Marked, Soul Guardians Book 1

by Kim Richardson

  After an excruciatingly long debrief at Counter Demon Division, Kara, David, and Peter were to report back in person before the High Council. Ariel had ignored Kara’s constant pleadings to let her go alone on a mission to save Jenny. The archangel informed her that she was regrettably obliged to follow the commands issued from the High Council. She flatly denied Kara’s request and told her it was a suicide mission, even though Kara had been to the netherworld before. Kara and the others were summoned to the High Council immediately. Furious, Kara had stormed out of CDD, knocking down chairs and a selection of holographic screens on her way out.

  Kara had remained silent all the way to the Council of Ministers. From the elevator ride with four small red monkeys who decided to play tag with Kara’s head, to the final wild ride in a sky-car that nearly tipped over, Kara couldn’t help but shiver as she remembered Jenny’s terrified face. Lilith had taken Jenny on purpose. She knew Kara would do anything in her power to save her friend. Even if it meant risking her reputation with the legion and her own soul to save her friend—she would do it. Kara had seen the glint in Lilith’s eyes before she jumped through the Rift. Lilith had big plans for Kara. But those plans meant that Kara would have to venture into the netherworld one more time.

  It was with a regretful spirit that Kara followed the others from the sky-car. They tipped the driver with one of David’s shoe-laces and watched him sputter away on his cloud-like contraption. An oracle greeted them immediately.

  “Ah! Miss Clara. There you are at last!” The oracle rolled towards them crushing concrete pebbles under the weight of his enormous crystal ball. The oracle danced above the sphere and flailed his arms around excitedly. His wispy white hair swayed like tall grasses above his head. He beamed at the sight of them, but quickly recovered with a serious demeanor. “You’re late! Hurry! Hurry! We mustn’t keep the Council waiting. They are very anxious to hear your news.”

  “I’m sure they are,” growled Kara.

  She glimpsed his large toes and long yellow nails peeking out beneath his glimmering silver robes. They looked remarkably similar to Mr. Patterson’s toes. An ache rose inside her. Kara longed for her mortal days at the bookstore when none of her friends was being tortured by an evil stepsister.

  The oracle arched a bushy eyebrow. He was silent for a moment, the blue in his eyes gleamed. “Well of course, why wouldn’t they be? Asmodeus has another daughter. Dreaded business this is, after what we’ve suffered—so many dead angels—so many dead souls—such a massacre in Horizon.”

  A wave of sadness washed over the oracle’s face. He turned his back to them and stared into space. His blue eyes glazed over suddenly, and then he recited in a monotone voice. “And out from the darkness she will be unleashed into the worlds…and only from the same darkness can she be undone…”

  “What?” Kara spun around. “What did you just say, oracle?”

  The oracle’s eyes widened. “What? Oh, nothing—don’t mind me—just prattling along in my old age. Can’t help the images I see though, from time to time. Dreaded business this is.” He bent down and picked at his toenails.

  “Oracle?” David leaned forward.

  The oracle turned his head and met David’s eyes. He smiled. “Hmm? Yes? What is it?”

  “We’re supposed to be somewhere, remember?”

  “We are? Oh, dear.” The oracle scratched his head. “What was I about to do? Dear me, I’ve forgotten again. Drat! Curse these visions. Always meddling with my mind.” The oracle stomped his foot and pouted. “Tell me boy, where was I going?”

  David shook his head gently and laughed. “You were escorting us to the High Council…remember?”

  The oracle’s arm shot up, and he pointed a finger in the air. “Yes! Yes! Of course. Quickly now, come along angels. The Council awaits you,” urged the oracle. He shifted his robe and straightened it with a hard tug. “It pains me to see the Council so distressed. Make haste! Make haste!” He turned his crystal around and rolled it towards the grey metal door at the end of the landing platform. His robes flapped against the wind, and he raced towards the door.

  Kara sighed and followed the others in silence. David kept glancing worriedly over his shoulder. Once through the door, they trod down the long hallway decorated with vibrant tapestries and important looking portraits of previous officials. Kara hated that their eyes always seemed to accuse her of something before the fact. She shuddered and kept her eyes looking straight ahead and ignored their gloomy gazes.

  They arrived before two giant brass doors. The oracle pushed them open and waited on the other side. He gestured them in.

  Kara sauntered behind the others. The only sound was the echo of their feet. She took the time to inspect the chamber. The last time she had been here, the chamber had been in total disarray. The glass dome had been shattered and carpeted the ground in shards. The wood seats and walls had been destroyed, as though a bomb had been set off. Kara shivered as she remembered the dying angels scattered and broken all over the chamber. She crossed the room and halted. The others scrambled to her side. Kara stood in the middle of the chamber, on the exact spot where she had faced Asmodeus and killed him for the last time.

  But now the chamber had been mended to its original glory. Rays of yellow light spilled through the enormous glass dome. A great blue sky hovered above them. The Council members sat upon a dais around a slick black half-moon desk. Seven pairs of eyes watched her with great interest.

  She started to feel extremely cautious. She didn’t recognize any of the archangels except for the beautiful woman with red wavy hair. Camael had survived Asmodeus’s vicious attack. Her green eyes smiled at Kara. She let herself relax a little and unclamped her hands.

  At the head of the table sat Uriel’s replacement. He had a soft reddish-brown complexion, high cheekbones, and a strong jaw. His small dark eyes looked intense and curious. His straight black hair cascaded down past his broad shoulders. If she had to guess his nationality, she would have said Native American. His face was beautiful. In fact, Kara noticed all the new members were exceptionally good looking. She had always wondered why that was—was their good looks a form of intimidation?

  The archangel stood up. His forest green robe rippled around him as he raised his hands. “Welcome, guardians, to the Council of Ministers. Let me introduce myself. I am Jeremiel, the new minister of ministration and peace.” His voice was throaty, not at all like Uriel’s musical tone, but Kara liked it nevertheless.

  “You have been summoned here to help clarify the details of your last mission,” continued Jeremiel. “We want to hear about the incidents pertaining to the supposed elemental. The archangel Ariel has informed us of a very grave situation, and we would like to hear the events of your mission from you personally.” Jeremiel pushed back his robe and sat down. He interlaced his fingers above the great desk. “Please. Tell us what happened.”

  The others fidgeted on the spot. Peter shook his head and stared at his feet. He then pretended to be interested in something behind him. Only David seemed keen to speak before the Council. He winked at Kara and gave her thumbs up.

  “Ahem. Dear majesties and nobles of the afterlife,” began David as he stepped forward, “I can help you with that. I was there. You see, with my astonishing skills as a CDD agent—”

  Jeremiel lifted his hand to silence him. The archangel smiled at Kara. “We were hoping, perhaps, that Kara Nightingale might enlighten us with the details, partly since it has greatly to do with her.”

  David’s mouth fell open. “Uh…right…of course.” He stepped back and gave Kara a shrug. She knew he was hurt by the sudden dismissal. David wanted to prove to everyone that he was a great guardian, despite his reputation as a hot head. He mumbled to himself and folded his arms.

  Jeremiel smiled gently at Kara and bobbed his head. “Please, tell us what happened on your mission in your own words.”

  All eyes fell on Kara. She clasped her hands tightly behind her back. She met Jeremiel
’s eyes and nodded.

  And so Kara recounted the events to the Council, with elaborated details about the seirs and sensitives. She paid special close attention to the parts about Lilith. She watched for reactions from the Council, but their visages were unreadable and expressionless. When she was finished, she looked to the Council and waited.

  A flash of uncertainty passed briefly through Jeremiel’s dark eyes. His face was drawn, and he shared a few looks with the other archangels. After a moment, he turned his attention back to Kara. “And that’s exactly what happened?”

  “Yeah…” said David dreamily. “It was awesome. You should have seen their ugly clown faces when they ran. I scared them.”

  Jeremiel ignored David and shook his head in puzzlement. “I fear it is far worse than the archangel Ariel had warned.”

  Jeremiel was silent for a long moment. And when he spoke again, his face was grave. “And you are certain she is not elemental…this Lilith?”

  Kara nodded. “I wasn’t sure at first. I thought she was—to me it felt as though she was elemental. But she only did that to trick me. When she showed her true self to us, I knew she wasn’t elemental. She felt foul. She felt like a demon…only different. I can’t explain it.”

  “I see.” Jeremiel watched Kara closely. She shifted her weight uncomfortably under his mesmerizing gaze. Jeremiel leaned forward and lowered his head. “My next question is of the greatest importance, Kara. Do you remember if Lilith implied that she was an only child?”

  Kara raked her brain trying to recall the events with Lilith. “I’m not really sure. I don’t remember everything. I was so angry with her. I’m sure I missed a few things. I thought she was a little elemental kid who had gone wacko, so I didn’t pay that much attention at first. But she didn’t say anything about that...I think. Are you saying that there’s more than one?” She cringed. Could there be more than one Lilith?

  The Council erupted in a disharmony of heated arguments. Kara watched stunned, as the archangels shouted at each other angrily over the sparkling desk. Kara caught a few words like demise and forever darkness amongst the yelling. Their voices boomed across the chamber and ricocheted off the walls like the crack of thunder before a great storm. The sky clouded over, and the room was blanketed in darkness momentarily.

  “Enough!” Jeremiel raised his arms in the air, and the Council was silent once again. Kara could hear her own fingers twitching behind her. “We cannot be sure of anything. Let us not be victims of our emotions. For now, we know only of one progeny. We cannot tell if there are others.”

  David whistled between his teeth, “Whoa—an army of your sisters,” he whispered.

  “She’s not my sister!” hissed Kara, and gritted her teeth.

  “Uh…right. Then an army of your freaky albino half-sisters.”

  Kara felt uneasy. She didn’t know what to believe. The thought of Jenny surrounded by a group of white-skinned abomination half-sisters was terrifying to her. Was Jenny’s soul still alive? She had to believe it was. It was obvious Lilith wanted Kara to pay for killing Asmodeus. And Jenny was caught in the middle of it. If Lilith was anything like her father, she would keep Jenny alive long enough for Kara to see her suffer. She was sure of it. She had to get to Jenny.

  “Jeremiel, we must assume that there are others,” said a dark skinned Council member in deep burgundy robes. “Asmodeus was cunning. How do we know she is the only one? He might have a thousand offspring! What would happen if they attacked us? Clearly this Lilith has inherited some of his powers…and something else entirely. The legion is at risk! We cannot pretend it to be otherwise.”

  “Calm yourself, Leriel,” soothed Jeremiel. He rubbed his hands absently. “We need to think this through. Let’s not jump to any conclusions.”

  “What we need is more information,” interrupted a brunette archangel with an olive complexion. “We need evidence that there are more offspring. If we knew for sure, then we could prepare ourselves properly. As of now, nothing is for sure. There might be one. There might be hundreds. How can we protect our world without knowing what to expect?” Her piercing blue eyes focused on Kara for a moment.

  “I believe Muriel is correct,” Jeremiel drummed his fingers on the desk. “We shouldn’t make any hasty decisions without all the facts.”

  “And how are we supposed to get more information, Jeremiel?” asked Leriel, his voice rising above the others. “The netherworld is shut to angels. We cannot see beyond its walls. What do you propose we do? Shall we knock on their door and ask them politely?”

  Jeremiel closed his eyes for a moment, lost in his own thoughts. “You are quite right, Leriel. But there is someone who can. We are fortunate to have amongst us an angel with special abilities. An angel who has been to the netherworld…and come back.”

  Kara shifted nervously. She felt all the eyes of the Council on her again. She hated to be the center of attention. She glanced at her boots.

  “Kara,” she heard Jeremiel say, “I’m afraid we must burden you once again with a dangerous mission. We would never ask you to take on such a perilous task and risk your angel soul if we didn’t feel the immediate threat against Horizon. We ask that you go back to the netherworld—and find out if Asmodeus had any more offspring. We need you to spy for us.”

  “Hey! I want to be a spy too!” whispered David, a slight frown on his face. “I’d be an awesome spy. One of my nicknames back at the legion is Double-O-Dave.”

  Kara ignored David and sighed in relief. It was better than she had hoped for. This time she wouldn’t have to sneak out. She could go to the netherworld, gather information for the Council, and save Jenny in the process. It was a good plan, and she needed to start right away.

  “I’ll do it,” she said a little too eagerly. “I’ll leave right away. I’ll get whatever information you need and get my friend Jenny out while I’m there—”

  “Kara,” interrupted the archangel Camael. She looked at Kara kindly. “Your friend couldn’t have survived the netherworld’s environment. I am sorry…but you must understand that her soul is no longer with us. This new mission is dangerous, and you mustn’t stray from it. It will require your full attention. Don’t attempt a rescue mission that’s already lost. Your friend is gone.”

  “She’s not gone! Her soul still lives. I know it!” Kara’s voice rose before she could control it. She didn’t care. She knew Jenny couldn’t survive long in the netherworld, but there was still a chance her friend was alive. She couldn’t be dead. Kara couldn’t face the fact that she had been the cause of her best friend’s death.

  “Please be reasonable, Kara,” said Camael softly. “I know we owe you so much for all that you have done for Horizon, but please listen to us. I do not want to hurt you with these words. I want you to be prepared. Lilith is luring you into a trap. Don’t forget who her father was. She is just as cunning. She knows how far you will go to save your friends. Don’t ever forget that. She’s counting on your emotions. Your friend Jenny is gone. Don’t be fooled by the demon’s words.”

  Kara shook her head. “She’s not. I know she’s not.” Kara grabbed a fistful of her jeans. “And I will find her,” she whispered to herself. “I will.”

  Jeremiel flattened his palms against the desk. “Well then—Kara Nightingale—will you accept this new mission to seek out information from the depths of the netherworld?” There was a long moment of dead silence.

  Kara shifted her weight. “I accept,” she said finally.

  The archangel Leriel leaned forward. “And how, may I ask, do you plan on entering the demon’s world?” he asked with a hint of disdain in his tone.

  Kara met his gaze. “The same way as I did before. Through a Rift.”

  “Will they not sense your arrival?” Leriel’s voice was cold, and he gave her a serious look.

  “Maybe. I’m not sure how it works. But don’t worry. I’ll retrieve the information.” She smiled coldly at him. “I’ll be back before you know it. You can coun
t on that.”

  Leriel pursed his lips and leaned back into his chair. His face was expressionless once more.

  The room was ominously silent. Jeremiel raised his hand. “Kara. I will ask Ariel to be an adviser on this mission. She will join you on level five when you are ready, and you can discuss your plans with her there. You will have the legion’s full cooperation on this mission.”

  “Thank you, I’m sure I’ll need it.” Kara straightened, her face a calm mask. Her hands twitched nervously behind her. I’m coming, Jenny. Just hang on a little longer.

  “I’m coming with you,” whispered David. “And you can’t stop me this time.” He raked his hair with his hands.

  Kara frowned, and spoke with the side of her mouth. “No you’re not. You can’t come with me, David. I’m sorry, but it’s too dangerous for you. You know that.”

  “I’m coming.”

  “You’re not—”

  “What were you saying Mr. McGowan?” Jeremiel swept his gaze between the two of them with great interest. His dark eyes were locked on David.

  “That I want to come with her,” blurted David. “She shouldn’t be going in there alone. She needs my help.”

  Jeremiel shook his head. His long black hair spilled around his shoulders. “That is impossible, my dear boy. Your angel soul would disintegrate into dust the moment you crossed into the demon realm. It’s not possible.”

  “He’s right, you know. You’d die.” said Peter, and buried his chin into his neck when he saw David’s murderous expression.

  “She shouldn’t be going alone! It’s suicide!” David’s voice rose, and Kara saw the irritation flash across Jeremiel’s face. “There’s got to be another way to cross. Maybe we just haven’t found it yet.”

  Kara clasped David’s hand. She squeezed it gently. “It’s all right David. I’ll sneak in and sneak back out. I promise. I won’t let anything happen. I’ll be back before you know it. Besides, it’s my fault Jenny’s been taken. I just can’t leave her there. I’m the only one who can do this. I have to do this alone.”

  “I don’t like it.” David made a face and crossed his arms over his chest. “She expects you to go, you know, Lilith.”

  “I know. But I can’t let Jenny die just because my half-sister is psycho. I have to try and save her.”

  Kara and David stood and stared at each other. An understanding passed between them. David squeezed her hand back and smiled.

  “I get it,” said David. The blue of his eyes glistened in the soft light. “Just don’t let yourself get killed.”

  “I won’t. I promise.”

  “Very well,” said Jeremiel. “It is settled. Kara—may the souls protect you on your journey.”

  For the first time, Kara saw a hint of a smile on Jeremiel’s lips. He pointed a long finger at David and Peter. “You two are to return to CDD. You will report back to the archangel Ariel, and remain at your post until further notice. This meeting is adjourned.”

  “Wait! What about the seirs?” asked Kara suddenly. “What are you going to do about them?”

  Jeremiel’s brow wrinkled, and he gave her a little smile. “The seirs are a group of mortals who have been causing havoc for centuries. They’re harmless, just a nuisance to the rest of the mortal world. They are not a direct threat to us and, therefore, not our primary concern. They can be easily dealt with if they start making trouble. Don’t worry. Do not concern yourself with them, Kara. Your only focus should be getting us the information we need.”

  “Right. If you say so.” Kara bobbed her head.

  She watched the Council. They were too confident. That was their first misstep. Their reluctance in giving attention to the seirs was a mistake—a very big mistake. Mortal or not, they could do some serious damage. But it was not for her to decide. And Jenny needed her help right now.

  With Jeremiel’s words echoing in her head, Kara turned on her heel and stormed out of the chamber. She didn’t wait for the others. She ran down the hall and passed an oracle who was wrapping his beard around his head. She heard David and Peter call out her name, but she ignored them and ran harder. There was hope, a shred of hope, that Jenny was still alive. There was only one way to find out.

  She had to go back to the hall of souls.

  Chapter 9

  Windows to the Souls