My Soul Keeper (21 page)

“No, I won’t let you. SIMONE!”

Simone won’t forgive me for this but I can’t change it now.

“It’s your job, Shamar. They will grieve and move on,” my father tells me as my guilt liquefies my insides. Junior's breathing slows.

“I can’t be here.” Leah runs from the room and out of the house. Liam follows, calling after her. Maria has collapsed in the corner; she’s pulling at her hair. God, I feel like I want to cry. What’s wrong with me? I know it’s best for my charge’s soul; he’s going to Paradise.

Charmeine places her hand on my arm and nods. She releases her wings and a gust of wind sways everyone’s hair. She glows slightly and calm fills the room. Maria looks up and gasps, her eyes gazing in wonder at Charmeine.

“Maria, he belongs in Paradise with the Angels. He’s special. You were a wonderful mother but this place is too dark for such a bright soul. He deserves his place in Heaven.”

“Are you taking him there?” Her voice is barely a whisper.

“Yes. I am.”

Tears stain Maria’s cheeks as she nods her head. “Okay,” she whimpers.

I listen to Junior’s last breath. Then I reach in and absorb his soul. It appears in its orb state in my palm and I hand it to Charmeine. She thanks Maria and disappears with a flash of light. I cover Junior’s face with the blanket. Maria walks toward me with her arms outstretched. I hand her his vessel and she sobs.

“Maria, let’s go to the hospital,” Leah says, coming back into the room.

I watch them leave and drop to the sofa, my head in my hands. I let out a growl and my father’s hand comes onto my shoulder.

“I’ll be back,” he announces and leaves me to have a moment. I shake my conscience and think about the task at hand. I think about the soul I retrieved for Gabriel, attempting to sense her, but there’s nothing; I can’t feel her. I try again to sense the soul, but there’s nothing. She’s nowhere.

Lucas’ darkness coats my skin like a lotion. I feel it trying to seep into my skin. I still feel lust toward him and I hate myself for it. I know it’s him doing it to me but I still hate my body’s betrayal for falling for it. He smiles his devilish smile at me. My body’s response is to flush. Damn him.

“Mmmm, you still want me, sweet Simone. Why fight it?”

“Do you need a list?” I sneer. He laughs.

“Okay, let’s hear it, this list.”

I fume at his audacity. “How about Amanda? You killed her.”

He tuts at me, shaking his finger. “She killed herself because she couldn’t handle rejection. She begged me, practically molested me on a regular basis, so I gave her what she so desperately wanted. A good hard fuck.” He smirks. “Is it my fault she wanted more from it than she got? She was weak, pathetic. She hated you and said really depraved things about you, yet you still care.”

“Mia?” I breathe.

“Same as the first answer.”

“My dad. How do you know him?”

“He was the one who came to me, Simone. He was already on a dangerous path which was always leading him to the below.”

“Gabrielle?”

“Again, she came to me. She was sick of my father. You know He gives these ants everything. They don’t have restrictions, yet we’re held to such tight rules. Worship and obey, be a slave to Him.” He points upwards. “That’s why you’re here right now, Simone. Because your father and mother fell in love and betrayed Him. He imprisoned your father so he couldn’t be with her, and He was going to cut your mother’s wings, leaving her here alone, defenceless. If they knew about you, they would lock you away.”

I look to him; he almost seems normal standing there in his dark jeans and dark polo top. “What do you mean’ would have clipped her wings’? I thought he had.”

I see the cogs turning in his mind, knowing he’s given too much away.

“Where is she?”

He smiles. “Somewhere He couldn’t find her. Don’t worry, I’m going to take you there.”

Panic attacks my nerves. I gulp. “To Hell?” I stutter.

He laughs loud. “Mmmm, as much as I would love to take you there, Simone, your light would fade too fast. I’m taking you to your birthplace.”

His eyes pierce me; he’s waiting for me to ask more questions. I amuse him. What would he do if I just left? I find myself fidgeting, debating actually just leaving.

“I will kill everyone you love.” He smiles. “I thought you would want to see your mother… the real one.” He smirks and sits next to me, placing his hand on my knee like he hasn’t just threatened to kill everyone I love.

The heat from his touch sparks my body’s usual reaction. I brush his hand away quickly. He chuckles.

“You will be begging for my hands on you soon enough, Simone. I don’t know why you fight it.”

“Maybe because you want to use me to take over Heaven,” I spit.

“Mmm, I actually do like you, Simone. I think we would be good together. You are so pure and beautiful. You taste of the fruit from the forbidden tree. I saved you. I helped your father and mother when they came to me, yet you see me as the enemy.” He reaches for my hand.

“Can you read my mind?”

His laugh assaults my eardrums as he pins me against his chest, pulling me to my feet.

“Sweet Simone, no. I’ve just become accustomed to you. I could see you fidgeting. I knew you were thinking of flashing out of here.”

His breath hits my neck like an aphrodisiac; his tongue glides leisurely up the side of my neck, making a small moan escape past my lips. He chuckles and I immediately try to pull away, cursing myself.

“No, it won’t take much to have you dropping those panties, sweet Simone.”

I feel a tugging, like my insides are being pulled. He’s traveling with me again. When I regain my composure, we’re standing over a waterfall. The cold water licks at our skin and the harsh cold wind makes me shiver.

“What are we doing here?”

“I thought I would take you to the place that you will reign over once you’re my queen.”

I look to him, confused. “Can you stop playing guess the answer and just tell me straight?”

A deep growl rises from him and I take a step back, the cold water whipping at me. “You really push my patience, Simone. I think, when I take you for the first time, it will be… rough.”

He grabs my arms tightly and I wince in pain as he brings his mouth to mine, trapping my bottom lip with his teeth. He bites down and I let out a whimper. The blood pools on my lip. He smiles and licks at it, then shivers from the taste.

“So fucking pure,” he moans.

I feel my body healing me already.

“Your mother needed to be shielded from watchful eyes.” Again he points to the sky. “I couldn’t take her below, because it would kill her light. She was pregnant with you so in turn it would have killed yours as well. I sent her to Purgatory.”

One of the men from earlier appears with a bewildered-looking guy.

“What the? How did you?” He’s stammering and looking around in confusion.

“Is he one of Gabrielle’s?” Lucas asks.

“Yes, he’s a Destined, but not destined for this.” He grins, pure evil written on his face.

“So, my sweet Simone, you ready to see your kingdom?”

“Wait, why is it mine?”

He laughs again. “You were born there, which is impossible in Purgatory because only souls and the keepers roam there. Therefore, that makes you queen.”

He grins and takes my hand. Lucas reaches into the menacing guy’s jacket. He is holding the preppy guy around the mouth to stop him from speaking. Lucas brings the blade down on my palm and cuts deep with a grin. He then slices his own, dripping our blood onto the preppy guy, who squirms in fright when Lucas raises the blade across his throat; blood oozes from the wound, gurgling sounds struggle from his mouth, and I begin to heave. I struggle from Lucas’s grasp, but he doesn’t let me go. He grabs the bleeding guy and hurls all three of us over the edge into the waterfall. A scream rips from my chest before the water consumes us.

It’s freezing. I struggle for breath as we hit the bottom and the water swallows us. I kick to the surface and choke for air; my lungs are burning and my legs tire as I force them into a frenzy of kicking. Once I surface, there’s no waterfall and the water I’m in doesn’t seem that deep. The colours are dimmed, as if someone’s put a negative effect on a camera and I’m looking through it.

I see movement filter through the trees in front of me and a figure appears. It’s a translucent girl; she’s giggling.

“You’re home.” She bows and I turn around to see whom she’s talking to. Lucas surfaces next to me.

“Quite a ride, huh?” he croons looking over my dampened clothes, his eyes lingering on my breasts, my nipples tenting my top. I fold my arms over them.

“My Lord,” the figure drones, bowing to Lucas.

“Still here, I see. Why haven't they sent you to me already?”

“I’ve been waiting for you to return with our queen.” She giggles. I cringe and watch as the figure skips away, humming to herself.

“Souls here are in limbo, neither good nor evil. Some are just here as a stepping stone. If death occurs by accident, before the true death were due. Some are here for quite some time, sends them a little loopy.” Lucas whistles, twirling his finger to his temple.

“Why did she call me her queen?”

His face lights up into a genuine smile. “Because, sweet Simone, you are. You are the first soul to ever be born here, that makes it your domain in the eyes of most that dwell here.”

“Where’s my mother?”

He turns to me, his face no longer happy. “Don’t make demands at me, Simone. I will take you to her. Be grateful for that.” He closes the gap between us and breathes me in before hissing at me and making me flinch.

“Remember what I said. When souls have been here a while, they tend to lose a few screws.”

He grips my arm and roughly drags me from the murky water. Translucent souls flicker through the trees. Some are crying; it’s unsettling, to say the least.

It looks like a normal place, except the colour. Things feel solid, except the people. As we pass, some of them bow at me and some scurry away. Lucas draws my attention to him.

“She sits in a field looking up at a fake sky.” He smirks as we approach an opening in the trees. A field expands in front of us; it looks blurred like we’re in a painting and the colour bleeds. I feel her before I see her; I feel her light.

I rip my hand from Lucas’ and take off running. I struggle to take in deep breaths. The air is too thick, almost a liquid. I stop when I see her. She’s beautiful; her brown hair flows loose down her back. Her skin’s pale, her pink rose lips full. Her high cheekbones could put any model to shame.

She turns her gaze to me and her pale blue eyes remind me of a swimming pool. There are souls all around her, as if they enjoy being in her presence. She raises her frame, tall and elegant in a white robe that flows around her like Charmeine’s. A smile threatens her lips, but she looks too frightened to let it lift her mouth.

“Is this real? Are you really here?” Her musical tone reminds me of my own voice.

I nod yes and she rushes toward me. She stops abruptly. Lucas has caught me; I feel the heat on my neck.

“Don’t trust him,” she begs me.

“And you wonder why I didn’t leave her here with you,” he growls at her. “After everything I’ve done for you. I kept her safe. She’s enjoyed being one of the ants, but it’s time to collect on your debt to me.”

“Please let her go. You can have me,” she begs him.

He laughs. “Muriel, as appealing as you are,” he smirks, his eyes floating over her body, appraising her, “like I told you before, no thanks. You’re far from pure. I know where you’ve been.”

I can’t help my reaction. I slap him clear across his face. I was offended for her. I immediately panic once I feel the sting in my palm and I realise what I’ve actually done.

His smouldering eyes strip me and before I can react, he’s crushing his lips to mine and forcing his tongue into my mouth, assaulting me with force; a deep moan rumbles from him.

“Fuck, Simone, you ready to submit yourself to me yet?” he asks, breaking his intense kiss. I spit out his saliva.

“Never.”

“We won’t be leaving here until you have. Maybe I should torture your mother for a while.”

I begin to shake. “No, please don’t,” I beg.

He smirks at me. “I was looking more for a… please do.” He accentuates the
please do,
making me squirm.

“Muriel, do you have food left from Jeremiah’s visit?”

Her eyes haven’t left me. She’s admiring me. I see the twinkle in her eyes. “Yes,” she answers.

“Good. Simone needs to eat.”