by Sabina Khan
“Are you crazy?”
“No, Shiv, I am not crazy. Do you have a better idea?”
“Yes, I do. We all go in together and finish the son of a bitch off.”
“Well, that’s nice, but you’re forgetting one important detail. They’ll kill the priest.”
That seemed to shut him up for a moment. But only for a moment.
“Okay, so that would be bad. But you know what would be worse?” He paused. He could be so dramatic. “If you got killed. Or taken.”
“Are you done?”
He just looked at me.
“I know it’s risky. But I am not willing to let one more person get hurt because of me.”
Dev and Nina hadn’t said anything yet, probably because they were stunned at Shiv’s outburst.
“Shiv, calm down.” Nina’s stern voice had an instant reaction. Shiv sank back into his chair but glared at her defiantly.
“I like Callie’s plan,” she said.
“I agree,” Dev said. “We can’t risk them seeing us, but of course we cannot allow Callie to go there by herself.”
After our experiences on the island and then at the warehouse, I was convinced that Mahisha was still hiding out. The question was why.
“I don’t think Mahisha will be any danger yet,” I said. “If he had the strength he would have tried to finish me off himself instead of sending his people. There’s something else going on.”
“I’m inclined to agree with you, Callie,” Dev said. “My theory is that Mahisha underestimated you, and now that you have the sword he is desperate.”
“And that means he will get careless,” Nina added.
“Okay, so I will go in there with my sword and the gada. I’m assuming he will have his men there to protect him.”
“That’s very likely,” Nina said. “You will have to assess the situation. Your goal is to get the priest out safely and protect the sword.”
“That’s what he’s really after,” Dev said. “He thinks you are powerless without it.”
“Is he wrong?”
I couldn’t imagine what Mahisha would be like when he had his full strength, but if even the trinity couldn’t destroy him, then what exactly was I going to do without the sword?
“You must not forget that when he heard about Kali he felt fear,” Nina reminded me.
“It’s not just the sword, my dear,” Dev added. “Kali was incredibly powerful. When she went into a rage, everyone trembled with fear.”
I didn’t know what to say. Right now I just wanted to save Mr. Bhandal. I was the reason he was in danger, and I would get him out of it.
“So we know Burke will be with him. Probably a few others as well.”
“Yes, and once you’ve taken out as many as you can, we will come in,” Dev said.
“I can take the priest and keep him safe,” Aruna said.
“And I’ll make sure that Callie’s covered.” Shiv had finally stopped sulking.
“Okay, so let’s go,” I said, leading the way to the weapons room.
We geared up quickly and made our way to the temple in two vehicles. The driver of my car stopped by the main entrance while the others stopped a bit behind me, hidden from view by a tea stall. I waited for the driver to leave before going up the steps into the temple. As I entered the inner sanctum, my eyes had to adjust to the darkness. Nobody was there. I started to go toward Mr. Bhandal’s office when I heard a groan. I turned to see where it was coming from. I spied the priest propped up against a wall in a corner by the smaller statues. He was alone. My senses heightened, aware that this must be a trap. My pendant was getting warm, but that didn’t surprise me. They wouldn’t leave him here alone and make it so easy for me. I scanned the interior of the temple, but there was nobody else here. Cautiously, I moved closer to the priest. I wasn’t sure if he was conscious, because he wasn’t moving. When I reached him and bent down to touch him.
“Mr. Bhandal...it’s Callie. I’m here now.”
He stirred slightly and opened his eyes slowly. At first he said nothing but tried to focus his eyes on something. They fixed on something behind me. He lifted a hand weakly and pointed.
“You have the sword,” he said hoarsely. “You have Kali’s sword.” His eyes lit up briefly and his hand fell back to his side. I nodded, trying to assess his injuries at the same time, but I couldn’t see any bruises. The pendant was really hot now and glowing brightly. Something was very wrong. Then two things happened at once. Mr. Bhandal reached over my shoulder to touch the sword, which was securely strapped to my back. My pendant started to give off sparks. Mr. Bhandal was mouthing something, but before I could figure out what he was trying to say, the sparks grew stronger and Mr. Bhandal’s hand jerked back as soon as his fingers made contact with the hilt. I jumped back and froze.
Mr. Bhandal began to melt. Not melt, as in from the heat, but his skin was actually melting off his bones. It was disgusting, and I could do nothing but stare at him in horror. As the skin on his face fell away it revealed a sort of skeleton but with tissue and muscle in places and bare in others. Slowly, he stood up. I gasped in horror as the figure grew taller and taller, until it towered over me. I was no longer looking at the priest but rather some kind of amorphous figure, barely human.
Although most of the face had melted off, the eyeballs were still somehow dangling in their sockets. They were looking directly at me, and I was frozen in terror. My brain was beginning to realize what my eyes refused to believe. Somewhere from the recesses of my mind, a memory surfaced. Mahisha was a shape-shifter. Even in his weakened state he had somehow morphed himself into a likeness of the priest. My pendant was burning the skin in the hollow of my neck, and I unfroze. I stepped back and reached over to draw my sword from its sheath. I raised it high above my head, ready to strike, and just then someone grabbed me from behind and wrestled me to the ground. I looked up at my attacker. It was Burke. His lips were curled in a cruel smile and he produced a dagger. As he lifted his hand above his head, I suddenly felt him being lifted off me. Then I saw Shiv’s face. He had Burke by the scruff of his shirt and effortlessly flung him across the floor. The dagger he was planning to kill me with skittered along the concrete.
Shiv held out his hand to help me up. I turned to look at Mahisha, but all I saw was a shrivelled shape propped up against the wall. So that was it. The shape-shifting must have drained him of what little strength he had managed to scavenge over the years. Shiv looked at him in disbelief. My sword had fallen to the ground when Burke had attacked me. I picked it up and paused for a moment. It seemed so anti-climactic. Here was this supremely powerful demon of myth, and he didn’t even have the strength to pose a danger anymore. I looked behind me. The others had followed Shiv into the temple, and they all watched now as I raised my sword, ready to finish off Mahisha once and for all.
“Move a finger and I will kill him.” The voice rang out of the darkness of the temple and echoed off its walls. We all turned around. Burke stood by the statues, his arm around someone’s neck. I squinted in the dim light and gasped. Burke was holding his dagger at Ben’s throat.
“No...don’t hurt him,” I shouted, fear grabbing my insides.
“His life in exchange for my master’s.” I could see the insanity in Burke’s eyes. He pushed the blade of his dagger against Ben’s throat, and a few drops of blood slowly trickled down. Still I hesitated. I knew I would hate myself for this later. I had an opportunity to vanquish evil today. It would prevent boundless suffering; so many innocent people would live if I killed Mahisha now. But how would I live with myself? Knowing that I had sacrificed Ben. I looked at each of my friends’ faces. There was nothing there to help me. It had to be my choice. Deep inside I knew I’d already decided, but I had to be sure.
I turned back to face Mahisha, who was slumped motionlessly against the wall, his breath coming out as raspy grunts. I raised my sword...and let it fall to my side. Burke smiled in his condescending way, knowing he had won. It was almost en
ough to make me change my mind as he dragged Ben over to me, the blade of his dagger still precariously close to slicing the jugular vein. I held my breath as he knelt down beside his master, not letting go of Ben. He helped Mahisha up and mumbled something as he waved his hand over a spot on the wall. Suddenly the wall shimmered, as if it had liquefied. I looked on in shock as Burke released Ben, picked up Mahisha and walked right through the undulating wall. I ran to Ben, who had just crumpled to the concrete floor. He was barely conscious. I knelt down beside him and was about to help him up when Dev and Nina both cried out in unison.
“Shiv...no.”
I looked back just in time to see Shiv run through the wall behind Burke and Mahisha. I jumped and ran after him, screaming the whole time, not recognizing my own voice. I was there in seconds, but it was too late. I hit a solid wall, hard, and fell to the ground. I clawed at the brick, unwilling to believe what had just happened. Nina and Dev were beside me, pushing and prodding, trying desperately to find an opening. But it was gone. The portal or whatever it was had disappeared, and we had no way of knowing how to get it to open up again.
My fingers were bloody and my face was streaked with tears, and finally I collapsed on the floor. Nina was sobbing in Dev’s arms. Aruna tried to comfort them, but there was nothing she could say or do. For any of us. Shiv was gone. I had done this. I had made a choice, and now we were all going to pay for it.
After there were no more tears left, I stood up and went to Ben. He was beginning to stir. Dev and I wordlessly helped to carry him out of the temple to the car. Aruna held Nina as she sobbed uncontrollably the entire drive home. I had no words, no thoughts. I felt like an empty shell. I knew the pain and guilt would come, and it would haunt me, but right now I felt nothing. I would take Ben home and help him recover from whatever hell he’d been through. I would take care of my parents until they were better too.
And I would find Shiv. I would do whatever it took to bring him back home. One thing I knew for certain: this time there would be no mercy for Mahisha. Nothing would sway me. I would destroy him, even if it killed me.
Epilogue
The king sat on his throne. A servant stood at his side, ready for his next command. He trembled slightly for fear that the king’s wrath would rain down upon him as it had on countless other servants who had earned his displeasure.
“Master,” a voice came from the entrance to the hall. “I have brought him.” As the servant watched, two men came to stand in front of the king. The one who spoke was tall, bespectacled and wore a suit. The other man was gaunt, his face covered in bruises.
The king spoke. His voice was raspy and weak, yet the servant knew that it belied the king’s powers.
“Have you done as I asked?”
The gaunt man spoke, his voice barely more than a whisper.
“It is not easy, Master. She is becoming more powerful every day.”
The king was not pleased. Rage contorted his face.
“Have you forgotten what I have done for you, ingrate?” His shout echoed through the hall, making the servant tremble once again.
The gaunt man bowed his head.
“I have not forgotten, Master. But I have to be careful not to arouse suspicion. Otherwise it is all over.”
The king grunted. He appeared to be lost in his thoughts.
Finally he looked up.
“What is it you call yourself these days…Paul?”
The gaunt man nodded.
“Well Paul…, my patience is not endless. If you do not return soon with better news… I do not have to remind you of the consequences do I?”
“No Master.” The tall one grabbed the gaunt man by the elbow and took him away. As they passed the servant, he overheard them.
“You know I’ll be watching her. Tread carefully, Paul.” The gaunt man said nothing as he was led away.
The servant waited with trepidation. The last time the King had been displeased, he had incinerated two of his servants just by a flick of his fingers. Now he seemed to have forgotten that he was not alone. The servant held his breath, wondering if it might be his last and waited. Then the king stood up. He was not a large man and of late he had been weak. The servant watched in horror as the skin melted away from the king’s bones. Then the bones began to break and reform until an enormous creature stood where the king had been. It had the head of a bull and the torso of a man. An involuntary gasp escaped the servant’s mouth just as the transformation was finishing. The demon turned its piercing gaze upon him and the last thing the servant saw was fire shooting out of its eyes.
<>~~<>~~<>
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Please visit realmofthegoddess.wordpress.com if you want to:
Find out more about Callie, Shiv and the other Rakshakari
Learn about the Hindu gods and goddesses
Get the recipes for Callie’s favorite food.
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Twitter @Sabina_Writer
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Acknowledgements
It takes a village to write a book. There
are many people I would like to thank: Ed Griffin, whose constant encouragement, patience and willingness to read those first awful chapters made me believe that someone other than my family would actually like to read this; my friends whose excitement and support kept me going even when I wanted to give up and last, but not least, the beta readers who gave me incredibly insightful feedback. But most of all I would like to thank my husband Ron, my most ardent supporter and maker of the best mango salsa. He stood by me through the tantrums and the triumphs and I am so grateful to have him in my corner.
About the Author
Sabina Khan is the author of Realm of the Goddess, the first in a series of YA Paranormal Fantasy books based on the gods and goddesses of India. She is an educational consultant and a karaoke enthusiast.
After living in Germany, Bangladesh, Macao, Illinois and Texas, she has finally settled down in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, with her husband and three daughters, one of whom is a fur baby.
She is passionate about the empowerment of girls and women, hoping to inspire them with the strong female characters in her novel.
Follow her on:
Twitter: @Sabina_Writer
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RealmGoddess
Find out more at http://realmofthegoddess.wordpress.com/
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
About the Author
