Gods and Mortals: Fourteen Free Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Novels Featuring Thor, Loki, Greek Gods, Native American Spirits, Vampires, Werewolves, & More (270 page)

“My, my, aren’t we motherly…tell me, what is your name, little angel?” Asmodeus walked slowly towards Kara. Pain spilled inside her core, but she wouldn’t give up the child.

Asmodeus flashed his white teeth. “No name? Perhaps I can guess. Let me see…” He closed his eyes and lifted his eyebrows. Kara sensed a sudden chill forming inside her forehead behind her eyes, the same kind of brain freeze she’d feel when drinking an iced coffee too fast. And then the brain freeze faded. She felt lightheaded, with a tickling sensation as though hundreds of tiny fingers were going through the files inside her brain, reading all her thoughts.

“Ah, of course. Kara … Kara … Kara … tut, tut, tut. We meet at last.”

“What?” Kara backed away, she didn’t like anyone prying inside her most intimate thoughts. “How…how do you know my name?” She shook her head, trying to rid it of the awful tickling.

“Kara Nightingale…rookie in the famous guardian angel Legion…on a life-quest,” said Asmodeus. “Hmm. This is very interesting.”

Kara saw his lips curl. “You’re
in love
with someone called David…how very
mortal
of you,” laughed Asmodeus. “And he is not returning your
amour
anymore, is he?” He rolled his eyes at the sky. “Romance is
so
overrated. So many insignificant feelings get in the way. It’s too distracting. Who has time for love nowadays, anyway?”

He closed his eyes and raised his eyebrows. “Ah, yes…you want your life back. I can feel it…yes, very strongly. You want to be with your mother again, don’t you?” Asmodeus’s gaze searched Kara’s face. “You were going to become a famous painter before the bus hit you, were you not?”

Kara pressed her mouth shut.

Asmodeus closed his eyes again. “Ah…what is this? I feel something else inside you … something different from anything I’ve ever felt before. I feel a sense of
power…
of a wild power.” He opened his eyes and smiled. “It feels almost … elemental.”

“That’s impossible. You’re lying!”

“But it’s the truth, my dear.” The demon lord cocked his head to the side. A strange eagerness flashed in his eyes and his hands trembled. “Such a pity you’re playing for the
wrong
team.” His face twisted in disdain as he shook his head. “But you’re still so
weak…
look at you! Getting
emotionally
attached to the job! Regardless, with your power and my power combined … we could achieve greatness!”

“No thanks, I think I’ll pass,” she hissed.

There was a short pause, and then Asmodeus continued, a sly smile forming across his face. “You see…you were supposed to be on
my
team, Kara. I had
chosen
you to be part of my army.”

Kara’s jaw dropped to the ground. This couldn’t be true. “W…what?”

“It’s true,” continued Asmodeus, his voice pleasantly soft. “Who do you think gave you that Mark?”

“What?” It was as if a ton of bricks had fallen on her. “You … you gave me that Mark? You did this to me! Why?” She felt paralyzed by his words.

“You have the potential to become a great warrior…the greatest perhaps.” Asmodeus placed his right hand on his chest. “I can feel it…just like I felt it before. You are destined for greatness!”

Kara saw him lift his shoulders and then let them drop.

“Some guardians beat me to you. When we got to the crash site, your dying body was already protected. But not before I grazed your leg with my hand. Half a second earlier...your soul would have been
mine
.”

“I would
never
have been
yours
!” said Kara, her voice shaking.

Asmodeus twisted his face in a smile and chuckled. “Either way, you have something of mine. I’ll give
you
what you want, if you give me what
I
want.”

Kara shook her head like a stubborn child.

Asmodeus took a step forward.

“I can give you your life back, little angel. Just like that…” He snapped his fingers.

Kara frowned. “No…you can’t. You’re lying!”

“Oh yes, I
can
. And all I ask in return,” he kicked the metal cage between him and Kara, “is that you put this silly little boy back in his cage.” Asmodeus’s beautiful face creased into a smile.

Fragments of her past life flashed before her eyes. She felt her grip on the child loosen.

Asmodeus spoke softly. “I was an Archangel once…the most powerful angel in all of Horizon! They resented me for it, and that’s why I left.”

He paused for a brief moment and then held out his arms. “I can give you back your life, Kara, I promise. All I need from you,” he said, his voice as smooth as silk, “is to put the child in the cage, and…” he snapped his fingers, “…you’ll be back on Earth, in your old body, without any knowledge of your angel experiences. Your life will be as it was. As it should be.”

Kara felt sick and confused. She looked down into the child’s wet blue eyes and cringed at his tears. She knew the demon would kill the little boy. She couldn’t live with that. She might never remember any of this once she was inside her old mortal body again, but she believed in karma. And karma would eventually bite her in the ass. She wouldn’t give him up…not even for her own life.

“No … I will never give him to you. I would rather die.” said Kara.

Asmodeus’s eyebrows lowered dangerously.

“NO?” he repeated as he came rushing towards her. “PUT HIM IN THE CAGE—OR I’LL KILL YOU!”

She stepped back shaking her head.

“I—SAID—PUT—HIM—IN!” Asmodeus scooped up the cage and threw it at Kara. It hit her hard and then bounced on the ground. He edged closer. He was nearly on top of her.

Kara tightened her grip on the child, cradling him. “Don’t be frightened. I’m here with you.”

An image of David flashed suddenly before her eyes. She trembled. She was ready.

In a frightening rage, Asmodeus lurched forward and charged. He moved with lightening speed, striking out at her with lines of black electric current.

Kara threw out an open hand protectively in front of her. Her palm hit his chest and golden light exploded from her hand. Asmodeus was propelled back in the air and landed hard on the ground. He rolled over, howling in pain. A golden glow emanated from his chest and spread slowly all the way around his body until he was covered in golden light.

Kara stared at her hand. Traces of gold light hovered over her palm and fingertips.

She backed away and watched as the demon lord convulsed uncontrollably. He spit up a thick liquid that showered the floor in black puddles. He wailed as he clawed at his own flesh, scratching bloody holes into his body and face. He let out an ear-piercing scream. And then his body twisted, bent inwards and with a pop…he vanished.

Kara blinked several times. She walked over to where Asmodeus had stood seconds before. There was nothing left of the demon lord, not even a burn mark. Kara searched the ground with her shoe, brushing away clumps of dirt and dry leaves. The ground underneath was bare.

She stared at her hand again and made a fist.

Pursing her lips, she turned her attention to the little boy. Kara lifted the child by its armpits and searched his grinning face.

“You know, we were really lucky…you’re like my good luck charm. But how come I can touch you and no one else can, eh?” She lowered him into her breast. “I guess you don’t know either. Boy, do I have a lot of debriefing to do!” She laughed. “I’ll be in there for weeks! But the important thing is…you’re okay!”

The child grinned and clapped his tiny hands together.

Kara laughed. “We make a good team! Good job, little one. High five…” she held out her hand, palm facing the little boy. He smacked it and giggled.

She studied the boy for a moment, her eyebrows low. “You need a name.” She bit her lip and squinted. “From now on, I’m calling you … Lucky. You like that?”

The child smiled and wrapped his small arms around Kara’s neck. His cool skin brushed against the nape of her neck. She felt a shiver. She knew that Lucky was part human and was probably cold.

“Here…let me put this over you.” She took off her jacket and wrapped him in it. “There you go. I don’t want you to catch a cold, now.”

Lucky looked up at her and smiled. His big fat cheeks wrinkled his face.

“Okay. Let’s get out of here.”

She held him tight in her arms as they walked out of the cemetery.

K
ara debriefed
for hours back at Operations. Gabriel was speechless when she told him she could touch the elemental without the silver gloves. But when she got to the part where a golden beam shot out from her hand, Gabriel stopped blinking. The three oracles writing up the reports fainted and fell off their crystals.

“Golden light shot out of your hand?”

“Yup.”

“It…it came out of your hand?”

“Yes, like I told you … it just sort of came out … and bam! Asmodeus went flying. Then he started to shake and twitch. He was all covered in a golden light, and then he vanished. I’m sure that’s happened before, right? Um…are you okay? You look like a little worried?”

“I have to speak to the Council of Ministers. Stay here.” Gabriel stormed out of the tent.

“Okay …?” Kara watched him disappear beyond the red dunes.

A few hours later, an oracle found her and told her to present herself to Level Six, where the Council of Ministers awaited her.

She had succeeded in her mission, her life-quest. Soon she would be reunited with her mother, back in her old mortal body. She needed to make up for all the years she had wronged her mother…her mother who has been a guardian angel all along. She was restless. She ran all the way back to the elevator.

Kara followed the oracle down the platform towards the entrance to the Council of Minister’s chamber. Her mind flashed back to Asmodeus and she wondered if she should tell the council that he had given her the Mark, but she decided against it. It didn’t matter anymore, she was going home.

The oracle pulled open the metal door to the building and rolled himself back out of the way.

Kara stepped inside.

Cheers exploded all around her, like a sudden burst of thunder. In the thousands, the entire Legion of guardian angels was gathered along the length of the hall to welcome her back. The thousands of clapping hands sounded like firecrackers. She walked through the crowds. She saw angels pushing and shoving each other just to get a look at her. She saw a young angel fall flat on her face in a faint.

“Look, it’s her! That’s Kara Nightingale!”

“The one who beat Asmodeus!”

“She saved the elemental!”

“She saved us all!”

Kara couldn’t help but laugh. It was strange to have her own paparazzi.

The oracle plowed his way through the mob and down the hall to the large council doors. He pushed them open and rolled to the side. Kara left the crowd behind and entered the council chamber. The doors shut behind her.

One by one, the council members stood up and started clapping. Embarrassed, she looked at the floor. A long red carpet spread all the way down to the dais. She’d never thought that one day she’d be walking down a red carpet.

Kara followed the red carpet until she was near the dais. Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, and Michael stood at the head of the council table, their faces cracked in wide grins. Kara turned her head to her right and saw David. She couldn’t believe she had forgotten about him. She felt a tingling of hope. He made his way over to her, smiling broadly. His perfect face was just as she had last seen it. But his eyes seemed darker than usual. She saw a trace of sadness in them.

He stopped at her side and passed his hands through his hair. Lifting his head high, he squared his shoulders. “You did good…and I think you scared the crap out of everyone…”

Kara gestured with her hand. “But I’m okay. See? Still in one piece. So…what happens with Lucky? Is he going to be okay?” She remembered his tiny smiling face and realized that she missed him.

“He’s fine. A family of Sensitives took him in. They’ll take good care of him, don’t worry. They’re the best mortal guardians the little elemental could ask for.”

“I guess so.” Kara studied David’s face, searching for a whisper of some sort of affection…anything which might give her the hope she desired. The smallest spark would suffice.

Their eyes locked for a moment, and David looked quickly away. “I’m…I’m sorry, Kara. I should have believed you…I’m such a jackass. Will you ever forgive me?”

Kara felt her bottom lip start to shake. “Of course I forgive you. Besides, what would I do without my favorite jackass?” She strained to keep her true feelings hidden.

David laughed. He fumbled with the zipper on his jacket. “So … have you decided what you’re going to do? Are you staying … or going …?”

Kara felt a strange prickling on her cheeks reminiscent of a flush. She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and sighed. “You know what I’ve always wanted. I want to go back home…to my mother. I need to take care of her. It’s like—I feel I was robbed by having only sixteen years on earth. I want to experience life, my
mortal
life. I want to do all the stupid things that young people do. I need that…before I die…again. I have the chance to get my life back just as it was before I died. I’m going to take that chance.”

She felt a sharp pain in her chest. She was glad that angels couldn’t cry, otherwise her face would be soaked.

David dropped his shoulders. He was silent for a long moment. “I know. If I had the chance to go back one last time…I’d want to go back too. I miss my dad’s purple face when he’d yell at me for using the car.” He shoved his hands in his front pockets. “I just wanted to check.”

“Maybe we’ll meet again?” Kara asked, trying not to sound too desperate.

“I know we will. You can count on that.” He looked over to the dais. “They’re waiting for you.” He stepped back.

Kara stared at David. There was so much she wanted to say, but the words wouldn’t come. Someone cleared their throat, and Kara turned her head towards the council.

Dressed in red robes, Uriel lifted his arms before the crowd. His long sleeves brushed the black marble desk. “Welcome, guardian angels, to the Council of Ministers,” his voiced echoed throughout the chamber, bouncing off the walls. “We are gathered here at this hour for a special celebration…a celebration of life and of the success of a life-quest. I’m honored to present to you all, Kara Nightingale…a rookie guardian angel who has saved us from great peril. Without her, we would be lost.”

Kara pursed her lips, her eyes wide as she continued to stare at Uriel.

“She has shown us the true meaning of courage and devotion—a true guardian angel.” Uriel stretched a long arm in Kara’s direction and beckoned her to come forward. “Come, Kara Nightingale.”

Kara stepped up onto the dais before Uriel. She bent her head back and looked up into his face. She watched him turn around momentarily to pick up a shiny golden medal on a fine golden chain.

“Kara Nightingale,” declared Uriel. “It is with great honor, that we, the Council of Ministers, award you with a life-quest. This medal celebrates our world’s highest honor.” He slipped the chain over Kara’s head and smiled. “We are forever grateful to you.” He stepped back and clapped. The rest of the council members joined in and clapped enthusiastically.

Kara clasped the medal in her hands, feeling its smooth surface against her palm. She moved it around so that it caught the light. She traced her fingers around the silhouette of a person with widespread wings. “It’s beautiful. Thank you.”

After a moment the clapping slowly died, and Uriel cleared his throat.

“And now we must discuss something that is most important.” He looked at her with kind eyes.

“Gabriel and I have had a long chat with the council members about the events leading to your rescue of the elemental. We have learned of your extraordinary abilities…abilities which are unknown to us. Since the very beginning of Horizon, no angel has ever touched an elemental and survived."

Kara fidgeted on the spot. She felt something was wrong. “So … what are you saying? That it was a mistake to touch that little boy? I
had
to do something to save him…I’m not sure I understand what you mean.”

“Let me explain. That golden beam you conjured against Asmodeus…that is an elemental’s power. Only elementals have that kind of immense energy. We believe that your soul is part elemental, Kara. It explains why you were able to touch the child without your Sparks. It explains how you were able to vanquish Asmodeus. It would have taken a team of our most skilled guardians to challenge the demon lord…yet you faced him alone…and vanquished him.

“You are special, Kara. You have powers—strong and wild powers that have the potential to do great things. And that is very unfortunate. You see, Asmodeus desires power above all else, and now he has had a taste of yours. He will stop at nothing to try and possess it.”

“Wait a minute…I killed Asmodeus!” said Kara. “I saw him die with my own eyes. He’s dead, I swear he is…”

“I’m afraid it’s not that simple. Asmodeus is not dead, but simply weakened. We have gathered information from our Scouts which tells us he is back in the Netherworld…weak, but still alive.

“We must send you back to Earth for your own protection,” Uriel continued. “You cannot stay here in Horizon, vulnerable and exposed to traitors. We still do not know your full potential, Kara. And while we ponder this, we need to keep you hidden and safe. Asmodeus and his demons will not be able to find you if you are hidden in your mortal body. He will search for you in Horizon.”

Kara’s eyes flicked at David. He stood tall, his strong shoulders back, his eyes fixed on the council. She didn’t know why, but she waited, staring at him. After a second or so she turned to face the council. “So…am I going to remember any of this? When I’m back on Earth, will I remember you, or me—or the fact that Asmodeus wants to kill me? Any of this?”

“No,” said Uriel softly. “Once you are back within your own mortal body, you will have no memories of your time spent in Horizon. You won’t remember a thing.”

She remembered her kiss with David. She was sorry she wouldn’t remember it…it was such a good kiss. But something else occurred to her. “What about my mother? I want to remember that I know she’s a guardian. I mean…does she know what’s happened to me?”

“Your mother knows about the situation. She will look after you. But for your own protection, your memory will be erased. A group of guardian angels have already been assigned to look after you while you are on Earth.”

Kara opened her mouth to protest, but shut it again. She knew that things would be different this time around…that she would eventually figure out that her mother was
special.

“But,” said Kara, “will I ever come back here? To Horizon?”

“Of course.”

A hint of a smile reached Uriel’s lips. “When the time is right, we will call upon your services as a guardian of the Legion again. I’m sure that we will need your special talents again. But for now, it is best that you return to Earth.”

“Okay. I understand.”

“Although you will be sadly missed by your friends,” Uriel’s eyes darted to David and back to Kara, “we believe it is the right decision.”

He studied her for a moment and then addressed the council. “Let us give our thanks to our fellow angel, Kara Nightingale…who has surpassed all obstacles and proven herself to be a true and devoted soldier. She shall be missed. We salute you!”

Loud voices echoed from the chamber walls as the council members repeated, “We salute you!”

Kara felt very small. She fumbled with her medal. Her eyes fell on David, who beamed at her. She couldn’t help but to grin back.

Uriel clapped his hands together. “It is time, Kara. Report to Level Seven.”

Kara turned and was immediately lifted in the air in a bear hug.

“See you soon,” said David. He let Kara go and stepped back.

She looked into his eyes. Her body tingled, “I hate goodbyes…I never know what to say.” Her eyes darted to the council for a moment. She fumbled with her fingers. “Plus, we have an audience.”

“It’ll be okay, we’ll see each other soon enough.”

“Just try to behave, David. And don’t piss off any of the Archangels.”

“I won’t, if they don’t.”

“God, you’re such a baby,” she laughed. Part of her wished she could stay. But she knew it was impossible. She sighed and looked into his eyes. “Goodbye, David.”

“Bye, Kara.”

A
s Kara rode
in the sky-car back to the elevator her mind was a storm of thoughts. She was part elemental. She had these extraordinary powers. David was her friend again. And best of all, she would be with her mother very soon. The only down side was that Asmodeus was still alive. She tried not to think about their next encounter.

After a short ride, she jumped off the sky-car and hopped into the elevator. To her surprise, it was chimp 5M51 at the controls. He lifted his eyebrows at the sight of her.

“Oh, it’s
you
,” said the chimp.

Kara made a face. “Oh, it’s
you,
too!” she spat. She stepped to the back of the elevator.

Chimp 5M51 scratched his butt. “I’m told to bring you to Level Seven?” He eyed her suspiciously. “Not many guardian angels get to go to that level. Why are
you
so special?” He frowned as he studied her.

Kara lifted her chin. “Well, I am.” Her body tingled in excitement.

“Um…did you ever meet The Chief? What’s he like?”

“I have no idea, Miss. I have never met him.”

“Oh.”

The chimp sighed and turned his attention to the control panel. “Level Seven…The Chief!” Kara watched as his long finger pressed on the brass number seven button.

The elevator rocked slightly as it ascended higher. Kara felt a mixture of excitement and regret. She was excited to go home again, but she already missed David and her life in Horizon. It was impossible to know if she’d ever see him again, and that left a mark on her soul.

The elevator shook and stopped.

“Level Seven!” cried chimp 5M51.

Kara pushed herself off the panel with her hands and walked up to the elevator doors. Her eyes flashed at the chimp. He raised his eyebrows and stuck out his tongue.

She shook her head and laughed. “Moron.”

With a swish, the doors swung open. Immediately, blinding white light spilled into the tiny elevator. Kara covered her eyes. A few seconds later, her eyes adjusted and a feeling of warmth spread through her body.