Return to Eden

by G. P. Ching

  She raised her hand and brought it toward his face. He jerked away. Her hand hung awkwardly in the air between them before coming to rest on her stomach.

  Gideon swallowed hard. "Old habits die hard," he said. He reached for her fingers. The back of his hand grazed her abdomen as he pulled her hand toward him. "Your fingers feel cool." He smiled at her, his eye darting from their hooked fingers to her face. "They feel cool, Abigail. They don’t burn."

  Licking her lips, Abigail lifted her other hand to his face. This time he didn’t jerk away. He felt the press of her palm next to his good eye. With his free hand, he reached for her hair, feeling his fingers thread into the silky warm softness at the base of her neck. She closed her eyes and sighed. A parade of tears dribbled down her cheek.

  He used his thumb to wipe the tears from her jaw. "I will forgive you, Abigail, on one condition."

  "What?"

  "You never do anything like this again. We move forward together or not at all."

  Her eyes opened and her full lips parted. She buried her hand in his hair. "Deal," she whispered.

  Trembling, he pulled her to him, closing the remaining space between their bodies and lowering his lips onto hers. Whatever happened inside Gideon’s human body could not be explained with mere words. His head filled with visions of heaven. A tumble of electric sparks started in his chest and traveled south, setting off a chain reaction of sheer bliss. He pressed into her, believing he could never get enough of the feeling, or of her.

  "Whoa!" Malini’s voice called out. "Don’t make me get Jacob to hose you down."

  Reluctantly, Gideon pulled back.

  "Yeah. Now that you guys are human, you need to learn when it’s time to get a room," Jacob said.

  Malini approached Gideon and peeled the sock from his forehead, now adhered to his skin with dried blood.

  "Ow!"

  "I need to touch it," she explained. She placed her left hand over his wound. At first the touch of her hand stung, but by the time she removed it, he could arch his brow without pain. He shifted and Malini did the same thing with his knee.

  "Thank you, Malini." Gideon stepped back into Abigail, running his fingers through her hair. He turned his head toward Lillian. "I don’t suppose you would lend Abigail and me your staff?"

  Lillian giggled. "I would but you’re human and not a Soulkeeper. It won’t work for you anymore."

  Abigail laughed and placed a hand over her mouth.

  "What are you laughing at?" He scowled at her.

  "Gideon, your face. It’s priceless." She reached for his hand and led him to the truck.

  "We’ll take turns with the staffs and meet you back at the house," Malini said.

  As he wedged himself onto the seat next to Abigail and Stephanie, Gideon sighed. Jacob turned from his spot behind the wheel and chuckled. "Don’t worry, Gideon. It’s only a three hour drive."

  Gideon rolled his head back against the seat. Abigail rested her head on his shoulder and they began their long journey home.

  Chapter 34

  New Life

  By the time Abigail arrived in Paris, she’d succeeded in persuading Stephanie Westcott not to share her experiences. The honest truth was she didn’t remember anything between drinking Abigail’s elixir and finding herself on the platform with the knife in her hand. The part she did remember, being held in a warehouse like an animal by a group of scaly skinned monsters with leathery wings, was a story no one would ever believe anyway. She promised to conceal the Soulkeepers' identities.

  They dropped her off a quarter mile from her house, then circled the block and watched as Stephanie climbed the Westcotts’ porch stairs and rang the doorbell. Fran Westcott squealed with joy and hugged her daughter in the doorframe. Her father, brothers, and sisters rushed out and joined in welcoming Stephanie home. There would be questions and stories to be told, but for now all that mattered was that Stephanie was home.

  "We have to free the rest of them," Abigail said to Jacob, wiping tears from her eyes. After thousands of years not being able to cry, the waterworks were quickly becoming a habit. "I know where they are. Lucifer planned to farm them for food."

  Gideon squeezed her hand.

  "Let’s get you two home and talk to Malini. She’ll know what to do," Jacob said. A few minutes later, he pulled into the driveway of Abigail’s sprawling Victorian home. She exited the truck, stretching her cramped legs.

  "I never realized how creepy this place looks to human eyes," Abigail said.

  Gideon lifted the corner of his mouth. "I was thinking it had a cheery glow now that my vision is three hundred times less accurate."

  She laughed. "It must’ve looked like a morgue to you."

  He nodded. "You were worth it."

  "Come on, you two. This is the part where we debrief, remember?" Jacob jogged up the stairs to the door and let himself in without knocking.

  Abigail knew she was expected to follow. She had to use the bathroom, a human sensation that was turning out to be downright inconvenient. Instead, she grabbed Gideon’s hand.

  "Everything has changed," she said.

  His face sagged. "It has. But this is what we wanted. It’s worth it, Abigail. To touch you, to hold you."

  Gideon looked the same to her. Sure, his once fiery auburn hair was now more of a dark brown. And his emerald green eyes, still stunning, didn't glow from within like before. He was still taller than she was, and the muscles of his chest and arms stretched the black t-shirt he wore. To her, even with the differences, he looked the same.

  She touched her face. "This body is weak. I don’t think I can be a Helper anymore. I’m not a Soulkeeper. And I’m not..."

  "You’re just as beautiful as ever. More so because I know what you went through to earn that body."

  She tried to look away but he gently tipped her face up to his.

  "You’re perfect to me. I want us to live out our lives together. I never want to be apart from you again."

  Warmth flooded her heart, and for the first time in thousands of years, Abigail remembered what it was like to be in the presence of God. Love, pure and unconditional, poured into her, overflowing the cup of her heart.

  "You’re glowing," Gideon said. "In a human way." His smile was as perfect as when he was an angel. Maybe not as white, maybe not as straight, but perfect.

  She placed her hand on his cheek.

  His lips curled upward. "I'd like to buy you a diamond as big as your head and take you to some exotic locale where seagulls spelled out your name in a series of acrobatic dives. I'd like to get down on one knee and ask you to marry me. But, as it so happens, I don’t have a human job and I can’t conjure things out of the air anymore. All I have to offer you is me. A much too human and fragile me. Is it enough for you?"

  Abigail tossed her arms around his neck and fell into him, as ungracefully as she’d ever moved. "Yes. Oh yes, It’s enough. I know this won’t be easy, but we wouldn’t know what to do with our lives if it was, would we?"

  He planted a kiss on her lips that left her feeling dizzy and more than interested in exploring the electric tingle in her belly. But the group of Soulkeepers who had gathered on the porch had other ideas.

  Malini clapped her hands and whistled. "Hey, time to wrap up this mission, you two."

  Her face strangely hot, Abigail nodded and followed her into the house, hand in hand with her soul mate.

  * * * * *

  Abigail stood in the circle of Soulkeepers feeling oddly out of place. She couldn’t pass through the wall to get to the tower anymore, so the group gathered in the parlor. Lillian, Jacob, and Jesse stood near the fireplace but there was no fire. Without sorcery, it would take too long to light it. The twins sat on the sofa, hand in hand.

  "I want all of you to know that the humans at Fermilab got out safely," Malini began. "Mara made sure that the timing of the collapse allowed them to escape to the main parking lot. None of them remembers anything. After being influenced for so long, it will
be days before they’re truly back to normal."

  "What about the hole? Do we need to find a way to cover it up?"

  "No need. They’re calling it a sinkhole, a natural geological occurrence. The government shut down the Tevatron last September. No one was supposed to be in there anyway, so they’re not looking too closely at the damage."

  Awkwardly, Abigail stepped forward and gestured to get Malini’s attention. She had nothing to offer but her human wits and the bit of information she’d gathered from her time in Lucifer’s inner circle.

  "What is it, Abigail? Just speak out, like we always do."

  She lowered her head. "Right. There are more, like Stephanie. The Watchers have been collecting people all year. There are six warehouses of humans as far as Colorado." The passion in her voice increased with every word. "We have to free them before Lucifer has a chance to recover and take them to Nod."

  "You know where these warehouses are?"

  "Yes."

  "Excellent. We’ll split," Malini said. "Abigail, I want you to create a map for each location and assign each to a small team of Soulkeepers of your choosing. Tomorrow, we act on your plan. For now, everyone break. Get some rest." Malini looked at Abigail expectantly.

  After a few moments, she got the hint. "You are all welcome to help yourself to a room upstairs." She spread her hands and glanced at the faces around the parlor.

  There was a clatter of movement and appreciative gestures. The room emptied, aside from Gideon and Malini who frantically texted on her phone.

  "Grace and Master Lee are still in Arizona," Malini said. "They haven't answered my last text. We need someone to return to Eden to tell Dane and Ethan what’s going on. We’ll need Ethan for the mission, and if Dane’s strong enough, it’s time for him to go home to his family. The Michaels have been destroyed since he went missing."

  "What about the last Soulkeeper?" Gideon asked.

  Malini frowned. "The person is from Sedona, Arizona. I only had a first name, Cheveyo. I couldn’t get an exact location and I’m not even sure if they are male or female. I didn’t get the details of their search before we lost service but they confirmed they’re giving up and coming home."

  "Do you want me to pop down there and make sure they’re okay?" Gideon asked, and then seemed to realize his mistake. "Oh, I can’t anymore. Sorry, Malini."

  "Don’t worry, Gideon. Grace’s last text indicated she was on a trail in the mountains. Terrible cell service there. I’m sure if we give her and Lee some time, they’ll find their way back to us."

  Nodding, Gideon rubbed Abigail’s shoulder. "I’m going to go upstairs and take a long, hot, human shower."

  Malini smiled. "I highly recommend it."

  He walked down the hall and rounded the banister.

  "What’s on your mind, Abigail?" Malini asked once he was out of sight.

  Flopping down on the sofa, she let out a deep sigh. "I don’t think you should use me for this. It’s not like before. I have no power."

  Malini leaned forward, meeting Abigail’s stare. "Is that what’s bothering you? You feel weak and powerless?"

  "That and I’m not a Soulkeeper. I don’t belong here anymore. Even my own house feels foreign. I’m not the same person. I’m vulnerable and clumsy. You shouldn’t trust me with something as important as this."

  Malini placed her small, brown hand on top of Abigail’s. "If anything, I trust you more." Malini shook her head and walked to the window. "When you were a Watcher, I always wondered if you were truly loyal to the cause. You helped us, but I always had this feeling that you were only in it for you. I didn’t know for sure what you would do today on the platform. I saw three possible futures, and let’s just say this was the happiest of outcomes."

  "If you didn’t know what I would do, why did you turn yourself over? If I’d performed the sacrifice, you’d be dead."

  "You could say I was increasing the odds of a favorable outcome. I had a gut feeling about you. I don’t think you could perform an act that evil in front of Jacob. I wanted you to know he was there, that he was watching. I knew it would break your heart for him to see the evil in you."

  Abigail rested her head in her hands. "You were right, of course, but I’d made my decision long before that. When I saw Dane in hell, I couldn’t bear it. After he’d helped us the way he did and I knew how much his death would weigh on your hearts, I had to take action, even if it meant losing myself."

  Turning back toward the parlor, the last rays of twilight framed Malini’s torso. "And that’s why I trust you. That type of selflessness is hard to find."

  "But—"

  "I don’t need your sorcery. I need your true strength."

  "But—"

  "Your true strength, Abigail, is your heart, your mind, and your brand new soul. Someone like you who has come so far, who has journeyed through hell and chosen a life of faith, is the most useful of all. It’s easy to choose what’s right when right is your only choice. You’ve seen the evil that could be and rejected it. I need you. I need your experiences."

  Abigail leaned back against the sofa, hugging herself. Malini’s words rang true. After staring into the face of evil, Abigail was sure she would never go back there. Lucifer wouldn’t waste his time trying to tempt her again. He knew what she was capable of now.

  "Okay. I’ll do it. I’ll make the maps and build the teams."

  Malini approached and sat down next to her. "There’s more." She placed her hands around Abigail’s. "I want you to teach the Soulkeepers. No one understands Watchers like you. Nobody understands evil like you. Lillian is a Horseman and belongs in the field. She’s never been comfortable running Eden and we are going to need her here when Lucifer regroups. I want you, and Gideon if he’ll agree, to run the school and help us teach the new Soulkeepers."

  Abigail’s mouth fell open. "Can I...go there?"

  "You can. Dane made it through and so can you. I’ve seen it."

  "Then, yes, Malini. Yes. I will gladly share what I know with the Soulkeepers. I’ll talk to Gideon. I’m sure he’ll help, too."

  "Welcome to the team, Dr. Abigail Silva, human and honorary Soulkeeper." Malini shook her hand formally and then pulled her into an embrace.

  For the second time that day, Abigail’s heart swelled with gratitude for the new life she’d chosen.

  * * * * *

  A single red candle burned on her dresser, barely illuminating the room that was now too dark for her tastes. Behind the bathroom door, the groan of the pipes shutting off preceded the clank of the shower door. Drawers opened and closed and bottles clanked together. Gideon.

  Fumbling in the darkness, she found a long silk nightgown she’d had since the 1920s. She pulled it over her head. It fit differently than before. In the dim light she turned back and forth in front of the mirror, trying to get used to the new curves that pulled against the silk.

  "You look beautiful." Gideon’s voice was all gravel, low and rough.

  She spun around. Framed by the bathroom light, he adjusted the towel wrapped around his waist. Stray drops of water lingered on his broad chest. With his hair slicked back, his left eyebrow was slightly lower than the right, a human imperfection she hadn't noticed before. Somehow it made her heart beat faster and her fingers ache to touch him. Human feelings didn't make sense, but she liked them.

  "I didn’t know you were watching."

  "I wasn’t. Good timing I guess." The corner of his mouth twitched.

  Her insides fluttered. A hot tingle rose up her chest to her cheeks. She smiled. "It used to be if I didn’t like something about my body, I could snap my fingers and change it. I guess this is me now. This is the only body I have."

  "It’s a good body. You’re perfect, just as you are."

  She stepped closer, suddenly nervous. She forgot to breathe. When she remembered, her breath was too loud and shaky. Padding on bare feet, she traversed the space between them and placed her palms on his bare chest.

  He closed his eyes.
Warm hands found her face. Thumbs traced her mouth.

  She met him halfway. Full lips. Warm breath. The kiss was soft at first, searching. Every sensation was sharp enough to cut to her soul. He pulled her closer, until her nightgown pressed into his chest.

  Gideon’s touch used to cause a painful, blistering burn. The fire he ignited now didn’t hurt. It was a different burn, the dull, hot ache a woman feels for a man. As his fingers threaded into her hair, she rose up on her toes, her hands gripping his shoulders. She wanted to be consumed by this fire. She couldn't get enough of it.

  Chapter 35

  Mara and Henry

  For Mara, time had no meaning anymore. Inside her glass house in the In Between, she played the universe like a musical instrument. The planets and stars spun at her fingertips. Galaxies expanded or contracted at her will. She didn’t know why Aldric thought this would be difficult. For her, it was as easy as breathing. For her, it was what she was born to do.

  Of course, she had a faint memory of difficulty. An eternity ago she’d had to learn to keep the planets spinning at different speeds. She’d practiced splitting herself and visiting Earth during specific periods of time. But for her, the past, present, and future were as one. She was beginner, novice, and expert, all in the same immortal body. And with a hand in everything, it was easy for her to help the Soulkeepers.

  A crystal tube spanned floor to ceiling in the center of her palace, the result of lightning striking the sands of time. The shiny black crystal glinted in the sunlight. Mara concentrated, and soon images played out across the glass.

  Jacob and his mom broke into a warehouse in Ohio. The faces of skeletal thin prisoners beamed as the Horsemen killed the Watchers and wrestled the human guards to the ground. Mara clapped her hands. The human captives were freed by the authorities who swept in, anonymously tipped off by the team who had done the real work, the Soulkeepers.

  The scenario played out again and again: Ethan and Jessie in Colorado and then Indiana. The twins in New Orleans and then Mississippi. By the time Jacob and Lillian reached the sixth warehouse, the remaining Watchers had fled. Mara giggled. Left without instructions by the Watchers, the influenced human captors gave up without a fight. The Soulkeepers had won this round.