My Soul Laid Bare: Book 4 (The Soul Keeper Series) (28 page)

“
I pushed a little too hard. I gave him the choice to walk away, and he just might take it. Part of me wishes he would. I want so badly just to stay here with you
.
”

“
Come here. I want to show you something. The kiddos are asleep still
.
” He sits me down on the sofa inside and takes a disk from the shelf
.“
Emmagen showed me this a while back, and I think you should see it
.
”

He closes the curtains and plays the disk. I
t’
s a compilation of the future. It looks like scenes from the oracle. Headlines flash that read,
World War III Imminent
. It shows horrifying events leading up to it.
President Roberts Ready to Strike China
, one headline reads. A mushroom cloud expands and contracts wiping out New York in a millisecond. Similar scenes flash on the television, one after another. A charred and desolate earth smolders under an ashen sky. A soot covered hand reaches across the dirt clawing for survival. It stops moving, and the life drains from the person. I cringe.

“
Stop it. I don't want to see anymore
.
” Elijah turns off the video.

“
I was about to. It only gets worse. Millions starve to death, and even more commit suicide, so they don't have to
.
” His cobalt eyes are filled with an ocean of love for me mirroring the wedding photo adorning my mother's office.

“
I'm going to go through with my part in all of this. Once again, I'm going to give you up for the sake of saving millions. I only said it would be hard. It's always hard
.
” Elijah rocks into me, nestling my head close to his heart
.“
W
e’
ve tried and failed so many times to stay apart
.
”

I hear him sniffle like he's trying not to cry
.“
We won't have to try so hard this time. I've been ordered off of your guard for good. Elena is taking over
.
”

“
What
?
” I stand up appalled by my mother's audacity
.“
Why would she do that to us
?
”

“
It's not her. These orders came from Michael. She tried to change things, but it was no use. Listen, you and I will just get through one day, one week, at a time. We'll have eternity to spend here. I want you to focus on our children, be my hand in raising them. Tell them each and every day how much their daddy loves them. I will check on you all, whenever I can
.
”

The bottom of my world has been removed, and what little hope I had, just sifted through my fingers like trying to hold onto water. I knew Elijah wouldn't be around to see the babies when we were in public, but I thought he could steal a moment each night to tuck them in or read them a story behind closed doors. Now, they'll never know who he is.

“
Just tell me why? Why is it so important that you leave us
?
”

“
Brennen, I've been demoted. I am no longer considered an Elite. You've been kidnapped twice under my watch. We could have lost the babies to the fallen
.
”

“
That wasn't your fault
.
”

“
If you were in his shoes, if you had millions of lives relying on this plan to work, what would you do
?
”

“
I'd enlist someone who wasn't human at all to get the job done. We feel too much. We love too hard
.
” I say with my emotions speaking in full swing, on my toes as close to his face as I can manage. He takes up my wrist, pulling me even closer. I can feel his own fear and anger growing inside like a raging chemical fire.

“
You think, I feel less than you? You think,
I’
m not dying inside right now? If I could take you and the twins and go on the run, banish myself all over again, don't you think I would? If anything, our kind feel emotion twice as much as humans. We were made to be sensitive, to love, to fight for what's right. We don't know how to do anything half way. Haven't you learned that by now
?
”

We're both breathing like we sprinted up a mountain. My hand caresses the side of his cheek, anxious to get my fill of his skin one last time before he's gone for good. He closes the gap between our lips. Elijah tries to sweep the pain away with his love. He pours it over me in waves,
each one rocking me to the core until he goes still. I break away wondering what's wrong. He smiles knowingly as the babies both break into a whimper that quickly escalates into a cry.

“
Welcome to motherhood
,
” Elijah teases. While I try and get the hang of feeding both babies at the same time, he reads to us. Elara and William seem content to listen to the gentle cadence of Elijah's voice. I try hard not to think about the fact that it's a sound they will soon forget. Instead, I focus on Elara's soft fine hair, spun like gossamer gold. I've never seen a little girl so beautiful. I may be biased, but I think it's because of how beautiful Elijah is. Speaking of which, little William with his silky black hair already looks as if he'll be a clone to Elijah.

After the babies are taken care of and back to sleep, Elijah and I send for Sam. His memories have been returned, and he's ready to see me. We thought having him visit us in the small cottage would make it easier to deal with all of this. He arrives on horseback, and I'm sure the mode of travel pleases him at least. We greet him outside the house. My mother, still in the air, floats down as graceful as a snowflake. I've never seen her fly before. The majesty of it takes my breath away.

Elijah reaches out to shake Sam's hand. I see the anger pass through his thoughts in that instant, and he rears back and punches Elijah. Elijah dodges the hit.

“
Really Sam, we're back to this
?
”

“
You slept with my wife
.
”

My mother moves between the two of them.

“
Samuel Montgomery, violence is never allowed on Amorous
,
” she says in a motherly tone that has Sam's tail tucked in seconds.

“
Technically, you slept with my wife
,
” Elijah interjects only making matters worse.

“
Guys, excuse me, but I have two children to take care of. I don't need two more. What's done is done. Today is the day we all have to move forward
.
”

“
How am I supposed to move forward Brennen? You love him. You chose him from the beginning. The only reason you married me is because you were threatened by that Malphas guy. And now you want me to play the part of your husband just so you can keep up public appearances. I'm done with being your doormat
.
”

“
Mother, Elijah, give us a moment
,
” I intercede.

“
No Bren, I'm done talking to you. I don't want you to use your mind altering powers on me
.
”

Elijah and my mother slip inside the house. Sam walks over to where one of the horses is grazing nearby. He runs his hands along the anima
l’
s powerful neck. I ease my hand over his shoulder, and he lets out a long sigh.

“
Sam, I don't have any fight left in me. I know what I'm asking for is a lot. But it's not just for appearances
.
” I tell him about the future
.“
If I'm not elected president, millions will die
.
” I had Elijah upload the video to my phone, so I play it for him. He makes it through all the way, and then he sinks to the ground leaning against a sycamore tree.

“
When I came back to you before, I was very much in love with Elijah, but you are so easy to love Sam. I married you because I loved you. I didn't have to. Malphas was captured. If I had wanted to, I could have left you then, before the wedding, but I honestly loved you. I'm sorry things happened the way they did, but if they didn't, then I wouldn't have Elara and William. You wouldn't get to be a father. You had talked about wanting to adopt before.
I’
m asking you to adopt them. Do you think you could grow to love them Sa
m–
like they were your own
?
”

“
Of course I could love them as my own Brennen, but I can't compete with their own father. I wouldn't want t
o
– who is a real live angel, I might add. Shit, what am I saying? I married an angel. This is just beyond anything I've ever seen
.
”

“
Sam..
.
” I lose it. My voice goes out as a lump forms in my throat. I blindly wipe away the tears that escape and take a deep breath
.“
Elijah's been reassigned. He's not going to be protecting me anymore. He won't get to see his own children grow up
.
”

“
Can't you two meet up here so he can see the twins? He can visit between assignments
.
”

“
Perhaps, but it would only confuse them if they grew up with only glimpses of their father. If you do this, you will be their father until they're old enough to know the truth
.
” The words leave my mouth like I had to chew them out. I hate this. I hate that both Elijah and Sam are being put in this situation.

“
I just don't know Brennen. Yo
u’
re obviously still in love with Elijah
.
”

“
I've given him up before. It will be hard on me, but I have to do it again. I can't let that future of horror happen just because I'm in love. It will take time Sam, but we can recover from this
.
”

Sam turns his back on me and examines the world around him. As if on cue, the wonders of Amorous come alive around us. A fuchsia colored bird pecks the ground near us looking like some kind of punk rocker chicken. A nearby branch rustles, and I look closely to find a stunning ocelot stretched out across the limb. Then out of nowhere, Brutus bounds up to us, nearly knocking Sam to the ground.

“
Hey boy, so this is where you've been? How is he still alive
?
” Sam raises his head up to me. His deep amber eyes fill with wonder. 

“
Three days on Amorous equals one night at home, so he hasn't aged much. The dog is just starting to gray on his muzzle
.
”

“
You've had this whole other life all these years. It must have been so hard not to share your secret with me. This is why you were the cure. Wasn't it? Because yo
u’
re not fully human
.
” We share a seat on what's left of a fallen tree.

“
Yes. Do you remember the night I told you the truth about what your mother did
?
”

“
Yes, I remember everything now. I
t’
s strange. I can't believe how naive I was. I can't believe I attacked you more than once, and yet you took me back both times. Of course I still don't remember when I was..
.
” The full weight of what he did begins to sink in, and he tries to hold back the tears that gloss over his eyes.

“
I let Malphas go free so that your mark would be removed, but he exacted his revenge on poor Emily instead
.
”

Sam seems to be coming around. H
e’
s slowly realizing the forgiveness streak runs both ways. This world has shaken us up and dumped us out on our heads too many times for us not to stick together.

“
I'm sorry Brennen. Here I am acting like a selfish asshole when all this time you've had to make some very hard decisions in your life. You've had to suffer the consequences alone. It must have killed you to have to lie to me all those years. Look, I'll do this with you. We'll make it work. I owe you my life. I promise to be the best father to Elara and William that I can be, and one day, I hope you can love me again
.
”

“
I still love you Sam. I love both of you, and
I’
m sorry. Come on. I want you to meet them
.
” I lead him back to the cottage. Elijah and my mother each have a baby in their arms. Sam walks up to Elijah and offers a heartfelt apology along with a handshake. I can tell Elijah is feeling the panic of our pending departure. It ebbs through my veins making my own angst worsen. My mother looks sad enough for both of us, but she puts on a smile on for Elara who's got her grass green eyes locked on her face. The newborn reaches up and places a tiny palm on my mothe
r’
s cheek. My mother closes her eyes and revels in the tiny touch.