The Hand of Kali Box Set Vol 2 Read online

  Maya smiled, relieved he understood. "It's exactly what I was trying to say. Of course, I wouldn't expect them to remain on earth forever.”

  Claudia sighed and sat back. "Thank goodness. For a moment there I thought you were going off your head." Maya wasn't sure what to say to that so she said nothing. Claudia inhaled. "I've been a bit worried about you, Maya."

  "Worried?" asked Maya, frowning.

  Claudia nodded. "Yes. You displayed an amazing amount of carelessness in the Waterfront case. Your rash behavior has a few people shaking their heads. It also has people more concerned than ever."

  "More concerned about what?

  "People are beginning to wonder how safe you are. You behaving rashly, without thinking, and acting even in spite of advice to the contrary."

  Maya was stunned at Claudia's sudden attack. She could hear the hardness in her aunt's tone, and she felt the corresponding hurt bloom within her.

  "But I've explained that my actions were not rash. I'm fully capable of healing myself. I knew what I was doing when I left the house. And if I hadn't been there we wouldn't have found both undead."

  Maya was repeating herself, but she said it anyway. As she fell silent, she glanced at her parent's faces. The expressions were confused. As if Claudia had not discussed this with them first. What was Claudia up to?

  Even Sabala seemed concerned as he placed his head on Maya’s lap and stared across at Claudia. Nik, though, was oddly silent and Maya refused to turn and look at him. What if he too was critical of her decision? This whole thing was getting way out of hand.

  Claudia huffed, giving the dog a dark look. "You always have an explanation for everything, don't you?" She shifted forward on her chair and glared at Maya. "Just for your information, there are consequences for your actions."

  She didn't have to point at her useless legs. Maya's eyes fell on them of their own accord. She was dealing with her guilt about what had happened to Claudia. And it seemed Claudia was dealing with her anger at Maya.

  Months had gone by where Claudia had smiled and pretended everything was all right. That she was adjusting to her new life based at headquarters and coordinating a team from a distance. Claudia seemed to be quite good at it. Yet clearly she had been harboring this rage.

  "I know there are consequences," Maya said softly, staring at Claudia's legs.

  When she glanced up at Claudia's face, she knew her aunt had seen the focus of her gaze. And from her expression Maya got the impression she wanted her to feel guilty.

  Mission accomplished.

  "I'm sorry. And I don't think I will ever stop being sorry for what happened to you."

  Claudia shook her head, her eyes dark. "This is nothing to do with me."

  Although words said one thing, her eyes and her expressions said something else. Maya knew, and accepted, that Claudia wasn't ready to admit she was angry with her. She was ready to take out her anger on Maya in an indirect way, though.

  Maya wasn't sure how to handle that.

  She sat back as Claudia said, "It has to do with how you function as part of the team. No matter who you are, no matter what powers you have, you have to be part of that cohesive unit. Which means working together. That is what concerns us. From past experience we’ve seen you tend to have a reactionary method, which means you don't wait for a plan to be created. You just let your gut tell you what to do, and you go out and do it."

  Claudia was right, but being put on the spot also put Maya on the defensive. Maya shook her head. "You know as well as I do that that's not the case."

  Claudia lifted a hand, the movement silencing Maya in an instant. "This is not up for discussion, Maya. Consider yourself warned. There are many people within the organization who are concerned there may be more consequences in the future for the agents who work with you."

  Maya jostled Sabala as she got to her feet. She didn't bother looking at her parents or Nik for their support. "If you're so worried about the team, then why don't you just let me work on my own?"

  Claudia shook her head. "Because that's not how we work. That may be how you want to work. But at KALIMA that's not how we run our agency. You need to rethink your position if that's what you want.”

  Maya tried to control the anger growing within her. What was it Claudia was trying to do? To Maya it felt as if she was trying to push her out of the agency.

  Why would Claudia want to do that?

  "What's going on? Why are you doing this? The powers Kali has given me only ever helped us. Why would you prefer the agency not have the benefit of Kali's powers?"

  "Just because you have the power, doesn't mean you are any better than us at our jobs."

  "Claudia," said Dev, frowning as he stared at her. "What's going on? Where's this coming from?"

  Claudia tilted her head, lifting her chin as she stared at him, an iciness in her eyes that had never been there before. "Sorry to have to tell you this, but your position has also been compromised."

  "Compromised how?" Dev said, his eyes tightening with anger.

  Maya had never seen such an expression on his face when speaking to Claudia. If anything they'd all had an immense love and respect for her. Maya wanted to cry as the realization hit her that their relationship with Claudia may just be over.

  Claudia grabbed hold of the wheels of her wheelchair and pushed it forward so she came abreast of the desk, her sudden movement sending Sabala straight to his feet and on guard. Maya patted him on his head and he sank back onto his haunches although his attention didn’t move from her aunt.

  She allowed herself to look over at Nik. Bet Nik hadn’t known what he was in for when he dropped by to report his findings. His expression was dark and he looked confused and frustrated. So he too was wondering what was wrong with Claudia.

  Claudia remained oblivious of the hellhound’s concern. “This has been discussed in your absence because we know you'll be biased. With Maya being your daughter, you're immediately prejudiced in this argument."

  "What argument?" asked Leela, the hurt in her eyes clear as she studied her friend's face.

  "The one in which Maya is a danger to us all."

  Chapter 20

  CLAUDIA SHIFTED HER gaze, staring at her friend now, defiance in her eyes.

  "Maya is a danger to us?" said Leela, her tone hardening as her eyes narrowed. Maya could see she was priming for a fight.

  Claudia nodded, seemingly oblivious to the danger. It wasn't a secret that Leela now possessed powers, powers given to her from the mother goddess Bhumi. Maybe not as powerful as the ones Maya received from Kali, but Leela was not incapable of killing Claudia.

  Maybe Claudia didn't notice.

  Probably for the best.

  Maya glanced at her mom, raising her eyebrows in an attempt to get her to calm down. But it seemed Leela couldn't be swayed. She turned her attention back to Claudia, waiting for her response.

  "Isn't it obvious she is a danger? Everything she's done these last few weeks shows she's dangerous. And I'm not even talking about what happened to me."

  "You can't talk about what happened to you. Because you and I both know that those were choices Maya had to make to save Stefan's life. At the time, you said you would have done the same thing. To be quite honest, if I'd been in Maya's position, I would have as well. It wasn't a decision made because Maya had powers. It was a decision made with the life of a person in mind."

  Claudia shook her head. "This is not about me. I stand by what I said at the time. I probably would have done the same thing myself."

  Claudia was saying the words, but Maya could see they were a lie. A glance at Leela confirmed she too knew her friend was lying. It was a lot for Maya to accept.

  She wanted to burst into tears. She was watching the death off her mom's friendship with Claudia. The death of the sisterhood that had lasted more than two decades. She could tell how deeply hurt her mother was, and there was nothing Maya could do about it.

  Leela cleared her throat and Sabala
shifted his gaze to watch Maya’s mom. The hellhound knew exactly what was going on and somehow that comforted Maya. "So what is it you're trying to say?" asked Leela.

  "The board has decided that future cases where Maya is involved, will not include either you or Dev. Personal relationships are to be kept separate from work. Teams will no longer be made up of people related to each other, or in a relationship with each other."

  Maya sank into her seat. "Mom and Dad won't be able to work with each other any longer?" She’d noticed Claudia hadn’t mentioned Joss’s name and Maya wasn’t about to bring her attention to her friend.

  Claudia shifted her gaze to Maya. "Exactly. In the past, your parents have worked together extremely well. They’ve been responsible and adhered to the rules of the agency both for their own personal safety and the company as a whole. Now that you are included, some decisions could be made with more consideration to you as a daughter than as an agent. We have to consider the emotional impact family relationships will have within each core unit. Emotions can put the entire team in danger. If you had obeyed the rules, worked in harmony with others, this wouldn't have become an issue for consideration. And unfortunately, despite your parent’s previous work history, we can’t give your parents special dispensation to work together.”

  Maya got to her feet and began to pace. Then she stopped and turned, staring at Claudia. "How can you do this? You know what you're doing, right? Are you so angry with me that you're happy to take your anger out on my family, on your family."

  Claudia laughed. "I'm not taking my anger out on my family. I am only doing my job."

  Maya snorted. "Keep telling yourself that. You’re doing it because you cannot be out in the field with your team. You're so angry about the loss of your ability to walk and everything else that comes with it that you want to take it out on others. Let me tell you something, you can do whatever you like, you can split us up, you can split our family apart. Not gonna make any difference. I'll still do my job to the best of my ability and so will Mom and dad."

  Claudia smiled slowly. "That's good to know. I'm sure the board will be happy you're in agreement with their decision."

  Dev got to his feet. "Make no mistake. We are not in agreement. And if you think this ends here, you're mistaken."

  Claudia rotated the wheelchair with a slight flick of her hands and faced Dev, her neck stiff. "Don't operate under the assumption that you have any kind of power within the organization. Your power died when your daughter began to ride roughshod over our rules."

  "So are you going to throw Mother Kali's powers back in her face?"

  Claudia shrugged. "Mother Kali gave the power to Maya. What Maya does with it is up to her. And if she does the wrong thing, then I'm not sure who is more to blame, Maya herself, or the goddess who decided to give her that power in the first place."

  There was a deep bitterness in her words that made Maya shiver. Claudia was actually angry that the goddess had given Maya power. Instead of her?

  No, that couldn't be right.

  Kali's powers had been granted to Maya through reincarnation. Perhaps she was just envious of Maya's success rate.

  But something else worried Maya. "Is my position within the agency in question?" asked Maya softly.

  Claudia was shaking her head now, her expression saying something else entirely. "Of course not. We would never say such a thing. We'd just like to stress that you use your powers more wisely."

  Maya was finally beginning to understand what she meant. "No, what you're trying to say is KALIMA wants control over my powers and how I use them."

  The smile Maya got from Claudia was enough to confirm her gut had been right. "You don't have to make it sound so bad. We merely want to ensure you don't abuse your powers." Sabala’s head shifted beneath Maya’s fingers as he got to his feet. Clearly he didn’t like what Claude was saying. Maya patted his shoulder and hoped he wouldn’t go for Claudia’s throat.

  "How have I ever abused my powers?"

  Claudia shrugged. "We're not saying you have. Yet. Consider it future-proofing."

  "That's what I have him here for," said Maya sticking a thumb in Nik's direction. "If KALIMA doesn't want me any longer, who am I to say they're wrong? I still have Nik, and the gods, to support me."

  "Look Maya, I'm not saying we want you out. We'd just prefer you don't abuse your position."

  Maya shook her head. "I don't think that's what you mean.” Maya turned on her heel and headed for the door. She paused and looked over her shoulder at Claudia. "I'm sorry you feel this way. And I'm sorry you had to go to this extent to get back at me. You didn't need to. You could have gone on with your life, with your friends supporting you. Maybe you should rethink what you're doing. We all love you. We still love you. And we know you're hurting. But that doesn't mean you should hurt everyone else around you."

  Claudia snorted and straightened, tempering a flicker of fear. The same expression she’d seen on Claudia’s face earlier today. What was going on with her? As she stiffened her spine, Maya could see she was stiffening her resolve too.

  Had Maya's words weakened Claudia's hold on her hurt and anger? Maya hoped so. Hoped more than anything that her aunt had heard her.

  But when Claudia spun the wheelchair around and rolled it toward the door, Maya's heart fell. Claudia paused and the wheelchair came to a stop as she looked at Dev and Leela over her shoulder. They were both still sitting behind the desk looking stunned and hurt.

  "The board will be in touch regarding your next cases and how they will be handled. Please don't take any of this personally. It's for everyone's good. Emotional involvement is dangerous. All we're trying to do is to ensure every team works as a cohesive unit."

  With that, she turned and rolled toward Maya who stepped aside just in time as Claudia didn't even pause as she rolled through the door.

  Claudia looked up at her, giving her a cool smile. "I suggest you take what I've said under advisement. And don't go doing anything rash. Your actions have consequences, even if you don't care about them."

  "What consequences?" Maya had to strain to ensure she didn't glance at her parents because she was beginning to suspect what Claudia was implying.

  Claudia merely smiled. "Don't jeopardize the positions of your loved ones by doing anything stupid. You're a valuable asset. Remember that."

  Then Claudia was rolling down the corridor. But Maya was no longer paying her any attention. She was staring at her parents.

  "Tell me you didn't understand that the way I did?" she asked, almost begging.

  Dev sat slowly in his chair. "I'm sorry. But I think I understood that exactly as she'd meant it.”

  Maya returned to her seat, giving Nik a glance to apologize for the family drama. But he didn't seem bothered by it. In fact, he returned to staring at the empty doorway with a strange, almost thoughtful, look on his face.

  “Maybe she’s only acting on orders?” offered Maya.

  Dev shook his head. “I just can’t see Edward McCullough doing such a thing to us without consultation, or at least some forewarning.”

  Maya snorted. “Considering Claudia is family and she managed to spring it on us, I wouldn’t have any problem believing McCullough is behind it.”

  Dev sat back, his eyes dark. “It’s all just speculation until we know more.”

  The silence in the room burgeoned, filled only by the sound of Sabala’s soft breathing.

  "So what do we do now?" asked Maya.

  Leela sighed and rounded the table to sit beside Maya. Maya suspected her mom's legs refused to support her. And she understood how she felt. "I'm so sorry, Mom."

  Leela waved her off. "You have nothing to be sorry for,"

  "But I caused this. If I'd only saved Claudia instead of Stefan, this wouldn't be happening."

  "Look Maya, everything we do has consequences."

  "And everything we don't do also has consequences," Maya mumbled.

  "If this was meant to happen, it would h
ave, no matter what your choice had been."

  "You're saying that had I not changed the past and saved Stefan, then this might still be happening, because the board would have seen that as irresponsible too?"

  Dev nodded. "Exactly. So, no point in looking back. Or even in questioning Claudia's motives. We need to figure out our next step."

  "Which is?"

  "You leaving KALIMA."

  Sabala huffed and Maya would have shushed him if she wasn’t so shocked. “What?" Maya was aghast. "No. I can't do that. Didn't you just hear what Claudia said?"

  Leela laughed. "Empty threat, Maya. And even if they throw us out of KALIMA we have enough backers and contacts to keep doing what we're doing without worrying about the board."

  "But what about income? You guys can't live on love and air."

  Nik shifted. "You don't have to worry about that. You can work on behalf of my father. We have a huge network of people working for us across the globe, and plenty of work to keep you all busy. You can still do Kali's work, but with our support."

  "And if KALIMA decides to retaliate when they don't have their asset any longer?"

  Nik shrugged. "Guess they'll just have to deal?"

  Maya sat back and folded her arms. "This is going to be fun."

  Chapter 21

  MAYA GOT TO her feet, and met her mom's eyes. "Joss?"

  "She had some errands to run."

  Maya rolled her eyes. "Probably means she had to check on the house for her parents."

  Leela shook her head. "They are her parents, Maya. There isn't anything we can do about it except take good care of her."

  Maya grunted. "It doesn't look like we will be able to take care of her especially considering the danger we're in right now."

  Dev smiled, but the expression seemed strained. "Afraid I have to agree with you there. Joss will have to think long and hard before she agrees to continue with us. Of course, she does have a choice."