My Soul to Keep (The Soul Keeper Series - Young Adult Paranormal Romance) (31 page)

“What happened?”

“He was ambushed and held by a very powerful dark
force.” says one of my audience members.

“How is he now?”

“He's been asking about you. He is on the mend.
Would you like to see him?”

“Yes I would.”

“You've been in bed for several days so let’s see if
we can get you up. You will be a little weak at first and possibly dizzy.”
Enara has me swing my feet off of the bed and holds my fore arm as I stand. I
wobble once and the whole room almost rushes in. It is a strange feeling having
so many people I have never met; seem to care so much for me. Elijah’s words
play in my head, “You are their only hope.” I draw in all of my inner strength
to move my feet towards the door. The room is very stark with sky blue walls
and my bed is covered in white. A large glassless window offers a view of the
In-Between and I have to see what is outside. It is the source of the light in
the room and the reason I am wearing amber safety goggles, as my human retinas
cannot bear the full strength of the light. I make my way over to it and Enara
lets me go.

Vibrant green moss strewn paths, wind their way
through lavish gardens which meet up to the edge of a forest. In the distance I
see a snow capped mountain. The building I am
in,
is
crescent shaped and made of cedar planked wood. It feels very modern yet blends
seamlessly into its environment. Colorful birds fly merrily from tree to tree
and make playful swoops around the large Lilly filled pond. A cool gentle
breeze blows in a fragrant whiff of honeysuckle.

“Our world exists in harmony with nature. We hope
you can have similar results in yours one day.” They really do have the bar set
high for me, all the more further for me to fall, I look away resigned.

“Come, we will go and visit your keeper, although he
will need a few more weeks here to recover fully.” We walk down a hall that is
as sparse as my room and enter another sky blue room not far from mine. Will is
lying in bed with his head bandaged, covering one eye. His legs are dressed in
casts and his forearms as well. A blanket covers his torso and thighs.

     
“What are
his injuries?” I ask as I sit in the chair next to his bed. I hold his hand and
he manages a weak smile as he opens his good eye just the slightest bit.

     
“He had
deep lacerations to his arms and legs. His eye was removed and his abdomen
slit. We believe he was tortured,” Enara says with quiet reserve. Tears fill my
eyes and spill over.
 

“I am so sorry Will.” I squeeze his hand and he
pulls his hand up and strokes my hair.

“I'd give both eyes to protect you Brennen.” Wills
voice is just a whisper, so different from his usual booming bass.

“Come Brennen we have to get you back home now.”
Enara leads me to the hall and we walk to a large room busy with Keepers. I try
to make sense of what happens here. They are all going to small circular platforms
along the wall and then disappearing and new ones are appearing just as
quickly. She takes me over to one and as soon as we are about to step on I see
Elijah step off of one. I leap off and run to him.

“Brennen,” Enara calls after me. I don't
care,
I have to get to him. He doesn't see me, his back is
turned.

“Elijah!” I yell out. I lose him in the crowd. I
dodge my way through, my arms wince with each body I bump into.
  

“Brennen,” I hear his voice call to me. A moment
later I see him emerge from the crowd. He wraps his arms around my waist,
lifting my feet off of the ground and hugs me, desperate to be able to touch me
after months of longing to.

“Brennen you have to go home now.” I hear Enara
plead. Elijah ignores her too. Oh he smells so good. I have missed him so much
I can't stand it.

“I'm not going without him. I need a new keeper
anyway,” I say breathlessly before Elijah's spins me around in a joyous hug.

“I have missed you so much.” He breathes out.

“Brennen I am your new keeper, and I don't make the
decision.” Enara says with her voice losing conviction as she speaks. I hear
gasps around me as the keepers view our very public display of friendship.

“What happened, why is she here? Where is Will?”

“Will was attacked by a dark force and Brennen was
captured, but he did save her. He was mostly pure spirit when he brought her
here Elijah.” He pulls be back and examines me.

“She was almost killed as well from the looks of her
arms,” he spats out. I remember how mad he was when I just had a few bruises.
Now he is livid.

     
“I am
going to talk to Nehemiah. She will be under my protection again and only
mine.” The three of us leave the hub and wind through a maze of corridors
finally landing in a plush office with large glossy mahogany doors. The oval
shaped room has a wall of the glassless windows overlooking a rainbow of
colored flowers in a lush garden. Elijah walks right through, leading me with
my hand still clamped tightly in his. Nehemiah sits behind a desk looking like
he has been expecting us all along. His white hair and tan skin are a stark
contrast. His face is emotionless and smug all at the same time.

     
“Nehemiah,
I wish to be assigned to protect Brennen again. I will obey any command you
give me. But I have to keep her safe.” I can tell he is holding back out of
respect for his superior; the tension in his hand has caused me to loose
feeling in my fingertips all together.
 
Nehemiah is moving pictures around on a screen built into his desk at a
pace too fast for the human eye to perceive.

     
“Because
of your track record in keeping her safe I will allow it. But the relationship
between the two needs to remain nonphysical. You have my word, one stolen kiss
and he is back here for good.” The last part was directed at me.
 

     
“Then I
want more time with him here, before we go back. Then it's over. You have my
word.” The inner lawyer in me comes out demanding her own negotiations. Nehemiah’s
jaw tenses and I see a small smile play at the corner of his lips.

     
“Agreed,
Elijah take her to your home and return her back tomorrow first thing. And
Elijah, she had better be pure when she returns.” His comment makes me blush
ten shades of crimson. Enara gives a small smile our way as we make a quick
pace out of the building. I am wearing a white silky gown and still barefoot.
The vibrant green moss pathway is cool and soft under my feet. It feels like
crushed velvet. There is no pavement anywhere, no cars no signs or advertisements,
just nature. I wish our world was more like this. Once we round the corner,
Elijah's wings appear in all their glory and he takes me in his arms and we
lift off in flight. I don't feel too sexy in these grandpa-like Blue Blockers
but I know I'd be blind without them. Elijah nuzzles my earlobe, our feet are
intertwined, and he is holding me so tightly that I feel like we are one body,
soaring through the sky. The air skims around my skin and through my hair like
this world is trying to get to know me. For miles there is nothing but green
trees and streams and waterfalls. The houses blend in to the scene just as the
center we were in did. Moss covered rooftops and cedar planked cottages are
dotted amongst the landscape. We fly just above the tree line and to be in his
arms again is like heaven.

     
“Oh Bren,
I have missed you so much. I can't believe you’re really here.”

     
“Elijah
you have no idea how much I have missed you. Elena said I wouldn't see you
again for years.” Elijah lands us in front of a small wooden home with a
beautiful garden flanking both sides of the cottage. His wings are gone,
silently disappearing as they did before. I turn him around and examine his
back for a moment. I find nothing amiss, he smiles curiously as he leads me
inside through the round top front door. I am still trying to wrap my brain
around how Will got so torn up if they are invincible and immortal.

     
“Welcome
to my home.” His home is dim enough for me to remove my glasses. His windows
are covered with thick velvet curtains in a deep blue green shade. His walls
are painted a deep chocolaty gray and two of the walls are lined with books. A
chess board sits in the corner and a small mushroom colored plush sofa is
centered in front of a stone fireplace. A curly long haired wool rug is where
Elijah chooses to lead me.

     
“Your
home is so cozy and inviting I could stay here forever.” I lie back on the rug
and wind my fingers through its mane. Elijah sits by my shoulder lifting my
head onto his lap.

     
“I would
love to have forever to spend with you Brennen.”

     
“There is
something I have to tell you.” Will knew, I wonder if Elijah did too. He didn't
know how I was able to read his journal so I don't think he knew.

     
“My
mother was an Angel, and her name was Emmagen.” Elijah’s eyes look distant for
a moment as he takes in the revelation.

     
“It all
makes sense now. How could I have not
known.
” He
strokes my hair, careful not to touch my arms.

     
“Apparently
I have gifts now, but I don't know what all of them are yet. So far I can
influence people's decisions and I can read their thoughts. I hate it.” Elijah
smiles his I-can influence-you-without-any-magical-powers grin. Yes you can I
smile back.

     
“I had no
idea. They kept me in the dark about everything for so long. I guess I was the
only one who didn't know.” He stares into my eyes for a long while as if he is
re-memorizing my features. I can't read his thoughts so I assume it only works
on humans. I am glad, because I would really hate to see more naked images of
me through Elijah's eyes.

     
“Today I
received a gift from my dad. Inside was a letter he wrote before he died
explaining how he and my mother met, there was a note from my mother as well
and the missing charm. When I put it on, the charm opened me to my gifts. Will
tried to explain a little bit of what I was experiencing. The letter from my
dad was so unexpected it was the best gift I could have ever hoped for. Their
love sounds a lot like ours. He would have done anything to stay with her.”

     
“Emma,
yes of course, she looks just like you. Except the two of you couldn't be more
different if you tried,” He says smiling. Ah, I sigh, I have missed that smile.
Here we are we haven't seen each other in months, and we fall right back into
conversation like we left it to go make dinner or walk the dog. His silky blue
eyes are the moonlight to my tide, he just pulls me right in like gravity.
 

     
“What was
she like?”

     
“Let's
see, I met Emma while guarding the man you know as your president today. He was
a child visiting family in Pakistan for a few weeks and needed careful watch
while there. Your mother was there as well, she was known to work with children
on her missions. She loves children. I didn't get to spend too much time with
her because of my mission, but she seemed to have that sweet nature and
kindness that most Angels have. She was different though, she was downright
funny. I can see why your dad fell in love with her.” Elijah gazes at the
fireplace and it sparks to life. He turns so that he can lie next to me. He
puts his arm under my head where his leg just was. He has light stubble across
his face that makes him look even more alluring. He caresses my face looking
deeply into the depths of my eyes like there is some magical treasure buried
within. He traces my lips with his
fingers,
I wish it
was his lips. I close my eyes wanting to savor it. This may be our last night
together for years to come. Tomorrow morning it will be back to reality. But at
least I can still be in his presence. I pull him in not caring about my sore arms.

     
“So where
have you been all this time?” I run my fingers through his short hair. It is so
soft.

     
“I have
been all around the world, many small missions.”

     
“There
was a whole demonic war going on outside of my house. Sam got hurt, Elena had
to staple his head shut. He had to stay at my house all week long.” Elijah
sighs as he absorbs the weight of my words.

     
“Things
went to hell since I left then? I'm sorry Bren. I wish things were different. I
wish it was just you and me and this cabin in the woods.” It was unclear as to
which he was referring went to hell, the demons or Sam’s stay. He has always
been jealous of Sam so I am betting he is more upset about Sam.

     
“Do you
love him?” Elijah asks in a quiet voice.

     
“I do
Elijah, but he knows that I love you too. I always knew deep down if you came
back I would choose you.”

     
“But you
can’t Bren, we only have tonight and then tomorrow you’re his again. I won’t
give in again; I won’t even interfere or give the slightest hint of
flirtation.”