Elemental (23 page)

Kara realized her mistake. But it was too late. Before she turned around, she felt two powerful hands grab her from behind. One took away her blade. They held her. She couldn’t move.

“Well, hello again, Kara.”

The hands yanked her from the dais with force and threw her down. She looked up towards the voice.

“I’m so glad you’ve come to see your new home.”

Asmodeus stood before her. He was grinning. She flinched. She had forgotten how much the demon lord looked like one of the archangels. His face was utterly beautiful, carved to perfection. His clear blues eyes rested above high cheekbones. His skin was white, and Kara thought he looked a lot like a vampire. His short black hair glimmered in the soft light of the room, like a crown of black jewels. He wore a red tailored suit with a black tie and shirt. He pressed a large brown cigar to his lips, and then blew a row of smoke circles.

“Looking for this.” Asmodeus held up a glass jar with his other hand. A brilliant soul hovered inside it. Kara instantly knew it was her mother’s.

“I’m afraid it’s not time yet for a family reunion. Although, I rather miss your mother’s striking good looks, rather surprising for a mortal. I’ve always thought she looked more like an archangel than a mere human. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her that summer day—I knew she was the one for me.”

He lifted the jar and examined it for a moment. He turned his head towards Kara. “You seem to have inherited part of her beauty,” said Asmodeus in a matter-of-fact tone. He placed the jar on the platform and strolled away.

“We have such a great show tonight, my daughter. I’m so glad you could make it. It just wouldn’t be the same without you.”

“I am not your daughter!” Kara stomped her foot. She wished she could kick him in the face for referring to her mother as if she were a piece of meat.

“But of course you are, silly girl. You are my offspring. And you got here just in time for the big performance. Grutus. Xenor. Please bring my lovely daughter to her chair.” Asmodeus laughed. He twirled on the spot, his red jacket fluttered around him, and Kara thought it looked more like a blood suit stuck to his body.

The two higher demons lifted Kara in the air. She kicked and fought as best she could, but to no avail. The demons were much stronger than she was. They shoved her into the chair. They secured her arms and legs with chains and stepped aside.

Kara wiggled in the chair. “You call me your daughter, and this is how you treat me? Come on, let me go.”

She felt like a convict on death row, waiting to be executed in the electric chair. She pulled at her restraints. There was no way she could break free of the chains. She began to panic.

The demon lord grinned and laughed softly. He sauntered towards her. “I remember our last encounter, daughter—as should you. I wouldn’t want you
touching
anything with those hands just yet.” He glanced at his watch. “It is almost time.” He raised his arms and snapped his fingers.

Kara caught movement in the mirrors. She lifted her head and frowned. The millions of images of her angry face suddenly shimmered and disappeared, to be replaced by faces of people she didn’t recognize. They were the faces of all the nations across the world staring back at her—children brushing their teeth, men shaving, women applying their makeup, brushing their hair, putting on their contact lenses, teens picking at their pimples—millions of people going about their regular routines, oblivious that Kara could see into their most private moments. She looked away abashed.

“This isn’t right. What—what are you going to do to them?” Kara pulled at her restraints.

Asmodeus smiled mischievously. “Ah—be patient, my dear. The fun has just begun.”

He clasped his hands behind his back and strolled around the room, staring up at the millions of mortals. “Now, boys—bring me my special mirror.”

Grutus and Xenor jumped down the platform and disappeared behind a door. A few moments later, they reappeared caring a magnificent antique mirror. Kara wanted to touch it. It was carved elegantly in a red wood, with strange symbols etched along the sides. The glass in the center was pitch black, and no reflection came from it. It stood as tall as a full grown man. The demons put the mirror in the center of the room, between Kara and the wall of mirrors.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Asmodeus walked over to the mirror. He slid his hand up and down the wooden edges, caressing the details. She could see the hunger in his eyes as he stroked it lovingly.

Kara looked away.

“They say eyes are windows to the soul, don’t they. But they are mistaken. Mirrors are the windows to the souls, and you my dear—are the key.”

Kara looked up uneasily. “What? What key? What are you talking about?”

Asmodeus laughed softly. “Isn’t it obvious? I need your
special
power, Kara. Without you, the mirror wouldn’t work. But through you—the Mirror of Souls will come alive with elemental power and open gateways into the mortal world through every mirror that has a reflection. And out of all those mirrors my servants will emerge on the other side. The entire world will be filled with demons tonight, my dear. We will crush the mortals, eat their souls, and take possession of Earth.”

Kara trembled. This was all her fault. The end of the mortal world would be her fault. She knew it was a trap, but she still went to try and save her mother. It was a selfish act, she saw that now. She was only thinking of her feelings, and those of her mother. She never once thought she could be responsible for the total annihilation of the human race. She faced the worse outcome possible. If only she would have stayed in Tartarus, none of this would have happened, she realized.

She clenched her jaw. “I won’t let you. You can’t use my power—so your scheme won’t work,” she hissed.

“HA!” Asmodeus flew over to Kara with extraordinary speed and landed softly in front of her.

He scowled. “It will work, and you will give me your power, my dear. You were foolish enough to enter my realm. I knew you would come for your mother—it was only a matter of time—so I waited. And now that you are here, why wait?”

A flash of black electricity hit Kara in the chest. She cried out in pain. It burned through her angel skin like liquid acid. A warmth flowed through her and then slipped away. She opened her eyes. Golden light covered her body. Long trails of light spilled away from her, twisting and turning. And then a golden beam shot out from her and hit the Mirror of Souls. Kara felt her energy being sucked away and into the mirror.

The mirror glowed a brilliant red. After a moment, millions of golden beams shot out from the Mirror of Souls and hit the mirrors surrounding the chamber. The beams of light looked like the strands of thread in a giant golden spider web. Kara’s head fell forward. She felt weak.

“Stop…stop!” Kara forced the words out of her mouth. Her body trembled as the mirrors drained her of her energy. She knew she was slowly dying. Soon she would disappear completely. David’s face flashed in her mind’s eye. She knew she would never see him again. Her lips trembled.

Asmodeus threw his arms in the air. A wicked gleam in his eyes. “It’s working! It’s working! Soon the world will be mine! Go my servants. Go and have your feast as I promised!”

Black tendrils slowly slithered out of the Mirror of Souls. The air was filled with the stench of rotten flesh and blood. Shadow demons and other lower demons materialized out of the mirror for an instant before they shimmered and became black mists. They intertwined with the golden beams emanating from the Mirror of Souls like black and golden braids.

Kara flinched when they reached the mirrors that lined the room.

She could hear the screams coming from the other side, behind the mirrors. She heard a child whimper. A demon’s roar. Then silence.

“Stop! Please stop! I’ll do anything you ask—just don’t do this.”

“Too late for that, my dear. Besides, you are doing what I ask. You are giving me power! The power I needed to work the mirror! The mortal world will die because of you, my child!”

Screams and wails filled the room. The chamber trembled. Kara lifted her eyes, and as soon as she did she wished she hadn’t. In the mirrors around the room she could now see terror reflected in all the mortal’s faces on the other side, terror and the recognition of death. It was almost too much for Kara to bear. She hoped desperately that the Legion had listened to Gabriel and believed him. She had to believe some mortals would survive.

She wiggled in her chair. Her mind was on the verge of darkness. Part of her wanted to give up and let herself flow away.

“S—stop,” Kara stammered, her voice a whisper. “Please…stop…please.”

But Asmodeus didn’t hear her. He danced around the room laughing.

In one of the mirrors Kara could see a girl her age scream as a shadow demon ripped out her guts. Her lifeless body crumpled to the ground in her bedroom.

“NO!” Kara twitched. Her desperation suddenly replaced by anger. “Stop!”

The room vibrated under her feet. She felt a tiny surge of energy within her belly. She focused on it, trying to draw it out. She had to.

Asmodeus raised his fist. “Feed my children! Feed! Take them! Eat them! Destroy them!”

Kara’s body started to shake. Warmth gathered in her belly and spread to her toes. It moved up to her fingers and finally to her head. She felt the wild power of the elemental take over. She abandoned herself to it.

Her leather restraints melted away. Her power fed on her anger at Asmodeus and kept growing stronger. She wanted to kill them—kill them all.

A burst of energy flew out of Kara and hit the Mirror of Souls. The mirror burst into a million tiny shards of black glass.

Chapter 19

Shattered dreams

“
NO!” ASMODEUS RAN OVER TO THE
shattered mirror. But it was too late.

The connection was cut. All the golden beams and black tendrils evaporated, and the millions of mirrors exploded with a roar. Pieces of glass showered the ground, like sheets of brilliant rain.

Asmodeus turned to face Kara. His face distorted into something evil and sinister. A beautiful face was now ugly and contorted.

“You have tried to ruin my plans once again, daughter,” said Asmodeus.

A smile twitched on his lips as he drew his cigar from his mouth and blew ringlets of smoke, “—but you are too late. My pets have already entered the mortal world. Soon all the pathetic mortals around the world will be eradicated. And I have you, daughter, to thank for it. You were conceived for this. And now, unfortunately, I have no more use for you—KILL HER!” he roared.

Grutus and Xenor drew their weapons and charged.

Kara felt her power drift away from her body. She knew it was dormant now. She felt tired. The last surge of energy had drained her completely. She knew she didn’t stand a chance against the demons without her power, so she did the only thing she could—she ran.

Kara grabbed the jar with her mother’s soul and bolted through the door.

“Stop her!” Asmodeus roared and pointed. “Stop her you fools!”

Kara didn’t look back. She hid the jar under her shirt and pushed her way through the drunken demons in the casino. She hoped they wouldn’t notice her. Then she heard a commotion and turned to see Grutus pointing to her. The entire legion of higher demons stopped gambling and focused on her. They charged.

Kara pushed and kicked her way towards a blue and red neon exit Sign. She ducked under the armpits of a demon throwing dice. The exit was near.

“Get her!”

Kara reached the door and pushed her way out.

She found herself in the windy desert again. Dark, dead and barren, the desert attacked Kara with sand tornadoes and tried to knock her down. She couldn’t see past five feet. To her relief, the blood carpet still lay rolled out. She hoped the elevator would be at the other end.

With her eyes shut into slits, Kara bolted down the carpet. She heard the doors swing open behind her, but she didn’t stop. Images of her mother and David gave her the fuel to keep on going.

To her amazement, Kara reached the end of the carpet. But when she looked around, she couldn’t see the elevator. It was gone.

“Oh no!” cried Kara desperately. She heard the loud stumps of many feet. Angry roars reached her ears. She looked around the grey desert. Where could she go? Where could she hide? What was the name of that cockroach?

“Jean-Pierre, where are you! JP I need you!”Kara called out into the wind and sand.

There was a sudden pop and a swoosh. Kara turned around.

“Ah! Mademoiselle, Kara! I knew you could not resist mon amour!” The cockroach stood in the doorway of the elevator, and batted his eyelashes.

“Oh, thank god!” Kara scrambled in, careful not to break the glass jar. She looked out the door. “Quick! We need to get out of here. They’re coming! Shut the door!”

“ ‘Ou iz coming, ma chéri?” Jean-Pierre stuck his head out. “I don’t see anyone?”

In a few seconds the demon horde would reach the elevator, kill Kara and eat her mother’s soul.