Marked (25 page)

Kara ran out the room and raced up the basement stairs—the demons at her heels. Summoning all the strength she could muster from her mortal legs, she pressed on as fast as she could. Jolting down the hallway, she ripped open the front door and bolted down the street.

Kara ran down Pine Avenue West and headed towards the Mont Royal Park. She knew the park well. She’d come here by herself during the summer holidays. She knew perfectly well what lay beyond the forest—Beaver Lake.

She reached the Park, hopped the fence and ran into the thick forest. It was an uphill run from here on, and she prayed her mortal legs could keep up. She ran for her angel life. She knew if they caught her, they would kill her. She shot a glance behind her and spotted the higher demons, just a few yards behind. She knew it was only a matter of time before they caught up—images of Brooke’s pale face flickered in her mind. A feeling of hopelessness washed over her.

“You cannot hide from us, little angle!” yelled one of the higher demons from behind. “And since you won't come quietly, it gives us great pleasure to use force!” The demon wailed a high pitched screeching laugh.

His laugh echoed in her ears. But Kara pressed on. She could see a clearing up ahead.
Almost there.
Straining her mortal suit with everything it had, she ran for her soul and for Brooke’s. She reached the clearing at the top of the mountain. She spotted Beaver Lake, its oval shape reflected in the moonlight. Kara rocketed downhill, concentrating hard not to trip over tree roots or rocks. She could hear the demons behind her, so close.

Almost there.

The lake was getting bigger and bigger, bouncing into view. It was only a few yards away. Soon she would be safe.

A sharp pain shot into her back, and she stumbled to the ground and rolled to a stop. Dizzy, she pushed herself up, the pain was so intense that her vision blurred. She blinked. She could make out dark shapes running towards; they were almost upon her. She felt sick and weak. Excruciating pain shot from up her back. The poison was paralyzing her.

Run, Kara,
said the voices inside her head.
You’re almost there.

I can’t. I won’t make it,
answered Kara.

Yes you can. Remove the death blade…it’s making you weak. You can make it. Run.

She felt a sudden rush of new energy and hope. She reached around and felt the blade in her back. She wrapped her hand around it and pulled. She stared at the black blade gleaming in the moonlight. She pushed herself up, threw the dagger on the ground and started to run again. Kara felt the blade’s poison inside her, eating away at her soul. She knew she only had a few seconds.

Little waves rippled in the moonlight as Kara reached the lake’s shore. She heard the demons’ breathing behind her. She heard a hiss in the air, and something stung the back of her neck. Then, with one last effort, Kara fell head fist into Beaver Lake.

Chapter 15. Last Hope

K
ara recuperated in a rejuvenating orange bubble, at level three of the miracles division, in the Healing-Xpress. When was herself again, the archangel Raphael sent her to operations on level two to debrief.

Kara ran out of patience with the elevator’s operator; a huge gorilla, who tried to steal some of the dried flesh from her scalp. When the gorilla had turned around, she grabbed a handful of fur from his butt.

“Take that, King Kong!” said Kara as she flicked the black fur from her fingers and watched it fall on the ground. After that, King Kong did his best to ignore her and kept to himself, rubbing the bald spot on his bottom.

She jumped off the elevator and headed towards the white tent. The air was thick with salt. Kara quickened her pace. She could see David at the head table, speaking to another angel. She felt a stinging in her chest. She was a bit mad that she had awoken at miracles division, without a David to accompany her. But why would he be there anyway? He had labeled her a traitor. Maybe he’d hoped she wouldn’t make it back? She watched Gabriel converse with another archangel whom she had never seen before. He was even larger than Gabriel. His golden brown skin shone brightly in the sunlight and contrasted with his silver and golden robes. Silky dark brown hair brushed his muscular shoulders, and his face was the fairest Kara had even seen—a male model fresh out of a fashion magazine.

Kara walked up to the table. Her eyes turned to David immediately. He turned towards her.

“Hey—how you feeling?” He lifted his hand. And when he was about to place it on her shoulder, he withdrew it, as though her body was contagious, still hot with the mark. He let his hand drop at his side. His face was screwed up, like he had bitten into something sour.

Kara looked away, hiding the pain in her eyes. “I’m okay, I guess.”

She turned her head around and looked for the members of the other two groups. Images of Brooke haunted her. Maybe she could have done more to try and save Brooke. She searched the tent. There were angels in combat practice, but no recognizable faces from the life-quest mission.

“Where is everyone?” Her eyes locked with David’s. “Am I the first one back?”

David threw a quick glance over to the archangels, before turning back to Kara. He dropped his shoulders.

“They didn’t make it.” He spoke in a whisper.

The floor started to spin. Kara blinked several times, trying to compose herself. “What do you mean—
they didn’t make it?
What are you saying?”

Although she had no lungs, at that moment, she felt as though she was suffocating.

“They were all killed.” The husky voice came from the handsome archangel, as he broke away from Gabriel and took a step towards Kara.

“You’re the
only
survivor, Kara.”

He wiped a long fringe of hair away from his face as his piercing green eyes studied her closely, as if she were an abstract painting.

“I’m the only survivor?” Kara croaked, “No—that can’t be…I don’t believe it.”

“It’s true,” said David.

Kara shook her head stubbornly. “No! The elemental child was at the safe house where Brooke and I had gone, not the others. They’re probably late—yeah, maybe they’re on their way back now.”

“They didn’t make it, Kara. They’re all gone,” said David.

“What—?” Her mind wandered to Benson, and she felt a sting in her chest. She didn’t really like him, but he didn’t deserve to die.

Kara cleared her throat. “I—I don’t understand.” Brooke’s death flashed before her. A chill rippled through her being.

“I’m just a rookie…I’m the one who should be dead—not them.” She felt numb all over.

“The archangel Raphael informed us about what had happened to your partner, Brooke Miller, when you arrived at the Miracles Division,” said Gabriel. His black eyes glowered beneath his scowling brow. “Raphael told us what you told her, before you entered the Healing-Xpress shop. We knew then, you were the
sole
survivor.”

As the words reached her ears, Kara flinched. How was this possible? She shook her head, frowning and looked at David. His face was twisted in sadness as he met her eyes. But when Kara turned and looked at the archangels, they weren’t looking at her with sadness, as David did; they eyes were filled with bewilderment—and was there also fear? She forced herself to look away.

“Kara Nightingale,” declared the larger archangel. “I am the archangel Michael, the legion’s commander.”

He bent his head, looking down on the rookie, like a redwood tree towering over a misty shrub below. “I would like you to tell us what happened. And don’t leave
anything
out.”

Kara watched Michael’s full lips compress—his eyes locked onto hers. She couldn’t look away. She recalled the events of the assignment, starting with the killing of her friend, Brooke, to the caged elemental child, and finally to her escape from the higher demons into Beaver Lake. When she had finished, the archangels were silent. They looked at each other with disbelief.

“We will send the Scouts out again,” Gabriel broke the silence. “She came very close—there is still a chance. We should meet with the others.”

Kara thought about the life-quest. “So…I can still get my life back, right?”

A bit of hope came flooding back into her.

“So—when do we get more chosen GAs to pair into groups?” She wondered who she’d be paired with this time.

She looked at the archangel’s puzzled faces and cocked an eyebrow. “Why are you staring at me like that? What is it?”

It was Michael’s turn to speak. “There won’t be any other groups.”

Kara shook her head. “I don’t understand? What do you
mean
by there won’t be any other groups?” She looked to David, who avoided her gaze and stared at his boots.

“What are you talking about? Are you saying we’re not going to be paired up again?”

Archangel Michael’s green eyes fixed on Kara. “There are no other guardian angels on this mission. You are the only one, Kara.”

The words hit like a ton of bricks. Her jaw dropped. “What!”

“You are the only one left who can save the elemental child. No one else,” said Michael.

“But—but can’t you
choose
more angels? Aren’t there like—
thousands
to choose from?”

Kara felt a wave of panic coming on. Soon she would be drowned in it.

Michael clasped his hands in front of him and closed his eyes for a moment. as if he were listening to another voice from inside his head.

When he opened his eyes he spoke to Kara, “Six were chosen from the entire legion. Only those special six were destined to save the child—no others. That order comes from the Chief himself.”

Kara shook her head. She exchanged a nervous look with David. “But, that doesn’t make sense—I can’t do this alone? That’s crazy!”

“She’s right,” shot David, “you can’t ask her to do this!”

David let out a soft yell of frustration as he paced the ground, his hands on his head. “She’s just a rookie—it’s not right!”

“She was
chosen
, David—this is out of our hands,” answered Michael.

“I’m not going to let you send her off like that—I won’t!” spat David.

Kara was surprised to see how flustered David was, it almost felt like he cared, like before.

Gabriel stepped up to David. “It’s not up to you. You can’t stop this David.”

“There has to be another way!” David shouted. “It was miracle she came back at all! Now you want to send her back? She—she needs more time to train!”

“You know how important this is David. You know what’ll happen if the demons use the child,” Michael’s green eyes flashed dangerously. “You know—this
is
the only way.”

David opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He kicked the ground.

Michael stepped over to Kara and placed his large hand gently on her shoulder. She felt lost in his brilliant green eyes; as though she would do anything he asked her.

She shook off the feeling and looked away. “I’m not going to let you hypnotize me with your good looks.”

“Kara,” said Michael, his expression softened by a degree. “You are part of this guardian angel legion, chosen to be a soldier by the chief. He has chosen you to do this task—you alone—because no one else can do it.”

“The demon leader, Asmodeus, is waiting for the elemental child’s power to grow to its full potential, which could be anytime now, and he will use it to destroy us. Elementals are creatures of great power—of wild, uncontrollable power—and if Asmodeus uses it, he will become more powerful than any of us. We will not be able to fight him. If you don’t succeed in your mission, Asmodeus will overthrow the legion and destroy the world of the living. He will bring havoc to the Earth. Horizon’s fate rests with you.”

Kara’s mind was working overtime.

“But—you’re
stronger
than me,” she looked at Gabriel and then back to Michael, “why can’t
you
look for the elemental? I’m sure you’ll have a much easier time than me.”

She stared down at her puny body, wishing it were strong and skilled like Brooke’s—maybe then, she’d have a chance. She wished she could throw up.

“Because only the chosen can do this task,” said Gabriel, his dark eyes piercing through her.

Michael squeezed her shoulder lightly. “That is why, you—Kara Nightingale, are the legion’s
only
hope.”