The Shadows Trilogy (Box Set: Edge of Shadows, Shadows Deep, Veiled Shadows) (65 page)

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Ellie was in shock as she automatically took the man’s hand. “Max Turner. I was looking for you.”

“I know,” Max said with a small smile. His eyes, almost buried beneath his bushy white eyebrows, twinkled. Even after everything that had just happened, Ellie felt her shoulders relax. There was nothing threatening about this man. “I am delighted to meet you, Ellie. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Let’s go into the kitchen and have a cup of coffee,” Lucy suggested. She motioned toward the back of the house. “Or a shot of something stronger. I think Ellie’s in shock, Max.”

Ellie didn’t know what she was at that moment as she was still trying to process what she had witnessed in the basement. She allowed herself to be herded into the kitchen, and Lucy settled her into a chair at the table. Max took off his jacket and sat down across from her. He looked around and smiled taking in the details of the room.

“It’s just like I remembered,” he said. “But it’s so obvious that it’s alive. Or at least, that it was.”

“Was?” Ellie asked.

“When a way point dies, it can take years, or it can happen rather suddenly. I think that you have one that won’t wither away. This place has always been one of extremes.”

“What are you talking about? It’s dying? Why?”

Lucy put a hand on Ellie’s shoulder. “Slow down. He’ll get there.”

Lucy moved back to the stove and put a tea kettle on the stove. Ellie envied that Lucy seemed to be able to function so normally despite what was going on around her. In Ellie’s mind, she kept seeing the fireball envelope Alain, and then David’s final tortured look before he disappeared. He had known what was going to happen. It was the only thing that made sense.

“Perhaps you could start at the beginning,” Ellie said slowly.

“That’s all quite relative, isn’t it?” Max chuckled.

Ellie didn’t get the joke. She looked over at Lucy who shrugged. “Okay, how about the beginning that is relative.”

Max seemed to understand that he had lost her. “Of course. This place is a magical place. The reason that this has always been such a desirable location is because it is the intersection of multiple way lines between the Other Side and the Afterlife.”

“I’ve only seen one downstairs,” Ellie said.

“Oh, they are there,” Max said with a nod. “Maybe not visible, but they are there. So as the Guardian of this place, you are able wield much more power than other Guardians. Of course, this place will also require much more energy from you to maintain it.”

“That’s why I had to be gifted,” Ellie said.

“Exactly!” Max beamed.

Lucy set a tray with three coffee cups on the table. As Lucy started to pour the coffee, Ellie saw a shadow in the hallway. Then she realized that it was Jake. He motioned for her to be quiet and for her to come into the hall.

“Excuse me just a minute,” Ellie said. She shook her head at Lucy and then made her way back to the foyer.

Jake watched her with sad eyes. “I have to go, Ellie. Now that Alain is gone, I have been released from his spell. My soul is free. Will you see me on?”

Ellie felt a warm feeling settle over her. She was happy for Jake. When the knock at the front door came a moment later, she answered without hesitation. She had something else to do to distract her for a few minutes, and she welcomed it.

The three transports swept into the room. Ellie remembered them well, but she saw that the one called Lila had a question in her eyes.

“We were called for this one,” she said looking at Jake. “We were told to hurry. They said the waypoint is closing.”

“Yes,” Ellie replied. She thought again about what she had seen in the basement and Max Turner’s words. It made sense now. David had found a way to close the waypoint. There was something poetic in that. “I give him to you. I hope that you treat him well on his journey.”

Ellie turned to Jake and hugged him. “Thank you, Jake.”

Dane and Peter motioned to Jake and then they disappeared out the door, leaving Ellie with Lila.

“No blood this time?” Ellie asked. As the Guardian of the waypoint, it was required that her blood be mingled with that of the transport to send the soul on the next leg of its journey.

“He was never officially in your care, so not this time, and I guess never again. It was very nice to meet you, Ellie,” Lila said with a sad smile. She moved toward the door and then paused.

“Is there something else?” Ellie asked. She was eager to return to Max so that she could ask about David. Ellie feared the worst, but needed to know for certain.

“Is David here?” Lila asked as her eyes swept the room.

“No,” Ellie said, surprised at the question. “He’s gone.”

A sad expression swept across Lila’s face. “He was so intent on finding you. I am sorry to hear that. I knew there was something strange when he wanted to go to Hell.”

“What do you mean?” Ellie asked. “Finding me? When?”

“Braz set him free from Purgatory, and we were bringing him here. But we had a slight detour, and after that he insisted that Dane take him to Hell.”

“Why?”

Lila shook her head. “I don’t know. He wouldn’t tell us what he was told.”

“Told by who?”

“The Council who governs the magical community here in the Afterlife.”

“He used magic,” Ellie said slowly. “He used magic to close the waypoint, but David wasn’t gifted that way.”

“They must have given him a way to do it then,” Lila said. “I’m sorry for your loss, Ellie.”

Tears welled again in Ellie’s eyes. She had lost David for the third time. It seemed like a dream that they could have ever been able to be together. “Thank you, Lila.”

“It was really nice to meet you,” Lila said backing up toward the door. “Maybe we’ll cross paths again.”

“Maybe,” Ellie said. She liked the transport, but, on the other hand, she hoped that she would never see her again. Then Lila was gone.

A question crossed Ellie’s mind for the first time. She hurried back to the kitchen. Lucy and Max were talking in low voices. They stopped as she entered the room.

“What happens to me now?” Ellie asked. “If the way point is dying because it’s closed, then what happens to me?

“As soon as the way point is dead, your ties to it will cease to exist. You will be set free,” Max said.

“Free?” Ellie was stunned.

“You are still human,” Max said. “You never died, so you still have a life to live. The Afterlife is not ready for you yet. You will go home.”

Tears fell freely down Ellie’s face. “I can go home?”

Lucy jumped up and wrapped her arms around Ellie. “Isn’t that great news, El? It’s what you wanted.”

David’s face rose again in Ellie’s mind. “I wanted to leave with David.”

“I know you did, sweetie,” Lucy said squeezing her tighter. “But David did what he had to do to restore the balance, and he gave you your life back.”

“I don’t understand,” Ellie said.

Max motioned for her to sit back down. “Mr. Mitchell was born and was supposed to die. His soul would have been returned to the Afterlife, and at some point in time he would have been reincarnated. Instead, his soul resisted death and the ceremony that Lillian Bradford performed bound him here to this point and created a doorway. Not only through the waypoint, but through David himself. That doorway needed to be closed. David had to die as he was supposed to have died over a hundred years ago.”

Ellie was struck by another memory, this time of the image that David’s mother, Emma, had shown to her. “It was just like that night. Lillian, David, and Mikel. But Joseph wasn’t here.”

Max shrugged. “Alain served the same purpose. His presence was window dressing in any case. Lillian and Mikel were the keys. Back then, Lillian crafted the spell that called to Mikel, and it was Mikel’s power that ripped the doorway open.”

“David got this magic from somewhere else though. A Council of magic?”

“I’m supposed to tell you something, El,” Lucy said. Her voice had taken on a different lilt, and Ellie looked at her. Her face shifted subtly, and then Ellie saw for a brief moment the face of someone that she had lost long ago. Veronica.

“Roni?” Then flashes of memories hit Ellie. Of entering the waypoint and drifting in the darkness and talking to the Voice. The Voice had pushed and tugged at her and made her uncomfortable. The Voice had been Roni.

A brilliant smile lit up Lucy’s face. “You are ready, Ellie.”

“Ready?”

“Ready to go home. Ready to live the life you were always supposed to live.”

“What about David?”

“David did what he had to do to save you and to right the wrong that Lillian Bradford created when she trapped his soul here. It was the only way for him to find peace.”

A deep, familiar sorrow clamped down on Ellie’s chest. “It isn’t fair.”

“Life isn’t fair, Ellie. But at least now, you have the tools to be the person you were always meant to be.”

“I am glad I got to see this place one last time,” Max said wistfully looking around.

“What’s happening?” Ellie could feel the walls begin to shake once again. The cups slid across the table and then flew to the ground, shattering into pieces.

“It’s dying,” Max said, raising his voice. “I told you that it could happen suddenly.”

“This doesn’t seem right.”

The hand on her shoulder drew her attention. She found herself looking deeply into Lucy’s eyes. “Ellie, you’re ready.”

It was like all thoughts in her mind stopped. “I’m ready,” Ellie repeated. Then the walls began to collapse around her. The lights flickered and Ellie saw cracks appear in the ceiling. Just as the windows exploded, her world went black.

EPILOGUE

Ellie’s eyes opened as her alarm started to screech and she quickly hit the snooze button before burrowing further into her comforter. She didn’t want to get up yet. Just as she started to drift off again, a wet nose shoved its way into her snug burrow and licked her cheek.

Ellie groaned. “Skipper! Please? Can’t I sleep in today?”

A low whine was her answer. Ellie rolled over and stretched. Skipper scooted up into the crook of her arm, wiggling against her and demanding to be petted. She tried to be annoyed, but looking into Skipper’s big brown eyes melted any of those thoughts away. She laughed and gave him a squeeze and quick belly rub.

“Okay, fine. I’m up!”

Ellie flung the bed covers aside and then slipped out of bed. She quickly pulled her hair up into a ponytail and then put on her exercise clothes. A pair of running shoes completed the outfit. She looked at the small dog still sitting on the bed.

“This was all your idea, so let’s go!”

Ellie loved her morning run. It put her in the right frame of mind for her day and gave her lots of energy. All of her friends groaned whenever she asked them to go out for a morning run with her. Running helped clear away the cobwebs in her mind. She got some of her best ideas while out for a run.

As her feet pounded the pavement, she found that she was looking more forward to her day than usual. She couldn’t put her finger on why, but there seemed to be something important about it. She found that she was eager to get to the shop. It was Kevin’s day to open, but she was sure that he wouldn’t mind a little extra help with the morning rush.

Skipper stayed by her side, his short legs somehow managing to keep pace with her. Ellie did a half loop around Lake Calhoun before heading back to her apartment. Skipper’s tongue hung out of the side of his mouth, but he wore a droopy grin. Ellie felt happy and calm. Her life was good, and she knew it.

After getting home, she quickly showered and changed, and then kissed Skipper’s nose. Then she strolled out the door, her head already bursting with ideas for sale promotions to increase the shop’s traffic in the coming summer months.

As Ellie walked up to the back door of her shop, she heard Kevin’s voice singing a song from the musical, Grease. She burst through the door on the chorus and belted out the harmony, blending her voice with his. Kevin threw his arms wide, and they finished the song in perfect unison. Then Ellie collapsed into his arms laughing.

“I’m telling you, El, if we hadn’t opened this place we could be auditioning on Broadway right now,” Kevin said.

“I would have had to find a better looking partner,” she said winking at him. With mock outrage, Kevin hoisted her back onto her feet and crossed his arms with a huff. “Ah, you know I’m kidding,” Ellie said. “You know that you’re the handsomest of them all.”

“You’d better believe it,” Kevin said, turning back to the sink. “You’re early today.”

“I was out on my morning run, and I had a great idea for the concept of the St. Paul store,” Ellie said.

“I can’t wait to hear all about it,” Kevin said. “It’s hard to believe that we’ve only been open for three years, and now we’re expanding.”

“Your bookkeeping and my brain are the perfect combination,” Ellie agreed. “How’s Eric been?

“He’s fabulous,” Kevin said. “He told me that he has a hot co-worker that he wants to set you up with.”

Ellie sighed and then chuckled. “You guys act like I’m an old maid. So I’m in my early thirties, and I’ve never been married. So what? The right guy is out there somewhere. I’m not in any hurry.”

Kevin arched an eyebrow. “Thirty-three is officially your mid-thirties you know.”

Ellie grabbed a towel off the rack and tossed it at her friend. “It’s impolite to discuss a woman’s age,” she said with a sniff. Then she turned and headed to the front of the store. She had a fantastic life, and a great business, but she did feel the pull of wanting to settle down. Her happy bubble was on the verge of bursting, but she turned her thoughts back to happier things. Her ability to always look on the positive side was another thing that consistently annoyed her friends.

The pastry case was filled to the brim with goodies, and Ellie felt her mouth water as she looked over all of them. She had a weakness for chocolate. A tap on the front door caught her attention. She looked at her watch and smiled. Seven a.m. sharp and the first customer of the day was already at their door. Ellie caught a glimpse of the person on the other side of the door.

“Kevin, Lucy’s here!” she called out as she unlocked the door.

Lucy Rafferty went to college with Ellie and was a reporter at the Star Tribune. When Ellie went into business with Kevin, the three of them became inseparable. Twice a week, Lucy stopped by on her way to work, and they had coffee.

Lucy was on her cellphone, and she waved to Ellie and pointed at their usual table. Ellie nodded and then saw that Kevin was already frothing milk for Lucy’s latte. She found irony in the fact that, for as many espressos, lattes, and cappuccinos that she and Kevin brewed on a daily basis, they both preferred their coffees straight up black.

They had a system where one would work the counter while the other chatted with Lucy, and as traffic ebbed and flowed, they would both be up or down. Occasionally a regular would sit with them, and then another, and soon everyone in the shop would be talking and laughing together. Ellie knew that she couldn’t ask for better friends or a better life.

She had just sat back down with Lucy when her friend looked over her shoulder and gave a low whistle. “Heellooo, handsome.”

Ellie chuckled. Lucy went through men like Ellie went through milk cartons. She caught a whiff of masculine cologne as the man who had captured Lucy’s attention passed behind her on his way to the counter. Ellie picked up her cup and then cut her eyes over to the tall figure ordering at the register. She saw sandy brown hair and broad shoulders tapering down to a trim waist.

“If the front looks as appetizing as the back, I agree,” Ellie said.

“You should go talk to him,” Lucy said.

“I’m not going to do that,” Ellie scoffed, but there was something oddly familiar about the man, even though she had yet to see his face. She set her cup down and pushed away from the table. She made her way around the counter and was greeted by a pair of friendly blue eyes. She now fully understood Lucy’s comment. The guy was gorgeous.

“It’s okay, Ellie. I’ve got it,” Kevin said.

“Don’t be silly, Kevin. I’m still on the clock,” Ellie said, pushing Kevin toward the espresso machine. She blushed as she saw a grin light up the man’s face. She hoped that she wasn’t being too obvious.

“I’ll ring you up. Can I just get your name for the cup?”

“David.” His voice was a tawny baritone and matched him perfectly.

“David,” she repeated writing it down on the cup and trying not to stare.

“So now that you know my name, it’s not fair that I don’t know yours.”

“It’s Ellie,” she replied trying hard not to look pleased at his interest.

“Nice to meet you, Ellie. I just moved here, and believe it or not, it’s hard to find a good cup of coffee in this town.”

“We have the best coffee you’ll find in the Cities,” she said as she punched a code into the register. “Tell you what? This one’s on the house,” she said.

“Why?”

“Because I’m the boss and hopefully this means you’ll come back and bring some friends.” Ellie couldn’t believe how forward she was being, but she wanted to get to know this man better. The only way she could do that was if he came back.

“Well, with this kind of service I know I’ll be back,” David said. His eyes twinkled.  He leaned onto the counter catching Ellie’s eye. “This probably seems crazy, but I feel like I know you. Have we met before?”

Ellie shook her head. “No, I’d remember.”

“You want to get a bite sometime? I’m dying to find a great Thai restaurant. Perhaps you have a good recommendation?”

Over the years, Ellie had been asked out by customers from time to time and had always declined. But something about David made her reconsider her rule, plus she loved Thai food.

“Sure,” she said. Then she pulled out a pad of paper and wrote down her phone number. “Call me.”

David took the slip of paper from her hand, and his fingertips grazed her skin. She gasped as she felt a tingle of electricity bolt up her arm. David’s eyes widened, and she knew that he had felt it too.

Kevin set David’s drink down in front of him. “Here you go. Enjoy.”

“Thanks. It was nice to meet you, Ellie. I’ll give you a call soon.” David winked at her and then left the store.

Ellie let out a burst of giggles as soon as the door was shut.

“You go girl!” Kevin said, swatting her on the arm. “I’ve never seen you flirt like that. You get an ‘A’. Nicely done!”

“I don’t know what came over me,” Ellie said. She looked back at the door. “There was just something about him. It felt right.”

Outside on the sidewalk, David pulled his coat closer around his shoulders. The spring morning was still chilly. He looked down at the slip of paper with Ellie’s phone number and smiled. Ellie may have forgotten everything that had happened between them, but he had not. He knew that he would have to take things slow and let her get to know him again, but Ellie was worth it.

The Afterlife knew that it owed him. As soon as he died as he was supposed to, his soul was released to Heaven, where he belonged. His unselfish deed to save Ellie had been the key that finally sprung his soul from Purgatory. He had found Peter right away, and asked if Ellie’s grandparents still lived. Then he called in a favor. Many souls waited years to be reincarnated, but David’s plea fell on the right ears. Now it was all up to him to make Ellie fall for him again.

David started to whistle and headed home. He knew that he had nothing but time and everything in the world to live for.

#####

This isn’t end of the
Shadows
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