The Hand of Kali Box Set Vol 2 Read online

  Her head was beginning to hurt, all the thoughts convoluted, the haunting echo of drums in a distant part of her mind. A cool wet nose pressed against the palm of her hand and Maya blinked the haze away, never more grateful for Sabala than at that moment.

  Unaware of Maya’s distress, Dev turned to leave. The girls and the dog followed him out of the room. Her dad paused only long enough to give them instructions to return home and to assure Maya that they still needed to talk. Then he headed to the elevator, mumbling something about fingerprint analysis.

  Maya wasn’t too worried. She’d done what she’d done for the right reasons. They just needed to see it for themselves, and Maya was pretty sure they soon would. She’d done the right thing. Surely they won’t be blind to it?

  Of course, Claudia may well be another story altogether. Maya didn’t want to think about her aunt’s anger, or the strange emotions she’d seen on her face.

  She refocused on her dad and was relieved he was doing as she asked. For a moment there she'd thought he was going to say no. The trio headed for the car, Maya driving them home in a comfortable silence with Sabala sitting quietly on the back seat.

  At last, Joss broke the silence as she cleared her throat. “So what do you think Nik would think of this whole debacle?”

  Maya glanced at her briefly before turning her attention to the asphalt. She shrugged. “He shouldn’t be against it. He has a whole army of demons at his beck and call. Surely he understands that if demons are sentient then undead could be too?”

  Joss was silent, giving Maya an uncertain glance.

  Maya sighed. “Even if he doesn’t agree with my actions, he should be able to tell us if sentience if even possible in the undead.”

  Joss still looking uncertain. Then she cleared her throat. "Have you heard anything from Ria?"

  Maya nodded. "Mom said she's settled. Her surgery has been completed."

  "When do we get to see her?" asked Joss eagerly.

  Maya shrugged. "Mom says she needs to come to terms with her new self. If she wants to have a life in which she interacts with us again, her new persona has to be foolproof."

  Joss made a face.

  Maya understood exactly how she felt. It had been so hard for them to see Ria leave. Their friend had been in a dangerous situation. Her fiancé, like Leela's first spouse, had beaten her within an inch of her life. Fortunately Ria had confessed to Maya, and Maya had brought her mom in to help.

  Best thing she could ever have done for her friend.

  Ria had been taken under the wing of KALIMA, given a new identity, and now a new face. She'd requested to be placed somewhere where she would still be able to see Maya and Joss.

  What had surprised Maya was Ria’s admission that she wanted to be actively involved in KALIMA too. Ria had always been the quiet one, so reserved, so accepting of male domination. Maya would never have imagined her friend as a bad-ass zombie killer. But, that's exactly what Ria wanted to be. And from what Maya had heard, nothing was going to stop her.

  Suppose being married to an unmentionable-profane-word-for-a-male-body-part would do it for any girl.

  Maya was so proud of her friend that she could cry. "I just can't wait to see her again"

  Joss nodded. "You and me both, sister."

  Maya grinned as she turned into the drive.

  "Yes. You and me both, sister."

  Chapter 15

  MAYA AND JOSS returned home, a little drained from the excitement of the evening.

  They were walking into the kitchen when Maya's mom entered on their heels. Clearly she'd been waiting for them to return. Probably working in the living room, lying in wait.

  "Don't you ever listen?" asked Leela, anger making her voice vibrate. Sabala, standing just inside the kitchen door, chose that moment to let out a soft whuff, as if in warning.

  A little late, pooch.

  Maya shook her head, knowing exactly what her mom meant. "I know what you're going to say, Mom. But I had to go."

  "I don't think you understand that sometimes there are consequences to your actions." Leela was staring at her, spine stiff, stance saying she wasn't about to back down.

  Maya frowned. She opened her mouth, intent on asking what her mom meant when Leela waved a hand at her daughter and cut her off. "You have to think of the big picture. And you have to pick your battles. You were injured, Maya. This time you were lucky. One dead and one too sick to be a danger. But what if either or both had been dangerous? And you'd gone out there without having healed sufficiently, you would have been more of a danger to your father and Joss then you would have been any help."

  Maya suppressed a sigh. She deserved the telling off. Already had one from Claudia in the last hour. An encounter that had left Maya with more than just the feeling of regret. Something was up with Claude. Maybe she deserved her aunt’s anger.

  But only she knew how well she’d felt. It wasn’t as if she was an invalid, but she had to accept that her mom was worried.

  "But I was helpful. If I hadn't been there, neither one of them would have found the zombie. Or rather, both the zombies." Maya paused, feeling a little vindicated.

  Leela let out a heated breath. Despite her cream silk pajamas and her dark hair draped over her shoulders, she looked like a dangerous woman. "You totally didn't get what I was trying to say, did you?"

  But Maya nodded quickly. "I did get what you were trying to say. But I just can't sit by and watch everyone else try to do something I can do so easily. It took me less than ten minutes to complete the job."

  Joss grunted beside her, and Maya turned to look at her friend. She was glaring at Maya, an angry look on her face.

  Shaking her head, Maya said, "I know what you're thinking. And, no, I don't think you're less capable. I just think that with the powers I've been given, things are much easier for me. And I think it makes a ton more sense if I’m allowed to do those things. It only helps the rest of the team."

  "And how do you think being injured helps the team?" asked Leela.

  Maya glanced at her mom, her face still red with anger.

  "But I'm fine now."

  Leela's eyebrow curved. "But that's not the point. This time you're fine. But will you make the right decision the next time?" She sighed. "What if in the future, you're injured so badly you can barely move? Will your stubbornness allow you to accept you're injured and need time to heal, or will you do what you did today and race out of the house to do something that could easily have been done by somebody else, and probably injure yourself more in the process?"

  Maya rolled her eyes. "Don't you think you're being a little bit dramatic?"

  Leela stopped in her tracks, turned to meet her daughter's eyes, and placed her hands on her hips.

  Her eyes burned with fury.

  "I don't think you understand the big picture." Leela shook her head, her expression one of fear. "It's all well and good for you to go off half-cocked, but nobody ever wins a war just because they were lucky enough to win a skirmish. You should have been more concerned about your own health, considering you may one day be responsible for saving us all."

  "Now, you're really being dramatic." Maya fidgeted, then folded her arms as she glanced over at Sabala whose ears had lifted at her tone.

  "She's not being dramatic," said Joss. "Your mom is only saying that everyone around here is worried about you. And yes we are a little bit selfish in our concern. We can help ourselves now, but not too long ago you were the one who saved us all. And we all understand that there may come a day in the future, where you will be called upon to save us again. If you behave recklessly and endanger your life in the meantime, you are in effect endangering our own future."

  Leela took a step closer. She put a hand on Maya's shoulder. "Not to mention the fact that while you may have Kali's powers, you are not immortal. You can die."

  Maya stiffened beneath Leela's touch. She forced her feet to move. Shrugging off her mom's hand, she rounded the wooden table and went to
the other side of the kitchen. The whole conversation was suffocating her and she needed space, needed to put the table between herself and her mother and friend.

  They may be right, but she didn't want to admit it.

  Not right now.

  Her mind went back to a few weeks ago when she’d had to fight for her life, for their lives. When things had gone so crazy that the dead were walking the streets, unable to pass on to the underworld because Lord Yama was powerless to do his job since he’d been locked up by a crazy demon king. Then, Maya had been called upon to use all the powers given to her by the goddess Kali.

  To save the world.

  She’d never wanted such a responsibility. And yet, she had little choice in the matter. People relied on her whether she wanted them to or not.

  Hadn't she asked for this life when she'd died in her previous one?

  She wanted to shake the thoughts off. Could Maya, in her new reincarnation, really be responsible for what her previous self had wanted? Was it fair to expect her to live her entire life as one person only to discover she wasn't who she thought she was?

  She'd accepted it, though.

  Both her past life and the powers Kali had given her. She'd moved on from denial and helplessness, to acceptance. And she'd trained and dedicated herself to the efforts of KALIMA.

  Figured she'd need to work through a few more of her issues before she could even hope to attain some measure of peace.

  "Fine." Her voice held a defiant note to it, but her family was right. "I'll admit you may have a point. But that doesn't mean I have to sit back and relax and watch while you all go off and fight demons and the creepy bad guys."

  Joss laughed. "You know that's not what we're trying to say. I think you're just being stupid now."

  Maya glared at her, but Joss was right. She was just angry, and being defensive. She was being childish. Wasn't it time she began to act like an adult?

  Maya straightened her spine and opened her mouth to respond.

  She didn't get the opportunity.

  The air beside her mom shivered as Nik solidified.

  Maya's heart thumped the way it always did when her boyfriend appeared.

  About time, demigod.

  Chapter 16

  JOSS LEANED AGAINST the table as Nik arrived. Maya watched as her friend cocked her head at the demigod and gave him a cool smile.

  "Hopefully you're here to back us up," she said dryly.

  He smiled as he reached out to scratch Sabala on the head. Nik and Joss had a comfortable camaraderie and he'd read her subtle nuances almost from their first meeting. Now, he didn't take her attitude to heart.

  "What's going on?" he asked, his curious gaze going from Joss, to Maya and then to Leela.

  Leela surged into action, headed for the cupboard beside the stove, and began to pull out pots and spoons. Without turning, she said, "It's time you spoke to Maya about running recklessly into situations without backup." She slammed the pot onto the stove and Maya flinched as the sound clanged around the kitchen.

  Her mom was pulling condiments out of a nearby cupboard and Maya wanted to smile. Leela liked to cook when she was frustrated. Or angry. There were a few times Maya recalled walking into the kitchen to find cakes, cookies, dinner and fresh bread filling the air with deliciousness. That usually happened on the back end of an argument with Maya's dad.

  Apparently there was something about the process that calmed her down.

  Nik gave Leela a quizzical look, then turned his attention to Maya. "What did you do?"

  Maya glared at him. "You're taking their side?"

  He lifted a shoulder. "I'm not exactly sure what happened, but if they're pissed off with you, you probably deserve it."

  "You are a lot of help." She wanted to be angry with him for not backing her up, but deep down she knew he was unshakeable in his morals. Which meant he'd take the right side even if it meant being in opposition to Maya.

  Now, Mr. Too-good-to-be-true sighed as if the weight of the world lay upon his shoulders. "We're only here to help you. I'm assuming your mom and Joss are merely worried about you."

  "Worried about me as if I am a five-year-old," Maya snapped, adding Nik to the list of people already annoyed with her.

  Leela tugged the fridge open really hard. "That's not it, and you know it."

  Maya did know it. And she felt ashamed. She kept fighting this battle, even though she knew her mom was right. One day her pride was going to be her downfall.

  She sighed and said nothing, turning her gaze back to Nik who was now watching her thoughtfully. He looked tired, and annoyed.

  Great.

  He was angry with her.

  Maya took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. No sense in allocating blame to the people around her when she was just as much to blame—if not completely. Sensing her frustration, Sabala left his post and rounded the table, his claws clicking against the tiles. He stopped beside her and sat back on his haunches, leaving her to wonder if he was there to protect her, or to protect her family from her.

  "I understand everyone's concern. I really do." She glanced at her mom who looked far from convinced. "I do, Mom. I really do. The only reason I went out was because I'd been able to heal my feet. You know I can heal my body using my fire. You must also know I wouldn't do anything reckless. I healed myself enough to be able to defend myself if necessary."

  Despite her defense, she'd been reckless. All she'd done was a cursory healing, and she understood now she should have done more. Especially since she ended up having to heal herself while she was beneath the bridge. If she'd had a little more patience, she'd have been in much better condition.

  Maya schooled her features. "So, as you can see, I wasn't being reckless. I was fine. Fine enough to drive all the way there, and to find two undead where Dad and Joss only knew to look for one. We all know my nose works better than anyone else's around here. That is what found the second zombie. My ability to smell."

  Nobody responded.

  "And right now, the woman is lying at the HQ facility, safe from harming others and from being harmed herself." Maya was forced to fill the silence. She turned to Nik and raised an eyebrow. "I'm assuming you have some news for us. I hardly think you came back so you could join them in scolding me."

  His lips did that funny twist, telling Maya he was trying to stop himself from smiling.

  Despite the fact that he’d sided with her mom and Joss, Maya understood Nik cared about her. Her defensiveness was best kept for another time. Besides, right now, she was too tired to bother.

  Nik nodded. "I have news, and it's not good."

  Maya felt her heart tighten.

  Nik cleared his throat. "We have received numerous reports of dancers who’ve died of exhaustion and dehydration over the last month.”

  Maya sighed.

  A deep sadness filled her. The dream she'd had was more than just a dream. Now, she waited for Nik to continue, but he seemed to be contemplating the best way to reveal his news.

  "There were three cases this week that we know of. One in Germany, and two in India."

  "Any other similarities besides dehydration and exhaustion?" asked Maya, taking a step forward to grasp the edge of the table.

  Her hands had begun to shake, and she wanted to do something with them because she knew any physical sign of fear would be detrimental to her position within her team. She had to always ensure she put on a strong face. She couldn't afford to have her family doubt her confidence.

  Nik nodded. "Yes, bloody feet were also a common factor. One of the dancers had participated in a dance competition in India. Indian classical dance,” he replied. "That's Germany. Of the two in India, one is Kathak, and the other one was Bharatanayam. So both North and South Indian classical forms.”

  Joss clicked her tongue. "When was the last time we had a spate of deaths with the victims being exclusively dancers?"

  Nik glanced at her. "It's definitely not a coincidence. Don't worry, we find
this too much of a concern to let it lie. The German victim was found dead on the stage after her performance."

  Maya took the stool nearest to her, sinking onto it slowly. She rubbed her forehead and stared at Nik, the sound of drums and bells reverberating in her head. Before she knew what she was doing, she’d fisted both her hands and stiffened her spine with all her might so her body wouldn’t go nuts and throw itself into dance.

  "Maya?” asked her mom. "You okay?”

  Maya sighed, feeling her heart thumping hard against her ribs. "I'm not exactly sure how I feel." She looked up at her mom. "How are you supposed to feel when you realize the dream you had could possibly be your own vision of the last moments of an innocent girl's life?"

  She swallowed hard and watched the darkness fill her mother's eyes. She knew Leela, despite being the reincarnation of a goddess, suffered deeply for everything Maya went through. It was one of the reasons Maya never dismissed her mother's opinion or feeling.

  And right now, she watched her mom hurt for her and all she wanted to do was to erase that pain.

  Chapter 17

  After a restless night’s sleep, in which Maya was thankfully not plagued with dreams of bloody feet and entrancing music, she spent a quiet morning practicing with her fire, with Joss spotting for her.

  After lunch the girls went back to the mundane, schoolwork that wouldn’t get done and submitted if they didn’t actually complete and submit it. Maya spent a couple hours working through a Calculus assignment. The numbers kept her mind focused on something other than dead girls.

  When Nik knocked on her bedroom door she almost jumped off her chair.

  She glared at him but her awareness of the concern in his expression made Maya forget her annoyance.

  Nik cleared his throat. "We need to get going."

  "Where to?" she asked. She got to her feet, curious now, her work forgotten.

  Nik said, "To check out a new crime scene before it’s contaminated."