The Curse Of The Soul Guardian

By Blaze Drake

In a dark, gritty world where souls are bought, sold, and traded as currency, Aria is a cursed soul keeper, tasked with protecting and guiding souls to their final resting place. Her curse allows her to see and interact with souls, but it also makes her a target for those who would exploit her power for their own gain.

 

When Aria's younger sister, Lyra, falls ill and her soul is stolen by a powerful and malevolent entity known as the Soul Collector, Aria must navigate the treacherous underworld to save her sister's soul before it's traded away forever. With time running out and danger lurking around every corner, Aria reluctantly teams up with Nox, a mysterious and morally ambiguous soul trader, who offers to help her in exchange for a favor.

 

As Aria descends deeper into the underworld, she uncovers a web of corruption and deceit that threatens to unravel the very fabric of her society. She must confront dangerous criminals, corrupt politicians, and otherworldly beings in her quest to save her sister's soul. Along the way, she begins to question the true nature of souls and the morality of the soul trade itself.

 

With Nox's help, Aria infiltrates the Soul Collector's inner circle and discovers a shocking truth about her own cursed existence. Faced with an impossible choice, Aria must decide whether to embrace her curse and the power it grants her, or to reject it and risk losing her sister's soul forever.

 

In a thrilling climax, Aria confronts the Soul Collector and fights to reclaim her sister's soul, but at a terrible cost. In the end, she must grapple with the consequences of her actions and the realization that in a world where souls are currency, no one is truly innocent.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lovestruck Publishing
• Release date: Mar 21, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224250776

Blaze Drake

Blaze Drake burst onto the paranormal romance scene with her smash hit debut Forbidden Flames, enthralling readers with its tale of fated supernatural lovers. While new to publishing, Blaze has nurtured a lifelong passion for love stories with fantastical twists which is evident in the fiery imagination, intensity and allure woven throughout her breakout first novel. Hailing from the Midwest, she grew up enthralled by dark fairytales and cosmic romance novels, filling her free time scribbling poems and startup fiction which leaned heavily into mystical themes of eternal bonds. After pursuing her English degree with special focus on gothic romantic influences, she continued steeping herself in rich mythological lore and narrative archetypes across different cultures.  Blaze knew she had crafted something special when her undying love for the genre synthesized into Forbidden Flames. The book's perfect alchemical fusion of tender romance with otherworldly stakes proved a hit with audiences. Fans clamor to know if the star-crossed phoenix and dragon lovers will return for more heart-racing adventures exploring the intersections between magic and desire. When not meeting reader's insatiable demands for her unique brand of paranormal passion stories, Blaze enjoys venturing into remote wilderness locations to center herself and collect inspiration for crafting her next world of wonder. She also devotes time to various animal rescue organizations, claiming she gets her best plot ideas while caring for creatures great and small just like her fictional shifter darlings.  Stay tuned for what otherworldly romance Blaze Drake has in store next! If her smash debut is any indication, this ingenious author aims to continue raising the bar in fantasy-fueled amour.

Book preview

The Curse Of The Soul Guardian

A Dangerous Pact in the World of Souls

Copyright © 2024 by Blaze Drake.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations in critical articles or reviews.

First Edition : March 2024

Content

Chapter 1 : The Soul Trade

Chapter 2 : A Sister's Plight

Chapter 3 : The Mysterious Trader

Chapter 4 : Descending into Darkness

Chapter 5 : Whispers of Corruption

Chapter 6 : The Rival Keeper

Chapter 7 : A Dangerous Bargain

Chapter 8 : Secrets and Lies

Chapter 9 : The Rebels' Gambit

Chapter 10 : Into the Lion's Den

Chapter 11 : The Soul Vault

Chapter 12 : The Price of Power

Chapter 13 : Betrayal and Sacrifice

Chapter 14 : The Collector's Gambit

Chapter 15 : A Glimmer of Hope

Chapter 16 : The Gathering Storm

Chapter 17 : The Souls' Lament

Chapter 18 : The Collector's Reckoning

Chapter 19 : The Final Gambit

Chapter 20 : The Curse Unbound

Chapter 21 : The Soul Rebellion

Chapter 22 : The Collector's Last Stand

Chapter 23 : The Final Sacrifice

Chapter 24 : A New Dawn

Chapter 25 : The Soul Guardian

Chapter 1 : The Soul Trade

THE COPPERY TANG OF blood mingled with the acrid stench of dark magic, burning Aria's nostrils as she crept through the twisting alleyways of the Ravensmith district. Tendrils of oily mist curled around her ankles, threatening to drag her into the hungry shadows. She clutched her stave tighter, the gnarled wood thrumming with contained power.

Somewhere in this labyrinth lurked her quarry—and the stolen soul it carried. 

Aria paused at a corner, listening past the frantic thudding of her heart. The distant clanking of the soul cages carried on the night wind, punctuated by the occasional tortured scream. Just another bloody night in Tenebris, the cursed city of stolen souls.

A ragged shape stumbled out of the fog, nearly colliding with her. Aria whirled, the stave crackling with violet light, then relaxed as she recognized the slight figure. Bracks. You look like hell.

The boy hunched his shoulders, pulling his threadbare coat tighter. Skin traders. Tracked me halfway 'cross the Shank. Getting bolder, they are.

Aria grimaced. The skin traders dealt in flesh, carving enchanted tattoos from their victims to sell on the soul market. A gruesome but lucrative trade. Take the rooftops next time. Traders rarely look up.

Easy for you to say, Bracks muttered. Not all of us've got soul magic to help with the climbing.

No magic required. Just powerful arms and quick feet. Aria pulled a roll of lemon bread from her pocket and tossed it at him. Get home safe. Dawn's a few hours off yet.

Bracks snatched the bread out of the air and darted off into the mist. Aria waited until his pattering footsteps faded, then rounded the corner.

A narrow street stretched before her, fog swirling between crumbling stone buildings. Tattered awnings flapped in a sour breeze, and water dripped from leering gargoyles. The night market was long closed, leaving only eerie silence. 

Then, from the far end of the street, the sound of shattering glass.

Aria crept forward, keeping to the shadows. As she approached the last building, the metallic whine of a soul cage grew louder. An unnatural crimson light spilled through a shattered window, pulsing in time to some unseen heartbeat. 

Voices drifted out. A man's baritone: ...sure it's the one?  

A woman answered, her alto sharp as cut glass. Certain. Snatched it myself.

A fine specimen. The man's tone turned gloating. The Collector will pay handsomely.

Aria eased up to the broken window and peered through. Two figures stood over a small silver box—a soul cage. It emitted a piercing whistle as they passed their hands over its surface. The crimson light pulsed brighter with each pass.

The man straightened, rubbing his hands together. Vek will be pleased. He's been searching for this soul for months. He shot the woman a sideways glance. Though how you found it...

I have my ways. She smiled, utterly without warmth. You just worry about my payment.

The man grunted and turned to an iron safe standing against the wall. He spun the dial and pulled the door open to reveal stacks of gleaming coin. As the woman stepped closer, eyes alight with greed, Aria made her move.

She vaulted through the window, landing behind the cage. Before the soul traders could react, she slammed her stave into the woman's temple. The trader crumpled like a rag doll.

The man spun, a glowing blue knife leaping into his hand. Soul reaper! he spat.

Aria grinned fiercely. Got it in one. 

She lunged as he slashed at her throat. Ducking under his arm, she drove her fist into his belly. He doubled over with a choked gasp. Aria kicked his legs out from under him and pinned him with her stave.

The cage. Open it.

The trader shook his head wildly. Can't. It's coded to Vek's soul signature. He's the only one—

Aria dug the stave into his neck, cutting off his words. Vek's your master?

The Soul Collector himself, the man wheezed. The biggest trader in the business. You don't want to cross him.

What I want is the soul in that cage.

Desperation filled the trader's eyes. Take it! But you'll never hold it. Vek will flay the skin from your bones.

With a muttered curse, Aria cracked her stave across his head. He went limp, eyes rolling back in their sockets. 

She turned to the safe, still hanging open. Stuffing her pockets with coin, she hefted the soul cage. It was heavier than it looked, dragging at her arms with unnatural gravity. The crimson light swirled hypnotically across its surface, whispering of forbidden knowledge. Of power.

Aria tore her gaze away with an effort of will. This soul didn't belong to her. It was her duty to return it to its rightful vessel—no matter the cost.  

She pulled a scrap of silk from her pocket and wrapped it around the cage, muffling its insidious whispers. As she turned to the window, a glint of metal caught her eye. A small golden key lay in the dust, fallen from the trader's belt.

Aria scooped it up and slipped out into the alley. The fog closed around her like a shroud as she hurried back the way she had come. All she had to do was return the cage to her Enclave and her job would be done. 

If only it were that simple. Even now, the power in the cage tugged at something deep inside her. The curse that had haunted her since birth.

You could keep it, a small voice whispered. Wield its power. Break your chains. 

Aria shook her head sharply. She had a duty. A purpose. She would not succumb to the temptation of the stolen souls.

No matter how loudly they called her name.

As Aria emerged from the alley, a figure detached from the shadows. A man in a dark coat, his face obscured by a wide-brimmed hat. He fell into step beside her.

Dangerous cargo you've got there, Reaper? His voice was a smoky rasp.

Aria stiffened, fingers tightening on her stave. Who are you?

The man tilted his head. A sliver of bone-pale skin showed above his high collar. Call me Nox. Soul trader, at your service.

I don't need your service.

Ah, but I think you do. Nox's black eyes glittered. That soul you carry? It's more dangerous than you know.

Aria shot him a sharp look. What do you mean?

Let's just say it has the power to bring the whole rotting edifice of Tenebris crashing down. Nox's lips quirked. In the right hands, of course.

And you think your hands are the right ones?

I know how the game is played. I can help you navigate the spider's web you've stumbled into. He halted, turning to face her directly. For a price.

Aria studied him coldly. What price?

His smile widened. A favor, nothing more. To be named later.

Every instinct screamed at Aria to refuse. To bring the soul cage back to the Enclave and wash her hands of this whole sordid business. 

But something in Nox's knowing gaze stopped her. A flicker of something more than greed. Something like...recognition. 

Why should I trust you?

Nox spread his hands. In a city built on lies, even the truth can be a weapon. I'm offering you a chance to wield it.

Aria hesitated a moment longer. The soul cage pulsed against her side like a second heartbeat, insistent. Demanding.

Fine, she bit out. I'll hear you out. But if you cross me, I'll send you to the hells myself.

Nox swept her an ironic bow. I'd expect nothing less from a reaper. He straightened, gaze sharpening. Now, let me tell you about the Soul Collector's most prized possession—and the sister who'd do anything to steal it back.

Aria felt as if a skeletal hand had closed around her own heart. My sister?

Nox's smile was a crescent blade in the darkness. Your sister's soul. He tucked his hands into his pockets. What do you know about the Soulkeeper's Curse?

As Aria followed him into the swirling mists, the soul cage whispered a promise—and a warning. Her world would never be the same.

Chapter 2 : A Sister's Plight

THE MISTS SWIRLED AROUND Aria as she followed Nox deeper into the warren of alleyways. The soul cage pulsed against her side, its whispers growing more insistent with each step. She gritted her teeth and focused on her companion's shadowy form.

What do you know about my sister? 

Nox glanced back, his dark eyes glinting. Lyra, isn't it? Pretty little thing. Rare soul, too. 

Aria's breath caught. How do you—

I make it my business to know things others would rather keep hidden. Nox ducked under a low archway, coat flaring. Especially when those things are worth a fortune on the soul market.

Aria hurried after him, heart pounding. Is she...has someone taken her?

Taken her soul, you mean? Nox's voice echoed oddly in the narrow passage. Not yet. But not for lack of trying.

Relief and fear warred in Aria's chest. Lyra was still safe—for now. But if the soul traders had targeted her...

The passage opened into a small courtyard hemmed in by crumbling stone walls. A single twisted tree grew in the center, its branches grasping at the mist-shrouded sky. Nox halted beneath it, turning to face Aria. 

Your sister has a rare gift, he said quietly. The ability to see souls as they truly are. To peer behind the masks we all wear. His lips quirked. A dangerous talent in a city built on lies.

Aria shook her head. Lyra would never use her power for evil. She's innocent.

Innocence is a luxury few can afford in Tenebris. Nox leaned against the tree, arms crossed. The Soul Collector has had his eye on your sister for years. He believes her soul holds the key to unlocking the secrets of the Soulkeeper's Curse.

A chill walked down Aria's spine. The Soulkeeper's Curse—the dark magic that bound the souls of the dead to their reapers. The magic that flowed in her own veins, tying her to the souls she hunted. 

What does he want with the Curse?

Nox shrugged. Power, what else? The ability to control souls, to twist them to his own ends. To become a god in truth and name.

Aria's hand tightened on her stave. I won't let that happen.

Admirable, but foolish. Nox pushed off from the tree, closing the distance between them. You can't protect her alone. The Collector has eyes everywhere, and his reach is long.

I have the Enclave—

The Enclave is a relic, Nox cut in. A dusty bunch of scholars playing at heroes while the world burns. They can't stop what's coming.

Aria lifted her chin. And you can?

I can help you save your sister. Nox's gaze bored into hers, intense and searching. But first, trust me.

Trust. Such a simple word, but in Tenebris, it carried the weight of mountains. Trust was a commodity rarer than gold, and twice as deadly.

Aria studied Nox's angular face, trying to read the truth in those fathomless black eyes. He had secrets, that much was clear. But then, so did she. 

Why do you care what happens to my sister? 

Nox looked away, jaw clenching. For a moment, Aria glimpsed a flicker of raw pain in his expression. Then it was gone, hidden behind that careless smirk.

Let's just say I have my reasons, he said, voice carefully neutral. Reasons that align with keeping your sister's soul where it belongs—in her body.

It wasn't a proper answer, but it was more than Aria had expected. She took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the soul cage at her hip. The whispers had faded, replaced by a faint, mournful keening.

So, what do we do now?

Nox's smile was a quick flash of white in the gloom. Now, we visit an old friend of mine. Someone with the power to read the secrets locked inside that cage.

He set off across the courtyard, coat snapping behind him. After a moment's hesitation, Aria followed.

As they plunged back into the misty labyrinth of streets, Aria's thoughts turned to her sister. Lyra, with her bright, guileless smile and her haunting blue eyes. Eyes that saw too much. 

Aria remembered the first time Lyra's gift had manifested. They had been children, playing in the sunlit gardens of the Enclave. Lyra had stopped mid-laugh, her face going slack as she stared at the old groundskeeper pottering among the rosebushes.

His soul is bleeding, she had whispered, childish voice filled with a terrible knowing. Bleeding and crying, all alone in the dark.

The groundskeeper had collapsed that very afternoon, dead of a heart attack. His soul had lingered for days, a mournful specter only Lyra could see. 

From that day forward, Aria had known her sister was different. Special. And in Tenebris, to be special was to be hunted.

She had sworn to protect Lyra, to keep her safe from those who would use her gift for their own ends. But now, with Lyra's soul in danger and time running out, Aria knew she could not keep that oath alone.

She needed help. She needed Nox.

As if sensing her thoughts, Nox glanced over his shoulder. Nearly there. Stay sharp.

They turned down a narrow side street, little more than a crack between two crooked buildings. The stone walls pressed close, slimy with damp and crawling with pale beetles. Aria wrinkled her nose at the sour stench of rotting garbage.

Charming place, she muttered. 

Nox chuckled. My friend values discretion. And trust me, you can't get more discreet than this.

The alley ended abruptly at a warped wooden door set into the stone. There was no handle, only a small, rusted grate at eye level. Nox rapped on it sharply.

For a long moment, silence. Then a voice like crumbling parchment: Password.

Eternity in a grain of sand, Nox said. 

The grate slid open, revealing a sliver of a face. Milky, pupilless eyes stared out, fixing on Aria with unnerving intensity. 

A soul reaper, the voice rasped. She stinks of death.

Play nice, Geth. Nox's tone hardened. She's a guest.

The face vanished, and the door swung inward with a groan. Nox gestured for Aria to precede him, lips quirked.

After you.

Aria stepped across the threshold, stave at the ready. She half-expected some eldritch horror to leap out at her—but the room beyond was almost disappointing in its normality.

It was small and cluttered, crammed with bookshelves and glass-fronted cabinets. A fire crackled in a blackened grate, filling the air with the scent of smoke and old paper. And hunched in a threadbare armchair beside it, wrapped in a moth-eaten blanket, was the most ancient man Aria had ever seen.

He looked like a wrinkled apple left too long in the sun, his skin translucent and shot through with fine blue veins. Wisps of white hair floating around his liver-spotted scalp, and those eerie blank eyes seemed to take up half his face. 

Nox, he creaked, cocking his head. You bring me a soul untethered. How...interesting?

Nox threw himself into the chair opposite, sprawling with casual arrogance. One of Vek's lackeys was carrying it. I want to know why.

Geth's gaze flicked to Aria. And this one? What is her part in this tale?

Aria stepped forward, meeting that unsettling stare directly. The soul in that cage is connected to my sister. I need to know how.

The old man hummed deep in his throat, a sound like a death rattle. Ah, the pretty seer child. Yes, I know of her. He held out a gnarled hand, palm up. Let me see this soul you have stolen.

Reluctantly, Aria unhooked the cage from her belt and passed it over. Geth settled it in his lap, long fingers caressing its embossed surface. The metal shivered at his touch, red light leaking between the bars.

Hush now, Geth crooned. Let old Geth take a peek inside.

He closed his eyes, brow furrowed in concentration. The soul cage began to glow brighter and brighter until Aria had to look away. A high, keen wail built in the air, raising the hairs on her arms.

Then, with a sharp clack, the glow cut out. Aria blinked spots from her vision to find Geth sagging back in his chair, the cage smoking