A Soul to Keep

Opal Reyne

A Soul to Keep

Opal Reyne
51 pages1-hour read
Fiction
Novel
YA
Published in 2021

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Character List

Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.

Major Characters

Reia is a petite, 26-year-old woman with blonde hair and green eyes. She lives as an outcast in her human village because she survived a childhood demon attack, leading her superstitious neighbors to brand her a cursed harbinger of bad omens. Forced into isolation and fed only scraps, she has developed intense self-reliance and a quiet anger toward her abusers. When the village chooses her as the decade's sacrifice to the Duskwalker, her core desire shifts toward securing her personal freedom.

Key Relationships

Human Offering to Orpheus

Oppressed by Gilford

Fellow Sacrificial Candidate of Clove

Fellow Sacrificial Candidate of Darren

Tormented by Chad

Secretly Guided by Witch Owl

Hunted by Arachnid Demon of Sorrows

Orpheus is a seven-foot-tall Duskwalker with a wolf skull for a face and a body composed of various animal features. He wields minor magic gained from consuming priests and maintains a warded log cabin deep inside the Veil. Despite his terrifying appearance and predatory instincts triggered by the scent of human fear, he suffers from severe loneliness and longs for a willing companion who will accept him as he is.

Key Relationships

Protector and Captor of Reia Salvias

Former Human Companion of Katerina

Despised Rival of Jabez

Beneficiary of Witch Owl

Bargains with Gilford

Territorial Enemy of Arachnid Demon of Sorrows

Customer of Snush

Katerina is a voluptuous, dark-haired human woman who served as Orpheus's first long-term companion. She lived with the Duskwalker for five years before leaving him for the Demon King. Her departure deeply wounded Orpheus, instilling profound insecurities regarding his monstrous appearance and his ability to hold onto human affection.

Key Relationships

Former Human Companion of Orpheus

Romantic Partner of Jabez

Predecessor to Reia Salvias

Jabez is the King of Demons. He possesses a handsome appearance with tan skin and pointed ears. As a half-demon and half-elf hybrid outcast from his home dimension, he harbors intense bitterness and seeks to build a supernatural army. He rules his territory with absolute authority and openly despises the independent Duskwalkers for refusing to serve him.

Key Relationships

Romantic Partner of Katerina

Enemy of Orpheus

Threat to Reia Salvias

The Witch Owl is an ancient entity dwelling in the Veil who can appear as a towering bird or take a part-human form. She possesses immense magical power and operates as a silent benefactor to those she favors. She leaves protective trinkets and guides humans toward resources that will help them survive the dangerous supernatural environment.

Key Relationships

Magical Benefactor to Orpheus

Secretly Guides Reia Salvias

Supporting Characters

Gilford is the chief of Reia's village and a former town guard. He coldly presides over the human sacrifice ritual, viewing Reia as a cursed object rather than a person. He actively enforces Reia's mistreatment to ensure the village receives its magical protection wards from the terrifying Duskwalker.

Key Relationships

Captor and Persecutor of Reia Salvias

Bargains with Orpheus

Clove is a young human woman offered as an alternative sacrifice. She harbors a morbid fascination with monsters but emits a strong scent of fear, prompting the Duskwalker to quickly reject her as his new bride.

Key Relationships

Fellow Sacrificial Candidate of Reia Salvias

Subject of Gilford

Darren is a human man from Reia's village who volunteers as a sacrifice in an attempt to protect his family. The Duskwalker refuses him immediately, knowing from past experience that human men usually attempt to attack him rather than serve as peaceful companions.

Key Relationships

Fellow Sacrificial Candidate of Reia Salvias

Subject of Gilford

Snush is a friendly, intelligent demon who operates a clothing and fabric stand. He participates in the growing trade economy within the Veil, dealing in human goods and interacting peacefully with travelers who visit the bustling market.

Key Relationships

Merchant to Orpheus

Sells Clothing to Reia Salvias

Chad is a villager in Reia's human town who spearheaded the systematic torment against her. He directed the townspeople to throw stones at her and orchestrated nailing her door shut, cementing his role as her primary childhood abuser.

Key Relationships

Tormentor of Reia Salvias

The Arachnid Demon of Sorrows is a predatory monster living in the Veil. It sets traps using spiderwebs and feeds specifically on human sadness. It utilizes a hallucinogenic venom to force its victims to relive their deepest trauma and guilt before consuming them.

Key Relationships

Attacker of Reia Salvias

Enemy of Orpheus