My Soul Keeper (31 page)

Leah huffs and storms from the room; a few catcalls echo up the hall.

“Shit, Leah, you’re in your underwear,” Liam shouts after her.

“I’m sorry, Liam. Let me talk to her. This is my fault. I shouldn’t let you sleep with me,” Simone whispers.

“Simone, you are like my family and she will have to understand that.”

She nods and slips from the bed, collecting a wash bag and some clothes from her wardrobe. She leaves and I follow her to the bathroom. I can hear Leah’s sobs.

Simone drops her stuff on the counter and goes to one of the shower stalls, where Leah is sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest.

“Do you love him?” Leah asks through her choked cries.

“Leah, you have it so wrong. I do love him - like a brother. He has been there for me and helped me through my grief. I have these dreams of someone trying to take me, it’s weird. Then someone I can’t quite see, but I feel, brings me back. I feel like I’m mourning more than just my family, like I lost someone else. It’s so strange. I feel hollow, empty. I can’t control the sorrow that takes over my body. Liam manages to calm me. I don’t know why. I think it’s because he is the only family I have left.”

“You have me,” Leah tells her. “I love you, Simone, and if I thought it would pull you from this grief, I would step aside for you and Liam. It would kill me because I really love him, but I love you too. You’re my best friend. I hate seeing you go through this.”

“It’s not like that with us, Leah. I swear to you. I don’t see him like that and he loves you so much. Please understand. I won’t let him sleep in my bed anymore. I agree that it’s too far. Please don’t lose him over something that’s innocent.”

Leah nods and they hug. I leave them to their privacy and head back to Liam.

“They’re friends again and you’re off the hook,” I inform him. I feel a tug low in my stomach, then Michael’s voice booms in my head. I’m being summoned.

“Liam, Michael is calling for me.”

“Go to him.”

I let the pull flow through me, relaxing into it. I appear in Heaven; the warmth and love bleed into my skin. I’ve missed being here.

“Shamar.” Michael’s voice booms, screaming authority.

“Where have you been? It’s been weeks,” I ask.

He scowls at me. “I don’t answer to you.”

I walk right up to him, so close our noses are nearly touching. “Your superior shit might have worked a few weeks ago, Michael, but you took everything from me. Don’t think I will bow down to you.”

“You’re becoming arrogant, like your father. You have no respect for authority. Don’t forget who gave you this power you now hold.”

I laugh. “Do you think it’s some kind of gift? I hate what you’ve done to me, Michael. I have always respected authority. I’ve served, doing my job without complaint, for centuries.”

“You broke the rules going to Purgatory. I’m sorry there were consequences. Gabriel has read the book of fate. You are in there.”

My heart stops beating. “What?” I’m completely stunned.

“Your destiny is to be with Lana, soul giver.”

“Are you serious?”

Lana enters the golden room, her white dress flowing behind her. “I know this is a shock, Shamar. For me, too. I’ve never planned on being with another,” she says politely.

“Lana, I’m sorry. I’m just-”

I’m cut off by Michael. “It is written in the book. Spend time together, let it happen naturally. It is written, so shall it be.”

He de-materializes, giving me no option to answer or object. I struggle with the information. I’ve met Lana before and had no feelings toward her, not even attraction. Not that she’s not beautiful. She is but I just don’t feel that way about her.

The book of fate says we are to end up together. Why do I not feel anything for her?

“I will shadow you for a while, Shamar,” Lana tells me.

I’m angry. No one will ever enter my heart. Simone owns it.

Let Lana come with me while I collect souls. She takes me with her when she has a vessel ready for a new soul. It’s been nine hours since I last saw Simone. I ask Lana if she’s ready to go back, but she insists on following me. I go to where I sense Simone. She’s standing in a dry cleaner’s, wearing a dark blue fitted dress. It flatters her perfect curves. Her hair falls like silk across her back.

“There you go, ma’am, have a pleasant evening,” the lady behind the counter says, handing Simone a white t-shirt on a hanger with a clear bag covering it.

“Thank you. You too.” Simone smiles. She looks stunning. I watch her leave, the heels on her shoes making her muscles flex with every step.

“You love her.”

I startle. I had forgotten Lana was still with me.

“Yes. And there is no room for anyone else.” I don’t want to sound cold, but I need her to know.

We follow Simone. She keeps checking a piece of paper. She enters the dorms next to hers; the halls are filled with guys. Some throw a ball down the narrow hall, others just chat from doorways. Every one of them stops to watch Simone as she walks past. I want to break faces and extract souls, but I rein in my temper and continue to follow her. She stops at a door at the end of the hall. She strokes her hand down her dress and taps her small knuckles on the door. The door flies open; my breathing accelerates.

“Oh my,” Lana speaks from behind me. “What’s he doing?”

I turn to her and then to the man now embracing my Simone. Gabriel.

“He sniffed her fucking hair, Liam. It wasn’t an innocent chance meeting.”

“Calm down. I understand something’s not right, but you freaking out won’t do any good.”

I don’t understand why Gabriel would put himself in her life.

“I’ll speak to him when their date is finished.”

I can’t calm the rage inside me. I send Lana back to Heaven and wait. With every tick of the clock, my heartbeat became faster.

Tick.

Thump.

Tick.

Thump, thump.

Tick.

Thump, thump, thump.

“I can’t sit here and wait. I need to go see.”

“Don’t, Shamar. You’re just hurting yourself, man.”

He’s right, but I don’t trust anybody anymore. I need to see what angle Gabriel’s playing.

They’re having dinner. She gifts him with her smile. He acts like they’re just a normal couple on a normal date, asking her about her background, her major.

Damn this. I leave to collect souls.

When I return, Gabriel is dropping Simone off at her dorm.

“Don’t try to kiss her,” I growl to myself, my fists clenching and unclenching. He leans in and she offers him her cheek. He beams at her. She returns his smile and goes into the dorms. As soon as she’s inside, I approach him.

“Gabriel,” I growl. He smiles.

“Shamar, what a non-surprise. Did you not receive your fate? She is not meant for you.”

My temper reaches its boiling point; it’s a reflex. My fist connects with his jaw. I watch a bruise appear, and then fade.

“I’ll let that slide, Shamar.”

“What are you doing, Gabriel?”

“My job. I’m checking her memories.”

My breathing calms slightly. “So why the elaborate date crap?”

He laughs. Son a bitch. “I needed to question her. I thought it best this way.” He smiles to himself like he’s thinking of something. “She is very unique, Shamar. I see why you fell for her.”

My eyes shoot to his with a warning. He laughs again.

“I thought we were friends.”

“We were, Gabriel. Until you robbed Simone of her memories.”

His smiles falters. “I’m doing as I’m told. This wasn’t my choice.”

“I won’t be with Lana. I don’t care what is written, I just won’t. Simone owns my heart.”

His hand comes to rest on my shoulder. “The books can’t be changed, Shamar. What they read will happen. It is not a choice. Maybe when the human has lived her years, you will feel differently.”

“If that’s so, why is Lana being pushed on me now?”

I ask because I’m curious. The fact is that Simone is not human, but even if she was, my love wouldn’t die with her vessel. She owns my soul; I could never love another. I don’t say this to him because I’m too intrigued to know why Lana is being pushed on me.

“We just thought it would help you move past Simone.”

I shrug his hand from my shoulder. “So are you satisfied with your experiment on Simone? She doesn’t remember?”

“I will be around for a couple of weeks to make sure, but you have my word I will keep it platonic.”

He grins. I want to punch him again. Gabriel is known for his fascination for and conquests of beautiful women. I won’t be able to stand around invisible, watching him be around Simone. Tomorrow I’ll enrol as a student here. It will kill me to have Simone see me and not remember me, but I need to be near her and have her see me.

I open the door to my dorm room. Leah’s lying on her bed, tapping on a laptop.

“Hey,” I mutter closing the door and throwing my bag onto the computer table. I kick my heels off and turn to see Leah move into a sitting position; she’s grinning so big her teeth are on show.

“Well? Don’t leave me hanging. Tonight has been agony waiting for you.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Agony? Leah…”

She pins me with wide eyes and her lips twitch. “Spill it, woman.”

I laugh. “It was nice. He’s very charming.”

She makes a gagging motion, her mouth wide open and her finger pretending to go down her throat. “Charming? Who cares? Did he stick his tongue down your throat?”

I glare at her. “He kissed my cheek, like a gentleman.”

“That is the worst story I’ve heard. God, Simone, you ever going to give up the V card?”

I look at her. A skip in my heart stops me from speaking and sorrow sweeps throughout my body. I shrug off the hollow feeling threatening to consume me.

“I’m not just going to offer it to the first good looking guy who takes me on a date.”

She scoffs and shrugs her shoulders. “Well, you should. The first time sucks anyway, so best to get it out of the way.”

I shake my head at her. “I need a shower.”

She points at my bed. “Liam left that. He said it’s yours from Jacobs’s house.”

I look to the t-shirt folded on my bed. Picking it up, I inhale; peace and warmth seep through me. I smile. I grab my wash bag and some bed shorts and make my way to the showers. Liam’s coming up the hallway as I reach the bathroom.

“Hey, thanks for the shirt.”

“If you need me in the night, Simone, I’m still going to sleep with you. I know this is a difficult situation for Leah, but she’ll understand.”

I offer him a tight smile. “Can I ask you something?”

He furrows his brow. “Of course. Anything.”

I hold up the shirt. “Whose scent is this?”

His eyes go wide, but he recovers a few seconds later. “It’s just a deodorant I use.”

I know he’s lying. I’ve known Liam forever and he only smells like this when he’s wearing his night shirts, which don’t even suit his style. Plus he’s always slept in bottoms only.

I feel like there’s something I’m missing but I can’t quite focus on what it is. I don’t answer him. I hold him captive with a look that tells him I know he’s keeping things from me. I open the door to the bathrooms.

“I’m going to wait out here for you to finish.” He must read my confusion because he clarifies. “I don’t want you alone in the shower at this time of night.”

“Always watching out for me, huh?” I smile and he returns it.

“Always have. Not going to change now, Simone.”

I find comfort in his words. I shower quickly and slip into the shorts, pulling the shirt over my head. It caresses my skin, like fingers stroking over me. The scent surrounds me, calming me. I feel a surreal moment, like someone has his arms around me, his lips on my neck. I close my eyes and bask in the complete peace I feel. The touch is light, but it feels like an embrace. When my brain registers what I’m actually feeling, my eyes snap open. I jerk forward and spin. I jump when I see my reflection staring back at me.

“I’m losing it,” I murmur to myself.

I grab my wash bag and meet Liam back in the hall. We walk in silence back to my room. When we get inside, Leah has turned out her side light, casting her side of the room in shadow. Liam strips down and slips into her bed with her, and I flick off my light and crawl into bed.