Читать книгу The Life After Trilogy: Soul Taken / Soul Possessed / Soul Betrayed - Katlyn Duncan - Страница 20

The sun beat down on his exposed face as he watched her sit in the tall grass field. She liked to come out there for privacy; he felt her need to be alone. He stepped closer, tentatively. A twig snapped under his foot and she turned, her face splitting into a wide grin.

She twisted her body, facing him. “I thought you’d never come.”

Her voice rocked him as if an earthquake rumbled under his feet. I shouldn’t be here. It went against everything he was. There was something about her that he couldn’t resist; was it her beauty? Of course she was beautiful; he wanted to run his fingers through the curls that wildly danced around her head in the breeze. Was it her intellect? She was the most intelligent woman he’d ever known, and he’d lived a long time. Those were great qualities but the one that tugged at the center of his being was her passion. Her passion for everything she held dear: her family, friends, and her ideals. If he’d been born over and over again with a previous life’s knowledge he couldn’t possess the passion that she possessed in one fingertip. Her large blue eyes burned with it and, for that, he couldn’t resist taking another step forward.

“I always keep my promises,” he said, moving toward her.

She shielded her eyes with her hand, looking up at him. “Will you sit?”

He did. He’d do anything for her, and not just because he had to. He wanted to, with every fiber of his being. He watched her tilt her head toward the sun, closing her eyes. Her thick eyelashes cast a dark shadow across her face.

“I love it out here,” she mused.

Her family traveled to the country every summer to their second home, a sprawling cottage nestled into a copse of trees. The cottage looked as if it had sprung up from the ground, with its rugged stucco exterior.

He looked at her. “It is beautiful.”

She smirked and tilted her head toward him. “What is it that you needed to tell me? Not that I need an excuse to come out here.”

He’d wrestled with the fact of telling her about her sister for months. It would break her heart and possibly the passion he loved about her. Or, in the small chance that it didn’t, she’d be free to express that passion.

With me, he thought, but quickly shook that thought away. If he did this, he’d do it for her; everything was for her.

“You’re starting to worry me,” she said, her eyes now fixed on his. “Is something wrong?”

He looked toward the cottage as Gemma crossed the threshold, holding a basket filled with food. She looked around, then quickly jogged toward the woods.

Maggie’s gaze moved toward the cottage.

No, he thought. Not like this.

He reached over, touching her cheek. “Nothing is wrong,” he said, smiling.

She leaned into his touch, the heat from her body pulsing through him.

She moved closer, licking her lips. “Well, then?”

He stole a glance at the cottage, Gemma no longer in sight. He looked back at Maggie, her hand reaching toward his. The diamond on her finger glinted in the sunlight, breaking his thoughts and his contact with her.

What was he thinking? This girl was married.

To a man who didn’t deserve her, he thought.

But married, nonetheless. Even though he loved her, he had to respect that. For now, he’d have to let it go.

Just one more year, he thought. Then everything would change.

I woke with a jolt, sitting up against the half a dozen pillows strewn over the bed. Ally’s heart raced like the flapping wings of a hummingbird.

Cooper appeared at my side. “Did you have a dream?”

My eyes snapped to his. Had he seen the dream, sensed Jackson on my mind? “Yeah, it was weird.” That was the understatement of the century.

Cooper sat on the edge of the bed. “I guess since her body is still technically alive, it would still have dreams.”

More like visions, I thought. Ally had nothing to do with those images. But Jackson did. Was I somehow mixing Ally’s and my reality, creating strange dreams?

“Listen,” Cooper said, slicing through my thoughts. “I’m sorry about last night. I’d like to make it up to you.”

I arched an eyebrow. “How?”

“It’s the one on the right, don’t be afraid to push—okay, okay, stop pushing!” Cooper yelled. His hands pressed against the dashboard, his head dangerously close to the windshield.

I slammed my foot on the brake and the car skidded to a stop in the shoulder.

Cooper’s idea of a surprise was a driving lesson, since Henry had Tuesdays off and Marie was running errands. He wanted to take me somewhere, but also didn’t want to be spotted with Ally in case anyone had seen him. Hence, the lesson showcasing my terrible driving skills. I channeled Ally as much as I could but she was silent, not offering any advice for me.

Traitor.

It took me twenty minutes to pull out of the driveway, fearing any car in the distance slamming into Ally’s. He directed me across town. Thankfully the morning traffic had subdued, but I was still on high alert.

“Was the surprise making a fool of me?” I moaned.

Cooper chuckled. “Nah, that’s just a perk.”

I lightly punched him in the arm, moving my other arm too far and the car swerved. I grabbed the wheel with both hands. “Okay, spill. Where are we going?”

Cooper faced forward, his smile touching the corners of his eyes.

“Remember where I found you the day Ally disappeared?”

“Yes,” I said.

“Felix told me that you spent your off days there and I thought I’d take you there, to regroup.”

Excitement buzzed through me. I scanned the road, the graveyard not too far ahead of us. I’d no idea I had been this close to it. I looked at Cooper. “Thank you,” I said sincerely and an idea came to mind. “Can we make a stop first?”

“Sure.”

I put the car in drive and pressed the gas a little too hard, lurching forward. I hit the brake and started again by putting light pressure on the pedal.

“There you go,” Cooper coached.

I pulled out of the shoulder, nearly smashing into another car. I braked again.

Cooper stiffened. “Let’s try looking around before driving, okay?”

I clenched my jaw, determined to get us to the cemetery and back in one piece.

I stepped out of the florist shop across the street, hugging several bouquets against my chest. Cooper appeared at my side, holding his arms out.

The paper crinkled against me as I kept walking. “You need to stay invisible.”

He held up a hand, allowing me to continue toward the car.

I needed a break from that machine. “And I think we should walk,” I said. “It’s not that far.” I passed Ally’s car and stood at the edge of the street, looking both ways several times before crossing. Cars wouldn’t pass through me in this form.

Cooper followed closely behind.

Ally’s heart pounded against her chest as I neared the gate to the cemetery.

“Where do you want to go?” I asked Cooper.

“Wherever you want; this is your surprise,” he said. “Who are the flowers for?”

I leaned down and inhaled the scent of the mixed bouquet I’d purchased with Ally’s credit card. I’d find a way to pay her back, somehow.

If you find her.

I squashed the thought. “No one in particular,” I said. “I always come here but I never get to put flowers down.” I tightened my grip on the bouquets. “And there are a lot of lonely stones that could use a little brightening up.”

We walked in silence for a few minutes. A light breeze ruffled Ally’s hair as if invisible fingers raked through it. Her sundress billowed in the wind.

“Does Felix have any leads?” I asked.

“A few,” he said. “David is instrumental in acquiring Intelligence on Shadowed locations. They are checking out all the spots to find her.”

“I still think Krystal had something to do with it,” I admitted.

“I know, and I’m starting to get the same idea, although I’m not sure if they are mine or I am feeling them through you.”

“But, in all seriousness,” I said, “I think she has enough disdain for Ally to do something. I didn’t see anyone there that day to push her.”

“So you didn’t see Krystal push her?” he asked.

I frowned, thinking of Ally’s memory right before I’d woken up in the hospital. She had felt a push. I didn’t know how to bring that up with Cooper. I didn’t want to ruin the surprise he’d planned. “Not exactly. But Krystal has the motivation. Maybe, instead of possessing her, the Shadowed influenced her, just as you said you influenced Ally for good?”

Cooper rubbed a hand over his face. “It’s completely possible but, in the grand scheme of things, if Krystal helped the Shadowed it was against her will and she probably wouldn’t remember why she did it.”

“But if one of them approached her? Maybe she could tell us what he or she looked like and we’d have a better lead.”

A slow smile spread over Cooper’s face. “Quite a detective, aren’t we?”

I smiled, shaking my head. “Ally deserves more than this. I’m just trying to help.”

“I’m impressed,” he said. “Now I’m a little surprised you were passed over for the Guard position.”

I groaned. “And that’s what I told Felix. He says I don’t have the feelings for it, but I think I’ve just been away from humans so long, at least in terms of understanding how they operate.” I lifted Ally’s arms up. “I hate to admit it, but I’ll be upset if we don’t find her.”

“I’ll be upset too,” he admitted.

A pang of jealousy pressed against Ally’s chest.

Of course he’d be upset, my rational side thought. It’s his job to protect her.

But that other side snuck in too. She’s everything anyone would want; he’d always pick her over you.

A blurriness edged my vision and I stopped walking. One of Ally’s memories had emerged before me, then another. A young Ally projected in front of me, almost superimposed over my reality. I followed her path across the graveyard.

“Maggie,” Cooper said, keeping pace with me, “where are you going?”

I ignored him. Ally’s breaths were short and quick as my pace hastened toward my goal. Ally’s body buzzed like the feeling of a True Soul before taking its counterpart.

I quickly veered down a long row of stones; little Ally picked up her pace. I matched her footfalls until we reached our destination. Memory Ally dropped to her knees in front of one of the stones then her form disappeared.

A stone angel loomed over me as I dropped to Ally’s knees, placing the flowers on the ground. I reached for the stone and the inscription with Ally’s fingertips.

“Kimberly Greene,” I read. “Beloved mother and wife.”

“That’s Ally’s mom. She died of cancer when Ally was five,” Cooper said.

Ally barely had a father and no mother. No wonder she partied hard with her friends and demanded the respect of her classmates; she hardly had any attention at home.

“How did you know to come here?” Cooper asked.

I stared at the grave, my body still. “I liked the stone,” I said, standing up. “I’ve always liked this stone.” We both looked up at the hauntingly beautiful angel with her wings outstretched as if she protected the graves under her.

“Something has always bugged me but I never thought to ask,” I said, changing the subject.

“What’s that?”

“Hear me out.” I picked up one bouquet of flowers and unwrapped them from the plastic. I thought of Irene and how she had looked at me before her death. “Are we, Collectors, I mean, are we what humans think of as angels?”

“You’re no angel,” he said.

I rolled my eyes.

“Kidding!” One side of his mouth quirked up. “Collectors are not angels… well, the angels that humans believe in.”

“Let me guess,” I said, gently placing the flowers at the base of Kimberly’s stone. “The Guard are.”

“Well, yes,” he said. “Since the purpose of the Guard is to lead a human on the right path, it’s only fitting. Plus religion has a lot to do with it. Mostly they are a way to explain that there is something beyond human comprehension.”

“What’s with the wings, though? I’ve never seen a Guard with wings.”

Cooper smirked. “I guess it’s their way of making sense of the fact that we can be anywhere.”

Lucky you, I thought.

I stood up, studying the nearby stones. The people seemed unrelated but equally un-flowered. I opened another bouquet, placing flowers at each of the stones. A bit further down, a strong sensation built inside of me and I stopped in front of a stone, Ally’s hand holding the flowers in mid-air.

Its inscription read: “M. Thomas. July 28, 1888 – September 6, 1905.”

The age of the person struck a chord deep within me. He or she had died at seventeen. The same age I was when I died and the same age Ally’s body was at that moment. If Ally were to die at seventeen would she have lived a fulfilling life? Did I?

Thunder rumbled in the distance. I looked up at the darkening sky.

“We should head home,” Cooper said, gathering the plastic wrapping from the ground.

“Sure.” I placed the final bouquet in front of the stone next to Kimberly’s, looked up at the name and froze.

“Gemma Packard. September 19, 1889 – September 6, 1905.”

In my dream, Jackson had mentioned a Gemma. It must have been a coincidence. It had to be. All souls lost their memories at Gate Seven. Right?

“Maggie,” Cooper called.

I looked at him. “Yeah?”

“Are you okay? We should get going.”

I shook my head and thoughts of the dream away. I followed Cooper’s lead toward the car, but not before stealing one last look at the stone of, possibly, my human sister.