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

by Solis, Melissa

  It's night time here, and Elena transports us to my mother's home to avoid waking the twins up.

  I knock softly on the doo,r and my mother answers right away. She's absolutely radiant in an amethyst silk night gown and robe. In all honesty, I think I now look older than my mother and try and hide the hint of envy. Her eyes light up when she sees me, and she ushers us inside and into the first bedroom to lay the children down.

  My mother looks down at them in their ridiculously peaceful state. Of course, they look like angels now but let her experience them when they're fully awake and running rampant around her glass sculpture decorated house. Elijah and I stand in the doorway side by side watching her with them. It’s funny how having children changes you. Now their wellbeing comes first. We haven't even spoken or hugged yet. My mother tucks them in and finally comes back out, quietly closing the door, but leaving it cracked should they wake up in a strange place.

  She comes over and holds me as tight as my human body will allow, and I hear a ragged breath sigh out of her chest like she's crying.“Mom is everything alright?”

  She sniffs and laughs softly as she pulls away enough to see my face.“Yes, I'm fine. It's just good to see you. It's been so long. I knew you would wait until the children were ready to learn the truth, but I never knew how much I would miss you all during that time.”

  I nod. My gaze keeps trickling back to Elijah standing a good distance away now. It's as if he's afraid to touch me– be near me.

  “I know. I’ve missed you too.”

  “I'll put some tea on, and we can catch up.”

  I could spend days getting my mother up to speed, and I would love that. But I need to be alone with Elijah. I don't know if she realizes I haven't seen him in just as many years.

  “I would love to stay and talk, but do you think it could wait until morning? I haven’t seen Elijah since we left.”

  “Are you joking dear?” She turns to Elijah her face morphing into confusion.“Is this true? You knock my daughter up and leave her to it for eight years?”

  I nearly choke as she slams Elijah. I watch as he swallows hard. He looks washed in guilt but quickly regains his composure. He bulls in to where we stand looking determined to set things straight once and for all. I attempt to quell his temper with a hand on his chest. It rises and falls under my touch like it's his undoing. A current of need passes through me at the same time, and it's all I can do to get him out the door before I undress him in this very room.

  “We'll be back before the kids are up,” I say trying not to sound as breathless as I am.

  “I doubt that, but okay dear. Don’t worry about the children. They are in good hands.”

  I hug her neck once more, and Elijah opens the door for me. He whistles for a horse and pulls me into his arms while we wait. He nuzzles his face into my neck and breathes me in.“You are all I have been craving for all these years.”

  “Why didn't you come to see me?” I say still feeling hurt.

  “Do you honestly think that my feelings for you have lessened any over all these years?” Elijah asks as his hot breath rakes over my ear. His hands glide down my body as if they were re-mapping their terrain. My knees feel like they’ve taken a walk out on their own, and Elijah is quick to take up the slack. I may be the leader of the free world, but when I’m in his arms I am seventeen years old all over again. I cave at his feather soft touch and melt into liquid at his caress.

  He asks another question,“Do you know how many nights I wanted to go to you and kiss your soft lips just to spend a moment with you?” And again, I’m without words. Elijah draws my lower lip into his mouth and then dives in for a long slow lingering kiss that I haven’t felt in ages and will probably be on replay in my head for the next decade.

  “Then why didn’t you? I needed you, and you were so close all this time.” I pull away so I can look into his eyes.

  “First, Elena is correct. I won’t leave the twins side for a second. Just like when I guarded you as a child. You never sustained a single bruise. But once I fell in love with you, I let my emotions rule me, and I made mistakes– mistakes which could have cost you your life. You are my weakness, and I can’t be weak when I am charged with keeping our children safe.

  Secondly, you needed time to heal after Sam’s death. If I had shown myself three or six months after, you wouldn’t have been able to grieve the way you needed to. I would have taken your pain away. I would have held you in my arms for hours. Actually that part I did, you just didn’t know it. I held all of you in my arms while you broke the terrible news to the children. It was all I could do.” His gaze drops to the ground as he realizes how much I must have needed him.

  My hand caresses his cheek as his eyes remain closed. He turns into my touch, and his eyes flash open filled with desire. He locks his lips around mine, and we get lost in a heated kiss that spans decades. His hand moves into my hair holding my head close as if he'd die if I let go. I can’t let him go, not ever again. Suddenly a warm velvet nose bumps my cheek, and the horse lets out a whinny. Looks like our taxi is waiting. We share a laugh and mount the horse.

  We race through the path to Elijah's cottage not far from here, especially not at these speeds. I hang on tight and relish the heat radiating from his glorious body. The lavender moon hangs like a spotlight in the night sky. This place is always so peaceful, especially at night. The damp leaves cushion the horse's pounding hooves. Elijah's got the reins in one hand and his palm over my arm as I hug his chest. I've missed the way he feels, the soft curve of his muscles. He's never been bulky and overly muscled. No he is perfectly carved to perfection.

  We come to a stop at the cabin, and Elijah helps me off. I should be exhausted right now, but the thought of reuniting with Elijah has me about ready to tackle him as if he were a lineman and I was the great JJ. Watt. The porch lamp is lit welcoming us home like a long lost ship at sea. It feels good to be back here. When Elijah and I married, we spent every chance we could here. In Amorous three days is the equivalent to one night back home. Elijah could make time stop while we were here. Every day was magic, sparks flying, warm bodies disappearing, glitter, smoke and fire, we had it all.

  I melt into Elijah as we reach the door. He secures me tightly around the waist.

  “Tell me, how will it be when we return home? Will you disappear for another eight years?”

  He pulls pack and examines me. His navy eyes glitter under the lilac moon, and I can see the hope Elijah has for our love to take bloom and grow like a field of wild flowers gone mad.

  “You have one year left in office, and then you’re out of the public eye for the most part. Until then, I’d better keep out of sight. We can make due with weekend trips to Amorous. The public won’t want you to have replaced Sam so easily. He was a prince in their eyes, a father to our children, and they’ll need time to ease in to the new situation as well.”

  “I want them to know you are their father.”

  Elijah takes my hand and leads me to the bedroom.“One day we will tell them, but for now I will be their trainer. I think it’s time to tell them who they really are first. They have gifts beyond our wildest dreams, and they need to learn how to handle that responsibility with precise control.”

  “Well I suppose it will be a good way for you to bond with them.”

  He nods and takes my hands up in his lap as we sit on the bed. It’s been so long since I’ve been with him. He brushes a lock of my hair back behind my shoulder. I have a stomach full of butterflies, and I’m not sure why.

  “Do you think we could just lie together? I’m not sure I’m ready yet.”

  My ears prick back as if even they can’t believe what I’ve just said.

  “You can have whatever you want, love.” Elijah peels off his shirt and nestles in behind me in the center of his bed– our bed. He pulls me in tight, and the memory of all the nights we spent just like this come flooding back to me like a mudslide washing out a country road. I roll over to face him.
His hand rides down the curve of my hips and back up.

  I study his unchanged face. I look beyond the obvious beauty and into his eyes. It’s there that I can see the wisdom immortality lends, through the barely noticeable scars, the years of battle worn deep into his eyes, although flawless, revealing his true age. They must have seen a thousand lifetimes of death and misery, yet there is a light in his eyes that still holds faith in the human race. I imagine the battles he has had to endure as my fingers travel up the curve of his triceps. He is so strong and noble, all the while being ever so gentle with my heart. He breathes a soft sigh content only to touch me and receive the same back.

  I press my lips to his, and a soft guttural sound escapes from somewhere deep inside him. Elijah shift his body over mine, and I can’t deny my love any longer. I’ve needed him for so long, too long.“I want you Elijah. I love you,” I draw out each word so it will hit home.

  A smile blooms over his face. God, how I love that smile.“And as I said, you can have whatever you want, love,” he says as his expression darkens by the second. Elijah’s eyes narrow in predatory pursuit as he reads my smile.

  Elijah writes a love song with his next kiss. He’s set the room ablaze, and I’d gladly throw myself into the pyre to be burned by his searing touch. We have always had this magnetizing effect on one another when we touch that makes me just want to crawl inside his soul and never leave. And now as he makes love to me, I am home. Elijah makes the world feel right again. It’s been so long since I’ve felt like this– I drink it in and drown in it. We plunge into the abyss and dare to sink to the lethal depths of our love that night like we’ve never done before.

  Elijah and I get back to my mother's house just before the sun comes up. I don't know if the children will be able to bare the overly bright light, so I draw the curtains before they wake.

  “How were they last night?” I ask my mother who is busy giving instructions to the chef.

  “They slept like they hadn't a worry in all the world.”

  “Ah, I miss those days,” I admit. We sit at the breakfast table. A maid pours me a cup of coffee, and I thank her. How I will survive until tonight will be the real magic. Elijah made sure I slept very little.

  “She looks so much like you did at that age, love. It’s surreal. But you always had your worries. As a child, you would never sleep well unless I was at the foot of your bed. You worried about your father mostly I think, and when he was safe at home, you worried when he'd be called out again. And when that would pass, you'd worry about everyone else you met that ever shared their problem with you. The mail carrier told you once that he was so tired at the end of the day that he could barely finish his route. You started leaving him a bag of homemade cookies and a glass of iced tea on the porch each and every day.”

  My mother smiles over her cup of tea.“I'm afraid she gets the worrying from me, but at least I can wholeheartedly give my problems to Him knowing Hewill mend the ones that need it.”

  “Yes humans don't realize worrying is like slapping God in the face.”

  “Excuse me? You are a father now, and you're going to tell me you are not worried about who will break our little girl's heart first? You're not worried William may turn out to be as stubborn as his father and his mother combined?”

  Elijah gives a soft chuckle and sips his coffee.“No absolutely not worried about either. Elara will probably be doing the heartbreaking just as her mother so wickedly did to me on many occasions. And my dear William is steadfast in his morals and open hearted with every idea that crosses his path.

  I hear then one of the kids beginning to wake up, so I go into the room.“Good morning sleepy heads.”

  Elara’s eyes pop open, and she takes in her surroundings. I swear my mother anticipated me bringing them here. The room is decorated in a blue and white motif with loads of games and toys strewn about creating an eight year old’s dream room. Her half is decorated a little more feminine than William’s half of the room.“Mommy, where are we?”

  William peeks his eyes open after hearing her words. They both stare at me and try and figure it out.“We are in a very special place because I have someone very special I want you to meet.”

  My mother enters the room with such grace I think she could have just convinced summer to start producing snowflakes.“This is your grandmother. Her name is Emmagen, but you can call her…” I look to my mother wondering just what she would prefer. She doesn’t look like a grandmother in the slightest.

  “Can we call her Grams?” Elara giggles and runs into my mother’s arms like she’d known her forever.

  “I remember her, she was there when we were born.”

  William says trudging out of bed and into my mother’s lap.“You remember her? You were only hours old the last time you met.” He shrugs his shoulders.

  “It’s fuzzy, but we remember her.”

  “Well I’m glad you remember me. I have missed you so very much all this time. I hope you will come and visit me much more now.”

  She hugs them each and kisses their cheek. I draw back the curtains a bit.“Tell me if this is too bright for you.” I am so thankful I can finally stand the light here. The kids don’t squint, so I open the other curtains.

  “I thought they’d be fine with the light here,” my mother points out as the kids go explore the toys in room. Elijah steps in, and the kids gasp and run to him.

  “Elijah, you’re here too. This is going to be the best day ever,” William says launching himself at Elijah. Elijah laughs and tosses William on his back as Elara comes in for a hug.

  “Yes, your mother and I have some more news we want to share with you over breakfast. Shall we?” He links Elara’s arm in his and leads her to the table on the veranda. My mother’s home sits high on a bluff overlooking a waterfall in the distance and lush land all around reminiscent of the emerald slopes of Kauai. The table is filled to capacity with every breakfast food known to man, and I laugh at her ability to exceed all expectations.

  “You’re not going to be one of those grandmothers that spoils the kids rotten, are you?”

  “I have every intention to be, and if you try and stop me, I’ll have Nehemiah come by and rearrange your memory of the subject.”

  It’s strange that I can actually laugh about that now. I never thought that day would come. William and Elara run to the rail and take in the view. Elijah is careful to keep the loving touches at bay for now and appear only as a friend.

  We all take a seat and help ourselves to the mountain of food. My mother keeps the children talking with loads of questions, just like she did when she met me for the first time as a teenager.

  “What should I say?” I ask Elijah in a low voice. He takes a long sip of tea, and I steel my gaze away from his lips.

  “I would just explain to them about why they have gifts with the complete truth. They are extremely intelligent, they won’t take much by way of an explanation.”

  As the breakfast finally winds down and we’re all stuffed to capacity, I take the children to a small bench overlooking the falls.“I want to talk to you both. I’m sure you will have many questions, and you will have your chance to ask them after I say what I need to.”

  The air is moist and cool here. It clings to your skin like a fine mist being atomized over you like a fine perfume. The leaves of the tropical garden my mother keeps rustle under the breeze.

  “Last night while you were sleeping, I scooped you up and brought you here so that you could finally know the truth about who you are. I wanted you to know your Gram’s and maybe one day the rest of your family. You see, you are not just normal human children. I mean you’re normal, but you are not entirely human. You are mostly angel actually. We are not on Earth right now.

  This place is known as the In-Between because it’s a world between heaven and Earth. They call it Amorous. Special kinds of angels live here called Cherubim. They are called to do God’s will by protecting the human people from harm. Elijah is a Keeper, a gu
ardian. He was sent to keep you safe on Earth. Your grandmother is another kind of angel. She is a Seraphim. They typically live in heaven and spend their life praising Him and exalting Him. She gets to take on a special task here to help everything run smoothly. She can see things through the oracle that are going to happen.

  You each have special gifts that you may or may not be aware of because in the past when you have occasionally slipped and used your gifts in public, Elena, who is a Keeper too, would reverse time to make sure no one else knew of your gifts. You may not know that you have these gifts because when Elena reverses time, it is like erasing the first memory. Now I’m sure you’re full of questions, so fire away.”

  “Was Daddy a Keeper?” Elara asks.

  “Daddy had every requisite to be an angel, but he was wholly human. He’s in heaven, and sometimes Gram’s will surprise us and arrange for our loved ones to come and visit us. It’s very rare, but I’m sure one day you can see Daddy again.”

  “What do you mean we have gifts?” William asks just as Elijah nears us. I’ll let him have this one.

  “When your mother was eighteen she was given a necklace that unlocked her gifts. She can read the minds of humans and influence what they believe. It is how she has molded the world into a far better place to live. You two also have special gifts, and one day your gifts will help you to follow in your mother’s footsteps and help the world and all of its people. But you have to learn how to use these powerful gifts, and I am going to teach you. It is very important that we keep all of this a secret. You see humans have to live their lives on faith alone. They must believe that God is living inside of them and have faith Heis, even though they don’t know for sure.”