Free 02 Awaken-The Soulkeepers by Lori Adams

button.
    “What are you doing?” his partner grabbed his arm. “I’ve got the epinephrine ready.”
    “I think … I don’t know. I think I’ve got to shock him.” He pushed the button and the bus driver’s chest spasm. They watched the monitor but nothing changed.
    “Again! Try again! Don’t stop!”
    “I think I’d like to stay,” Jimmy Doogan’s imprint said. “Please, I want to go with you. It’s so warm and peaceful and …” He looked up at the night sky beginning to swirl above his head. “I … want to … know …”
    “It’s not your time yet, Jimmy.”
    Gabe sucked in a breath. “You can’t tell him that! You know it’s forbidden!”
    “We’re wasting time here,” Raph growled, glancing around. “The longer that imprint is here, the more likely we’ll have reapers or soul seekers raining down on us. I like destroying them as much as the next guardian, but we’ve got a lot of kids in pain here. Michael, you have to take the bus driver home. He was your responsibility. You blew it. Escort him home, now.”
    Michael’s temper flared. This couldn’t be happening, not when he’d worked so hard to save every soul.
Jimmy Doogan was a good man! He didn’t deserve to have his life cut short!
    And what about the winter trials? The Halos would be notified if Michael lost a soul. It would be over. Everything he wanted. Gone. Not to mention his pride. Michael couldn’t bare the humiliation of telling Sophia what happened. He
couldn’t
let it happen.
    Just as he stepped toward the paramedic, intent on yelling another instruction, Michael sensed an intrusion. He turned around to a figure walking up the road. A good-looking guy, about twenty-five with shoulder-length brown hair. He wore a brown leather jacket and jeans.
    “Hey, guys, remember me?”
    Raph walked closer, eyeing the guy who appeared in spirit form. He seemed cool, like an old friend. But something was off. “You sound familiar.”
    “Yeah, but I picked up some new duds this time.” He smiled and spread his arms. “No more grungy jeans and T-shirt. Not too shabby, huh?” He ran his hand over his soft leather sleeve.
    “Degan,” Raph spit out the name with disgust. “You just can’t take a hint, can you?” The last time Raph and his brothers had seen the soul seeker lurking around a car accident, Raph had the pleasure of snapping Degan’s neck and sending him back to Hell.
    Degan threw his head back and laughed. “Aw, c’mon, guys, you knew I’d snaganother body as soon as I could. Besides, we’re all working stiffs here. No pun intended.” He grinned. “You know, I really hated that grungy body I was in. So I wanted to stop by and say thanks for killing me—I was due for a change—and might I possibly pick up a little roadkill while out and about? It’s nearly Christmas, after all.” He gave Raph a crafty smile, and then his eyes cut to Jimmy Doogan’s imprint.
    “You really think you’re getting past the three of us?” Michael asked dispassionately.
    At that moment, Jimmy’s imprint began to make an odd oohing noise. Degan curled his hands in anticipation. If he could only touch the imprint, it was his to Take.
    Jimmy’s eyes widened in surprise at the same moment the medic hit the defibrillator again. The monitor registered a sharp spike just as Jimmy’s imprint was sucked back into his body like a vacuum. The monitor fluttered and then continued in a steady rhythm.
    Michael smirked at Degan while Jimmy’s heartbeat grew stronger. “Sorry, but you’re shit out of luck.” He was being a smartass but what he really wanted to do was exhale with relief, to stumble away and collapse from sheer exhaustion. That was a close call he never wanted to repeat.
    “Hmm.” Degan scowled and shoved his hands into his front pockets. “I’ll be damned. Mind telling me how that happened?” He caught Michael glaring at him and raised his hands. “Whoa. Never mind. Not my problem.” He laughed. “You