Kara followed David down the red dunes. The sun beat down on her head, and Kara felt as if she had a hot hairdryer close to the scalp. She watched David’s back, but she wasn’t really watching him. She couldn’t stop thinking about the cherub who had died in her arms. His withered face haunted her, like a bad dream that lingered after she had opened her eyes.
Save us, the cherub had said. What did he mean by that? And why did he tell her? Was she supposed to do something? Was she part of a bigger plan? She didn’t know. And she couldn’t shut her mind up about it.
A loud rumbling reached her ears. Kara looked over the brow of the dune she was climbing—and stopped dead in her tracks.
Hundreds of thousands of guardian angels filled the entire valley below her, a moving sea of angels readying for battle. They gathered together and formed straight lines down and across the valley, a perfect square, a full strength angel Legion. Kara’s body prickled in excitement. She had never seen so many guardians together in one area. She felt small and insignificant. A sense of pride welled in her chest. She felt intoxicated. She wanted to run amongst them, to stand amongst them all. With an army like this, anything was possible.
She smelled iron and salt water. The crowd seemed to disperse as she and David made their way through it. Did the Legion still believe her to be a traitor? She could hear whispers from the crowd. Anxious faces surrounded her. They were nervous, like caged animals. Kara tensed.
A sparkle at the head of the Legion caught her attention. Kara looked over the heads of the crowds. A giant man made his way across the front lines. Yards of silver cloth rippled in the wind behind him like a flag made of pixie dust. Even in the distance, she recognized the archangel Michael. His golden brown skin shone brightly in the sunlight. His silky dark brown hair brushed his muscular shoulders, and his hands were clasped into fists.
She felt a tug on her arm and turned to see David beckoning her to follow him. He pulled her towards a small mount of sand. Kara climbed closely behind him. Once they reached the top, she looked over the thousands of heads and focused on Michael. He stood with his hands clasped in front of him, his body hard and stiff like a Greek statue.
“Guardians,” boomed Michael’s voice across the desert. His voice was magically enhanced and all the guardians could hear him as clearly as though he were right in front of each of them.
“We are gathered here in this late hour to inform you and to prepare you all for what lies ahead. As some of you have already heard, thousands of portals have been opened, and hundreds of thousands of demons have been released into the mortal world. The legion has never faced a threat of this magnitude before. Innocent men, women, and children have been attacked in their own homes and ripped into pieces.”
Whispers spread through the crowd like a wildfire. Kara lowered her head. Was Michael blaming her? She heard a hint of an accusation in his words. She fought to control her emotions. She remembered hearing the cries of children as the demons tore out their hearts. This was all her fault.
Something brushed against her fingers. She felt a hand interlace with hers. She looked up and met David’s concerned face. His blue eyes glistened. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. She squeezed back. She never wanted him to let go.
She wished silently that she could get away from all of this— that she and David could be together somehow back on Earth, away from the horrors and the atrocities that seemed likely to come to pass. But she knew she could never have the romantic life she had always envisioned with the man she loved. She was a guardian angel sworn to protect the humans. The mortal world was in turmoil. They needed to be saved. And Kara had a job to do.
She lifted her gaze back to Michael, but not before she caught the disapproving glances from a few angels. Their faces appeared to be twisted in disgust as they looked from David to Kara. She forced herself to look away.
“Thousands of souls are dying each day,” continued Michael. “Each second we waste here, is another dead soul. We have all sworn to protect them. We are the chosen ones. It is our mandate to save the mortal souls.
“As of this moment—all previous assignments are cancelled. Angels, you have but one assignment. To rid the mortal world of demons!”
His last word echoed throughout the vast dunes like thunder. Angels jumped into the air and roared like a giant wave that rose and spread through the crowd. It was both incredible and terrifying at the same time.
Michael lifted his arms into the air and called for silence. He waited for the crowd to quiet before he continued. “Asmodeus believes that he has won. But he is seriously mistaken. And we will show him. We will strike at the demon lord’s heart! Our legions will crush his armies, and we will give Earth back to its rightful inhabitants!” He raised his fist. “This will be the biggest battle this Legion has ever fought. The battle has just begun! And we will be victorious!”
An explosion of roars erupted all around. Angels jumped up and batted the air with their fists. Kara stared into maddened faces. She could practically see the venom dripping from their mouths. It was hatred—hatred for the demons. The angels wanted to destroy Asmodeus and his demons just as badly as she did.
A sudden loud crunching sound echoed around them. The crowds below them separated, and a mass of more than a hundred oracles rolled themselves towards Michael. Their silver gowns and long white beards flowed behind them. The sun’s rays flickered within their giant crystal balls, forcing Kara to shield her eyes. They reached the archangel and formed two rows on either side of him. The oracles waited patiently above their crystals.
Michael regarded the oracles for a moment, before turning and addressing the guardians.
“Guardians. Hear me now. If the entire human race is annihilated, there will be no more souls to protect, and we will have no reason to exist. We must save the mortals to guarantee our own survival. If we cannot rid the mortal world of Asmodeus’s armies … we will cease to exist.”
Kara saw horror spreading across the guardians’ faces. It was a falsehood, a half-truth that angels were immortal. Kara had seen death with her own eyes—she knew that angels could die.
For a long moment, the vast desert was silent.
Michael spoke at last. “All guardians will be paired into groups of fifty and assigned to specific cities or towns around the world. The Counter Demon Division will remain intact and will be responsible to track down Asmodeus and seize him. Our Scouts have pinpointed several possible locations. We will bring the demon lord to justice. And he will be executed!”
Kara flinched as a deafening roar erupted all around her. Images of Jenny and Peter flashed in her mind’s eye. She missed her friends. She felt a sting at her core that she wasn’t part of CDD anymore. It had been an exciting post. They needed her—her powers could help them. The CDD had no idea how strong Asmodeus really was.
Michael surveyed the crowd for a moment. Even in the distance, Kara could see the unmistakable strain upon his face.
“I will not lie to you and tell you that this will be an easy battle. Many of you will perish. But hear me now. Do not let that stop you. We are soldiers first, and then angels. We will answer our Legion’s call and fight. Fight till the end! We must protect the mortals at whatever cost. It is time, Guardians. May Horizon protect you! Oracles...
Kara watched as the oracles rolled their giant crystal balls back down the red dunes towards the pools. Their long white beards trailed behind them. The desert rumbled as the host of guardians followed behind them. The sand vibrated below Kara’s feet.
Before long the crowd around her dispersed, and Kara spotted a group of CDD guardians walking towards the elevator.
“Kara!”
Jenny jogged up the rise. Her purple hair sparkled in the sun. Her eyes were wide with excitement. She was holding a small black leather case. She held it up to Kara.
“Here—you’ve been reinstated to CDD.”
Kara reached out and took the case. As soon as she flipped it open, she recognized the golden key card
secured on the inside. Without the golden key she couldn’t reach level five, the best kept secret in Horizon—the Department of Defense.
Kara pulled out the golden key and turned it over in her hand. “I never thought they’d let me back in … after everything that’s happened.” She struggled to control her emotions.
Jenny’s eyes gleamed. “Well they are letting you back in. Cassiel asked for you personally—said the team wasn’t complete without Kara. He wants you back, girl.”
“Really?”
“Yup.” Jenny pulled on the ends of her purple hair and twirled them around her fingers. “It’s crazy in there. The entire unit is going mental.”
“It’s not just your unit that’s going mental,” said David. He watched the hoards of guardians intensely. “I’ve never seen the Legion so agitated. I can see the fear in their eyes. They’re afraid of what’s out there. They’re afraid to die—a true death.”
Kara could see the fear spreading across some of their faces. “They should be afraid. They’re not just saving mortal lives from some freak accident anymore. They have to fight against demons.” She bit her lower lip and spoke softly. “The new breeds are going to tear them apart.”
David’s handsome face crumpled into an ugly look of concern. His mouth was a hard line. Kara wanted to reach out to him.
“Well, it’s definitely bad.” Jenny’s eyes were filled with worry. She sighed. “We should get going.”
Kara struggled to restrain herself from grabbing David’s hand. She didn’t want him to fight without her. The thought of losing David was unimaginable. She didn’t think she could go on if something were to happen to him.
He seemed to be thinking the same thing. “I don’t like it,” he said finally.
“What?”
He turned to Kara. “That you’re going back to CDD. The unit’s been breached. You remember what happened with those douche bags. You can’t trust anyone.”
Kara gave David a reassuring smile. “I know. I’m sure Cassiel is aware of it also. He won’t let anything happen to me. Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. It’s you I’m worried about.”
David’s blue eyes sparkled. His lips curled into a smile, and he pressed his hands to his chest. “I knew you loved me—ouch!”
Kara punched him on the arm. “Be serious for once! This isn’t a joke. You’re always getting into trouble, David. Just … be careful, okay?” She couldn’t believe how lightly he thought of himself. It made her furious.
David lifted his arms in protest. “Okay … okay. Don’t worry, I can take care of myself.” He pulled a soul blade from inside his jacket. With his hand wrapped around the handle, he raised the blade in the air and examined it closely. The blade glistened in the sun. “I’ve been waiting for a chance to practice my moves on a few of those new breeds. I’m telling you … they’ll be running the other way when they see me coming.”
Kara rolled her eyes. “David. Promise me you won’t do anything stupid. Promise me.”
David grinned. “Me? Do anything stupid? Of course not, cutie—I’m the most responsible, most law-abiding angel in all Horizon.”
Even with all the theatrics, Kara knew David well enough to know that he was hiding his true feelings. He was terrified, just as she was. The more he fooled around, the more anxious he truly was. And that only made Kara more nervous.
“See you guys later.” And with that, David trotted down the slope and joined the mass of guardians heading for the pools.
Regretfully, Kara watched David disappear under a wave of angels. She clenched her fists as she remembered the half-breed demon who had sucked the life source from her rookie Tom so easily. She knew many angels would die today, probably thousands. Would these faces make it back? How many angels had the necessary skills to fight higher demons?
Kara flinched as she remembered the sounds of terrified children screaming and the hungry cries of the demons. She was to blame. She was responsible.
“Come on, Kara.” Jenny tugged on her shirt and urged her along. As she galloped down the slope, puffs of red dust flew up behind her like a cape.
Reluctantly, Kara followed Jenny towards the elevators. She could only hope that CDD would be the answer to Asmodeus and his demons—but something in Michael’s manner earlier told her that it wouldn’t.