Horizon, Soul Guardians Book 3 (22 page)

“
Let them go you monster!
I’ll kill you … I swear I’ll kill you if you hurt them.” Kara’s
anger flared inside her. The elemental power awakened instantly, as
if she had turned on a switch. The power poured through her, faster
than ever before. She felt the warmness of it surge through every
fiber of her body. It encased her in a protective shell of
strength. She trembled in rage.

Asmodeus raised an eyebrow. “Monster?
You disappoint me, daughter. I thought you of all people would
understand why I have done this. That hunger for power that flows
inside you right now, is the same as mine … more or less. We are
alike, you and I—”

“
I am nothing like you,”
spat Kara. “I don’t kill innocent people. I am not a monster like
you.” She glared at the demon lord. She knew she was on the
threshold of releasing her power. She knew she would not be able to
control it. And yet she willed it forth.

“
Innocent. Nobody is
innocent
anymore.”
Asmodeus adjusted his red bowtie and smoothed the front of his
jacket. “Take your
amour
for instance. He is not as innocent as you might
think, my dear. Mingling with mortal women—breaking the forbidden
laws. Perhaps we should teach him a lesson—”

A surge of electric current shot from
Asmodeus’s hand. It struck David. He screamed and fell to his
knees. He shook violently and tiny black sparks snaked in and
around his body.

At that same instant, Kara released
her power. Her body thrust out rays of gold. She heard a muffled
scream, and felt the blasts of an explosion on either side of her.
With tremendous force, she directed a beam of energy towards the
dais. It hit Asmodeus. His body disappeared under a cocoon of
golden vines. Kara heard a sizzling sound. The golden tendrils
snapped and fell to the ground like a tangle of rope.

Asmodeus stood untouched.

He clapped his hands again,
clearly amused. “Bravo, daughter. I must applaud your courage.” He
raised his arms dramatically. “But as you can see … your power
cannot harm me, dearest. I am too powerful now … thanks to the
souls of my fellow archangels. I’m just very
annoyed
that you destroyed my
favorite suit.” He brushed the front of his jacket.

Kara felt her power
diminish like the dying flame
that hangs
on the point of the wick.
The oracle had
told her to come to the council. He had said that she was meant to
be there—to do something important. She was convinced it was to use
her powers against the demon lord. But it hadn’t worked. What was
she to do now? Clearly, the demon lord was much more powerful than
anyone—even her elemental powers had no effect on him. Fear crept
into the back of her mind. What was she to do? What had she
done?

She felt strong hands grab her
again.

“
Can’t get rid of us that
easily, monkey lover,” spat the higher demon. He smiled coolly at
her and tightened his grip. “Soon, you will all be
dead.”

“
I’d rather love a monkey
than a filthy devil any day.” Kara said, struggling in his grasp.
“Let go of me, you freak!” She kicked him hard with her legs, but
the demon wouldn’t let go. He simply laughed at her, clearly
enjoying himself. Another higher demon took hold of her other arm.
Their identical faces grinned at her. She saw hunger flash in their
black eyes. She wanted to gouge them out.

“
Well, now that’s settled.
Moving on to better things … ah, Danielle.” Asmodeus looked over to
her mother. His face softened and he put his hands dramatically
over his chest. “Still as beautiful as I remembered... hmm—no, more
beautiful than I remembered. Perhaps later we could rekindle what
we once had? What do you say, my darling wife?”

Danielle lifted her eyes painfully.
“How could you do this, Samuel? How could you do this to our
daughter!”

An evil smile spread over the demon
lord’s face. He straightened and smoothed down his hair.
“Zadkiel—leave the boy and bring her to me. I want to look into my
wife’s beautiful eyes.”

Kara watched as the archangel dragged
her mother across the floor and up to the dais. Zadkiel threw her
on the ground. Kara cried out and fought feverously against the
higher demons. But they wouldn’t let go. A sickening laugh escaped
from Asmodeus—he was enjoying causing her mother pain. She raised
her head and watched the scene through her bangs. He reached down
and lifted her mother by the neck. Her feet dangled beneath her
like a puppet’s pulled up on its strings. He raised his other hand
and snapped his fingers. Black energy snaked around
them.

“
Now, dearest daughter. You
must choose.” Asmodeus pointed to David. “The young man you love
so
desperately...
or your beloved mother?”

Coldness washed over Kara.

David stood in the center of the
chamber alone. He turned and looked at Kara. He smiled
reassuringly, but Kara could see the fear in his eyes. His fingers
twitched nervously.

Asmodeus enjoyed seeing the distress
in his daughter’s eyes. He smiled and spoke in a nonchalant manner.
“Who will live … and who will die. You must choose.” He laughed
softly to himself. “I would be a great game show host, don’t you
think? I certainly have the charisma.”

Kara met David’s eyes. She could see
him struggling to hide his fear. She ached at his pain. “Please …
please, father, I’ll do anything. Don’t hurt them. I’ll do whatever
you ask of me.”

“
This is what I ask of you.
You must choose … and choose wisely.”

Kara looked from her mother to David.
She trembled uncontrollably. “I can’t … I can’t choose between them
…”

“
You must. If you don’t … I
will kill them both.”

Kara redoubled her attempts to get
away from the higher demons, kicking out her legs like a crazed
beast. The higher demons retaliated by stabbing her with their
death blades. She cried out, as the poison burned her. If only she
could get away.

“
It’s okay, Kara. Don’t
worry about me,” said David, his voice cracking. “Save your mother.
But promise me one thing … promise me that you’re going to kick
this fool’s butt.” He stretched his trembling lips into a thin
smile. She knew he was trying to be brave. David McGowan couldn’t
show fear.

Kara let out a cry and her body went
limp. How was she to choose between the boy she loved and her
mother? How could anyone choose? Kara couldn’t choose. She stopped
struggling against the demons.

“
I … cannot,” she said
finally, the words burning on her lips. “How can I?”

“
Choose!
” roared Asmodeus. Debris fell from above and showered Kara
in a blanket of dust. “Or they both die! You stupid
girl!”

Her mother screamed. Blank tendrils
wrapped themselves around her body. The black vapors were squeezing
the life out of her. Kara knew she was at death’s door.

Kara’s lips trembled. She
looked at David. He stared at the ground, unwilling to meet her
eyes. She wanted desperately to reach out to him.
David
, she called inside
her mind.
What do I do?

Asmodeus chuckled. “I’m so
disappointed with you, my daughter. I thought for sure you would
have chosen the boy over your mother. Well … I guess I’ll have to
make the decision for you.”

Black lighting shot out of the demon
lord’s hand.

It struck David in the
chest.

He wailed as the current worked around
him, burning his angel body. He crumbled to the ground. His body
shook and the black tendrils enveloped him. The sound of flesh
blistering and scorching made her feel sick. Black vapors emanated
from his body. They ate through his skin like an acid. A terrible
scream escaped Kara. She couldn’t stop screaming.

“
Let her go.” Kara heard
Asmodeus say suddenly.

She fell to her knees. She realized
her arms were free. Kara struggled to her feet and ran over to
David. His angel skin had disappeared and had been replaced by a
shell of brilliant light.

Kara cradled his body carefully
against her chest. “David! David!”

David opened his eyes slowly.
“Kara?”

“
Yes, I’m here. You’re
going to be fine.” She gently caressed his face.

“
Kara. I’m sorry.” His
voice cracked, and Kara could hardly hear him anymore. She leaned
forward closer and angled her ear to his lips.

“
There’s nothing to be
sorry about. This is my fault. All of it is my fault.”

With the last of his energy, David
squeezed Kara’s hand. “I wish … I wish that we could have met as
mortals. We could have had a life together—you and me. You are my
soul mate, Kara Nightingale. Our souls were meant to be together.
And now I’m going to die, without ever really having the chance to
be with you.”

Kara pulled David closer to her. “No …
you’re going to be okay. I—I’m going to get you to Raphael. She’s
going to make you better, I promise.”

“
Kill him,
Kara...”

“
David!”

Hot white light shone through David’s
body. His solid form burst into a million brilliant little
particles. They hovered for a moment above David’s pile of clothes,
like a cloud of stars. They flickered and then began to rise,
caught in the invisible wind.

Kara let out a cry. She jumped up and
flailed her arms desperately in the air, trying to catch David’s
essence. But the glowing particles passed through her fingers and
vanished from her hands like melted snow flakes.

With a last struggle, Kara dropped her
hands to her side and stared up into the dark grey sky where David
had disappeared.

Chapter 18

Last call

K
ara stood alone in the center of the chamber, a constant
ringing hammered in her ears. Her spirit was broken. David was gone
forever. He was dead. Asmodeus had killed him. The floor began to
waver. She closed her eyes, and let herself fall.

She heard a whisper of her name—it
felt so far away. She lay on the cold stone floor, numb to the
world around her. She felt hands gently pick her up and arms around
her. Kara opened her eyes.

“
Mom.”

Kara sobbed into her mother’s chest.
She cried out David’s name. But as a guardian angel, no tears came.
No release from the pain like when she’d been a mortal and her
tears could wash away her sadness. In Horizon she had no release,
and so the pain was a hundred times worse.

“
What a beautiful family
reunion, don’t you think?” Kara heard Asmodeus say. “Finally, we
are a family once again. Ah … I feel all tingly inside.”

Kara lifted her head from her mother’s
shoulder. “You … are not my family,” she hissed, and added as much
venom to her words as she could.

Asmodeus lifted his hands
in defeat. “Now, now, dear daughter. Don’t be angry with me,
although I hear that teenagers are
not
supposed to get along with their
parents. So I believe your hatred towards me is completely natural.
He was no good for you, Kara, I promise. I can give you as many boy
toys as you want. Just say the word, and they’re yours.”

Asmodeus stepped off the platform
gracefully and sauntered towards them.

“
You’re sick.”

“
Not at all. I feel great.”
The demon lord kicked out his feet and danced about the room. “I’ve
never been better! I am undefeated, you see. I have all the power
now. I will crush what’s left of the mortal world and rule the
spirit world. Horizon is mine at last.” His face cracked into an
evil grin. He looked up and addressed the hoards of demons that
lurked in and around the chamber seats. “Demons! As promised,
Horizon is ours. And today we shall feast—feast on the souls of
angels!”

The entire chamber went up in a roar.
Higher and lesser demons alike joined in what Kara thought sounded
like some type of ceremonial chant. They threw back their heads and
howled. The room shook, and Kara felt the floor beneath her
vibrate. Demons jumped from the walls and landed amidst the mob of
creatures below. Their chanting grew louder. They circled around
Kara and her mother. The smell of rot was mixed with the sour stink
of demon breath. Kara saw the terror in her mother’s eyes. She felt
it too. They were about to become a main course on the demon’s
menu.

“
What’s going to happen to
my mom and me?” asked Kara, with panic in her voice.

Asmodeus sighed. “You’ve made it very
clear to me that you don’t want to be part of my … family. So what
do you think will happen to you? You’re a clever girl. I’ll give
you a hint—it rhymes with breath—”

The demon lord laughed and twirled on
the spot.

The clouds parted suddenly, and a ray
of sunshine seeped through from above. It lit a tiny part of the
chamber in a soft yellow light for a moment, and then went out. But
a flicker of light had caught Kara’s attention—the inferno blade
lay a few feet from her.

The demon lord pulled at his cuffs.
“I’m definitely going to need a new suit. But not before we do a
little cleansing first.” He looked up and his eyes landed on
Gabriel. He smiled. “Zadkiel. I need you to bring me that pathetic
archangel over there. I’m in need of a little tonic to brighten my
mood.”