Death Knows My Name (Memory Keepers) (19 page)

“If you’re going to start talking about sandwiches again I’m going to need to eat because food talk makes me hungry,” I teased.

“I’m serious. He looks like shit. He is taking your fight hard. Even you said it, he is devoted to those he loves and I only know of one person he has in his life—you. So without you, what does he have? You’re his lifeline.”

“He has his skanks, no offense.” I peeked at her.

“Mayne!”

“What, he deserves it,” I vowed. But so did I, right? He was right; I was selfish. The truth hurt, but so what? He had been really mean to me. “I will try to be nice. Can Eric come?”

She hesitated. “I don’t know, the guys don’t seem to like him.”

“They don’t know him!” I wasn’t even sure if Eric wanted to or would go, but the fact that he wasn’t wanted there stung and pissed me off. “I might show up. We’ll see.” I pouted. “I have to call my sister so I will talk to you later.” I dismissed Tammy, fully aware of my rudeness, but too pissed to care.

She ignored my bad behavior. “Can I borrow your Valencia skirt?”

“Sure, but I think it is going to be too long. Why?”

“Duh, haven’t you been paying attention? I am going to try and capture the sun.”

“And my skirt is your net?”

“Yup.”

I rolled my eyes. “Careful, girl, the sun gets pretty damn hot and can burn the shit out of you.”

When I hung up with my sister, who was surprised that I had actually called, I laughed as I defended myself by stating that I wasn’t that bad. I turned from where the phone sat and saw Eric standing there. Instantly a smile took over my face. It seemed like forever since we had been together. He must have felt the same way because he opened his arms.

“Get over here.” His voice sounded low and gruff with desire.

Without even knowing or remembering how I got there, I was in Eric’s arms and he was closing them tightly around me. He dipped his head down until his lips were close enough to my ear that I could feel his breath. It was warm, but I still shivered as it caressed my skin.

“Hold on,” he whispered and my shiver turned to electrical spikes low in my body. What this man, I mean, Angel, could do to me. I slid my arms tight around his waist and he pulled me tighter into him.

The air went hot around us. It was the same unpleasant heat as it had been before on our last trip. I shut my eyes tight and tried to ignore the icy hot hands that tried and threatened to take me from Eric’s grip.

As quick as the heat had come, it was gone, and sweet air breezed over my skin, drawing goose bumps from my arms. I stepped away from Eric and turned my head to take in the view of lush yet over grown trees and three babbling streams. The sun shimmered white-yellow light off the standing waters. Orange flowers with their larger petals opened toward the sun crowded the banks and released a sweet fragrance in air. Eric’s hands rested lightly on my hips, keeping me anchored to where I stood.

“Oh wow. This is amazing. Eric, what is this place?” My voice sounded airy and I couldn’t catch my breath. A loud melodious bird chirped its unique song in the distance, and I tried to find it in the branches. I yearned to see what beautiful colors the feathers were.

“This, is God’s love note to man. It’s a shame that it’s now forbidden for man to be here to see it.” His sadness sounded genuine.

I turned to him in surprise. “Is this Eden? Oh my God, it is isn’t it?” I didn’t wait for the answer as I turned back toward the lush and overgrown garden. Unshed tears stung my eyes even though I didn’t know why as I took in all the floral arrangements that were so lovely yet neglected.

Eric stepped close behind me his chest against my back.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it? God poured his love over this land and then he created someone he thought worthy of it.” He paused. “I cannot do such a gesture, but if I could there wouldn’t be enough Edens in the world to compare to the amount of love I have for you. The day I found you it was like I found my own Eden.”

My heart thumped heavily in my chest as he continued. “I love you, Mayne.”

I cried. Can you believe it! My fingers wiped away my tears, embarrassed. “Oh my God, why am I crying?” I sniffled. “Please ignore me for a second.”

I was overwhelmed by, well, everything. Overwhelmed by Eden, by my emotions, and most of all Eric! I realized right then that I felt like a rock again. Only this time instead of the sun loving me, it was the universe. It was strong and beautiful enough to contain all the worlds beauty but willing to fold in on itself to be with me.

“No.” That was all he said. I didn’t know what he meant, yet I didn’t ask and he didn’t offer an explanation.

I decided to distract myself and change the subject.

“I hate Eve sometimes.”

Eric laughed. “Adam’s Eve?”

I nodded. “Yeah. I mean, she gave all this up for a fig?” I scrunched my face up as the wind whipped around us, drying my abandoned tears. “Figs aren’t even that good. In fact, I refuse to eat them out of principle.”

“Figs,” he said. “You don’t believe it was an apple?” Shock and amusement lit his eyes.

“Figs just make more logical sense. You know, with the time period and— what?” I asked, noticing that Eric was chuckling.

“Nothing. Do you want to see if you are correct?” he asked.

“Am I allowed?” My eyes widened in hope.

He shrugged. “The rules only say that you aren’t to step foot in Eden. It says nothing about being carried.” He stepped toward me, wrapping his arms around me.

I held my breath in excited and anxious anticipation.

“Death.” A voice barked from behind me and I whirled around, stepping from Eric’s embrace in shocked fright.

Valience.

Eric put himself between me and the intruding male. He swept me behind him protectively.

Did Eric really think Valience was that big of a threat to me? I looked into Valience’s face.

More specifically, I looked into his eyes. A terrified chill raked my body, causing Eric to stiffen in response, it seemed.

“Angel.” Eric’s voice was terse with restrained anger. “Explain your presence.”

“No, you explaining hers would be the better choice.” Valience’s eyes remained cold, and he radiated hatred.

“Angel, you test me. In this test you do not fare well if I do fail.” Eric’s voice was slow and measured.

My eyes narrowed in confusion at Eric’s words. What were they talking about? I looked back and forth between the two. Valience was the first to break. His face crumpled in what looked to me like defeat, fear, and resolution.

“Ectain, what are you doing?” His voice was hoarse with what I guessed to be hurt and disappointment. Was Valience, um, in love with Eric? Where was this sense of betrayal I was getting from him coming from?

“Stop thinking for a second, please. It is very distracting and ridiculous,” Eric whispered, exasperated.

“Oh. Sorry,” I whispered back, my cheeks heating. Oops. This really is going to take some getting used to.

“You can read her every thought and not just emotion-driven ones?” Valience spat as if the idea left a bad taste in his mouth.

“Valience, what I can and cannot do does not concern you.”

“I hope you know what you are doing, Death. If not, I hope she is worth it.”

“Once again, Angel, that does not concern you.”

“Does it not? Do you not toy with the balance of the truce? Do you not—”

Valience was interrupted by a deep angry growl from Eric. Before my eyes, Eric seemed to grow, not just in body mass but in the sheer weight of his presence. In response, Valience’s wings flung out. They were so horrible yet they were also achingly beautiful.

My heart pounded against my chest at the sight of them. I knew he was an Angel, but knowing and seeing are two completely different things.

Movement from a shadowy figure caught my eye, and then it was more than one. They were pressed in a circle all around us as if preparing to watch an epic battle. The icy heat radiating from them filled me with terror. Sweat beaded on my skin. One bead made a cold track down the side of my face. Then another slid down to the dip of my top lip and pooled there. I tried not to look at the shapes, not to feel them, but the more I tried the more it didn’t work and the more I saw. The trees no longer looked like trees because trees weren’t alive the way they were now. These trees seemed to quiver as if they were taking in halting breaths. The leaves pulsed with rhythm and even the ground under my feet seemed to vibrate with life. The ground beneath Valience’s feet cried out to me.

“My brother, my brother has slain me with his hands. My brother, my brother—”

A squeak escaped my lips as I took a stumbling step back. Both men’s eyes cut to look at me as if just then remembering I was still there.

“Shit,” Eric hissed. “Mayne, turn around. Valience, retract your wings
now
!”

Valience audibly gulp in air. “I’m sorry. I forgot she, I forgot that she does have . . .  Sorry.”

I could feel Eric shrinking down beside me as I turned around and shut my eyes for good measure. I tried to calm my heart beat. What were they? I then turned my thoughts from them in case Eric was picking up on my thoughts. I counted backward from twenty.

20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15
—

“Are you okay?” It was Eric and his voice sounded thin, as if it were traveling a long way to reach me.

I nodded. “I . . . yes. I’m fine.”

He turned me back around to face him.

“Open your eyes and look at me.” He still sounded far away even though his hands were still on my waist.

I peeked open my eyes and asked, “What was that?”

He looked hesitant. “What did you see?”

“The world, it seemed to, I don’t know, tilt. Does that make sense?” My voice was shakier than I wanted it to be. I sucked in a deep breath and checked around just to make sure everything was as it should have been again.

He nodded, the relief so prominent on his face that I knew I was right when I decided that I didn’t want to mention the things I saw, the creatures and the ground calling out in betrayal. The creatures were gone now. I don’t know what they were or why I had seen them. Had Eric or Valience spotted the monsters, too? What were they? I knew it was what Eric was worried about and before he could read my thoughts, I buried them.

“I am so sorry.” Valience tried to come over to me as he spoke but Eric shot him a wilting look and Valience froze.

“Are you sure you didn’t see anything?” Valience tried once more. He appeared more afraid than concerned at what the answer to his question might be.

“I’m fine,” I replied a little too harshly. “Go away.” I didn’t look at him. I don’t know why but I couldn’t. I wanted him as far away as possible. He did go away. Just like that, he was gone.

I turned to Eric. “What happened?”

He held up a hand to me. “Wait a second. Valience is still here.” He waited for almost a full minute. “All right, he is really gone now. Let me get you home.”

“But the figs—?”

Eric shook his head. “Not now. Not after . . . not now.”

On second thought, I didn’t argue the point any further. My head felt like it was spinning and my eyes stung as if smoke were in them.
What the hell happened?

“Yeah, let’s just go,” I whispered into Eric’s ear as he stepped into me and wrapped his arms around me.

On the trip back the air was still stinging hot and I saw those things again. But these ones were a little different. They were desperate. Even with my eyes shut, somehow I could see that they were still there. I could still see their hands extended toward us, clawing their icy fingers at me. The maw of their mouths opened into a sorrowful O. They wailed and gnashed their teeth. I cringed into Eric at every sound. I wish I hadn’t seen these creatures. As if I didn’t already have enough problems and enough things to ruin my sleep.

The air around us returned to its normal temperature. We were back in my apartment, but Eric’s arms stayed around me, holding me against him. I allowed myself to breathe him in and memorize how his arms felt around me.

My cell phone buzzed against the table next to the recliner where I left it. It was probably Tammy calling to remind me of my semi-promise to meet them at the bar.

I sighed. “Do you want to go to My State of Mine with me tonight?”

“No, not really,” Eric replied.

I stepped away from him slightly so only our hips touched. He was hard against me.

“Seriously?”

“I want to be alone with you tonight. I want to devour every inch of you and keep you here until I discover how to bring you pleasure on every inch of your body.”

“Really?” Excitement pitched my voice higher than normal as anticipation sparked through my body.

Eric nodded. “Yes, really.”

I moved from him completely, starting for my phone. “Let me call Tammy back to tell her I can’t make it.” He caught me by the hand and stopped me. “Wait, I guess you have to go.” He spoke slowly as if he really didn’t want to say this.

“Just as you don’t want to interfere with my duty, I have to be fair and not interfere with yours. But to be honest, I do not like it.”

His words sobered me up quickly from the high of being with him and thoughts of spending a carefree night together. “Shit.” I huffed as I plopped on the recliner. “I didn’t want to go before and now I really don’t. How about we stay here and I let you explore my land of milk and honey?” I pointed to the milk and then lower to the honey.

Eric took in a sharp breath. “You are not playing fair, and stop reading Old Testaments, please.” He tilted his head at me but I remained silent. “Fine, I will go with you.” He kneeled in front of me. “I don’t like to be the reason you are unhappy. I have to be somewhere right now, but I will be back before you are ready to go and I will make it up to you.”

“Does this have something to do with what happened earlier?”

“Of course it does.” He stood up and stepped away from me.

“What exactly did happen?” I asked, wondering if he would tell me the complete truth.

“Valience made a huge mistake, that is what happened.”

Okay, so it wasn’t a lie but it was very evasive. That sparked worry in my belly.