The Protector of Memories (The Veil of Death Book 1) (21 page)

Faith, Hope and Sam reached the top of the West End Library a little before eight forty-five.

“There’s Linda.” Sam said and waved over toward the main doors. She glanced at the woman who stood next to Linda and asked, “Is that Katherine?”

Hope looked across to where Linda and Katherine were standing but she was momentarily startled;
why have we not seen her before now?

“Faith do you see her? Katherine is Shadow and Light_?”

A noise sounded out from behind Hope.

She swung around to face the sound and watched the tiny fire-ball slicing through the element of air.

The energies around it crackled and fizzled as if a party-popper had been popped.

And it was heading straight toward Faith.

Hope quickly pushed her sister out of the way but within that same moment, Sam stepped forward and filled now the very same air-space.

“No!” Hope shouted and pushed Sam away so forcefully it caused Sam to fall and tumble down the concrete steps.

Faith rushed down the steps to try and reach Sam.

Katherine and Linda ran toward Hope at the sight of her dropping to her knees.

They tried to reach her before she also tumbled down the steps.

But they were too late.

Sam landed on the pavement and was back on her feet in an instant. She and Faith rushed toward Hope and when they reached her, they tried to get Hope to stand.

“Please…” Hope said. “Leave me.” And she sat down onto the bottom step, “just give me a moment…” but her words were slurred. Her body felt as if it were not quite her own anymore.

Sam manoeuvred her own body so that it acted as a cushion for Hope to lean against. Her elbow hurt like hell but her attention was focussed on Hope’s hand; covered in blood.

“Hope…” Sam held Hope’s hand to find out where the blood was coming from and realised that the blood was soaking through Hope’s brown coloured t-shirt. Lifting up the material, she gasped at the sight of the small hole in her stomach, “What on earth_?”

Hope reached up and touched Sam’s face.

She stroked her fingers down her cheek. “Soul- mates…” she whispered. “Remember that life is a continuation. I love you Sam and I will find you… listen out for me.”

“No!” Sam yelled as she watched the eyelid that wasn’t concealed underneath the eye patch flickering; the fresh, clean cotton wadding that Sam had covered the swollen eye with; the eye that Sam had not that long ago cleaned, treated and kissed better - in the belief that her kisses had the power to heal it better. “Hope you stay with me. Stay awake. Keep looking at me. You are not going anywhere do you hear me.”

Hope continued to keep her focus directly onto Sam’s eyes but her vision was now fuzzy… blurry. Sam was diminishing – the outline of her body was fading – further and further away.

Reaching out her hand, she wanted to touch Sam’s face one last time. “Sam. You are my life…” her words trailed away and the light faded in her eyes.

“No!” Sam screamed loud, long and deep. “Hope wake up,” she whispered. “Please wake up.”

Katherine knelt down beside Hope and put her fingers against her neck to feel for a pulse but she could not feel one. “No…”

“No…” Sam said. “No she can’t be. This isn’t fair. This isn’t fair!” She shouted. “You cannot do this. Hope you cannot do this. Please wake up. You will wake up.” Sam leant forward and placed her hand over Hope’s heart. She wanted to feel its beat… the beat she had not that long ago been listening to as she had lain in Hope’s arms after they had made love. “Please do something… somebody do something.” Sam’s tears blurred her vision but she refused to wipe them away. “She can’t be dead…”

Linda took her jacket off and placed it gently over Hope’s torso to conceal the sight of the blood.

Sam’s world felt as if it had just crashed down and into her all at the same time. Looking down at Hope’s face she stroked the skin. “This can’t be happening Faith. What is happening?” She said and leant over and kissed Hope’s forehead, her nose, her cheeks and her mouth. “Hope has died.” Sam whispered over and over again. “She is dead. Hope is dead.”