Free Elemental by Kim Richardson

silver marbles.
    Kara screwed up her face. “What the hell are those? I don’t think these can hurt a demon.” She put them back inside her jacked. She left her old clothes on a wooden bench and returned to the group.
    The friendly chatter from the Field Division was suddenly cut by a sudden urgent cry from a guardian. A male guardian in a navy uniform brushed past Kara and ran towards Cassiel.
    “A report’s coming in from section NA-212,” declared the angel. “It’s Catherine, sir. She’s spotted one of the new breeds!”
    Cassiel moved towards the middle of the great table. “Quickly—bring it up, Steven!” He leaned over, his hands pressed firmly on the table.
    Steven had long blond hair pulled back in a low pony tail, a thick neck and square jaw. His fingers raced on a keyboard at the edge of the table. Kara thought he looked like a young gladiator. With a zap , a hologram of a woman, scaled down to about two feet, sprouted from a hole in the middle of the desk. Light spilled from the hole and surrounded the hologram, like a semitransparent cylinder. Kara took a step forward. She realized the woman looked terrified.
    “S—s—sir,” said a scratchy voice, as though it was coming from an old radio box. “We’re under a—attack. The new breed killed…” The voice was breaking up—and suddenly lost. Catherine’s mouth moved but no sound came out.
    “Catherine!” yelled Cassiel. “Catherine, we’re losing you!”
    The hologram lost its brilliance for a moment, as a wave passed through it, and then came back, bringing along Catherine’s voice.
    “—all dead—couldn’t fight them—” said Catherine, her face horrified. Brilliant light spilled out of her many wounds. “—too powerful—” She swung her head around behind her is if she had heard something. She drew her sword. But she wasn’t fast enough.
    Catherine’s body was propelled backwards with frightening force. Kara heard a horrible scream. Then nothing.
    The hologram quivered and disappeared.
     

Chapter 7
    Saving Catherine
     
     
     
     
     
    SILENCE SPREAD ALONG THE GREAT TABLE. No one moved until Cassiel finally spoke.
    “I want three teams to go after Catherine,” his voice shook. “Jenny. Peter. Amit. Take your partners and go! Now! Pick up your weapons on the way—and be careful. Just retrieve her. I don’t want any more losses.”
    “But sir—I don’t think she made it,” said the guardians who had given Kara a nasty look before. “You’re risking more lives.”
    Cassiel’s shoulders tensed. His face darkened, and he pulled himself straight. “We’re not leaving any angel behind!” His handsome face grimaced, and Kara took an involuntary step back. “Would you like to be left behind—Samuel?”
    Samuel lowered his eyes. “No sir. I was just—”
    “Right then.” Cassiel turned his head and looked at each guardian. “Demons—” he slammed his fist on the table, “—we kill them!”
    “Here here!” cried the guardians around the table. Cassiel grinned, and Kara felt as if she were watching a football coach prepping up his team before a game.
    “Okay! Let’s get moving people! Let’s get Catherine and bring her home!”
    The Field Division all jumped to their feet and scattered away like rats. Kara fidgeted on the spot as she watched them go. She wondered if any would make it back. A new breed demon had nearly finished her off. She hoped their special talents would save them.
    “Kara.”
    Kara flinched and looked up at a smiling Jenny.
    “You’re with me, girl. You’re my new partner.”
    “All right, partner.” Kara offered a faint smile. She was happy to be paired with Jenny. She liked her, and she believed Jenny liked her, too. Her mind wandered for a moment. She remembered the first time she was paired with David, and how they had escaped the shadow demons by plunging into an old woman’s dirty toilet. She found herself wondering if David was still upset that he was overlooked for a