Prologue
When I was three I had cancer, and I was dying from it. You see my mums a witch and the night I was dying she summoned the angel of death. I was scared when I first saw him. There was something in his eyes that made me even more scared of him. As I fell asleep I knew that I wasn't going to wake up I may have been only three but I knew. The only problem was that I did wake up. I don't remember much about the between the falling asleep and the waking up, but I had a feeling I wasn't meant too. Ever since then I have been half witch, half angel with a human appearance. Well that's what I think if you asked my mum she would say 'sweetie you are human, you're just not a mortal.' Like that's reassuring. I go to school like a normal girl, worry over clothes and hair and I have crushes like a normal girl as well the only problem is I'm not, and Jay the angel who partly made me what I am. He thinks he owns me now so every now and then he asks me to collect a dying soul. I have learnt to avoid the pain that I feel when I take the soul. I build a wall and although I can't feel the pain I can still see the look on their faces after they see me. Shock! One more thing, I'm not supposed fall in love with Jay for some cosmos reason. Too late!
Chapter 1:
This was soul number ten. I hated doing this, they always look so happy to see me, so happy that I was taking away there soul. Or maybe it was the way I looked to them, I saw Jay when he did this, he looked even more gorgeous than usual and I didn't think that was possible. I still hated the way they looked at me like it was a compliment 'hi I'm just going to take your soul so that you can die, thanks for the compliment.'
"You don't really think that do you?" a voice said behind me. How could I not sense that, the witch part of me should have been on alert? I turned around to see Jay looking at me.
"Um it's called walking loudly. What do you mean I don't really think that?" As usual his beauty stunned me. He had golden blonde hair, grey blue eyes and at first sight he looked like someone who wouldn't stand a chance in a fight, but if you trained with him. Let's just say it hurts. His eyes still scared me a bit though.
"You seriously think that they just see your looks." He said.
"Yes I do think that. I thought that in your days all the women had been the looks." I didn't now how old he was, but I figure that he wouldn't be the angel of death if he died like two years ago.
"Back then the women were girls. They were bubble heads only interested in men with money. Occasionally you would find a girl that would marry for love."
"So you are old?" I don't get he wouldn't tell me but it wasn't a conversation I wanted to have in a hospital. Not that anyone could see us we were ghosts or well angels. He just smiled and winked at me.
"So are you all done here?" Always keeps it professional.
"Yes I am. I have to get home to study. No training sessions tonight." I didn't even get why we had to train, all we were doing was taking souls out of a body. Jay said that we are not just angels of death and not to forget the witch part of me. Who knows I might fight a demon one day.
"Bye. Say hi to Lucy for me." Jay was coming closer to me but then he slowly drifted back. He always did that. I just nodded and waved. I had to become visible again. If I spent too much time this way I started to feel dizzy, Jay could spend so much longer as an angel than I could but he was full angel I was only half. By the way Lucy is my mum. The truth was I didn't have to study tonight; I was going to a party. The first party of the school year, and Jay didn't need to know about it. I was good at lying to Jay; I had been lying to him since I was thirteen. So either he knew and didn't want to spoil my fun or I was as good at lying as I though I was. All day I was looking forward to this, but I kept thinking I was forgetting something.
When I walked into my house all the lights were off. I just figured that mum was still at work. But she wasn't as soon as I walked in the door the lights turned on and my family and friends jumped out from every single corner and doorway of the house. They were yelling happy birthday and surprise. It was my birthday.
"Sweetie, what's wrong? It looks like you forgot it was your birthday." My mum said in between kisses and hugs.
"I did forget it was my birthday." Everyone laughed at me. How in hell could I forget it was my birthday? As I was looking around the room at all my friends and family I saw Jay standing in the corner, probably laughing at me and the fact that I forgot my birthday. Was this the before school party? I didn't know where the party was so it was probably it. Wait Jay? What the hell was he doing here? Did mum invite him? Before I knew what I was doing I was walking over to him. He must have known because he was going to meet me in the middle. When we met I got a stare or more of a friendly gaze. His eyes still look scary to me. But there was look of kindness in those eyes tonight.
"Happy birthday Ivy, sixteen today my sweet angel." He had never said that to me before. He had always kept it professional, why the sudden change?
"Thanks. I can't believe I forgot it was My sixteenth my birthday." I said, trying to sound cool about what he just said.
"I bought you something." He was handing me a small box. It was pretty and velvet and I was wondering what could fit into it. When I opened it, it was a ring. It was wonderful, it was a plain silver band and there was a picture engraved into it. I think it's a heart but I'm not quite sure but it was amazing the detail in it is so hard to explain. The heart had something in the middle, it looked diamond shaped but it was like a rainbow.
"I love it. What's the stone in the middle? Is it and opal?" He smiled in approval. I knew I got that right.
"Good job. I finally taught you something." I love the way he smiles. Something was wrong with me. Something was wrong with him. I suddenly realised he was coming in closer and filling in the gap between us. I couldn't think when he was this close let alone closer.
"I need to mingle." I said pulling away. If I didn't pull away I didn't know what was going to happen.
I could see Dawn from across the room. Dawn was my best friend. She was the total opposite of me she had brown curly hair that was always to short, green eyes like a cats and she was the best person I could ever know. Me, I had long platinum blond hair, eyes as blue as sapphires and my personality was peppy and happy. Dawn was always negative but I loved her.
"Hey happy Birsday. Who was the cutie?" Same old Dawn. She gave me my present like three months before my actual birthday. It's just what she did.
"You know perfectly well who the cutey is." I told her everything. The scary thing is she actually believes me.
"No way, that is not jay. You told me he always kept it professional. That looked like he was boyfriend giving you a key to a hotel room." I had to give her a clap for that. Something was up with Jay and I needed to find out what. I suddenly remembered that I was holding the ring he gave me. I pulled it out of the box and put it on my little finger. It was time to enjoy the party.
After a long and tiring night I finally kicked out the last remaining friends and went up to my room. My room was filled up to the top with pictures and posters of pretty much anything I could stick on my wall. There was writing and anything that looked cool and showed I was rebelling. I wasn't quite sure what I was rebelling against but it felt good to rebel. I grabbed my pyjamas out between my pillows and went to have a quick shower. I went into the small bathroom and turned the shower on full blast and full heat. I was so tired; maybe the shower would wake me up. If I stayed up all night I might get away with being too sick to go to school. What was I thinking? School was the one place where I actually felt normal. It was the one place where Jay never disturbed me and I needed to think about all of that. When I went back into my room my light was off, and I remembered turning that on.
"Don't attack. It's just me." That voice was familiar. As I turned on the light I saw Jay floating (or as he would say levitating) on top of my bed.
"What the hell are you doing here?" I couldn't exactly yell because mum was asleep but I felt like it.
"Giving you your birthday present." He winked at me and slowly came down. I thought that he gave me my present? Maybe I was dreaming. I was pretty tired. Maybe I was hallucinating. As he walked over to me he pulled out another box this time longer that the ring. I was definitely dreaming.
"There are three parts to your present Madame Ivy." Sounding very 17th century. I just started smiling. I then stopped myself. This was a dream. The Jay I knew would never do this. He would never at like this, all sweet and loving. He was acting like he was my boyfriend. Oh my gosh! Dawn was right, it was not Jay.
"I know what you thinking. You're thinking about the fact that there has been a sudden change with me. That I'm acting like a loves sick boy." How the hell did he know that? "I promise I will answer your questions. Can you please just let me give you your birthday presents?" I had to admit. I liked this Jay.
"Sure. But you need to promise that you will tell me everything." He nodded in reply. I suddenly felt excited for getting more presents. The first present – technically second – was a very, very pretty locket.
"It was my mothers. She gave it to me when she died. It was meant for the lady of the family, and that's obliviously not me. So I figure I could give it to you." It was just a plain golden locket with vine like patterns engraved around the side. "The ring was my mother's as well. It was her engagement ring. But don't worry I wasn't proposing to you. I just thought you'd like it." This was probably the best birthday ever. "You don't mind that I'm giving you my mother's old jewelry do you? When I was looking for a present, nothing seemed right." I think he kept saying something but I was too busy looking at the ring and the locket. They looked so different but similar at the time.
"I love them. They are amazing. I can't believe that you can actually part with this stuff. I could never give up my mother's things." He laughed, quietly though. Not to wake my mother up.
"Well. My mother died a long time ago. What am I going to do with them?"I was just looking at the locket this time; I just couldn't get over how beautiful it was. When I looked up I saw Jay looking at me his eyes didn't look scary. They looked so kind and soft. "Time for the last present. I have to explain this present to you. I went to the gods tonight. Whilst you were at the hospital." He paused. Probably to see my reaction when he said the gods? The gods were the big guns, they ruled the world. Literally! They are sort of like the powers that be in magical terms. "I asked them if they could bend the rules for a week. Not all the rules though. Just one." He was looking at me intently this time. Studying my face. I wasn't sure which rule he wanted to bend; actually it surprised me that Jay wanted to bend rules at all. It was sort of more my style.
"Which rule?" this was when his looked turned into what I saw tonight. The boyfriend look as Dawn would call it.
"The one that says we can't fall in love."
"So what does it mean?"
"It means that for a week we can fall in love. But the only problem is at the end of the week you're going to forget that it ever happened." "Okay. I can live with that. I mean." He laughed at my eagerness. Then he kissed me. I couldn't exactly explain how it felt to be kissed by Jay. All I know was that it was amazing. I also learnt that I didn't like it when he stopped kissing me.
"Okay. I'm going to have to watch my control when I do that." He said. I didn't want him to keep control. We only had one week.
"You said I can ask you any questions I wanted right?" he looked at me and then smiled and nodded. "How old are you? Where were you born? Why did you choose this as a present? Do you like me?"
"Slow down. Okay if you looked at me I'm 18, but I'm actually three hundred years old. I was born in England. I don't like you at all. I love you, more than you can imagine and with the way you took this present I think you at least feel a little bit the same. That's why I chose this present."
"Wow. You're old. Your right about my feelings though, not that it makes a difference we only have a week."
"Don't worry. I will make it a week you will never forget." This time he just hugged me, but it was as good as the kiss. Maybe I was dreaming this? All I know is that I don't care. This was the best day ever, unfortunately the day had to end and Jay had to go, but he told me that he was going to come by in the morning and wish me luck on my first day of school.
When I woke up the next morning I was sure that last night was all in my dream, but I saw the locket and I saw a note on my dressing table. The paper looked like it was something that had been coffee stained; only it wasn't. The writing looked equally old, it was so soft and curvy and I knew I could never write it. As I read the note I looked over at my alarm clock, I still had an hour and a half to get ready.
Dear Ivy,
I know that when you wake up this morning you're going to think that last night was a dream. I wrote this note to tell you it wasn't and to tell you that I will be in your kitchen this morning to cook you breakfast and wish you luck.
Love Jay.
I read the last line and literally bolted into the shower and got dressed as quickly as possible. Jay was cooking me breakfast. After my shower I went to my old – very old – wardrobe and chose a pair of light jeaned skinny jeans, a navy blue tank top, a navy blue beret and just some random shoes that I found on the floor. They matched though! I ran down the stairs and nearly tripped but quickly steadied myself. I literally ran into the kitchen and nearly ran into the table and chairs. That was when I saw Jay, he was smiling at my clumsy-ness but it was so worth it to see him.
"Did you know that stairs are scary?" I said, wanting to start a conversation.
"Not if you know how to walk up and down them." He said with a smile, I poked my tongue out at him when he wasn't looking and sat down on the antique chairs in the kitchen.
"Hey you want to know something?" I asked
"Always, what is it that I want to know?" he said.
"I was reading a book on our family witch craft. It said that at the age of sixteen a witch gets three powerful powers."
He just nodded. I wasn't surprised that he knew about the age thing. Maybe it was because he was old.
"Anyway, I'm sixteen." I said slowly nodding.
"Ivy I know how old you are. If you think I know what powers you're going to get then don't get your hopes up."
"I have another question. It's a little weird and you're usually distant about this topic."
"Okay, ask away." He said sitting down next to me and handing me perfectly circle and perfectly yummy looking pancakes.
"Well you talk about reincarnation and how everyone has past lives. Have you met any of my past lives?" he face turned a little shocked by the question. It also looked a little sad.
"I have met your past lives. You're first life was in the Salem witch trials. You might count back and think it was four hundred years ago. Your right. That was when I was alive. Then I died for one hundred years and then I became the soul collector."
"Was she a witch?"
"I will only answer that question when you start eating." So I did what I was told and ate the yummy pancakes."Yes she was a witch and before you ask how I knew her – which I know you're going to ask – I can't tell you, I can show you though. After school and speaking of school you'd better get going."
I tried to argue about going to school but he was as stubborn as mum was. I said good bye to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Then ran to my car and went to school. On the way I was thinking about what Jay said and about the fact that I'm a senior this year. I was in the singing club – singing was the one thing that kept my life balanced – I was popular and I had amazing friends I also had Jay. The one person I wanted pretty much since I was seven (Get to that later) and I had him. I was so happy, so beyond happy that I nearly missed the turn off to school. When I parked the car at school I saw Dawn waiting for me in the parking lot. As usual she was wearing her welcome back necklace. Not many people knew about that necklace. It may be just a silver chain but Dawn's mum gave it to her before she died. So Dawn always wears it – especially on the first day of school, or any day that makes her nervous – it really is pretty.
"Ivy did you hear. There is a new boy." Dawn said as she was walking over to me. She pointed to where the new boy was standing. I looked over at the guy and felt a sudden surge of recognition. I knew this man from somewhere, but where? "Hello! Earth to Ivy." Dawn was literally yelling in my ear.
"Ow. You didn't need to yell that close to my ear." I suddenly realized that the new guy was coming over to us and the closer he got the cuter he looked. He had jet black hair and the greenest eyes I had ever seen and he had muscles, they looked like they were about to rip his shirt. I had never seen this guy in my life and yet I feel this connection with him. I couldn't think like this! I had Jay, plus I didn't know him.
"Hi. My name is Rhys. I'm new and I was just wondering where the office is." He sounded English but he also had an American accent in his voice. Actually he sounded a lot like Jay did. He also didn't give a last name like Jay does. It was really weird. This guy reminded me of Jay but they were so different and Jay didn't have the ability to change his looks so it couldn't have been him.
Dawn answered his question and walked off with him before I got the chance to ask him anything. At the same time as I was about to walk off I felt these arm go around me. My defensive instincts kicked in and I flipped whoever it was over. Before I started actually hitting him I looked at his face. It was Jay, what the hell was he doing scaring me like that?
"Oh my gosh! Are you okay? I am so sorry, but you shouldn't have scared me like that." I was helping up and all he was doing was smiling at me.
"Hi. I'm fine stop worrying and at least I know that you're listening in training."I was shocked that he was actually here, it was good timing because I needed to ask him something.
"Do you know a guy name Rhys? There's this new kid at school and it feels like I know him somehow but I have never seen him before in my life. He sounds a little like you and he didn't give me my last name.
"I know a lot of people name Rhys. I'm old remember." Now was not the time to be funny about his age.
"Yeah but this guy is pretty easy to remember. He has jet black hair, really green eyes and he looks like he's about to rip his shirt." As I was describing Rhys, Jay just get getting tense.
"Why don't you take a day off school today?"
"Why don't you tell me what's going on."
"Remember when we were talking about your past lives this morning." I nodded, how could I forget? "He has something to do with them, but I can't explain it. You need to see it yourself. This means I need to take you back to your past lives. Back to the beginning, you're very first life."
"Really?" I couldn't help but be excited about seeing my past lives but I was nervous at the same time for reasons I dint know about. "Okay, but we need to go before the gates close otherwise I have to get my car at the end of the day and I really don't want to do that."
He smiled and I smiled back "Let's go!" and away we went.
Chapter 2
Once we got home Jay set up a circle with some lavender and candles and a few different spells. I didn't know how exactly what time we were going back to but Jay said we had to start from the beginning so I just assumed we were at the 1600's, when I was a witch at the Salem witch trials. Suddenly as I was thinking about this more and more I got a bit more scared.
"Jay, how do I die in my past lives?" it was something I never thought of before today. "I mean I know I should have died of the cancer when I was three, but how did I die in my other lives." I was on the verge of hysterics at that moment. That's when Jay came over to comfort me, and it did help a little especially when he started kissing me, it just occurred to me that I only had six days left with him and it had already felt like we have been together for a life time.
"I can't tell you how you died, but I can tell you that you won't like some of the deaths and then other times you won't mind as much. Are you ready?" I nodded; I would never be fully prepared for this so I just had to go with it. Jay chanted something that didn't sound English and he chanted so fast that I didn't even hear it properly and just like that we were in a different time. The Salem witch I couldn't believe Jay would allow this, but it was really cool.
"Ivy, look over there." Jay said, I looked over at where he was pointing, I couldn't believe it, it was him. I was standing in between two Jays.
"Oh my god, I cant believe it. We really are back in time." I was watching the Salem Jay when I noticed he grabbed a girls hand walked off with her. This girl was gorgeous, she had long brown hair pinned back, she was about my height and had the same eye colour as me. I suddenly started walking, I was following them, and I knew Jay was following me so I didn't need to stop and wait for him. They didn't walk long before we got to a small alley way, the Salem Jay pulled the girl into his arms and kissed her and she was Kissing him back.
"Ivy, Do you know who that girl is?" said my Jay
"No. should I."
"Ivy, look very carefully, the eyes, the sapphire blue eyes." Oh my god that was me, or at least my past life.
"Me!" I made the mistake of yelling and startled the couple kissing.
"Whose there?" said the Salem Jay, pushing my past life behind him, to protect her.
"Don't worry, it's just us. We're not going to hurt you" said Jay.
"Who is us?" said my past life stepping out from behin Jay. Wow this was going to get confusing. I noticed my Jay was standing up and walking toward them, so I followed and grabbe don to his hand.
"Well I'm you and this is Ivy." He said. And then he started talking to Salem Jay and left me with past life me.
"Hi, I'm Ivy you're one of my past lives."
"Hello, I'm Ingrid, so if I am your ancestor does that mean you're a witch too?" Ingird looked at me inquisitively.
"Yeah, I'm a witch. Can I ask you something?" I said.
"Of course."
"How close are you and Jay?"
"Ah, I noticed you holding his hand. Well, we are close as you have seen, but it's forbidden for us to be together because he is upper class and I am lower class." Well some thigns don't change. As soon as I was about to reply I saw the two Jays come back, I didn't know which was which for a minute, but I look at their clothes and figured it out.
"Jay our clothes, we don't have the right clothes."
"To you and I we don't have the right clothes, but to the people that look at us they see nothing wrong." Well it looks like Jay thought of everything. I wonder what he was talking to the Salem Jay about.
"Okay, well Ingrid we better go back before someone notices you are missing." She nodded and walked off with Salem Jay. I was left alone with my Jay.
"So, how do you like Salem?" I asked, he just laughed and pulled me in close to kiss me. I really did like this Jay. "Jay, when you said that you loved me. You did mean it didn't you?" I didn't know what I was on about, but I had the sinking feeling that he still loved Ingrid.
"Let me guess, you think I still love Ingrid and that I'm just using you to fill the gap."
"Well I was thinking of something a lot less crude but that will do." He shook his head and kissed me again. This time longer and with a lot more passion.
"No. I got over Ingrid a very long time ago Ivy. Do you know how I notice your past lives?" I shook my head, I didn't know. I just figured he knew. "The hair and the eyes, You always have brown hair and the bluest eyes I have ever seen, and it's always only you. No one else in your family ever had that, and then I saw you, when your mum summoned me. Your hair was long for a three year old and you had blue eyes. I didn't think it was a past life when I first saw you, but those eyes are just unmistakable. You were so much different to your past lives."
"So it was like love at first sight?" he laughed and then something weird happened, there was a big explosion of yelling coming from the crowd we just walked past. We ran to see what was happening only to find Ingrid being taken away by two men.
"Jay, What's happening?"
"Ingrid is being taken away, being put in jail."
"What! Why?" I asked, she didn't do anything wrong that I knew of.
"Ivy, its Salem. Ingrid is a witch." Okay I get it now. I didn't realize how bad it was back then. But then I noticed that the Jay in the Salem times was doing nothing about this. suddenly I got really mad and started performing an incantation, Jay must have noticed because he pulled my attention towards him by kissing me.
"Do you want to get burnt at the stake?" he asked sounding very mad but at the same time sounding very worried.
"Of course not. I want her to be safe. She is my ancestor and not just that I was her once." I said suddenly realizing that she was about my age and I don't know how I am alive if she got burnt at the stake.
"I know what your thinking. You are thinking about how you got a future if she's dying now. Well that's what I was talking to myself about." Jay saying that made me laugh. My world came crashing down as I heard the screams and the feeling of the hot flames on my face.
Soul Collector
2010