Lost Eden (The Soulkeepers) (16 page)

“What is it?” Bonnie asked, holding Abigail at arms length to get a better view. “She inhaled sharply, glancing from Cheveyo to Samantha who pressed a hand over her heart.

The elevator doors opened and Abigail stepped into the compartment. Lined with mirrors, she saw the first reflection of herself since coming to Lucifer’s condo. Cheeks gaunt, the dark circles under her eyes made her look like a skeleton. Her hair was matted, dull, and dirty. But it was the change in her body she would have rather not thought about that stood out. Stretching the fabric of her t-shirt, draped on either side by the oversized sweater coat and poking out above her yoga pants, her abdomen rounded from her bottom rib to her hipbone.

The others stepped into the compartment behind her. Bonnie was the first to say it out loud. “Abigail, you’re pregnant.”

* * * * *

B
onnie turned the key and hit the button for the atrium. Everyone was staring. You couldn’t miss it. On her skeletal frame, the pregnancy looked like she was smuggling a basketball under her shirt.

Abigail ran her hand over the mound. “Yes. I’m pregnant.”

The elevator descended into silence.

“W-well, it’s not Lucifer’s, if that’s what you’re thinking!” Abigail stammered. “It’s Gideon’s. I suspected I was pregnant before I left Eden. Lucifer never touched me. No one ever touched me.”

Bonnie opened her mouth, closed it again. She glanced at Samantha and Cheveyo. The descending elevator took on the ambiance of a funeral parlor.

“You’re afraid he’s done something to the baby,” Abigail said.

“It’s just, you’re so thin,” Bonnie admitted.

“And malnourished,” Samantha added.

Cheveyo shot both of them a harsh look. “Don’t you worry, Mrs. Newman, you have a Healer back in Eden that will fix you and the baby up. A few days drinking the water, and you’ll be as good as new.”

Bonnie rubbed her toe along the shiny floor. How did any of them know for sure the baby, and therefore Abigail, would be allowed into Eden? At least Cheveyo was right about one thing, Malini would heal her. All of them would care for her, one way or another.

The doors opened and Bonnie scooped an arm under Abigail’s, joining Samantha in helping her into the atrium. Cheveyo guarded her back. They ushered her into the foyer, planning to exit the way they’d come in, but as Bonnie glanced up, she saw they were too late. Lucifer, Cord, and Auriel were entering through the front doors.

“Not that way,” Ghost appeared in front of them, arms blocking their advance. “Emergency exit.” He pointed in the opposite direction.

Bonnie turned on her heel, dragging Abigail along. Only, the older woman’s limbs wouldn’t obey. Weakness from the pregnancy and months of starvation had taken their toll. She tripped. Bonnie caught her. Still in Cord’s larger and stronger body, she decided to use it to their advantage. Sweeping Abigail up into her arms, she jogged toward the glowing red exit sign at the back of the building. Ghost blinked ahead and opened the door, setting off the alarm. Samantha and Cheveyo bolted through first, Bonnie moving slower with Abigail cradled in her arms.

On impulse, she glanced back. The real Cord glared at her, lips peeling back from extended fangs.

Bonnie kicked the door closed behind her, thinking about what the guide had said. Evil would know who she was. “He saw me. We’ve got to get out of here.”

“This way,” Ghost said. Racing for the street, he hailed a cab. They all climbed in, just as Cord and Auriel spilled into the alleyway.

“You got too many,” the cabbie griped, eyeing the four crammed into the backseat. “Only three seatbelts.”

Ghost handed him a hundred from the passenger’s side. “Get us out of here.”

The cabbie glanced at the advancing suits, shoved the bill into his pocket, and floored it.

A New Beginning

A
bigail repositioned herself on the bench of the boat to Eden. She didn’t believe for a moment the baby inside of her was anything but beautiful and innocent, but the cherubim that guarded the gates were a foreboding presence not to be taken lightly.

“Here we go,” Bonnie said, red hair still flying from the boat’s forward momentum. She stripped out of the coat she’d been wearing in the outside world. As the temperature warmed to a balmy seventy-eight degrees, the others did the same.

The familiar sifting started, cells pulled apart and put back together, and then the rubbery stretch of being forced through a membrane. Just as expected, she popped out on the other side without any permanent damage.

“That was interesting,” Samantha said, eyeing Abigail’s rounded belly. I wondered if we’d be able to see the baby’s soul, like when Cheveyo was stripped from Dane and judged separately.

“I’m sure my baby has a soul,” Abigail said. “Maybe, she’s just part of me for now when it comes to the judging. After all, the cherubim are meant to protect, and it’s not like she’s a threat.”

“She?” Ghost laughed. “You already know it’s a girl.”

“Just a feeling,” Abigail said with a knowing smile.

He blinked onto the dock and helped her out of the boat. Abigail appreciated his assistance considering her wasted body wasn’t cooperating with her the way it used to. The twins followed, helping her through the jungle and the welcoming doors of the Eden School for Soulkeepers.

Archibald, the head garden gnome, met her at the door, bowing deeply at the waist. “Ms. Abigail, it is my honor to see you again.” A fat green tear formed in the corner of his eye.

“Thank you, Archibald.”

“The others are gathered in the dining hall. We waited to take down the Christmas decorations, hoping this mission would be the one to find you.”

“Merry Christmas,” Abigail said, smiling. “And Happy New Year. I haven’t missed Valentine’s have I?”

“No.” He grinned a mouthful of jagged teeth. “You have a few weeks for that.”

She limped toward the dining hall with Bonnie’s help, and through the door Ghost held open.

A magnificent fir tree rose at the center of the room, decorated with pinecones, candles, and strung dried fruit. The beauty of the tree was only matched by the people under it. Malini, Jacob, Dane, Ethan, Lillian, Master Lee, and Grace all looked her way when she entered and a chorus of cheers met her at the door.

And then, Gideon. At first his green eyes locked onto her face as if she was a mirage that would disappear at any moment. His lips pressed together. His pupils dilated. Slowly, centimeter-by-centimeter, the corners of his mouth curled. The reality of her presence seemed to plow into him and knock him from his chair.

He dashed to her, engulfing her in his arms and burying his face in the side of her hair. “Oh thank God. Thank you, Lord,” he said.

The tears started then, hers and his. Suddenly, they weren’t alone in their hug. The others circled, wrapping arms around them both. Their love was a palpable thing, soaking through her clothes and skin.

After a long moment, one by one the Soulkeepers pulled back. “Welcome home,” Malini said.

Gideon’s hands rubbed her shoulders. “Malini, she’ll need healing. Your arms are so thin. And…” His voice trailed off as he noticed the mound of her belly. Gaping, he stared at the bump under her shirt.

“It’s yours,” she said. “I suspected I was pregnant before Lucifer took me. I think he was trying to starve the baby from me, but his plan didn’t work.”

Gideon placed his hands on either side of her belly. “How did you survive?”

“God visited me. She saved me.” Abigail looked around the group, eyes pausing on each of their faces. “I’m so sorry I opened myself up to this. I should have waited. I should have asked for help.”

Master Lee shook his head. “Any one of us might have done the same.”

Lillian nodded. “Now we know. We will be more careful with the stones.”

The rest of the Soulkeepers took turns nodding and whispering words of encouragement and forgiveness.

“I think I was captured for a reason,” she began. “I believe there were things I was meant to learn and bring back to you. I have news of horrible things to come. I’ve seen how Lucifer is playing this game.” Her voice cracked.

Malini smiled and placed her left hand near Gideon’s. “Forever the fighter, Abigail. You amaze me.” She frowned slightly, and Abigail felt the healing warmth of her touch under her skin. “I want you to rest and eat. If what you say is true, you’ll need your strength.”

“But—”

“There’s time,” Malini said. The golden color of the Healer’s eyes held a certainty that transcended her short life, the wisdom of her ancient power surrounded her, an aura that gave everyone in her radius peace.

Abigail lowered her head. “I could use some rest.”

Within seconds, four chairs appeared behind her. She chose one and allowed a gnome to bring her a tray of the most scrumptious looking roasted root vegetables she’d ever seen. She didn’t hesitate to dig in.

“Are you all going to watch me eat?” she said between bites. “It looks like you still have presents to open?” She pointed her chin toward the tree.”

Jacob cleared his throat. “We opened ours on Christmas.”

Ethan smirked, shaking a box wrapped in brown paper. “These are yours, Abigail. I’ve been dying to know what this is.”

“Abigail can open her own gifts, Ethan.” Dane smiled and pulled the box from his hand. “I’ve caught him shaking the box like fifty times.”

“You saved presents, for me?” Abigail said, pressing a hand to her chest. A lump formed in her throat.

Gideon grinned, selecting a box from the stack of packages. “Yes, we did. I never gave up hope that we’d find you. Never.”

“None of us did,” Dane said.

She placed her tray on the floor and accepted the gift, ripping into the paper. She lifted the lid. Inside, a wooden hanger was surrounded by two dozen small bamboo cranes. She lifted the hanger, and listened to the hollow cranes knock together musically. Wind chimes!

From behind her chair, Gideon wrapped his arms around her neck and kissed her on the cheek. “There’s a Japanese legend that if you fold one thousand origami cranes, you will be granted one wish. I’m not Japanese, and I don’t fold origami, but I have learned something about woodworking. I thought the symbolism was close enough. Must have been, because my wish came true.”

Abigail placed the wind chimes back in the box, her arm too tired to hold them up, and rested a hand on his forearm. With stormy vision, she turned in her seat to meet her husband’s eyes. “I love you, Gideon. Forever.”

She was home. Finally and completely, home.

* * * * *

D
ays later, Abigail sat on the veranda outside her bedroom, recovering. She’d spent much of the last forty-eight hours sleeping, and she stretched her arms in an effort to shake the groggy feeling that lingered like an unwanted guest. How long would it take to feel like herself again? Or maybe she never would, because she was not the same self.

Beyond the veranda, the lush jungle was alive with tropical birds and small monkeys chattering within the green foliage. Paradise. How she hated to be the one to deliver the message from the guide in the red stone. Malini put her off about it again and again, insisting she get stronger first before explaining her ordeal, but she couldn’t wait any longer. The Healer needed to know what they were up against.

On the table beside her, a curl of steam rose from her herbal tea, her own healing recipe brewed by Archibald. Thanks to Malini’s daily healing touch, and the gnome’s regular meals, Abigail had already gained a few pounds. Still, she took none of it for granted. All of the Soulkeepers lived here on borrowed time.

A knock rang through the room. “Come in, Malini.”

The Healer entered with the graceful stride of an old soul. “How are you feeling today?”

“Better. I think our sessions are helping.”

“I’m not doing much. My skin doesn’t burn anymore when I touch you, which means I’m not exactly healing something that’s sick. Instead, I’m just giving you a little extra warmth and love to support your recovery.”

Abigail smiled and motioned toward the cushy chair next to her. “We need to talk.”

Pausing, Malini sighed deeply. Abigail expected a fight, but after Malini scanned her from head to toe, she resigned herself to the seat on the other side of the small table.

“Okay.”

“It’s time for me to tell you about what I learned when I was Lucifer’s prisoner.”

“About the challenge?”

“Yes.”

“There will be six curses and six blessings.”

“Fatima told me. She said they will go in order, curse then blessing.”

“The first curse was pestilence. Lucifer is running Harrington Enterprises. The cure was purposefully made to be addictive.”

“We were able to puzzle that one out. We think the first blessing was wisdom. There’s an entire anti-Elysium movement now. God had to be behind that.”

“The second curse was ignorance. Lucifer used his power to place Auriel in the position of Secretary of Education.”

“Like of the United States?”

Abigail nodded. “I’m fairly sure they’ve disposed of the real Mr. Duncan.”

“We assumed he was influenced. Sounds like Lucifer isn’t taking any chances.” Malini shook her head. “I had to kill a Watcher at PHS the last day of school before winter break.”

Abigail raised both eyebrows.

“Said the curriculum was being redesigned. I redesigned her molecules.”

“Was there fallout? Who saw? Do we have to cover it up?”

“You know, I thought there might be. When you burn someone in the middle of the hallway, you expect repercussions. But by the time the others came out, she was mostly ash. Dane told them it was experimental theater.”

“And they bought that explanation?”

“The weird thing is I don’t think the kids who saw really believed our story. They just wanted an explanation. They couldn’t process the truth, so they chose to believe the lie.”

“Hmm.” Abigail lifted her cup to her lips and took a long swallow. “Do you know if the second blessing has happened yet?”

“If it has, I don’t know what it is.”

Abigail nodded. “Then we may have some time. I’ve learned the third curse will bring us out of Eden.”