Marked (23 page)

“Awesome,” said Kara, as the corners of her mouth lifted. Brooke looked bad-ass with that dagger in her hand, and she moved with great skill. As a Petty Officer, she was a few years ahead of Kara, in terms of combat training. She was also strong and athletic.

Having had hours and hours of combat training herself, Kara felt pretty confident that she and Brooke could rescue this elemental child. How hard could it be, really? She hoped that they would get the real safe house where the child was being held captive. Her instincts and her strong desire to get her old life back were strong motivation to rescue the child.

Kara smiled as she grabbed a long curved silver sword from the weapons stand. She brought it up close to her face and saw that the stars embedded along the blade formed seven tiny circles. She rotated her wrist and watched the blade flicker in the light. It was as light as a feather and cool against her skin.

“It’s a Soul Blade. Usually rookies aren’t allowed to use them—too powerful—but I think in
your
case, they’ll make an exception,” David looked over to Gabriel and raised his voice to make sure that Gabriel had heard him.

Gabriel, who seemed very interested in a white globe on one of the many littered tables, didn’t look up.

“You’re going to need these, too.” David pulled off Kara’s backpack and started to fill it with red and white orbs. He held up one of the red orbs. “The red ones are called Firestones—smash it near a shadow demon, and it will implode, swallowing the demon with it.” He arched his eyebrows as he waited for Kara to respond.

“Okay,” Kara said.

He placed the red orb in her backpack and then held up a white orb. “The white ones are Moonstones—they give off rays of light that are harmful to any demon, even the higher demons. Like this—” David’s arm shot up in the air with the orb within his hand. “You don’t have to be too close, I’ve used it at about fifty feet away, and it worked.”

“I’ve packed a whole bunch, too!” Brooke bounced into view, her ponytail flailing behind her. “And—one of these!” She pulled a white net, the size of a large trench coat. She looked at Kara and David, her blue eyes sparkling, “Shadow Chains. I’ve used them once before and they were
amazing!
We trapped the shadow demon in it, and it couldn’t transform into shadow anymore—and we killed it!”

She flashed a smile at David as she stuck out her hand. “Hiya, I’m Brooke.”

David took a step forward and took Brooke’s hand. “David,” he said, as he flicked his trademark wink. “David McGowan.”

Oh boy, here we go
, said Kara to herself. But part of her was jealous of the attention he showed Brooke. He used to bombard Kara with his winks. But he hadn’t winked at her since he had seen the mark on her leg. She’d been feeling disconnected from him ever since, like she’d lost a best friend. She looked up at his beautiful face and his lips. The memory of the kiss flashed before her. She shook her head, trying to clear it, but other images came flooding in—images of his strong arms wrapped around her body, of him holding her close. It was too much. She looked away.

“You’re
that
David?” Brooke raised her eyebrows. “You’re kidding!” She let go of the Shadow Chains and pressed her hands against her shaking head. “I can’t believe it’s really
you
!” She studied his face, “I’m a
huge
fan!”

This is just getting better and better,
thought Kara.

David flipped his leather jacket collar up and jammed his hands in his pockets. “Yup—that’s me.” He cocked an eyebrow.

Somebody shoot me, please.

“Okay, lover boy—we—,” said Kara, as she pointed to herself and then to Brooke, “gotta go save the kid! Life-quest, remember? Chosen ones?”

“I know, I know.”

David helped Kara finish packing her bag with some extra salt shakers and an extra soul blade, the size of a dagger. She hid it under her jeans, strapped around her calf.

“Kara Nightingale! Brooke Miller!” An oracle rolled towards them. Silver cloth glistened in his hands. “Your Sparks—here.” He stretched out his little arms and handed them their gloves. “Hurry up now! You don’t have much time left. Off you go! Off you go!” He waved his arms impatiently.

Kara stared at her Sparks. Twinkling like diamonds, they hardly weighed anything.

“Ready?” said Brooke.

Kara shoved her gloves in her backpack, zipped it up and threw it over her shoulders. “Ready.”

She followed Brooke and David. The three of them walked over towards the pools. They passed tents with groups of guardian angels practicing their combat training. She could hear the clangs of metal on metal.
This could be the last time I see this
.
Maybe tomorrow I’ll wake up and won’t remember a thing?

They approached the first rows of pools. The air was thick with salt. Loud
plashes
and
plops
surrounded them. Kara looked up and saw Group 2, Lindsey Steel and Carlos Lopez standing near the edge of a pool. Their lips moved in unison—and then they jumped. With a
wallop
, they hit the water at the exact same time. A second later, brilliant light shot up through the water, and they vanished.

Kara bit her lip and followed Brooke to the metal staircase, David at her shoulders. Brooke climbed easily and waited for her on the platform.

David grabbed her arm. “Hey.” David turned Kara around to face him. “Remember what I taught you in combat training—how to parry, how to riposte and how to attack?”

She nodded. “I do.”

“There’s still so much we didn’t cover yet—you’re just a rookie.” David’s face twisted in a frown. “You shouldn’t be doing this!”

“I
want
to do this, David. And I’m happy I was chosen. This is my chance to go back home—to finish my life—to have my life back. There are so many things I still want to do—to experience. Don’t you understand how important this is to me?” She searched his blue eyes. “Besides—why do
you
care? I’m a
traitor
, remember?”

David winced and stepped back, his face wrinkling in a scowl. They stood staring at each other for a moment without moving, without saying anything. She saw a shadow of pain glistening behind his blue eyes. “Just be careful.” He said softly.

Kara studied David’s face for a moment. She could still sense his suspicion, as though he wore it like a heavy coat.

“I will,” she answered.

Securing her backpack, Kara grabbed the metal staircase and pulled herself up to the top. She stepped beside the grinning Brooke. The pool’s reflections rippled along the water’s surface. The smell of salt filled her nostrils.

“You ready?” said Brooke.

Kara took one last look down at David. She watched him as he gave her a slight nod. His face had no expression. “I’m ready,” she said as she turned to face Brooke and cleared her mind of thoughts of David.

Brooke flashed her teeth. “Okay, on three?”

Kara nodded.

“One—”

She blinked.

“Two —”

If she had any spit, she would have swallowed.

“THREE —!”

Kara pushed herself off the ledge of the pool and plunged into the water beside Brooke.

Chapter 14. Elemental

K
ara opened her eyes and blinked in the blackness. Vega still made her feel a little dizzy, but right now the darkness freaked her out. She tried to blink the blackness away, but it didn’t work. She wiggled her mortal suit’s hand up to her face, but she couldn’t see it. There was only blackness. The air was tight, and she could hear the faint drippings of a water pipe.

“Brooke?” whispered Kara. Her eyes strained to adjust themselves to the darkness which they couldn’t penetrate.

“I’m over here,” Brooke whispered back.

Kara heard the scrape of feet on concrete, and after a moment she felt a hand touch her shoulder.

“I think we’re in a basement. See if you can find a light switch on the wall to your left—I’m gonna try over to the right.” Brooke let go of Kara’s shoulder, and Kara heard her footsteps go in the opposite direction.

“Okay.” Kara was in complete darkness. She forced herself to calm down and thought about what she was going to do once she was alive again. And when her nerves were calm, she struggled to move her feet. After five steps, her hands touched a cold hard surface.

“I’ve found a wall.” Kara slid her hands up and down and tried to feel for a switch of some kind. She heard a faint
click
behind her, and the lights went on.

“Found it,” declared Brooke, at the opposite end of the basement.

The basement was unfinished, with a dirt filled concrete floor and open walls with exposed insulation. Cobwebs fell from the ceiling like see through curtains and covered some scraps of old wood furniture that were piled in the corners. The room looked forgotten.

“There’s some stairs over here.” Brooke pointed to her right and waved Kara to follow. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Wait!” said Kara. “Is this 1228 Pine Avenue?”

Brooke shook her head. “No. The Legion wouldn’t transport us to the safe house directly. But we’re probably really close.”

They climbed out of the basement, pushed open a heavy wooden door and found a hallway. The old oak floors creaked as the girls sneaked down the hall, trying to find the way out. A musty carpet smell lingered in the air—just like Kara’s grandma’s house. She loved that stink. She was certain this house belonged to an elderly person. They came to a foyer, which opened to the front door. Even in the dark, Kara could make out the flowered wallpaper covering the walls. Brooke mouthed, “This way,” and trod towards the door. She turned the lock very slowly and pulled open the front door.

They stepped down three concrete stairs onto a sidewalk. A full moon shone down from a black sky. The cool September wind carrying a smell of wet pavement caressed Kara’s cheeks, while a light drizzle of rain patted her hair. She wiped the wet from her cheeks and turned to face Brook.

Brooke turned her head, “Look—we’re on 1194 Pine Avenue West.” She pointed to the black numbers nailed to the front of the cape-cod style house they had just left. “We’re just a few blocks away.”

Kara glanced at her wrist watch. “It’s 8:40 pm. We have 20 minutes to get there.”

At that moment, thunder exploded above their heads and released a deluge of rain. The angry skies had sucked in the moon light and only the old street lamps showed them the way.

Squish, squish
.

Their shoes pattered onward, squashing the water out as they trod up the street. Crooked grey maple trees swayed back and forth in the wind.

After only a few minutes, Kara was drenched. The rain felt strange against her mortal suit. It felt cool, but it was as though the wetness didn’t seep through, like it stopped midway. Glancing down at the sidewalk while she walked, she saw two dead birds, red cardinals, their necks twisted, resting in small puddles of water. A feeling of dread crept inside her. She kept thinking back at what David had said to Gabriel—that this was an impossible mission, and that the legion was sending them to their deaths.

Brooke stopped abruptly, and Kara nearly walked right into her. They had arrived at a street corner. The heavy rains had turned to a soft drizzle. Kara glanced up and read the street sign, Cedar Avenue. They were close.

A tingling sensation spread inside her as she surveyed the area. She imagined her old life—where she painted and had a family.
I’ll have my family again soon.
A group of teenagers appeared on the opposite side of the street, giggling without a care in the world.
That’ll be me soon enough.

They crossed Cedar Avenue and were back on Pine Avenue. After four strides, Brooke stopped again. She stared in front of her. Kara followed her gaze.

1228 Pine Avenue was staring back at them. It was an old tudor-style home with a worn down paver walkway covered in black puddles. An overgrown cedar hedge covered most of the front of the house. There was no light coming from inside. It stood alone in the dark. And all the curtains were drawn.

“Come—” whispered Brooke, as she steered Kara by the elbow towards the neighboring house’s cedar hedge. She crouched down, peeking through the trees. Kara followed her example. There was no movement inside the house, from what Kara could see. Brooke slipped her backpack from her shoulders, settling it on the wet grass. She opened it and pulled out the blueprint of the house. Kara leaned in for a closer look. She could see there were three floors to the house; a basement, a ground floor and a second floor. She could see a back door exiting from the kitchen area.