Marked, Soul Guardians Book 1

by Kim Richardson

  “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.”

  “Why are you doing this?” Kara growled and ignored the excruciating pain in her back. “You’re human—how can you side with demons. They can’t be trusted. They’re using you. They’ll kill you someday.”

  Ranab chuckled softly, and Kara was appalled by his manner. “It’s very simple. We have been promised immortality. Serve the netherworld—and we will live forever. It’s a very good offer. Only a fool would not accept. There is unimaginable power in the netherworld. And soon I will have a taste of it.” His brown eyes gleamed with desire, and Kara wanted to throw up.

  “Humans are mortal. You’re not supernatural. You can’t cross into the netherworld. You’ll die. Can’t you see she’s lying to you? This is all a game to her. She doesn’t care about what happens to you.” Kara wiggled into a sitting position. The gleam in his eyes made Kara uncomfortable.

  Ranab raised his fist in the air. “Let me fill you in on a little secret. We won’t be mortals for long. Soon we will cross over and become powerful creatures of the netherworld. Then we will never die—”

  “We’ll see about that—” David slammed his body hard against Ranab. The seir tripped over Kara’s legs and fell. David laughed, pleased with himself. “Enjoy the view from down there, clown face? Come on Kara. Let’s go!”

  Kara jumped to her feet. She glanced over to the Rift. It was gone. The space was quiet—as though it had never even been there in the first place. An icy chill rippled through her body. Jenny was gone. <
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  Kara kicked Ranab as he tried to get up. She dashed along the passageway and ran skillfully with her hands tied behind her back. She caught up with David.

  “So we can kick and punch them—but just not kill them?”

  David shrugged. “I guess so. We’re not dead yet.”

  Peter had avoided the seirs as well and ran towards them. His face was drawn, and Kara knew they needed to find a water source soon and get out of there.

  “Get them!” Ranab roared behind them. “Don’t let them get away!”

  Kara looked around frantically. “Back door! Hurry!”

  They bolted towards the great iron doors at the opposite end of the warehouse. David ran at her side. Peter trailed behind. Kara reached the doors within seconds and searched for a door knob or lever, but there wasn’t any. She kicked the door with all the strength she could muster. It creaked, but didn’t open. It was like kicking a block of concrete. David slammed his body against the doors. They didn’t budge.

  “Okay, on three,” said David. “One…two…three!” Both he and Kara slammed their bodies against the great iron doors. But still the doors remained intact.

  Peter kicked the doors in frustration. “It’s no use. They won’t open. We can’t get out! They’re going to kill us!”

  “That’s right, little angel. Your time is up.”

  Kara whirled around.

  Ranab sauntered towards them. Nine gloomy white faces glowered behind him, with death blades swinging at their sides. Their black leather coats flapped at their heels. Kara unconsciously took a step back.

  The seirs’ leader sneered. “We’ve played your games long enough, little angels. Our mistress has promised us your skins,” he lifted his blade in the air and pointed at Kara. “Except for that one, of course. You see, little angels—it’s time to take your punishment for entering my city without permission. We’re going to show you how we like to play. It’s like I said before, entering my city comes with a price.”

  “Yeah, and what price is that, circus freak.” David glowered at the seirs.

  Ranab gave him a one sided smile. “The price is your angel soul, little man. And I’m going to really enjoy killing you myself. You see…you can’t kill us…and there’s nothing you can do to stop us from killing you.” Black vapors snaked around his hands. He twisted his blade playfully.

  The seirs made a wall in front of the angels. Their large bodies loomed over them. In the ominous warehouse light, their horrid faces looked even more sinister than Kara had first imagined. Their dark eyes gleamed with satisfaction. Their death blades twitched in their hands in anticipation. She could clearly see them now as demons—demons in training. Peter shivered beside her, and squeezed closer —

  A blade flew in the air. David wailed. A death blade perforated his shoulder. The seirs laughed excitedly like a pack of hyenas. Eagerness flashed in their eyes. They were enjoying themselves. Kara was disgusted. She felt the cold iron doors press against her back. They were pinned against the doors and couldn’t get out.

  A flash of metal whipped past Kara. Peter screamed and slipped to the ground. A large death blade punctured his thigh. The rage of her power instantly flooded through her. The elemental power awakened. She fought to control it. She knew if it were released, she would kill all the seirs—and then she would die. She might get away with tripping them, but deep down she knew that if she killed them, she would pay with her own soul. She strained to calm herself down. She would figure out a way to escape. She had to.

  A seir stepped in front of Peter. He grabbed a fistful of Peter’s jacket and hauled him up easily. “You’re the most pathetic angel I have ever seen. You’d soil yourself if you could.” The seir laughed wickedly. Peter’s boots grazed the floor, and the seir lifted him higher. He dangled in the seir’s grip like a puppet.

  Kara drew upon her power carefully. She reached out and tapped into only a fragment of the wild energy. It danced around the edges of her fingers.

  “Say goodbye angel. Your soul is mine.” The seir lifted his blade towards Peter’s neck—

  A thunderous crash exploded from the opposite end of the warehouse. The front garage door blasted open in a heap of metal. Headlights flared and blinded Kara for a moment. She blinked as a 1940’s black Ford sedan crashed into the parked SUV and dragged it to the side, clearing a path. The tires screeched as the car backed away and shot forward. The Ford swerved, tires screaming, and skidded to a stop.

  Kara could smell the burning rubber. All four doors swung open, and four men and one woman, who, much to Kara’s surprise, was the driver, stepped out of the car. They wore elegant dark colored suits and black fedora hats. They walked casually towards the group, a slight hop in their step. Kara was reminded of the gangsters from the old movies she used to watch with her grandmother. But instead of sporting machine guns—they wielded elegant silver swords. Who were these mortals?

  Peter fell to the ground. He looked up at Kara with a confused expression, but seemed more relieved than anything else. Kara quickly pulled him towards her.

  The seirs tensed. They shifted their weight anxiously, and their death blades jerked and gleamed in anticipation. Their attention was glued on the new arrivals. Saliva dripped from their wicked snarls.

  “Ranab. It’s been a while,” said a man with a scar that started from his left eye and ran all the way down to his chin. “Can’t say that I’ve missed you, though.” His voice was raspy and commanding. He tipped his hat. Stubble speckled his square jaw.

  Ranab glowered at the man and stepped forward. “Santo. I see your scar has healed. Care for another one?”

  Santo studied him for a moment. He pointed his sword towards Kara. “Let the angels go, or you’ll regret it, demon lover. I think I’m in the mood for a little cleansing. The streets have been dark of late.”

  Angels? So they could see them too, thought Kara. She regarded the group with more interest. Their faces were pulled back in deep scowls, but they were far less foul than the seirs. They walked with confidence and determination. Kara saw old wounds on the woman’s hands, like small white marks. The woman caught Kara staring and winked at her.

  “This is our hunt,” growled Ranab. “They were promised to us. Their deaths belong to us. You have no right to take them!”

  Santo gave him an impish grin. “Oh, but I do have a right. I don’t care who promised you what, demon lover. You’re not going to hurt any of these angels. I think it’s high time we taught you seirs a lesson.”

  A large vein throbbed on Ranab’s forehead. His black eyes glinted with hatred. “They will die if I say so! You are outnumbered. We will destroy you easily. And you have a woman with you. Ha! We will kill her, and then we will take what is ours. We will feast on the souls of angels today!”

  Santo smiled. “No angel is dying today.”

  He swung his sword in the air and charged. Instantly, the others followed suit, and five swords gleamed in the air. The ringing of swords echoed in the warehouse. The seirs rushed forward and met them. The sounds of metal hitting metal resonated around them. A flash of a sword perforated the abdomen of a seir, and he fell to the ground under a flailing black coat. The clang of metal and wails erupted throughout the warehouse. With bloodlust in his eyes, Santo swung his sword at his attacker. The seir never had a chance, dropping like a stone before another took his place. He dove with his weapon. Santo lifted his sword and blocked the attack. The seir curled his fingers into a fist and hit him hard into the face. Santo staggered back. Blood dripped from his mouth. He spat. The seir snarled and leaped into the air. Santo kicked outward and smashed him in the gut. The seir began to choke and gag.

  The woman parried and blocked her way through two seirs. She twisted around and brought her weapon down in an arc. A seir went down. The other sprang forward and kicked her in the face. The woman stumbled backwards, blood spattered the ground. She wiped her jaw with her hand and charged. She knocked his death blade out of his hand with a single blow. The
seir stood for a moment, his hands clamped into fists, but then he backed away and retreated.

  Ranab swore and retreated with the rest of his group. They disappeared behind the entrance of the warehouse. Kara hoped to never see their ugly, white faces again. She heard a moan and kneeled down next to Peter. She turned his body around and searched for the death blade with her fingers. She felt the hard sting of a handle and pulled the death blade from Peter’s thigh. Then she forced David to kneel and pulled another blade out of his shoulder.

  Despite the pain, David yelled triumphantly, “Yeah! That’s right! Run away like the scared little girls you are. See you at the circus, freaks!”

  Kara shook her head slowly and stumbled towards Santo. “Thank you for helping us, we are in your debt. Your fighting skills are really impressive. Do you mind me asking…who are you people and how did you know we were angels?”

  Santo smiled and turned Kara gently around to release her wrists. Her arms fell to her sides. “Ah! Thank God. I was beginning to think I’d stay like that forever.” Light shone from the cuts around her wrists. She rubbed them gently with her hands.

  “I guess you haven’t been a guardian for very long?” Santo sheathed his sword in the black leather scabbard that hung from his belt around his waist. He gave Kara a warm smile.

  Kara’s face tingled, and she was glad she couldn’t blush. “Um…a little over a year, I guess, if you count by mortal years.”

  She studied his face. His scar was far uglier up close. It had healed a darker olive color than his skin and had a rough texture to it like leather. His thick black lashes, deep brows, and short black hair had been hidden under his fedora. If it hadn’t been for the large scar across his face, he would have been very, very handsome.

  Santo’s dark eyes sparkled. “We’re a secret mortal society. We’ve been fighting alongside the legion for centuries. The angels call us sensitives, because we are sensitive to the supernatural around us. We see and understand things that other mortals can’t without training and education.”

  So these were the sensitives. Kara smiled in spite of herself. If she hadn’t been picked as a guardian, being a sensitive would have been her second choice. She was very glad to finally meet them. She thought they looked badass in their suits and swords, and she could easily imagine herself fighting alongside them. Santo seemed to have read her mind and smiled at her again. She was extremely thankful she had no blood to flush her cheeks.

  “We are very grateful for your help. We were in a very bad situation, to say the least,” said Peter, with a tremor in his voice. “We would have been dinner if it weren’t for you guys.”

  “Glad we could help, little one,” said the woman. Her crimson lips spread into a smile of encouragement. Her fierce blue eyes were compassionate, and she moved behind him and cut his bonds. Then she did the same for David, who seemed a little too pleased to have such a pretty woman rescue him. Kara sighed and rolled her eyes.

  Seeing that his charms had no effect on the pretty woman, David walked over to the 1940’s Ford sedan instead. He stretched out his arms and fell face forward onto the hood, his cheek on the cool surface. “Whoa—this is an awesome car!” He stroked the hood gently with his hands. “She’s a real beauty—I think I’m in love. I’m finally home baby.” The sensitives all gathered around the car smiling, but mostly they laughed at David.

  Peter tried to follow David to the car but tripped and fell. Kara rushed over to his aid. His skin was nearly translucent. White light broke out from tiny holes all over his body. His skin looked like a thin slice of Swiss cheese. It was breaking apart. It wouldn’t hold him together for much longer.

  Kara gave him a reassuring smile. “You’re going to be fine, I promise,” she whispered to him. “I’m going to get you out of here, Peter.” Peter forced a smile, but she could tell he wasn’t buying it.

  Kara pulled Peter to his feet and wrapped her arm around him. “Come on. Let’s get out of this stinking place.”

  Chapter 8

  The Council’s Decision