My Soul to Save (Soul Keeper) (22 page)

"Whoa, what was that for?" he chuckles out.

"Because you and I just found our thing. I want to do this every weekend with you. Can we?"

"I don't see why not. At least until Christmas."

"That's right, then you have to go back to Amorous for training." I had forgotten all about that. Jesson would be a fully sanctified Keeper before too long. Which means right now he's not. Which means if my mother finds out Elena left him in charge of my safety she could be in big trouble.

*~*~*

Later that night I fall into a deep sleep, worn out from the day's work and the emotional roller coaster. I barely notice when Elena relieves Jesson of his guard sometime in the night. He had been keeping a vigil watch on me, seated on the edge of my bed all throughout the night.

The month between Thanksgiving and Christmas kept me busy with school and final exams. Any free time I had
, Jesson and I would take off with Elena in tow, and go feed the mulitudes. I loved it. It took my mind off of my troubles completely, and I slept better at night knowing that all of those children would go to bed full each night.

Christmas break is finally here and Lexi and I hug goodbye. I think I did well on all of my exams and that has me able to relax just a bit more. She's catching a flight to Vale to spend Christmas with her family in snow drenched mountains. It sounds way more Christmasy than my beach house, but that's not what's causing the wretched feeling to twist my insides into barbed wire.

Sam will be arriving at my house tomorrow morning, along with Elijah trailing close behind. Jesson is taking off to Europe to spend Christmas with Emily who has barely managed to even write, me. All I get is her facebook feed and endless streams of pictures of everywhere she's been. Emily's drifted out of my life like so many of my friends in the past. I've grown used to it through the years, friends coming and going, maybe it's why I don't get too attached.

Elena has still been quiet lately, it's unerving to know that Elijah is the root to her silence. She stares out the window, longing for what, I don't know. I almost miss her snappy attitude and snide remarks. Green trees blur into one solid line on either side and it puts me into a lull. I turn up the stereo volume in the car and try to wake my self up.

Then I see it, a large tar black demon lands in the road just in front of my porsche... My beautiful car
– is my first thought, because I glanced left and saw the semi truck barreling down it's lane, I have no where to go but either into the bird like monster, or swerve into the median. Controling this car in dew covered grass would probably end with  my head impaled by a pine tree. Instead of pulling the classic motherly arm seat belt, Elena flies out of the car and leaves me all alone. Oh, so it's fend for yourself? Lovely. Pine floss, here I come.

I veer the hundred thousand dollar car off the road in an effort to avoid hitting the demon, which I would imagine would be the equivelent of a brick wall. My car begins to spin in the wet grass and mud and then it hits something and begins to flip upside down. This is where I die, right? I seal my eyes shut and brace myself.

Then my stomach get's thrown for a loop. I didn't hit the ground, instead my car flips again and lands softly in the grass as if a child had set his toy down, distracted by something faster and shinier.

"Elena," I sigh with relief.

My heart thuds in my body, drowning out every sound with its raucious thunder. Only my eyes move, at least part of me knows I could still be in danger. I'm facing the highway and I spot Elena at the edge of the woods. She's got a few more than she bargained for. The passenger door opens and Malphas slides in. Oh flipping fine!

"Ee.!" Was all I managed to utter before the devil shut my mouth. I don't know whether she heard me or not.

"Happy holidays Brennen, it's so lovely to see you." Malphas waves his hand near the window and another round of stupid ugly birds swarm Elena.

"I see Elijah has failed to obey my orders," his voice oozes out like a snake. He glares at my abdomen. Or more likely my utterus for that matter. Malphas must have the gift of mind reading, he always seems to know truths without being told.

My voice is gone, and I can't spit out a single word, much less scream for help. I try the door handle but it won't budge.

"I did warn him I would take matters into my own hands." He grips my wrist and steals his beady eyes on me. I struggle to free myself. With his free hand he snaps his fingers
, and suddenly I can't move at all.

He's paralyzed me somehow. My hand falls limp as he inches closer to me. I can't even move my eyes, only the snare of my heart and the rise and fall of my chest give any indication that I'm still alive. Oh God make him stop, please.

The breath from his stale mouth makes me want to vommit as he rakes his lip across my cheek. I've never been more afraid in my life than this moment.

Suddenly he jumps back, no, he's been yanked from the car. His invisible hold loosens over me and I can move again, not fully, but enough to get the heck out of this car. I manage to pull the door handle open and lean against the door. I fall onto the damp ground, and use every thing I have to stand up.

It's Jesson, he's my hero this time. He lands one good punch to Malphas before the devil disapears. With him gone, I can move freely now. Elena moves under my arm to steady me.

"Hey bout time, I was almost  going to have to kick that guys ass once and for all,"  I say weakly. She shakes her head at me and smiles. Jesson comes over and checks me over. "My mother was wrong
," I direct to him.

"Oh about what?"

"You don't need to go back to training." We share a short lived laugh and my gaze goes to asses my beaming red beauty. Other than mudcaked, I see no damage. How in the heck did she pull that off? I turn to her marveling at how special these angels really are. Once again I am unharmed.

"He was going to finish the job he sent Elijah to do."

"That will never happen on my watch," Elena says.

"Or mine," Jesson adds.

"Um Elena, can you drive? I don't think I'm going to stop shaking for a week."

"Sure, and Jesson, why don't you accompany us the rest of the way."

I see Jesson's eyes light up with his small victory. She's beginning to trust him again. When I turn back around, even the mud is gone from my car. I raise a brow and Jesson just shrugs his shoulders. We load back inside and begin the drive again. I take the back seat as a thank you to Jesson. He's turning out to be a rare friend. 

"How did you get here so fast? You were in Europe."

"I had just arrived when Elena sent a distress call. I let Emily know I'd been delayed by a day."

The adrenaline ebbs from my veins and in response the energy drains from my body. I fall asleep in the backseat and I don't wake up until morning the next day, snug in my own bed back in Sandbridge.

The dull sky, earmarked for winters on the beach, makes me want to stay tucked under my covers for a couple more hours.

Sam will  be here soon, and with him Elijah. Butterflies fill my inside at the thought. I peel back the covers and my bare feet hit the cold wood floor. I notice I'm in pajama's and I do hope this was just another snap of Elena's magical fingers. I've missed this place. The walls are filled with so many memories of my time here, especially this time of the year.

I'll need to get a tree, maybe that's what Sam and I can do today. My first Christmas without Grandma. Sadness washes over me as I take my shower. She loved Christmas so much, she would go all out, every time.

I take my time and blow dry my hair and dress in jeans and a black sweater pulling on a pair of soft leather boots to complete the look.

Sam's friend agreed to pick him up at the airport and bring him here. He rings the doorbell just as I come downstairs.

I sigh hello and he embraces me into a long hug before kissing my lips sweetly. I take in his scent and drag him through the door glancing around for Elijah, but I don't see him. Will fills my entire doorway and beams a toothy grin my way. Over Sam's shoulder, I return the smile, happy to see my old friend again.

"It's so good to see you, this month felt like a year."

"More like a decade." He smiles down over me and we head to the kitchen. I put on a pot of coffee, suprised Elena hasn't beat me too it. Speaking of, where is she? I blink into the red sky world and don't see her there either. Will catches my drift and goes off in search of her. I'm all alone with Sam and given my recent brush with death, that is probably not the best place to be. 

"I was just about to make some breakfast, if you'd like, you can go unpack, and it will be ready by the time you come back down."

"Sounds good babe." He kisses my lips again and takes his bag upstairs. I watch as he ascends the stairs and sigh a deep breath. He is so beautiful. My phone rings on the granite and startles me. I don't recognize the number but I answer it anyway.

"Hello?"

"Bren, it's Elijah. Listen I'm outside, but I was thinking you should introduce me to Sam and say I'm some sort of long lost family member and you invited me to stay for the holidays. I mean I'm going to need to be around the both of you a lot more now anyway."

I stare at the phone still in shock. It takes several blinks for me to respond. "Um actually, I told Sam you were a cousin that was given up for adoption and recently found his way back to me. I had to come up with something when you bought me that dress. Which was beautiful by the way."

"I'm glad you liked it, I knew it would be beautiful on you."

The doorbell rings again and it's him. My heart immediately bottoms out in my toes. I stand there in awe for a moment. "Are you coming?" he says still on the line. I can hear the smile in his voice.

Will opens the door to the master bedroom and jumps back closing it fast. I turn my brows in and from the shocked look on his face I know it's bad.

"What?"

"Found Elena." He chuckles. "And Jesson."

"Oh my word, are you serious?"

"Excuse me while I go invite a fallen one into my house, while my demon hospitable boyfriend is upstairs unpacking, and my Keeper is busy getting busy with the backup. God I love my life."

Will booms with laughter only adding to the weirdness of my situation. I let Elijah in. His first instinct is to pull me into his arms, he stops mid hug and rocks back on his heels.

"What's up cuz, come on in. Welcome to the circus." He follows me into the kitchen where I raid the pantry, I havn't stocked the place yet. The shelves are almost bare.  Elijah takes a seat at the counter and somehow makes a carton of eggs appear. He pushes it across to me. That's a great trick, maybe he can stock the fridge too while he's at it.

"Where's Elena?"

"Um she's busy I guess."

His brows dip down low, and he almost looks like he's looking through the back wall with x-ray vision capabilities. He chews on his lip at this news and shrugs it off. If he's pissed, he doesn't show it.

"Sam should be down any minute." I pause just on the other side of the counter and his damn blue eyes pull me into their abyss. He's in a navy cashmere sweater with a dress shirt peeking though at the neck. He looks positively edible, and it's taking everything in me not to crawl across the granite countertop and onto his lap.

"It's good to see you again." His lips slowly reveal his favorite killer smile, the one that melts me like a puddle of chocolate every time.

"Stop it."

"Stop what?" he teases knowing darn well what I'm referring to.

"Your old buddy paid me a visit on the way here, said you'd disobeyed him."

The smile leaves his face and he's wrapped around me in seconds. His warm dark chocolate scent surrounds me and draws me in. "Did he hurt you?"

I'm helpless to leave his arms, I'm sure he didn't put a paralyzing spell over me the way Malphas did, but he has the same effect no less, only this time I wasn't breathing. I finally remember, and take in a gulp of cool air.  I hear Sam's footfall on the stairs and I break away from Elijah's hold. I shake my head to answer his question. Sam rounds the corner just in time. The look of suprise is etched on his face.

Man to man, they finally get to meet. I introduce them and tell Sam the fabricated lie that's in place that will allow for future "family reunionions" to take place without question between Elijah and I. Sam takes Elijah's hand and pumps it twice.

"Welcome to the family man," Sam says slapping Elijah's arm. Elijah's jaw clenches tightly before he put's on his charming smile facade. Let the drama begin.

Sam I hope you don't mind, Elijah had no where to go for Christmas so I envited him here at the last minute.

"What's Christmas without family?" Sam reponds, still sounding like he's onboard with the idea.

"Yes Christmas is brighter with the ones you love." Elijah nails me in the gut with his pointed look.

Elena and Jesson emerge from the bedroom and they've lost their heads and forgot to be invisible. Are you flipping kidding me?

"Jesson?" Sam heads over to his old friend. "What are you doing here?" Elijah looks humored by my anger. Now serving lie number two, please hold out your dish for an extra large helping. Jesson and Elena both bear the classic deer-in-the-headlights look.

"Silly me, I forgot Jesson stopped by to take a look at my grandmother's bedroom furniture, he and his new girlfriend are getting an apartment and I offered them a great deal."

I glare at Will and warn him I better not have anymore surprise house guest. Jesson introduces Elena to the mix and we are all one big happy friggin family.

"You all should stay for breakfast. Oh that's right Elena, you said you couldn't stay long. Isn't that right?" Hit her where it hurts, her appetite. She takes her punch and nods but as her gaze lingers over Jesson, she recovers her good mood. Hm, maybe that's all Elena needed to tame her badger-like temperment. Love cures all. So then what does too much love do? I glance back and forth between Sam and Elijah. Too much love makes me sad.

I show the pair of love-birds outside and once out of Sam's earshot, I lay into them.

"What were you thinking?"

"I'm sorry Brennen there's no excuse, we messed up. It won't happen again."