Marked, Soul Guardians Book 1

by Kim Richardson

  Time passed in Horizon. From time to time Kara thought about her painting, and about the life she left behind. But now her old life seemed insignificant and dull compared with the busy new life she led now. Every now and then, when she thought of her mother, the feelings of guilt and homesickness would start. But with all she had to learn at combat training and her new lessons with the oracles, Kara didn’t have time to feel sorry for herself.

  She learned from Gabriel that the Legion was nervous about the fact that higher demons kept showing up whenever she was on the job. They feared a connection between Kara and the demons. If they suspected a traitor they didn’t mention it to her, or to David. Instead, they had her spend hours on end trying to connect with her other souls…which wasn’t happening. It was not until she cussed out the oracle for getting her name wrong for the hundredth time that he finally dismissed her until their next lesson.

  Before long, Kara started to adjust better to the new life and job in Horizon—she even saved three other souls. But she soon found out, according to the Archangel Gabriel, that this wasn’t good enough—she had to try to save the mortals first, before the soul.

  Otherwise, her training sessions with David proved to be fruitful and enriching in every respect. Her senses became more powerful, and so did her instincts. Kara was getting better with each lesson, and in a short time David began training her on different weapons. She even surprised herself a little when she began to enjoy herself and even began, if only slightly, to accept her new fate as a guardian angel.

  Then David broke the news about Benson to Kara.

  “He’s on his way now—566 Saint Catherine Street East,” he informed her. “Apparently the Legion’s got him on a Scout mission.”

  “What’s a scout mission?”

  “Scouts gather info for the Legion…like detective work, but GA style.”

  “That sounds cool!” Kara imagined herself in a dark trench coat and black fedora hat, spying on would-be traitors in a dark alley way, snapping pictures with her sparkling new iPhone.

  David made a face. “Na…it gets boring sometimes. Too much paperwork…it’s pretty geeky if you ask me. But we know what he’s doing, eh? It’s so clear now! I can’t believe no one suspects him. But we’ll get him.” David’s face cracked into a grin. His eyes glittered in anticipation.

  Kara liked how his lips curled when David was enjoying himself. He reminded her of a little boy in a toy store, going crazy as he played with all the new gadgets his little hands could hold. She couldn’t help but smile back. “Good job, inspector. Is he near the pools already?” Kara nodded her head towards the hundreds of pools beyond the red hills.

  “Yup…let’s go get him.”

  Kara jogged behind David. As they approached the pools, she could make out Benson’s silhouette on the ledge of one in the first row. She saw him squat, pinch his nose, then leap into the air and disappear with a splash.

  Kara narrowed her eyes. “You really believe this creep is the traitor?”

  “Without a doubt.”

  “I wonder what is going on in his head. How can he risk the lives of other angels?”

  “’Cause he’s a douche bag.”

  “He must really hate you.” Kara bit her lip. “Maybe he has an entirely different agenda? Maybe he wants me dead and not you?”

  David shook his head. “Don’t be ridiculous…he’s after me. You’re only involved because of me.”

  A moment later, Kara and David took their turns and jumped into the salty waters.

  As if an army of ants had poured out of their hills in search of food, Saint Catherine Street was a mass of crawling mortals. Kara blinked. Red, green, and yellow flashing street lights illuminated the busy street. Kara passed pawn shops, strip clubs, and bars, as the humid air stuck to her M suit. A stink of exhaust fumes lingered and a smell of moist soil filled the air.

  The street was alive with the energy of young people. Kara felt it prickle her M suit. The night was young, and like any Friday, the street vibrated with the sounds of motors running, squeaking brakes, and kids on full party mode.

  Teenage girls walked in groups attached at the waist, their faces painted in layers of makeup. With barely-there tops and the shortest of skirts, which Kara liked to call under-skirts, they approached the nightclubs. They batted their eyelashes at the bouncers who then let them in without question. Kara felt a slight ache of envy in her chest as she watched them.

  She brushed off the feeling and followed David. “So what’s 566 Saint Catherine?”

  David turned back and looked at her before turning back and looking straight ahead. “It’s a nightclub. I have a feeling he’s meeting someone there—probably a demon.” David glanced at his watch. “He should already be there,” he looked up. “Ah…there it is.”

  Kara followed his gaze and saw a crooked gray building. The windows were painted black, and a large metal sign hung from the top. It read, The Club.

  “Wow, how original—must have taken weeks to come up with that name.” Kara turned her head. A long line of teenage hopefuls waited to get in. “Ah, David …where are you going? Aren’t we going to wait in line over there?”

  David grabbed Kara by the hand and pulled her with him to the front entrance. A man the size of a small SUV waited with his arms crossed over his chest.

  “Hey man, what’s up?” said David as he walked right in. The bouncer didn’t pay any attention to them.

  “Wow! How did you do that?” asked Kara as David dragged her. “Do GAs have some kind of hypnotizing abilities?”

  “Sort of…but my good looks got us in.”

  They passed through the front door. Music exploded all around them. Kara felt the ground shake beneath her as hundreds of dancers hit the floor. Not wanting to miss anything, she turned her head every which way as David pulled her along.

  “I’ve never been inside a club before,” she yelled over the music.

  David turned his head and frowned. “Never?”

  “No. You have to be eighteen to be allowed in.”

  “Yeah, but you never made a fake ID?” bellowed David.

  Kara shook her head. “No…guess that makes me a loser, right?”

  David’s white teeth flashed in the darkness. “No, not everyone likes to go clubbing. Besides, you were probably too busy with your art to want to join a bunch of talentless fools jumping up and down in a tight space.”

  Kara smiled and looked down. “Yeah, I’m sure that’s the reason.”

  Strobe lights illuminated faces, as David pulled her through the tight crowds. The salty smell of sweaty armpits and the thick stink of booze were like an invisible wall of stench.

  The further they ventured away from the dance floor, the more Kara could hear over the music— faint sounds of bottles that clashed together and mumbles of conversations.

  David pulled her along. She felt her body stiffen as crowds of people brushed up against her. But then David squeezed her hand gently and her skin tingled. She liked the feel of his M skin against her own. It wasn’t the same feeling as back when she was alive, of skin brushing up against skin. This was different, and to Kara, much better—like her sensations were ten times as strong. She wished silently that she could hold on to his hand forever.

  Kara made faces at the gorgeous girls that eyed David as they passed. They all gave Kara the what-are-you-doing-with-such-a-hottie look. And when David wasn’t looking, Kara whirled around and gave them the finger…followed by the biggest smile she could muster.

  David pulled Kara towards a round metal table in a back corner of the club, beyond the crowded dance floor and lost in the shadows. Benson sat two tables down from them. He was huddled over the table, presently engaged in a conversation with a dark-haired man in his late twenties. They did not look up.

  “Be right back.”

  Kara watched as David disappeared into the crowd. He came back two minutes later with two drinks. “Here…gin and tonic. Have you had this before?”


  Kara shook her head. “Uh…no, but can we actually drink liquids?”

  David laughed. “Not really, but it is fun to pretend. The best part is that you can actually start feeling the alcoholic effects after a few drinks. Here…have a taste.”

  Kara leaned in and took a sip. The liquid evaporated in her throat. The alcohol vapor lingered for a moment and then made its way up slowly to her head. It wasn’t at all like drinking real liquid, but it still felt nice. She grinned at David. “That was weird.” She licked her lips. “But I like it.”

  “Good. Listen. Let’s move in closer to hear their conversation.” David drank the entire contents of his glass in one shot. He smacked his lips and slammed the glass down. “Follow me.”

  David sneaked closer towards the table that Benson and the stranger occupied. Their heads were huddled together, deep in conversation. David walked with exceptional stealth through the crowds to get to the next table without Benson noticing. He sat with his back towards them and leaned against the seat just a little for better hearing. Kara grabbed the empty seat next to David and sat down. She sipped her drink. Her eyes were on the young crowds dancing in front of her, but she strained to hear behind her. She heard Benson speak first.

  “…it’s not good enough. I need more information.” Benson said.

  “That’s all I know, man,” answered a deep voice.

  “But you can’t be sure it was the same child?”

  “Hey man, it’s like I said. I’m not sure.”

  “In what warehouse was this? What part of the city? I need to know!” Benson asked.

  “I’ve given you all I’ve got,” said the stranger. “If the demons knew I was speaking to you, I’d be a dead man.”

  There was a pause, and then Benson spoke again. “Yes, I know, but this is really important.”

  “No you don’t! I’m not paid enough for this shit.” Kara heard something slam down on the table.

  Kara couldn’t make out the rest of the conversion as the music thundered around her. She bristled with anxiety and was pleasantly excited—she was detective Kara Nightingale, bad-ass profiler vigilante. But something troubled her. The stranger had mentioned a child. What was Benson involved in?

  Out of the corner of her eye, Kara saw Benson get up. In a flash David had squeezed himself against her. With his right arm around her shoulder, he pressed his hard M suit against hers, his face close enough for a kiss. Her mortal skin prickled with his nearness. She knew not to look into his eyes, for fear she might give her true feelings away. And just when she thought she would burst, David released her and backed away.

  “Okay, he’s gone. I think he’s going towards the washrooms…be right back!” And with that, David disappeared into the crowd.

  Kara clasped her forehead with her hands. She wasn’t prepared for the intense feeling she felt. If romance was forbidden between angels, then why did she have feelings for this guy?

  She moved her hands away from her face and looked down at her glass. “Why not?” She drank the last of her gin and tonic. She felt calmer. Then David squeezed out from a wall of mortals, with four more gin and tonics in his hands.

  His face cracked into a wide smile. “Benson went down the toilet. So, the night’s still young…no reason to let it go to waste. Right?”

  “Right.” Kara grabbed a glass and took a drink. She wanted to stay here with David for as long as she could.

  “David…did you hear them talking about some child?”

  David smacked his lips together. “Yup…don’t know anything about some kid, though. I’m not sure what that means.” He screwed up his face and gawked at his drink.

  Kara swirled the straw around in her glass. “Do you think maybe we were wrong about Benson? If he’s looking for a kid, then maybe he’s not the one involved in trying to get us killed? I didn’t hear anything about a plot to get us killed. Did you?”

  After a pause, David brushed the top of his hair with his fingers. “Nope. I don’t know. Maybe he was finished with his plan before we got there, and we only heard part of something else.”

  “Or maybe it’s not him. Maybe we have it all wrong.”

  “It has to be…no one else in the Legion would do this to us! I’m sure Benson is the one.”

  But Kara was unconvinced. If Benson truly was behind the strange demon attacks, then why would he risk a meeting with some creepy mortal just to talk about some kid? It didn’t add up. But Kara didn’t press it any further.

  Soon Kara was on her fourth drink. She laughed away at David’s silly jokes, the kind of laughing which would normally have made her innards ache. But without innards, Kara only felt a slight tingle in her chest. She couldn’t remember the last time when she had so much fun.

  The music changed, and she felt David’s hand on hers as he pulled her to her feet.

  “Time to go.”

  “Huh? Already?” Kara hit her glass on the table.

  They pushed their way out of the club and walked back along Saint Catherine Street. “We’ll go through Berri Park, towards the water fountain.” He told Kara. “The park will be deserted…perfect for a skinny dip on the way back to Horizon—ouch!” cried David. He rubbed the back of his head.

  Kara pursed her lips. “Serves you right, Casanova.”

  They reached the park after a short walk. The only sources of light came from the moon and the one flickering park light at the entrance. The trees cast long, ghostly shadows on the ground. Male crickets chirped in the night as they tried to attract a female. A raccoon the size of a small dog enjoyed an early morning feast in a city garbage can. He hissed at them as they passed.

  “Can animals see who we really are?” asked Kara.

  “Yes. Animals are sensitive to different energies…they can sense us.”

  The raccoon kept hissing. “I don’t think he likes us very much.”

  David laughed. “Poor little guy. He probably just doesn’t want to share his meal.”

  “Gross.”

  Kara returned her attention to David. She watched him strut beside her, grinning. She liked how his shoulders moved back and forth as he walked, with his head in the air, like a proud peacock…

  “AH!” Yelled Kara, as her foot got caught in a tree root. She went straight down to the ground. After a moment, she hauled herself up and sat on the grass. She giggled. “Oops.”

  “I love ladies who can hold their liquor,” laughed David. He grabbed Kara by the arm and pulled her up—just a little too hard, for she flew into his arms. David wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him. She looked up. His blue eyes sparkled in the moon light. Kara blinked. She thought his face was even more beautiful close up. His full lips parted slightly, as he stared at her mouth. His face was closer now. Warmth spread through her mortal body. She felt on fire. And then she felt his lips pressing against hers; softly at first, and then harder.

  The kiss was sudden and fast.

  The next thing Kara knew, David had released her and backed away, his face intense. He had a fiery look in his eyes. Her body exploded in tingles and he broke into a wide grin. He knew she was his.

  But Kara was in shock.

  David was still holding on to her, as though he were reluctant to let her go. She had never been kissed before. It felt amazing. She grinned.

  What the…? Kara felt a sudden sharp pain in the back of her neck.

  She reached back with her hand, and was suddenly propelled back with incredible force. She crashed onto the hard floor. If her body had been human, it’d have been broken. She rolled over. She felt something hard tightening around her neck, like a thick rubber hose. Her neck burned, as though the mortal flesh was on fire. Her body lifted off the ground as she twisted her M suit, trying to break free. But the hold was too strong. Kara looked down and got a glimpse of her attacker.

  A shadow demon, three times larger than the ones she saw in Mrs. Wilkins’ apartment, glistened in the moonlight. It had her wrapped around her ne
ck with one of its tentacles. Kara could smell the foul stench of blood and rotten flesh. The demon let out a loud shriek that sounded almost like a laugh.

  “Let her go, demon!” David ran towards her, his sword shimmering in the moonlight. He leaped into the air behind her. Kara heard a swish, and then felt a release. She hit the ground hard. She rolled over and tugged at her throat, and pulled off the foul tentacle. She scrambled to her feet and watched as the demon flickered, and its solid form disappeared into a black mist.

  “Stay behind me!” yelled David, as he ran towards the demon. Kara stared in horror as he threw himself into the black fog, arms flailing as he struck at the creature. “I…HATE…DEMONS!” he panted. And then he disappeared into the mist. For a moment nothing happened, and then David came into view as he jumped out of the black fog. The demon shimmered and flickered into its solid form again. Wailing, it lashed out at David with its many limbs and knocked him off his feet. His sword flew out of his hand.

  “DAVID!” screamed Kara. With incredible speed, the creature wrapped its tentacles around David’s body. It lifted him up…and started pulling.

  Panicked, Kara understood that the creature meant to rip him apart. She searched frantically for the sword. Where is it!? “Crap! Crap! CRAP!”

  Kara caught a glimpse of something silver flash in the moonlight. Like a bullet, she bolted after the sword. She grabbed it, the blade heavy in her hand, and turned back. She ran towards the demon, the sword held high in her hand. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do with it once she got there, but she knew she had to save David, no matter what.

  The demon slammed David’s body hard on the ground. It lifted him up and started to pull his limbs.

  Kara saw her chance. She took it.

  She pushed off the ground and jumped into the air, landing on the creature’s back. She thrust the blade down into its head.

  Black ooze poured out of the wound like thick tar, drenching Kara in black blood. She pushed off and landed back on the ground. Immediately, the demon wailed and let go of David. David fell to the ground and rolled on the grass. The demon reached behind and pulled out the blade. It shrieked and threw the sword aside. Then the shadow demon flashed, changed into a black cloud, and with a last flicker it disappeared.

  Kara ran to David. “David! Are you all right?” She knelt beside him, searching his body for any missing limbs. “Your mortal body seems to have all its parts.”

  A silly grin materialized on his face. “I am now,” he laughed. “Man, I’ve never seen a rookie take on a shadow demon like that! Kara, you were fierce! Wait till I tell the guys what you did! That was awesome!”

  Kara shook her head. “What, are you insane?! You were almost killed!”

  “But I live to tell the tale—this is better than the soup I created with demon blood!” David jumped into the air, with no signs of injuries, and started to dance. “We make a great team. We’ll be the talk of the town!”

  Kara shook her head and sighed. “What am I going to do with you?”

  “Skinny dipping, here we come!”

  As they walked towards the water fountain in silence, David’s face was twisted in a wide grin. And Kara’s mind was loud with thoughts only of the kiss.

  Chapter 10

  Oodles for Noodles