Kara couldn’t help but feel a little proud at what she had helped accomplish. The world was safe, for now, and now was certainly good enough.
Ariel put her hand back on Kara’s shoulder.
“I came here to thank you on behalf of my fellow archangels and of the entire legion. I also wanted to tell you something, Kara.”
“What thing?”
“You’ll be happy to know that you’ve been given a special leave from the legion.”
Kara wrinkled her brow. “Like a permanent leave?”
It was too good to be true, a dream come true.
“In a matter of speaking, yes.” Ariel smiled. “I know it’s something you’ve wanted for a long time, and no one deserves it more than you, Kara Nightingale. I believe the fate of the mortal world and Horizon will be safe from any enemies for a very long time.”
Kara’s eyes brightened. “I—I don’t know what to say?”
“Thank you would be a start,” laughed David smugly.
She’d have punched him if she didn’t want to kiss him so much.
“Thank you.”
Kara was aware that masses of guardians had gathered around and were listening to their conversion and trying to get a closer look at her. She could tell by their timid expressions that they didn’t want to push in, but that they still wanted to watch.
“You’ll be missed,” said Ariel. “By everyone. That’s a promise.”
“But mostly by me.” David’s eyes shone the deepest blue. It was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen.
And then she did something that she never thought she’d be able to do. Even though Metatron, Ariel, and all the other guardians were watching her, she cupped David’s face in her hands and kissed him.
She kissed him softly at first, but then she kissed him fiercely. She crushed her lips on his, like there was no one else in the world but her and him. She kissed him again and again. Then she grabbed the back of his hair and pulled him into her so she could drink in his wonderful scent.
David wrapped his arms around her tightly and kissed her back. Her elemental energy pulsed. Angels’ touches and kisses were a thousand times more electrifying than mortal ones. She never wanted it to end.
Finally she pulled back, suddenly aware that many eyes were watching. But the smile on David’s face, the love that danced in his eyes, was worth it.
Ariel smiled at her brightly. Even Metatron had a goofy look on his face as he puffed on his cigar.
Applause filled the air. Guardians whistled and cheered. Ashley and Jenny laughed and clapped their hands. Even Peter, who stood with his hands in his pockets, wore the widest grin she’d ever seen.
David’s eyes were wide. “I can’t believe you did that. In front of everyone! Don’t get me wrong, you’ve made me really, really happy, and I really, really liked it but…you sure you’re all right?”
“I’m more than all right.” Kara didn’t fight her own grin. “I haven’t felt this good, this amazing, in a very long time.”
She squeezed David’s hand. “Let’s go home.”
Chapter 26
Home
“So they’re saying it was a tornado?” Kara had been drilling the old man with questions for the past hour.
“But we don’t get tornadoes here. We get snow storms.”
Mr. Patterson polished the surface of his brand new counter.
“I’ll admit it does sound preposterous, especially here, but on rare occasions this city has seen one or two tornadoes.”
Kara screwed up her face. “I don’t know. It doesn’t make sense.”
“Are you a weather specialist? An atmospheric scientist? A tornado expert?”
“No…but then how come Cedarview didn’t get hit? It’s the next street over? They’re saying it was a big one, so why only our street? If it really was a tornado, why did it skip all the other streets in the entire city and just plow into ours? It’s almost like something was controlling it. You know what I mean?”
The old man shrugged.
“No. But Mother Nature is mysterious in her ways. Can you hand me that small red box over there, the one with tiny crystal orbs? Yes, that one. Careful please, I’ve only just replaced them. Thank you.”
Kara watched Mr. Patterson as he carefully emptied the box of crystals and placed them into his glass display counter. She would never truly understand his fascination with glass orbs.
The last streaks of sun spilled in through the front bay window.
“Are you happy the shop’s almost back to its pre-tornado state? If you truly believe that’s what happened.”
He was still gazing adoringly at the crystal orbs.
“There’s still a little painting to be done on the exterior walls and the front sign, but it’s almost done.”
The old man let out a long sigh. “Yes. It’s been a rather a complicated week.”
“What do you mean complicated?”
Kara hated how her boss continued to speak in riddles. She always had the feeling that he was keeping information from her, like he didn’t trust her.
No, she was just being foolish. What secrets could an old bookstore owner truly have?
“It’s not important anymore,” replied Mr. Patterson. “What’s important is that our lives are back to what they were before the apocalypse—”
The old man dropped one of his precious crystals.
“The apocalypse?” Kara leaned over the counter, snatched up the rolling orb, and held it up to inspect it. “If that’s what you want to call it. But I don’t see how the damage to our street can be called an apocalypse.”
Mr. Patterson looked irritated.
“Never mind that. I’ll take that back now.”
Kara lowered the crystal but still didn’t give it back. Not yet.
“I’d like to know your thoughts, on this apocalypse, as you call it.”
She couldn’t explain it, but she had the strangest feeling that Mr. Patterson didn’t think it had been a tornado after all. He kept avoiding her eyes when she mentioned it, like he wasn’t able to lie. What could have been aimed at their street and destroyed it like a bomb had gone off? What was he keeping her from her?
“What happened to the rest of the world, then?”
She handled the orb between her fingers. “What’s your theory on that?” she asked. “I’ll admit a lot of strange things have happened lately. Don’t you think this past week’s been really odd?”
“Not more than usual, dear.” Mr. Patterson eyed the crystal in Kara’s hand.
“What? Where have you been?”
The old man held out his hand. “I’ll take that now, thank you.”
Feeling a little rebellious, Kara tossed the crystal orb in the air, but the old man caught it before she had time to blink.
She pulled back, shocked and impressed.
“Okay, it’s not like I was going to keep it or anything. So...”
She leaned over the counter.
“For the past week, there have been reports of strange occurrences all around the world. Crops dried out, but then miraculously grew back the next day. Sick animals and people were suddenly cured of incurable diseases. And there’s peace in the world, well, for the most part. Most people on the Internet are calling it an environmental disaster or an example of global warming. But the truth is, I haven’t found any real evidence to explain what happened last week. No scientist can explain it. Don’t you think that’s strange?”
“Stranger things have happened.”
Kara rolled her eyes.
“Fine. Be in one of those mysterious moods.”
The sound of construction outside spilled in through the window.
“Well, it’s five o’clock. I’m done for the day.”
She brushed the dust from the front of her shirt and inspected her jeans to make sure they were spotless.
“I’m off with David to catch dinner and movie.”
The thought of spending two hours with David sent a nervo
us flutter through her chest. This wasn’t their first date, yet she felt overly nervous. Her heart pounded in her ears. Why was she being so silly?
“Bye, Mr. P.”
As she turned to leave, she paused when she caught the delight in Mr. Patterson’s eyes. “What? What’s that face for?”
Mr. Patterson’s smiled. “Nothing, dear. Just glad you’re out and about, having fun just like you should be.”
And then he added in a whisper, but not low enough. “After all, no one deserves it more than you.”
Kara’s brows narrowed slightly.
“Huh? Well, thanks I guess. But I haven’t done more than usual, maybe a little painting.”
She watched him for a moment, but his expression didn’t change.
“Okay then, thanks.” Her smile returned. “There aren’t many warm nights like this left.”
“Yes,” said the old man, still watching her with that bemused expression. “I believe you are right.”
“See you tomorrow,” Kara pushed open the front door of the tiny bookstore and jumped onto the street.
A breeze cooled her hot cheeks. The evening sky was still a bright blue, and although the days were getting shorter, it was a perfect evening for a date.
A handsome young man leaned against a parked car. He wore jeans and a simple white t-shirt that clung to his body, just enough to hint at the muscles beneath. The evening sun kissed his tanned features, and his skin glowed.
Kara’s heart caught in her throat.
“You look nice,” said David, causally. “Better than nice.”
Heat rushed to her face, and she failed to keep a giant smile from spreading over her face.
“So, where are you taking me?” she asked.
“It’s a surprise.”
He smiled at her, and she felt her knees go weak.
As she and David began to walk along the sidewalk, something in the reflection on the store’s bay window caught her attention. She halted.
“What?” said David. “Did you forget to clean a spot on the window?”
Kara frowned and touched the glass. “No. That’s not it. I thought…I thought for a moment…”
David leaned closer, his arm touching hers. “You thought what?”
Kara swallowed hard. Bracing herself, she said, “It’s going to sound really weird, but for a moment I thought I saw wings.”
“Wings?” laughed David playfully.
“Golden wings,” she said with a straight face. “Glorious wings. They were shining like something out of a fairy tale. You think I’m crazy, don’t you. And now you’re wondering what you’re doing with such a nut case.”
David twirled a lock of her hair in his fingers.
“Yes. You’re nuts. But that’s what I love about you. You keep it interesting.”
Kara was about to object, but he put his hands on her waist and pulled her closer to him. He leaned in and kissed her.
The kiss was like coming home or being born again. They had kissed before, but somehow this was different, more intense. His lips were hot and soft against hers, and she trembled at his touch. She threw her arms around his neck, forgot all about the mysterious golden wings, and embraced the love of her life.
STEEL MAIDEN
CHAPTER 1
THE TEMPLE VAULT WAS completely dark.
I’d been crouched inside a cabinet with my chin resting awkwardly on my knees for about six hours, and now the muscles in my body screamed and burned. Acid from hunger worked away in my empty stomach, and the air was hot and stale. A cold sweat trickled down my back, but I kept my breathing low and steady, held my position, and waited.
I could hear muffled male voices and the shuffling of feet.
Pricks.
If the temple guards discovered me now, they would slit my throat before I could even begin to explain why I was here, hidden in a cupboard in the vault. The truth is, there was only one reason why someone would sneak into the temple vault at night—to steal the high priests’ treasures.
I bit my lip. This was by far the stupidest and most dangerous stunt I’d ever pulled. But hunger and desperation had brought me farther into Soul City than I’d ever ventured before. And now I’d been foolish enough to seek my quarry inside the vault. I knew the risks.
We’d finished the last of the cabbage soup two days ago, and Byron hadn’t any bread to spare this week. I’d sworn last night that I wouldn’t spend another night with a hungry belly.
A cramp bit into my leg, but I ignored it. Hiding in cubbyholes for long hours wasn’t new to me. I was used to small spaces. Thank the creator I wasn’t claustrophobic. My heart thumped loudly in my ears as my hunger was replaced by my anger.
The high priests were the reason we were all starving. There were enough precious stones and jewels in the vault to feed the families in the Pit for generations, and yet we were all starving to death. It was clear that the priests wanted to keep us hungry. We were easier to control.
Bastards.
I remember the stories I had heard when I was a child. Three hundred years ago, after the Great War of the Realms, the Temple of the Sun priests had arrived. No one had known for sure where they came from, but the legends told that the kings and queens of the six kingdoms of Arcania had stepped down, one by one, and relinquished their rule to the high priests. Some legends spoke of a dark spell that had been cast on the kings and queens since they had so willingly given their titles and their kingdoms to the priests. But no one knew for sure.
Not everyone was subject to the priests’ will, however, and a great rebellion against them had arisen two hundred years ago. Unfortunately attempts to remove the high priests had been in vain. Most of the men and women from the kingdom of Anglia who had joined the rebellion had been slaughtered like cattle by the temple guards.
But the priests did keep some of the rebels alive. As punishment, and to remind those who might dare to oppose them again that their efforts would be futile, the priests created the Pit. They confined the rebels to the district of Anglia where the rebellion had started. Now ten thousand prisoners were cramped into a muddy, filthy shantytown where they were forced to live out their lives as trash. They would never forget that their ancestors had tried to rebel.
There was a saying amongst our kind, If you’re born in the Pit, you die in the Pit.
But I wouldn’t die here. I was going to get out.
I couldn’t let my anger cloud my mind. I had a job to do, and I needed to focus. It was risky, but this was finally my chance to get out of the Pit, and I had to take it. I wouldn’t mess it up. I couldn’t.
After a few minutes of careful listening, I heard the screeching of hinges and then the loud thump of a heavy door. I knew there were only two guards patrolling the vault, and I couldn’t risk them discovering me. Although I could hold my own in a fight, even with two grown men, I had to go unnoticed if I wanted my plan to work. That meant no fights.
I had been blessed with a talent for hand-to-hand combat although I had never received any real training. My earliest memories were of throwing a set of knives against the trunk of a tree and hitting the makeshift target every time. I was adept with weapons, especially ones with a blade. I never knew where my skill came from, or why I had it, it just was. Rose called it a gift—I called it survival instinct.
My heart thundered as I strained for any more sounds. Only the darkness of my cupboard whispered back. It was now or never.
I held my breath and pressed lightly on the door. I peered through the small crack and blinked back the sudden brightness. A series of flaming torches illuminated the vault in soft yellow light.
I was alone. I let out a shaky breath and then slipped into the vault with the stealth of a cat.
My limbs ached and cracked as I stretched and moaned quietly. I took a calming breath, grateful for the gulps of fresh air, and looked around carefully. Bile burned my throat as I took in the shelves that lined the walls. They were loaded with brilliant gems and precious jewelry.<
br />
Sick. All of it. The people from the Pit were starving while this useless chamber sat stuffed with enough jewels to feed a nation. It was probably just a fraction of the high priests’ wealth, and it was a wealth that had once belonged to our kings.
One, two, three, I counted in my head. I only had about five minutes before the next rotation of the temple guards would check on the vault.
I clenched my fingers as I stared at a large necklace speckled with rubies and sapphires. I could certainly fill my pockets with necklaces like these—they were practically begging for me to steal them. But that would be stupid. I couldn’t afford to be stupid. Not now when I was so close…
Even if I did take my fill of precious stones and pearl necklaces, I wouldn’t be able to sell them. Women in the Pit didn’t own jewelry. Where would we wear it if we did? It would raise questions if I tried to sell it. I’d get caught if I were greedy.
There was only one person in the Pit who would and could buy such trinkets, and he’d already made a deal with me. I wasn’t here for a mere necklace. I had bigger plans.
I crossed the chamber to the opposite wall and stood before a tall metal cabinet. Two lions, the royal seal of Anglia, were engraved into the metal. I couldn’t see any lock or device that secured the doors.
A trap? Why wasn’t it locked?
It felt too easy. A treasure of incredible valuable must have some kind of lock. Even if it were a trap, what choice did I have? I had committed to this, and I would see it through—for my sake and for Rose’s.
With my heart in my throat I pulled open the doors and stifled a gasp as a veil of green fire enveloped me and licked every inch of my exposed skin.
I panicked and stepped back.
The strange wall of green flames could only be magic. What was magic fire doing in the high priests’ vault? Priests saw magic as the devil’s work. It was forbidden in Arcania, so why was it here? There was not supposed to be any magic on this side of the world. The legends said that magic came from beyond the mystic mountains in the east, from Wichdom. And yet it was right here, in front of me.
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