Marked (4 page)

“Yup.”

Kara made a face. “That’s disgusting!” She shook her head. “I still can’t figure it out. How did we get here?” Her brown eyes searched his face.

“You see,” explained David, as he studied her, “when we jumped into the pool, back on Horizon—remember? Right, well, we were sorta
transported
to Earth.” He lifted his arms and pointed to his chest. “In these babies.”

“Right—in these body bags,” said Kara, and she looked down at herself. She studied her arm. She pulled back her sleeve and passed her hand over her skin. “Feels—different?” she said and looked up into his eyes.

David nodded as he smiled at her. “I know. You’ll get used to it.”

“So these bodies, just
magically
appeared?”

“Ha!” He laughed. “You’re funny. But—ah—
no
. See, when we travel between Horizon and Earth, we need to submerge ourselves in water—the pools, remember? Water serves as a gateway between the two worlds. It also allows us to create our M suits and then shed them later. Don’t ask me how, it just does. And we call the process, Vega.”

Kara blinked
.
“I’m a freaking puppet without the strings.” Her mind flicked inside her mortal body, anticipating movement. She shifted her weight from one leg, then to the other—a thought was all it took now. The body responded. Like water sucked into a sponge, her spirit was absorbed entirely; body and soul moved as one. She didn’t need to will her body to move anymore. It was quickly becoming second nature to her. She rested her hands on her hips. “I think I’m getting the hang of this.”

David watched her and grinned. “In Horizon, we don’t need flesh and blood bodies, our bodies are immortal. You’re still the same person you were, just not in the same mortal body. You think and feel exactly the same. It’s like you never left your old body. But our mortal bodies are gone—and as a GA, you can only submerge yourself in M suits to walk on Earth—your soul would die without them. Think of them as another version of your old body. But I have to admit, I love wearing suits—they make me feel invincible!”

Kara felt her mind ease with every passing moment. It wasn’t so bad after all, this new life that was starting to emerge.

“Okay, wow…so where do we go from here?” asked Kara, as she practiced moving her limbs. She took a few steps, staring at her feet, grinning. “I’m like a cyborg chick, without the mechanics
.
”

“We have exactly less than
fifteen
minutes to get to Mrs. Wilkins before she
slips
and
dies—
in a freakish accident
.
You ready?” David cocked an eyebrow. “It’s time to reveal my
extraordinary
talents!” His teeth gleamed.

She looked up into his grinning face and shrugged. “I guess?”

“Don’t worry, I’m here with you,” said. “And
you
, you will be witnessing a true master of his craft—first hand! I’m
that
good.”

Kara shook her head. “Wow—are all guardian angels this cocky, or am I just really lucky to be stuck with you?”

“I’m the hottest thing in Horizon,” said David, his eyes flashed mischievously. He threw the black bag over his shoulder, straightened out his jacket and strode off. “Let’s go!” He yelled back.

“Sure thing, hot stuff,” laughed Kara.

She ran to keep up, trying not to trip on her new legs. Soon the alley way disappeared, and they found themselves in sunlight, facing a busy street. Kara spotted a metal street sign at the corner. Wellington Street was stenciled in white at the top. She knew this street. She had been here before.

They walked along Wellington Street, zigzagging through crowds of shoppers. The smells of onion, garlic, fish and spices surrounded them. She imagined a juicy cheese burger.

“Can we eat? I mean…do we need to eat? Like…can we taste food?”

“No. These are mortal suits, not real mortal bodies. We don’t eat.”

“That sucks—I was hoping to try a slice of pizza or something.”

“You could try…but it’ll be like eating paper.”

“I think I’ll pass, thanks.”

Kara followed David closely. She looked passersby in the face and wondered if these people noticed something different about her. “Do you have a mirror on you?”

“Why do you want a mirror?” David stopped walking and met Kara’s eyes.

“To see myself. I’d like to see what I look like.”

“Oh—of course. You want to make sure
you
are still
you
—come over here.” David walked up to a parked car. “You can check yourself out with this.” He pointed to the side mirror.

Kara leaned in and took a peak. “I look exactly the same? Same eyes, nose, hair? Great—I even have the same zits! How’s that possible?”

“Because you’re you.”

“But what happens if someone I know sees me? They’ll freak out!”

David grabbed Kara by the elbow and steered her away from the car. “They won’t because you don’t look
exactly
the same to them….you’ll appear a little different. You’ll have the same brown eyes and brown hair, but you’ll look like a cousin or something.”

“Oh. I don’t have any cousins.”

They walked along another block until they reached Fortune Street and turned south. Couples with children passed them by and Kara thought of her own family. At that moment, she felt miserable. She missed her mother. Even if she was a little mad—she was the only mother Kara ever knew. She imagined her mother’s grief stricken face and wished she could tell her somehow that she was okay.

“Do you miss your family?”

David was silent for a second. “Sure I do. I miss them all the time, but I wouldn’t trade my life in Horizon for anything. I love my job. We’re part of an elite group—chosen to keep the mortals safe. The rush I feel on a mission—you can’t get that same feeling doing anything else. It’s dangerous, and I love pushing the limits. I’m good at it. It’s like…this is what I’m supposed to be doing. Besides, we get to play with the coolest weapons!” His face lit up.

Kara wondered if David had had many girlfriends back when he was alive. A question burned in the back of her mind. “Can—can I ask you something?”

“Sure. What do you want to know?”

Kara avoided his eyes. “How…how did you die?”

“Oh, that,” laughed David. “Well, it wasn’t anything spectacular. I drowned.”

“You drowned! Oh my God! That’s a horrible way to die.”

“Well, actually, I drove my parent’s car off a bridge. So it’s a little more badass.”

Kara imagined the scenario in her head. “What was it like? I mean…to drown? Did you suffer? It must have been terrible.”

“The last thing I remember was a feeling of flying—which was really cool by the way,” said David. “Then the car hit the water, and I hit my head on the steering wheel. I blacked out. And then I woke up with a monkey breathing down my neck.”

“Right, the chimp in the elevator.”

David adjusted the bag on his shoulder. “Then I joined the Legion—became famous with the ladies—pissed off a few angels...and the rest is history.” He paused for a second before continuing, his expression thoughtful. “What about you? What do you remember about your death?”

Kara scratched the back of her neck. “I didn’t feel anything when I died—I mean I didn’t feel any pain. I remember the bus coming at me. I remember thinking it was too late to run out of the way—then it hit. The next thing I remember—I was in an elevator.” She shook her head. “I thought I was dreaming.”

“I think we all go through that.” David pointed. “There it is, 1870 Fortune Street South, apartment number three—your first assignment. Let the show begin!” He glanced at his watch. “We don’t have much time. Quickly!” He jogged to the front of the grey stone building and ran up the metal staircase, three floors to apartment number three.

Kara stared up at him from the bottom of the stairs and shrugged. “Great. I’m stuck in The Amazing David show.” But she ran up the stairs, her body completely in tune with her.

“The key to a successful assignment, is to do the job
quickly
and discreetly. Save the mortal—and get out. No need for any demons if you save the mortal.”

“Um, these demons,” said Kara, “what do they look like?”

“Depends. There’re lots of different kinds of demons. Some can look like monsters from your worst nightmares, and others can look just like you and me—mortal.”

“With black eyes?”

“Yeah—how did you know?”

Kara’s head spun. She tried to gather her thoughts. “My—my mother saw them I think. She—she called them demons. She said they were after us. I mean—we all thought she was nuts. I never saw anyone or any demons. I wanted to believe her. I tried so hard. She made it sound so
real
—but I couldn’t. I spent most of my life hiding her away from everyone—so they wouldn’t put me in foster care. See, my father died when I was five—so it’s just—it was just the two of us.”

“Well, she wasn’t crazy.” David cocked his head to the side. “Some mortals can see spirits and demons—they’re called Sensitives. They formed a secret mortal society and have been dealing with the Legion for hundreds of years. Your mom is probably one of them.”

“Sensitives,” repeated Kara. “I…I guess you’re right.” Her guilt weighed her down. Her mother wasn’t crazy.

“Now—watch and learn.” David rang the doorbell.

After a moment there was a screeching noise as the intercom went on.

“Yes…?” answered a coarse woman’s voice.

David cleared his throat and gave Kara a wink. “Hi, Mrs. Wilkins? My name is John Mathews—I’m here with my friend Karen. We’re from Verdun College, and we’re collecting donations for the swimming team. We’re sure to win this year—”

There was a loud
scrch
from the intercom. “Oh! Yes, yes. Of course. Come on up!”

The door buzzed and vibrated as David pushed it open. “Her son used to be on the same swimming team. Let me do all the talking,” he whispered, “your job for now, is just to observe—see how I take care of the
damsel
in distress
! My good looks sometimes are enough.”

“Sure thing, lover-boy.” Kara followed him into the building. The air was thick and had a faint stench of lingering mould. She wrinkled her nose. Dirty brown stains painted the light grey walls, and leftover gum was smeared into the cruddy carpeted stairs. Dead cockroaches lay on the floor next to the walls, and live ones disappeared into tight crevices. Voices from the neighboring apartment’s television seeped through the walls.

When David reached the top of the stairs, he turned around. “And another thing,” he said. “Mortal suits are temporary. They only last a few hours. Staying too long on Earth will give the demons our location. The longer we stay here, the easier it is for them to find us. They can sense us. That’s why we have to hurry. But—don’t worry, demons don’t just show up. We still have lots of time to do our job. But, if ever you do see one,
don’t
panic!” He studied Kara’s face. “The worst thing you can do is freak out and scare the mortal. She’s not supposed to know anything about demons—or about us. We have strict rules about these things. Besides, I’m here to protect you. Do you understand?”

Kara nodded, biting her lip. “Okay. Um, the demons—can they hurt us? I know we’re dead but—” Her mind travelled back to when she was a child. “When I was little I used to have horrible nightmares about monsters—I used to see dark shapes following me all the time. My mom would say that they were demons, and that wanted to eat my soul. Is that true? God, listen to me—I’m such a freak.”

“You’re not a freak,” said David, his eyes suddenly kind. “You’re a guardian angel—and not a bad looking one either.”

Kara rolled her eyes. “But seriously, can they hurt me now—or are we like
invincible
? Do we have
special
angel abilities?”

David faced a door covered in peeling white paint. “Demons are the only ones who can take a guardian angel’s soul. If a demon takes your soul, then you stop existing. And there’s no coming back. But with training, you’ll develop your abilities. Look, for now, just leave the demon to
me
—if there
is
one. Today—it’s watch and learn.”

Kara struggled to stay calm. “But what do I do if I see one?”

David knocked on the door. “Show him the finger and maybe he’ll disappear. No, seriously, just stay near me. Nothing’s gonna happen. I’m here.”

“Yeah—I feel a lot better, thanks.” Kara sighed. She concentrated on David’s relaxed demeanor to ease her mind.

The door creaked open to reveal a plump lady in her sixties. “Hello, dears—come in, come in,” she said, as she waved them in. “So—you’re both on the swimming team?”