Soul Catcher

by G. P. Ching

“One more,” Lillian said, grabbing Dane’s hand. Malini watched her power return to her like a long lost friend.

  “How are you feeling now, Dane?” Malini asked.

  “Much better. My headache is gone.” He accepted Ethan’s help and sat up on the ugly brown bedspread.

  “Excellent. We’ll help you back to Eden to unload Archibald’s gift.”

  “Archibald? He gave you something?” Ethan asked.

  “Yeah, super sight and hearing. It saved our lives.”

  “No shit?” Ghost grinned incredulously.

  “No shit,” Dane said.

  At the serious glare Dane gave him, the smile melted from Ghost’s face and he nodded.

  “Malini,” Lee said. “We’d better go. I don’t think it’s safe for all of us to be here.”

  “Absolutely,” Malini said. “Not to mention, I’ve got to do something about this before my parents see me.” She pointed to her head.

  Grace and the girls lowered their eyes, as if they couldn’t stand the sight of her talon-shorn hair. Even Lillian looked like she might cry. But Jacob rubbed her head with his hand. “Looks tough. Very G.I. Jane.”

  * * * * *

  While the other Soulkeepers discussed the mission and how they were all going to get back to Eden, Dane smiled weakly at Ethan. “So, I made it home, as promised.”

  “Knew you would.” Ethan shrugged.

  “Right. You thought I was Watcher fodder.”

  “But you’re not.” Ethan’s dark eyes lit up, and he wove his fingers into Dane’s.

  “So, I guess we should come out to my parents,” Dane suggested, suddenly serious.

  Glancing away, Ethan played with the corner of the pillowcase.

  “What?” Dane asked.

  “Might not be the best time,” he said. “Your dad is still in the hospital. He hasn’t gotten any better.”

  “How long were we gone?” Dane asked.

  “Weeks. It’s October fifth.”

  Stunned, Dane glanced at Malini. She didn’t look much better than he felt. This mission had ruined both of them and she’d missed her eighteenth birthday. But he would never forget how it felt to plunge that metal rod into Auriel’s back. They’d attacked Lucifer in his own backyard, and they’d lived to tell the tale.

  “Well, I guess life changing conversations can wait ‘till everything is back to normal.”

  Ethan nodded. “We’ve got nothing but time.”

  “Yeah. I guess we do.”

  * * * * *

  After some discussion, the Soulkeepers divided themselves into groups of two for the trip home, deciding to take turns with the enchanted staffs rather than chancing the challenge of a new portal with Malini and Dane in their weakened condition. Since, the staffs were limited to two Soulkeepers at a time, Jacob, Ethan, and Jesse volunteered to stay back for the second trip.

  Cheveyo balked. “What about me? This is my home. What about my mom and dad? Raine?”

  Malini placed a hand on his shoulder. “Your father, Willow, and Raine were there today. They understand exactly what you are and why you need to leave. Our Helpers will come up with something to tell your mother.”

  “I want to stay.” Cheveyo shook his head. “My dad says I can complete the Hopi coming-of-age ritual. I never thought I wanted to before but I do. I really do.”

  Bonnie, Samantha, and Grace glanced at each other, and then eyed Cheveyo empathetically. They knew all too well what sacrifices becoming a Soulkeeper required.

  “I’m sorry,” Malini said. “There will come a time when you can go home. But not now. It’s too dangerous. Lucifer could retaliate and you’re too vulnerable here.”

  He opened his mouth to argue but Malini grasped his hand, giving him a heavy dose of her healing power. Understanding softened his shoulders, and eventually he nodded his acceptance.

  They agreed to meet behind the flower shop. Lee helped Dane into position, and Malini joined Lillian at the staff Lee had brought for her. Bonnie and Samantha huddled around the one Samantha had used, and Grace offered a kind hand to Cheveyo. They tapped the staffs on the shaggy beige carpet and began their journey home.

  Epilogue

  Abigail waited in her bedroom in Eden for any word from Malini or the rest of the council. Jacob’s call had been brief and hurried with little details other than Malini’s location at the Desert Days in Flagstaff. She’d passed on the urgent request for help to the other Soulkeepers but hadn’t heard anything since. Were they alive? Dead? Captured? If Dane didn’t survive, the other Soulkeepers would be without the benefit of their gifts. They’d be sitting ducks.

  She wrung her hands and wished Gideon would return from the library. Something was wrong; she could feel it in her bones. And she couldn’t shake the feeling, not by reading or working on potions in the lab. Anxiety made her queasy and tired, but she couldn’t sleep. Restless, she paced the floor in front of the four-poster bed until a vibration in her pocket made the breath catch in her throat.

  She pulled out the sapphire and allowed the blue glow to etch out Malini’s transparent form in the space before her.

  “Malini! Where are you? Are you okay?”

  “Abigail, I need your help. I can’t give you the details now, but you have to meet me.” Malini brushed her long brown hair behind her shoulder before clasping her hands together in front of her lips.

  “You need me to leave Eden?” Abigail asked.

  “Right away. It’s an emergency.” Malini sighed heavily. “You are the only one who can help us. You must come right away.”

  “Of course. Where are you?”

  “Meet me in the maple orchard, behind your old house. Come immediately, Abigail. You are our last and only hope.”

  The blue stone flickered and Malini’s hologram was gone. Abigail wasted no time. She scratched Gideon a hasty note and left it on the bed. Then, she raced from the room, asking the nearest gnome to call the boat that would take her out of Eden.

  * * * * *

  Lucifer quivered from head to toe, shaking Malini’s illusion from his black, double-breasted suit. He flipped the blue stone into the air, caught it, and slid it into his pocket. Imitating Malini’s appearance had been easy. He had her clothing. He had the stone.

  “Do you think she bought it?” Auriel asked, adjusting the tortoiseshell glasses on her nose. Dressed in a gray suit with her hair styled in a blond chignon, she presented a sophisticated demeanor at his side. Her back had already healed, thanks to Lucifer’s sorcery.

  “I am the Lord of Illusions, Auriel. Of course she bought it,” he said. The wall of windows in Harrington’s office gave him a panoramic view of Lake Michigan, one piece of the world he would own soon enough.

  She glanced at the crumpled, bloody mess in the corner. “What should I do with him?”

  “Eat him for all I care.” The look he gave her burned, and not because of the flames that flickered in his pupils. Lucifer was angry, so angry he was calm and cold. Auriel hoped to never be on the receiving end of that anger, which was why she didn’t rush to the human snack that bled in the corner.

  “How many did we lose?” she asked.

  “Including this summer? Thousands. Our minions are less in number but no less powerful. Those who were destroyed were weak and disloyal.”

  “Yes.”

  Lucifer approached her until she could feel the heat of Hell blasting through his Armani suit. “We are not going to run or hide this time, Auriel. The stage is set and that little twit and her team of birthday party magicians aren’t going to get the best of us.”

  A heavy knock rattled the door. “Come in, Cord,” Lucifer said, unlocking it with his will.

  Cord entered, twirling the gold, lion’s head ring on his finger.

  “I have a job for you,” Lucifer said.

  “Yes, My Lord.”

  “Retrieve Abigail.” Lucifer scowled at Cord’s reaction, a subtle cringe that betrayed his fear of the former fallen angel. “Oh, I think you will find that
Abigail has become much more amicable, Cord. She’ll be waiting for you in the maple orchard, behind her old house.”

  Cord nodded. “Of course. As you wish.” He remained fixed to the spot.

  “You’re not leaving.”

  “My illusion is weak, My Lord.” Cord glanced toward the body in the corner.

  Lucifer motioned toward Mr. Harrington’s body. “Well? Help yourself. Lunch is getting cold.”

  With an unholy growl, both Watchers swooped in and began to eat, fighting over every scrap.

  Lucifer lowered himself into the executive’s leather chair. He grinned as the evidence of Mr. Harrington’s murder was conveniently ingested. “Enjoy. Consider the meal an employee benefit.” Fingers laced behind his head, he leaned back to prop his feet up on the mahogany desk.

  “Harrington Enterprises is officially under new management.”

  Book Club Discussion Questions

  1. The Hopi Snake Dance at the beginning of the novel is based on an actual ceremony. Do you feel that preserving cultures like the Hopi’s is important for our future?

  2. Adults don’t always take Malini seriously as a leader. Why do you think this is?

  3. Grace says that the Soulkeepers’ work deserves scrutiny. Do you agree that it’s better to debate important decisions from both sides before adopting a change? Or should people simply follow a leader’s direction?

  4. Is Malini a good leader? Why or why not?

  5. Dane shows small kindnesses to Archibald throughout the book. Do these things matter?

  6. Compare and contrast Ethan and Dane’s relationship with Lucifer and Auriel’s. Which do you think is the healthier relationship?

  7. Did anything about the progression of Dane and Ethan’s relationship bother you? Did you think Ethan should have been more direct?

  8. Dane never labels his sexuality in this novel. How would you characterize him based on what you know? Do you think how Dane is portrayed is realistic?

  9. Eden is perfectly safe. Some people would call it paradise. Would you want to live there?

  10. Bonnie has a misaligned attraction throughout most of Soul Catcher. Why do you think girls sometimes obsess over what they can’t have?

  About the Author

  G.P Ching is the author of The Soulkeepers Series, The Grounded Trilogy, and a variety of short fiction. She specializes in cross-genre paranormal stories, loves old cemeteries, and enjoys a good ghost tour. She lives in central Illinois with her husband, two children, and one very demanding guinea pig. Learn more about G.P. at http://www.gpching.com and more about The Soulkeepers Series at http://www.thesoulkeepersseries.com.

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  Acknowledgements

  Soul Catcher took some bravery to write. My vision for Dane and Ethan was always that they end up together. But we live in a time when homosexuality is an emotionally charged and controversial topic. The Soulkeepers Series is fantasy with religious elements, and when I introduced Ethan in the third book, I received some backlash from a small but vocal minority of readers who didn’t like his sexual orientation. At that point, I considered not writing the fourth book.

  I’m happy to say that thanks to a number of people in my life, I found the courage to continue the series as I’d imagined it. My husband for one, along with fellow authors Karly Kirkpatrick and Angela Carlie helped me to remember that the Soulkeepers has always been about self-acceptance. Writing about Dane’s relationship was necessary, more than ever in this time of divisive politics, because the world needs a hero who, like so many teens today, is struggling with his sexuality.

  Thanks also to Adam Bedore of Anjin design for coming through for me on the cover once again. Finally, thank you readers for coming along on this journey with me.