Seals (4 page)

“So what are they, these creatures? The ones
we shouldn’t name?” she asked and reluctantly moved her eyes away
from David, feeling his eyes still on her.

Mr. Patterson lowered his voice again. “The
four knights
of the apocalypse.”

The tingling rolled up Kara’s back and
spread to her fingers.

“Why do I get the feeling this is really,
really bad.” Peter stared at a spot on his right arm where the imps
had dug out the key to unlock their master’s prison. He looked
frightened, and Kara felt sorry for him.

“Because it probably is.” David stood with
his hands in his pockets. His eyes looked wild.

“Expect the worse, man, and you won’t be
disappointed. Trust me. It’s been working for me lately.” He
glanced at Kara, and she felt a stabbing pain in her chest.

Mr. Patterson coughed lightly and waited to
get everyone’s attention before continuing.

“When the archfiends broke out of their
prison, it began a series of events that will ultimately culminate
in war—war of the worlds. The darkness will bring the four…”

He paused and added with a whisper,
“
Knights
of the apocalypse.”

Kara flinched. The tingling inside her
worsened.

“Each knight possesses unique abilities that
correspond to their apocalyptic roles.”

Kara’s tingling started to burn inside her.
Something was definitely wrong, but she kept a straight face.

“The first one is War,” explained Mr.
Patterson. “This knight can alter human perception and make people
see enemies when there are none. It creates hatred and mistrust and
ultimately creates wars between nations. The second knight is
Famine. This creature begins by destroying all the earth’s natural
resources, then it will turn on mortals themselves and drive their
hungers and addictions for the food and resources it has destroyed.
The third knight is Pestilence. This horrible wraith creates and
manipulates deadly human diseases until the entire world is plagued
with sickness.”

Kara swayed slightly and braced herself
against her increasing pain.

Mr. Patterson paused, as though he were
gathering up the courage to continue.

“The last and most deadly of all the knights
is the one called
Death—
”

Kara cried out in agony.

She doubled over and clasped her chest as
searing, white-hot pain coursed through her insides.

Chapter
3

K
ara could feel the
black veins like tiny, sharp knives inside her. They twisted and
sliced as they made their way up her legs and surrounded her torso.
She convulsed as another tidal wave of pain rolled inside her. She
screamed a silent scream, aware that everyone was watching her turn
into a monster.

Her embarrassment and desperation to make
whatever was happening to her stop seemed to force the pain to
subside, but she knew it wouldn’t last for very long.

“Kara? What is it?”

Kara blinked the spots away from her eyes.
David was right beside her, and she felt his hands holding her up.
She wanted to smile, but she couldn’t feel her face.

“Come, come over here and sit down.” He
cradled her, careful not to pull on her wings as he balanced her
weight. Not that she had the strength to refuse. Her delight at his
sudden change of heart made the pain worth it. At least now he was
speaking to her.

He led her to a small wooden chair that
hadn’t been destroyed by the imps and sat her down. Her wings hung
heavily over the sides of the chair like thick drapes. They were
more of a burden than she cared to admit. David clasped her gloved
hand in his and knelt beside her.

“Kara. What the heck is happening to you?
What was that?”

Kara still held her stomach with her left
arm.

“Cramps from the wings,” she lied as she
waited for the tremors of pain to lessen.

“I think I’ve been overdoing it with my
hours of flying practice. I stayed up there for too long, and I’ve
over exerted myself. I’m still trying to get used to these new
wings. I’ll be fine in a minute. It’s really not that big a
deal.”

David didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t
press her.

He continued to hold her hand and said, “I’m
sorry for being such an idiot before. I haven’t been myself
lately.”

“I know,” said Kara. Her eyes searched into
his, and she gave him the tiniest of smiles.

And from the way his look softened, she knew
that it was all she’d ever needed to say. It was a silent apology
that they both offered and accepted.

Mr. Patterson frowned. “Are you sure you’re
feeling all right? You gave us all quite a fright.”

He leaned forward. “You say that your wings
caused this outburst?”

Kara sank back into the chair, her face
neutral as the old man inspected her. “It’s really no big deal,
just cramps from over doing it with my wings. I’m fine, really.
It’s passed.”

“Well, it didn’t
look
fine,” said Mr.
Patterson. “You looked like you were in a great deal of pain, as
though
something
was hurting you.”

He watched her for a moment. “Is there
something you want to tell me?”

Kara hated how Mr. Patterson always seemed
to be able to read her mind. Maybe oracles had mind reading powers.
Did he know about the veins? Did all her friends know how much she
was still changing.

Their terrified looks showed that they were
all thinking the same thing.
How long until she changes
completely?
How long until she becomes an angel-killing
monster.

She looked at her friends. “I’m sorry I made
everyone jump. It’s nothing. I promise.”

Desperate to change the subject and to keep
David next to her she asked, “So, tell us about the last knight…the
one you called
Death
. Why is he the worst of the four?”

“Death,” repeated Mr. Patterson, “has
control over all life: animal, human, angel, and even death
itself.”

An icy shiver rippled through Kara’s body.
She did not want to come face to face with this knight. But
something inside her told her otherwise. Somehow she knew she would
have
to face this demon, just like she would have to come to
terms with her own.

Mr. Patterson flicked a spec of lint off his
crystal ball.

“Now, listen carefully, all of you. We kept
the archfiends confined with additional layers of protection. Four
seals were created. These seals derive their strength from this
mortal world and protect against the archfiends’ power. They are
not physical things like this crystal here. Think of them as
invisible bonds or locks that can only be broken if the mortal
world from which the seals draw their power is destroyed. The
energy of life itself and everything mortal that is bound to this
earth is what keeps the seals strong. Destroy the earth, and the
seals are broken.”

He paused for a moment and then continued,
“Over the years, we’ve heard rumors that the archfiends had figured
out a way to break the seals. We dismissed these rumors. But we
were wrong.”

The old man was silent for a moment, his
eyes cold and hard. “Even in their confinement, the archfiends were
still more powerful than we believed. Over time they created the
knights to be their champions. The knights are the keys that will
enable the archfiends to escape their confinement.”

“So what’s the link between these knights
and the seals?” asked Kara.

Mr. Patterson fixed her with a stare. “We
believe the knights were somehow created from the seals themselves,
or they possess some essence derived from the seals. In any case it
appears that they can
break
the seals. Four knights for four
seals, and as each knight completes his carnage upon the mortal
world, the seals will break and the locks on the archfiend prisons
will fail.”

Kara shifted in her seat. “But I thought the
archfiends were already
out
of their dungeon.”

“They are, yes,” said Mr. Patterson. “But in
order for the archfiends to
remain
here indefinitely and to
rule the worlds, the four knights must
break
their seals to
destroy the prison. When the last seal is broken, lightning,
earthquakes, hail, fire, mass extinction, poisoned waters, and
monsters will plague the earth. The real carnage, the real
apocalypse starts only when the four knights have broken the four
seals.”

“Perfect,” said David. “Just what we need. I
think I’d like to take my two weeks of vacation time now. I hear
the beaches in Jamaica are to die for.”

Mr. Patterson scowled at David. His fingers
twitched around his crystal, and for a moment Kara thought he was
about to smack David in the head with it.

“Does the legion know about this?” Peter
stepped forward. Ever since he and Jenny had come back from the
Healing-Xpress, Peter had looked and acted differently. He seemed
older somehow, and there was a darkness in his eyes that wasn’t
there before. Kara could see new determination in him. He wanted
payback for what had happened to him. It was both exciting and
scary at the same time, like a loose cannon.

Mr. Patterson raised his brows. “They
do.”

“So what are they going to do about it?”
said Peter with resentment in his voice, as though he blamed the
legion for everything that had happened.

Mr. Patterson looked drained.

“The legion doesn’t think the knights pose
as big a threat as the archfiends. In fact, they are all
connected.”

He sighed.

“As we speak, the legion is forming combat
strategies with demons from the Netherworld. They believe they’ll
have the upper hand in strength, with the help of the demons. And
they will strike the archfiends soon.”

Kara surveyed the old man’s face. “But you
don’t
think that’s a good idea.”

She knew him well enough to know when he was
in silent disagreement, which was the case with her most of the
time when she had worked for him at the bookstore.

The old man looked at her. His frown
deepened and a great wave of sadness rolled over his face.

“I don’t. I believe going after the
archfiends will deliver a devastating blow upon us. The archfiends
are too powerful. Even now, when they are not at their fullest
strength, they are the most powerful creatures in all the worlds.
They are an unstoppable, destructive force. The legion
underestimates their power.”

“I think…” he paused and shook his head.
“No, I
know
the archfiends will be expecting our attack.
They will slaughter us.”

“Then you have to warn them,” cried Jenny
suddenly. “Ariel is going out there. Our friends will
die
.”

She raised her voice even more. “You must
tell her!”

“I have,” said Mr. Patterson somberly. “We
have, the oracles
and
the oracle mothers have told them many
times. But the legion chose
not
to listen.”

“So that’s it?” Ashley shook her head and
shrugged. “We just sit here and wait for the end of the world? We
can’t just do nothing. There’s got to be another way.”

Kara watched Mr. Patterson. “There’s
something else, isn’t there? You’ve found out something, something
that can help us. Tell us what it is. If there’s a way to stop
this, I want to know, and I don’t care how crazy it sounds.”

“Get ready for crazy,” said David.

Mr. Patterson was silent for a moment, as
though he was debating whether to let them in on his secret. Kara
saw the smallest trace of a spark in his eyes.

“But all is not lost.”

“You’re speaking in riddles again, old man.”
David finally let go of Kara’s hand and stood up. “If you’ve got
something to say…if you have a plan in that big head of yours, by
all means…we’re listening.”

Despite the seriousness of their
end-of-the-world conversation, Mr. Patterson smiled. “I believe I
have.”

He looked at Kara and her friends for a
moment and then added with more conviction, “I believe we
still
have a chance to win, to come out victorious…to save
the worlds.”

“Which is?” David crossed his arms over his
chest, unconvinced, and glanced at Peter. But Peter looked hopeful
and moved a little closer to hear the old man’s plan.

Mr. Patterson patted a round bundle inside
his jacket pocket.

“I’ve spoken to the oracles and the oracle
mothers, and we’ve come up with a plan. We cannot destroy what is
indestructible, but we can find a way to
confine
it.”

Another wave of pain surged through Kara,
and she fought hard keep her voice steady. “You mean to put them
back into their cage?”

“Exactly.”

“But…” Kara grimaced. The pain was like hot
wax being poured on her wings. But then it subsided a little, and
she was glad that the others had mistakenly read her scowl as
intense determination instead of pain.

“The archfiends aren’t stupid. I doubt
they’re re going to fall again for whatever
trick
the legion
used to lock them up in the first place.”

“Exactly,” said Mr. Patterson again.

His face brightened. “Which is why it’s
brilliant and why it’s
going
to work. They won’t be
expecting
us to try it again.”

The five guardians all stared at the little
man in stunned silence.

Mr. Patterson’s eyes narrowed as he surveyed
them all again. He looked a little offended that they didn’t think
his plan was a brilliant one.

David forced a laugh. “Told you it’d be
crazy—no, it’s insane. We can’t succeed when the archfiends have
seen the plan before.”

“Not necessarily.” Kara studied the oracle.
“You must have something up your sleeve to go with your
brilliant
plan. Well?”

Mr. Patterson spoke feverishly. “To stop the
apocalypse, we must stop the archfiends, and to do that…we must
seal
them back in their prison.”