Horizon, Soul Guardians Book 3 (10 page)

“
How can Cassiel do this to
me? What is wrong with him?”

Jenny closed her eyes for a moment.
“That’s just it, Kara. I don’t get it. And get this—Cassiel paired
himself with you, too! He’s going on a field mission with you. It’s
just plain weird, if you ask me.”

Peter stuck his head between the two
girls. “Maybe he wants to keep an eye on them. See if they’ll try
anything with you around. He’s a big guy … I’m sure he can handle
those two idiots. Maybe he’s looking for something to pin on
them—to prove that they’re traitors.”

Kara remembered how excited Cassiel
had been at the prospect of her using her powers. When the fight
had begun between Devon, Al and David, Cassiel had urged her to
focus on her anger, to let the elemental power flow. She visualized
the stupid grin on his face. “I think he wants to see me use my
powers again … like to train me on the battle field or something
like that.”

“
You think?” asked
Jenny.

“
I don’t know. It’s
possible. He was a little too eager to see me work it before. Maybe
he still expects me to be able to do great things.” Kara wasn’t
sure what to believe. Maybe she should have stayed with David. It
seemed the lesser of two evils. But something didn’t fit. “Have you
guys ever been on a mission with Cassiel?”

Jenny looked over her shoulder, making
sure no one was listening. “Since I joined CDD, Cassiel has never
once gone on field missions … never. And now he’s going with them!
And you! It doesn’t feel right.”

Kara knew Jenny was right. Something
was definitely wrong. She turned her head and watched as Cassiel
clapped Al happily on the back, as though they were old friends
reminiscing about old times. Kara felt disgusted.

The archangel raised a large arm in
the air. “Kara! Let’s go!” He waved at her excitedly, his face
beamed.

Kara exchanged a nervous look with
Peter and Jenny before treading towards her new team. Cassiel was a
little too happy and too eager. While the rest of the angel world
was distressed, Cassiel appeared to be ecstatic. How could he be
happy, when the mortal world was crumbling.

After replenishing her weapons, Kara
followed her new teammates to the vega tanks. She kept a safe
distance from them, not wanting to get too close. Every fiber of
her being screamed that something was not right. Her three new
teammates walked in front of her. Cassiel glanced back, with an
innocent smile painted on his face. It made Kara cringe.

They made their way towards a raised
platform, where the vega tanks awaited them. The four cubicles of
water shimmered like giant emeralds as the light from the ceiling
hit the tanks.

Kara watched in silence as the other
teams stepped into the tanks one by one. Their bodies in turn
disintegrated into sparkling specks of sand, and then disappeared
as though they had never been there. She watched Jenny and Peter
wave their goodbyes. Soon, Kara and her team were the only ones
left.

“
Are you ready, Kara?”
Cassiel stepped up onto the metal platform, and wedged himself
between two tanks. Al and Devon took their places behind
him.

Kara made fists with her hands.
Against her better judgment, she stepped onto the platform. She
felt eyes on her and glanced to her right. An evil grin
materialized on Al’s face. His dark eyes threatened her. She wished
she could throw up.

“
We’re off to an abandoned
psych ward in the small town of Hudson in upstate New York. The
scouts believe one of the command centers is there. Keep close.”
Cassiel grinned widely again, and Kara thought he seemed way too
excited for such a serious mission.

“
See you on the other side
in a few seconds, Kara.” And with that, Cassiel walked into the
tank. His body exploded in brilliant particles, and then vanished.
Al and Devon followed his example.

Kara frowned. Why was Cassiel so
happy? And why had he decided to accompany them on this mission?
She knew the only way to find out.

She stepped into the wall of green
waters.

Chapter 8

St. John’s Asylum,
New York

K
ara walked along a dirt road. Her boots crunched the gravel
as she strode up a path that curved up a hill. She felt amazing in
her M-suit, despite the fact that she was on a mission with her two
arch enemies, Al and Devon. Her M-suit made her feel somewhat
invincible, like a superhero.

Rain pattered the top of Kara’s head.
A soft wind brought with it the smell of wet earth and leaves. It
was early spring. Clumps of snow still covered the ground in
places, refusing to melt. Squirrels, opposed to the group
trespassing on their land, chattered loudly and jumped from the
branches of a large evergreen tree. The evening sky was a mixture
of browns and blacks, not exactly pretty. The M-5 series suits gave
everything an ugly and depressing green tint to it, increasing the
tension of their gloomy mission.

Kara had read about this asylum
online. It was the most haunting in the entire state. She wondered
if ghosts really existed. She had learnt firsthand that angels
existed, and demons. Why not ghosts? She shook off a chill, and
imagined the sky as a warm orange color.

Distant screams echoed from the town
below. Kara stopped abruptly and turned around. The little town was
covered in a cloak of darkness. No street lights shone. No house
lights. There was no electricity anywhere. Shapes moved in the
darkness. Some moved swiftly from door to door, while others glided
slowly along the streets, like black specters. A wail pierced the
night air. Kara shivered. She recognized the voice of a girl crying
out for help—demons. Kara realized in horror that they were
attacking the town. She felt her insides tighten. The scream was
close. She could help. Involuntarily, she took a step
forward—

Something strong caught her
arm.

“
Going
somewhere?”

Kara met Al’s glare. He looked wild.
His jaw tightened, and he leaned down towards hers.

She shook off his arm. “Don’t touch
me,” she growled, and stood her ground. She squared her shoulders.
She wasn’t about to let Al intimidate her, even if he was nearly
twice her size.

“
What’s going on here?”
Cassiel pushed his way between the two of them. His giant body
towered easily over them. He studied their faces. He repeated his
question again, annoyed. “I said … what’s going on?”

Since Al wasn’t about to say anything,
Kara pointed to the town. “That town’s in trouble. Demons are
attacking the mortals. They’re defenseless against these demons. We
need to help them.”

Cassiel looked over the town in
silence. His hazel eyes shimmered in the night light. His face bore
no expression. “There’s nothing we can do for them now. We can’t
stray from our mission.”

Kara was outraged. “But we can’t just
leave them there! They’re all going to die if we don’t help them!
There are children down there. Innocent children!”

Devon and Al exchanged an amused look.
Kara’s rage flared. Innocent children were dying and these two were
laughing about it, as if it was some good joke. It was obvious
whose side they were on. Why couldn’t Cassiel see it
too?

“
I understand your feelings
… but it’s not our mission,” said Cassiel, after a
moment.

“
But we’re guardian angels!
We’re supposed to save them! We swore an oath. We must help them!”
Kara threw her arms in the air in a fury.

“
Sometimes for the greater
good, a few innocent lives will be lost, in order to save millions.
We can’t save them all, Kara. But we must find the demon lord. That
is
our
mandate.
He is the cause of all this suffering. We must put an end to it.
And to do exactly that … we must find him first, before he can
continue to hurt the mortals.”

Kara shrugged. Part of what Cassiel
said made sense. But she was sure they could save some lives and
still come back to look for Asmodeus. This whole thing smelled
rotten.

Cassiel shook his head. “Let’s go.
We’ve already wasted too much time.” He walked away purposely.
Devon and Al followed, but not before they both gave Kara menacing
looks.

Kara was left alone. She gazed out on
the little town. It had become quiet again. Kara strained for the
sound of the girl’s screams again. But they didn’t come. The town
lay silent against the night sky. Nothing moved, not even a shadow.
It was a ghost town—now that the demons had killed everyone. Was
this what would become of the entire world if they
failed?

While Kara ached at the wrongness of
it all, she forced herself to follow the others. A mammoth red
brick building appeared on the top of the rise. It stood tall and
decrepit, like an abandoned castle from another land. Rows of
windows decorated the front and sides of the building. A heavy fog
covered the tall grasses of the grounds in a thick blanket. There
was no forking in the path. The dirt road led them directly to the
abandoned building, like an invitation.

Keeping her distance, Kara followed
Cassiel and the others up the hill and to the front of the massive
structure. They stopped before two majestic wood doors. Cracked red
paint and graffiti covered the doors and the front wall. A large
padlock held the doors closed securely. Devon pulled out a blade
and cut through the metal as easily as if it were butter. He pulled
open the doors. A loud screeching sound cut through the night air
as the doors swung on their hinges. Kara could make out a dark
entry way and a decrepit hallway that opened up to other
passageways that were lost in shadow. A thick mildew smell mixed
with rot permeated the air around them. The hairs on the back of
her neck pricked up. It had a sinister feel about it—the perfect
fortress for a fallen angel.

Devon turned and smiled at Kara. He
stepped to the side and gestured with his arm. “Ladies
first.”

Kara shifted her weight uncomfortably.
This felt all wrong. She turned to Cassiel. “We can’t just barge in
here. This place is huge. It’s perfect for demons to hide. How do
we know even where to look? I suggest we make a plan so we don’t
get lost in here.”

Devon looked smug. “I’m sensing fear.”
he said. “How can the great Kara Nightingale be frightened of a
little adventure? You’re not afraid of the dark, are you? Surely
with your kind of power, the demon lord doesn’t frighten
you?”

Cassiel laughed softly, and Kara was
reminded of another archangel, with white skin and black hair. No.
Cassiel was good. He wouldn’t put her in any danger. But why were
they with Al and Devon? Clearly he must know about their traitorous
intentions? She tried to convince herself that he was just really
naïve. It didn’t work.

“
Well, then. I’ll go
first.” Cassiel drew a moonstone from his jacket pocket.
Immediately, the stone shone a brilliant white light, giving off
enough light for Kara to see where they were heading.

Kara pulled out a soul blade and
followed the archangel inside the great doors. She felt the
presence of Al and Devon closely behind her. She forced herself to
stay calm.

The rotten smell was a hundred times
worse inside. Black mold covered the walls and pieces of tile and
metal peeled from the walls and the ceiling, leaving large gaps
that oozed an orange liquid. It was as though the entire building
was infected with a flesh eating disease. Parts of walls lay
crumbled into white piles of plaster, as if a bomb had gone off
inside. Orange water dripped from long neglected pipes that ran the
length of the hall. Kara thought about reaching out and touching
the liquid, but decided against it. The rot smell seemed to be
coming from the orange water.

The hall opened up onto a lobby with
several doors and hallways branching out. Pieces of broken glass
and smashed furniture were scattered on the floor. An old
television in a wooden case stood in the far corner on top of
crumpled newspapers. Kara wondered what this place had looked like
fifty years ago, with nurses in white uniforms helping patients to
their rooms. She imagined halls with beautiful white and orange
walls and shiny tiled vinyl floors. It must have been beautiful
once. But that was a long time ago.

Cassiel pulled out blueprints and
studied them for a moment. “Okay, guardians. We’re going to split
into two teams. The first team will go through that door and down
to the basement level.” He pointed to an area on the blueprints.
Kara stepped closer for a better look. “The other team will go
through this door to the left and up two floors. We think he’s
either hiding in the labs, or in the morgue.”

“
There’s a morgue in this
building?” Kara pictured grey rotten corpses lying on metal
beds.

“
Not anymore,” said
Cassiel. “We’ll meet up back at this lobby in an hour. Al, you’re
with me. Devon and Kara—you two take the basement. Stay out of
sight.” He folded the map and shoved it back inside his
jacket.

Just her luck, Kara thought. She would
have preferred to have been paired with Cassiel. She watched as the
archangel and Al disappeared behind a door. His moonstone lighted
up the walls for a moment and went out.