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

by Solis, Melissa

  ***

  I pull my SUV into the lot at school and apply a touch of gloss to my lips. Inside, Emily Reed bounds over to me and wraps her arms around my neck. She was the first person to acknowledge my existence when I enrolled here my junior year. We were still in the “getting to know you” phase of our friendship. She wore her mahogany hair in a loose braid today, it suited her. She was on the heavy side but carried herself with confidence and grace. I admired that about her.

  “Bren, oh my goodness look at you! How was your summer?”

  “Emily, hi, you look amazing. My summer was nice.” I shrug. I catch the small turn of her brow. She spots something off. I am a horrible liar. I turn and hurry off in the other direction, pretending to be late for class. “I'll see you at lunch,” I trail off and make a B-line to my first class. Mrs. Cohen, my English Literature teacher is at her desk.

  “Good morning Ms. Hale.” The teacher speaks in a very proper British accent. I am going to love hearing Jane Austen in that inflection.

  “And to you Mrs. Cohen,” I respond.

  I walk down the center row of student desks and take a seat in the rear of the class. The room is bright and cheery. She has made it her own with posters of Victorian garden parties. On her desk sits a vase of fresh pink roses positioned on a lace doily. As the class begins to fill, the most popular girl in school Ari Campbell sits in front of me. As she primps herself, her long unnaturally black locks almost slap me in the face. I back away, knitting my brows together.

  A very tall, golden haired boy takes the seat next to mine. I think he is new here. He brushes his feral waves back with his fingers as he smiles at me. His well-worn jeans look soft and hug him in that way that makes me wonder things I shouldn't be wondering about at seventeen. He is in a plain gray t-shirt and black, scuffed as hell, western boots. Simple, understated, he has no clue that every girl in this room is mentally caressing his lean torso right now. I return a small smile and quickly look away. Wow, his eyes are rich amber brown, the color of maple leaves in fall. They add charm and kindness to his face. He has an athletic build for being so tall. I wonder what sport he plays.

  It’s apparent that Ari notices him right away too. She whips around almost side swiping me with her hair again. I give her a look that screams –girl you are about to get a new style if I have to unpack my scissors. She notices this time and apologizes by mouthing sorry to me. I retract my claws as she turns to the new guy.

  “Hello, I’m Ari. Are you new here?” She flashes her full red lipped mega-watt smile at him. Geez Ari, subtle much?

  I watch as he takes her all in. Yep she’s every guy’s fantasy. In a barely there tank and short red skirt that shouts –I’m not a hooker but I play one on TV.

  “Sam, and yes I am.” He stretches those long legs out as he relaxes in his seat. He has a thick southern accent that I guess came from…

  “Texas?”

  Did I just speak? Yes you did. Well own it then. I look up at him. I hope that he can’t hear my heart trying to pound out of my chest. He grabs his lower lip suppressing a smile.

  “Ft. Worth, is it that obvious?” he asks with a half-smile pulled to one side. Oh my goodness, he is adorable. His molten eyes soften as he recovers his languid gaze back up to me.

  I nod and giggle. Are you kidding me? I did not just giggle like some giddy school girl with her first crush.

  “My apologies, it seems you have me at a disadvantage,” he says as he lowers his head and awaits my response.

  “Oh sorry, Brennen Hale.” I flush ten shades of crimson, which I never do. I do not blush, giggle or fawn over boys.

  “That’s a pretty name,” he says with his full attention on me. His compliment causes my mouth to go unexpectedly parched. I feel like a road kill frog that has baked on the hot asphalt all afternoon, yes, he has reduced me to frog chips. I notice how a light smile highlights his kind eyes. It’s all very charming. While trying to advert my eyes to somewhere other than the fit of his t-shirt, I also observe the fact that Ari doesn’t like how much attention he is paying me at the moment. She shifts in her seat so that her skirt rides up, showing a little more thigh —she is proposing a challenge. Hmm, God help him, he’s all yours Ari.

  “Thank you,” I reply to him and fix my gaze back to the whiteboard where it belongs. I don’t know why my hormones were all ramped up over that guy. The last thing I need is to draw any further attention to myself this year. I need to keep people way out of my business. If anyone finds out what I am hiding, my life could be ruined. I need to be invisible, at least stay under the radar.

  Sensing my defeat Ari bombards him with questions until the bell rings. I learn from her inquisition he is in the horse ranching business, on the swim team, and hopes to make baseball in the spring. He has two younger sisters— twins—ten years old. His favorite music is country but he likes a little bit of everything. And he thinks Ari is annoying. I could hear it in his voice; she was too self-absorbed to notice. I smile inside at the small victory, maybe she’s not every guy’s fantasy.

  Mrs. Cohen begins taking roll call. I like hearing everyone’s name spoken in her accent.

  “Samira Acharya?”

  “Present.”

  “Arianna Campbell?”

  “Here”

  “Brennen Hale?”

  “Here”

  “Keri Lee?”

  “Yes.”

  “Sam Montgomery?”

  “Here ma’am”

  He says ma’am I like that. You can’t like him Brennen. You have secrets to keep. You are to remain invisible. My subconscious likes to keep me in check. I give her a British accent and wire rimmed glasses as well. But I’m lonely. She doesn’t reply. I rest my chin on my hand and sulk in silence. I don’t look back at him for the rest of class. Instead, I busy myself with perfect penmanship. The realization that out of sight, is not necessarily out of mind, keeps testing my will.

  Mrs. Cohen has doled out quiet of list of books we will be covering this year. I mentally groan when I see Shakespeare is on the list. The bell finally rings and I gather my things, taking my time to watch Ari’s last ditch efforts. Ari pauses in front of me to ask Sam where his next class is. I scoot past her and I can physically see her confidence level draining as she makes her move.

  “I have Neal for Agricultural Economics.” He tips his imaginary hat to her and glides out the door with his long strides

  “Oh,” was all she could manage to spit out. Ha! Fail.

  ~ August 28, 2012 Journal of E.M~

  Brennen, you're having the dream again. You murmur “I’m in here.” I enjoy watching you sleep. You look so comfortable being devoured by your down comforter. Lovely golden locks adorn your pillow like ivy on a trellis. Your lips a fresh picked raspberry. Your beauty is impeccable.

  You are crying now, tears dampen your pillow and you curl into a ball. I am so sorry my dear sweet girl. I wish that I had the power to wash the memory away. There are two things I am certain of. Someone wants you alive and something wants you dead. You must have a very special destiny to warrant my protection. Most people would be lucky if they just got a glimpse of an intervention from one of us. Especially from me, being the most highly ranked in my field. I have protected kings and presidents and even a few popes. Oh how I wonder what this life has in store for you. Evil wants to break you, wants to destroy that goodness in you. Evil is very powerful but I will keep you safe.

  Today I will let you see me. I wonder if your soul will recognize mine. I know you don’t know my face; I have kept it hidden from you. I have to be very careful that you never find out who I truly am.

  Yes Brennen, head straight to class. Be invisible like me. I notice many of these boys have their eyes on you, however you pay them no mind and that’s good. You have grown up this summer, perhaps all of the stress you’ve had to overcome in the last few months, has matured you. Nonetheless, you are no longer a girl. Your figure is flattering and you have blossomed into a delightful young lad
y. You seem to have an old soul and if the same is said for me then perhaps we are comparable.

  A boy sits next to you. What’s this? You, you find him attractive? He finds you absolutely mesmerizing. Be invisible Brennen. Yes, that’s it, pay attention to your teacher. Even though you’ve turned your focus elsewhere, he is still enamored by you. This is not good. A low flame is lit deep within me… I believe I am jealous and this is not good either.

  Chapter 2 ~ First Sight

  My second period class is government, which is right down the hall; I can appreciate that. The campus is large despite its small class size. Washington High, home to the Soaring Eagles has birthed multiple renowned governors, senators, mayors and even a president back in the day. Emily spots me in the hall and joins me.

  “So how’s your day going so far?” Emily asks as she slings her backpack over her other shoulder. I have a feeling she wants us to be better friends this year. I could use a friend after the lonely summer I’ve had. I give her a genuine smile, which is hard to come by these days.

  “Oh it’s been interesting that’s for sure. Ari has it bad for this new guy in my Lit class. It was pretty funny to watch her throw herself at him, she did everything but ask him out on a date.”

  “That is funny that she even had to, she can have any guy here she wants.”

  “And has!”

  “You’re wrong!”

  “Am I?” I ask coyly. She grins and shakes her head. This is how girls my age make friends isn’t it, ridiculing other’s lack of chaste? Next thing I know, I’ll be pointing out the fashion don’ts of my unsuspecting underclassmen. Better yet, judging the merit of a guy based solely on the assessment of his ass.

  “See ya Bren.” She waves and goes into her class. I hope we can be better friends this year. It’s about time I make friends in my life now that I am planning on sticking around this little town for a while. My dad and I have lived all across the globe, Texas, Cali, Hawaii, Italy and Japan. I made friends in each of those places despite knowing I wouldn’t be there long enough to develop the kind of relationship that could span both time and distance.

  I take a seat in the next to last row since the back is already filled. The teacher is not in the room yet and the chatter is growing louder. A few minutes go by and the bell rings and still no teacher. The person behind me taps my shoulder so I turn to face him. Is he another new boy? No, I think I’ve seen him before but I can’t think of his name. Good God, he is gorgeous too. He is line-backer large. I wonder if he failed a few grades to still be in high school. Blue eyes pool under long black lashes, his short dark hair is shiny and soft looking. His face is shadowed like he didn’t have time to shave this morning.

  “Hello, sorry but can I borrow a pen? I must have dropped mine somewhere,” he says with a smile that belongs in People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive issue. My cheeks fill with a rush of color again, without my permission. I fumble through my bag and hand him a pen. Our fingers touch for the briefest of moments sending a wave of heat up my arm and into my core. I rotate back around like a whip. What is going on with me? I have never been affected by a boy before, much less two in the same day. Hormones! Dr. Drew chimes in my ear, geeze. I gaze at the boy next to me to test if he has an unwarranted gravitational pull on me. Charlie acknowledges the gesture and smiles up at me while he retrieves his spiral from his bag.

  “Hey Brennen,” His smile holds a twinge of hope. I smile politely back feeling no blush or urge to giggle stirring from within, thank God. Mr. Potter bustles through the door carrying an arm load of newspapers. He passes out a N.Y Times to each of us.

  “Good morning class, sorry I’m late. I trust you have behaved like the adults you are about to become.” He has a no nonsense way about him, I like that. “Now then we’ll get right to it. This is Government and there is no better way to learn the subject than to be the subject. You are going to run a campaign, elect a head of state, and run a country. For your assignment this week I want you each to prepare a speech that would put you in the running for your nomination of President. You should address at least three current issues our country faces. We will begin hearing the speeches on Thursday. You may begin now.”

  Oh is that all, solve the deficit by lunch? Maybe we could cure cancer by Monday. Mr. Potter sits at his desk and unfolds his newspaper, leaving us to fend for ourselves throughout the remainder of class. This will be interesting, and I do enjoy a good challenge, American schools can be so straight forward sometimes. I look around to gauge my opposition. Brice Sanchez was the quarterback and very popular. Ed Nguyen was already the class president and highly competitive. What he lacked in charm and charisma could only be made worse by his snarky attacks on our western society.

  The guy behind me leans forward and whispers in my ear, “I’ve got my money on you Hale.” His breath on my neck sends shivers down my spine. I don’t dare turn around, my face is scarlet red. How can he have this effect on me? And he knows my name, how? I try and think of his, he looks so familiar, but for the life of me I can’t place him and now it is bugging me. I am frozen in place the duration of class and when the bell rings it takes me a minute to gather my bearings.

  In the hall a hand is put on my shoulder, it’s him, I tense. He is easily six foot four and even though I am five seven, I feel dwarfed next to him.

  “Here is your pen, thank you.” His voice is languid and velvety smooth. I take the pen, giving him a curt nod as I turn back. He glides up next to me and walks with me. Despite his size, he oozes grace. I hug my books for moral support. Invisible means no boys Brennen Elizabeth. Tell that to hunky what’s-his-name still keeping my hurried pace.

  “Stalk much?” I ask. Rude, yes but I’ve got to get rid of him somehow.

  He scoffs. He holds his hands up like he means no harm. “Just going to class Brennen didn’t know that was a crime.” I shake my head in disbelief and slip into the ladies room. Take that stalker. I gaze into the mirror looking for the difference that is gaining me all of this extra attention. I reapply my lip gloss and throw it in my bag. I don’t see anything different this year at all. Maybe they’re the ones who have changed. I fluff my waves with a shake of my fingers and head out the door. The halls have thinned, and he is nowhere in sight thank heaven. Well, I guess he’s not much of a stalker.

  I swing the door open to my calculus class and the only seat left in the auditorium style room is next to him. Of course this would be my luck. I sigh. He is humored I think. His blue eyes stalk me all the way to my seat. I can’t help but notice how his white button down shirt can barely contain his arms. Okay so he is attractive, but it takes more than looks to make my head turn. However, something about his face makes him seem trustworthy. The way he holds himself with a dignified air is more mature than his fellow peers. Sitting this close to him I can smell his appealing scent. He smells like warm chocolate chip cookies mixed with something musky and sensual. It draws me closer to him, mm delicious. What is that? In my daze I drop my pencil. He bends and retrieves it for me with ease. His fingers graze over mine and the same sensation radiates warmth within me yet again. I feel like I am in a dream and I don’t want to wake up. Everything has slowed down and it’s just the two of us. I am lost in his eyes, his perfect features. His magnetic pull has me on the edge of my chair.

  “Thanks, I am sorry but do I know you?” I ask pulling my hand away as I realize we are still touching, a second longer and I fear I would have been in his lap.

  “In a way,” he states, giving nothing to mind. What does that even mean?

  “What’s your name?” For some reason my question comes out sounding more like an evil queen interrogating a known heretic. His lip is pulled upward slightly– smirking at my lunacy, no doubt.

  “Elijah Morgan,” he whispers into my ear. I see the class has begun and I am reminded that the world is still spinning. His velvety voice repeats in my head…Elijah, I don’t know anyone with that name. This seating feels like a movie theater, unfortunately the only
show now playing is- The Extreme Value Theorem. Starring our own older than Methuselah, Mr. Yates, it’s not even in HD. I wish I could rest my head on Elijah’s broad shoulders and ladle his scent into my nose. Brennen get your head out of the clouds woman, my subconscious blast. Fine, I’ll do calculus.

  I peek over at his notes. He writes like no boy I’ve ever seen, each word is like a little work of art. Hmm, you smell like cookies, you have excellent penmanship and the body of a NFL player. The line from my favorite movie plays in my head. – “I know what you are… Say it!” I stifle a giggle. He looks at me with his head cocked to one side, wondering what’s wrong with me. I narrow my eyes in return. It’s the first time I’ve laughed in months and it feels good.

  By the end of class my stomach is growling. Sitting next to him has given me one hell of a craving for chocolate. I could easily polish off a vat of Toll House morsels right now. Lucky for me, I get to go to lunch. I make my way out the jam packed exit. Elijah is using the other one. Maybe my stalker comment scared him off. I am still wondering where he knows me from.

  In the cafeteria the only thing edible is the salad bar. I take my rabbit food and buy a dark chocolate candy bar from the vending machine. I sit in the grass under my favorite tree, alone in the courtyard, warming myself in the sun.

  “Excuse me is this seat taken?” I hear a voice say. I recognize Ft. Worth’s drawl without even seeing him. He is standing in front of me blocking the sun like the glorious towering Virginia Pine he is.

  “Hey Sam, you’re always welcome under my tree,” my mouth says, but my mind says -no, no, go away cute boy. Look away Brennen – look away!

  He eases down next to me stretching out those long legs and crossing his boots. He takes a bite of his hamburger and nearly chokes on it. His brows turn like he is in agony.