Marked, Soul Guardians Book 1

by Kim Richardson

Kara walked along the endless corridor leading to the High Council chamber. Tall grey walls dressed with colorful tapestries and the occasional portrait of some important angel official surrounded her on either side. The stale air was hot, and dust tickled her nose. Her boots echoed through the empty corridors, cutting the eerie silence like a knife. The exquisite wooden doors of the offices reminded Kara of the monumental Chateau Frontenac hotel where she had spent a day exploring the different levels on a school trip. She peered through an open door. It was an office, she realized, and she stepped inside. It was cluttered with papers, and books were piled all the way to the ceiling like crooked ladders. Light leaked from a large window at the far end, lighting up thousands of dust particles floating in the air like miniature snowflakes. The office seemed deserted. Kara felt uneasy. Where was everyone?

  Unlike the other times she had been summoned to the council, when the halls had been filled with curious onlookers, this time the halls were deserted. Not even an oracle came to greet her on the landing platform to escort her to the council, as they always did. No one came, and she felt a nasty chill roll up her back. What was going on?

  Kara walked out of the office and continued to make her way towards the council chamber. She reached out and dragged her fingers along the walls, reassuring herself that they were real, and that she wasn’t back in her cell hallucinating. She wondered if she had gone mad—and this was all in her mind. Kara shook her head and pressed on. She figured that once she arrived at the council things would become clear. It would all make sense.

  She spotted the giant metal doors of the council chamber at the far end of the hall. They stood before her, majestic and accusing. They judged her before she even pled her case. She walked up to them and pressed her trembling hands against the cold metal. Uncertainty flooded through her. She questioned what would happen once she entered the chamber. Would the High Council believe her now or would they simply lock her up again until she withered away, mad as a hatter. Why they had locked her away for so long, kept her guessing.

  She steeled herself. She’d fight for the truth, even if it meant they’d throw her back in prison. But she couldn’t forget what Legan had told her...how important he had made her feel, the hint of desperation in his voice. She had a job to do. She had to get near Zadkiel somehow. She had to touch him. Once the Mark was revealed, the council would believe her—Legan had told her so. She decided to take that chance. Legan had handed her an opportunity; she had to take it. She fought to control her nerves. She readied herself and pushed the metal doors.

  The doors screeched on their hinges as she pressed them apart. She sauntered into the chamber and stopped. The great round room was empty, save for seven archangels who sat behind a glistening black desk raised on a dais at the opposite end of the room, like a giant black diamond. Yellow light spilled through the rounded glass dome above her, like an enormous greenhouse, filling the room in a soft light. Spasms erupted all over Kara’s body, and she forced herself to stay calm. She didn’t want the archangels to notice her fear. Be strong.

  Kara scanned the room again quickly. David wasn’t here either. She wasn’t sure why she actually expected him to show up. He hadn’t come to see her in Tartarus. But she wasn’t even sure if visitors were allowed. They probably weren’t. Maybe he had to lie low? She convinced herself that David was occupied elsewhere, or that he didn’t even know her trial was today...which was really unlikely...

  She set her jaw. Legan’s words echoed in her head. She lifted her eyes and met Zadkiel’s gaze. She flinched. His black eyes stared back at her. A mixture of satisfaction and disdain painted his face. He was searching her face, reading the fear in her eyes. His bald head stood out against his red robes, like a severed head above a bloody stump. She forced herself not to look away. She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. Hatred filled her. What had he done to her mother’s soul? He would pay for this. Her chance had come. She knew exactly what she had to do.

  Kara clenched her fists and walked forward. She knew the drill, and she walked over to the lonely bench conveniently placed below the council members. She figured they sat on a raised platform so that they could look down upon the poor soul who happened to be summoned—a power trip. But it was her turn now. She let herself fall onto the bench. She sat calmly with her hands on her lap and looked up. She met Uriel’s eyes. She watched him raise his eyebrows, but his face was as unreadable as ever.

  “Kara Nightingale,” said Uriel, in a musical tone. “How delightful to see you again so soon—”

  “This is soon?” blurted Kara before she could stop herself. She pressed her lips together, eyes wide. She saw annoyance flash in Uriel’s perfect face momentarily, and then it was gone. His dark eyes glimmered as he studied Kara. The light from above illuminated his delicate features and silky brown hair.

  “There are two serious charges laid against you.” Uriel interlaced his fingers. His golden robes glistened in the light, and Kara thought he looked like a golden statue. “Both are very serious indeed, and I find myself very disappointed in you, Miss Nightingale. We had high hopes for a guardian of your special talents, who showed so much promise. We are faced with terrible times, and this is very unfortunate.”

  Kara stared back in puzzlement. She wasn’t sure what he meant by terrible times. Had she missed out on something? Was he referring to the mass release of demons into the mortal world? She fidgeted in her seat, and tried not to feel culpable. She knew that striking Al had been an accident, but escaping from Tartarus wasn’t. She hoped the council didn’t know that David or the others were involved in her break out.

  “The council has had time to review your cases extensively,” continued Uriel, his mouth pressed in a hard line. “After listening to the eye witness accounts and reviewing the evidence in your first case, the council has voted and has found you guilty of the crime of attempted murder of a fellow guardian—”

  “What! You can’t be serious!” Kara couldn’t hide the anger in her voice. She jumped up and threw her hands in the air. “It was an accident! Who are your eyewitnesses? Did you speak to David McGowan? He was there … he can tell you it was an accident. What about the archangel, Cassiel? He can tell you—”

  Uriel lifted his hand to silence Kara. “We have questioned the archangel Cassiel on several occasions. He believes it was an accident … but the evidence speaks for itself. Unfortunately for you, we never found the dagger you spoke of. You viciously attacked an unarmed angel … and nearly killed him. Fortunately, he lives, the archangel Raphael mended him, so your sentence will be more lenient.”

  Kara trembled. Anger flared inside her. She fought to control her temper. She had run the entire scenario in her head for weeks; this was not how she had imagined it. She glowered at Zadkiel. To her surprise, his face openly showed his immense satisfaction.

  “This isn’t fair! This isn’t a trial. Your witnesses are liars! It was an accident!” yelled Kara before she could stop herself. She felt herself losing control.

  Uriel leaned closer. “Compose yourself, Miss. Without the evidence of the knife, it’s your word against his.” His dark eyes flickered as he studied Kara momentarily. “And from what we’ve gathered, you were not injured … correct?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “A terrible crime was committed,” continued Uriel as if he hadn’t heard Kara. “One party was nearly killed, while the other party didn’t even have a scratch. The eyewitnesses all say that you attacked him from the back, leaving him defenseless—without the ability to fight back. How could he have defended himself from such an attack? So tell me now, Miss Nightingale. How do you expect us to believe you when all the evidence points to you?”

  Kara suppressed the scream rising in her throat. Her bottom lip trembled. She clenched her fists. “Because it’s the truth. I never meant to hurt him. It was an accident. We were training … and then Al and David started fighting. I saw him pull out a death blade … he was going to hurt—”

  “Y
es, we’ve all heard this before.” Uriel sat, poker faced, drumming his fingers on the gleaming black desk. “Unfortunately for you, there is no blade. There was never any blade, was there? You made up this silly story to hide your crime.”

  Dread welled inside her. This was much worse than what she had imagined. “No, that—that’s not true,” she said, her voice wavering. “There was a blade! I saw it. It was black … and it had marks—”

  “Enough of your lies!” boomed Uriel. He pushed back his chair and stood up. His robes billowed before him like liquid gold. “We have voted, and the council has found you guilty. The decision is final. You are therefore sentenced to serve out your term in Tartarus … for five hundred years.”

  Shock exploded in Kara—they didn’t believe her. Fear ate at her core. She knew she couldn’t survive even a few more months in Tartarus, let alone five hundred years. The weight of Uriel’s words pulled her down, like a metal chain wrapped around her neck. The room started to spin. Kara strained to keep from fainting.

  “But …” Kara heard Uriel say, as she tried to focus. “If you give up the names of the angels that helped you escape from Tartarus … the council has agreed to lessen your sentence.”

  Kara lifted her eyes. “It was just me. No one helped me.” Her voice wavered, but she didn’t care.

  “Liar!” The archangel Zadkiel jumped up and pointed a large finger at Kara. His face screwed up in disgust. Kara stared back, wishing she could punch him in the face. “She lies! The guards told us that she had help. They saw three other angels. Give us their names!”

  “The guards are mistaken,” replied Kara, glad that her voice was even. She glowered at Zadkiel—the true traitor posing as the good guy. He made her sick. “I escaped on my own. I had no help.” She remembered David’s cocky expression when he had come to rescue her. It had been a great moment for both of them.

  Zadkiel struck the desk before him with a giant fist, and Kara wondered how it didn’t break. He leered at Kara from his seat. “How can we let this filth live and spread her lies? She is the demon lord’s daughter. You are all aware of this. He created this monstrosity and disguised her as a girl to fool us all!”

  He turned to face the council and waved his arms theatrically. “Do not be fooled by her. She is a creature of evil, a spawn of the netherworld, sent here to destroy our world. She will try and kill us all! I vote for the true death. Kill the demon. Be rid of her once and for all!”

  Kara noticed Zadkiel’s skin flicker to a darker shade, and then it went back to its normal olive tone. Murmurs reached her ears, and she saw some council members nodding their heads in agreement.

  Once the whispers died down, a beautiful archangel woman with rolling red hair and flowing green robes said, “Let’s not get in over our heads, Zadkiel.” Kara recognized her immediately. She was the archangel Camael. She had always shown kindness towards Kara. And Kara wondered if Camael believed her.

  “She will be punished for her crime,” continued Camael. “As we have discussed previously, the true death will not be applicable in this case.”

  “I say that it should! We should take another vote.” Zadkiel turned and faced Kara, his eyes blazing. “She should die for her crimes! We cannot let her live and corrupt other angels!”

  “Enough!” roared Uriel. “We have already spent too much time discussing these cases. Kara Nightingale is a unique angel … and should be treated as such. She will not suffer the true death. The council has voted.”

  Uriel shared a look with Zadkiel.

  Kara had the impression that they must have had this discussion many times before.

  Uriel turned his attention back to Kara. “Now, Kara. If you want a lesser sentence, give us the names of your accomplices.”

  Kara watched Uriel’s lips move. Her mouth wouldn’t open. How could she betray her only friends? She wouldn’t. She forced the words out of her mouth. “Like I said—I escaped on my own. I used my unique powers to blow down the door, and then I jumped.” For a moment, Kara saw a look of surprise pass over Zadkiel’s face. He seemed to have taken the bait.

  “It was that David McGowan again,” growled Zadkiel, his voice rising. “I’m sure it was him.”

  “Be quiet!” bellowed Uriel, and Kara noticed that he had lost his patience with Zadkiel. It gave her an idea.

  “Why are you so intent on having me killed, Zadkiel?” asked Kara, in her most innocent voice, and tried to keep a disinterested expression.

  “Because you are the demon’s progeny! Sent here to trick us!” spat Zadkiel.

  “Right. So, in your eyes … I’m a traitor?”

  “You are a traitor! I’ve always known you were a traitor.”

  “I’m the traitor who saved the elemental child from Asmodeus, right? But then, tell me why did I do that? Why didn’t I just give the kid to Asmodeus, if I’m a traitor?” Kara took a step forward.

  “Because you are trying to deceive us into believing you are good,” said Zadkiel in disgust. “You want the council to trust you, so that you can destroy them with your demon powers when they are least expecting it. But you don’t fool me, demon.”

  Kara met Zadkiel’s stare with a level gaze. “I see. So you think that I’ll use my demon powers to kill everyone in this room. You’re saying that I’m powerful enough to kill all of you now—” She snapped her fingers. “Like I can snap my fingers and—poof—all gone. So then why aren’t I doing that now? Why am I letting myself be thrown into prison instead of killing you all and then going to hang out with my dad in the Netherworld?”

  Zadkiel’s jaw was a hard line. “Maybe you’re waiting for better timing...or for orders from your true master.”

  “Don’t you mean your true master, Zadkiel?” Kara saw recognition flash in the archangel’s eyes, and wondered if anyone else had seen it too.

  Zadkiel began to laugh. “Everything out of your mouth is a lie! You just can’t help yourself—it’s in your nature.”

  Kara watched Zadkiel without expression. “Isn’t it your nature to serve the demon lord, your true master? You want me gone because you fear that I can kill him.”

  “Nonsense, the demon lord is our sworn enemy,” said Zadkiel, and Kara saw his fingers twitch. “The council is in the process of planning his demise, we will—”

  “—but you know that’s not true.” Kara’s tone was casual. “You believe I can destroy him, and that’s why you want me dead.”

  “I heard enough of her lies!” hissed Zadkiel, with a look of intense hatred. “Take her back to her cell. We can continue the deliberation later.”

  “I’d like to hear what else Kara has to say,” said Camael suddenly. She flicked her eyes towards Kara for a moment. “If they are all falsehoods, then you have nothing to fear, Zadkiel.”

  “Lies from the demon’s tongue! Don’t listen to her.” Zadkiel pushed his chair out of his way and stepped down from the dais. He strode towards Kara. His bald head glistened in the light. “Take her back! I demand she be put back into her prison!” shouted Zadkiel to no one in particular.

  “Why don’t you tell him about the archangel, Legan?” said Kara. “You locked him up because he found you out. Isn’t that true?”

  Zadkiel frowned, then threw his head back and laughed. “There is no archangel with the name Legan in Tartarus—or anywhere else in Horizon. You lying filth.” He turned to the council. “You see. She lies. You all know there is no one of that name. She is delusional.”

  Kara saw confusion spread over the council’s faces. Did she get his name wrong, she wondered. It was hard to hear from the other side of the wall, perhaps she did get his name wrong.

  “Maybe I didn’t get his name right, but I know what he said was true.” She glared at Zadkiel. “What did you do with my mother’s soul?”

  Zadkiel flinched. “What are you talking about? More lies. She cannot help herself. Can’t you see she is mad?”

  “My mother’s soul was in a glass jar. I gave it to you. What did y
ou do with it?”

  Zadkiel smiled and observed the council. Kara noticed that Uriel seemed distraught. She saw Zadkiel noticing it too as he fought to control his composure.

  “I have no idea where your mother’s soul is. Perhaps it is lost. What does that have anything to do with your crimes? Send her back!”

  Zadkiel stood beside Kara. She could see the delicate ruby red trimmings around his large collar and sleeves. His hands twitched.

  “You’re the liar, and the traitor. And I’ll kill you if I find out you hurt my mother.”

  “Ha! There she goes again. A mad demon should be locked away for good. I had enough of the filth from her mouth.”

  Come closer, Kara thought.

  “Say hi to my father for me when you see him. I’m sure the two of you will have lots to talk about—”

  Zadkiel grabbed Kara roughly by the arm and threw her down. She landed hard on the marble floors.

  She grinned. She had him exactly where she wanted. This was her chance. She jumped up with incredible speed. Before Zadkiel knew what was happening, Kara had reached out and pressed her hand on his bare chest above his collar.

  A puzzled expression appeared on Zadkiel’s face. Kara backed away. She scanned his body for the mark. She frowned. There was nothing...Had Legan lied to her? Dread crept inside her as she took an involuntary step back.

  Zadkiel laughed. He looked up at the council. “Isn’t this clear enough? The girl is mad—”

  Kara heard Camael gasp. She pointed to Zadkiel, horror coloring her face. “He’s Marked! Look!”

  Kara saw a black mark like a spider’s web slowly materialize until it covered half of Zadkiel’s face, like a mask.

  Uriel’s face was frozen in shock. “How could you? How could you betray us?”

  A strange laugh escaped from Zadkiel. He smiled. Everyone was staring at him now. “Why? Why you ask? Because you are fools! Mortal-loving fools! You love the weak. It’s pathetic.”

  Uriel glanced over to Kara; his eyes were filled with remorse. He shook his head and pointed to Zadkiel who smiled back. “You will pay for this! Summon Michael—”

  Black lightening shot out of Zadkiel’s hands like electric tendrils.

  They hit Kara.

  She rocketed back into the air and crashed into the wall. She crumpled to the floor and winced. Black smoke coiled from her body, like a smoking log. She heard a thundering roar and looked up. Millions of glass shards exploded from the sky, like sheets of glass rain and the entire room was showered in diamonds. They hit the ground in a cacophony of breaking glass. Kara caught a glimpse of a red robe dash across the room and disappear behind the chamber doors.

  Chapter 3

  Disappearing Act