Marked, Soul Guardians Book 1

by Kim Richardson

  Kara dreamed she was hanging upside down like a piece of meat. Everything hurt, especially her throbbing head. Usually in dreams, you don’t feel pain. Why did she feel pain?

  It wasn’t a dream.

  She peeled open her crusted lashes and looked around. Blood gushed to her head, and she fought the urge to vomit. Pressure pushed at the back of her eyes, like they were just about to pop out of her head. She was hanging upside down. Her head hovered twelve inches off a moss—covered ground. As her eyes adjusted to her surroundings, she could tell she was in a clearing in a forest and not in the cave. A faint whisper of waves reached her, the ocean wasn’t too far away.

  The air smelled like a mixture of manure and chicken noodle soup. A large cauldron sat above a blazing fire in the middle of the clearing and right in front of Kara. Yellow vapors coiled from the rim and disappeared into the dark orange sky. A few skulls littered the ground around the cauldron. Because she was upside down, Kara couldn’t tell if they were animal or human.

  She twisted her head around. Orange light poured between the gaps in the trees. A great tree trunk was rooted in the middle of the clearing. Its top was cut, and a crooked wooden house sat above it, nestled between branches. The house had a moss—covered roof, and red light glowed from four round openings that Kara guessed were windows. It had a wraparound porch. Ropes dangled from a wooden platform, which was connected to a rectangular wood contraption with a door on the ground below. It was the strangest house Kara had ever seen. A house in a tree—it had to be Olga’s house. Only a witch could live in a tree...or squirrels.

  Looking around, she couldn’t see any witch or any human form. Only crows nestled in the trees nearby, their yellow eyes fixed on Kara.

  She tried to swallow, but her throat was raw. She was incredibly thirsty. As if on cue, her stomach growled loudly. She was starving, and she felt like she was about to become someone else’s meal. She turned her head around and winced. Her right arm throbbed. It was pinned against her body awkwardly, making the pain worse. Her heart pounded, and her ribs ached. Sweat trickled down her back. She swallowed back her tears.

  Moving her head slowly to her left she could make out three other hanging bodies, chained up like cocoons just like her. From what she could see, their M—suits were still intact—their angel souls were still alive. David’s head was turned to the side, so she couldn’t tell if he was conscious. But still, the situation was worse that she could have possibly imagined. This was not how she planned on meeting the witch, hanging from her feet like a bat. She felt the sickness rise in her throat again. She had to get out of these chains...

  She struggled against her restraints, but it was useless. She couldn’t break through metal chains with a broken arm. She was just a regular mortal.

  “Kara...” whispered a voice. Kara turned her head to the left. David’s blue eyes were staring right at her.

  “David!” she whispered back. “Thank God, you’re okay.”

  “I wouldn’t call this okay, but yeah—I’m still in one piece. But I can’t say the same about Peter. He’s not looking good.”

  Kara looked past David and saw Jenny. Her wide green eyes looked her way, but Peter’s eyes were closed. His skin was a transparent color, and he wasn’t moving. Where his legs should have been, she could see short stumps with ends that emitted dim light. She had to get Peter back to Horizon before his soul died.

  “We have to get him out of here.” Kara bucked and kicked as hard as she could.

  In her anger, she forgot her pain and cursed herself for being so foolish. How could she fight against giant rock men or metal chains? Had Ariel known about this? Had she sent Kara and her friends to their deaths?

  Kara felt it was all her fault, and if they died she would never forgive herself.

  She could not let her friends die. She closed her eyes and focused all her energy deep inside herself, in her soul, where her elemental power once belonged.

  She felt something rise deep inside—there was something there—she could feel it. She focused all her strength on it. She called to it. It answered with a spark, then a warm ripple. It came to her—

  “I’d stop doing that if you know what’s good for you,” said a voice.

  The connection died, and Kara opened her eyes.

  A short and skeletal woman stood before her. If Kara had not known better, she would have thought her a ghost. Her long yellow toenails peeked from under a layer of shredded lace. A dilapidated gray wedding gown encrusted with dirt and grime hung loosely on her skinny frame. Wisps of white hair peppered her nearly bald head and made her unnaturally large ears stick out even more. Her olive colored skin hung loosely around her face in many layers. She looked ancient—her back was hunched over, and she leaned on a walking stick that looked like an old tree branch. She wore a small leather pouch tied to a belt around her waist. One glowing yellow eye focused on Kara. Where the other should have been, there was only a blackened hollow hole.

  But her one glowing yellow eye was alert and full of vigor.

  Kara averted her eyes from the hollow eye socket. “I wasn’t doing anything—”

  “Oh, yes you were, girlie,” rasped the woman, in a voice that sounded like Fay sisters’ voices. The old woman wobbled closer to Kara. Her bony knees cracked as she came forward.

  Kara opened her mouth to say, no I wasn’t, but decided to drop it.

  “Are you...are you Olga?” she asked instead, in the most polite voice she could muster hanging upside down.

  The woman ignored Kara as she inspected her closer. Kara could smell her sour breath. The dirty lace dress tickled her face.

  The woman stepped back after a moment. Then she reached up to her face with a pop—pulled out her yellow glowing eye.

  “What the—” said David, as he stifled a laugh.

  The old woman bent over Kara with her eye in her hand and moved it along her body like a magnifying glass, stopping every now and then. “Hmm...oh, yes, yes, yes,” she mumbled while dragging her yellow eye over Kara.

  “I told you she had it, Henry. It’s as plain as rain. I see it—it’s all over her.”

  Kara blinked. The yellow eye stared at her. The black pupil moved around inside the glowing yellow ball. Kara opened her mouth to scream, but the woman moved her eye away and was now inspecting Kara’s feet.

  Kara shared a look with David. Despite the fact that they were hanging upside down, he was smiling. Jenny looked disgusted.

  Finally, after a few minutes inspecting Kara with her eye, the old woman popped her eye back in its socket and twisted it back into place as if it were a bolt.

  The old woman leaned on her stick with both hands.

  “See Henry? I told you she had it. Haven’t seen one with so much of it for a very long time, I must say. How very interesting.”

  Kara turned her head, but she couldn’t see the one she called Henry anywhere. Maybe the old woman was senile.

  “Uh...excuse me, but are you Olga?”

  The old woman didn’t answer so Kara continued. “My friends and I are looking for her. We were told we’d find her somewhere near the cave. It’s very important that I speak with her.”

  “These spirit walkers,” the old woman spat, “are not your friends, girlie. You should stay away from them. Spirits should stay dead—away from the world of the living. It is against the laws of nature.”

  She hit her stick against the earth, and the ground trembled at its touch like a mini earthquake.

  “Listen, lady.” said David. “It’s not like we wanted to come here and ruin your tea party, but we didn’t have a choice. Could you just answer her so we can get out of here—”

  “Silence! Do not speak to me, spirit walker!” The old woman’s dress billowed around her in a gust of wind. “Dare speak to me again, and I will destroy you like I destroyed the others of your kind—”

  “Mommy, can I do it please?” whined a voice. And for the first time Kara noticed that the rock giants w
ere sitting comfortably in the shadows, looking bored. “Bill crushed the last spirit walkers—and he didn’t even leave me one—it’s not fair,” moaned the smaller rock giant.

  The rock giant, Bill, smashed the other giant on the head with his battle—axe. “You’re such a baby, Will. It’s not my fault I’m a better fighter than you. Mom always said I was the strongest—”

  “Yeah...but you’re ugly.”

  BOOM!

  Will hit Bill in the chest with a powerful blow of his club, and Bill went crashing down. Dust and pebbles flew in the air as the two giants attacked each other.

  “Boys, enough!” The old woman slammed her walking stick on the ground. Two electric tendrils shot out from it and coiled around the giants. With a zap, the current separated them and blasted them apart.

  Smoke rose from their bodies as they rubbed their heads. They stared across at each other angrily, but didn’t go at it again.

  “He started it,” said Will with a pout.

  “No I didn’t, you did,” said Bill angrily.

  Will jumped to his feet. “You did!”

  “Stop this nonsense at once!” cried the old woman. “Don’t make me boil you for soup.”

  She lifted a bony finger at them. “You know what happened last time.”

  Will slumped to the ground and folded his arms around his chest. Kara thought she saw a grin on Bill’s crusty face.

  The old woman turned her attention back to Kara. “Didn’t know what I was thinking, when I adopted these rock trolls—should have left them in the woods to rot!”

  She raised her voice. “And don’t you dare tell me I told you so, Henry, I’m not in the mood today.”

  Pain shot through Kara’s arm. Tears rolled down her forehead and onto the ground below. “Please Olga—I know you’re the witch—we need your help.”

  “My help? And why should I help you, girlie?”

  “Because you’re the only one who can help—” Kara faltered and winced. “—who can help us? Please...my arm,” Kara cringed. “It’s broken. I need to sit down—”

  The witch snapped her fingers, and Kara fell to the ground headfirst. She lifted her head—the chains had vanished. Hot pain exploded in her arm as she struggled to her feet. She did her best not to cry out. The ground wavered, and she steadied herself. Something was missing—her backpack. She must have dropped it in the cave. She licked her dry lips—she was so thirsty.

  “Here, drink this.” A wooden cup appeared in Olga’s hand.

  Kara took the cup in her shaking fingers. Steam rose from the rim, and the sweet aroma of tea rose in her nose. She brought the cup to her trembling lips and gulped it down in two swallows. Warmth spread through her body immediately. Only then did she think that it might be poison, but it was too late. She stared at the bottom of the empty cup. It was the best tea she had ever tasted.

  “Don’t worry, it’s not poison,” said Olga, as though reading her thoughts.

  Kara stared at her hands. The cup had vanished. She looked up into Olga’s yellow eye. The old witch was smiling as though she was amused to see Kara so bewildered. Kara’s arm started to hurt again, and she cradled it with her other arm.

  “Don’t move,” ordered Olga, and she hit the ground twice with her staff.

  “What—?”

  The ground shifted and moaned beneath Kara’s feet. The earth broke and soil spat out from deep gashes like mini volcanoes. Then roots sprouted from the ground near her feet. They rose and coiled around her like thick lassoes, until she was covered completely, mummified by roots. They went up through her coat, touched her skin, and coiled around her broken limb. A warm pulsing enveloped her. The rough roots squeezed her gently, but she wasn’t afraid. It was like she had been wrapped in a warm leather blanket. She was embraced in the warm comfort from the roots. She could already sense its healing powers, like warm sunrays.

  And then all at once, the roots slithered off Kara and disappeared back into the ground like giant worms.

  Kara lifted her right arm and inspected it. There was no more pain. She flexed her arm muscles—they were as good as new, maybe even better.

  “That’s amazing? How did they do that?”

  Olga grinned. “Our mother Earth has many healing powers.” Olga turned around and spoke to no one in particular. “Of course, I know. You’d better be quiet, Henry, or I’ll throw you in the cauldron again!”

  Kara searched behind Olga. “Who are you talking to?”

  Olga pointed to a human skull resting on a wooden stool near the cauldron—Henry.

  “To Henry, husband number thirteen—doesn’t even know when to shut up, even in death.”

  Kara eyed Henry nervously.

  “I hate to interrupt your lovely bonding, but...a little help here?” David twisted against his restraints. “I’m going to lose it if I don’t get out of this soon.”

  Olga snapped her fingers, and a metal chain twisted around David’s mouth, silencing him. He frowned and yelled angrily through his metal muzzle.

  Kara lifted her hands in surrender. “Please, Olga. These are my friends. They mean you no harm, I promise. They came here with me to find you.”

  The old witch shook her head. “Spirit walkers are sworn enemies of our kind. They are not your friends, girlie.”

  Kara planted her feet. “My name is Kara. I’m on an important mission for the legion of angels. And these angels here are my friends. Please let them go. They are hurt and might die if I can’t get them back to Horizon—”

  Olga lifted her hand. “I’m not interested in the dealings of spirit walkers. The dead should stay dead. They shouldn’t be roaming the earth in these corrupted body bags. It goes against the laws of nature. Spirits should stay in the land of the spirits and not mingle in the land of the living.”

  Kara could sense that it wasn’t going to be easy to pursue her for help, if she felt so strongly about the angels. Kara was angry with Ariel. Ariel knew that the witch had already killed some guardians—and she had still sent them here anyway. She wouldn’t forgive her for that.

  “There’s a Dark warlock that’s killing people,” Kara blurted before she knew what she was doing. “He’s collecting souls—he’s infected thousands already. If we don’t stop him, they’re all going to die, including my mom. Please—I beg you, help us.”

  The witch measured Kara for a moment then closed her single eye. She stood for a moment without moving and then said, “Go. Fetch the pendant next to Henry. Don’t worry, he can’t bite anymore, I saw to that.”

  “Mom, I’ll go get it for you,” said Bill. He grinned at Will, and his yellow eyes glowed with mischief.

  Will jumped to his feet, and Kara felt a small tremor beneath her boots. “Not fair! I want to go get it!”

  “Both of you shut up!” yelled Olga. “You can’t touch it with your big stupid fingers—you’ll crush it into dust, and then where would we be, eh? Now sit and be quiet!”

  The ground shook as Will fell back down. Both rock giants glared at each other.

  Kara looked back at David who raised his eyebrows in a way that said, go get it.

  Kara could see that Jenny’s attention was focused on Peter, and if angels could cry, she was sure she’d be balling her eyes out.

  Olga still had her eyes closed when Kara ventured towards Henry. She passed the cauldron and stole a look inside. Carrot and potato cubes bobbed in a thick creamy mixture. It looked like a giant vegetable soup, bubbling happily. It smelled wonderful, and her stomach growled. It took a lot of effort not to dunk her head in there and swallow a mouthful. Will and Bill were staring at her as they polished their weapons. It was clear they wanted to use her as target practice.

  Leaving the soup behind, Kara had a good view of Olga’s little wooden cottage nestled on the top of a great pine tree. Massive branches held it up, like a hand clutching an ashtray. It was even more crooked up close. Wood planks and beams jumbled together in a big puzzled mess. It was a miracle it didn’t fall
apart in a gust of wind. There were no visible stairs to go up. Maybe the witch floated to the front door? A large hand—painted sign at the top read: “An Old Bat A Witch & 3 Monsters Live Here.”

  Kara wasn’t sure whether to laugh or take the sign seriously. Maybe there were three monsters after all—this was a witch’s house.

  Without further hesitation, Kara walked around the other side of the cauldron. Henry the skull sat comfortably on a plush cushion made of red and gold silk atop a small wood bench. It could have been his seat once upon a time, before he became a human cranium. He looked like a normal skull, except for the fact that his mouth was clamped shut with rusted nails. Kara wondered if he had acquired them before or after he became just a skull.

  The pendant was wrapped around Henry like a large necklace.

  She took a breath and grabbed the pendant. At first, she thought it might burn her or turn her into a bug or something. But nothing happened. She held it up in her hand. Runes were etched into a stone the size of her palm that hung from a black leather cord. The leather was cracked and worn, but the pendant glimmered without a scratch. Why did Olga need this?

  Kara marched up to the witch and held out her hand. “Here,” she said, “I did what you asked—now will you let my friends go?”

  Olga examined the pendant, and then she pointed a skeletal finger at Kara. “You need to put that over your head, girlie. It’ll protect you against evil.”

  Kara had no idea what she was talking about, but she lowered the pendant around her neck anyway. She looked over to Peter. His M—5 suit’s skin was barely keeping his essence in. He was leaking out.

  “Please, you must release my friends—they’re going to die. I promise you, they’re not the enemy.”

  The witch frowned and shook her head. “They were warned not to enter the cave. All spirit walkers who dare to enter my cave suffer the consequences. I will use their spirits for my spells. They are the most powerful, you know. But not to worry, girlie—they will be put to good use.”

  Kara approached Olga.

  “But you don’t understand. We’ve been sent here on a mission by the legion—all four of us. These spirit walkers are my friends, and we’re here to save the mortals from the dark warlock. We were sent here to ask for your help. My boss told me that years ago the witches and angels fought together to rid the world of the dark warlocks. I’m asking for that allegiance once more.”

  Kara searched the old woman’s face. “Please, Olga. Come with us and help us fight this evil before it’s too late. You must help us.”

  For a moment Olga didn’t move or say anything. Then, she snapped her fingers. David, Jenny and Peter fell to the ground, and their chains vanished.

  Immediately, Jenny rushed over and cradled Peter in her arms. She rocked him gently and whispered in his ear. Kara felt a lump in her throat.

  David pushed himself up on his feet and then steadied himself. “Took you long enough. Man, am I still upside down or are you upside down?” He rubbed his head.

  Olga shuffled forward. She pulled out her eye and moved it slowly around David.

  “Hmm. I see many ruthless spirits in you, spirit walker,” she said and then wacked him with her staff.

  “Ouch! What did you do that for?” he said and jumped away looking disgusted. “Can you put that eye back in its socket. It’s freaking me out, grandma.”

  “Kara,” said Jenny urgently. “We need to get Peter out of here. I think...I think he’s dying.”

  Peter’s M—suit was as thin as tissue paper, barely holding his essence.

  Kara turned towards the old witch. “Please Olga,” she pleaded. “We need your help to defeat the warlock. I’ll do anything you want. Will you not help us?”

  Olga twisted her eye back into its socket with a sickening pop. “I’ve already given you what I can. You already posses the skills that you need.”

  “Now you’re talking crazy, grandma,” said David. He and Kara shared a look.

  Kara suppressed the panic in her voice when she spoke next. “We need magic to defeat the warlock. We don’t have magic. You have the magic we need. Without you—we can’t defeat him.”

  “Listen, madam witch, you’re the only witch left to help us,” said David. “Let’s face it, you hate me and my friends,” he lifted his fingers in a quote sign, “spirit walkers—we get that, but what Kara is trying to tell you is that your magic is the only thing that can save the mortals. You’re the only one. If you don’t help us—we’re all doomed.”

  Olga watched them in silence and then shook her head. “But you are wrong—there is another who possesses the magic.”

  “Really,” said David, raising his eyebrows. “Well now, your royal witchness, who is this person? Will they be as delightful as you?”

  The old witch raised her hand and pointed to Kara.

  “Her.”

  Chapter 13

  Fire rain