by G. P. Ching
He nodded. “You have a choice. I would never force you to keep me in your life. You can send me away at any time. I’ll go back to Heaven.”
She narrowed her eyes. “But you’re happiest with me?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm.”
He stroked the hair over her ear and she breathed in his cinnamon and citrus scent. Having him around was like being followed by a freshly baked apple pie. He smelled warm and homey. This close, she caught herself smiling up at him despite her desire to be anywhere but at the prom.
“So…” She clung to him as he turned her among the crowd of dancers. “What if I never get tired of you? What if I grow old and never tell you to go away?”
“Then I’ll be with you, always.”
“Always?”
“Always.”
“Marriage and family and all of that stuff? I mean, hypothetically.”
He raised an eyebrow. “If that’s what you want. I’m very rich you know.”
“So I’ve heard.” She grinned.
“I only have one requirement.”
“Requirements? What was all that about never leaving me? That’s hardly a true promise if there are requirements.”
“It’s not a requirement about staying. It’s a requirement about the other things… making a life together. Hypothetically.”
“Oh. Okay. Hypothetically then, what is this requirement?”
“You go to school to become a kindergarten teacher.”
She’d been swaying to the music but stopped, feeling like the wind had been knocked out of her. “How do you know I want to be a kindergarten teacher?”
“You told me, that night we went dancing in New Orleans.”
“But, that was before.”
“Before I was redeemed, yes. But I remember. There are many things about my past life that I don’t remember, but this one I do. How could I ever forget that night? It was transcendent.”
“I thought so too.” She felt a little dizzy. Maybe, even back then, some part of Damien had experienced authentic feelings for her. She hoped so. Because when she remembered that night, and she thought about it a lot, she didn’t want to think she’d been conned. She wanted to believe it was real.
“So, do you agree to my terms, hypothetically?”
“Yes.” She nodded. “I have some terms of my own.”
“Oh?” He lifted a corner of his mouth.
“Take me back there someday, to the place we danced. I want to live it again, as who we are now.”
“Deal.”
She allowed him to pull her in close and she laid her head on his shoulder.
He kissed her temple. “Are you tired? Do you want me to take you home?”
“No. Let’s stay for a while longer,” she said. “This is just getting good.”
She tipped her head back to smile up at him and he didn’t waste the opportunity. He kissed her. It was a kiss between equals, of promises that meant something and mutual understanding. It was electric, lighting her up from within. But it was also grounding. Damien had wings to fly, but he was also her anchor. She was way too young to know for sure what would happen between them. But if she had to decide today, she’d never let him go.
Epilogue
“Jenny, can you get us all in the shot?” Mike threw an arm around Finn’s shoulders while Wyatt squeezed in next to Jayden.
“Yeah. Mike, move your dangly thing out of the way,” Jenny said, backing up as she peered through the camera.
Mike adjusted his tassel. He never expected all four of them to be wearing the purple cap and gown of Beaverton High School. When they’d been accused of burning down the school and sentenced to Revelations Institute, he’d hoped that somehow they’d earn their way back here. But after learning about Lucifer and the demons, the most he could wish for was to stay alive. It seemed too much to ask to graduate too.
But here they all were. He’d walked across the stage and accepted his diploma moments ago. Such a simple everyday thing, but it seemed surreal after what they’d been through.
“Got it,” Jenny said, sliding her thumb over the screen. “Oh, these are cute.”
“Welcome to Wager Manor, everyone,” Finn said to the crowd of graduates approaching the house from the street. As always, Wendy was by his side. She’d graduated last week from her school in Cincinnati but was here for Finn, just like Jenny was here for Jayden. “Drinks are in the kitchen. The pool is out back.”
Mike wasn’t surprised that Finn had thrown the biggest graduation party Beaverton had ever seen. The guy was rich and his dad wasn’t exactly strict. He was happy to see Finn happy. The shy, nerdy kid Finn once was had disappeared. He couldn’t take three steps these days without someone wanting to talk to him.
Jayden smacked Jenny on the shoulder. “Join me in the pool?”
She smiled and hooked her pinkie into his. “Yeah. I’ll catch up with you. I want to talk to Mike.”
Jayden started up the hill toward the front door where Wyatt was already waiting.
“I know I’m ready for a drink. See you guys inside.” Finn threaded his fingers into Wendy’s and led her up the hill after Jayden, leaving Jenny and Mike standing in the yard alone.
“What did you want to talk to me about?”
“Your plans. What did you decide to do next?” Jenny asked.
“I think I’m going to go back to my construction job. They need people. Half their crew is leaving for college.”
“What about you? Don’t you want to go to college?”
Mike groaned. “Yeah, maybe someday. Not this year. You know, there’s my aunt, and I didn’t get my applications in on time.” Mike had missed a ton of school with everything that had happened. His aunt had saved most of the money Revelations sent her, that wasn’t the issue anymore. There had been so much to do when he’d finally returned home. He’d been completely invested in catching up with his schoolwork and helping her with the house repairs. He hadn’t had time to think about colleges or scholarships. He hadn’t even applied.
“Finn was accepted to UI to study artificial intelligence.”
“Good for him. I bet HORU’s excited to go with him.”
Jenny nodded. “Wendy’s going too. Pre-law.”
“I’m happy for her. I can picture her as a lawyer.” He placed his hands on his hips. “I guess it wasn’t in the cards for me this semester.”
“I disagree.” She pulled out an envelope and handed it to him. “You’re wrong. It is in the cards, if you want to go.”
“What’s this?” Mike tore open the seal and unfolded the letter inside. “What is this?”
“You’ve been accepted at Tulane University, which happens to be where Jayden and I are going. Oh, and you have a full four-year scholarship, room and board included, compliments of Revelations Institute.”
“What?” Mike stared at the paper as if he were looking right through it.
“I’m a Helper, you know. I can get shit done. I forged your signature so well even your aunt didn’t know.” She flipped her platinum hair off her shoulder. “You actually wrote your own admissions essay. I used the one Ms. Edwards required you to write for English class.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Say that you’re going to Tulane with us.”
“I…” He thought of his aunt. Could he leave her? She’d want him to. And the house was fixed up now. She was safe.
A flash of light in his peripheral vision signaled the arrival of Gabriel, dressed in a Tommy Bahama-style shirt and shorts. He looked like he needed a shave. “Don’t even think about staying back because of your aunt. I’ll take care of her. You have my word. You saved the world. It’s time you looked after yourself for a change.”
Mike couldn’t help himself. He pulled first Jenny and then Gabriel into a hug.
“Is that a yes?” Jenny asked.
“Yes,” Mike said, tipping his head back and smiling up at the sun. “Oh, yes.”
“What will you
study?” Gabriel asked.
Mike thought about it for a minute. “Ever since I found out I had the Soulkeeper gene, I’ve been interested in cells, in DNA, in what makes us different. I think I want to study biology, maybe medicine eventually.”
Gabriel smiled. “Interesting choice. Never forget that while what makes you different is important, it’s far more important what makes you the same.” He patted Mike on the shoulder. “Good luck, Michael.” With a soft smile and a quick check over each shoulder, he blended into a shaft of sunlight and disappeared.
“He’s weird,” Jenny whispered.
“I hate it when he does that,” Mike said.
Jenny started for the house and Mike followed. “Jayden is going to be so excited.”
“Jenny…” Mike stopped. He didn’t know what to say. He simply stared at her feeling like his heart might burst with gratitude.
Eventually, she smiled and hooked her arm into his elbow. “I know. And you’re welcome.”
Archibald always thought of himself as a good gnome. He did what he was told. He served the Soulkeepers selflessly. But if he were honest with himself, he hadn’t strictly followed the rules when it came to Michael.
Simply put, he was lonely. He’d been lonely for a very long time, since the day Eden fell. Garden gnomes were meant to live in communities and his community had been destroyed. Or rather, he’d thought it had. While he was able to escape, he wasn’t able to go back and check on the others. No one knew what happened to the gnomes. It was possible that one or more of his family members was still alive, cut off from him when the portal collapsed but living in Eden. He’d long wished for a way to find out.
When he learned of Hope’s gifts, he knew it would be possible to heal the portal, but a garden gnome could not suggest such a thing. It was unheard of for a gnome to ask a favor of a Soulkeeper, let alone ask for something for himself or herself. It was a lucky break that the Soulkeepers had gone against the Healer’s wisdom. Archibald’s first duty was to the Healer, so it wasn’t much of a leap to suggest to Michael that the tree could be repaired. And when Michael ordered Archibald to go home to Eden and to take care of himself, it was the gnome’s dream come true.
Of course, Archibald didn’t have to be in the dining hall at the same time as Michael or say the things he said that led the Healer to his plan. If he thought too hard about it, he might conclude that he wasn’t following but leading in some ways, and leading was not something a gnome was supposed to do. Not ever.
It was best he didn’t think too much about what happened but instead celebrate that it did happen. Because, although he suspected Michael knew on some level what Archibald wanted when he suggested healing the tree, the Healer didn’t have to free him to pursue his greatest desire. That was a kindness he would never forget.
He popped out of the tree deep inside the forest in Eden and was relieved to find things much as he’d left them. Aside from a few stumps where trees had once been, the woods were alive. It smelled the same. He took off toward the Eden School for Soulkeepers at a run, not daring to hope. Not daring to think.
But when he passed the trail to the dock where the boat used to be, his heart sank. Both the dock and the boat were gone. And when he followed the trail to the school, he found the east wing was flattened to a layer of rubble. At first, the sight of this destruction made a lump form in his throat. If gnomes could cry, Archibald surely would have. But the longer he stared at the ruined school, the more he focused on one peculiar detail. The garden surrounding the school was meticulously groomed. Only one thing in Eden ever maintained the gardens here.
“Archibald?” The sweet, high-pitched voice behind him was at once familiar and strange. He hadn’t heard it in over a decade. Sage emerged from between the trees, her green dress and pointy hat the same as always.
“Bless us all,” he mumbled.
“You’re alive!” she yelled, and ran to him, claiming him with an intense hug. “We thought you were crushed when the portal collapsed.”
“I thought you died with the island!” Archie said.
She shook her head. “The island isn’t dead, Archie. We’re all still here.”
“All?”
He saw them then, his family, his community. They emerged from the trees, smiling narrow-toothed smiles and beaming with health and vitality.
“I’ve been with the Healer,” Archibald said to all of them.
A collective gasp rang through the crowd.
“What did she say?” Sage asked.
“He,” Archie corrected. “The Healer is a boy now. He says to take care of ourselves until we are needed again.”
Sage smiled. “The same as before, then.”
“The same as before.” He nodded. She took his hand and led him to the collection of cottages deep within the garden that served as the gnomes’ homes. They were all in perfect condition. But then, of course, they would be. Gnomes held powerful magic and could fix almost anything.
They welcomed him home with feasting and singing. He danced and laughed late into the night. When the festivities finally came to an end, Archie lay in his hammock looking up at the stars, wondering if the Healer was okay and hoping he’d been a good gnome. He thought so. The stars seemed to say he’d done the right thing.
It had been centuries since the Garden of Eden had known this kind of peace. Helpers, Healers, and Horseman throughout the ages had trained here to battle the ultimate evil. The Devil was far from this place now, far from Earth. To his bones, Archie knew the Soulkeepers had been successful, which meant it would be a long time before he or this place was needed again.
With the heavens smiling on him from above, he closed his eyes, his heart and the garden finally at peace.
About the Author
G.P. Ching is a USA Today bestselling author of science fiction and fantasy novels for young adults and not-so-young adults. She bakes wicked cookies, is commonly believed to be raised by wolves, and thinks both the ocean and the North Woods hold magical healing powers. G.P.'s idea of the perfect day involves several cups of coffee and a heavy dose of nature. She splits her time between central Illinois and Hilton Head Island with her husband, two children, and a Brittany spaniel named Jack, who is always ready for the next adventure.
www.gpching.com
[email protected]
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Books by G.P. Ching
Soulkeepers Reborn
Wager’s Price, Book 1
Hope’s Promise, Book 2
Lucifer’s Pride, Book 3
* * *
The Soulkeepers Series
The Soulkeepers, Book 1
Weaving Destiny, Book 2
Return to Eden, Book 3
Soul Catcher, Book 4
Lost Eden, Book 5
The Last Soulkeeper, Book 6
* * *
The Grounded Trilogy
Grounded, Book 1
Charged, Book 2
Wired, Book 3
Acknowledgments
Different books serve different roles in our lives. Some books are like a warm bath, comforting and familiar. Some books scare us and when we close the cover we feel the thrill of knowing we are safe and alive. Some stories make us laugh. Others touch our hearts in ways we never expected.
As I come to the close of the Soulkeepers Series and Soulkeepers Reborn, I realize this series was sandpaper for me. Sandpaper is gritty. A sandpaper book challenges you. It sometimes makes you uncomfortable. But the wonder of it is that what’s left behind is smoother for the irritation.
There are several parts of this book and this series that challenged me and sometimes made me uncomfortable. But I think this story has something to say about how perfectly im
perfect we all are and what it means to have divine purpose despite our shortcomings.
I truly hope you’ve enjoyed Lucifer’s Pride and the Soulkeepers series. My sincere thanks to all of the fans who have made these nine books possible, including Wil Shockley II for beta reading this one. Also to Nikki Busch editing and to Author Laurie Larsen, thank you for your skills, support, and guidance throughout the series.
Grounded
The Grounded Trilogy Book 1
Please enjoy this extended excerpt of Grounded, the Grounded Trilogy book one.
Prologue
September 2062
* * *
The night Frank found her it was raining, a wrath-of-God type of downpour Crater City hadn’t seen in a decade. The power was out, but that was nothing new. The grid was unpredictable in any weather.
Later, he’d call it divine providence. If not for the rain, he wouldn’t have grabbed his jacket to take out the trash. And it was the jacket that would save his life.
In the alley behind the fire station at the corner of Fifth and Lincoln, Frank escaped the endless drone of his fellow firefighters by volunteering to dispose of a smelly nest of takeout containers. Without power, the men didn’t have the city’s monitoring equipment to keep them busy. They became downright nostalgic by candlelight. Hell, if you let him, Jonas would drone on about his three freckle-faced girls until sunrise.
Frank could not deal. He didn’t have a family. Not anymore.
He might not have noticed her at all in the blackout, but when he tried to lift the dumpster lid, a shock ran up his arm. The jolt made him drop the stack of waxed cardboard he was carrying, and he bent over to clean up the mess.
