My Soul Laid Bare: Book 4 (The Soul Keeper Series) (35 page)

I press my lips to his, and a soft guttural sound escapes from somewhere deep inside him. Elijah shift his body over mine, and I ca
n’
t deny my love any longer.
I’
ve needed him for so long, too long
.“
I want you Elijah. I love you
,
” I draw out each word so it will hit home. 

A smile blooms over his face. God, how I love that smile
.“
And as I said, you can have whatever you want, love
,
” he says as his expression darkens by the second. Elija
h’
s eyes narrow in predatory pursuit as he reads my smile.

Elijah writes a love song with his next kiss. H
e’
s set the room ablaze, and
I’
d gladly throw myself into the pyre to be burned by his searing touch. We have always had this magnetizing effect on one another when we touch that makes me just want to crawl inside his soul and never leave. And now as he makes love to me, I am home. Elijah makes the world feel right again. I
t’
s been so long since
I’
ve felt like thi
s
– I drink it in and drown in it. We plunge into the abyss and dare to sink to the lethal depths of our love that night like w
e’
ve never done before.

Elijah and I get back to my mother's house just before the sun comes up. I don't know if the children will be able to bare the overly bright light, so I draw the curtains before they wake.

“
How were they last night
?
” I ask my mother who is busy giving instructions to the chef.

“
They slept like they hadn't a worry in all the world
.
”

“
Ah, I miss those days
,
” I admit. We sit at the breakfast table. A maid pours me a cup of coffee, and I thank her. How I will survive until tonight will be the real magic. Elijah made sure I slept very little.

“
She looks so much like you did at that age, love. I
t’
s surreal. But you always had your worries. As a child, you would never sleep well unless I was at the foot of your bed. You worried about your father mostly I think, and when he was safe at home, you worried when he'd be called out again. And when that would pass, you'd worry about everyone else you met that ever shared their problem with you. The mail carrier told you once that he was so tired at the end of the day that he could barely finish his route. You started leaving him a bag of homemade cookies and a glass of iced tea on the porch each and every day
.
”

My mother smiles over her cup of tea
.“
I'm afraid she gets the worrying from me, but at least I can wholeheartedly give my problems to
Him
knowing
He
will mend the ones that need it
.
”

“
Yes humans don't realize worrying is like slapping God in the face
.
”

“
Excuse me? You are a father now, and you're going to tell me you are not worried about who will break our little girl's heart first? You're not worried William may turn out to be as stubborn as his father and his mother combined
?
”

Elijah gives a soft chuckle and sips his coffee
.“
No absolutely not worried about either. Elara will probably be doing the heartbreaking just as her mother so wickedly did to me on many occasions. And my dear William is steadfast in his morals and open hearted with every idea that crosses his path.

I hear then one of the kids beginning to wake up, so I go into the room
.“
Good morning sleepy heads
.
”

Elar
a’
s eyes pop open, and she takes in her surroundings. I swear my mother anticipated me bringing them here. The room is decorated in a blue and white motif with loads of games and toys strewn about creating an eight year ol
d’
s dream room. Her half is decorated a little more feminine than Willia
m’
s half of the room
.“
Mommy, where are we
?
”

William peeks his eyes open after hearing her words. They both stare at me and try and figure it out
.“
We are in a very special place because I have someone very special I want you to meet
.
”

My mother enters the room with such grace I think she could have just convinced summer to start producing snowflakes
.“
This is your grandmother. Her name is Emmagen, but you can call he
r
…” I look to my mother wondering just what she would prefer. She does
n’
t look like a grandmother in the slightest.

“
Can we call her Grams
?
” Elara giggles and runs into my mothe
r’
s arms like sh
e’
d known her forever.

“
I remember her, she was there when we were born
.
”

William says trudging out of bed and into my mothe
r’
s lap
.“
You remember her? You were only hours old the last time you met
.
” He shrugs his shoulders.

“
I
t’
s fuzzy, but we remember her
.
”

“
Well
I’
m glad you remember me. I have missed you so very much all this time. I hope you will come and visit me much more now
.
”

She hugs them each and kisses their cheek. I draw back the curtains a bit
.“
Tell me if this is too bright for you
.
” I am so thankful I can finally stand the light here. The kids do
n’
t squint, so I open the other curtains.

“
I thought the
y’
d be fine with the light here
,
” my mother points out as the kids go explore the toys in room. Elijah steps in, and the kids gasp and run to him.

“
Elijah, yo
u’
re here too. This is going to be the best day ever
,
” William says launching himself at Elijah. Elijah laughs and tosses William on his back as Elara comes in for a hug.

“
Yes, your mother and I have some more news we want to share with you over breakfast. Shall we
?
” He links Elar
a’
s arm in his and leads her to the table on the veranda. My mothe
r’
s home sits high on a bluff overlooking a waterfall in the distance and lush land all around reminiscent of the emerald slopes of Kauai. The table is filled to capacity with every breakfast food known to man, and I laugh at her ability to exceed all expectations.

“
Yo
u’
re not going to be one of those grandmothers that spoils the kids rotten, are you
?
”

“
I have every intention to be, and if you try and stop me,
I’
ll have Nehemiah come by and rearrange your memory of the subject
.
”

I
t’
s strange that I can actually laugh about that now. I never thought that day would come. William and Elara run to the rail and take in the view. Elijah is careful to keep the loving touches at bay for now and appear only as a friend.

We all take a seat and help ourselves to the mountain of food. My mother keeps the children talking with loads of questions, just like she did when she met me for the first time as a teenager.

“
What should I say
?
” I ask Elijah in a low voice. He takes a long sip of tea, and I steel my gaze away from his lips.

“
I would just explain to them about why they have gifts with the complete truth. They are extremely intelligent, they wo
n’
t take much by way of an explanation
.
”

As the breakfast finally winds down and w
e’
re all stuffed to capacity, I take the children to a small bench overlooking the falls
.“
I want to talk to you both.
I’
m sure you will have many questions, and you will have your chance to ask them after I say what I need to
.
”

The air is moist and cool here. It clings to your skin like a fine mist being atomized over you like a fine perfume. The leaves of the tropical garden my mother keeps rustle under the breeze.

“
Last night while you were sleeping, I scooped you up and brought you here so that you could finally know the truth about who you are. I wanted you to know your Gra
m’
s and maybe one day the rest of your family. You see, you are not just normal human children. I mean yo
u’
re normal, but you are not entirely human. You are mostly angel actually. We are not on Earth right now.

This place is known as the In-Between because i
t’
s a world between heaven and Earth. They call it Amorous. Special kinds of angels live here called Cherubim. They are called to do Go
d’
s will by protecting the human people from harm. Elijah is a Keeper, a guardian. He was sent to keep you safe on Earth. Your grandmother is another kind of angel. She is a Seraphim. They typically live in heaven and spend their life praising
Him
and exalting
Him
. She gets to take on a special task here to help everything run smoothly. She can see things through the oracle that are going to happen.

You each have special gifts that you may or may not be aware of because in the past when you have occasionally slipped and used your gifts in public, Elena, who is a Keeper too, would reverse time to make sure no one else knew of your gifts. You may not know that you have these gifts because when Elena reverses time, it is like erasing the first memory. Now
I’
m sure yo
u’
re full of questions, so fire away
.
”

“
Was Daddy a Keeper
?
” Elara asks.

“
Daddy had every requisite to be an angel, but he was wholly human. H
e’
s in heaven, and sometimes Gra
m’
s will surprise us and arrange for our loved ones to come and visit us. I
t’
s very rare, but
I’
m sure one day you can see Daddy again
.
”

“
What do you mean we have gifts
?
” William asks just as Elijah nears us.
I’
ll let him have this one.

“
When your mother was eighteen she was given a necklace that unlocked her gifts. She can read the minds of humans and influence what they believe. It is how she has molded the world into a far better place to live. You two also have special gifts, and one day your gifts will help you to follow in your mothe
r’
s footsteps and help the world and all of its people. But you have to learn how to use these powerful gifts, and I am going to teach you. It is very important that we keep all of this a secret. You see humans have to live their lives on faith alone. They must believe that God is living inside of them and have faith
He
is, even though they do
n’
t know for sure
.
”

“
If yo
u’
re really an angel, where are your wings and your halo
?
” Elara finishes Willia
m’
s sentence something they practice on a regular basis.

Elijah looks off to one side as if the
y’
ve stumped him, but suddenly he spins around in a plum of white feathers and stops on his heel with his wings spread wide and beautiful
.“
I can make them appear whenever I call them
.
”

The kid
s
’ eyes widen so much I sincerely hope they have
n’
t lost the ability to blink
.“
That is so cool. Mom, do you have wings
?
”

I shake my head
,“
No I am only half Seraphim. My father was a human
.
” 

I see the wheels churning in Williams head, and I share a look with Elijah that begs him to deter his son from connecting the dots yet. If I am only half seraphim and Sam was wholly human, then they should
n’
t be very powerful. I hope we can tell them the truth before they learn it on their own. Elijah is right these kids are highly intelligent.