“We meet again, little angels,” called out one of the Seirs in a raspy voice that Kara recognized as that of their leader Ranab. “I’ve been very displeased since our last meeting, slipping away from us like that. I’m afraid this time your Sensitive friends are not here to save you. It’s time to say bye-bye to your angel souls.”
Ranab led the group. His bulky muscles rippled beneath his black clothes. A wicked gleam glowered from his dark eyes, and a large vein throbbed on his thick neck. He turned his head, and Kara winced as the ever-watchful eyes tattooed at the back of his bald head stared up at her.
“I was wondering when we’d see the hellhounds.” David cracked his knuckles. “We can’t kill them—but no one said I couldn’t bash their faces a little.”
Kara pulled David around to face her. “Don’t. I think it’s best that we don’t touch any of them, even if it’s unintentional. All mortals are off limits, you know that.”
David clenched his jaw and scowled. “I just wished I could...just once.”
“Uh...guys...look.” Peter pointed down towards the horde of wild mortals.
Some of the frenzied men and women stopped attacking one another and turned slowly towards the newcomers. Their glazed eyes focused angrily on the Seirs. With sudden fierceness, they lunged at them.
The Seirs formed a circle around the mad mortals. Their blades shimmered in the soft light, and the sound of metal hacking flesh rang in the courtyard. The smell of blood reached Kara’s nose. Deadly cries filled the night air. The mortals crumbled to the ground. As the glowing spheres of their souls rose and hovered above their bodies like giant fireflies, Kara stepped forward, “Quick. We have to get the souls.”
But David caught her arm and pulled her close. He cocked his head down towards the bodies. “It’s too late. Look.”
A Seir drew a black net from his jacket. With a sweep of his arms, he trapped the souls like fish caught in a fishermen’s net. He hauled the net over his shoulder. The trapped souls clung together and bounced against his back. Kara shivered in rage.
“Won’t you come down and play with us, little angels?” Ranab strolled casually towards the wall. His face broke into a large grin and exposed a mouthful of rotten teeth. He picked at them with a death blade. “You can’t stay up there forever. Your bodies won’t last all night, but we will.”
“He’s right you know,” said Peter in a low voice. “We only have another hour or so before we start deteriorating. And then we’ll be really helpless.”
Kara turned and faced the others. “Right. We need to figure out how to get out of here without getting killed. Did anyone see another way out besides the main entrance?”
“I did.” Peter leaned forward and lowered his voice. “On the west side...it’s boarded up for renovations. We might be able to get through, but it’ll take some effort.”
“So I guess the only way out is through the main entrance.” Kara studied her friends’ anxious faces. “It’s not the best option, but right now it’s all we’ve got.”
“We’re trapped. Lilith tricked us—she knew we’d come here—and now we’re stuck.” Jenny shifted nervously and fumbled with her fingers.
Kara squeezed her shoulder gently. “Not necessarily. We just need to make it through the gateway. There’s no way that the mortals or the Seirs can catch up to us once we’re out. We’re too fast for them.”
“That’s right, amigos.” David flashed his pearly whites and jogged on the spot as though preparing for a marathon. “We’ve got super speed like The Flash, and all they’ve got is gingivitis and a serious case of dumbass.”
Kara suppressed a laugh. “So all we need is a diversion.”
Barking resonated throughout the courtyard and interrupted her.
An enormous grey dog dashed through the main entrance. His dark coat shone in the moonlight. Muscles rippled along his powerful body as he galloped elegantly like a horse and halted in the middle of the courtyard. Buckets of drool dripped from his large pointed teeth as a thunderous growl erupted from his throat. The Seirs took a step back.
“That’s our diversion!” David beamed and threw himself down the wall. Jenny and Peter exchanged a look and followed quickly behind.
Something moved in Kara’s peripheral vision. Another small dog waddled into the entrance. Thor. Kara hoped that no harm would come to her sarcastic little friend, and she watched helplessly as he threw himself into the bloody battle.
In a flash, she hauled herself easily over the edge. As soon as her feet hit the ground, Kara bolted towards the gatehouse. Her M-5 suit’s energy flowed through her as the rush of oncoming battle erased everything else.
She ducked as a death blade’s black vapors stung her eyeballs as it flew past her. A wispy breeze brushed over her head and lifted her hair. The smell of musk filled her nose momentarily, and then someone swore.
Kara ran on.
She leapt over bodies and avoided the thrashing arms and blades that came at her from every direction. Over the loud angry roars of mortals, she heard David laugh and curse a selection of profanities at the Seirs. They followed him feverishly around the courtyard, like a pack of dogs chasing a rabbit. He was having too much fun for his own good.
Kara sidestepped around two charging Seirs and increased her speed. Cool wind brushed against her face. Flailing arms grazed her, and she was super-charged for the last few feet. The gatehouse came into view. Almost there . . .
Pain exploded in her back. She cried out and fell face first into the hard ground. As she spit the dirt from her mouth, a large black boot slammed the ground right in front of her face. Kara raised her head.
Ranab sneered wickedly and stomped her fingers with his boot. “Told you, you wouldn’t get away from me this time, angel.”
Chapter 4
Lock, Stock and Barrel
Kara gritted her teeth and held back a scream. She desperately tried to pull her fingers free, but Ranab was too heavy. She was paralyzed. The blade’s poison dripped down into her back and burned like liquid fire. She could feel her elemental power rising to the surface.
“Get off. I don’t want to hurt you, Seir,” said Kara.
Ranab threw back his head and laughed. “Hurt me? You can’t hurt me, little angel. Don’t you remember? It’s against your sacred laws. No angel can harm a mortal. You can’t even touch men like me that slaughter angel souls for fun. A little stupid, don’t you think?”
His bald head gleamed in the moonlight, and the gloom of the castle’s interior walls shadowed his face. His sickly white skin and long black coat reminded Kara of Nosferatu, the vampire from the 1922 horror film. But instead of craving blood, he was after her soul.
The sound of battle reverberated against Kara’s chest. She listened for signs of her friends. Nothing—only inhuman grunts. Had the Seirs captured her friends as well? Her body tensed as she fought to control her anger. Lilith was probably having a good laugh right about now. This wasn’t how things were supposed to work out.
“There’s a loophole in the law,” lied Kara. “I can kill you, and I will if you don’t let me go.”
“Ha! You think I’m stupid, little angel? I know your laws better than you. I know you can’t harm a hair on my head.”
“You don’t have any hair.”
Ranab kneeled down and ground his boots on Kara’s fingers. His sour breath stung her nose like toxic waste. With a flick of his wrist, he pointed a death blade in her face. “I’ve been looking for you—Kara Nightingale. You see, you’ve got something I need.”
“Lucky me,” growled Kara and did her best to avoid his hot breath which was closer to toxic waste than mere dog breath.
“There’s a bounty on your soul.” Ranab smiled at the confused expression on Kara’s face. “Ah—so you didn’t know, did you? Your soul is worth more than a thousand miserable angel souls. It’s the key to the gates of the netherworld. Still no idea what I’m talking about, huh? Well, it doesn’t matter. Truth is, the brethren have been look
ing for you all over the globe. And here you fall into my hands in a pretty package. Must be my lucky day.”
“Luck had nothing to do with it.” Kara glowered and wished she could slap the smile off his face. “You’re just as psychotic as your mistress. I’m warning you...you better let me go.”
Ranab lowered his brows. “Or what? You’ll tickle me to death? You’re not going anywhere. It’s the end of the road for you, angel. It’s over; you’re done. But my life is just beginning. Your soul will get me far beyond the third plane.”
He grinned widely, revealing rows of stained brown teeth like rotten corn. The tip of his blade grazed against her cheek, burning her mortal flesh. She blinked the vapors from her eyes. “A Seir needs one thousand angel souls to pass through the third plane and into the gates of the netherworld. I’ve been waiting thirty-seven years for this chance. My mistress has promised me unimaginable power. I will be immortal once I give her your soul. I will join my brethren in the netherworld—and we will feast on the souls of mortals forever.”
Rage rippled in Kara’s breast. Once again she was a pawn in Lilith’s game. How better to get rid of her than to have an army of Seirs chasing her for the very thing they desire above all else—access to the netherworld. Kara knew she would be hunted wherever she went. Lilith was up to something, and she needed Kara out of her way.
The exhilarating warmth of her elemental power soared through her like a shot of adrenaline, and she strained to control it.
Shaking from the poison in her body, Kara met Ranab’s glare. “You’re sick, all of you. You’d kill your own innocent people for power and for the chance to become a demon—it’s disgusting, and totally crazy.”
Ranab’s dark brows wrinkled into a scowl. He moved closer to Kara. “They’re not innocent. They’ve destroyed this world, plagued it with their own greed.” He looked over to the crowd of fighting mortals.
Kara pulled her right hand free from under his boot.
“They don’t deserve to live,” he continued. “Look around you, angel.”
Ranab lifted his arms. Wails and frantic cries filled the night air. “They’re weak, pathetic— they’re a virus that we need to exterminate—and we will destroy them all.”
Kara gripped a hand full of dirt with her free hand. “What did you do with the children?” She winced as the death blade dug deeper into her back.
Ranab bent closer and smiled at her discomfort. The smell of rot oozed from the pores of his skin. “That is no concern of yours.” He leaned back on his heels. “Besides, you’ll be dead in a few seconds, little angel—your soul will buy my immortality. There is no one here to save you. Your soul is mine.”
“You’re crazy.” Kara spat out the last of the dirt in her mouth, glad to add to the effect. It hit Ranab in the face. “The last I checked, my soul belonged to me—not some deranged mortal who likes to play dress up. You’re worse than the demons. You had a choice, and you picked the wrong side.”
Ranab laughed and wiped the dirt from his face with his hand. “I like you, you’re feisty. At least you should be thankful because your death means something. This will be a glorious day for my brethren—the precious Kara Nightingale’s soul is the key to my glory. And of course, we can’t forget the other three angel souls. All in a day’s work; it’s quite a catch.” His dark eyes glistened eagerly.
Kara set her jaw. Anger flared inside her. She wasn’t about to let this clown do her in. Golden sparks illuminated her skin, and a rush of warm energy washed through her body. She would have to be careful. She knew just a small amount of her elemental power would kill the Seir. She had to do something.
Kara tried to pull her left hand free from under Ranab’s boot, but it wouldn’t move.
“Kara!” Kara heard David shout. Boots trampled nearby. She heard him yell again and then the sound of fists hitting flesh. She had to help her friends.
She squirmed against the hard ground, but it was like trying to move through cement. The poison blade dug deeper into her back. Soon it would devour her completely, and she would die. Kara trembled in rage. She struggled to stay focused and calm.
She was ready.
Ranab loomed over her and smiled. She scowled back. He grabbed a fistful of Kara’s hair and pulled. Her head snapped back forcefully. Cool metal grazed her neck and his hot breath soiled her face.
“Say goodnight, little angel . . .”
“Not yet.”
Kara threw a handful of earth in Ranab’s eyes.
He yelled and stumbled back. Kara struggled to her feet. The death blade hung in her back, tearing her flesh. With tremendous effort, she reached back and pulled it out. She smelled burnt flesh. The hilt of the blade burned her fingers, and she tossed it away. But the poison gushed into her body like sick blood, hungry for her soul. Her M-5 suit was weakening. It wouldn’t last very long.
“I’ll make you suffer for this.” Ranab rubbed his red eyes with the back of his hand. “You’re dead!” With a giant leap, he lunged his death blade towards her.
With lightning speed Kara ducked, swiveled, and side kicked Ranab in the shins. He staggered and fell to his knees. Cursing, he glowered at Kara.
Kara smiled. “Looks like I’m not dead after all.” Without a second to waste, she bolted towards the gatehouse. She pushed her M-5 with all it had left, feeling the energy drain with every step.
She could see Peter and Jenny behind the exterior gatehouse wall. Their petrified faces were fixed on the horrid battle. Jenny caught Kara’s eye and motioned with her hand impatiently.
David was nowhere in sight.
Terrifying wails and the smell of death filled the air around her like a nightmare on the repeat button. The cold stone floor and darkness of Tartarus were a five star hotel compared to this. Lilith was like the black plague, striking the innocent as she went. It was time to put a stop to it.
A sting shot through her arm.
Kara staggered and turned. A glint of silver flashed off the blade of a knife. With her reflexes in overdrive, she blocked another strike, inches from her eyes, kicked her attacker in the gut and jumped back.
Her assailant was a short blond girl, about Kara’s age. But her eyes were glazed with madness, and she snarled at Kara like a wild dog. Her once beautiful face was contorted with hate. Her dirty fingers were curled back like claws, and blood dripped from her nose. Her white shirt was torn and stained with dirt and blood, and her pants were unrecognizable under the layers of grime. With a wild grunt, she charged at Kara with a kitchen knife.
Kara dodged the attack and knocked the girl down with a blow to her shoulder. The girl fell and rolled onto the ground. She looked up at Kara. Her wet hair stuck to her face and made her look even wilder. A mixture of sorrow and anger welled inside Kara. She was supposed to protect mortals. This girl had probably been studying or talking on the phone with her girlfriends when Lilith had enchanted her. Kara saw herself in this girl.
The girl screamed like a banshee in a wild tantrum and threw herself at Kara again, slashing the night air with her nails and knife.
Kara jumped back. “Please, stop. Don’t do this.”
She studied the girl’s face for a glimpse of sanity, but there was nothing there but the wild eyes of madness. Had Lilith turned her into a zombie?
The girl swung the knife at Kara’s throat. Kara caught the girl’s hand easily, grabbed the knife, and pinned her arms at her side. The girl howled and thrashed against Kara’s grip. Heads turned in their direction. Men and women grunted angrily as they detached themselves from the killing mob and stumbled forward. Foaming from their mouths, they charged again.
The young girl snapped her teeth together like a piranha, inches from Kara’s face. Kara jerked her head back just in time. “Seriously? I don’t have time for this.”
The mob approached. The girl kicked and screamed violently in Kara’s grip.
In the corner of her eye, Kara caught a glimpse of black coats. Two enormous Seirs charged at her like two
great black bulls and blocked her way to the gatehouse. Her situation was worsening by the second.
The mass of mortals was upon her. Their dull maddened eyes shone with hatred, teeth bared and ready.
Swish. A death blade flew in the air . . .
Kara averted the blade and flung the snapping girl toward the Seirs.
Instantly the mob followed the girl and turned on the Seirs. The Seirs lashed out at the wild mortals. Howls echoed throughout the courtyard. Kara’s hairs stood on end at the sound of fists hitting flesh. The Seirs hacked at the crowd with their blades like made butchers. But the crowd kept coming. The blond girl tackled one of the Seirs, and they both went down. The Seirs disappeared under the flood of mortals.
“Kara, quickly, let’s go!” Jenny’s purple hair stood out in the gloomy darkness of the courtyard, and almost made Kara smile. “We’re going to bring the gate down and lock them in. Everyone’s safe outside. You’re the only one left. Come on!”
Jenny turned on her heels and ran back towards the gatehouse. Kara ran closely behind. The frantic screams and dull thud of fists hitting flesh tapered off behind them. The gateway loomed up ahead, and Kara could see shadows moving beyond the gate. They were almost there.
Then something bright illuminated the darkness for a moment and went out.
Kara halted.
Jenny stopped short and turned around. “Kara, what are you doing? We have to go. We’ll all get killed if we stay any longer. This is crazy!” She pulled at Kara’s arm.
Kara gently peeled her friend’s fingers from her arm. “There’s something I have to do first—bring the gate down if I’m not back in sixty seconds.”
“Kara! No!”
Kara turned and ran back towards the angry mob.
As she rushed back ignoring Jenny’s pleads, a sudden spell of dizziness gushed through her body. Her legs bucked and she fell on her knees hard. Flailing arms reached out and grabbed her. Sticks probed, and something hard hit her on the side of the head. A fork perforated her thigh just as stinging pain erupted in her back. Rough hands pulled at her jacket and pinned her arms back. With a surge of strength she wiggled her arms free, only to be punched in the gut several times by large boots. Her face hit the ground. The smell of earth filled her nose. Distorted faces plagued her vision. Her screams were drowned under the wails of the crazed mortals. Rough hands groped her arms and legs. They pulled with enormous strength. They were going to rip her apart. Lilith was right. She would die in the hands of those she was sworn to protect.
Seirs, Soul Guardians Book 5 Page 4
