My Soul to Take (Soul Keepers (Young Adult paranormal romance)) (2 page)

Elijah must have used his Spidey sense to know we were home because he too blips into the room. He takes one look at my tear-streaked face and rushes over to me.

“Darling, what happened?” He holds me with both of his arms snuggled around me. I nuzzle into his warm chest. God he smells so good. I could live here, right in this little space between his pectoral muscles and be content for a lifetime. My breaths still come as ragged shudders. Elijah strokes my hair and does what he does best—calms me all the way to my toes.

“
She attacked a man at the mall, forced him to divulge his sins to the authorities, and its possible he may lop off his boy parts in the near future from what I gather.”

“
He deserves worse,” I cry out.

“
You’re not God. He alone can judge man for his sins.”

“
Elena, leave her be. Can’t you see she is overwhelmed by how evil humans can be?”

“
Well, at least we agree on one thing,” she retorts as she removes herself from my presence. I can’t help but think her comment was aimed at me. Elijah continues to try to relax me. But no matter how hard I try I can’t shake those violent images from my head. I don’t want to look in anyone’s head ever again.

“
Elijah, please make it stop,” my voice creaks out. His azure eyes read my face. The little line of concern he gets over his brow appears like an exclamation point.

“
Shh, sleep love.” He blows a sweet fragrant air over my nose and I begin to drift off. The nasty images fade away and I’m sent straight into a dream.

I’m
on my beach wearing white shorts and a pale pink top. I see Elijah sitting on a driftwood tree. His guitar is in his hands. He scoots over to make room for me. I rest my head on his shoulder and he resumes playing a soft melody. He smells of his usual dulcet aroma with his own clean fresh from the dryer scent layered in on top. I run my fingers over the back of his neck, through his always tidy dark hair, and he smiles warmly back at me.

His eyes are as blue as the ocean and they grow large as I move in toward his lips. He places the guitar down and settles my back into his arm, cradling my head with the other and meets my lips with. Kissing Elijah’s warm soft lips is ineffable. Soon we are in the sand, and we lie in the sun together letting it warm our skin.
It’s a perfect eighty-degree day, not a drop of humidity in sight. Elijah kisses my neck and down my shoulder with softness reserved for butterflies and rose petals.

“
Brennen, I wish you and I were the ones destined to marry.”

“
It is you I’m destined to and no one else, I don’t care what the In-Between thinks. I won’t let them have this. Our love is eternal,” I say slowly so that Elijah can absorb the sincerity of my words. He goes to refute me but I cover his lips with mine, and he settles into me, drawing my lower lip into his mouth and smiling with his signature you-crave-me-smile. God I love that smile.

I awake the next morning to my stomach’s menacing growl. I can smell bacon and coffee wafting up from downstairs. Even more enticing, is knowing who’s down there waiting for me. I quickly get ready and find Elijah at the stove. He’s barefoot and dressed in jeans and a white T-shirt with a towel placed neatly over one shoulder. There could be no sexier image on this planet. And after last night’s dream, my face holds a smile just for him. I would gladly wake up to this each morning from now until forever. 

“
Good morning Brennen, here is your tea.” Elijah sets down a steaming cup before me and returns to the stove. I raise an eyebrow. Something is off about him.

“
It’s definitely a good morning, thank you for helping me sleep last night. I had very good dreams,” I say rather coyly hoping he’ll slip me one of his sexy as hell, flirty smiles.

He doesn’t even turn at my comment. I sip on my tea and wonder what is eating at him today. A couple of minutes later he sets down a plate of bacon, eggs, and a crescent roll. He wipes the edge of the plate and walks away again.

“Elijah, is everything all right?”  He stands at the stove with his back towards me. His head lowers slightly at my question, and he grips the counter for a moment before turning to face me. His eyes hint at being moist but he would never admit being so emotional. I understand his feelings without him having to find the words. I think he wants to show me his love and he can’t. My flirting with him, doesn’t help the situation either, I suppose. 

Elijah takes the pan from the stove and cleans as I eat. A quiet sadness has crept into the room and hung over us like a wet sheet. I walk over to him and put my plate in the sink, placing a hand on his back to try to comfort him. He pulls me in and rests his chin on top of my head, releasing a long sigh. We can get through this, one minute, one hour a day until our time comes. We can do this, I keep repeating in my head.

“Elena will be here soon, why don’t you go and get ready?” He releases me after a tight squeeze to my shoulders. I give a nod and head up to my room. I hope we won’t be working on my gift of influence today after yesterday’s traumatizing experience. I pull on a pair of yoga pants and a T-shirt then tie my hair up in a loose bun. I’m in no mood to put forth effort in my appearance today.

I lie across my bed and dial Emily’s number. It’s been two days since the New
Year’s Eve blow out, and she hasn’t called or texted me at all. Maybe she’s embarrassed she tried to kiss my boyfriend. It was all a misunderstanding, I don’t think she has any real feelings for Sam. I think she was just fed by my stupid remark. She doesn’t answer, so I leave her a message to call me when she has time. Emily always answers her phone, even if I call at three in the morning, she’d pick up.

My fingers linger over Sam’s phone number. His little photo stares up at me with those pale brown eyes, liquid amber. He probably hates me. I hit the dial button anyway. I hear his voicemail pick up. His low register greeting the missed call with,
“Hey, sorry I missed you, I’ll get back at you in a little while.” His drawl is slow and thick with Texan charm.

“
Sam, please call me back. I want to talk.”

I at least want to apologize for my open palm, slapping him. After hanging up, I roll over on my bed and hug the floppy gray plush cat that my dad gave me when I was ten. Elijah’s not handling this well, Sam and Emily are both avoidin
g me. I just want to stay in my bedroom today and listen to sad songs – fill my tub with bubbles and let Calgon take me away. Instead, I take my despondent mood with me downstairs, where Elena is waiting for me with her usual self-anointed flare set atop her brow. I’m dreading whatever hell she has in store for me today. She’s looks shrewd, in a dark gray pencil skirt and deep plum silk top.

“
That won’t do for today. Go put something decent on,” she says stopping me half way down the stairs. I open my mouth to object, but decide to shut it and just do as she says today. Arguing with Elena is about as futile as coaxing a cat into the swimming pool.

I quickly change into a form fitting copper dress and nude heels. I shake my bun loose and opt for a hair twist instead.
I’m back downstairs in under five minutes and apparently appropriately dressed for whatever torture she has for me to endure today. I catch a glimpse of Elijah’s eyes widening as he turns his head in haste. Inside I’m doing the cabbage patch dance and singing internally, “
He thinks I’m sexy. I think he wants me
”
.

Elena takes my hand and we are gone in an instant.
I’ll never get used to that feeling. The salty air is replaced by a light cool breeze. We look out onto an expansive lush green lawn. It almost looks as if it were spray painted green. Ornate, larger than life white columns flank us. I do a double take when I realize where I’m.

“
Today is about strategy,” she says as we stand on the front steps of the white house.  I immediately grip her arm in fear.

“
Elena we can’t be here like this. The secret service will shoot first and ask questions later,” I whisper. She just smiles with her I’ve-got-a-secret-in-my-pocket gleam in her eye.

“
Relax, you wanted to see what it felt like to be invisible, and we are, no one can see us. Come on, let’s go check out your future home.” She pulls me down to the front lawn, past the Rose Garden, and around to a small door. We wander around the building, mingling with a tour group for a while, and then veering off on our own. The place is fantastic. I marvel at the sheer grandeur of it. I know she is taking me here to drive home the sheer magnitude of my role and it’s working. We find the president and watch him in action for hours. I’m still completely engrossed in his tasks when she begins to pull me away.

“
But Elena he’s on the phone with a Clinton.”

“
You’re not here to learn from him.”

“
Are you kidding? He’s doing it all wrong.” My comment makes her laugh. “He’s going to get slammed by that speech, you watch.”

“
Then why’d you vote for him,” she teases. I return her scowl.  Who knew the guy would so royally screw us?

“
This is really my future? I can’t believe this.” I can’t tear my eyes away from the president. Elena takes my hand and we are sitting among congress in session, in the blink of an eye. Once again I’m fully engaged.

“
Now, you see all of the bickering that goes on, and the finger pointing. Imagine it with you giving the speech and everyone so inclined to agree with you. Things will progress easily and efficiently.” I nod half listening to her, my ears straining to hear the speaker of the house. She gently grabs my chin and turns my face in her direction. She spends the rest of the day going on in detail exactly what I’ve to say and do to achieve my goal. Their plan is nothing short of brilliant.

I just hope I can pull it off. I mean it’s me here. Plans that are made by me, in or even around my vicinity, are never safe,
I’m jinxed when it comes down to it. I’m sure I’ll manage to get us blown to smithereens before Inauguration Day. 

When she returns me home
I’m in a stupor of mind blowing information. I mean I didn’t really think it was possible to do the laundry list of things they wished to accomplish, but now I see how it will all come to pass.

I suppose if your enemies were more inclined to agree with your point of view, then all things right
, would just fall into place. Most of what I have to do in the future will focus on just talking to people. Getting everyone on board with making things right again.

Elijah is at the stove again, stirring a pot of something he’s put together.
I smile warmly at him, loving the fact that I get to come home to his face every day. My house is filled with the smell of herbs and freshly baked bread. My mouth immediately begins salivating at the smell of dinner. The sight of him doubles the effect.  He’s wearing black slacks and a navy sweater over a dress shirt. His chest clearly defined, despite the layering. He sports a light stubble of hair on his jaw and I long to rub my cheek against it, heck my tongue for that matter.

He carries a stack of plates to the table and begins to set them out. I grab the napkins and silverware.

“Good day?”

“
Yes. It was... Unbelievable,” I say washed with wonder still. He returns my smile.

“
That’s wonderful love, you deserve a break.” Elijah must have been busy in the kitchen all day with the feast set out before us. “Elena, would you care to stay for dinner? There is more than enough,” he offers.

“
Thank you Elijah, I’ve heard you’re fond of cooking.”

I kick off my heels and set another place at the table. Elena helps herself to a bottle of wine
, pouring a glass for her and one for Elijah. She glares a look into me that says, “
Not in your wildest dreams
.” I guess she doesn’t share Elijah’s view of contributing to a delinquency of a minor. I pour myself a glass of iced-tea instead.

We eat our meal of seared Chilean sea bass, which taste like heavenly butter in my mouth, and I tell him all about my day. His mood seems heavy st
ill.
Is he staring at my mouth?
An unmistakable look in his eye appears that says, “
I want nothing more than to press my lips to yours at this very moment,
” and it effectively shuts me up.

“
I’m sorry, you were saying,” he finally blurts out, his eyes never leaving my lips. Elena drops her fork and it clangs around on her plate at a heightened volume. I guess she read his expression too.

“
I don’t remember,” I mumble. Those miniature blue earths between his thick lashes have sucked me inside. We stare at each other for a moment and Elijah finally reigns back the longing in his eyes as if it took every ounce of willpower and his angelic powers combined.

“
I will do better. I promise,” Elijah says in almost a whisper before clearing my plate away. Even though I wasn’t finished eating yet. He is trying to keep busy is my best guess. With no more demons trying to off me at the moment, and Elena keeping me safe during the day, he must be bored. We’re all alone in this big empty space, both of us want nothing more than to give in to our passion. He physically can’t, and I know it would be a hypothetical ax to his neck. At least I’ve the distraction of my destiny to fill my head. He has what, gourmet cooking apparently? I need a plan, a plan always helps.