.

Samuel sat down and frowned. Did I do something wrong during the last implantation procedure? Samuel had attended the Head Master at hundreds of ceremonies over the years and as far as he knew, he had never been guilty of even one mistake.

The Head Master sighed and closed the book. Samuel, you are my most loyal acolyte. I trust no one as much as I trust you. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. Suddenly, he looked ancient to Samuel, and the thought sent a shot of fear through him.

The Soul Garden was protected by the will of the Head Master, and everyone was protected from the fountain by the power of the Head Master. Samuel knew that at some point those two things could be jeopardized by the humanity of the Head Master, but everyone, including Samuel, operated under the belief that he would live forever.

I serve you for eternity, Samuel said with a bow of his head. Tell me how I can help.

I apologize that I have given you cause to believe that you have done something wrong. You have not, the Head Master explained. But for the safety of the Chosen, today we are going to make a few modifications in our preparations.

Samuel was surprised, and he knew that it showed on his face. I thought that the ceremony had to be done exactly to certain specifications to achieve the right effects.

The Head Master nodded. We will carry out the ceremony to the letter as we always do, but today you will be the only acolyte attending.

The other acolytes will be disappointed, Samuel said carefully. You know how they look forward to this day, especially after having to go through all of the necessary preparation.

They are unnecessary once the preparations are over, and so I want them to stay in their quarters, the Head Master said.

Samuel could hear the annoyance in his voice. He had reached the limit of the Head Master's indulgence with him. Of course, sir. I will advise the acolytes to return to their rooms once the safety net in the garden is secure.

Good. And I'd like to have Bishop watch over the garden entrance.

Samuel had no idea what to make of the request. Is there something in particular he should be watching for, Sir? I'd like to be very clear in my instructions to him.

The instructions are simple, Samuel. Once the Chosen go in, no one else goes in. Oh, and have him take a shovel or something with him. Just in case.

Sir?

I am sure it is nothing, Samuel, simply the worries of an old man. But I feel it is important that today we must be vigilant, the Head Master said, and sighed heavily.

We are always careful, Head Master. The ceremony is complex, but we have done it so many times I feel like I could do it in my sleep, Samuel said. ''But if you say these precautions are necessary, I will ensure they are followed."

That is my concern, Samuel. I fear we have become complacent. And I sense that something has been watching and has taken note of this.

Something like what, Sir?

The Head Master leaned back in his chair and paused as if considering whether to say more, then shook his head. Start the morning preparations, Samuel. I am sure it is nothing, but keep your eyes and ears open and notify me at once if you encounter anything unusual. You may go. The Head Master opened his book again.

Samuel was more confused than ever, but a seed of uneasiness had blossomed in his stomach. Although he had tried to hide it, the Head Master was afraid.

MARIUS

Marius woke up the morning of Soul Implantation Day 3675 in a state of calm that he couldn't remember ever feeling in his life. Today was the day he had been waiting for. Today was the day his life would finally be complete. After so long, he would finally embrace his destiny. The voices had told him so.

Marius was nothing if not patient. There was little else you could be when you reached adulthood without the benefit of a soul. In the territory of Malm, the residents didn't like to be reminded of orphans like Marius. Orphans were victims of procreation crime, and the penalty for it was the soul extraction of the offending parents. So on the infrequent times it was committed, the infants were often left on the doorstep of the Office of Souls.

Marius's lips curled. As if the idiots who ran the Office of Souls would give away a perfectly good soul to a creature that had been conceived outside the boundaries of their precious procreation guidelines. But it didn't matter anymore. Today was his big day.

Marius quickly dressed and went downstairs into the main hall. Breakfast was already being served, and he saw the look of annoyance on the face of the acolyte who served him. Given that most adult soulless required almost constant feeding, being late to a meal was unusual. Marius thought that it probably wouldn't do to draw attention to himself, but a big part of him didn't care. He was soulless, after all; emotions were supposed to be the property of the ensouled.

You're late this morning, Marius, the acolyte said as he slid a bowl in front of Marius.

I overslept, Marius replied. He knew that the acolyte didn't really expect a response. Most adult soulless never spoke at all. But Marius was different. He had always been different, but it was like no one in the Office of Souls acknowledged it except on the rare occasion he bent an administrative rule. It made him feel good to know that after today, everyone would see him in a whole new light.

The acolyte sighed. You know the schedule, Marius. Don't make me have to report you to the Head Master again. You've given him too much trouble as it is.

Marius ignored him and started to eat. For once he decided to hold his tongue. The acolyte seemed satisfied and moved away.

Marius looked down at the porridge in front of him. He had eaten the same meal fifteen to twenty times a day the entire time he had been alive. He wondered if somewhere along the way, some scientifically-inclined acolyte had determined that the soulless didn't have the same kind of taste buds as the ensouled. The food was boring and bland, and there was never the option to have something else. The one time Marius had questioned it, he had ended up medicated in isolation for several days. The soulless weren't in a position to ask questions. Marius was sure that the Office of Souls considered it a mercy that adult soulless were even allowed to live.

He was tempted to throw down his spoon and demand that the acolyte bring him a rare steak. Although he had never seen a steak to even understand what it was, he had once heard the acolytes whispering about a celebratory meal where they were going to be served steak. Marius recognized the pleasure in their voices and realized that this was something special, a food to be desired. Marius was sick of being treated like a lowly half-breed; without a soul it was like he was only seen as half-human.

He looked around the room with lidded eyes. There weren't many like him; adult age soulless were uncommon. In fact, most of the creatures that shared the dining room with him were actually desouled criminals. The facility hidden within the wall of the Office of Souls compound was one of the few places deemed safe for adult soulless to reside. The Residents would have shunned them anyways, but Marius knew that the real reason was people were afraid of those like him. Without a soul you were untethered from those things that supposedly make someone human. And if you weren't human, then you were something very bad; you were a monster walking around in a human skin.

Marius's appetite disappeared. He pushed the half-eaten bowl away and stood up. He passed into the great hall and stopped in front of the huge mirror that hung next to the door. When he was younger, Marius determined that the idiots in charge had hung the mirror there to ensure that those who lived there could never doubt that they were different from the ensouled. You couldn't start thinking too mightily of yourself when you came face to face with the ugly shell that marked you for all the world to see as a soulless one. There was no lying to the mirror and there was no hiding.

He boldly stepped closer to the mirror's edge. He knew he was tall for an adult; he often towered over the teenage acolytes who had been assigned to the Soulless Asylum after drawing the short straw. He knew that by assigning them here, the Office of Souls instilled an overactive work ethic early on, because the sooner the acolytes got promoted, the sooner they could leave. Likewise, when an acolyte needed to be punished, they found themselves once again back in the halls with the walking dead.

The Residents had long ago given adult soulless that cruel nickname. Instead of healthy glowing skin, as soulless aged their mottled skin became greyer and the dark splotches multiplied. Marius understood it, in a way. It was as though their human shell was rotting from the outside in without a soul inside to pretty it up and make it strong.

His coarse hair had started falling out in places. He had heard the acolytes compare his hair to that of a horse. Marius had never seen a horse himself, but he understood by their tone of voice that it wasn't a flattering comparison. But of all of his features, it was his eyes that unsettled the souled ones the most. As the soulless aged, their eyes became more and more crimson until the natural-colored iris was completely devoured leaving only the red. He wondered if that would go away today too. He hoped so.

Marius wasn't disgusted with his appearance anymore. He had never known anything different, and eventually he had grown weary of wishing for something that he thought was forever beyond his grasp. He slowly looked himself over, memorizing every spot and wrinkle. He looked forward to seeing what he would look like in just a few short hours.

Marius, he heard whispered from around the corner under the stairs.

Marius looked around him, and then cautiously approached the dark cubby. As he got closer, he could make out two beady red eyes watching him. When he was only a few feet away, Chim stepped out into the light and then shaded his eyes. Chim was sensitive to the light, which Marius had overheard was unusual for a soulless. But it didn't bother him; Marius was unusual too.

Chim, he said in greeting.

You get the book? Chim asked without saying hello. Chim was like that.

It's in my room, Marius replied. He had hidden it underneath his mattress. The acolytes were supposed to check for hoarded food every night at lights out, but Marius couldn't remember the last time they had actually done it. The fact that the Office of Souls’ staff had grown so lazy around the soulless was a gift that Marius was thankful for today. It made it that much easier to hide other things.

You didn't have any trouble, right? Chim asked. He looked over his shoulder as if expecting someone to pop out of the wall behind him.

No, Marius replied. Everyone is so caught up preparing for today's Soul Distribution Day that nobody was watching the library. I was able to sneak in without anyone seeing me. Although if you hadn't told me where to look for it, there is no way I would have found it. That locator spell you taught me took me right to it. It had a different name on it, just like you said. But I still don't understand why you needed it or why you couldn't get it.

The book is necessary for the ritual, and as to why I couldn't get it, let's just say that the Head Master's little safety precautions prevented it.

There were a lot of things that Chim didn't seem interested in sharing with Marius, but he knew he didn't have much of a choice but to play along.

Chim waved his hand and grinned. Don't worry Marius. The Head Master thinks he's the only one who can commune with the souls, but he's wrong. He's grown old and weak. It's time to shake things up a bit around here.

Marius wasn't familiar with emotions like fear, but he thought that the way Chim looked at that moment would have made a souled one afraid. In addition to his light sensitivity, Chim seemed to have a wide range of regular emotions. In fact, if Chim didn't look like a soulless, Marius thought he could easily pass amongst the Residents undetected. There were so many things Chim knew that Marius had never heard of before, but when it came down to it, he didn't care. Marius was due a soul, and if the Office of Souls wouldn't give him one, he was going to take one.

You sure this is going to work? he asked for what was probably the hundredth time.

Chim grinned again. My friend, by this time tomorrow, you are going to feel like you rule the world.

BISHOP

Bishop had the same routine every day except for the two days leading up to Soul Distribution Day, and the day itself. On those days, Bishop was forced to work around small swarms of acolytes who inevitably were right in the middle of every spot in the garden that he needed to tend.

Bishop had attempted over the years to establish a rhyme or reason for the cluster of movements through the garden.  They methodically covered every square inch inside the perimeter in their travels. Bishop tried on more than one occasion to work close enough to one of the groups to see if he could tell what they were doing, but no sooner would he get within twenty feet, they would all turn and stare at him in unison. Bishop would stammer out a swift apology, turn bright red, and slither away.

For a while he kept a journal, keeping track of each place where he saw a swarm and details like how many there were in the group, who they were, where they were in the garden, and what time of day it was. But after noting the routines across several Soul Distribution Days, he came back to his small room after work one day and found the journal missing. He couldn't ask where it had gone without having to admit that he was curious about the ritual—-something he was sure the administration knew full well. So Bishop said nothing. But if anything, that experience confirmed for him something he had always suspected: he was being watched.

He figured they had been watching him ever since the incident with the fountain. The Office of Souls didn't like wild cards, and there wasn't much they didn't know. Their spies were everywhere. So Bishop went back to tending the garden and tried to lock his curiosity deep down inside where he could forget about it.

On Soul Distribution Day 3675, Bishop was in the far east corner of the garden pruning a Braber shrub and trying to get work done while avoiding the swarms of acolytes that had descended on the garden that morning. Soul Distribution Days were the worst. Bishop felt like he couldn't turn around without tripping over some wayward acolyte who had gotten lost trying to find his group. The garden was like that if you weren't paying attention.

On Soul Distribution Days, Bishop thought that the fountain was just as eager to release its bounty as the never-ending line of parents with their squalling, mottled soulless infants were to receive it. Bishop had never been allowed to watch the ceremony; in fact he was expressly ordered out of the garden shortly before the ceremony began. He couldn't help wandering past the garden's entrance though in hopes of seeing what the hubbub was about.

Sometimes he'd sit outside by the equipment garages in the compound parking lot and watch the overjoyed parents emerge with their shiny cheeked babies. The women usually had tear-streaked faces and the men strutted around proud as peacocks. The babies were always cooing and smiling, and the parents showed off their infants like they were brand new toys. Then they all would get into their cars and drive off into their new lives.

Bishop wondered what it was like to have a soulless baby. The stark contrast between the strained faces of the parents when they arrived, and the almost maniac joyfulness when they emerged triumphant from the garden with a baby that was now-normal was obvious.

He wondered about his own parents. He wished he remembered them. But all he remembered was being in the garden.

Bishop?

Hearing his name called broke him out of his reverie. He turned and saw the Lead Acolyte, Samuel, hurrying in his direction.

Yes sir, he said as Samuel planted himself in front of him. Something I can do for you? Bishop looked at the ground at Samuel's feet. Even though many years had passed since the incident at the fountain, he could feel his cheeks warm as blood rushed into his face. He was still embarrassed that this boy had saved him from the creature in the fountain. They had never spoken of the incident, but Bishop wondered if Samuel remembered it like he did.

Actually, yes Bishop, Samuel glanced around them. The closest swarm was about a hundred feet away. The Head Master has a special assignment for you today.

Bishop raised his eyebrows. This was certainly new. I don't normally participate in the ceremony, he said slowly, trying to keep the excitement out of his voice. He would love to be allowed to watch an actual soul implantation. He had envisioned it so many times that he thought it had to be done just the way he imagined.

Samuel shook his head, Oh no. Nothing to do with the ceremony.

Bishop felt deflated once again. He never got to be part of the good stuff.

Samuel didn't seem to notice. The Head Master would like you to wait outside the entrance to the garden and ensure that the only ones allowed to pass are the Chosen and their parents, in addition to me and the Head Master. The other acolytes will not be in attendance today.

Who else would want to come in? Bishop asked. He didn't understand the Head Master's request. Even though he didn't know it for certain, after watching the swarms of acolytes in the garden over the years, he was fairly certain that they were casting some sort of spell on the garden to ward off those with evil intentions. Or the spell protected everyone outside the garden from the things that lurked in the fountain. Either way, Bishop couldn't see anyone being eager to get in without permission.

Bishop, I understand that this request seems a bit unusual, but it is a direct order from the Head Master, Samuel said sternly.

Bishop caught the drift quickly enough. Do what you're told. The Head Master doesn't have to explain himself to the likes of you. Of course I'll do whatever the Head Master needs me to do.

Samuel nodded. Thank you, Bishop. The Head Master said that you can return to your regular duties tomorrow. Please go attend to the entrance now.

Bishop started to put down his shears, but Samuel motioned for him to keep them. Take those with you. The Head Master also said to use whatever means necessary to keep any unauthorized personnel or Residents out of the garden.

Then Samuel turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Bishop gaping at him.

EVE

The car ride seemed to be taking forever. Occasionally Malcom would reach over and squeeze her hand, which on any other day Eve would have found sweet and endearing. Today she just wanted to swat his hand away and tell him to drive faster. Although Eve was scared to death of what they were about to do, she couldn't go another day staring at her soulless daughter's face.

Eve sat stiffly in her seat and refused to turn around even as she heard Cameron starting to fuss. The baby was hungry again. Since Malcom wasn't around their daughter as often, he hadn't noticed the increased frequency of Cameron's feeding cycle. She had tried to mention it once, but Malcom brushed it off, saying the baby was growing. But from what Eve could see Cameron was still the same size she had been since the day she was born. The difference was that she was eating almost twice what she had eaten then, and her hunger didn't appear to be satiated. Eve didn't want to even try to think what that could mean.

Before Cameron was born, Eve rarely thought about the soulless ones. She knew that the adults were kept behind closed doors at the Soulless Asylum. It was only after Cameron was born that Eve found out that parents often left their infants there too until their Soul Distribution Day. Malcom and Eve didn't have a lot of extra money, and sending Cameron to the Soulless Asylum was simply too expensive. So without anyone else to help, Eve had been sequestered at home per regulation with her ugly soulless baby.

Today signaled the start of their new life. Eve started gnawing on her lower lip, a tick leftover from her childhood. As long as Cameron didn't end up with a bad soul, they'd be home free. But there were no soul guarantees. You got what you got, and sometimes you wouldn't know that your child had a bad soul until it was too late. Eve shuddered and rubbed her hands together. It wouldn't do her any good to keep dwelling on that. She hoped that she would never feel the need to lock her bedroom door at night.

Do you want to talk through the ceremony steps again? Eve asked. She needed something to distract her mind. She looked down at the open manual in her lap.

Malcom sighed. Again?

Malcom, we have to do everything right if we want to make sure that Cameron attracts the best soul in the fountain. I'd hate to think that your daughter got stuck with sloppy seconds just because you forgot to say an incantation right, Eve snapped.

We don't even know if any babies other than Cameron are getting implanted today, Malcom said patiently.

Eve hated how calm he always was; nothing ever seemed to faze him. They called four names on the public announcement, and I don't see anything in this guide that says they'd go through all of this formality for just one infant.

Well, the Office of Souls isn't exactly forthcoming with details about any of this stuff, Malcom said.

Everything is right here, Eve said, holding up the Official Handbook of Soul Implantation Procedure and shaking it at him. You are always so skeptical. It seems very straightforward as long as you don't deviate from the protocol.

Do you ever wonder why there is a protocol? Malcom asked. Haven't you wondered why the whole soul implantation process is so secretive? I bet Before they didn't even have procreation procedures. What don't they want you to know that you should know?"

Eve let out a short sigh of frustration. She and Malcom had had the same philosophical argument since the day their names had been called as winners of the procreation lottery. She couldn't believe they were having this discussion yet again at this particular juncture, when they were finally getting their hearts' desire.

"Malcom, it isn't for us to question the Office of Souls. And personally, I couldn't care less if there is a protocol, ten million steps,