Her Soul to Take Summary, Characters and Themes
Her Soul to Take by Harley Laroux is a dark, supernatural romance filled with horror, occult rituals, and sizzling tension.
The novel follows Raelynn, a young woman who returns to her eerie hometown of Abelaum to finish college and investigate paranormal mysteries. Her curiosity leads her to a mysterious grimoire, which she unwittingly uses to summon Leon—a deadly, golden-eyed demon bound to a powerful cult. As Raelynn unravels Abelaum’s horrifying secrets, she finds herself caught between monstrous entities, an ancient eldritch god, and a demon who wants more than just her body—he wants her soul. Can she survive the cult’s sinister plans, or will she become their next sacrifice?
Summary
Raelynn Lawson returns to her childhood hometown, Abelaum, a place haunted by dark folklore and ghost stories.
She hopes to finish college while growing her paranormal YouTube channel, documenting local legends and mysterious happenings. During a visit to her best friend, Inaya, who owns a bookstore, Raelynn receives an old, unsettling grimoire filled with cryptic symbols, eerie sketches, and a summoning ritual she barely understands.
Meanwhile, a gruesome murder rocks the college campus. A student, Marcus Kynes, is found dead in what appears to be a ritualistic killing. Raelynn investigates the crime scene and encounters Leon, an intimidating yet alluring security guard with piercing golden eyes.
There is something unnatural about him, something that both terrifies and fascinates her.
As she explores the town’s history, she learns about the infamous White Pine Mine, a place whispered to be the heart of something sinister. She also discovers the Hadleigh family, a powerful lineage known for its wealth and influence—but beneath their polished exterior lies a dark secret.
The Hadleighs are the masterminds behind a secret cult dedicated to awakening an ancient entity known as the Deep One. Kent Hadleigh, the ruthless patriarch, and his children, Victoria and Jeremiah, orchestrate ritualistic sacrifices to feed this eldritch being.
Unbeknownst to Raelynn, Leon is not just an ordinary security guard—he is a demon, a deadly enforcer bound to the Hadleigh family by a magical contract. His purpose is to carry out their will, including hunting down and eliminating those who interfere with their dark practices.
However, something about Raelynn intrigues him. Unlike the others he’s been ordered to kill, he hesitates when it comes to her.
Driven by curiosity, Raelynn accidentally activates the summoning ritual described in the grimoire, binding Leon to her in an unexpected way.
Now, she is tangled in a dangerous game—caught between a demon who is both her protector and her greatest threat, and a cult that would see her sacrificed to bring forth an ancient horror.
Leon is torn between his demonic nature and his growing attachment to Raelynn. He warns her to stop digging into things she doesn’t understand, but her determination only strengthens. The tension between them intensifies—Raelynn is both terrified of and drawn to Leon, while he struggles to resist his instincts to claim her soul.
As the Hadleighs prepare another ritual sacrifice, Raelynn discovers that the town’s dark past is deeply connected to the White Pine Mine. She realizes that Marcus’ murder was only the beginning, part of a three-sacrifice ritual intended to bring the Deep One closer to awakening.
She also uncovers the horrifying truth that she is the cult’s next intended victim.
Leon, bound by his contract, is initially powerless to intervene. However, as his feelings for Raelynn grow, he begins seeking a loophole.
When she is captured by the cult and prepared for sacrifice, Leon finally breaks free of Kent Hadleigh’s control. Defying his masters for the first time, he slaughters several cult members and rescues Raelynn.
Chaos erupts as the ritual spirals out of control. The Deep One begins to stir beneath the town, eldritch horrors manifest, and the mine collapses, sealing away the ancient entity—for now. The Hadleigh family is destroyed, but the cult’s influence still lingers.
Leon and Raelynn escape, bound by love, survival, and the darkness they have both faced. Though they have won this battle, they know the war is far from over. The remnants of the cult still lurk in the shadows, and the whispers of the Deep One suggest that its hunger is far from satisfied.
Their story is only beginning.
Characters
Raelynn Lawson
Raelynn starts as a curious and stubborn ghost hunter, deeply fascinated by the supernatural, yet unaware of the true horrors lurking in Abelaum. Her return to her childhood town is meant to be a simple continuation of her ghost-hunting YouTube channel and academic pursuits, but she quickly finds herself entangled in a far more dangerous reality.
As she comes into possession of the grimoire, her interest shifts from casual investigations to uncovering deep-seated secrets about the town’s dark past. However, her reckless pursuit of knowledge puts her at the center of a deadly conspiracy, making her the ultimate target for the Hadleigh cult.
Despite her fear, Raelynn refuses to back down, displaying an impressive blend of intelligence, defiance, and adaptability. She does not blindly submit to fate but instead takes charge of her survival, pushing back against forces far beyond her comprehension.
Her relationship with Leon is a pivotal aspect of her character development. What begins as an unsettling attraction soon transforms into a profound and complex bond.
She learns to navigate both her fear and desire, balancing her need for safety with her growing trust in the very creature that should have been her doom. By the end, Raelynn evolves into someone no longer content with mere investigations. She is a fighter, hardened by the darkness she has faced and prepared for whatever other horrors may come.
Leon
Leon is a demon whose existence has been dictated by servitude, bound to the Hadleigh family and forced to carry out their gruesome will. His reputation as a ruthless enforcer precedes him, earning him the moniker “Killer.”
Yet, beneath his cold exterior lies a mind plagued by frustration, restlessness, and a yearning for something beyond his forced obligations. Unlike other demons who might revel in destruction, Leon harbors a sense of detachment from his role. He neither fully embraces his master’s desires nor outright rebels—at least, not until Raelynn enters the picture.
Her summoning of him triggers an unexpected reaction, disrupting the rigid structure of his existence. Instead of viewing her as just another soul to be taken, he becomes fascinated by her persistence and defiance.
She represents everything he is not—free-willed, unpredictable, and unafraid to challenge authority. This connection forces him into an internal battle, as he struggles between his demonic instincts and his growing unwillingness to see Raelynn as just another casualty.
His decision to defy Kent Hadleigh is not just a rejection of servitude but an assertion of self-autonomy, something he has never truly experienced before. By the novel’s conclusion, Leon is no longer simply a weapon wielded by others. He is a being who has chosen his own path, even if that path leads him to an uncertain future alongside Raelynn.
Kent Hadleigh
Kent Hadleigh embodies the essence of cold, calculated evil, orchestrating unspeakable rituals to awaken an eldritch horror beneath the town. As the leader of the Hadleigh cult, he holds immense influence and wields dark magic to maintain control over both humans and supernatural entities alike, including Leon.
He is a man driven by an unshakable belief in his cause, viewing sacrifices not as acts of cruelty but as necessary offerings to ensure the Deep One’s awakening. His fanaticism is matched only by his cunning, as he manipulates not only his followers but also supernatural beings into serving his will.
Kent does not fear the horrors he serves—instead, he sees himself as an extension of their power, believing that his role in awakening the Deep One will grant him unparalleled status. However, his greatest downfall is his arrogance, particularly in underestimating both Raelynn and Leon.
While he believes he has total control, he fails to account for the unpredictability of human defiance and the shifting loyalties of those he commands. His gruesome fate at the hands of Leon is fitting. He ultimately becomes a victim of the very forces he sought to control, proving that even the most disciplined cult leader is not immune to the chaos he helped unleash.
Victoria and Jeremiah Hadleigh
Victoria and Jeremiah Hadleigh are not merely followers of their father’s cause. They are willing and eager participants in his rituals.
They are the embodiment of privilege twisted by dark influence, having grown up within the cult and fully embracing its horrific practices. Unlike their father, whose motivations stem from a grand vision of eldritch servitude, the twins operate with a more sadistic and selfish agenda.
Victoria, cold and calculating, enjoys the power that comes with their family’s dark ties, manipulating those around her to ensure the cult’s continued dominance. Jeremiah, on the other hand, is reckless and brutal, reveling in the violence their rituals demand without the same level of strategic thinking as his sister.
Their loyalty to their father proves to be their undoing, as they fail to recognize the instability growing within Leon. Their deaths serve as a turning point in the narrative, signaling the beginning of the Hadleigh cult’s downfall.
While Kent may have seen them as his successors, they ultimately become collateral damage in the unraveling of his grand scheme. This demonstrates that blind devotion to a force beyond human understanding is a doomed pursuit.
Themes
The Manipulation of Free Will Under Supernatural Bondage and the Struggle to Break It
A defining theme of Her Soul to Take is the exploration of free will in a world where supernatural forces dictate the fates of individuals. Leon’s entire existence is shaped by his forced servitude to the Hadleigh family, preventing him from making choices beyond what is commanded of him.
His internal conflict stems from his desire to resist, but the magical constraints placed upon him leave him powerless to act. This theme extends beyond Leon, as Raelynn, too, is pulled into a destiny not of her choosing.
Her involvement with the cult is not something she actively seeks; rather, she stumbles into it due to her curiosity, only to find herself unable to escape its grasp. True freedom is earned through calculated defiance rather than spontaneous rebellion.
The Seduction of Power and the Price of Playing with the Unknown
Throughout the novel, characters repeatedly engage with forces far beyond their comprehension, drawn in by the allure of power. The Hadleigh family embodies this completely, as they devote their lives to summoning the Deep One in hopes of obtaining divine favor.
Even Leon, a creature of immense strength, is still subject to the power of those who control him. The novel paints a bleak picture of what happens when individuals attempt to wield eldritch forces—their ambitions inevitably lead to destruction, as these powers are neither merciful nor easily controlled.
Raelynn, despite not seeking power, is still tempted by it. The knowledge contained in the grimoire gives her access to hidden truths, but the deeper she delves, the more danger she invites upon herself.
The contrast between her and the Hadleighs highlights the difference between curiosity and reckless ambition. Whereas Raelynn seeks understanding, the Hadleighs crave dominance, ultimately leading to their demise.
The Unpredictable Nature of Desire in the Face of Fear
One of the novel’s most complex themes is the interplay between desire and fear, particularly in the dynamic between Raelynn and Leon. She is initially terrified of him, recognizing that he is a predator who could destroy her at any moment.
Yet, her fear is interwoven with fascination, leading to an attraction that is as dangerous as it is irresistible. Similarly, Leon is drawn to Raelynn in a way that contradicts his demonic nature, feeling emotions he is not meant to experience.
This theme challenges the conventional ideas of love and attraction, suggesting that true connection often arises in unexpected and volatile circumstances. Their relationship is not built on traditional romance but rather on survival, trust, and an undeniable pull toward one another, making it both compelling and unsettling.