My Soul to Take (Soul Keepers (Young Adult paranormal romance)) (13 page)

“
Is she going to be a problem?” Sam and I’ve enough baggage to deal with, we certainly don’t need a petite little strawberry-blond in the mix. He sighs.

“
Chris sort of gave me the advice to hit on anything that breathed to help me get over you. You have to understand I was a wreck Bren.”

“
Did she?”

“
Did she what?”

“
Help you get over me?”

“
Hell no!” He practically yells. “Look, Peyton will understand. I’ll talk to her tonight. We’d better get back, it’ll be dark soon.” Why do I get the feeling that I’m the one who is going to have to give little Ms. Peyton a much needed shove out the door?

“
Sam, if you want to keep seeing her…” His brows furrow and in his mind I see his commitment to me is back with a vengeance. But he is worried that Elijah and I are still an issue. He has every reason to worry. The vision he saw of me and Elijah that night at the theater, keeps playing in his mind. Elijah looks so in love with me, it’s obvious to the entire world.

“
Look, what I mean is, I don’t think we should dive right into this again. It always gets too intense. We’re still in high school, there’s no reason we have to put a label on what we are. We’re about to go to college and I hope we both get into Harvard but there are no guarantees. I guess what I’m trying to say is maybe we should keep things light.”

He immediately reads my words as I want to be open to still see Elijah. His mind goes red and I can’t see any more of his thoughts. This is new and I don’t know what to make of it. His eyes darken and for a second I wonder if he has been possessed again. I look for Elena with concern spread on my face. I find her lounging on a large limb above, arms folded behind her head like she’s napping. Great.

Sam rises to his feet and pulls me up with him, passionately embracing me in his arms. His body is rock hard, even his jaw is tense. “To hell with Elijah. And I want nothing to do with Peyton, she was only a distraction. I could never share you with anyone else. I love you. I’ve always loved you. I
will
fight for you and I will live everyday trying to make up for how I treated you.” He pours his lips over mine to drive home his intentions. This kiss is not soft, gentle or kind. It’s needy, rife with passion and nothing like anything I’ve ever felt from him before.

In return, my body ignites in flames. My fingers tug at his hair as I urgently hold him tighter. He lets out a deep moan. His lips express what words cannot.
For a moment he’s all I want and all that I need.

I’m
stunned into silence by his words and by his show of affection. My speech had no effect on him? Has it ever? I try and think back to a time when I convinced him to do something he was dead set against. What if he did everything I asked just because he loved me? What if he’s immune to my power of persuasion? Elena has heard what just happened and she stands nearby, wearing a concerned look on her face as well.

On our ride back the pace is a bit faster as we race the setting sun. Clancy loves the speed Sam is letting him have. The hills are flattening out and I know we are nearing the stables. The horse suddenly lets out a frightful squeal and rears up.

I blink and see a monstrous yellow eyed demon the size of my VW, has opened up his wings and let out its hellish racket of a caw, scaring the shit out of Clancy somehow. Shit! How a horse in this world can see a demon in the red-skied world, I don’t know. But this horse is flipping huge and I’m pretty sure I would die if it knocked us off and stepped on me.

Sam holds fast to the reins and grabs the horn on the saddle, bearing much of his weight on
top of me to keeps us on board. He’s calm as a cucumber as he tries to quiet his horse. Clancy rears up a few more times and Sam backs him up slowly.

“
Whoa, easy boy, easy,” he says in a soothing voice, repeating it until the horse finally calms. Freaking demons have to ruin everything. I’m surprised were not both lying dead on the ground right now.  Elena takes care of the creature. Sam dismounts and helps me down.

“
Let’s walk him home, Clancy gets a wild hair up his ass once in a while.” Sam takes my hand in his and we enjoy a stroll in the dark. The quarter moon allows us enough light to see our way back. We stop once we see the light of Sam’s home glowing in the distance. Clancy takes advantage of the loose reigns and nibbles on some clovers.

“
Do you think we’re going to be okay?” Sam asks. The red is gone from his mind, his thought are as clear as neatly typed pages.

“
That depends.”

“
On what?”

“
If the next time you are feeling hurt, or betrayed, or anything like you felt that night, you will come and talk to me first.”

“
I will. I’ve learned from my mistakes. Just remember when you’re begging me to shut up, that it was all your fault.”

“
You can shut up now,” I tease, gaining a wry grin from his lips. He pulls me in for a kiss that sears my lips and melts away any doubt that this man could ever be anything but my husband. Is that all it takes to seduce me, really great kisses? I’ve let him back into my heart. I didn’t know I still had room enough to love Sam. But there he is, with his own brand of magic, he’s pulled me back in.

Sam walks me to my car and kisses me one last time. All of the lights are on inside his home and I know that Payton is still in there. I hope she’ll take Sam’s news well and just walk away. What girl in her right mind wouldn’t fight for him though? Guess I’ll find out soon enough, I’m to report back here in the morning because two workers are out with the flu. Elena appears in the seat next to me.

“
Well, it looks like that went well.” Being watched while you are having a moment of passion with your boyfriend is not something I think I’ll ever get used to.

“
Except for a demon going bat-shit on Sam’s prized steed. Yeah, it went fairly well.”

“
Pesky little things aren’t they.”
Little my ass.

“
Did you notice that Sam wasn’t swayed in the least when I mentioned us not fully committing?”

“
I did and I’m going to look into that when Elijah gets back.” She stares off down the road as if she’s lost in contemplation. “Perhaps that is why he is your soul mate, he’s the only human that doesn’t have to do what you say.” I consider the possibility and give a small shrug. 

“
This town is so boring, how about we scoot on over to Paris and have a latte overlooking the Seine.” This is supposed to be Elena’s vacation. She gets to chill on earth for a few years, yet somehow she got saddled with the side task of training me to be the next leader of the free world.

“
I’m pretty tired, I ‘m not used to working. Rain check?”

“
Now that you have Sam back, you should quit that job. You have to maintain your GPA.”

“
Look at you, sounding all motherly.” She gaks at my comment as we pull in my garage. “Oh and FYI I don’t like the crust on my PB& J when you pack my lunch for school.”

“
Don’t be ridiculous, that’s the best part, without it you just have a soppy mess,” she’s quick to retort.

We go into the house and I go straight to my shower. Muscles I didn’t know I had, ache for relief. This week has taken its toll on my body. I take my time and allow the jets to work their pulsating magic on my shoulders. Hunger pulls me out of the shower sooner than I would have liked. For the first time in weeks I don’t get to eat one of Elijah’s gourmet meals.  Elena joins me in the kitchen as we hunt for sustenance.

“Come on, we are going to Sicily. There is this little cafe out of the way for most tourist and it has the best pizza on the planet.” The way she says it makes me wonder if there is an even better one on her planet.

“
It’s like three in the morning there,” I say, donning half closes eyes. She perks up and garbs my hand with a firm grip. I feel the wave of nausea move through me and I know we’re not in Kansas anymore.

“
Not when you can time travel.” It’s a sunny early afternoon where ever she landed us. The scent of fresh baked bread pours out onto the cobblestone streets. Crystal blue skies and a balmy breeze greets us with warm kisses on our skin. Aged stucco buildings rise out of the grey stone and flank us on either side.

“
You can time travel?”

“
Yes, yes I can.” She says with a sly grin. “Though, not more than a few hours forward or behind.”

“
Oh okay, because anything more than that would just be showing off?”
I think to myself.

We follow the scent around the corner and there, nestled between a tailor and a clockmaker
, is heaven. The chime on the door sounds our arrival and we are greeted by an older gentleman, lean, but strong looking. His white moustache is neatly trimmed above his lip.

“
Bonjourno Elena!” he calls out as we take a seat at a small table.

“
Bonjourno, Philippe!”

“
Come here much?”

“
At least once a week. He makes fresh mozzarella from his own cows. The sausage is all homemade, you won’t find a single canned product back there.” A young couple walk in speaking Italian.  They look very much in love. He wraps his arms around her waist and rests his head on her shoulder as they decide their order at the counter. She kisses his cheek and settles into his body. It makes me miss both of my guys.

A few minutes later
, Philippe presents us with a large cracker-thin crusted pizza, dripping with melted mozzarella, fresh basil, and tender sausage. My eyes roll back in my head as I take my first bite.

“
I know, didn’t I tell you?” Elena boast before downing her slice and picking up another.

“
This sauce is so fresh.” I let a moan slip out of my mouth. “It’s the perfect pizza.” We don’t talk much after that. A few minutes later, an empty aluminum pan stares back at us. We lean back in our chairs with a fully satiated, lazy smiles on our faces. I wish I could bring Emily here, she’d love it.

***

That night I settle under my covers and wonder what Elijah means by research. Maybe it’s about his experiment with the tea party. I’ve the feeling I’m not as powerful as they had hoped I’d be.

He’s not going to be here tonight when
I’ve my nightmare.  He knows how terrified I’m when I wake up every night from it. Maybe I should pull an all-nighter. Elena and I should have stayed in Sicily, we could have traveled the world tonight and eluded the terror that comes when I sleep. Though there is no use fighting it, my body is drained and my belly is full, exhaustion takes over pulling me under.

***

“Hey, you’re okay, stop fighting me.” My arms are in Elena’s vice like grip. My face moist with fresh tears. My heart races violently inside my chest and I’m gasping for breath.

“
Sorry,” I exhale out in a breath.

“
You were screaming like someone was hacking you to pieces up here. Can I try something to take away your nightmares?”

“
Please, I’ll do anything.”

“
Never be willing to do anything, Brennen,” she says with a tone in her voice not to be taken lightly.  “I’m going to hypnotize you.” She disappears for a minute and comes back in with a metronome. She sets it off and the lazy tick, tick, tick sound, rhythmically fills the silence of the night. She instructs me to relax and listen to her voice. She speaks in a soothing tone.

I listen as her words begin to string together, sinking me deeper into the murky depths of my subconscious. The sound of her voice and the tick are only audible if I strain my ears and then they disappear completely. Silence.

Ugh, bright light accosts my eyes and I turn my face into my pillow. Wait! What time is it?

No! I’m late, really late. I bolt out of bed and dress quickly. I nearly trample Elena as I round the corner downstairs.

“Sorry Elena.”

“
Do be careful,” she calls out and then mumbles something under her breath about Elijah and broken neck.

“
I was supposed to be at the ranch an hour ago. Can’t you teleport us there?” I manage to get out between stuffing a bite of toast in my mouth and pulling on one shoe.

“
How would you explain not having your car there?”

“
I don’t know can’t you just poof one into existence like Elijah, or is that trick not standard issue?”

“
I think I’d better drive. You’re clearly under the influence,” Elena is quick to retort.

By the time we get there
I’m an hour and a half late. Liam doesn’t looked too pleased with me.

“
I’m so sorry Liam. I’m never late.”

“
I’ll let it slide as long as the boss don’t find out.”