My Soul to Take (Soul Keepers (Young Adult paranormal romance))

by Melissa Solis

  The day is warm and the climb uphill is steep. I can already feel the burn in my legs and that’s a good thing. I’ven’t been running in almost a week. Elijah hands me a bottle of water when we reach the top. I look around and try to catch my breath. The air is thin at this altitude. We are above everything including the clouds. Elijah starts to undress and my eyes widen for the show.

  He pulls his totally dry shirt off, making me wonder if angels even break a sweat. Socks and shoes come off next. He down to swim trunks and stratospheric blue eyes. He smiles up at me and motions for me to get with the program. I follow suite but we are at the tip of a mountain so I don’t know what he has is mind. I’m bewildered.

  When I’m finally down to just my tiny black bikini, he takes my hand and we walk around an enormous boulder. On the other side is a small but deep pool of water, steam rises from the surface. Are we on a volcano? I eye the inky black water as if Elijah was asking me to step into a pool of molten lava.

  “Don’t be afraid, it’s safe. Go on in.” I shake my head. This world is too new, and I’m afraid creatures I’ve never seen or heard of before, may be lurking beneath the surface. A wicked grin plays at the corner of Elijah’s lips. Oh no! I take off running bare feet and all. He follows behind me, quickly catching up. He scoops me ups and tosses me over his shoulder. For just an instant I’m reminded of being taken. I shake the disturbing image from my head and squeal out.

  In one quick spin he throws me into the water, screaming. I sink down into the water and never touch bottom. My feet kick me back to the surface. The water is bathtub warm and filled with millions of tiny bubbles. I’m swimming in warm champagne.

  “Elijah!”

  “I couldn’t help it.” He is doubled over, trying not to laugh. He stands on the edge and offers me his hand to get out. I take his hand and pull him in with all of my strength. He splashes in next to me and slinks up to the surface gliding along my skin as if my body were a life rope.

  His hands and the effervescent bubbles caress my skin in a way that has me almost convulsing with pleasure.

  “There aren’t any giant, mountain dwelling, teenager eating fish in here– are there?”

  “Dunno, I’ll check.” He looks totally serious as he disappears under the water. Far too many minutes go by and I begin to panic more and more. I begin to look for him.

  “Elijah? This is not funny.” The air around me is dead silent. My stomach turns over inside of me. I swallow my fears and stick my head under the surface to try and see him. The water is pitch black, as if it takes sunlight and swallows it for breakfast and spits out darkness in its waste. Something grabs my ankle and tugs me down. “Aggh!” My heart races and I kick my legs and try to re-surface.

  The thing pulls me down six feet and I recognize Elijah’s body as I pound against his hard steel chest. I relax immediately and my body bends to his. He pulls me in and kisses me, filling my lungs with air. We rise slowly to the surface with the bubbles leading the way.

  “You’re an asshole,” I say with a smile on my face.

  “You are far too easy to scare.”

  “Oh, because it’s not like some creature isn’t after me at least every other day in real life.”

  “Your right, I shouldn’t scare you.” His face becomes solemn and apologetic. I feel bad for ruining his fun.

  “What should you do?” I say with a flirtatious tone. Willing him to swim over to me. I prop my arms up on the opposite bank and allow my legs to float near the surface like this is our personal nature-made hot-tub.

  Elijah’s eyes narrow, appearing predatory, and I know he is about to show me just what he should do. He’s a shark circling in the water. Bold blue eyes carry over every inch of my body, plotting his assault with eagerness.

  His body glides in the water as he moves closer to me. He positions himself between my thighs and his hands on my back pull us closer together. His lips devour mine with a deep kiss. He tugs on my lower lip with his teeth. He flashes me a flirtatious smile with full blown dimples that has my body willing and ready for anything he’s selling.

  The material of his shorts is thin, leaving it no secret to what they’re trying to contain between our two swim suits. I was right, there are creatures in this water waiting to devour teenage girls, very large creatures indeed.

  The only thing stopping us is our shared belief that sex is a sacred gift reserved for marriage. I think it will be worth the wait. And we both know that I may not have to marry Sam now. But I wonder, is there even a way for Elijah and me to marry? He hasn’t said anything about it, except in my dreams.

  Elijah drizzles kisses over my body above the water’s surface and below as if he were using his mouth to top a sundae. I think we are heating up this water to a boil with our passion.

  I let out a long sigh when Elijah and I finally take a breath, wishing today could stretch on without an end, without us having to return back home. The muscles in his arms flex as he lifts himself out of the water and onto the smooth rock ledge of our pool causing me to stare yet again. He helps me out and we bask in the sun like two lazy cats until we are dry, eventually falling asleep.

  “Do you like it here?” he asks as we both rouse from our afternoon nap.

  “I wish we would never have to leave.” I would stay wrapped in his arms even if we were smoldering in the pits of hell as long as I could be with him like this.

  “I will find a way to make it happen Brennen.” And I know he will, because Elijah doesn’t make idol promises. I cover his lips with mine and move on top of him.

  “What do you want to happen, if we had our own destinies, if no one had any say in our lives?” I say as I sit atop his waist, our hands intertwined casually.

  “I would ask you to be my wife. I would spend every moment of our life together making you happy. You would never be bored, never be lonely, and never be scared again. You would only be very well loved, safe and sound in my arms because that is my very favorite spot for you to be.”

  “I will find a way to make that happen, Elijah. I promise.”

  ***

  After showering that evening I join Elijah at a small dining table off the kitchen. A small service of workers have appeared out of nowhere and serve us dinner like one of those butler’s I’ve only seen in the movies.

  “Are you for real with the staff?”

  “Why are you whispering?” he asks, looking bemused, and sexy as hell in a gray T-shirt and jeans.

  “Are they angels too?” I really am curious as to why a powerful creature such as an angel would bow down to another angel.

  “No, there not angels. When people commit suicide they’re sent to judgment. Some of them get to come here and be servants or other kinds of workers.”

  “As a punishment?”

  “More like a do-over.”

  He grazes the back of my hand with his thumb and the small touch has me buzzing inside, eliciting pleasure in waves. How does he do that?

  “Do you feel that when we touch, or is it just me?”

  “Definitely not just you. Why do you think I can’t keep my hands off of you?” I take his hand in mine and give it a squeeze. He kisses my fingers and lets out a sigh.

  A man comes over and serves us a warm spinach salad with bacon and goat cheese among other things. It’s the best thing I’ve ever eaten. Next comes a cream of mushroom bisque with a smoky bacon topping. I like where this is going with the whole ode to bacon theme. Bacon wrapped scallops are followed by the lightest carbonara I’ve ever tasted.

  This was delicious but if he brings me a dessert with bacon in it may all make a reappearance. Another young man wearing a crisp white shirt and black slacks takes away each dish and cleans the table between courses. Elijah adjust himself so that he’s not in their way, but doesn’t thank them or acknowledge the workers in any way. Dessert appears in a tiny white ramekin, crème Brule with one spoon. I take the spoon and feed Elijah the first bite. He returns the gesture and we sappily feed each other th
e custard like a love-sick new couple. This is the freaking life.

  Chapter 17 ~ Truth or Dare

  We are both quite as we return to the main headquarters. Elijah and I walk through the hall to get Sam and then go home. Our elaborate lie is in place to keep Sam in the dark about everything. Our future hangs dimly above us as we return to our rightful paths on earth. The halls are empty and the place seems quite.

  “Wait here a moment I need to go check in with Nehemiah and make sure everything is still in order.” I sit on a glass-less window ledge and wait but I get bored after five minutes and wander down the hall.

  A door cracked open catches my interest so I peek inside. It’s one of the recovery rooms and laying on the bed is a barely recognizable Jesson. His face is bruised and cut like someone beat him to a pulp. I slowly make my way in.

  “Jesson, who did this to you?” He opens his eyes and smiles at me through swollen lips and then winces in pain.

  “Brennen, all that matters is your safe.” His eyes drift closed slowly. Oh my gosh, he is in this horrible condition because of me. They must have tortured him after finding me missing. I sit on his bed and take his hand.

  “I’m so sorry Jesson.” His eyes flutter back open.

  “Don’t be sorry Bren, because of you I get to be back in grace.” I smile warmly back down at him as he grips my hand.

  “Can I ask you something?” He nods.

  “Was it you who took me that night?”

  “What, no I would never have brought you to them. I thought you knew. You need to be careful. I know they want you to marry him and all, but Sam is too dangerous.” His eyes struggle to stay open, one is almost swollen shut anyway.

  “Wait, I don’t understand? Who took me Jesson?”

  “Sam,” he says as he finally passes out for good. What? Sam? Effing unbelievable. The angels must know he did it. Freaking Nehemiah didn’t say anything because he knew I wouldn’t play along with their little plan if I knew the truth. I sneak back into the hall and resume my seat in the window. I know Elijah doesn’t know, if he did, he would have let Sam die in that fire or strangled him in his sleep if he hadn’t. Sam probably doesn’t even know, since he seems to remember nothing about the night he attacked me.

  Elijah finds me after a few minutes and we continue down the hall to Sam’s room. Will is already there. He picks Sam up with no more effort than lifting a sleeping child in his arms. I’m fuming with anger but hopefully hiding it from the world. I can’t believe they would keep this a secret. Now it really explains the guilty look on Nehemiah’s face when he returned me from the cell. I make up my mind to tell Elijah when we’re alone again. He needs to know what kind of beings he is working for.

  The four of us go into the transport room which is oddly, completely empty. “Alright remember, we will be in your car and Sam will remember having dinner with you. When you pull into his driveway, you’ll see the damaged stable and the first responders. You’ll say exactly what we talked about.” Elijah feeds me the lies that Nehemiah ordered him to.

  We step onto a larger platform. This one must be for holding more people at once. I feel like I’m in some glorified sci-fi movie. Elijah takes my hand and a second later I’m in my car on the side of the road with Sam sleeping beside me. Elijah and Will must be flying over us. I’d rather at least one of them be in the car with me. I feel like Pi on the lifeboat with his starving wild tiger. I set the car in motion and by the time I reach the speed limit, Sam is awake. He smiles sweetly up at me and I can’t bring myself to lie to those molten brown eyes. He doesn’t deserve to be fed any more bullshit in his life.

  “Well good morning sunshine!” I smile back at him as we zoom down the two lane highway towards his ranch. We have about ten minutes until we get there.

  “Sorry I must have dozed off.”

  I stare straight ahead, and make the decision that the lies end here. The In-Between can kiss my lily white ass!

  “No Sam, you didn’t doze off. Listen to me, don’t say anything until I finish speaking.” If I hold any power over Sam, please let it work now.

  “This is going to sound crazy, but I swore I’d never lie to you. You were dead. We just got back from a place near heaven where guardian angels live. Elijah is really my guardian angel. You were possessed again and set the stable on fire. The demon tried to kill you. He succeeded actually. Elijah brought you to the angels so they could heal you.”

  Elijah pops in the back seat after hearing his name. I continue anyway. Sam’s brows are peaked to the heavens and his eyes are cavernous. I pray that I’m not doing irrevocable damage to his psyche.

  “It turns out my birth mother is a real angel, making me half angel, half human. They found out that your soul is marked. Which means, a demon can possess you whenever they want to take your skin out for a joy ride.”

  “Brennen stop, what are you doing?” Elijah yells from the back seat.

  “Your soul is marked because your mother made a deal with the devil. She was unable to have children, she let them have the soul of her first born if she could have a big family. Then the evil monstrosities gave her cancer, so she couldn’t even live long enough to see their full lives.

  She was fully aware of what that meant for you and I’m so sorry to have to tell you this way. But they wanted me to lie to you. I think you need to know the truth. You just got your own guardian angel because you have a very important destiny to fill. You are going to discover the cure for cancer one day. The angels have a way to see the future. They think that you will only succeed if you and I are together. But I can’t be with you Sam.”

  “Brennen, no,” Elijah pleads.

  “I’m doing everything I can as I promised you I would,” I say turning to Elijah. My words melt him and he’s effectively silenced. Sam looks in the empty back seat wondering who I’m talking to.

  “You will always have a special place in my heart because you were the first person I ever fell in love with. But I will always be afraid that you could hurt me, not you, but a demon that takes over your body. You see I’ve a special destiny too, and if I die, so will billions. So the demons have it out for me too.” I hang everything out on the line, except I won’t tell him that he’s already condemned to hell. No one needs to have that hanging over their heads.

  Tears are pouring down his face. He either obeyed my words or was just kind enough to listen, but he didn’t speak throughout my speech. I turn around and see Elijah glaring at me from the back seat. Oh boy, I’m hot shit now. Let hell fire reign down from the heavens, I’m done playing by their rules.

  “Sam, I will be here for you, as your friend,” I say pulling over so he can process my words.

  Will pops into the back seat. “What’d I miss?” he booms out, the bass of his voice causes my ribs to vibrate. Impeccable timing as usual. Sam watches me stare into the empty back seat.

  “Will, meet Sam.” I turn to Sam. “This is the guy that nearly strangled the life out of you before, he’s now your guardian angel, so good luck with that.” Sam nearly chokes as the two angels appear out of thin air in the back seat.

  “Holy shit!” Sam spits out. Both of the Keepers frown.

  “Yeah, they don’t like biblical blasphemies too much.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Will rumbles out and extends his hand to Sam. Sam reluctantly shakes it. “Sorry about the choking and the punching, but that demon was a little bitch who didn’t want to come out nicely.” We all turn to Will, shocked at his use of a curse word.

  Will and Elijah return to their invisible state.

  “They’re still there aren’t they?”

  “Never leave your side.”

  “But you can see them?”

  “Yeah I think it’s my angel blood. On my birthday I got a letter from my dad which also contained a letter from my real mother explaining who I was. That is what had me so sad and confused the night of my party.”

  “And that’s when Elijah showed up?” I take a deep breath to prepare
for another long explanation.

  “Sort of, when I left the party Will and I got attacked. They almost killed him too, but he managed to get us both to Amorous, the world between Heaven and Earth, where the angels live. I was there for a week recovering, just like you had to do. Time is different there, so I was only gone a couple of hours here. Elijah and I found each other just when I was leaving to come home.”

  “Well, that explains a lot actually. So this Will fella, he will make sure I don’t hurt my family or anyone else?”

  I nod and wipe a tear from Sam’s face. He stares out the passenger window again. I know he has a circuit-breaking amount of information to process so I’m quite while he thinks about it all.

  “Her last words to me when she died were, “I’m so sorry, please forgive me,” I thought she was apologizing for dying. But now I see it was for condemning me.” I rest a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. “I hurt someone, back in Texas. That is why we moved here. So I could have a fresh start.” Sam’s gaze looks far away as he stares out the windshield.

  “I was at a party and I had a few drinks and then I blacked out. The next day, I didn’t remember how I got home, but the police were at our front door. They arrested me when they saw my bloody knuckles. They said I beat some freshman black and blue, tied him up in the woods with his own belt and left him there all night. A bird watcher found him early in the morning. He lived, but it freaked me and my dad out. I don’t think he believed me when I said I didn’t remember doing it. Then when he found me in my truck, all messed up, he knew it happened again. That’s why he didn’t call the cops.”

  “Well look, I know this all sounds bad, but with Will here, you should be able to live your life without having to worry too much.”

  “The night your house caught on fire, I had another black out Brennen. I could have set your house on fire. When Elijah told me what I almost did to you, I knew there was something in me that could put you in danger, that’s why I stayed away.”