Lost Eden (The Soulkeepers) (28 page)
“Very well,” Fatima said.
A breeze swept over the hill, causing the scales to knock together. “Are you doing that?” Malini asked the three immortals. The In Between was constructed of consciousness. Ordinarily, everything here was Fatima’s doing as this was her realm. But Fate shook her head.
The breeze turned into a gale-force wind. Malini grabbed the scorekeeper to keep her feet planted on the ground. But the grass under her was as untrustworthy as the air around her. The ground shook. Fatima’s eight arms flailed at her sides in an effort to keep her balance. Henry’s skin peeled back from his face and hands, exposing the skeleton within. And Mara floated above the ground, stars spinning around her as if she were the nucleus of a human atom, the center of a revolving universe.
Dark clouds rolled in overhead, through the usually cloudless sky. Malini followed their path until the dark gray turned black and funneled to the grass.
Lucifer.
He stood in the eye of the hurricane, his black suit and blond curls flapping in the wind.
“Did you think I would go quietly?” he spat toward the sky. Lightning struck a tree in the distance behind him, its branches bursting into flame. “What was your third gift? You cheat! You’ve blocked my power to demand souls! You’ve changed the humans and forced the scales to tip.”
A crack of thunder rocked through Malini’s body.
“Your accusations are false, Lucifer,” came a booming voice. “The scorekeeper can not lie. And as for my gift, you know the rules of the challenge. The die is cast.”
Lucifer howled, skin glowing red. He pointed a finger at Malini. “What have you done with Cord?”
She didn’t answer, even when a painful tug in her chest tried to coax the words from her. Fate, Time, and Death closed ranks, placing themselves between her and devil and blocking her view of Lucifer. She adjusted her grip on the scorekeeper.
“Oh, hell!” Henry said.
All three immortals turned their backs to Lucifer and covered their heads with their arms. Malini took the hint and turned her face away. Eyes closed tight, a gust of heat blasted into her back, blowing her hair into her face. For a solid minute, she wondered if her skin would peel off from the force. Then the storm quieted. The wind died down. She dared to open her eyes.
Fatima’s villa and the forest beyond were gone, replaced by a barren wasteland. The house was nothing but an empty shell with blown out windows.
“He nuked the place,” Mara whispered.
Fatima took a deep breath. “No worries. He’s gone. This is mine again.”
From left to right, Fatima knit her world back to the way it was. Burnt trees regrew, the lawn sprouted green, and the house returned to its former glory. The ambient light of the In Between’s sky brightened.
Malini headed down the hill toward Fate’s villa.
“Where are you going?” Fatima asked.
“To pull out Lucifer’s tapestry,” Malini said. “If he thinks that little stunt is going to scare me away, he is vastly mistaken. I’m going to predict his next move, and then I’m going to return to Sanctuary and help my team rid the world of that bastard.”
The Soulkeepers had come a long way in this battle. Malini was done grieving the loss of the future she’d dreamt for herself. She could see a new future. A new hope. And no one, not even the devil, was going to keep her from it.
Reviews are gold to authors! If you’ve enjoyed this title, please consider rating or reviewing it at your place of purchase
.
G.P Ching is the author of The Soulkeepers Series 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 Brittany Spaniel. Learn more about G.P. at
http://www.gpching.com
and more about The Soulkeepers Series at
http://www.thesoulkeepersseries.com
.
Sign up for her exclusive newsletter here:
http://eepurl.com/hvAAk
and be the first to know about new releases!
Follow G.P. on:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/GP-Ching/254188694618137
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Soulkeepers-Series/210762238953481
Once again, this book is only possible due to the help of a number of dedicated individuals. Big literary hugs go out to authors Karly Kirkpatrick and Angela Carlie, who have come on this journey with me from the very beginning and catch little things about Paris and the Soulkeepers that even I forget sometimes. I could not do what I do without you guys. Also, thanks to Elizabeth Kasper for her fresh eyes on an early version of Lost Eden.
Heather Crabtree, thank you for employing your amazing editing skills on this novel. The Soulkeepers is a better series having been through your hands. Thank you to Steven Novak of Novak Illustration for filling in on short notice when my regular cover artist became ill. I think the cover embodies the spirit of the Soulkeepers series.
And finally, thank you to my husband and family for helping me carve out the time necessary to make this novel happen.
1. There were several ways God could have dealt with Lucifer’s tirade over Fatima’s role in Dane’s transformation. Why do you think God issued the challenge?
2. If the scorekeeper were real, how do you think the scales would look right now?
3. Are there things in your life that remind you of Elysium? Discuss.
4. Lucifer does great evil by disguising it as good. Which do you think is worse, someone who does wrong publicly and gets away with it or someone who disguises their wrong doing? Why?
5. After everything she’d been through, why do you think it was so difficult for Katrina to admit she was addicted to Elysium? Do you see a comparison to The Soulkeepers’ resistance to leave Eden?
6. If you were imprisoned by Lucifer in the way Abigail was, what would be the hardest part for you?
7. Both Lucifer and God use illusion when appearing before humans. How are their illusions the same or different? Why?
8. On a couple of occasions, the Soulkeepers use items gained by sinful means (Dane, the RV, Ethan’s money). Gideon calls the group out on it, but Malini thinks their actions are for the greater good. What do you think?
9. Do you think the Soulkeepers did the right thing telling their families the truth? Do you think they should have done so earlier?
10. At the end of the book, Malini says that sometimes humans are at their best when things are at their worst. Do you believe this? Why or why not.
The Soulkeepers Series
The Soulkeepers, Book 1
Weaving Destiny, Book 2
Return to Eden, Book 3
Soul Catcher, Book 4
Lost Eden, Book 5
The Last Soulkeeper, Book 6 (Coming Soon)
Other Books by G.P. Ching
Grounded
The end Is near! Coming soon, the Last Soulkeeper, sixth and final book in the Soulkeepers series.
