My Soul Keeper (2 page)

Waiting to place the soul in its new vessel is the worst part of my job. Pregnancy is unpredictable; sometimes I spend weeks with a charge, waiting, which can be torture with my ability to sense emotions. Being around hormonal women leaves me exhausted even though I don’t need to sleep. I am a Soul Keeper.

It’s so important to place the soul into its new life at the right time. A human body can’t withstand two souls in its vessel at once, so while the foetus is in the womb, it shares the mother’s soul’s life force. When a baby is born, the first cry is actually the soul entering the vessel.

I have exactly three minutes before it becomes a struggle and the body closes down. It needs its soul to ignite the life of the body, to breathe life into the body from its own soul. So I spend as much time with the mothers as possible, unseen like a ghost, to make sure I make it in time. I love each young soul in my keep; I watch over them until it’s time to take them back. The parent I will be spending the next couple of weeks with is Maria Steed, forty years old.

This will be the last life for this particular soul. It has lived its ten lives. After this life, it will be rewarded a place in Heaven.

I materialise near her, concealed. She’s sitting in a living room on a cream leather couch, an oak wooden floor is just visible as a border under a giant Persian rug. The walls are deep red in colour, and gold-framed artwork lit by lamps above adorn the walls.

She’s reading a book called
Created For You,
and smiling to herself. I can feel she’s content. The front door opens, breaking her concentration. She leans back to look over the couch and through the open door.

“Is that you Simone?”

I feel her presence before she actually comes through the door; it’s something I’ve never felt before, like a humming all around her, drawing me in like an internal beacon beckoning me to follow its call. She gives off a natural scent of the purest flower; it attacks my senses, sparking off desire I have never felt before. Dark black hair falls like a veil over her face as she leans through the door.

“Yes, Mom. Can I get you anything?” She has a musical tone to her voice. She reaches her delicate fingers up to pull her soft velvet hair from her face, and tucks it behind her ear.

I’m struck by the bluest eyes, as if they were chosen from the colour of the waterfall in Eden. They’re dark blue but they shine like someone has tipped blue glitter over them. Her milky, flawless skin makes her pouty lips look deep red. I’ve never seen anything more beautiful, and I’ve been to Heaven to dance with Angels. Never in all my years have I felt such an attraction.

“Shamar!”

I’m startled by Gabrielle appearing next to me. She smiles up at me.

“There are not many humans that can turn your head,” she breathes in her whimsical voice.

“She is a Destined,” I state.

“I wouldn’t be here otherwise.”

“What is her destiny?”

“Shamar.” She tuts. “You know that is not your concern.”

I turn to face her. “Tragedy will be used. You know what souls I keep.”

Her pale green eyes find mine. “I know. I’m her active Guardian. I will be here for her. These things have to be done to get her where she needs to be.”

“I’ve never seen a soul like her here on Earth. She has an aura that’s...”

“Shamar! You have a job and I have a job. Let’s do them.”

She breathes while she de-materializes and I’m left to gaze at the breath-taking soul in front of me. She’s talking to her mother, informing her of a party she’s going to. I find myself desperate to know more about her. She has an active Guardian of the Destined in her life guiding her, so she must be destined for something of great importance.

I have never in all my centuries cared for answers of a Destined, but her soul sings to me and it’s like a harp played straight from the Heavens.

The bell from the front door chimes. Gabrielle’s familiar voice speaks when Simone opens the front door.

“I thought I would just get ready here with you.”

“Okay, great,” Simone answers.

Their footsteps carry along the hall and up the stairs. I want to follow but I don’t. I leave to check in on my other charges.

“So what about this?” I ask, holding up my little black dress to Gabrielle.

“Oh my God, Simone, it’s a little short. You don’t want to give him the wrong idea.”

Leah huffs as she comes from my en-suite bathroom. “That’s exactly what she wants to do, Prim. God, she’s eighteen you know? Let her live a little. Have you seen her figure?”

“Yes but-”

“No buts, Prim. You might have seen her figure but no guys get to. She’s always hiding it under sweaters.”

“You can’t turn her into you, Leah.”

“Why? You turned her into you.”

Dropping the dress, I place my hand on my hips. “Please stop, you two. Tonight is meant to be fun. Come on, Gabrielle. Let’s go crazy just once.” I pout and give her my best pleading face, which earns me a cushion in the face and a giggle.

“Fine.”

I throw the cushion back at her and I pull my dress up against me.

“Yippee.” Leah claps. “Sit. I’m going to do your hair and make-up.”

I indulge her by letting her have her way with my makeup and hair. She’s going through a rebellious stage and wants me to go along with her for the ride. When it comes to something small like letting her choose my outfit and do my hair, I didn’t mind. I just hope this will be as far as she wants her rebellion to go.

I can’t help myself. I’ve thought of nothing but her since I left her. My mind’s racing with thoughts I shouldn’t be having, and scenarios of what she could be destined for. This was not part of my job, and never before had I allowed someone to turn my head when it came to work. I had placed souls in numerous amounts of people and seen a lot in my weeks when I need to stay close. Some women are beautiful, some have beautiful sisters, daughters, friends, but I have never thought beyond just that. An observation of their beauty, until now. Now I want to know her. I sense her soul and materialize to where she is.

It takes me a few minutes to realize where I am. It’s a bathroom. Pale lilac tiles cover the room from floor to ceiling. There’s a shower over a deep bath, and a toilet and basin on the far wall.

Simone’s scent fills my senses and I have to close my eyes to stop myself from becoming consumed in her. Taking a deep breath, I turn to face her. She’s standing in front of a mirror, shaking her head with what looks like disappointment painting her features. Her nose is scrunching; her teeth are worrying her plump bottom lip. Her beautiful eyes pierce me through the mirror. Even though she can’t see me, it feels like she’s staring straight at me. My heart thuds against my chest. She has a full face of makeup and her hair is pulled up off her delicate neck; a few strands fall freely around her face. She’s in a dress and it hugs her perfect form. Her bare legs are sculpted, lean and long; she’s perfect. Her skin looks like it would feel like silk under my touch.

I reach out and hover my hand near her face, desperate to stroke down her cheek. As if she senses me there, she turns and looks around, her eyebrows pinching together.

A knock at the door startles her and she turns toward it.

“Come on, Simone. You look amazing and the guys are here.”

She turns the handle and opens the door. “Okay, let’s go.”

I follow her through the room and stop when I feel Gabrielle’s eyes on me. I offer her a small smile, embarrassed that she’s caught me being unprofessional. I continue to follow them down the stairs. They open the front door waving to the car parked on her drive with two guys inside looking stunned when they see Simone and her friend exit the house. I can see their auras change colour. They’re both turned on and it angers me, which is a weak, human reaction. I need to stay away; this girl is having an effect on me that is unnatural. I indulge in some sexual human activity once in a while, but I’ve never had feelings for one, or been drawn to one. What is it about this perfect girl?

Watching as they drive off, I go to another charge, forcing myself to concentrate on my work. I will spend the night doing my job, and try to forget about Simone.

The music’s too loud. Jacob’s hands are holding my hips, pulling me against him, grinding into me with the base of the track playing, his erection pushing against my lower back. His lips nuzzle my neck. I sense people’s eyes on me, guys watching me smiling, and girls smirking.

“Drink?” Leah mouths to me over the crowd, holding up her hand and tipping it in a drinking motion. I shake my head.

“You smell so good, Simone,” Jacob moans against my neck. “Do you want to go somewhere more private, baby? I hate everyone’s eyes all over you.”

Nerves flutter in my tummy. I bite my bottom lip and he smiles, taking my hand to lead me through the gathering partygoers. We reach the front door, coming to a halt when Liam stops in front of us.

“Hey, man. Jess is looking for you and she’s not looking too hot.”

“What the fuck is she doing here? My dad’s going to freak. Where was she when you saw her?”

“Out back, man. I tried to get her to come with me but…” He shakes his head.

“Thanks, anyway. Baby, I’m going to have to find her and take her home.”

I smile up at him and my stomach that felt like it was on spin cycle starts to settle.

“We can take her home then go somewhere, just the two of us. Wait here for me, okay?”

“Okay,” is all I can muster. He walks off and I’m left standing with Liam, Jacob’s best friend and a good friend of mine.

His looks always get him attention. There are a couple of girls hanging nearby, whispering and smiling in our direction.

Liam’s curly brown hair and blue eyes are complimented by a dazzling smile. He’s intelligent and helps Jacob maintain good grades. He has always seemed older than his years and I always thought he and Gabrielle would make a perfect couple. Leah got there first, but she won’t admit they’re a couple. Instead, she just gets drunk at parties and takes him to the nearest make-out place then acts like it didn’t happen.

“I need to use the bathroom. Can you tell Jacob if he comes back?”

“Yeah, sure.”

I take the stairs to the bathroom. I relieve my bladder from the invasion of too many drinks. I look in the mirror, using the cold water from the tap to cool my cheeks.

You’ve been with him a long time, you trust him, and kinda love him… as a friend…but he’s gorgeous and will make sure you enjoy it. Just summon Leah’s courage and sexiness. Breathe and just go for it.

I finish my self-help pep talk and dry my hands as my phone chimes with an incoming text message from Jacob.

Jess gone :) where r u? Jacob x

I don’t bother replying.

I open the door and crash straight into a wall of hard muscle.

“Oh my God, I’m sorry,” I mumble as I look up into the deepest brown eyes I’ve ever seen. They are almost black except for the hypnotizing chocolate swirls in them. His hands reach out to steady me. As soon as they make contact with my body, the heat from his touch spreads through me like wildfire, inducing a lust-filled haze. My breathing changes and I’m breathless from the hot spark lighting every nerve in my body, enticing them to wake up. Darkness surrounds us like a fog closing in all around, muting and swallowing everything but us. We’re locked in a penetrating gaze.