Kim Richardson - Soul Guardians 3-Book Collection: Marked; Elemental; Horizon

W ait for me! Kara jogged along Saint Paul Street. She pressed her cell phone against her ear with a sweaty hand. Ill be there in two minutes!

With her heart thumping against her chest, her black ballet flats tapped the cobblestones as she avoided oncoming traffic. Her portfolio swung at her side. She jumped onto the sidewalk and ran through the crowd.

I cant believe youre not here yet, said the voice on the line. You had to pick today of all days to be late.

Okay, okay. Im already freaking out about the presentation. Youre not exactly helping, Mat.

A laugh came through the speaker. Im just saying this is supposed to be the most important day of your life. And you, Mademoiselle Nightingale, are late.

Yeah, I heard you the first timeMother. Its not my fault. My stupid alarm didnt go off! Kara dashed along the busy street, her long brown hair bouncing against her back. The smell of grease and beer from the pubs reached her nose and her heart hammered in her chest like a jackhammer. She knew if she missed the presentation, her hopes of landing a scholarship were over. She didnt have any money for college, so this was her only shot.

Over the heads of the crowd, Kara could just make out the sign, Une Galerie. Stenciled elegantly in bold black letters, the name hovered above the art gallerys majestic glass doors. She could see shadows of people gathered inside. Her chest tightened. She was only a block away now.

You know, the presentation wont wait for you

Yes, yes, I know, its not like I planned this. Now Im going to do my presentation out of breath and disgustingly sweaty. Not exactly the kind of first impression I wanted to make, Kara growled into the phone, trying to catch her breath.

For a horrible moment, she thought she wasnt going to make it on time and considered getting off the sidewalk to run along the edge of the street instead. She looked back to see how bad the traffic was.

Then her heart skipped a beat.

Less than half a block behind, a man stood motionless and indifferent to the wave of humanity that flowed around him. He was staring at her. His white hair stood out against his dark gray tailored suit. Kara frowned.

His eyes are black, she realized.

A chill rolled up her spine. The man melted into the crowd and vanished, as though he were a mere trick of the light. The hair on the back of Karas neck prickled as a sense of foreboding and the urge to scream filled her. Who was this man? And why was he looking at her?

I think Im being followed, Kara spoke into her cell phone after a few seconds. Her mouth was dry as a feeling of dread welled up inside her.

You always think youre being followed.

No. Im serious. I swearthis guy is following mesome psycho with white hair. II think Ive seen him before. Or at least my mother has

We all know your mother is a little nutty sometimes. No offense, I love your mom, but shes been seeing and talking to invisible people since we were five. I think its rubbing off on you.

Listen. I was with my mom yesterday on Saint Catherine Street, and she said we were being followed by someone. What if this is the same guy? Maybe shes not as crazy as everyone thinks. Kara wondered if there was a little truth in her mothers visions. She loved her mother very much, and she hated herself at times for thinking her mom belonged in a loony bin.

Mat laughed. Are you serious? Its bad enough that your mom sees spirits and demons. If you start believing in all that, theyll lock you up.

Thanks for the vote of confidence. Remind me why youre my best friend again? Kara decided to drop the subject. After all, the strange man was gone and her fear of him was melting away with every step, replaced by nerves and restlessness for her presentation. She focused on the gallery sign as she ran. OkayI can see you now.

Mat was leaning against the gallerys brick exterior. His head was turned toward the glass doors. He pulled his cigarette from his lips and blew smoke into his phones receiver. I think its starting. Hurry up!

Kara felt her cheeks burn. Her heart pounded in her ears and muffled the sounds around her. She took a deep breath, hoping it would calm the fluttering in her stomach, and she sprinted onto Saint Laurence Boulevard. Her cell phone slipped out of her hand and hit the pavement.

Crap! Kara crouched down to grab her phone. Stupid phone

A flicker of movement appeared in the corner of her eye.

WATCH OUT! Someone shouted. She stood up and turned around.

A city bus hurtled towards her. She stared, transfixed. The bus kept coming.

An arm reached out to her. She saw a split-second image of two monstrous headlights.

And then it hit.

Thirteen tons of cold metal crushed her body. She didnt feel any pain. She didnt feel anything at all.

Everything around her went black.

A moment later, Kara was standing in an elevator.

At first, streaks of white light obscured her vision. She blinked and rubbed her eyes. The elevator was elegantthree sides appeared to be made of handcrafted cherry panels decorated with golden-wing crests. The smell of mothballs lingered in the air, like her grandmas dusty old closet. When her eyesight improved, she realized that she wasnt alone.

On a wooden chair facing the elevators control panel, covered in black fur, and wearing a pair of green Bermuda shorts from which protruded two hand-like callused feet, sat a monkey.

It spun on its seat, wrapped its feet around the backrest of the chair, opened its coconut-shaped mouth, and said in a very business-like manner, Hello, Miss.

Karas jaw dropped, and she swallowed the urge to cry out. She stared at the beast, terror rising inside her. The creatures words rang against her ears, foreign and impossible. The elevator seemed to spin about her. There was nowhere to run; she was trapped in a wooden box.

His hairless face crinkled into a grin so that he looked like an oversized walnut. His square head sat directly on powerful shoulders. He raised his chin and looked down upon Kara. His yellow eyes mesmerized her; and although she tried, she couldnt look away.

A cascade of emotions ran through her: fear, revulsion, and anger. Confused, she couldnt make sense of it all. The monkey had in fact spoken to her like it was the most natural thing in the world, and now it was watching her as though she was the one that was unnatural.

Karas nails dug into the soft flesh of her palms, and after a minute she was able to force some words out of her mouth.