Elemental, Soul Guardians Book 2

by Kim Richardson

  “I—I lost it. I—tried to find it, see…that’s why I was here so late. I must have dropped it before, when our tour visited the Eiffel Tower this evening. When I got to my hotel, I realized that I had lost my passport—so then I came here—hey! What are you doing?”

  The policeman grabbed Kara by the elbow and pulled her towards a police car. He opened the door and pushed her into the back seat. Kara lost her balance and fell head first into the seat. It smelled of cigarettes and sweat. There were nasty brown marks on the seat, and Kara winced hoping there weren’t what she thought they were.

  This is really bad, she said to herself.

  “Please! I didn’t do anything! You can’t do this!”

  The policeman shut the door and climbed into the front seat. Kara watched as his partner settled himself in the passenger’s seat.

  “Where are you taking me!” Kara yelled. But they just ignored her.

  They drove off, speeding recklessly through the tiny streets. Kara started to feel lightheaded. Her M suit started to fail her. She could feel its essence starting to pull away. It wouldn’t last till morning, and she didn’t know how long they would keep her.

  Five minutes later, the car stopped, and Kara peeked out the window. A tall brown stone building stood before them. A great blue white and red French flag rippled in the light breeze. The car door opened.

  “Get out.”

  Kara obeyed and wiggled out of the car clumsily with Thor still cradled in her arms. He was still unconscious.

  With no escape without betraying her true identity, she decided to follow the men into the police station. They walked down a hallway and opened a door. Kara looked inside. It was a small room with a single table and two metal chairs facing each other. She felt pressure on her shoulder. A policeman pushed her forward and then forcefully pushed her into one of the chairs. She glanced down at Thor. He didn’t open his eyes.

  The door opened and a police woman walked in. She glanced at Kara.

  “Come.” She waved Kara to follow her towards a large beige photocopying machine in the corner.

  The police woman grabbed Kara’s right hand and pressed her index finger onto a small square platform. A light appeared. It moved slowly from top to bottom. She took another of Kara’s fingers and did the same as she scanned Kara’s fingerprints.

  The police woman looked suddenly confused. She looked at Kara, then back at the scanner.

  “Mais—je ne comprend pas?” said the police woman.

  “What is it?” The policeman came over and studied a small screen above the machine. He raised his eyebrows in surprise.

  “Give me your hand,” he ordered. He took Kara’s hand aggressively and pressed each of her fingers on the scanner again. Kara feared what was going to happen next.

  He looked up at the screen and narrowed his eyes. “You…you have no finger prints! How can you not have finger prints?”

  Kara shrugged and tried to look as innocent as she could. Play the dumb little girl, she told herself.

  “It is not normal. Who are you?” he roared. “Why did you remove your finger prints? Are you a spy, disguised as a little girl?” He hit the machine hard with his hand, making Kara jump.

  There was a sudden click as the office door shut behind her. Kara whirled around and met the cold stare of a higher demon.

  In the blink of an eye, he reached around behind the police woman and slashed her throat. Blood squirted from the gash, and the woman fell to the ground. Kara stumbled back, horrified.

  “Arrêtez!” yelled the policeman.

  He pulled out his gun. But before he could shoot, the demon wrenched the gun out of his hand, and broke his arm with a horrendous crunch. The demon squeezed the man’s throat with his hand. There was a loud crack. The policeman slipped to the ground.

  “Thought you could hide from us, little angel?” laughed the higher demon. He licked his blade and grinned. His pointed teeth were running with blood.

  Kara stepped back slowly. She had no more weapons. She couldn’t count on her own power. When she slowly placed Thor on the ground under the table, Kara noticed two tiny spheres hovering above the dead police. She felt her body leaning towards them. She had to save them.

  But the demon was faster. He snatched them up and swallowed them.

  “Mmmm…delicious. Don’t even think about escaping. There is no escape. You’re coming with me.”

  Sudden pounding erupted from behind the doors. She heard the muffled voices of more policemen tying to kick down the door.

  “My master is waiting for you, Kara. He’s been patient enough. He’d like to have a word, you see. And for my reward for bringing you in—I get to eat your mother’s soul. I’m going to enjoy it very much.” The demon roared in laughter and licked its lips.

  Something heavy crashed against the outside of the door. She knew it would come down eventually. The demon would kill them, too.

  “I’ll kill you if you touch my mother’s soul,” Kara growled, feeling a sudden animal aggression.

  “Ha! Look at you—you are injured—you won’t last long in this world. Your pathetic mortal body is dying. It is weak. Just like all the rest of the mortals—pathetic! We should rule this world, not mortals. All they care about is money. What good is money when you are weak and have no power? Why should they be allowed to roam this world? We are the true beings.”

  “Humans inhabit the Earth. It’s the way it is. Get used to it, demon.”

  The higher demon curled its lips. “Not for long. They will soon be faced with their final emancipation. Soon the pathetic little mortals will be no more. They will be crushed—and we will take what’s ours.”

  Kara shook her head. She remembered the smell of the lavender soap her mother had used every morning before work, and the way she had always put her hair up in bun, with loose strands of hair that constantly managed to escape.

  “What? What are you talking about?”

  The demon raised its eyebrows, pleased that it had information that Kara did not. He lifted his head arrogantly. “Tomorrow at midnight—portals will be opened into the mortal world—and every single home around the Earth will have a surprise midnight visitor.” The demon raised his hand and then clamped it shut, as though he were strangling someone.

  He looked at Kara and smiled. “You cannot stop this, little one. No one can. Not even your insignificant Legion. No. You will witness the death of all the mortals—and then we will take back the earth.”

  “The Legion will stop you. You’ll never be able to do this.”

  The demon grinned. “They cannot stop what they don’t know, now can they? Predictable fools, these angels. But you, my dear, are special. And my master wants a word with you.”

  “I’m not going anywhere with you.” Kara backed away.

  The door burst open. Five policemen hesitated at the doorway for a moment. They spotted the bodies. They looked at Kara and at the higher demon—then they started shooting.

  Bullets graced Kara’s head as she ducked under the table. She watched in horror at the demon’s supernatural speed. He attacked two of the men and ripped them apart like sheets of paper. He stood in the middle of the bodies with an evil grin.

  And then he howled in pain. Thor clamped his mouth around the demon’s leg. The demon grabbed the dog and threw him against the wall. The last three police man launched their assault. Kara rolled on the ground and reached Thor. She picked him up.

  “This is our chance—while the demon is occupied elsewhere,” he urged, “now!”

  Without glancing back, Kara ran through the doorway. Thor bounced against her chest as she ploughed through desks and chairs. She ducked behind a large desk as a horde of black-booted police with automatic weapons raced towards the room where the higher demon was killing the others. They would die too.

  “Kara! We must leave!”

  With a last glance towards the policemen, Kara bolted through the door and ran out into the busy night-time street, her eyes adjus
ting to the darkness and street lights.

  “Stop running. You’ll look suspicious.” Thor twitched uneasily in her arms.

  Kara slowed to a walk. The Death Blade’s poison ate away at her M suit. She felt light headed. She looked at her arms. The M’s skin was thin; she could easily see her angel body’s brilliance. She guessed she had a half hour left before her entire body crumpled, and exposed itself to every kind of demon possible. She would be an easy target then.

  “I have to find water…my mortal suit won’t last long.”

  “There’s a water fountain at Saint-Lambert Park. At this time of night, you can slip in without being noticed.” Thor lifted his flat nose and sniffed. “It’s this way.” He cocked his head to the right.

  Kara walked furtively along the street, cradling Thor tightly against her chest. The streets were crowded. Music flowed from the many shops and tiny cafés that edged the cobblestone sidewalks. The smell of alcohol and coffee filled her senses.

  Part of her didn’t want to go back. She wondered if she should just let herself die here. It would be better than succumbing to the wrath of the Legion. She had broken so many laws, she couldn’t even remember—they would probably just throw her back in Tartarus. She wasn’t evil even though her father may have been a demon. She was innocent.

  “Thor?” she cleared her throat. “What do you think they’ll do to me once I’m back?”

  Thor looked away for a moment. “They’ll throw you back in prison to wait your trial, I’m sure of that.”

  “Great.” Kara shrugged. “How the hell am I supposed to prove my innocence now?”

  She paused then spoke again, “Do you think what the demon said was true? At midnight a visitor will come through and kill all the mortals?”

  “He seemed too cocky to be lying.”

  “We have to warn the Legion! You have to warn them—they’ll never believe me. Thor…you have to tell them,” Kara persisted.

  “Yes, I’ll do what I can. But first we need to get you safe.”

  They passed a pub with a terrace. A small television was mounted on the wooden bar. Her face was on the television. Black and white close-up footage of her running out of the police station with Thor in her arms was playing on the screen. The label on the right hand side read, French Police, Most Wanted. Extremely dangerous. Police killer.

  “Oh dear,” said Thor.

  “Oh, hell.” Kara watched as the customers stared at her and then at the television. Their expressions changed from confusion to recognition. Before it got any worse, Kara bolted.

  She ran as fast as her failing M suit would let her.

  “Which way!” Kara yelled as she ran.

  “Turn left at the stop sign, then right—watch out!”

  A car appeared out of nowhere. It pressed on the brakes. Kara crashed into the side door. She fell down, but quickly jumped back on her feet. She had crashed into a police car. She could see the monitor on the dash board through the window—her face was on their screen. Kara saw recognition come to the policemen’s eyes. But before they even moved, Kara was already moving.

  She ran faster. She pressed her mortal legs and hoped they wouldn’t give out.

  “There!” cried Thor. “There it is. Quickly—put me down; you’ll run faster.”

  “Are you going to be okay?”

  “Me? Of course, it’s you that I’m worried about.”

  Kara let Thor down and sprinted towards the water fountain. The sirens wailed louder every second.

  “They’ll be here soon. Go! Go! Go!” Thor urged.

  His voice was drowned by the loud screeching of tires on asphalt. A police car fishtailed around the corner, coming straight for them. Thor scampered around the fountain and hid behind a statue of a naked woman holding a jug.

  Kara stepped into the water. “Thanks Thor! I’ll never forget your kindness.”

  “We’ll be in touch,” answered the dog.

  And with that, Kara submerged herself into the water and let the brightness take her.

  Chapter 15

  A word to the wise

  KARA IGNORED THE MANY INSULTS AND repeated attempts to engage her in conversation by the large chimp. She had never seen him before. He had long strands of hair atop his head, like a thin Mohawk and a flowing plaid skirt. Was it female or male? Kara wasn’t sure. But what she could tell within the short period of time they spent together, he was just as obnoxious and rude as all the other primate elevator operators.

  “You’re in big trouble, you know.” The chimp raised his arms above his head, thick black fur covered him completely. His yellow bellboy hat was secured underneath his chin with an elastic. He reached down and began to scratch his butt. “You are the infamous Kara Nightingale, are you not?”

  Kara let her head rest against the elevator’s back wall panel. “Can’t you just shut up and let me be. I don’t feel like talking. Especially not to you.”

  “How unfortunate.” The chimp leaned over on his wooden stool. He eyed Kara with great interest. “They’ll throw you back into the prison, they will. You broke the law. You escaped Tartarus. Makes you wonder why you were chosen in the first place. Why put so much faith in a foolish girl who prances around without a care in the world, eh?”

  “Shut up, monkey.” Kara glowered at the chimp. Its grin infuriated her.

  The elevator jerked to a stop.

  “Level two, Operations!” cried the chimp. “I am Chimp 2P72, biding you a good day, Miss.” He curtsied, holding the hem of his skirt with his hands.

  Kara rolled her eyes and stepped towards the doors. Her body tightened. Her hands shook. Who would be waiting for her behind the doors?

  The doors slid open, and she stepped down into the soft red sand.

  Gabriel’s giant form towered over her. She relaxed a little when she saw David. There were only the two of them—the High Council hadn’t sent the entire Legion for her.

  “How nice to see you again, Kara. Did you have a nice trip?” Gabriel’s tone had no emotion. It sent shivers inside her body. He looked her down.

  “Would you mind telling how me how you escaped Tartarus? Who else was involved? I doubt you escaped on your own.”

  She bit her lip and said nothing. Gabriel watched her contemptuously. Kara looked over to David for help. He shrugged—he hadn’t told them about helping her. She wondered where Jenny and Peter were now. Hopefully they were hidden away.

  Gabriel crossed his arms and looked at David suspiciously. “I know David had something to do with it—but we can’t prove it. At least, not for now.”

  “He wasn’t involved. I—I—took my chances and jumped.” Kara stammered.

  Gabriel’s eyes flashed dangerously. “Do you know how much trouble you’ve caused? Escaping from the prison is one thing…but now—you’re all over Earth’s news—a dangerous assassin who killed a dozen French policemen!”

  He threw a newspaper in her face. It fell to the ground. The cover had Kara’s profile picture, and a gory photograph of the dead policemen piled on top of each other. Their hearts and insides ripped out of them. Kara cringed at the gory picture.

  Kara started to shake. “I didn’t do this! You know I couldn’t. It was a higher demon! He did this.”

  “You shouldn’t have been there!” roared Gabriel. “You had no business escaping and getting involved like this! What were you trying to do?”

  His skin seemed to darken, and Kara remembered why she was always a little terrified of him.

  “She was trying to prove her innocence, Gabe.” David gave Kara a short smile. He turned to face the archangel. “She never meant to hurt Al. It was an accident—I know, I was there. She was just trying to protect me from that idiot! And the council didn’t even give her a chance to explain. It’s not fair. How long was she supposed to rot away in that prison? They were never going to let her out.”

  “It wasn’t just that,” said Kara as she stepped closer. She looked at the ground. “I had to go back to look for my moth
er’s soul. I had to save her.”

  She shot a glance at David. “But I couldn’t save her. The new breed took her soul.”

  “You did your best, Kara.” David locked eyes with Kara.

  Gabriel let his powerful arms fall at his sides.

  “I am sorry about your mother’s soul. But you have bigger problems. Problems that could cost you everything.” He tapped his thumbs together over his interlaced fingers. “The council is furious with you, Kara. Your punishment will be severe, mark my words. And there’s nothing I—or David can do about it.”

  He looked away, lost in some distant thought, and then he returned his attention to Kara.

  “I’ve been ordered to escort you back to the prison.”

  “What! Right now! No, wait—I have to tell you something!” Kara pleaded. Her body trembled.

  “Gabe, you can’t do this! She’s innocent! You know she is!”

  The archangel raised his hands. “It’s not my decision. Besides, she brought this upon herself. If she had stayed in the Tartarus she might have gotten a smaller sentence. But with all that has happened, she’ll be lucky if they don’t kill her.”

  Kara’s mouth fell open. “What? But…but….”

  “It’s not right!” yelled David. “How can they do this?”

  “She’s part demon—a weapon of some sort. The council is afraid of what she could do.”

  Kara clenched her fists. “So that’s it? Just because I’m part demon—I’m not a part of the Legion anymore?” She threw up her arms, “I’m just going to be tossed away like garbage.”

  “If you had behaved like a normal obedient angel,” roared Gabriel, “none of this would have happened!”

  Kara kicked up some sand with her foot. “Well, if I’d obeyed, I would have never heard about the attack the demons are planning.”

  “What?” said David and Gabriel together.

  Kara stared at the rolling red hills, following them with her eyes until they disappeared.

  “The demons are planning an attack tomorrow at midnight—the higher demon told me all the mortals on the earth would be destroyed.”