Marked, Soul Guardians Book 1

by Kim Richardson

Kara felt her body being pulled by a powerful source, like a giant vacuum sucking her in. She opened her eyes. Blackness surrounded her. It was like being sucked into space. She couldn’t tell what was up or down; it all looked the same to her. Something pulled at her leg, then her arms. Was she going to split apart? She was terrified of drifting in the black abyss until her mind shut off, and she turned into shadow. She feared that jumping into the rift had been a mistake.

  Light shone at the edges of her vision, like a light at the end of a tunnel. A setting sun of red and orange appeared before her. With a last tug, Kara was propelled forward towards the light. She fell head first onto a soft surface. She lifted her head. Her hands were covered in a red sticky film of cobwebs and strings. She sat on her knees and shook her hands. It wasn’t coming off. Her nostrils burned with the sudden stench of rotten flesh and bile. She wiped her hands on her pants and looked around.

  She stood in a cave. A shiver rolled up her back. The walls were covered in folds of decomposing and blackened tissue. Yellow pus-like liquid oozed from what looked like large, infected sores on the walls. Kara watched a piece of flesh peel off and drop to the ground, followed by a crack and a pop. Sheets of meat dripped and slipped to the soft ground in a sticky red carpet. Torches lined the length of the cave on either side, like an underground runway. Kara could see that the cave appeared to go for miles in each direction, with twists and turns as other adjoining tunnels disappeared into shadow. And in the distance, Kara could hear the faint sound of drips that she hoped was water and not something else. The air was hot and heavy, and Kara couldn’t wait to get out.

  A sucking sound reached her ears. Suddenly, Kara was hit in the chest by a strong force, and she crashed onto the ground. Weight pinned her down. She blinked and looked up into David’s smiling face.

  “Hey babe. This is a bit fast for a first date—but I don’t mind.”

  “Oh, please!” Kara rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t help the smile that reached her lips. David’s weight felt awfully good to her, and part of her didn’t want him to move. But she didn’t want the others to see her in this compromising position.

  “Get off me!” She pushed David off of her just in time to see Peter and Jenny crash land beside them in a sticky mess.

  “What took you guys so long?” Kara fought with the gooey substance in her hair. She gave up after a while, since the more she pulled, the worse it got.

  “This is disgusting! What is this place?” Jenny jumped to her feet and looked around. She made a face. “It’s like a giant meat grinder. And it smells disgusting.”

  David picked at the wall with his blade and cut off a piece of decayed tissue. “Figures why Zadkiel would pick this place of all places to hide. He always did smell rotten. He probably feels right at home in this palace of flesh jam.”

  Kara watched Peter adjusting his glasses. He opened his palm to reveal a small floating red orb.

  “Can you read anything in here, Peter?” asked Kara, and she waddled up to him. Her boots sank further into the red mess.

  “Can you tell where my mother’s soul is? Can you pinpoint a location for it?” She felt her nerves prickle inside of her body. There was no way of knowing if her mother’s soul was still intact and unharmed. Zadkiel could have destroyed it long ago, and it pained her to think about it.

  Peter’s eyes were fixed on the orb for a moment. He moved a trembling hand to face the orb towards the south part of the tunnel. The light dimmed inside the orb, as though controlled by a dimmer. He then brought the orb slowly around in a circle until it shone a little brighter. He looked up. “It’s that way. I’m sure of it. I’m picking up faint traces of your mother’s soul energy. But I’m picking up something else too. Something’s interfering with the readings. But I can’t make out what it is. Could be demons—or new breeds.”

  Kara sighed in relief. Her mother’s soul was here, in this horrible meat cave. But there was still the matter of the archangel Zadkiel. She had witnessed his show of power at the council earlier. He wouldn’t make it easy for her, she knew, but she would find it nevertheless.

  “How long do we have until the Rift closes, Peter?” asked Kara, and she looked at a rippling part of the flesh wall she guessed was the rift’s source.

  Peter pursed his lips. “About … twenty minutes … maybe more, maybe less.”

  “Then we don’t have much time.” David wiped his blade on his jeans and then pointed towards the tunnel. “Just more walls of cooked ham. Nothing to it.” He stalked along the walls, his boots making loud suction noises as he pulled them out and pushed them in, again and again.

  Kara glanced down the eerie tunnel. The cracks and pops of falling flesh were nauseating. Its sickly red walls made the hairs on the back on her neck stand up. Evil lurked here. She felt it in her being. Kara reached into her jacket and drew out a soul blade. The silver dagger reflected the red from the walls. It looked more like a blood dagger now than a soul one. She brandished it before her.

  “We can’t underestimate Zadkiel. He was clever enough to fool the council all these years. Who knows what he’s capable of? And what he’s already done. Stay sharp. There’s probably more than this sticky stuff in here. I just want my mother’s soul back.”

  David turned and looked at Kara. “I don’t underestimate him. He’s still the same bald idiot as before...just that now he prefers to sleep in this five-star meat hotel.” A mischievous smile flashed across David’s face, lightening Kara’s mood.

  The group ventured cautiously inside the tunnel. Its sinister walls made Kara feel claustrophobic. With Kara in the lead and Jenny following closely behind her with her bow and arrow at the ready, Peter was sandwiched between them. David held the back. They walked like this for a few minutes, glancing back over their shoulders every now and again. Kara felt uneasy. She noticed the walls seeped more and more of that pus-like liquid. Walking became increasingly difficult. With every step they took, more liquid oozed out of deep gashes, like squeezing the water out of a sponge.

  Suddenly, the ground shook.

  Clumps of flesh dropped from the ceiling with sickening splashes. Kara steadied herself, her blade held up before her. She heard a distant rumble, like the growl of thunder before a storm. And then it stopped.

  “What was that?” whispered Peter, the whites of his eyes gleaming in his petrified face.

  Kara met David’s concerned expression but didn’t answer. She gripped her soul blade and saw Jenny in the corner of her eye nocking an arrow. Unconsciously, Kara took a step back towards Peter.

  A loud growl split the silence. The ground trembled with more intensity, and Kara thought they were in the middle of some sort of quake. But she knew that was impossible. She felt a tightness around her leg. Suddenly, she was thrown across the tunnel. She hit the wall. Her body sank into the soft tissue, as though the walls were made of Jell-O. The decaying stench burned her nose, and Kara’s fear escalated. She struggled to move. Her limbs didn’t respond. It was as if she was Krazy Glued, pinned against her will. She felt her body being pulled back deeper into the wall. She glanced down and winced. A large red tentacle was wrapped tightly around her legs. Hundreds of open suction cups revealed pointed teeth, like gaping mouths ready to feed. Yellow liquid rolled off the large tentacle.

  Someone screamed.

  Peter was completely covered by the tentacles. They wrapped around him like a giant boa constrictor crushing its prey before swallowing it whole. She watched him struggle against the creatures and felt instant pity for him. Kara saw a dozen or more tentacles sprout out of the walls and lash at David. With two soul blades in his hands, David slashed and sliced at the creatures. Thumps of severed tentacles littered the floor around him. And soon David was covered in the foul-smelling liquid.

  Kara yanked her head to the left. Jenny stabbed a horde of tentacles with her arrow. She punctured one right through its body, and it retreated back into a hole in the wall. Kara watched in horror as a dozen more tentacles shot fr
om what Kara believed were sores, and launched themselves at Jenny. Two grabbed her legs and another two knocked the bow and arrow out of her hands. Jenny tripped and fell face down against the ground. A slippery tentacle advanced towards her face. It whipped out at her; the suction cups stuck to her face. The tentacle radiated from the inside, like a light bulb beneath a shade. Kara heard Jenny’s muffled scream and a last suction cup wrapped around her face. The tentacle shuddered and moved, and Kara saw light move inside it, as though it was swallowing. Kara realized in horror that the creature was drinking Jenny’s essence. Her eyes flicked over to Peter. He had a suction cup over his face now.

  With a tremendous effort, Kara freed her right arm. With her blade still wrapped tightly in her hand, she brought it down and cut through one of the tentacles. It landed with a thud on the ground. Another tentacle came at her from the opposite wall. But she was ready. It flew towards her at great speed, and Kara met it with a side slash. She cut through the flesh easily. Yellow and red liquid sprayed the walls. She felt the ground shake. Twenty more tentacles shot through the walls and came for her. The more she cut, the more tentacles came back.

  Frantically, Kara cut through the remaining tendrils around her legs. Chunks of tentacles sprawled around her boots. She looked up. Another tentacle lashed at her. She jumped out of the way and rolled on the ground. She jumped up and was immediately assaulted by another wave of tentacles. Kara ducked, jumped, and sliced her way to her friends. Yellow liquid sprayed her face, and she saw David pull Peter free from the creature’s grasp. Peter’s essence was seeping through large gaps in his face. His skin was translucent; she could see the brilliant light inside him. His skin was barely holding him together. He looked sick.

  David glanced towards Kara. “Help, Jenny!” he yelled over the commotion, as he squished a severed tentacle beneath his boot.

  Kara kicked and slashed her way towards her friend. She could hardly see her anymore. The creature had covered Jenny completely in a tangle of red stringy limbs. Frenzied, Kara began to slice pieces off, careful not to cut Jenny. She could see David standing before Peter and doing a good job at cutting the tentacles off of him.

  A sharp pain stung the back of Kara’s head. She fell forward and reached out. She wrapped her hand around a slippery mass that stuck to her head. It felt strangely like a helmet. She moved her fingers around and touched a suction cup. She shivered. She felt a tingling sensation on the back of her head, like millions of little pricks at the same time. She felt her energy draining away and knew the creature was sucking out her essence. With her blade still clutched in her hand, Kara reached behind her head and stabbed the creature repeatedly. She felt a release and finally pulled the suction cup from her scalp and tossed it. With her strength renewed somewhat, Kara assaulted the creatures again. Chunks of limbs rolled onto the ground like logs. Soon Kara could see Jenny, and with a final effort, she yanked the last meaty tendril from her friend. Jenny collapsed in her arms, her eyes barely open.

  Kara shook her gently. “Jenny? Jenny? Can you hear me?”

  Jenny’s skin was nearly transparent. Kara could see gaping wounds over her entire body. White light spilled through them. It had been a mistake to bring them with her. Jenny’s and Peter’s wounds were too severe. They had to go back—

  The ground trembled...a sucking noise...she turned to see dozens more tentacles sprout from the fleshy walls. Dread rippled through her. How were they going to escape?

  “David! We can’t stay here. We need to take Peter and Jenny back!”

  Kara dropped Jenny to the ground and sliced the head of the nearest tentacle. Another ten tentacles lashed out at her.

  And then all at once, the creatures retreated. Like worms wiggling into the ground, the tendrils recoiled back into their fleshy walls.

  A man stood at the far end of the tunnel. His red robe billowed around him. The light of the torches reflected off his bald head. Zadkiel! Even in the distance, Kara could see the malevolent smile across his face. He held a small jar in his right hand. And in the jar was a ball of brilliant light.

  Zadkiel laughed softly. “You are so predictable, Kara Nightingale. Just like all the others—a mortal-loving blundering fool. I knew you would follow me. I knew you would come for your mother. I’ve been waiting for you.”

  Kara was relieved to see the luminance of her mother’s soul.

  “Give it back. And I’ll let you live.”

  She raised her blade. Her anger had awakened her elemental power. She called it forth, and it answered eagerly. She could feel it opening up inside her like a blooming flower. She saw the fear in the archangel’s eyes. He tried to hide it, but she saw it, nonetheless. He wasn’t so sure that she couldn’t kill him.

  Zadkiel’s face was a hard mask. “Your mother is a very ordinary angel. She has no special talents. I don’t know why you risk so much for her—for her miserable soul. It’s pathetic really.”

  Kara lowered her eyes. “I don’t care what you think. You’re going to give it back.”

  The archangel leaned forward a little, his broad shoulders hunched. “I don’t like threats. Especially coming from the mouth of a stupid girl. Besides, you’re in no position to make them. Look around you. Your friends are dying. And believe me, they will not last long in the mouth of an ungor demon.”

  “The mouth of a what?” David looked widely around. He tested his blade against the soft red walls. “We’re in the mouth of some demon? Seriously?”

  The walls growled as if in answer.

  Kara looked over to Jenny and Peter. Their skin was as thin as tracing paper. They were in bad shape. She had to get them out of here.

  “Unfortunately for you, the ungor answers to me,” said Zadkiel.

  Tentacles lashed out, and wrapped themselves around Jenny and Peter. “Make any sudden movements … and it will kill your precious friends.”

  Kara stumbled forward. “Let them go! What is it that you want? My mother’s soul means nothing to you. My friends mean nothing to you. Where’s Asmodeus? Why are you still here?”

  “To deliver a message.”

  His tone was smooth, but Kara detected a hint of deceit. She was sure this was a trick. “What’s the message?”

  “The Legion must not interfere. They are too late. Mortals are weak, and they do not deserve their world. They are destroying it. It is time to take it back. Besides, it is too late for the Legion. The Legion cannot interfere … or it will suffer the consequences. I have to thank you, Kara. You were an important piece to my master’s plans. Without you, it would not have been possible. Soon we will rule the mortal world.”

  His words hit Kara hard. “Asmodeus will never rule Earth. The Legion won’t allow it.”

  The corners of Zadkiel’s mouth lifted. “But that is not for them to decide, demon spawn. Yes, I call you by your true name, Kara. It’s time you stop lying to yourself. Do you really believe that you are a good little angel? You are a demon like your father.”

  Kara recoiled, terrified that what he said might be true. No. It couldn’t be true. She was a guardian angel, sworn to protect the mortals. She pushed the doubt out of her mind and scowled at him. “I am not a demon. I’m a guardian angel—”

  “Wrong again, demon. Soon you will understand … and you will join us. It is only a matter of time until you figure out which side you’re on. My lord asks you to join him now, on his crusade—and he will spare your life.”

  Kara looked at him hard. “I will never join him. I’d rather die than join a monster. You are trying to destroy the world that I love.”

  “So be it. You will rot with the rest of them.”

  “I’m tired of your crap! I’m not listening to this anymore. Give me my mother’s soul. Right now! It’s two against one, and the odds are in our favor. Give me my mother’s soul … or you’re going to die.”

  “That’s right, Mrs. Demon—oh, you don’t mind that I call you by your true name, right?” David stood beside her. “It’ll be a ple
asure to kick your ass. And a very big one I might add—”

  Zadkiel’s expression darkened. A smile twitched on his lips. “You were always too outspoken for my taste, David McGowan. Well then, perhaps I too can play this little game.” He reached into the jar and pulled out the glowing sphere. “One false move, and I will squish this little soul.”

  Kara stepped forward, her golden power sizzling on her fingertips. “Don’t do anything stupid … if you care about your own stinking soul.”

  “You want this?” The archangel lifted the soul into the air and gazed at it. He looked at Kara. “Then go get it—”

  The little sphere rocketed in the air.

  Kara lunged for the soul. In one swift movement, she jumped and caught it. The tiny ball of light illuminated her face and her hands. She held it carefully, as though it might break into pieces in her hands.

  Images of different women flickered in her mind’s eye. An East Indian woman with long black hair wearing a red and gold sari smiled as she waved her hands around in a dance. Another face; this time it was a weather-beaten woman’s face. She was covered in animal furs and sat in the snow sewing wet sealskin onto a kayak frame. She saw an image of her mother as a young girl on roller skates—then as a grown woman holding an infant to her breast. Kara smiled. This was indeed her mother’s soul.

  “Kara!”

  By the time Kara whirled around, Zadkiel was already on the move. She heard him laugh as he dashed down the gullet of the ungor demon. His red robe rippled behind him like a flag caught in a strong wind.

  Anger rose inside her. She dropped the soul carefully into her jacket pocket and ran after him.

  “Kara! No!”

  She heard David’s plea, but she couldn’t stop. She wouldn’t stop. Not until Zadkiel had paid for what he did. She rocketed through the tunnel, her boots churning up the sticky floors. She caught a glimpse of a red robe vanish into another passageway, or was it an alimentary canal leading away from the creature’s stomach. Kara quivered at the thought. Either way, she reached it within seconds. She bolted down the food canal and stopped.

  Kara found herself in a large rounded area with the same wet red walls. What was different in this space were the wooden desks and chairs that stood at the opposite end. A large bookcase rose to the top. Books spilled from its shelves, ragged and torn. Their leather bonds disintegrated into dust. Kara looked around. This must have been where Zadkiel retreated after a long day’s work at the council—to conspire against the Legion, and most probably to communicate with Asmodeus in the safety of the beast’s belly.

  Zadkiel stood in the center of the cavity. He tilted his head and half smiled, as though taunting Kara to come closer. A black mist rolled up behind him, a rift that wavered like a mirage of water.

  “I should have killed you when I had the chance,” laughed the archangel softly.

  “But you didn’t.” Kara threw her Soul Blade.

  The archangel stepped back into the Rift—and disappeared.

  With a soft thud, her blade fell onto the sticky ground.

  Chapter 5

  Falling to pieces