Predestined (Existence Trilogy #2)(52)

Different countries, continents, causes all flashed before me as I snatched souls from bodies. Death happened often. It was a dark void I’d once walked with no joy. Then Pagan had entered my world and she’d made everything right. She’d made the emptiness leave and given me a reason to exist. Now, she was gone. I’d let her down. I’d lost her and I was on the brink of storming the streets of New Orleans and ripping it wide open until I found the portal I was looking for.

“Dankmar,” Gee’s voice called out to me and I spun around from my task and glared at her.

“What?” I snarled angrily. Seeing her only made me remember Pagan. My Pagan.

“Ghede is releasing Wyatt’s soul to a transporter. The Creator has summoned me. He said to alert you and you could choose to do with that information what you liked.”

“Where? When?” I asked as hope soared through my chest.

“Tonight. He wants it done as soon as possible.”

Why? What was his game? “Where?” I demanded.

“Bourbon Street.”

So the portal was on Bourbon Street.

“I need all transporters to go with us. You rally them. I’ll handle the rest.”

Gee ran to keep up with me as I stalked down the street toward the Catholic church where a priest had just ended his life. I’d deal with that soul then I’d call in the troops.

“Why? What’re you gonna do?”

“I’m going to bust Hell wide open. That’s what I’m going to do.”

“You mean Vilokan?”

“Same thing.”

Chapter Twenty- Two

Pagan

I was tired of this room. Even though the nurses were all really nice, I missed my bedroom. I loved my pink fluffy cover and my Bratz dolls. I’d asked mommy if we could go get them but she said it was too far away. She didn’t want to leave me that long and I didn’t want her to be gone long either. Now, that Grandma had gone back home to see her doctor it was just mommy and me. She’d gone to get some coffee and something hot to eat she’d said. I knew she didn’t sleep very good in the chair beside me that turned into a bed. But I was glad she stayed. At night I would get scared. The room was so dark and then sometimes my door would open and no one would be there. Mommy said ghosts weren’t real but I wasn’t so sure.

I missed Grandma already. She read me a story every morning. I wanted to ask mommy to read me a story today but her eyes had looked so sleepy. I reached under my pillow and pulled out the pretty heart shaped pin Grandma had left me. I always loved it when she wore it on her fancy shirts. She said my grandfather had given it to her on their wedding day. He’d told her that now she had his heart. That was a silly thing to say but it sounded kind of sweet. I had it now because I had Grandma’s heart. I could always remember she loved me.

The door opened and in stepped a guy I didn’t know. He wasn’t wearing white or blue so he wasn’t a doctor or a nurse. His dark hair was kind of long in front and it curled a little on the end. Really blue eyes studied me and I stared right back. He had long eyelashes like a girl but he was wearing a black leather jacket and scruffy jeans and a pair of black boots so he wasn’t very girly. Was he somebody’s older brother and he’d got lost?

“Hello Pagan,” he said in a warm deep voice that made me feel at ease.

“Hey. How do you know my name?”

He kind of laughed a little. “Because I’m here to talk to you about something.”

“I’m not supposed to talk to strangers,” I replied shaking my head and pointing my finger toward the door. Mommy would have a fit when she got back and found him in here.

“That’s correct but I’m not exactly a stranger. You’ll be seeing me again soon. I’m here to explain something to you and I need you to listen to me, okay?”

I nodded

“Your body is sick. The doctors aren’t going to be able to make it better. But your body is just a shell. You are a soul. When this body gets too sick the soul will need to leave it and that’s where I come in. I’ll be here to take you out of this sick body and then I’ll give you to a beautiful young girl who will remind you of a fairy princess. She’ll take you to a place where you’ll be given a new body.”

“But how will my mommy know me if I’m in a different body? She just knows this body.”

“That’s true. You see, the life you have now will die. Do you remember when your grandfather died?”

I nodded

“Well, his soul left that body and he was sent up and given a new body. A new life. Your next life your soul will be near your mommy’s soul and the souls of all the people you love. Souls are attached in each lifetime. You won’t remember this life but your soul will remember the souls it loves.”

So I wasn’t going to have to go sit and wait on Mommy up in Heaven? I was going to get to come back and see her again?

“Okay.”

The guy seemed happy with my reply. “Good girl. Now, the next time you see me you’ll know it’s time. You come with me. Don’t try to stay with your body because you want to get another life, okay?”

I didn’t understand really but I nodded. Then I remembered my grandma’s pretty heart. I squeezed it tightly and asked, “Can you take this and give it to me after my soul leaves my body? I want to keep it.”