Death Knows My Name (Memory Keepers)

by Narome, Casse

  I slapped Devon. I hate girls that slapped men, but I couldn’t help it. He deserved it. “If you ever say that to me again, Devon”—angry tears stung my eyes as I fought to hold them back—“all of this was for her. I did not have to do this. But it was me who watched her grow up. It was also me who she called when she experienced her first death, not you. I could have easily accepted knowing who I was and being with Eric without the risk of losing him and my memories. Do you know why I didn’t? Because of Anya. I took on Heaven and its Beast for her. I risked every bit of happiness I’ve had in life for Anya. So tell me again how I put anyone before her? Valience will get his punishment, but not the vigilante kind.

  “He is a soldier of God, Devon. He may be lost now, but he deserves better than what you and Eric wanted to give him.” I stormed to the door and stopped. “You can stay and watch over him even though I don’t think he is going anywhere either way.”

  I made my way to Rebecca’s room where Anya napped then crawled into bed with her and curled around her protectively. I’m not sure how long I was asleep, but I woke up to Eric softly shaking me awake.

  “Michael is here. They are waiting for you in the living room. Dhylaka is cleaning up the girls’ room.” Eric spoke softly so as not to wake up Anya who still laid against me in the curvature of my body.

  “Let’s go out into the hall so we don’t wake her,” I whispered.

  “It’s okay, I have been up for a while now,” Anya croaked.

  “Are you hungry? I can make you something to eat. No, does your throat hurt too bad? What can I do?” I fussed over her.

  Eric chuckled but didn’t say anything. If he did, I most likely would have bitten his head off.

  “I’m fine.” She put a hand to her throat and winced.

  “I’m going to get you a warm towel and some hot tea with honey. Lay back down. Do you want Eric to sit with you? I could call Devon to wait with you.”

  “Aunt Mayne, I’m fine. Stop doting.” She laid back. “You can take Uncle Eric with you, I will be fine alone.”

  Eric shook his head. “I will stay.”

  When I got back with a tray of snacks and warm tea, Anya’s eyes were closed, but when I walked through the door, she spoke.

  “I decided to stay what I am by the way.”

  “Anya, no. I mean, you really don’t have to.” I set the tray down and sat next to her.

  “That’s just it. It does matter, or it should. This is what God wants me to be and it’s something I believe in. It’s important to me. Everybody should have someone to remember and care that they lived life. They deserve to know they left a mark on this world.” Anya took her tea.

  Eric smiled. “That was the plan.”

  Devon walked in. “They are waiting for the both of you. I’ll stay with Anya.”

  “You guys do realize that you are treating me like a child, don’t you?”

  Devon cocked a brow. “Hello, you are my child.”

  She huffed.

  Eric spoke next. “When you are as old as I am, everyone’s a child.”

  “Oh, Anya! You got Eric to tell a joke! You must be something special,” I teased them both.

  “Just like her aunt,” Eric purred softly in my ear.

  I grinned. “We better go if we’re going to go at all.”

  We walked into the living room and Michael stood beside Valience who stood tall staring at the wall.

  “Mayne, Heaven apologizes for what has happened.”

  I nodded, unsure of how to respond.

  “We have decided that the task has been corrupted, so if you have fallen short it will not be held against you. It has come to our attention that we were”—he paused as if what he was about to say next had a sour taste—“wrong and had no right to try and control whom either of you could be involved with.”

  “It’s fine, Archangel, I did not fail. So no worries.” Eric nudged me and Valience shook his head in what looked like solemn amusement. “I mean, thank you,” I amended.

  “What are we going to do about the lost Memory Keeper? How are we going to make sure that it can never happen again, Michael?” Eric spoke.

  “I have rounded up all the lists and destroyed them. All of them but one. At a later time we can decide who will keep the list.”

  “Why don’t you keep the list, Archangel? I think we can all say we trust you. When it’s time, you can give the name of the Keeper to Eric to be called. Is that possible?”

  Michael looked at Eric. “Ectain Edeck, is that fine with you?”

  Eric nodded. “It actually sounds like the best way to handle the situation.”

  Michael nodded. “Gabriel will bring it to the 3-in-1 as you have said it and it will be as that.”

  He took Valience’s arm as he turned to leave. Dhylaka was at Michael’s side.

  I called out. “What is going to happen to him?” I couldn’t not ask.

  “He will not hurt anyone again,” Michael said coolly.

  Eric grabbed my hand as I went toward them. I stopped but still asked, “Will he be hurt?” I’m sure everyone heard the concern in my voice.

  Valience jerked from Michael’s grip and Eric growled at the same time Michael reached for his sword. Dhylaka stopped Michael, though I saw rage tighten her face.

  “It’s okay, he will not hurt me,” I assured them, and Valience stood in front of me.

  “How did you know, Mayne?” His voice was soft.

  “How did I know what? That you wouldn’t hurt me?”

  “That and that I wouldn’t leave? Why won’t you accept who I am? I have been made a monster.”

  “I am your friend. That’s how I know. Like it or not. You know it, too, or you wouldn’t have had to tell us both numerous times. You were once an Angel of honor, I know it. Somehow, along the way, you got lost, but you aren’t a monster. You are an Angel.”

  He shook his head. “You never learn.” His voice held a hint of warmness to it though his eyes were still cold as ice.

  When the Angels left, Eric and I stood alone in the living room. He pulled me against his chest. “So, what are you going to do with your remaining Memory Keepers?”

  “I was thinking of opening a school for all the current and future Keepers. I want to teach them, prepare them, and help them cope with all we go through. Devon can help. I just don’t want anyone to have to suffer because of this. And now that I know we’re safe from what Valience did because Archangel Michael has the list, we can all relax just a little.”

  “How did I manage to get such an amazing woman to fall in love with me?”

  “By being you.” I nuzzled against him.

  “Did you know that you are completely adorable when you get all protective?”

  “Shut up.” I giggled.

  “I can’t because you know what will be irresistibly adorable?” His voice was low and purring.

  “What’s that?” I tilted my face up until my lips brushed his chin and he shivered.

  “When you have your own babies to go Momma Bear over.” He dipped his head down, kissed my neck, and continued to trail kisses down to my collarbone. I threw my head back, fully exposing my neck to him. He nibbled at my collarbone.

  “About that, remember you said you’d show me when the time came?” I sighed as his lips made it harder to breathe normally.

  “Yes, I remember.” He answered against my skin as his hand edged up my shirt and across my stomach.

  “Want to practice?”

  The words were barely out before he scooped me up and we were heading into the basement guest room, locking the door behind us.

  If you liked Death Knows My Name,

  check out this other book from Casse Narome:

  When Lily’s Fall

 
Lillianne is beautiful, smart and perfect. That’s the exact way she wants the world to see her. The first thing Lily learned after her mom fell ill was to put on a good face. But she has a dirty secret. One that makes it almost impossible to look at herself in the mirror every day.

  Valience has always been on the right side of Heaven’s grace. Until he broke the rule and found himself forsaken. His crimes against humanity finally coming back to haunt him. Cast down to live among those he use to be hired to kill.

  Ashamed, fallen and ruined. Will Lily and Valience find the redemption they yearn for in the arms of one another or is falling in love the forgiveness they no longer deserve?

  Available from Amazon and Soul Mate Publishing.

  www.soulmatepublishing.com