Death Knows My Name (Memory Keepers) (25 page)

I watched all this, attempting to ignore what was going on around me to take my mind off Awyx Cheyva’. Eric was speaking, but I was still watching Dhylaka as she made her way back over to us and waited to insert herself back into the conversation. Lucifer stood at her distant left and he kept an eye on Awyx Cheyva’ and Dhylaka at all times.

Eric was speaking. His voice resonated within his chest before I tuned back in. “. . . I believe that would be fair.” I just caught the end of Eric’s words.

What would be fair? I didn’t want to admit that I hadn’t heard what was said. I was too afraid I would embarrass Eric, so I didn’t ask. I just waited. I waited for anyone else to speak, and luckily the wait wasn’t long.

“There would be conditions, of course.”

“What conditions?” I didn’t realize I was speaking until I heard the words flying from my mouth. I wanted to take them back because they were addressed to Awyx Cheyva’ and now it was turning his focus on me. It was too late now so all I could do was meet it/his gaze and not allow the trickle of fear that ran like ice water down my spine to cause me to shiver.

“The conditions are Ectain Edeck, your Eric”—he spoke the last word as if it physically wounded him— “cannot assist you in any way.”

“Okay, not a problem. I have been handling things on my own for a long time now.” An edge snuck into my voice and I felt my familiar tough girl demeanor about to take over. I was feeling threatened and I didn’t like it. I also couldn’t recognize exactly where the threat was coming from.

“You cannot believe that he shall sit idly by and give her no aid,” Valience bit out.

He was seriously starting to piss me off.

“Do you agree, Ectain Edeck, to this term?” Awyx Cheyva’ ignored Valience.

“Valience is correct.” Eric let his hand on my hip slide to my stomach where his fingers splayed out and he held me against him protectively. What was he doing? Did he not care about what would happen to him? His grip held me and warned me to not contradict him. So I kept silent.

“We can always make you, Ectain Edeck.”

“You will not,” Dhylaka interrupted. “Times have changed. Bellua, you cannot force him to be helpless in this, as you have done previously. I do not believe the 3-in-1 wants that.”

The beast turned its ferocious attention toward Dhylaka and, to her credit, she did not shrink away. Instead, she stood equally as ferocious with something dangerous flashing in her eyes that looked a whole lot like hatred.

“Be careful, if it were up to me you would have been eliminated long ago when you took up with the betrayer.” The beast’s voice, like gravel in a blender, spat in Dhylaka’s direction.

Lucifer stiffened and made to step toward Dhylaka. She stopped him, preventing a war from erupting right then. She was on the Heaven side and if Lucifer were to cross over, I am sure, truce or no truce, there would be bloodshed.

Nobody acknowledged the significance of what Dhylaka did. She controlled the Devil’s actions. I wondered if Heaven owed Dhylaka the credit for the truce more than they even realized. How did they not see it and I, a newcomer, saw it clearly?

Dhylaka didn’t miss a beat. “But it is not up to you and I want it from their mouths, not yours.” She looked at Gabriel and he nodded in her direction as he left.

“What you still fail to realize is you cannot expect men, celestial or otherwise, to not aid the one they love and the one they claim.”

“Do these celestials love anyone more than God himself?”

No, this couldn’t be happening. They were discussing us like we weren’t there. They were sealing our fate, Eric’s fate, while Dhylaka continued to bait Awyx Cheyva’.

Dhylaka’s face spilt into a wicked smile. “Bellua, half these Angels can attest to the fact that a woman’s love is far different than the 3-in-1’s. There are some things that even our King can’t provide them. What other creature has been able to call one from Grace besides us, mere women?”

A roaring growl filled the room that rattled the core of me.

I tried not to shrink back in fear, but was failing. I can only assume the growl belonged to the beast that Dhylaka called Bellua, yet Eric addressed as Awyx Cheyva’, but Dhylaka response proved just as fierce. Her expression turned her face unrecognizable and her dark smooth curls blew in a wind that affected no other person in the area. The ground trembled violent knocking everybody off balance as we stumbled to stay on our feet. The gates that surrounded the further in parts of Heaven rattled and groaned as they strained to not tumble.

“Awyx Cheyva’! Dhylaka! That is enough.” Eric barked the order.

Awyx Cheyva’ now turned its attention to Eric. “My apologies kin, and in mixed company.” It hung its heads briefly. “I beg your pardon, but this corrupts the essence of my being. Edeck, you with a human, and this Nephalim allowed coming and going as she pleases? After she has lain down with the dog and come up lousy with fleas—”

This time Lucifer let out an animalistic growl that made everyone take a step back, everyone but Eric, Michael, and the Bellua.

“Call me what you like but you will leave my children out of it, Bellua! You don’t want this truce to crumble around your ears because you can’t watch your filthy mouth. That should be easy for you with all the hideous eyes you have.” Lucifer added the last part with what I was starting to recognize as his usual flare of good humor. I wondered how much of it was a front.

Dhylaka turned her head away, but I caught the start of laughter on her lips. She buried her face into Dartainian’s chest, and he closed his arm around her body as if it was an act of second nature to him.

“Can we just stop the name calling already? Seriously, my nieces behave better than this. We have declined the first of the terms, what is the second?”

Gabriel landed before me. “This condition is non-negotiable I am afraid. You have to have enough Keepers agree to keep their burdens. If you fail, everything goes back to as it was before.” He paused, facing Eric with apology. “Even you, Mayne. You will remember nothing about any of it. Heaven, Memory Keepers, and—”

“No,” I said before he could finish.

“You will not remember Ectain Edeck or anything of the past few weeks. We will re-write your memories, removing him.” Archangel Gabriel looked saddened. “I am sorry, but it’s that or nothing.”

“Gabriel, what if she refuses? Can it stay as it is now?”

“Yes.” Gabriel swung around back to me. “You can leave it now and lose nothing. You can have a life with Ectain—”

“Wait. I thought I couldn’t be with Eric because he would, you know, fall.”

Valience cleared his throat and looked away.

“Mayne, I cannot fall.”

Eric spoke from behind me, and I turned from Gabriel to look at him.

“But I thought, you know, the whole fallen Angel thing happens when you sleep with a Human woman.” I tried to whisper.

“It does, but not for me because I’m not an Angel.”

“You are the Angel of Death.”

He smiled. “No, I am Death. There is no such thing as an Angel of Death. I am a celestial being, not an Angel. I am Death. I am neither good nor bad, so it is impossible for me to fall.”

I glared at Valience who still wasn’t looking at me. That evil son of a bitch.

“Why the hell would Valience tell me that if I ever tried to be with you I’d be damning you to fall?”

“When did he say that?” Realization hit him and his eyes grew softer. “Is that what our break-up was about, you trying to protect me?”

“Yes.” My voice cracked. “He told me otherwise he’d have to come for you.”

“Mayne, even if that were true, I’d still choose to be with you. I will always choose you. Besides, I wouldn’t worry about Valience coming for me. He has never been able to take me.” He glared at Valience who finally did look our way at Eric’s challenging words, his ice-blue eyes narrowed in disgust.

I finally realized Valience’s motive for trying to break us up. He didn’t want to lose Eric to me. He told me he had lost brothers, he didn’t want to lose Eric. He was willing to trick me into agreeing to die to be rid of me.

Eric broke into my thoughts. “You have to make your choice. The right one.”

“I can’t. I don’t want to risk losing you. I can’t risk it.” I allowed myself to fall into his arms and he closed them around me. I finally didn’t have to worry about all of Heaven seeing us together or them knowing how much I loved him.

“You will never be happy, even with me, knowing that people are suffering just so you can be with me. You aren’t selfish and that is almost the top reason why I love you.”

“The top being?” I asked him with a teasing grin.

He cocked his eyebrow up. “You really want me to tell you here in Heaven, witnessed by Angels and your great-great-grandparents? It’s completely sinful.”

I giggled and I heard Dhylaka behind me snickering, too. A disgusted male groan came from Lucifer, not Valience, which made Dhylaka and I laugh even harder.

Eric broke into the laughter, speaking to Gabriel. “We agree that I can help her, correct?”

“Yes, you may help her and celestial beings can’t move against her,” Gabriel said. “You will not interfere. Her battle will be hard enough as is. This is the 3-in-1’s wishes. Comply.”

Awyx Cheyva’ nodded in my direction. “May God be with you, child.” Then the Awyx Cheyva’ was gone.

Valience said nothing. He only turned his back on us and walked away.

“I accept the terms, Archangel Gabriel.”

The Archangel spoke to Eric. “Give her the list, Ectain Edeck.”

I was about to ask what list when Eric reached out and a list appeared in his hand.

“Here is my death list. You will find all the names of every Keeper and every Keeper to be. Are you sure you are ready for this?”

I gulped. I had no idea. Was I ready for this? I stood to lose so much and so many. Most importantly, I stood to lose Eric.

I reached out my hand. “Hand me that list, Eric.” When it was in my hand, I peeked at it, and as I skimmed the list, right above my name I saw another name I knew. I knew it like my own. The name was Devon DeMonte.

Chapter 21

Devon’s life and my own flashed before my eyes until I couldn’t be sure which loss possibly belonged to him and which belonged to me. I should have realized it. Even Devon had reminded me during our fight that he had lost people, too. It all made sense now. Devon and I were the same. Neither of us let anyone get too close.

“How did this happen? How are Devon and I both Memory Keepers? This is insane.” I was on the border of hysterical.

“I don’t know.” Eric spoke to me in a low and soothing voice. “It usually doesn’t happen like that.”

“Obviously, he is the first one I have to tell. I have to go to him and explain why his life has been so screwed up.”

“Are you sure? If he says no then it might cause you to lose confidence in this.”

“I know Devon, he won’t say no. He might be a little bit pissed, though.”

We stood in front of Devon’s door waiting for him to answer. I was trying to come up with the perfect way to tell him all about what was going on. How do you tell them that all the stuff we learned about with the nuns was true? Angels existed, the Devil was my doting great-great-grandfather, Death was my lover, and, oh yeah, we’re Memory Keepers. Yeah, it’s up to us to keep the truce that stops Heaven and Hell from going at it like Crips and Bloods on a late L.A night.

“Mayne, you have to calm down.”

“How am I to do that? I am about to blow my best friend’s life out of the water.”

“We don’t have to start with him. You can warm your way up to him.”

I shook my head. “No, I owe it to him to tell him first.”

The door flung open. “This had better be damn good. Who the hell knocks on a man’s door—?” His next words froze in his throat as his eyes took us in.

“What’s wrong? Is it Rebecca?
Anya
?”

“No, Devon. Everything is fine.”

Devon sighed in relief. “You know what a visit this late means! You could have given me a heart attack and killed me.”

“I seriously doubt that,” I murmured.

“What?”

“Nothing. Sorry. Look, can we come in? I have something really important to tell you.”

“If you are knocked up and the two of you want to elope, it can wait until the morning.” He stepped aside and let us in. “Just be quiet. I don’t want you to wake the Misses.”

“Holy crap, you have a chippy back there?”

He grinned. “Chippy, really? What is this the 1800s? Besides, it’s not like that.” He yawned and plopped down on the couch, snuggling into a pillow and cover.

“Why are you sleeping on the couch?” I asked as Eric sat on one of Devon’s chairs.

“I told you, I have a chippy in my room.”

“Devon, was that the door?” I looked over toward the hallway to see a red-rimmed-eyed Tammy. I narrowed my eyes dangerously at the sight of her. Hadn’t I warned them both?

Devon yawned again. “Calm it down, Mayne.”

I whipped my head back to him with what I hoped was murder in my eyes.

He didn’t seem fazed at all. “Get to your point, please, so I can fall back to sleep.”

“What is Tammy doing here?”

“Minding her own business. Now what are you doing here?”

“Devon, I’m warning you.”

“And I am warning you.” He was still lying on the couch but his body had tensed.

“I am going to go back in the room.” Tammy spoke softly. “Good night, Mayne. Nice to see you again, Eric.”

After she left, I wanted to demand what the hell was going on from Devon, but Eric spoke instead.

“Maybe we should hurry up and get to the point before it is forgotten.”

“Yes, what is the point? Why have you come barging into my house? Did you sense that something was going on that didn’t involve you?”

“Oh, screw you, Devon. Don’t go there because, so help me, I will totally take you down right now.”

He made a
duh
face at me. “I am kinda lying down so I am technically already down.”

“Okay, then I will poke you in the damn eye. Now shut the hell up and let me tell you my news. I’m trying to be a good friend which is why I came here first.”

“I’m sorry. You do look like crap so I do believe you have something to tell me.” He moved his feet and I sat down on the couch beside him.

“I really don’t know where to start. I guess you know me better than anyone, so I can start anywhere and you will be able to follow. So, here I go.” I took a deep breath.

“Angels do exist. The Archangels, the devil, what else, Heaven and hell. Though he prefers to call it Sheol, but either way it exists. And it’s terrifying shit, Devon. It’s like the Bible really did happen. You know that I have always clung to my faith, but to actually know like I know now . . . Devon, you have noticed that strange things have been going on lately involving me. Okay, this is it. I swear I’m not insane. Eric is Death.”

I stopped when I saw the look on Devon’s face. He must’ve been weighing everything I said and deciding how to feel. I waited. Finally, he looked at Eric who sat there quietly not saying a word, his body tense.

“Continue.” He spoke to me, but his eyes never left Eric.

“Okay. Um, I have found out recently why death always comes to those around me. It’s because I am what’s called a Memory Keeper. It’s my duty to keep the memory of those who have no one else and who would otherwise be forgotten.”

Devon let a breath out and slumped back against the couch. “So he isn’t here to take you?”

“No,” I answered, surprised that is all he had to say.

“Mayne, one day I am going to have to teach you how to break information to people. You may have wanted to lead with that right after you said he was Death.”

I laughed. “Yeah, my bad. But I’m not done. The thing is, you are also a Memory Keeper.”

Devon stilled, but did not say a word.

“Are you okay?”

“Eric, were you the one who took my brother?”

Eric answered. “No. I was supposed to and I wish I had.”

Devon sat up straight on the couch. “Say my name.”

Suddenly a memory came back to me. In the restaurant Eric had said Devon’s complete name. Devon had acted very strange right after.

“You felt it. I didn’t notice, but at the restaurant you felt it when he called your name.” I was so dumb. Maybe I am self-absorbed.

“I thought he was trying to brain wash me like he was doing you.”

I laughed. “You are insane! There is more.”

He groaned. “More?”

“I have to tell all the Memory Keepers what they are and hope enough say
yes
to keeping their duties or everything goes back to normal. We all suffer and not know why.”

“I’ll help you.” It was as simple as that. I knew I could count on Devon. I flung myself at him and knocked him back against the couch.

Eric tensed briefly and I knew he was trying not to take my embracing Devon seriously. I planted a kiss on Devon’s cheek.

“Thank you!”

“Why are you even so surprised? I will always help you, even when your problem is as insane as this.”

“I’m not surprised, I’m just happy you didn’t let me down. I didn’t even tell you the main reason we have to do this.”

He pushed me off him gently. “Which is?”

“Anya, she is one too. I don’t want her to have to deal with any more pain. I want her not to have the duty. She lost a bus load of friends and I had to watch it almost destroy her.”

Anger darkened Devon’s eyes. “That’s why you went to visit Becca?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

“And you didn’t think to tell me! Why didn’t anyone call me?” Devon stood and put space between us like he was afraid he was going to hurt me if he stayed near me.

Eric was at my side at once.

“Eric, it’s okay, He isn’t going to hurt me.”

I could tell by the way Eric held his body that he wasn’t so sure.

Devon buried his face in his hands. “Oh God. I don’t want this life for her. I watched what it did to you and I won’t watch what it will do to . . . I can’t watch what it does to Anya.”

“We won’t have to. If we can get enough to say yes we won’t even have to ask her. We can just say no for her.”

He shook his head. “As much as I want to, this isn’t our choice to make.”

“Not even to protect her?”

“I won’t do it even to protect her. Would you want anyone making that decision for you? If that decision meant you would never have to experience death after death, but you also wouldn’t have loved Dante?”

I froze. To have never loved or been loved by Dante? Would I trade all the pain but also lose the one bright spot I had growing up? I looked at Eric, feeling guilty at how much I still loved Dante even as I stood there totally in love with Eric.

“We will let her make the choice.”