A burst of strong wind pushed Kara to the ground immediately once she stepped through the portal. Her hands met sand—not the red color from Operations, but sand whose color had been sucked out—grey, dull and dead.
She stood up, shielding her eyes. The wind tugged at her hoodie. A flat barren land covered in a blanket of gray ash disappeared into the shadows of the distance. She couldn’t see any signs of life. It was like what would be left after a nuclear war. She shivered. Black shapes seemed to crawl beyond the darkness. The wind was an eerie voice calling out from beyond the dead. Kara could hear nothing else. It was as though she were the only one here.
Kara . . .
She heard a whisper of her name brush her ear.
I see you . . .
She felt a hand press down on her shoulder. Kara whirled around.
There was no one there.
Then she heard a distant laugh.
They were mocking her, she realized angrily.
“Show yourself!” she yelled, clenching her Soul Blade. “Cowards!”
Something moved in the distance. Kara strained through the blowing sand to see. It came towards her, slowly. It was red, and it rippled along the ground. It was a carpet.
It unfolded itself towards her, like the ones at a red carpet event. It stopped right at her toes. A chill rolled up her back. The carpet was soaked in blood.
Kara . . .
Kara whirled around again, desperately trying to see.
She was alone with the bloody carpet.
Someone had sent her the carpet. It was an invitation—she knew what she had to do next.
“Well … here goes nothing.” Kara hopped onto the carpet. Her shoes pressed down into the soft material as the blood poured from the sides. She was thankful she was wearing her big combat boots. The carpet stretched out into the shadows of the blowing grey sands.
Here we go. Kara walked cautiously along the blood carpet. She could hear the squish of her boots even over the roar of the wind. Nothing happened. She walked on—and on. It seemed to Kara that she had been walking for hours, or was it only a few minutes? She couldn’t tell. The carpet seemed to grow longer as she walked. A gust of wind brushed her face, like a hand caressing her cheek—were they playing tricks on her?
Kara . . .
Kara sliced the air behind her with her blade. She cut into nothing.
She turned around. She flinched—an enormous structure stood before her. It had appeared out of thin air.
A huge mall, filled with brilliant lights that flickered on and off and loud music that echoed all around beckoned Kara. She could hear laughter coming from inside. A giant red and blue neon sign read, Netherworld Casino.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Two glass doors appeared, and creaked and opened in front of her.
Kara clasped her blade tightly in her hand. She walked in—demons were everywhere. Demons with skin as blue as ink loitered by the bar. Demons with large bat-like wings were drinking a red liquid that Kara was sure wasn’t wine. Small demons that looked like gnomes, except that they had thick green leathery skin and extra large teeth, played a game of blackjack. Higher demons yelled and gambled with golden coins and shiny balls.
As Kara stepped deeper into the casino, she saw female demons dancing topless on the tables and swinging from poles. Horns sprouted from their heads. Caged lower demons howled as they were tormented by higher demons who appeared to be throwing chunks of bloody meat. Other demons eyed her and hissed as she passed, but no one made any attempt to attack her.
Strange, she kept walking.
She passed an in-ground pool filled with brownish-green liquid. She noticed lumps in the pool. At first she thought they were rocks, but then they moved. Horrified, Kara watched as one of the lumps twitched and rippled. It was a grotesque misshapen egg. Stick black legs with sharp claws tore free of the shell, green liquid oozing out of it. It jumped out of the pool. Its black and green body gleamed in the light. Large wet bat wings unfurled behind it. Its human face was contorted and swollen, with large bulging red eyes. It was part fly and part human. Kara’s gorge rose in her throat—she had just witnessed the birth of a new breed demon.
A sudden burst of cheer caught Kara’s attention. A snarling demon with rows of rotten yellow teeth stood up and threw some poker chips onto the bar. He stretched out his long bony hand and twisted arm towards the bartender who reached behind him and opened a glass cabinet. He reached inside and pulled out a glowing sphere. Kara’s head swayed—it was a soul—the entire cabinet was filled with rows upon rows of souls. The snarling demon threw back its head and swallowed the soul. His body shimmered as light exploded all around him. He closed his eyes and gave out a loud moan.
Kara’s knees weakened—everywhere she looked, souls were the prize—human and angel souls.
Over here, Kara . . .
A movement caught her eye. Kara froze. Her mother was playing at one of the tables. With a drink in her hand, she laughed and caressed a large black demon with the head of a boar and the body of a man. She caught Kara’s eye and waved.
“Mom?” Kara stumbled forward. “Mom!” Petrified, Kara pushed her way through the demons to reach her mother. She got to the table, but her mother had disappeared.
“Mom? Where are you?”
My daughter . . . this way . . .
Kara caught sight of her mother waving at her again. She laughed and skipped away like a little girl.
“Mom! Stop. Mom!”
Kara rushed forward. Demons jumped in her way hissing at her as she tried to pass. She lifted her blade, and they scattered, spitting at her face as she passed. Kara looked over the demons’ heads and spotted her mother. She pulled open a door and disappeared through it. Kara ran to follow her. She punched and kicked her way through the crowd of laughing demons, drunk on souls. She didn’t care.
She reached the door. It stood ajar. She peeked inside. She knew it to be a room, but she could only see darkness staring back at her.
“Mom? Mommy? Mom—where are you … I can’t see anything.”
Kara . . .
Without a second thought, Kara stepped into the room. The door slammed shut behind her.
Lights flicked on, and Kara stood in the middle of a large round room with wall to wall mirrors. Thousands of mirrors reflected millions of images of herself. Her mother sat upon a metal chair resting on a dais in the middle of the room. She drank from her glass and giggled.
Kara rushed over to her mother. “Mom! We have to get out of here, come with me.” She reached out.
Her mother recoiled and laughed. Her body shimmered, as if it was made of water, and Kara watched her mother’s face change. What she believed to be her mother was morphed into its true demon form. She had rough green skin like tree bark and long wispy green hair. A tail curled up behind her. Her yellow eyes mocked Kara. The female demon laughed and jumped off the chair.
Kara realized her mistake. But it was too late. Before she could turn around, she felt two powerful hands grabbing her from behind. One took away her blade. They held her. She couldn’t move.
“Well, hello again, Kara.”
The hands yanked her from the dais with force and threw her down. She looked up towards the voice.
“I’m so glad you’ve come to see your new home.”
Asmodeus stood before her. He was grinning. She flinched. She had forgotten how much the demon lord looked like one of the archangels. His face was utterly beautiful, carved to perfection. His gray eyes rested above high cheekbones. His skin was white, and Kara thought he looked a lot like a vampire. His short black hair glimmered in the soft light of the room, like a crown of black jewels. He wore a red tailored suit with a black tie and shirt. He pressed a large brown cigar to his lips, and then blew a row of smoke rings.
“Looking for this.” Asmodeus held up a glass jar with his other hand. A brilliant soul hovered inside it. Kara instantly knew it was her mother’s.
“I’m afraid it
’s not time yet for a family reunion, although, I rather miss your mother’s striking good looks, rather surprising for a mortal. I’ve always thought she looked more like an archangel than a mere human. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her that summer day—I knew she was the one for me.”
He lifted the jar and examined it for a moment. He turned his head towards Kara. “You seem to have inherited part of her beauty,” said Asmodeus in a matter-of-fact tone. He placed the jar on the platform and strolled away.
“We have such a great show tonight, my daughter. I’m so glad you could make it. It just wouldn’t be the same without you.”
“I am not your daughter!” Kara stomped her foot. She wished she could kick him in the face for referring to her mother as if she were a piece of meat.
“But of course you are, silly girl. You are my offspring. And you got here just in time for the big performance. Grutus. Xenor. Please bring my lovely daughter to her chair.” Asmodeus laughed. He twirled on the spot, his red jacket fluttered around him, and Kara thought it looked more like a blood suit stuck to his body.
The two higher demons lifted Kara in the air. She kicked and fought as best she could, but to no avail. The demons were much stronger than she was. They shoved her into the chair. They secured her arms and legs with chains and stepped aside.
Kara wiggled in the chair. “You call me your daughter, and this is how you treat me? Come on, let me go.”
She felt like a convict on death row, waiting to be executed in the electric chair. She pulled at her restraints. There was no way she could break free of the chains. She began to panic.
The demon lord grinned and laughed softly. He sauntered towards her. “I remember our last encounter, daughter—as should you. I wouldn’t want you touching anything with those hands just yet.” He glanced at his watch. “It is almost time.” He raised his arms and snapped his fingers.
Kara caught movement in the mirrors. She lifted her head and frowned. The millions of images of her angry face suddenly shimmered and disappeared, to be replaced by faces of people she didn’t recognize. They were the faces of all the nations across the world staring back at her—children brushing their teeth, men shaving, women applying their makeup, brushing their hair, putting in their contact lenses, teens picking at their pimples—millions of people going about their regular routines, oblivious that Kara could see into their most private moments. She looked away abashed.
“This isn’t right. What—what are you going to do to them?” Kara pulled at her restraints.
Asmodeus smiled mischievously. “Ah—be patient, my dear. The fun has just begun.”
He clasped his hands behind his back and strolled around the room, staring up at the millions of mortals. “Now, boys—bring me my special mirror.”
Grutus and Xenor jumped down onto the platform and disappeared behind a door. A few moments later, they reappeared carrying a magnificent antique mirror. Kara wanted to touch it. It was carved elegantly in a red wood, with strange symbols etched along the sides. The glass in the center was pitch black, and no reflection came from it. It stood as tall as a full grown man. The demons put the mirror in the center of the room, between Kara and the wall of mirrors.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Asmodeus walked over to the mirror. He slid his hand up and down the wooden edges, caressing the details. She could see the hunger in his eyes as he stroked it lovingly.
Kara looked away.
“They say eyes are windows to the soul, don’t they. But they are mistaken. Mirrors are the windows to the souls, and you my dear—are the key.”
Kara looked up uneasily. “What? What key? What are you talking about?”
Asmodeus laughed softly. “Isn’t it obvious? I need your special power, Kara. Without you, the mirror wouldn’t work. But through you—the Mirror of Souls will come alive with elemental power and open gateways into the mortal world through every mirror that has a reflection. And out of all those mirrors my servants will emerge on the other side. The entire world will be filled with demons tonight, my dear. We will crush the mortals, eat their souls, and take possession of Earth.”
Kara trembled. This was all her fault. The end of the mortal world would be her fault. She knew it was a trap, but she still went to try and save her mother. It was a selfish act, she saw that now. She was only thinking of her feelings, and those of her mother. She never once thought she could be responsible for the total annihilation of the human race. She faced the worst outcome possible. If only she would have stayed in Tartarus, none of this would have happened, she realized.
She clenched her jaw. “I won’t let you. You can’t use my power—so your scheme won’t work,” she hissed.
“HA!” Asmodeus flew over to Kara with extraordinary speed and landed softly in front of her.
He scowled. “It will work, and you will give me your power, my dear. You were foolish enough to enter my realm. I knew you would come for your mother—it was only a matter of time—so I waited. And now that you are here, why wait?”
A flash of black electricity hit Kara in the chest. She cried out in pain. It burned through her angel skin like liquid acid. A warmth flowed through her and then slipped away. She opened her eyes. Golden light covered her body. Long trails of light spilled away from her, twisting and turning. And then a golden beam shot out from her and hit the Mirror of Souls. Kara felt her energy being sucked away and into the mirror.
The mirror glowed a brilliant red. After a moment, millions of golden beams shot out from the Mirror of Souls and hit the mirrors surrounding the chamber. The beams of light looked like the strands of thread in a giant golden spider web. Kara’s head fell forward. She felt weak.
“Stop … stop!” Kara forced the words out of her mouth. Her body trembled as the mirrors drained her of her energy. She knew she was slowly dying. Soon she would disappear completely. David’s face flashed in her mind’s eye. She knew she would never see him again. Her lips trembled.
Asmodeus threw his arms in the air. A wicked gleam in his eyes. “It’s working! It’s working! Soon the world will be mine! Go my servants. Go and have your feast as I promised!”
Black tendrils slowly slithered out of the Mirror of Souls. The air was filled with the stench of rotten flesh and blood. Shadow demons and other lower demons materialized out of the mirror for an instant before they shimmered and became black mists. They intertwined with the golden beams emanating from the Mirror of Souls like black and golden braids.
Kara flinched when they reached the mirrors that lined the room.
She could hear the screams coming from the other side, behind the mirrors. She heard a child whimper. A demon’s roar. Then silence.
“Stop! Please stop! I’ll do anything you ask—just don’t do this.”
“Too late for that, my dear. Besides, you are doing what I ask. You are giving me power! The power I needed to work the mirror! The mortal world will die because of you, my child!”
Screams and wails filled the room. The chamber trembled. Kara lifted her eyes, and as soon as she did she wished she hadn’t. In the mirrors around the room she could now see terror reflected in all the mortals’ faces on the other side, terror and the recognition of death. It was almost too much for Kara to bear. She hoped desperately that the Legion had listened to Gabriel and believed him. She had to believe some mortals would survive.
She wiggled in her chair. Her mind was on the verge of darkness. Part of her wanted to give up and let herself flow away.
“S—stop,” Kara stammered, her voice a whisper. “Please … stop … please.”
But Asmodeus didn’t hear her. He danced around the room laughing.
In one of the mirrors Kara could see a girl her age scream as a shadow demon ripped out her guts. Her lifeless body crumpled to the ground in her bedroom.
“NO!” Kara twitched. Her desperation suddenly replaced by anger. “Stop!”
The room vibrated under her feet. She felt a tiny surge of energy within her belly. S
he focused on it, trying to draw it out. She had to.
Asmodeus raised his fist. “Feed my children! Feed! Take them! Eat them! Destroy them!”
Kara’s body started to shake. Warmth gathered in her belly and spread to her toes. It moved up to her fingers and finally to her head. She felt the wild power of the elemental take over. She abandoned herself to it.
Her restraints melted away. Her power fed on her anger at Asmodeus and kept growing stronger. She wanted to kill them—kill them all.
A burst of energy flew out of Kara and hit the Mirror of Souls. The mirror burst into a million tiny shards of black glass.
Chapter 19
Shattered dreams
Marked, Soul Guardians Book 1 Page 38
