Free Horizon, Soul Guardians Book 3 by Kim Richardson

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