Marked, Soul Guardians Book 1

by Kim Richardson

  “Run!” David bolted in the opposite direction.

  Kara sprang into a run, but then skidded to a stop and turned. “Peter! Come on! What are you doing?”

  He stood frozen and shaking in front of the iron creature. His mouth quivered.

  “Peter! Peter, run!”

  He backed away slowly, his eyes wide. He came to life suddenly, turned, stumbled backwards, and fell. The creature wailed overhead and loomed lower over them. It moved towards Peter. In a second it would devour him. Rage swelled in her, banishing the momentary sensation of panic. In a flash, Kara bolted towards Peter. She grabbed him by the arm, and with a sharp tug she yanked him to his feet and pulled him with her into a run.

  The three of them tore down the street. David suddenly halted, turned, and hurled a glowing red orb across the black sky. It shattered with a blast against the metal creature. A ball of red-hot light exploded in the darkness for a moment and illuminated more buildings shifting around them. A red mist covered the spot where the creature had stood. The mist lifted and revealed a gaping metal mouth. The thing wailed and rose into the air unscathed. It grew in length and twitched like a metal worm. It bent at an angle, and with great speed it came cascading down toward them.

  Kara leapt out of the way just as a metal structure crashed to the ground. The metal monster roared in anger as it realized its prey had escaped. It rolled back and hovered for a moment. Kara sheathed her soul blade. It would be no use on the metal creature.

  She called for her elemental power in desperation. She could feel it loosen inside her. A surge of warm energy started to rise. The warm tingling sensation flickered. But something was wrong. It didn’t surface. The flame fizzled and went out.

  “Kara! Move! What are you doing? Get out of there!”

  She heard David’s cry, but she ignored him. Kara shut out the world around her and concentrated as hard as she could. She tried to feed her power with her angriest emotions and fears. She reached out to her wild energy and it responded with a soothing warmth. She reached deep inside herself and called her power again. It rushed through her from her fingertips to her toes. But as soon as she felt the warmth, a cool followed, then a sudden release, and then nothing.

  She tried again. Nothing.

  It was like trying to start a car with a dead battery. She tried repeatedly to light the ignition—but her own battery was dead.

  What have I done? Had she used up too much of her essence in sharing it with Peter and David? Had their Frankenstein experiment gone way wrong? The dark clouds and lightening had been a warning. In trying to help her friends, she had lost her ability to protect them. She was just an ordinary angel now. Her legs felt as if they would give out at any second. She could hardly focus her eyes. This was all wrong.

  David grabbed her arm and pulled her out of her reverie. “Kara, wake up! What’s the matter with you? We have to get out of this city before it eats us!”

  Kara eyed the building. It shifted and swayed. Its mouth jerked as though preparing itself for its next meal. She stood mute for a moment, and then finally said. “I—I can’t use my elemental powers. I think we used too much of my essence to get you two across. David, I don’t have any more power.”

  David frowned. He raked his hair with his fingers.

  “It’s too late now to do anything about it. We’ll just have to use what we’ve got. Come on!” David pulled Kara with him and ran down the street. Peter followed close behind.

  Kara’s legs were like cement blocks. It took all of her focus just to run. She couldn’t shake off the dread of being powerless. She had been a fool.

  After passing under a low bridge building, they entered a clearing. They turned left and ran down the next block. A building sprouted out from the concrete in front of them.

  David skidded to a stop, and Peter crashed into him. Kara stared open mouthed as the thing broke off pieces of itself and flailed them around like arms. It waved its limbs dangerously. An arm lashed out, and David jumped as the limb crashed on the spot where he had been a second ago.

  “This way!” cried David.

  They turned and ran down a narrow alley. Flames like blow torches licked at them as they ran. A wall of flames sprang up before them and burned painfully into Kara’s angel flesh. Her arms were scorched black and part of her jacket melted way and exposed her crisp and smoking tissue.

  The alley shifted suddenly. The ground shook. They were thrown to the ground. Buildings disappeared into the ground and made way for other structures that sprouted in the air. More metallic creatures loomed over them.

  “The city keeps changing! We’ll never get out of here! It’s got us trapped!” cried Peter, his face streaked with nasty burn marks.

  “Yes we will!” Kara looked over the buildings. “There’s gotta be a way out. The city can’t go on forever. We’ll have to keep going.”

  “There!” David pointed towards a clearing between the buildings. “I think I see an opening.”

  Kara followed his gaze. Light seeped through between the tops of two tall buildings. It had to be a clearing. Hope recharged her strength. “I see it too! Let’s go.”

  The three of them charged down the shady street. The asphalt split and rolled like thick piece of dough. The sky thundered. Blocks of concrete fell from above and crashed around them like bombs. Metal poles sprouted from below the ground like spears. Buildings popped up and slid into place, like a never ending 3d puzzle. The scenery was surreal. The city moaned as it crumbled and gave birth to new structures.

  Peter fell to his knees. He slid his backpack off his shoulders. He staggered, and he tried to stand.

  “Peter! Are you okay?” Kara grabbed his elbow and helped him to his feet.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” He put a hand over his forehead. “I just got a little dizzy. That’s all. We better hurry,” he yelled over the thundering roar of bending and twisting metal.

  He secured his backpack, and Kara let him go reluctantly. She shared a concerned look with David, and they took off running towards the only clearing they could see.

  They jumped over debris and ducked as buildings shifted and tried to knock them down. Violent gusts of wind pushed them back. Ashes flew into their eyes. Grime stuck to Kara’s eyelashes. With a piercing groan the ground rumbled and a fissure appeared on the road up ahead. With another loud groan, the crack spread until the entire block was split in half.

  They halted. Dark shapes crawled out of the crack. Twisted limbs scurried into the street like an army of ants. Scabrous humanoid bodies with white bones jutting hideously through their scorched black flesh and yellow liquid dripping from their sinuous arms and legs moaned as they approached. Their charred faces leered at them, and they charged.

  David sliced through the first line of demons easily. Black liquid sprayed his face and the ground at his feet. The creatures withered and imploded. More came. He twisted around, slashing feverishly. The demons wailed a chorus of death. Their bodies shriveled and exploded into dust.

  Kara stepped protectively in front of Peter. A lesser demon lunged at them. Its mouth opened, and Kara could see rows of sharp yellow teeth and smell its rancid vinegar-like breath. She sliced its head right off. The body fell limp to the ground and disintegrated.

  “Kara, behind you!” yelled Peter, as he crouched down.

  Kara whirled around. Three lesser demons leaped at her, their claws dripping with yellow ooze. With calculated precision, she sidestepped and swung her blade up and across. Warm liquid spattered her face. With a terrifying shriek, the demons fell. Their bodies twisted grotesquely as they wailed and withered away.

  “There are too many of them,” cried David. “We can’t keep fighting them off like this. Let’s get out of here. This way!” urged David. He kicked a demon in the gut, stumbled backwards, and fell.

  “David! Are you hurt?” Kara rushed to his aid.

  David pushed himself up on wobbly legs. He teetered for a moment and held his head in his hands. He lo
oked confused and frightened. “I—I don’t know. I just felt really dizzy all of a sudden…and weak. It’s nothing. I’m fine now.”

  Kara laid a hand on his shoulder and steadied him. She studied his face and leaned closer. “Peter felt the same way a moment ago.”

  She looked into David’s eyes. Kara tensed in near panic. This had been a very big mistake. “David, I’m worried. Something is wrong. Maybe bringing you guys here wasn’t such a good idea—”

  “Uh—guys.” Peter pointed at the new mass of lesser demons charging at them. “I think we have to move.”

  Without a second to waste, Kara let go of David, and the three of them doubled back and headed back the way they came. Another giant building appeared before them. The ground shook. The street cracked and lifted Kara and the others into the air. She landed hard against the ground and rolled. She pushed herself up. Peter and David lay a hundred feet away from her. David scrambled up and ran towards Kara. His mouth moved, but Kara couldn’t hear what he was saying.

  Welcome home Kara…

  Kara struggled forward. A shadow appeared at her feet. She halted. She felt a presence behind her. She whirled around.

  A structure made of brick and metal loomed above her. Black windows lined the front. It hovered over her. A great door on the bottom flashed with green light and tiny bolts of lightning. She staggered back.

  The door swung open—and Kara was swallowed in.

  Chapter 13

  A voyage in the Dark