Netherworld, Soul Guardians Book 4

by Richardson, Kim

  With a suspicious frown on her face, Kara shared another look with David. “What’s going on? Why are they listening to her?” she whispered.

  David shrugged. “Maybe these clowns like getting bossed around by little girls.”

  Kara’s frown deepened. “Do you think she’s paying them somehow to do this? Like a job? It doesn’t make any sense.”

  “Maybe.” David laughed a little. “She does look as if she’s cut from the upper-class cloth.”

  Kara watched the elemental make her way slowly towards them. She lowered her voice some more. “Either way—it makes no freakin’ sense. She should be on our side. What does she want from us?”

  “Maybe the freaky little girl wants to play dolls with real-life angels.” David glowered at her.

  “I have a bad feeling about this,” whispered Peter. His face had gone a sickly grey color, and Kara could see his shining angel essence through his thinning skin. She figured he had maybe another half an hour before his M-suit evaporated completely. They had to get out of there quickly, there wasn’t time to play with dolls. She met Jenny’s eyes—they were round with fear. Her skin had also lost its pigment and dazzling light seeped through her pores. They needed a plan. And they needed to get out of there.

  The elemental stopped a few feet in front of the group. Her lifeless face stared back at them like a ghostly doll—perfect and new, as if she had just stepped out of the box. Her white dress was spotless. She had not been living on the streets for months. Her freshly polished black shoes gleamed like jewels, as if they’d never been worn. She was like a robot—no facial muscles moved, and she never blinked. Her white skin shimmered under the fluorescent lights, and her dark eyes shone with intelligence beyond her years. The elemental clasped her hands in front of her and regarded them with great interest. She leaned forward, and her smile widened.

  “How can you do this?” Kara scolded before she could control herself. “You’re an elemental! You’re part angel! We came here to rescue you. Why would you do such a thing to us? How can you go against your own kind?”

  The little girl giggled. It took a moment for her to compose herself. She flattened the front of her dress. “But that’s where you’re wrong, Kara. I’m nothing like you.”

  “So you knew who I was…all this time?” Kara’s anger flared. Her arms and legs twitched. She forced herself to stay calm. If she couldn’t use her arms, maybe she could head-butt the smile off the girl’s face.

  “Yes, of course I knew.” The girl glanced at her fingernails as if she were bored by the conversation. “I found you out at that pathetic bookstore, didn’t I? To think you spent your summer holidays in that God awful, smelly place. You were practically covered in filth when I first saw you. Quite disgusting really.”

  Kara bristled. “And so you tricked us! You tricked me into believing you needed my help. You’ve been planning this all along…but why—and how did you get into my head?”

  Kara took a step forward, but Ranab pulled her back hastily. She squirmed in his grasp.

  “How was I supposed to grab your attention otherwise?” the elemental laughed and clapped her hands together dramatically. “Yes. I was very good at convincing you. I knew you couldn’t resist helping a poor little girl. Besides, it’s your job to help the inferior beings—save the weak from the wicked—isn’t that what you angels do?”

  Kara stopped struggling. “And why do you need my attention? You better put a stop to this before it gets really out of hand. This is very serious. This isn’t a game, little girl. Angels are hurt. My friends are in pain because of you. Look at what you’ve done! How could you?”

  The elemental looked up at Kara and smiled. “I wanted you to know who I was. To get to know me better—so we can play. Do you like games, Kara?”

  Kara’s body shook angrily. “You’re an elemental who’s gone completely mad! You’re delusional—going against your own—and you’ve commanded your dogs to hurt me and my friends, knowing that we couldn’t fight back. You’re crazy. What else is there to know?” Kara pulled desperately at her restraints. The sharp burning wires sliced into her mortal flesh.

  “Here! Here!” said David, and he stamped his foot. “A psychotic little girl—with murderous intentions—haven’t I seen this movie before?”

  The elemental raised her brows and ignored David. She focused on Kara. “But you’re wrong, Kara. You don’t know me at all. You see a pathetic little girl standing before you, but your eyes deceive you. Look again. Look beyond the veil this time, and you will see who I am. But I must warn you…you might be surprised at what you find.” The girl giggled and folded her arms on her chest.

  Kara was growing impatient. She didn’t have time for riddles. She needed to escape. She had been a fool to think this kid needed her help. She was furious with herself at how easily she had been deceived. Deep down she had wanted to find someone different—someone she could identify with. She had wanted to spare the girl from the scrutiny and persecution from the legion to which she herself had been subjected. But the elemental was obviously insane. Who knew what she was capable of?

  “Okay fine. Whatever you say. Why don’t you call off your dogs so we can have a normal conversation and get to know each other better.”

  Kara looked over the elemental’s head. Beyond the warehouse’s other end, stood two large metal doors. Enough light spilled through a crack above a row of closed windows to help them see their way through the piles of wooden crates and metal containers.

  “Yeah, how about you free our hands as a measure of good faith.” David turned around and wiggled his shackled wrists. “What do you say? I promise to have tea and play dolls with you later.”

  The elemental ignored him.

  “You see, Kara. I brought you here to tell you something. Something I’ve been waiting to share with you for a very long time. This is a very exciting moment for me…and for you. You’ll see.”

  “What?” Kara glanced worriedly at Peter. His angel essence was only just contained by a thin layer of mortal skin. He shook uncontrollably. He was getting worse.

  “Look—I don’t have time for your games. What is it you want to share?” Kara didn’t care to hide the impatience in her voice.

  “This—”

  The elemental raised her arms. Her hair lifted in the air. Gusts of wind enveloped the girl in a maelstrom of dust and debris. Kara made her eyes into slits. The light bulbs exploded and rained down on them. The floor vibrated and moaned. Containers spilled from above and landed with a thundering crash. Peter groaned and Jenny comforted him. Rays of green light exploded from where the girl had stood. The elemental disappeared completely into a whirlpool of wind and green flashing light. Another great blast of green light ignited around them. Kara’s eyes burned. She closed them and turned her head away.

  Silence. After a moment, Kara slowly opened her eyes. The warehouse was silent once again. A young woman a little older than Kara stood where the girl had been moments before. Her long white hair floated around her like a cape caught in a breeze. A white suit was wrapped around her slender body and tied together with a red belt. She was beautiful, with delicate features and white colored skin with a slight greenish tint, but her cold black eyes glared at Kara. The hate in them was unmistakable.

  Kara noticed the seirs didn’t seem at all surprised at this transformation. What was going on?

  “So now you know. The veil has lifted, and I stand now before you, as my true self,” said the young woman, her voice taking on an older velvety tone.

  Something was wrong. Kara knew elementals couldn’t morph into other people. She had to be a demon, or some other creature she hadn’t seen before. It was the only explanation for the sudden transformation.

  Kara shook her head. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t know anything. I don’t know why you had us kidnapped and brought here. I don’t know who you are or what you are. What do you want from us?”

  “Well, clearly I’m not an elemental
—as you can see.” She threw her hands in the air theatrically. “I’m so glad that’s over with. I just hated walking around it that disguise—a pathetic little girl in a white dress—and it smelled just awful—so very mortal and lame. I’d much rather be myself. Aren’t you pleased at what you see?”

  The young woman strolled around the angels. She inspected them one by one. Her icy black eyes taunted them as she circled them playfully. Bit by bit, she scrutinized every inch of each of them and picked at their clothes. She took a great deal of time inspecting Peter and Jenny’s mortal skin. With a long white finger she reached out and traced the side of Jenny’s face. She laughed as Jenny recoiled. After she was satisfied with her inspection, she settled near Kara.

  “What is the big deal about angels? I never understood what all the hype was about with angels. Why do mortals care about you so much? If they saw how pathetic you look now, I’m sure they’d have doubts. And where are your wings? I thought angels were supposed to have wings.” The young woman threw back her head and laughed.

  Kara gritted her teeth. “Stop your games and tell us what you want.”

  The young woman pressed her hands against her hips. “Then let me enlighten you, dearest Kara. You see—you killed someone I loved.”

  Kara stared at her incredulously. “What? I didn’t kill anyone. Why don’t you stop playing games and start telling us the real reason we’re here. Tell us the truth.” Kara caught David’s eye. He mouthed, what the—?

  The young woman pointed a manicured red nail at Kara’s face. “Oh, this isn’t a game. What I want from you is simple. You took the only person I held dear to me…and killed him. And now I’ve brought you here to make you pay for what you have done.”

  Kara took a step forward and did her best to sound truthful. “Look, I swear to you. I didn’t kill any mortal. I couldn’t have. I only just learned that it’s impossible for angels to do so. There’s no way I could have. Trust me, you’re wrong—”

  The young woman cut her off, “I’m not wrong.”

  She glowered angrily at Kara. “—and he was no mere mortal, you stupid angel. I don’t know how you did it, but you did. You killed him.”

  “I didn’t kill anyone, I swear to you,” pleaded Kara. But something inside her was telling her differently. She squirmed uneasily on the spot and looked to David for help. He could only shrug.

  “You killed him!” she turned in rage, clenching her fists as she screamed. “He’s gone because of you!” Her voice thundered and the ground shook. Metal containers wailed and dust fell from the high ceiling and settled around them.

  Kara waited for the young woman to compose herself. She shook her head a little. “I don’t know who you mean? Who?”

  The young woman watched her a long time. Her voice was cold. “You killed my father.”

  Kara leaned back. “Your father? But…but…that’s impossible—”

  “My father was Asmodeus. And you killed him.” Her black eyes glared at Kara.

  Kara’s words caught in her throat. She heard her friends gasp. She remembered Asmodeus enveloped in golden fire—his dying wails filled her head. She remembered the hatred she felt for him when she had held David’s dying body in her arms—killing Asmodeus had been an act of revenge and of release—she had never regretted it. And she would do it again in a heartbeat.

  “Who are you, really?” demanded Kara.

  A mischievous smile spread across the young woman’s lips.

  “I’m Lilith. Your sister.”

  Chapter 7

  A Surprised Visit

  “Kara,” said David. “What’s going on? What’s she talking about?”

  Kara shook her head and didn’t answer. She stared in bewilderment at the girl who called herself her sister—could it be possible?

  “I don’t have a sister,” Kara spat. “If I did, I would have known. My mother didn’t have any other children. You’re lying.”

  “I’m your half sister, silly,” said Lilith casually. Disdain tinted her delicate features. “We share the same father, but not the same mother, dearest.”

  Kara watched Lilith in silence. Asmodeus had tricked her own mother into believing he was some regular Joe; it was certainly possible he had tricked other mortal women, too. Kara felt cheated and disgusted. She pulled at her restraints and felt the sting of the wires. Could this creature be telling the truth? Could she really be her half sister?

  “Well, I don’t see any family resemblance,” interrupted David. “Although you did inherit your father’s bad taste in suits—and you seriously need a tan.” Ranab slashed his blade into David’s leg. He cried out and fell to his knees. Then he peered up at Ranab and smiled.

  Lilith disregarded the incident and focused on Kara. “My mother was a sanskrit—a creature part demon and part mortal. She was such a bore. Sanskrits are so incredibly dumb and useless. Unfortunately, I had to dispose of her—she was always getting in the way of my plans—a real nag. She didn’t understand who I was—always telling me I was crazy. We daughters rarely get along with our mothers, do we, dear sister?”

  “Maybe your mother was right,” said David. “She saw that you were a total spaz and tried to do something about it—” Ranab backhanded David hard across the face. He went down, but he struggled back up and glared triumphantly at Ranab.

  Kara remained silent. Hatred rose inside her like a tidal wave. This girl had killed her own mother. She was definitely a dangerous psychotic.

  “You’re insane. You killed your own mother. How could you? She gave you life, and you killed her.”

  “Of course I killed her. She was so annoying,” continued Lilith, “but I treasured my father. He taught me everything I know. He showed me how to control my powers and taught me how to get more. He also told me about you, you know. I loved my father very much.”

  “Really, how touching!” hissed Kara.

  Lilith pursed her lips. “So, you see, now you leave me no choice, sister dear. You took someone I loved, which means that I’ll have to return the favor—”

  She rushed forward in a white blur of lightening speed. Kara heard Jenny cry out before she knew what was happening.

  Kara blinked.

  Lilith had grabbed Jenny by the hair, and with a wicked smile she hauled Jenny away from the group.

  “No!” Kara ran forward and fell. Pain shot through her back. Liquid fire burned into her core as a blade was jammed into her spine. She lifted her face from the ground.

  Jenny fought against Lilith’s hold, but it was no use. Jenny’s hands were bound, and Lilith was much more powerful.

  “Please stop. Take me—it’s me you want. Don’t hurt her!”

  The air beside Lilith shimmered like a heat wave. A strange groan erupted, a gargle, and then a suction noise, like when the bathtub finishes draining. The air around Lilith and Jenny wavered and grew in diameter until it was a ten-foot tall and five-foot wide black hole. Kara could see the shadow of a tunnel behind them. Shapes cavorted and disappeared into the gloominess. Kara heard grunts in a guttural language she couldn’t understand. But one thing she knew for sure—she was staring right into the depths of the netherworld.

  The seirs raised their fists and chanted in another language. Their bodies shook, and the painted eyes on the backs of their heads looked even more disturbing as their heads twitched from side to side.

  “Mistress, what do you want us to do with them?” Ranab bent down and pulled his blade out of Kara’s back. She bit down on her tongue and held back a scream. The blade’s poison attacked her like a sickness, her body was weakening. She knew the others were in bad shape as well. She heard Lilith circle behind her, and Jenny’s boots drag against the concrete floor.

  “I want Kara alive,” ordered Lilith. “I have plans for her. Kill the others.”

  Kara struggled feverishly to stand. A weight held her down. Her wound tore, and she cried out in pain. She twisted her head and saw the white leering face of a seir. He laughed and stepped on her some
more.

  He stamped his red leather boot inches from Kara’s face. The pointed tip neared her eye.

  “I hope to see you soon on the other side, dearest sister. If you want to see your friend again, you’ll have to come and fetch her. Let the games begin.”

  “What? Wait!”

  With Jenny dragging behind her, Lilith stepped into the Rift and disappeared.

  “No!” screamed Kara. She could just see Jenny’s silhouette inside the Rift. There was still a chance she could get her out. Jenny’s body was already deteriorating. Her terrified green eyes were disappearing into the Rift.

  She bucked and kicked out her legs. She didn’t care if she hurt the seir; she only cared about Jenny. She had to reach Jenny before it was too late.

  With one last kick, she nailed the seir in the groin, and he tumbled down beside her. She rolled over and pushed herself to her feet. Another seir slashed his weapon at her. She wrestled with her manacles; the burning wire cut deeper into her flesh, but they wouldn’t break. Kara ducked. The blade sliced the air, and she stuck her foot out and tripped him.

  Kara checked herself immediately. She was still there.

  The others caught on quickly. David slammed his body against the nearest seir. The man was caught off guard and crumbled to the ground. Another seir came at him, but David slipped out of his grasp easily. Peter dodged and squirmed his way out of the circle of seirs.

  Seeing her friends managing themselves for the time being, Kara ran towards the Rift. The dark hole wavered and groaned. She was almost there. She could still see a shade of Jenny’s purple hair on the other side. Only a few more paces—

  Something grabbed her wrists, and Kara was propelled backwards. She landed face down on the hard concrete floor.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” Ranab kicked her savagely in the back. Her wound split open some more, and Kara cried out. “Your friend’s probably already dead, you know. Angels can’t survive the netherworld.” His pallid face broke into a wicked smile. “Too bad the mistress won’t let me kill you. I love a good challenge.”