Marked, Soul Guardians Book 1

by Kim Richardson

  David twirled his finger next to his head and mouthed, crazy.

  This was a disaster. Kara rubbed her temples. She could feel a major migraine coming.

  “Olga, I don’t have any magic skills—I can’t even do a decent card trick. I’m just a normal teenage girl, with nothing special—except maybe that I’m on duty with the guardian angel legion. But I swear to you—I don’t know anything about magic.”

  “You’re elemental,” said the witch. Her yellow eye twitched as she watched Kara intensely.

  Kara’s blood froze. She forced her lips to move. “What did you say?”

  The witch smiled, and Kara noticed she only had one decayed front tooth.

  “You’re an elemental. I can see it plainly. Shut up, Henry, it’s my time to speak. It’s all over you, girlie. I’ve never met one with so much of it—how curious...”

  Kara frowned. The Fay sisters had said something of the sort, too.

  “I don’t know what you mean by elemental. I know that I have elemental essence in me. It’s what sets me apart from the other guardian angels—why most of them hate me, really. But I don’t have any special powers as a mortal.”

  Olga stabbed her in the chest with her staff.

  “But you do, girlie. You just don’t know it.”

  David folded his arms over his chest. “Am I the only one who’s confused here? Are you sure you’re cooking soup in that thing? What’s the witch talking about, Kara? Does this make sense to you?”

  Kara met David’s confused expression, but she couldn’t answer him. It was making sense to her.

  Olga ignored David and spoke only to Kara. “You know I speak the truth. You felt it before; when you were hanging from the chains—you were trying to summon it. It is why Shadow Cave opened up to you and let you pass—and why it let the spirit walkers pass without destroying them.”

  Kara shook her head even though she felt part of what Olga was saying was true. “You’re wrong, Olga. I don’t have any magic. I don’t know any spells, I can’t possibly be a witch.”

  “You’re not a witch, girlie,” laughed Olga. Wisps of thin hair swayed on the top of her balding head.

  “You’re an elemental. And elementals have a different kind of magic, a natural magic—a magic that comes from the earth. It has nothing to do with incantations and spells. It is nature’s energy. It is the flow of mother earth’s power.”

  David whistled loudly. “Whoa—that sounds wicked. I’d love to get some of that. I never thought witches could be so hot.”

  He smiled mischievously at Kara. “Can you curse me, sweet lady?”

  Kara shot him a dirty look, and he pretended to seal hips lips with his fingers.

  Olga poked her in the stomach again, hard.

  “Listen girlie, you are elemental. Nature’s strength lies within you. You have the power to manipulate the energies, to summon mother earth’s power.”

  The witch leaned on her staff, her yellow eye fixed on Kara. “You have the ability to feel and control these energies. Elementals are very rare and extremely powerful. You’ve admitted to having this power as a spirit walker—”

  “Yes, but, it’s not the same—”

  “It is the same!” Olga raised her voice and hit Kara in the chest once again with her staff. “You are as elemental in spirit as you are in life. That doesn’t change. You cannot change what you are—and that is, an elemental, a unique child of our mother earth.”

  Kara’s head was spinning—an elemental in life as in death. Somehow, she believed the witch. It made sense. The energy she sensed as an angel was also in her mortal body, dormant and waiting to be awakened. Could it really be true? Suddenly, she didn’t feel so weak anymore. Her elemental power was still in her—she just had to figure out how to tap into it.

  She looked down at the pendant and took it in her hand. It was cool and light. “Then...I take it you’re not coming with us. Am I right?”

  Olga leaned on her staff again, as though it took all of her energy just to speak.

  “If I leave these parts, I will die. I’ve only lived so long because the woods and the caves have protected me all these years. These retched bones of mine would disintegrate if I stepped out. Even if I wanted to help you, I couldn’t.”

  She bent closer to Kara. Her yellow eye twitched. “The Dark warlock is an evil creature, and if what you tell me is true, and he has risen from the dead, then you have a difficult and dangerous enemy on your hands. He will summon devilish powers from the darkness of the dead. His magic will be great and his servants plentiful. He knows I am a threat. Soon he will be coming for me—and you—you must leave now, girlie.”

  She pushed Kara with her staff. “He doesn’t know about you—and it’s best that we keep it that way until the time is right. Off you go...”

  Kara knocked the staff away with her hand.

  “But will you be safe? Can you protect yourself from him if he comes for you?”

  She felt a sudden sadness for Olga and a need to protect her. She reminded Kara of her grandmother. She was old and frail. Kara didn’t want anything bad to happen to her, even if she had almost killed her friends. The old witch was starting to grow on her, even Henry.

  Olga ignored the question and pointed to the pendant.

  “This is a witch’s rune pendant of protection and elemental power. The pendant will energize and empower the magical intentions of their wearer. Earth, air, fire, water—the key to elemental power—these symbols are the mark of an elemental. The pendant will help you draw your powers and protect you against the Dark warlock.”

  “But how do I draw and use these powers?

  The earth shook under Kara’s feet.

  A ball of liquid green fire fell from the sky and exploded in the clearing, setting the ground and trees ablaze. An earsplitting screech came from the trees, as though they were screaming in pain. Kara’s chest tightened. She could almost feel their suffering as they burned. The green flames snaked up the trees and cast an eerie emerald glow on the clearing.

  Bill and Will jumped up and brandished their weapons, a wild look in their yellow eyes.

  “He has found me,” said Olga, her gown flapped in a gust of wind as a yellow aura radiated from her skin. She turned to Kara. “There’s no time. Listen to me and do exactly as I say.”

  Kara nodded and did her best to focus on Olga’s face and not the green fire that threatened to burn her.

  “You must destroy the Dark warlock only on the winter solstice—when the light half of the year is being turned over to the dark half. He will use the power of the souls he’s collected already to raise other dark warlocks and devils. This is what he’s been planning all along—to bring back the brethren. If he succeeds, he will bend the mortal world to his will. You must stop him. You cannot allow the solstice ritual to happen!”

  The trees moaned, and Kara shivered. She couldn’t move.

  “But how do I do that? How do I stop him?” she yelled over the roar of the flames. “I don’t know where the ritual will be!”

  “He will be at the exact same place where he and his followers were destroyed a hundred and fifty years ago—look for Cleopatra’s Needle, there you will find the entrance to the Warlock’s lair.”

  “I have to go to Egypt?”

  Olga’s staff emitted a yellow color until it was completely covered. Even for an old witch, she looked dangerous and powerful. “New York city.”

  Kara just stared at her. “You’re joking, right?”

  The old witch ignored her.

  “Search the tunnels beneath the great city. You need to seek out the old fool, Gideon. He’s the only one who can help you now—you must do as he says. Understand?”

  “But New York City is enormous. How can I find one old man?”

  Olga’s gaze went past Kara to the woods beyond. “Go to the tunnels. The pendant will guide you. Let the power flow naturally—it’ll come to you.”

  “What? Seriously?” Kara s
tared at the green fire snaking its way towards her feet. “What kind of an answer is that? Olga, you need to give me more to go on—”

  “You must get out of here, quickly!” said Olga.

  The heat of the flames burned Kara’s face. The smoke stung her eyes.

  “But what about you? Are you going to be okay?” she said in between coughs.

  Another ball of liquid fire crashed into the clearing. But this time it crashed into Olga’s cottage. Within seconds the small cottage was enveloped in green flames. The rock trolls ran out and stood protectively around their mother.

  Olga grabbed her staff with both hands. “I’ll be fine—you must get out of here. This is warlock fire. The flames will kill you and your spirit walkers. If you value their lives, then get them out of here. I can take care of myself. Go back through the cave. Quickly, go now!”

  “But—”

  A great ball of green fire exploded at the base of Olga’s cauldron. But instead of a blazing fire, a dozen frog—like creatures the size of adult bears sprouted from the flames. Their eyes glowed red, and a loud rumbling noise echoed in their throats. Gleaming symbols and runes covered their dark green slimy skin.

  The rock trolls wielded their weapons and charged.

  One of the creatures opened its maw. It was filled with rows of shark teeth, and it spat a green substance that hit Will in the chest and face.

  He screamed in agony as a cloud of vapors coiled around his body. The green substance ate at his rock hide like some sort of acid, leaving holes and exposing his insides. Blood dripped from his charred face and chest. He fell to his knees, his eyes rolled back in his head, and he keeled over.

  Bill screamed madly and ran into the wall of frog—creatures. He sliced the creature that killed his brother in half with one giant stroke of his battle—axe. As he turned, two more creatures leaped at him, and again he hacked them in half with his axe.

  Dark blood splattered his face. Like a madman, he thrashed and slashed at the creatures, avenging his brother. But there were too many—the creatures attacked again, and Bill disappeared under a tangle of green limbs. She heard him scream and that was the last she saw of him.

  More balls of liquid fire burst on the ground around Kara. More evil frog—like creatures sprouted from the flames, their red eyes searching for their next kill. They saw Kara and her friends, and in a great leap they soared through the air towards them—

  A blast of yellow light hit the creatures in their chests, and they exploded into a cloud of green dust. The particles floated in the air and settled to the ground like falling ash.

  Olga held her staff high above her head.

  “Is that all you’ve got, warlock?” She called out into the green flames around her.

  She hit her staff on the ground. Yellow whirlwinds thrashed forward and extinguished the green fires. “You warlocks are all the same. Always letting the help fight your battles. Show yourself, you coward!”

  Another pulse of yellow energy flashed from Olga’s staff and blasted more of the frog—creatures into piles of dust. Olga started to chant. Her single eye blazed in yellow, as though there was a fire inside.

  “Kara, we have to get out of here.” David grabbed Kara’s arm and pulled her towards him. “I don’t feel like getting eaten by giant frogs, and Peter’s in no condition to fight. And I seriously doubt we can fight these things—we have to get back to Horizon. Now.”

  Peter lay crumpled in Jenny’s arms, his essence nearly drained out of him. He looked dead already.

  Kara saw the terror in Jenny’s face.

  She turned to David, “You’re right, let’s get out of here. Grab Peter and we’ll make a run for it. Jenny, can you run?”

  Jenny helped Peter onto David’s back. Her angel essence glowed through the many gashes on her chest and face. “Yeah, I can run, but not for long. My M—suit’s on its last legs.”

  With Peter secured on David’s back, Kara ran from the clearing and headed towards the last of the forest that wasn’t engulfed in flames. She stood in front of a wall of black trees. Where was the cave? She couldn’t see past the branches. The woods were thick and impenetrable—it would take hours just to get through a few feet. She could hear the battle behind her. She started to panic.

  “How do we get back to the cave?” Jenny settled beside her. Her green eyes were dull, and Kara could see the fear.

  Kara cursed as she paced around the thick wall of trees. Where was the stupid cave?

  The branches suddenly parted, and a tunnel appeared amongst the trees. And beyond the opening of twisted branches and roots stood a cleft in the side of the cliff—another entrance to the cave.

  “Come on!” David ran through the opening and down the path. Jenny held her stomach and took off after him.

  Kara started forward—a scream filled the night air.

  A cold chill rolled down Kara’s back. It was Olga. Kara whirled around.

  A tall man draped in a black cloak stood in the middle of the clearing. Green circular symbols and runes glowed on his cloak and moved and shifted like liquid. His head was covered in a black hood—his face hidden in shadow.

  Olga dangled by the throat from his glowing green fist—struggling and choking in his grasp. The warlock lifted Olga into the air and slammed his right fist into her abdomen.

  Kara choked a scream as she watched the old woman fall to the ground and explode into a cloud of yellow dust. Kara stifled a sob.

  The dark warlock turned his head slowly towards the edge of the forest where Kara stood. His glowing red eyes settled on her. She couldn’t see his face—she couldn’t even tell if he was human.

  He lifted his arm and pointed a long gray finger at her—

  Kara was thrown back with a powerful force. She landed hard on the ground. Her legs and arms were pinned together by a glowing green metal chain. Desperately, she rolled over and lifted her head. The warlock was walking towards her.

  She screamed and fought against her chains, but it was like trying to peel open a giant’s fist. It was pointless.

  A green mist rose from the metal. She suddenly felt dizzy and very tired—she should rest. The ground was nice and soft and smelled like dandelions, a little rest wouldn’t hurt anyone...

  Kara...Kara...wake up!

  Was that Olga’s voice? Was she dreaming? Where was she?

  She blinked away the spots from her vision. She knew something wasn’t right. She strained to fight her sleepiness and recover long enough to think.

  She had to get the chains off. She knew they were magical. Fight magic with magic—Olga had said her elemental power was still within her.

  She concentrated on the feeling she had felt before. She searched deep inside herself for that light, that energy she had used when she was an angel. She let her emotions flow. Her anger about Olga’s death washed through her as she concentrated.

  The Warlock was only a few paces away—if she didn’t do something now—she would be as good as dead.

  Her heart raced. Every breath of air felt like vaporized acid. She choked through the green mist. She wasn’t ready to die, not like this and especially not at the hands of some schizo—warlock man.

  A flicker came from deep inside her, like a candle flame sputtering before it lights. The pendant burned against her chest, its own power vibrated against her skin. She looked down. The runes on the pendant glowed yellow like the morning sun and intensified. She relaxed and closed her eyes. She reached deep within herself, searching for that fountain of energy that was the source of her elemental power. Her mind touched an elemental black quiet, and a cool rush of energy gushed up through her veins. It was different from the warm gush she had summoned when she was an angel—it was cool and smelled like spring. And just like that, she knew what to do.

  The gust of power surged through her like a cool wind, overwhelming her senses with the smell of the earth. Like the feel of the wind on her face for the first time in her life, it exploded all at on
ce, and she surrendered to it.

  Silver sparks of energy danced on her skin. The earth around her rippled. Small white roots sprouted from the soil and snaked onto the poisonous green chains that held her captive. With a pop, the chains melted away as if they had been made of ice.

  Kara jumped to her feet. The warlock froze, clearly not expecting Kara to free herself so suddenly. She didn’t have time to think about what had just happened. And not waiting for him to try anything else, she turned and ran into the cave.

  Chapter 14

  NYC Subway station