The Soulkeepers

Chapter 39: Malini's Confession

                   

Malini picked up the bowl of ice cream she'd dropped and tossed it in the trash. By the tilt of Jacob's head and his deadly serious expression, she knew this was about Auriel.

"Why don't you go get some more ice cream?" He was going to ask Dr. Silva for help.

She moved toward the ice cream vendor but kept her eyes on Jacob. Dr. Silva walked away from him. After all this time, she still blamed Jacob. Maybe some of that blame was deserved but Malini knew that most of it wasn't.

As Jacob followed Dr. Silva across the field to the barn, Malini trailed close behind. She hid behind the closest cart and watched. Vomit filled her mouth when she saw Auriel. She hurled onto the grass. What was it about that girl that made her feel sick? Unless her illness was brought on by wanton jealousy? Definitely a possibility.

Without warning, Auriel snatched Jacob and kissed him, full on the lips. A toxic energy flooded Malini's body. It was a mixture of fury and envy with a splash of guilt. With nowhere else for the emotion to go, it came pouring out from her eyes in the form of tears. No. Not that. Get your lips off of him, she thought. The idea of that disgusting creature touching Jacob made her retch. The upside was there was nothing left in her stomach. When she saw Auriel leading Jacob to the red Jeep, she didn't waste another minute. She ran into the barn.

Dr. Silva was shoveling what looked like cow manure into the back of a truck. When Malini cleared her throat, she looked up from the pile.

"It's for my garden," Dr. Silva said. "Fertilizer."

The odor hit Malini and she covered her nose and mouth with her shirtsleeve. She walked forward, until she was just a foot away from Jacob's neighbor. "Dr. Silva," she said, "there's something I need to tell you."

"What would that be?"

"I know about the tree in your garden. The one in the back garden." Malini lowered her chin as she said this and watched Dr. Silva's eyes squint skeptically.

"What do you know? Tell me."

"I was the one who left the gate open. I was with Jacob that day and saw him lock it behind us. After he left, a little girl, maybe three or four years old, came to the gate from the inside. I thought she followed us in there. She was crying and begging me to let her out, so I did. I didn't know it was against the rules."

"Who are you?" Dr. Silva demanded.

"Malini Gupta. I'm Jim Gupta's daughter. We met in his office when your window was broken."

"Yes. I remember you. You say you were there the day Jacob went to the tree?"

"Yes."

"Why are you telling me this now?"

"Because Jacob's in trouble. The girl I let in through the gate. I think she, somehow ... it's like she grew up. Jacob introduced me yesterday to a girl that looked exactly like her, but older. And I just saw her kiss him and then take him away."

Dr. Silva stared at Malini, her pale face expressionless. She might as well have been made of stone.

"Do you smell that?" Malini asked, pressing her shirt more tightly over her mouth. "God it's awful. Not the manure, it's a sweet, spicy smell, but more metallic ... like arsenic."

Dr. Silva took a step back and then her eyes darted toward the barn door.

"Please, Dr. Silva. You are the only one that can help. I know it."

"How much do you know, girl?"

"Not much, but you can fill me in on the way. We have to catch them. She's not right. I know she's evil. You can't let her take him."