My Soul Laid Bare: Book 4 (The Soul Keeper Series)

by Solis, Melissa

  "How are you feeling?" He still looks weak. His muscles look softer, almost vulnerable. I've never seen him look anything but the picture of perfection. I run my fingers over his cool short hair.

  "Feeling your touch is the only healing power I need."

  I smile as he moves over in the small bed to allow me room to lie next to him. I do, and he lets out a soft sigh as if it's the best thing that's happened to him all year. My leg rides over his thigh as if it has a mind of its own. Our fingers intertwine, and we stay like that for a while. All the while, I keep asking myself if I did the right thing staying with Sam all of these years.

  What choice did I have really? Malphas knew just how to hurt us in the worst way possible. And now what? Seeing Elijah again is like an alcoholic walking back into a bar for the first time. I can't resist him anymore than he can resist me. What will happen when Sam returns in a few months? Will I be able to go back on the wagon and give up Elijah once again? I feel like such a failure. I always let down the ones I love. If it were up to me, I'd never go back home. My mother said one day I would get to live here permanently. After my earthly body has perished, I'll get to live here if I choose to.

  Elijah must have drifted off. I can feel his soft steady breaths over the top of my head, the relaxed rise and fall of his chest. It feels just the way it used to when we'd fall asleep in each other’s arms. I have missed this so much, and I didn’t realize it, until now. Fear was the only thing that carried me through those first few months without him.

  We're jolted awake when a massive trauma team comes into the triage room. Several Keepers are being worked on all at once causing the room to burst alive with a crowd of healers. Elijah eases out of bed and takes my hand leading me out of the way.

  "What happened to them?" Elijah asks Inara when she's finally done giving orders.

  "Daniel said the most evil one had a message for you. He said, ‘You can’t keep her.’”

  "Wait, what?" I ask. This can't be happening again. "He hurt them because of me?"

  Inara and Elijah share a remorseful look confirming my suspicions.

  "No, he hurt them because he's made of nothing but hate and malice. It's not your fault." Elijah's words do little to comfort me.

  Inara squeezes my shoulder. "Look these guys are almost back to normal. They're immortal. Don't worry about them."

  "What about Sam, Lexi, or my staff? He could hurt them."

  "It's a war we're willing to fight, Brennen. Your cause is the most important thing right now. We have Keepers on duty protecting every single one of them. We're invested in this cause. I hope you still are," Inara says, pumping some of her calming effects my way. I've never felt it so strong before.

  I back away from her, needing a clear head. Elijah shakes his head warning her to keep her distance. "Come love, let's go home and talk about things. I can tell you need more answers."

  Outside the night sky takes my breath away. Elijah whistles for his horse. While we wait, he takes me in his arms looking fully recovered and brimming with anticipation. There's a chill in the air, but Elijah's heated body staves off the goose bumps. I've never been here when it's been anything but pleasant and warm. The air even smells differently this time of the year. I guess Amorous has seasons after all. The sweet fragrance of night jasmine fills the air with almost aphrodisiac qualities. My hand rides along Elijah's beautifully carved back. He's exquisite under the silver light of the moon. It bleeds his tan skin of all color and washes him with hues of lilac.

  Elijah's horse trots up next to us like a well versed cab driver in New York City. It's the same one even after all of these years. "Do you want to go to the cottage tonight? Or are you up for the longer ride?"

  "It's been a rough night, and the cabin holds some of my very favorite memories."

  Elijah smiles, and it rips through my last shred of will power. I reach up towards his lips, and he meets me halfway with a much needed earth shattering kiss. There is no one else. I need his touch like a dying crop needs rain. His love flows between us comforting me so completely. I instantly know that everything will be okay. One way or another, he'll make sure of it.

  He finally pulls away to lift me onto the horse. He glides up behind me settling in close and then nudges the horse toward home as he continues bathing me in rich kisses. By the time we reach the small home, Elijah and I are all hands and lips. Clothes fly off the moment we shut the front door.

  We fumble our way to the bed room, stopping periodically along the way to savor the moment we're in. I pull his shirt over his head and delicately trace my fingers over his lava like skin. His scars have faded over the years and are barely visible now, but they are a reminder nonetheless of the pain I caused him to suffer through all because I refused to follow orders. He sucks in a breath as my hands knead over his body.

  "I have a confession to make," Elijah says breathlessly as we reach the edge of his bed.

  "So make it," I say as I peel off the remainder of his attire.

  "Those dreams you've been experiencing lately, weren't dreams." His hands ride along my ribs down to my waist. "I kept you in a dreamlike state so you wouldn't feel guilty."

  "You almost had me throwing out my wine collection. I thought I was going crazy!"

  "You're not upset?"

  I bounce playfully on the bed. "Do I look upset?"

  A devilish smile blooms on his face. I sink back into the pillows as Elijah eases over me. Tonight no one will mistake this for a dream. Elijah and I express our love as only a husband and wife can. We have an intimacy that far exceeds anything I've ever known. I couldn't explain it if I tried. Perhaps the soul mate legend is true, and that's why when we're together like this, there is no better feeling in the universe. It's where we're supposed to be, united, one soul, and one body.

  ****

  Three nights in Amorous equals one night back home, so our one night together has only been four hours on Earth. I wake up the next morning under Elijah's silky arm. His eyes open as I begin to stir. He kisses my forehead and plops his head back down on the pillow. "Getting struck by lighting is by all standards, not cool."

  I prop myself upon my elbow. "Are you in pain?"

  "Just a small headache," he says wearing a grimace.

  "You know what I heard cures a head ache?"

  He smiles as if he knows my mind is in the gutter. "No, why don't you show me your magic cure?"

  My eyes narrow in his direction, and I ease my body over his gently. As it turns out, some things you hear on the internet are true. We emerge from the house just before dinner. Apparently being struck by lightning also produces reoccurring headaches. With Elijah fully recovered, we decide to pay my mother a visit.

  My mother now has an assistant trained on the oracle and has a little more time to spare, so we go to Pastoral to eat. The lavish cafe is just as I remember it. The intricate carvings still cover the outside window with two reared up horses flanking the large picture window. The inside is vastly different from the outside with its multifaceted jeweled table tops paired with chrome and leather bar stools. It's hard to believe that the last time I ate here I was just a seventeen year old girl, innocent and unharmed by the evil that now plagues our world.

  "I can't get over seeing you look so mature,” my mother says studying me intently in my strapless brown lace dress with a floral cashmere wrap. Elijah still keeps an updated wardrobe for me here. Which makes me think he's held out hope all these years.

  "She looks just like you. The resemblance is unmistakable," Elijah interjects. He's right. I look just like my mother. We could be sisters.

  Mud comes up and slaps Elijah on the back to greet him, and in the next instant, he bows down to my mother kissing her hand as if she were royalty. "Fancy seeing yer lot around here. How've ye been?" His gregarious Irish accent is thick and makes me laugh. He and Elijah engage in a conversation while my mother scoops up my hand, eager to hear about the last few years of my life. I fill her in on the election and Sam's
trip but the conversation takes a somber note when I tell her about the news Elena shared with me.

  "What I want to know is… have the visions changed? The last vision I saw was of me hugging two children, but I wonder if they're adopted. For all I know, they could be visiting children from the Make a Wish Foundation."

  My mother glances off to the side, and I ready myself for the bad news. Elijah rubs his palm over my arm and reassures me with a loving look. Mud makes an excuse to leave us saying he has to check on the status of our meal.

  "The truth is Brennen, the last vision I had with you in it is the same one you saw. He's being very secretive about your future. I think it’s because most humans never know what tomorrow will bring. That's how one gathers faith and hope. I cannot give you an answer for your question, my sweet child."

  Her emerald eyes gloss over mirroring my own. She moves from her seat and pulls me into a tight embrace. "All we can do now is hope. None of us know the outcome of your life, but I know he has great things in store for you." A tear runs down my mother’s cheek and lands softly on my shoulder like a hot stone. She pulls back to examine me. "Look at you. You've outgrown the tears. I've never met anyone as strong as my beautiful daughter."

  Her words nearly pull the tears from my eyes, but they never come. I'm done being the victim. No more poor me. Satan himself is after me. He will tear everything from me that I don't fight for, and I'm not going down without a fight. I've spent the last ten years running from their destructive path, and starting today, I'm going to stand right in eye of the fire storm. I will show that evil son of a bitch who he's messing with.

  "Elena said that she was given the gift of time travel after Lincoln got assassinated on her watch. I want a gift. I want to be able to fight back. I'm tired of feeling helpless. I know Elijah. You won't let anything hurt me, but I want to be able to kick some ass too. Daddy was a fighter, and I know I have his same drive."

  My mother dries her tears with a handkerchief Elijah pulled from his pocket, and a smile warms her face. "I'll see what we can come up with."

  Elijah's brow dips low as he shoots my mother a look that dares her to not honor my request. His lips twitch when he looks back to me wondering what words he can use to change my mind. Damn, he looks sexy when he's mad.

  "You can wipe that smirk off your face love. You're not getting anywhere near this fight."

  "You just try and stop me."

  Mud returns with our plates, a pot pie served in a small ceramic dish with a handle. We all bow our heads for the prayer led by him. His thick Irish accent only makes his antics funnier.

  "Lord, we thank ye for this delicious meal ye've blessed us with tonight, even if it tis made with the elk that’s been eating all my cabbage lately. He'll taste better for it. Lord, there’s some mighty fine Keepers that are in the recovery ward tonight, and we pray ye strengthen them with yer light and restore their spirit stronger dan ever so we can bring this bastard down a notch. Amen."

  "Amen," the room shutters with the unanimous response.

  "This discussion is not over, Brennen. I'm your husband, and I don't want to see you get hurt or killed."

  I know he's putting his feelings mildly just to temper me. The small dip in his brow is a sign I've learned to recognize over the course of our relationship.

  “Elijah, would you rather leave me completely helpless if you happen to get knocked out by another bolt of lightning? I need to be able to defend myself if I need to. I'm tired of playing the damsel in distress role."

  "She has a point, Elijah. What if Elena hadn't been there or had been injured too?"

  We've tag teamed him, and now, he's on the verge of breaking. I can feel it.

  "And what gift did you have in mind, darling?"

  "I don't know. What are his weaknesses?"

  "He's trapped in hell. He can't get out, but he still finds ways to manipulate situations to his advantage. Unless you die and go to hell, you'll never come face to face with him." Elijah seethes out.

  "I'm not leaving here without a way to protect myself."

  Elijah bolts from his chair and scoops me up from mine. He carries me outside to the empty dark street, setting me down in the alley between buildings. His lips hover just over mine as he presses me gently against the wall.

  "I am your shield. I am your healer. I'm all you will ever need." He seals his lips over mine taking every argument I can engineer in my mind and washing it down the drain. When he pulls away, he stares at me hoping he's swayed me. He still has the power to make me incoherent when he kisses me that way. Slowly my senses come back to me, and I remember how to breathe and then to speak.

  "Then I won't ever have to use the gift." I stroke the back of his neck softly. "It's only as a last resort. I'm not going to go looking for trouble."

  He traces my chin with his finger, and I turn to putty under his touch. "Trouble always finds you, love. So, you can win this battle for now, but I want one promise from you."

  "What's that?"

  "I want to be able to appear to you when you get back home."

  "Like I could ever go back to the way things were."

  We share another deep kiss before returning to our table. My mother looks up at us as we take our seats. "Everything alright?"

  "Perfect," I can't help but sigh out, still under his spell. Her lips are chagrin as she compares the sappy look of love on both of our faces.

  "And did we come to an agreement?" she asks still trying to pull information out of us.

  "She can have a gift as long as I can appear to her at will. What do you say to that?"

  Leave it to Elijah to still be able to "handle" me despite the fact that I'm a grown woman, a Governor for a very large state, and pretty well set in my ways. God, I still love his arrogant bad boy attitude. What the hell is wrong with me?

  "Very well, I think I have the perfect gift in mind. I'll just have to clear it with Michael first."

  "The Archangel?"

  "The very same, yes."

  I nod my head as I raise my brow thinking to myself, This is my unique life. Own it, and love it.

  Chapter 1 2 ~Gift Horse ~

  On my last day at Amorous my mother and I meet at the visitor center to have a day at the spa. She relaxes into the chair as a man buffs her nails to a gleaming mirror finish, the final touch to our day. I haven’t been this pampered in years. I've been letting my hair grow out again and now its full of body and billowing gentle curls which fall down my back like a curtain. My skin is silky smooth and radiant and smells like some exotic rare flower that doesn't exist on our planet.

  “So I'm dying to know what this gift is. When do I get it?”

  She smiles coyly.“I've arranged for Michaelto give it to you before your departure this evening.”

  I try and hide my disappointment and put on an indifferent facade. It's only a few short hours away. When I return to the cottage, Brutus is there waiting. He hasn't aged a day, and pounces on me as I walk through the door.

  “Brutus! Oh my goodness.” I rub his head vigorously and pull him into a hug. Elijah's white smile lights up from the kitchen.“All this time and you still have no manners.”

  “He does, just not around you. Watch,” Elijah says putting a plate with slices of steak on the floor. Brutus sits calmly in front of the plate and licks his lips, but doesn't try to eat it.“Go ahead.” Once Elijah says the words, the dog inhales the food like his last meal was days ago. We both share a laugh. Elijah puts two plates on the small table and I fill our glasses with water.

  “Still not touching the wine?”

  “No when I get home I want to be completelylucid.”

  He nods in understanding.“You look beautiful tonight, I like your hair like that.”

  “Thank you. I like this whole gauzy linen look you have going on. I hope we make to the transport room on time.” I think I actually see him blush.

  “You're insatiable.”

  Our plates go untouched as he lifts me from my ch
air and carries me to the bedroom.

  ***

  “It's about time you two showed up, Michael’sbeen waiting for half an hour.”

  “I am so very sorry, there was um terrible traffic in the main hall.”

  I spot the angel who must be Michael turning from the window. He's inhumanly beautiful and I am stunned into silence for a moment. Not that I'm attracted to him, more like reveling in awe that God saw fit to make someone this beautiful, cloak him with pristine white wings and let him walk around bare chested for the world to marvel.

  The angel moves to my mother's side and together they look like the need to be placed under spotlights of glowing white light in church window dressings with artfully crafted stained glass at their backs. He reaches out his hand to me and I accept his hold, he takes me by surprise and pulls me in for a long embrace.

  If I thought Elijah smelled good, this man-- this creature, divinely exemplified that tenfold. He smelled of exotic unknown spices the combination of which left me feeling instantly comforted and loved. His pale gold hair looks as if it were spun silk, it's long and tied neatly at the nape with a leather string. Rich brown eyes the color of dark honey, sparkle under the glow of lights in the room.

  He pulls away and returns to my mother's side.“I've gifted you with the ability to transport yourself here on your own capacity. You just need to concentrate your thoughts on the white platform and you will arrive a moment later. Make sure there are no humans or cameras around that can witness your disappearance. Check for heartbeats first. The camerasare a little trickier because they're everywhere now. But your safety comes first.”

  “Thank you Michael, I'll be careful.”

  “No, thank you Brennen. You're doing a great thing and I know the sacrifices you've made to do it.”

  “May I have a word alone with you Elijah,” Michael asks.

  My mother joins my side as Elijah follows Michael out of the office and into a small room next door, the conference room if I remember.