The Soulkeepers

  Chapter 30

  The Hardware Stone

  Snakes are everywhere. They drip from the branches of the tree, falling like strands of spaghetti to the sand and surrounding his feet.

  “Help, Jacob! Help me,” a voice calls from behind him. He turns to see Malini, her eyes wide with terror. The snakes close in. Jacob leaps into the air, flipping over the serpents and landing directly in front of her. He reaches for the canteen around his neck and pours the water into his hand. He wills it into a scythe of ice and slices at the snakes writhing at Malini’s feet. Scaly skin flies, rubbery flesh piling in the sand. They die, but more come.

  They talk to her in hisses, all of them at once.

  “Come with us.” They ignore the slashing scythe. “We will give you the world. Think of all the good you will do when you control it.”

  Jacob glances back, expecting to see fear on Malini’s face, but she is serene. She is resolved, calm as a stone. She lifts her hand to Jacob’s shoulder and, as she makes contact, everything becomes clear.

  Jacob knows exactly what to do. He drops the scythe, circles his arms, and delivers a two-handed push. Not a human push, a push from somewhere greater, with power beyond his own. The sky opens and the rain pours down. The serpents don’t stand a chance.