Kara jumped off the elevator and made her way through rows of desks with holographic screens that wavered with images and maps of cities from around the globe. David and Peter followed closely behind. Angels turned their heads as Kara made her way through level five, the Counter Demon Division. Voices whispered her name. She had thought that the gossiping would have stopped by now. When she fixed them with a stare in return, they immediately looked the other way. Her annoyance flared inside.
She crossed the room and walked up to the great table. Jenny gave her a tight smile and looked over to the archangel, Ariel, who sat patiently at the head of the table. Ariel’s toffee-colored eyes watched them. Poker-faced, Ariel raised her hands and motioned at the empty chairs across from her.
“Guardians. How good of you to join us. Please sit down.”
“Don’t mind if I do, your highness.” David threw himself in the chair next to Kara and laced his fingers behind his head. “Ah...this is better. So...what are we talking about?”
Kara ignored the deadly look in Ariel’s eyes and grabbed the empty seat next to her. Peter took the seat on Kara’s right and hung his head. Kara folded her hands on her lap and waited.
Ariel leaned forward and interlaced her fingers on the table. Her scowl made the hairs on Kara’s neck stand up.
“Kara, tell me, how did your investigation of the rift in Boston go? Was it successful? Were you able to determine the nature of the threat?”
Kara met Jenny’s wide eyes and squeezed her hands together.
Ariel raised her brows. “Right. We can discuss that later. Thor has given me a detailed account regarding the killings in Boston. And unfortunately, we all know Boston wasn’t the only target. It turns out that major cities across the globe have been attacked—Sensitives killed, and the children taken.”
Ariel measured the guardians across the table attentively before she continued. “But among those attacks, I’ve gotten news that not all Sensitive headquarters were overthrown. There are still a few thousand that weren’t affected—thank the souls. Those who were stationed out of their cities while the attacks took place are safe. Our scouts have informed us that only the centers with children were attacked. They are mostly schools and refuges for the newly found Sensitives. The least prepared and least well equipped to fight back...”
“Those white-faced imps.” David stood and shook his fist dramatically in the air. “I knew we should have smashed their faces in when we had the chance.” With a smug expression on his face, he glanced around the table at the other angels. But after a lethal look from Ariel, he sat back down quietly.
“Kara, Thor told me that a dying woman gave you a message?” Ariel looked at Kara curiously. “What was this message she told you?”
Kara stared at the table and recounted the message. She told Ariel that she felt guilty for the recent attacks—that Lilith had it in for her and was going to do everything in her power to make Kara pay for killing their father. She said that this was just a taste of Lilith’s wrath. The disapproving look in Ariel’s eye indicated that she had already guessed the message. Once she was done, she dropped her head, gripped fistfuls of her jeans, and waited.
“The High Council will need to be informed about this,” Kara heard Ariel say.
“Well, I had a feeling Lilith wouldn’t give up so easily,” she continued. “Her anger towards you seems to have worsened immensely. She’s taunting us. She believes she is more powerful than the legion. Her arrogance will be her downfall, mark my words. She will suffer the same fate as her late father. She cannot enslave the mortal world—it’s not possible. Demons are not powerful enough. But while her plans are delusional at best, they are still extremely dangerous. We cannot allow her to harm any more mortals on her quest to avenge her father. We must protect the Sensitives at all costs. They’re our only allies against the Seirs. We cannot fight back without them. Angels will die.”
Kara met Ariel’s gaze. “Isn’t there a way we could fight them?” When Ariel didn’t answer she continued, “I mean...is there a special weapon we could use against them or something? Maybe there’s something we can use that we just haven’t discovered yet. There’s gotta be a way to fight back.”
Ariel pressed her lips in a hard line. “I’m afraid not. As angels, we have sworn an oath to protect all mortals, no matter how evil they turn out to be.”
“Well, that just sucks,” blurted David. “So we just stand there and let these freaks kill us? Is that it? We can’t even defend ourselves?”
“It’s more complicated than that, David.” Ariel brushed a black curl from her eyes. “Angels cannot harm any mortals. No matter how vile or evil they are. You just can’t. It’s forbidden.”
“What would happen if I did?” asked David, “Let’s say I killed one of those tards during my attempt to defend myself. What then? Would I disappear into a puff of smoke?”
Ariel folded her hands calmly on the table. She cocked her head to the side. “Your soul would die immediately. You would cease to exist.”
David rolled his eyes. “Well, that stinks.” He leaned back into his seat with a scowl on his face. “Who’s the moron who thought of that rule anyway?”
“The Chief.” Ariel’s face darkened. The light dimmed in the chamber as though a dark cloud had suddenly cast a gloomy shadow over them.
David blanched, averted his eyes, and picked at his fingernails.
Kara kicked David from under the table. “What David means to say is, why would such a law exist? What if the entire human race went bad? We won’t be able to do anything about it.”
Ariel’s face relaxed a little. “It’s not that simple. There are things you are not aware of, and that you are not allowed to know as guardian angels. I’m sorry, but I don’t have the liberty to discuss the matter any further. All I can tell you, for now, is that angels cannot harm mortals. If you do—you will suffer the true death.”
“That’s just stupid,” whispered David so that only Kara could hear.
Kara shared a sidelong glance with David and then leaned forward. “Archangel Ariel, how are we supposed to fight the army of Seirs that Lilith is building?”
Ariel’s expression was serious. “Hopefully, we won’t have to fight them. The Sensitives will help us, but we must concentrate on Lilith. We need to figure out what her plans are, and we need to get the children back before it’s too late. Our teams’ first priority is to find the children. I want no harm to come to them. Once the children are safe, then we destroy the creature Lilith.”
“Sign me up! When do we start?” David’s brazen smile returned and he rubbed his hands together.
Ariel ignored him. “Our scouts have determined three possible locations for the children’s whereabouts.” Ariel held up her fingers. “Scotland, China, and Australia. A team will be assigned to each of these locations. Field teams will be the same as before.”
The archangel pushed back her chair and stood up, her hair bouncing on her head like springs. “Angels, let’s bring back the children. And may the souls protect you!”
The cool winds of Scotland smelled of soil and pine trees. Kara let her hands fall to her sides. Tall grasses grazed her fingers as she made her way through a vast country field. Shapes were cast in hues of blues and blacks and the night was loud with the sounds of crickets and other nocturnal animals on the hunt. The moon was a brilliant white sphere in the black starlit sky, and shadows crept in every corner.
A twig snapped.
Kara gripped the hilt of her blade and searched the area where the sound had come from, but she found nothing. Large Scots pine trees loomed over Kara and her team like giants from another world. She had never seen such tall pine trees before. Once her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, she was surprised at how well she could see with only the moon’s soft light to guide her.
Rolling hills of rich agricultural lands spread out for miles all around and disappeared into the edges of the night. Eerie shadows moved along the rippling fields l
ike fish in a stream. A winding road came into view. It snaked around the roots of trees in the forest and led into a small valley with a mass of flickering orange lights in the distance.
Kara and the others crept down the valley in silence, the tread of their boots muffled by the grasses, as if they were walking on a lush carpet. Only the constant rustle of leaves broke the stillness around them.
The darkness lives within you...
With a surge of rage, Kara kicked away at the tangle of tall grasses. She stamped through the weeds and underbrush. She gritted her teeth and sighed inwardly. Her darkness was like a door waiting to be unlocked. She would fight it. She wouldn’t become a danger to her friends. She would control her power, and she would resist the call of the netherworld.
Kara closed her eyes for half a second and wished her fears would go away...
“What’s going on with you?” asked David, waking her from her reverie. “You haven’t said anything since we got here. I can tell something’s bothering you. What is it?”
Kara gazed at the rolling hills. “Nothing, don’t worry about it. I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”
“You want to talk about it?”
Yes, Kara wanted to say, but instead she shook her head. “No, it’s fine really. But thanks.”
“You’ve been different ever since we got back from the netherworld,” David pressed, but he kept his voice low. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed. You’ve been...distant. Kara...what’s going on? Tell me, what is it?”
What could she say? Kara pressed her lips together. The pain of his harsh words when he had realized she had been marked came back to her, like being hit by a bus all over again. She couldn’t lose David now. As it was, she could barely keep it together, so she needed him with her. Her friends kept her from losing it; they were the glue to her sanity.
“I’m just angry with Lilith,” she said after a while. It was partly true, so she figured she wasn’t really lying. “She’s hurting innocent people because of me. I never thought she’d go this far. It’s not easy to swallow.”
David nodded and pitched a pebble into the rolling fields before them. “I know, it sucks. She’s a real basket case, your sister.”
“Half-sister.”
David laughed. “Okay, half-sister. She’s got it in for you, you know. She’s really pissed you killed your father.”
“He was never my father...not like a real dad, anyway.” Kara kept her eyes on the countryside. “I never had a dad growing up. But I can’t complain. My mother did an amazing job on her own.”
“I know she did.” David smiled playfully.
Kara dragged her legs through the tall grasses. She desperately wanted to tell David what the creature Morthdu had said. The words danced on her lips. Her eyes met David’s, but the words died in her throat. As she looked away guiltily, an overwhelming feeling of tiredness washed over her. They had only just started their mission, and she felt drained.
“You’re sure there’s nothing else you want to tell me?” David leaned closer. His blue eyes shone with concern.
Kara forced a smile. “No, I promise. It’s just a lot to process right now.”
“If you say so,” said David in an unconvincing tone. He watched her for a while, slowed his pace and then joined the others behind her.
Kara had to use all her willpower to bury her dark thoughts. She clenched her jaw and fought down her disruptive anger towards her half-sister. She tried to focus on their mission to save the children, but her rage clouded her mind. It swelled inside her, ready to burst at any given moment. It had been the same ever since the dying woman gave her Lilith’s message. Her half-sister had inconceivably managed to put her in an uncomfortable situation, once again.
Ariel had said that it was impossible for a demon to rule the mortals, but Kara wasn’t so sure. She had seen Lilith’s power with her own eyes. She had witnessed her easily kill the archangel traitor, Zadkiel. She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that her half-sister had unlimited, unknown powers. Kara didn’t underestimate Lilith.
Kara kicked the grass with her boots. Her dark temper matched the blackness around them, and she was thankful the others couldn’t see her face.
Within a few minutes she discovered a dirt road.
“Do you know where we’re going?” asked Jenny. She smacked her forehead. She pinched her fingers together and flicked something into the darkness. “Got ya, you little bugger.”
Kara laughed softly. “We should reach the village at the end of this road. Dirleton Castle should be straight through, at the other end of the village.”
Pebbles crunched under the weight of Jenny’s boots. “You think the children are in the castle? You know it could be a dead end. God, I hope she didn’t hurt them.”
Kara shook her head. “I don’t know. Lilith is full of surprises. If the children are there, we’ll get them out safely. I won’t let her touch a hair on their heads. I’ve lost my patience with her.”
David whistled loudly. “My money’s on you, Kara.” He gave her a wide smile.
“Geez, thanks.” Kara laughed softly.
“The last time I placed bets with some fellow GAs back at the legion on how many higher demons we’d score, the archangels nearly threw my handsome angel self in Tartarus.” David stroked his face. “My beautiful rose complexion can’t handle such a rough environment.”
“Oh, please, spare us,” said Jenny.
David straightened himself and swept his gaze across the fields. “Scotland, land of the brave.” He turned and pointed at Jenny. “Yer oot yer face!”
“What?” Jenny touched her face. “What’s wrong with my face? There’s something on my face?”
David leered at Jenny proudly. “As daft as a yett on a windy day.”
Jenny rolled her eyes. “You’re a spaz.” She cursed out loud and smacked her cheek hard. “Am I the only one getting eaten alive by bugs? I thought they were attracted to blood? Why are they all over me?”
David and Peter shared a look and laughed uncontrollably.
“Whatever...morons. You’re supposed to be guardian angels—not children.” Jenny stormed ahead of them crossly.
Shadows of buildings formed up ahead. Warm orange lights flickered from lampposts with curled tops, and Kara thought of lanterns being carried by invisible giant hands. The scraping of their boots on the pavement reverberated around them as Kara and the others followed the dark paved road that led to the old-world village.
Quaint stone homes lined the street on either side. Soft light spilled through small windows at the front of houses with red doors and lush gardens. The smell of wood-burning stoves and summer blooms caused Kara to remember the nights she spent at her grandma’s cottage with her mom, burning marshmallows with a stick over a camp fire.
As they got closer, golden light leaked from the homes. A few doors stood ajar. Televisions blared into the night and cars sat in lonely driveways. Kara thought it strange to have the doors open at night, especially with all the bugs. It would be a blood-fest for them. The sound of their boots clanking the pavement echoed around them. The village was as still as a grave. An eerie feeling crept into the back of Kara’s mind. The stillness was unsettling.
“Is it me...or do you guys get a weird feeling like everyone left in a hurry?”
David peered through an open doorway. “Hello? Tourists here...Can you spare a pint of lager for a poor tourist?”
Kara inspected the town more closely. “There’s nobody here to give you a beer, David. It looks deserted to me.”
The sound of an engine running reached her ears. She walked over to an old Volvo wagon parked in a nearby driveway. She pulled open the front door and killed the engine.
“Why would anyone leave a car running in the middle of the night, with the keys inside?” She shut the door.
“This place gives me the creeps. It doesn’t feel normal.” Peter adjusted his glasses as he measured the rows of abandoned homes. “Where did they all go?�
�
“It’s as if they all vanished into thin air,” said Jenny, as she inspected the street.
“Uh...guys...where’s David?” Kara whirled around on the spot. “He was here a minute ago. David!”
After a moment, David sauntered out of one of the houses with a beer can in his hand. He gulped it down and chucked the can away. “Ah...nothing like the taste of a cold beer on a night like this.”
“We don’t taste anything, we’re angels—remember?” said Kara a little annoyed.
David shrugged and grinned. “I forgot.” Peter laughed and seemed to relax a little. She knew David was only trying to help him calm his nerves, and she was thankful it was working, even though he was acting like a fool.
Kara brushed the bangs from her forehead and sighed. “I don’t know what happened here, but we don’t have time to investigate right now. We have to find the castle.”
The four of them hurried past the houses. Further down the street, a clearing in the trees appeared. Dirleton Castle stood proudly on a rocky outcrop and looked down upon the village. It was a giant medieval fortress made of stone. Dark and gloomy, its massive towers cast shadows in the brilliant moonlight. Amongst mature trees and vast manicured gardens Kara could see a bridge under a large archway that led up to the main entrance to the castle.
Peter gazed at the castle with a critical eye. “It looks like a pile of stones. You think there might be ghosts in there? I’ve always wondered if they actually existed. Imagine all the stories they could tell us; it would be really interesting.”
“Don’t be stupid, ghosts don’t exist,” said Jenny while she checked her hair for bugs.
“I’m not so sure about that.” Kara studied her friends’ faces. “We’re supernatural and we exist. Then who’s to say ghosts aren’t real? Maybe they are.”
“I bet they are real,” said David excitedly. “Maybe there are some ghost knights riding around the courtyard on ghost horses!” David galloped widely on an imaginary steed, neighing loudly as he circled around Peter.
Kara shook her head and chuckled softly. “Come on guys, let’s try to be serious. Let’s get to the bridge.”
A tall iron post with a black and white sign stood before them. David walked up to the sign. “Dirleton Castle, open to visitors. Well, there you go, an invitation to the party. Let’s go, it’s this way.”
With David in the lead, the others followed quickly behind. They ran up a twisting pathway in the direction of the main entrance. Once up a small rise, they scurried up to the bridge. Kara curled her fingers around the iron railing. Its icy metal stung her angel flesh. Hundreds of years ago, a giant drawbridge would have protected the gatehouse, but now it was only a simple visitor’s bridge. The tall archway loomed over her like a giant black mouth, waiting to suck her in.
“Ew...what’s that horrible smell?” Jenny screwed up her face and pinched her nose. “Smells like rotten meat and barf.”
“I can hear voices...like screams or something.” Peter glanced behind his shoulder nervously. “I have a bad feeling about this.”
Kara drew a soul blade. “Those aren’t the noises of ghosts. I don’t know what’s waiting for us in there, but be prepared. And remember—we can’t kill any of the Seirs. Just try to get out of their way, and look for the children.”
“Easier said than done.” David brandished two soul blades. He twisted them with his wrists and a wicked smile materialized on his lips. “I just wish I could mess them up a bit. You know... a little payback for angel-napping us.”
“I know, but you can’t. Don’t do anything stupid, David, this isn’t the time.”
“I’ll try.”
“Ready?” Kara studied the gleams in her friends’ eyes. They each took a turn and nodded. “All right. Let’s go.”
Kara ran up the rise on the bridge. Her rage increased with each stride; it surged through her like a tidal wave. Her elemental power danced on the edges of her fingers. She had learned to control it better. It wasn’t wild anymore but soothing and tame. She wasn’t sure how she did it, but now she could keep it boiling inside her and ready. Lilith was going to pay for taking the children, and for ruining her angel life.
Straining her M-5 suit, Kara bolted up the rest of the bridge and charged through the gateway and into the courtyard.
Soft light glowed from torches that lined the walls. Hundreds of men and women fought each other in the large open courtyard. Their bloodied hands reflected hideously in the moonlight. They cut and tore at each other’s flesh. Broken bodies lay on the ground, drenched in pools of blood. Moans and guttural grunts reverberated throughout the courtyard. The mortals all turned as one and faced the angels. Madness gleamed in their eyes. Kara heard Jenny gasp behind her and Peter shrieked. Sunken faces twisted in unrecognizable masks of anger. Blood rolled off their arms and legs as they paced around in a feral distemper. The stink of blood rose in Kara’s nose.
David stood by Kara. “Now this sight is a little disturbing. I feel like I’m stuck in a b-rated zombie movie. It’s as if the entire village has gone mad—and they forgot to bathe.”
Kara nodded absentmindedly. Her mouth was sewn shut. The grip on her dagger loosened. She stared at the horror before them without blinking.
A man with a mask of blood broke from the mob and stepped forward. He pointed a dirty finger at Kara and the others. “Kill! Kill them! Kill them all!”
David cursed loudly.
Kara stepped backwards.
With a thunderous roar, hundreds of bloody mortals stumbled towards them.
Chapter 3
An angry mob of mortals
Marked, Soul Guardians Book 1 Page 87
