Seals (17 page)

“That’s right. She said knight.
The
knight
. So? Why are you smiling like you won the lottery? What
am I missing here?”

With her nerves tingling in excitement, Kara
grabbed Mr. Patterson’s head and kissed it. A tiny smile crept on
his face, but he couldn’t meet her eyes.

“Because, if I’m right,” she said, trying to
control the tremor in her voice, “and I have a feeling that I am,
it means we only need to kill
one
knight for the future to
change. Don’t you get it! Just one! One miserable knight! I feel
like someone’s handed me an early Christmas present!”

Mr. Patterson looked distracted for a
moment. “I love Christmas. This year, I was thinking about dressing
up as Santa. Maybe you can be my helper!”

“Okay there, Santa. First we destroy a
knight, and then maybe if all goes well you’ll have your
Christmas.”

Kara wished silently that they all might
share a Christmas. She bounced on her feet, feeling fifty pounds
lighter. She forgot about her wings, the markings, and the darkness
that flowed inside her like blood. She couldn’t remember feeling
this excited, this happy, and she wanted the feeling to last
forever.

“This is it. This is our chance. We find one
of the other two, Death or War—and we destroy it.” She punched into
her palm.

“Let’s go with War,” said Mr. Patterson.

He waddled over and disappeared behind his
counter.

“Death is the strongest of the four
knights.”

His voice sounded muffled, as he rummaged
through boxes.

“War is the lesser evil of the two. I
wouldn’t want to face Death, if I didn’t have to. We will go after
the one whom we stand a real chance to destroy. Together, we will
end War.”

“Together?” said Kara. “As in me and
you?”

Mr. Patterson looked up from behind his
counter. “Yes. Together.”

He wrinkled his face.

“Why are you looking at me like that? I can
fight. I’m a member of the legion, aren’t I? I might not be a
guardian per say, but I’m still a participant with skills. And I
have many talents that you’ve never seen. You need me, so I’m
coming with you.”

“I’m sure you have many talents.” Kara’s
voice was calm. “But the answer is
no
.”

She couldn’t risk harming the old oracle. If
anything were to happen to him, she would never forgive
herself.

Mr. Patterson raised a puffy white eyebrow.
“It’s not
your
decision to make.”

He moved back from the counter, and Kara
could see that his jacket and pant pockets were bulging with hidden
items that Kara suspected were crystal balls. An assortment of
daggers, chains, and one metal sword, hung from his leather belt.
And in his right hand, he held a wooden staff with a gleaming
crystal on top. The staff was taller than him, and he looked like a
modern-day wizard.

Kara frowned. “It doesn’t make a difference
how many weapons you have, you’re not coming.”

“But I am.” Mr. Patterson moved to her
side.

“Whether you want to admit it or not, you
need my help, Kara.”

He eyed the veins on her face and her
hands.

“I’m the only one who can help you if things
get worse. You’re changing, faster than I would have liked. I can
feel a coldness in you, like a cold fire.”

Kara lowered her eyes.

“And I can also feel that you are fighting
it. I can feel it right now. And that alone gives me reason to
hope. There is darkness there inside you, Kara, but there is also
light.”

His eyes sparkled.

“But not for long,” mumbled Kara.

She stared at the floor. She could feel a
tiny flame inside her, burning low. She had been fighting a
constant inner battle to keep the light from burning out. But she
didn’t know for how much longer she could keep it up. At first the
darkness had tried to sneak up and take control every hour or so.
Now it was almost every fifteen minutes.

“I don’t know how much time you have before
your transformation is complete. And I’d rather not think about it
now. But, if and when you turn, I’m the only one who can bring you
back. I can help you control the urges and pull you back to us. You
know it. I’m coming with you, whether you like it or not!”

Even though Kara knew the oracle was
probably right, she still felt a pang in her chest at the thought
of harm coming to him. But what other options did she have. None.
She was separated from the rest of the group, a fugitive from the
legion, and although she hated to admit it—she
needed
the
old man. She didn’t want to be alone.

“Fine,” she said finally, trying to hide the
gratitude she felt. “But stay behind me at all times, and don’t do
anything foolish.”

“Nonsense, when have I ever done anything
foolish
,” he said with a gleam in his eyes.

But then he became serious again.

“While I was waiting for you in my cupboard,
I used my
talents,
and I was able to pin point the knight’s
location.”

“Where?”

“Well, if I’m right, he’s in Mexico right
now. But I don’t know how long he’s going to stay there.”

Mexico. Kara didn’t know how long it would
take her to fly there. She couldn’t return to Horizon and use the
Vega tanks. It would take at least five hours, if not more, and
that’s if all went well. She wasn’t even sure that she could make
the trip without succumbing to the evil that threatened her at
every second.

Mr. Patterson shook his head, and Kara could
see that he was almost overcome with pain and sorrow.

“He started in Russia and then spread his
evil to the lower parts of Europe and Africa. The wars he’s created
will kill millions of poor souls. Their minds have been corrupted
by an evil they can’t control. They don’t know what they are doing.
They’re like puppets doing the devil’s work. In a day or two, there
may be nothing left. No souls to save and no world.”

He fell silent for a moment.

“Right now, we have more important matters.
The legion will go to war in a few hours.”

He lifted a hand as Kara started to
protest.

“And if we want to save them, we go
now.”

The oracle nodded and then said, “We must
take hold of the future, before the future takes hold of us.”

Kara made her way toward the front door and
then whirled around. “Wait. I can fly there, but how are
you
going to get to Mexico?”

The oracle grinned. “I thought you could
carry me?”

Kara’s mouth fell open. “What?”

“Well, I’m in a pickle, aren’t I?” said the
little man. “I cannot go back to Horizon, and all air
transportation has been grounded. So the only way I can get there
is if you take me with you. I’ve not very big, so I don’t’ think
I’ll be a burden to you at all.”

At first Kara thought the old man had gone
mad. But as she stood staring at his determined old face, she
realized that it wasn’t such a foolish request. He probably didn’t
weigh more than ninety pounds. He wouldn’t slow her down.

Mr. Patterson saw that she was considering
it.

“I could climb on your back. That way I
wouldn’t obstruct your flying in any way. I’m not very heavy, I
promise.”

Kara decided that she would do whatever it
took.

“Fine.” Kara smiled. “Just pray to the souls
no one we know
sees
us.”

Kara pulled open the front door.

Salthazar
and a mob
of higher demons stood in the middle of the street.

Chapter 14

“
I
thought I’d find
you here,” said the demon lord.

His too-white teeth sparkled in the dim
light as he stared at her with a mixture of awe and disbelief. “You
look fantastic!”

Kara stiffened. “Are you coming on to
me?”

She spat. “Sorry, but you’re not my
type.”

Salthazar laughed softly, his handsome face
too perfect to be human. “But I will be your
type
sooner
than you think, and then you’ll change your mind.”

“You’re delusional.” Kara didn’t know
whether to laugh or punch him in the face.
Who did this guy
think he was, anyway?
Even if he was disturbingly handsome, in
a demon lord kind of way, she belonged with David until the
end.

There must have been about a hundred demons
standing behind him, and she could sense their pent up ire and
aggression. Strangely enough, she felt rather proud that Salthazar
felt they needed so many reinforcements. It meant they were afraid
of her. She smiled wickedly.

“What do you want?” Kara saw Mr. Patterson
reach for his dagger.

Salthazar smiled. “Isn’t it obvious?”

He laughed softly again. “It’s
you
I’ve come for.”

“If this is a marriage proposal, it really
sucks.”

The demon lord didn’t lose his smile.

“You see, Kara, as much as I
like
you
and admire what you’ve become, I have to follow orders, just like
you. And I just cannot have you flying all over this mortal world
and ruining our plans.”

At last Kara was going to find out what game
the demons were playing. “Which is what, exactly?”

“You’re in the way. I can’t let you get
close to any of the knights, not again. You got too close the last
time, and I can’t allow you to hurt them, let alone destroy
them.”

Kara growled. “So I was right. You want to
stop
us from
killing
those monstrosities. You know
that if we kill one of them, your masters’ plan will fail, and they
will go back to their prison.”

Salthazar’s face slacked, but he didn’t
answer.

Kara glanced over to the oracle. He had been
right all along. The white oracle had seen it.

“Don’t answer,” said Kara as she turned her
attention back to the demon lord.

“But I know I’m right. Just the fact that
you showed up here with your army of grunts to stop me, like you
said, is all the proof I need.”

She smiled wickedly. “You know I could
destroy the knights, and that’s why you’re here. You’re afraid I
might win.”

“Never start a war that you cannot win,”
said the demon lord with a savagery that twisted his handsome
face.

Kara’s cold rage started to rise again, and
she pressed it down. “You lied to the legion. There never was a
treaty, was there? You played us.”

Salthazar’s black eyes gleamed. “I did. And
it was the easiest game of chess I’ve ever played. How could I say
no? I couldn’t. I’ll rule the Netherworld with an unlimited supply
of human souls? It was too good a deal to pass.”

“You’re scum.”

“The legion chose to ignore their basic
principles and sided with us. They fear the archfiends, and they
succumbed to that fear. It’s their loss now. And when they realize
their folly, when they realize that I deceived them—it’ll be too
late.”

“Not if I can help it.” Kara wanted to claw
his pretty face. Not now. Not yet.

“Well, it won’t matter in the end,”
continued Salthazar calmly. “Either way it won’t change the fact
that I just can’t let you out of my sight. You will never get near
the knights again.”

“Try and stop me.”

The demon lord sneered. “I will.”

Salthazar snapped his fingers.

The demons charged.

“Get behind me,” she growled at Mr.
Patterson as she shielded his body with hers.

She was ready for more bloodshed. She was
looking forward to it. Let them come. She didn’t have to tap into
her cool, dark power. It was already coursing through her body.

They came at her, blades swinging. She met
their weapons with her own blade, ducking and blocking faster and
with more skill than she ever thought possible, another gift from
the darkness, no doubt. But she didn’t have time to admire her
abilities. She needed to get herself and Mr. Patterson out before
things got more ugly and dangerous for the both of them.

She met their daggers and swords with
strength and agility, spinning and moving through the mass of
demons like a skilled dancer. She used her wings, now that she knew
she could, and sliced though their limbs and watched them fall like
broken branches. Steel flashed. Demons hissed and screamed. The air
was filled with the sounds of ringing metal and the shouts of dying
demons. She soared through them easily, relishing the savagery of
her darkness.

With one rapid movement, she hurled her
sword at a demon who had thrown his blade at her and missed. Black
blood seeped from his mouth and from the deep gouge in his neck
before he fell over like a dead tree. She pulled out her blade and
kicked away the body.

Another one came at her and knocked her
aside with a powerful blow to the head. Kara stumbled backward, but
she was up again in an instant. She flipped her dagger in her hand,
caught it by the tip of the blade, and flung it straight into the
creature’s eye. Before the demon even had time to crumple to the
ground, she pulled out her blade and jumped over its disintegrating
body.

She wondered if Salthazar was still
smiling.

Ten more demons came at her at once. Too
fast. Before she could react, she was slammed into a wall and pain
burst from her shoulder as her wings were crushed with a sickening
crack.

“Don’t kill her!”

She heard Salthazar’s voice over the rumble
of the battle.

“I need her
alive
and unscathed.”

Kara couldn’t fathom why the demon lord
didn’t just kill her. The thought that he was infatuated with her
was repulsive. Whatever his reason, it gave her an advantage. If
they didn’t want her destroyed, then this would be easier than she
thought.

Groaning, she glimpsed down. Three death
blades punctured her abdomen with wounds that would have committed
any normal angel to a miserable and agonizing true death. She was
surprised that she felt the pain, but
not
the burning poison
she had felt so many times before. She should be dying right about
now. So why was it not happening? Were their blades defective? Even
the pain wasn’t what it should be. It should have hurt a heck of a
lot more. It was almost like the death blades’ poison didn’t affect
her. Not anymore.