Circle of Time: An urban fantasy (The Kazi Chronicles Book 1)

by Riverr Ravenswood

  “Umm… I don't know why you would be worried about me. Anyways. I am at home. I will see you later, yeah?”

  I frown at this. “Okay. We will see you there. We just left ten minutes back, so we should be back soon.”

  “Hey, Enzo. No, I am at my home. My place. Not your place.”

  Damn. I was thinking she was calling my place home.

  “We are coming there then.”

  “No..” she goes quiet. “Actually, yeah, why don't the two of you come home? Our home.. I mean my place? I mean, ugh! Just come here,” she disconnects.

  Lexie and I looked at each other and burst out laughing. While it is a tension-releasing kind of laughter, we both find her fumbling for words cute. Looking at her you cannot even tell that she is a badass fighter warrior.

  Lexie makes a U-turn and we start driving towards her home.

  Thank God Ada is okay.

  “Why did you get so upset Lex?” I asked her. I never thought that she was such good friends with her roommate. I knew Lex worried about her, but before I knew it was Ada, I never knew that they were close.

  “We could not be best friends really because there were just so many secrets I had to maintain from her. But she is the first woman who has treated me with kindness. With respect. You know she saved me from going into my shell. And I am genuinely very fond of her. I was always busy with you guys, so I never had the time to hang out with her as a bestie, but I would have loved to, you know,” she tells me quietly.

  I squeeze her shoulder. I know what she means. She has suffered at the hands of other girls a lot. Lexie is beautiful. She is like my sister, and any bastard who even looks at her, I will rip his head off. But her beauty, her elegance, and her allure has made all the girls look at her with hatred, and sometimes, downright jealousy. For as long as I can remember, Lexie had been bullied by the mean girl cliques in school and college.

  Here, girls don’t mess with her much, primarily because she is almost always with the boys, and because she got in a fight once in the initial days, and knocked the girl out. Since then the girls maintain their distance. They still give her evil glares, but nobody dares cross her.

  “Tell me about the first time met her, please?” I ask her, wanting to know how it happened, what she saw, how they interacted.

  She smiles looking at the road.

  “It was one of the best days of my life……”

  Chapter 19

  Lexie

  Almost a year ago

  Why the hell could the guys not have come with me, I cannot understand. Some work Pa had sent them on, and here I am alone trying to get my books from the Uni stationery house.

  Of course, all these guys stop dead in their tracks as soon as I enter and look at me. Lust filled in their eyes. The girls do too. Their eyes filled with venom instead.

  Great! Just great!

  I see a head bent over some books and I frown. Nobody has ever not looked at me. Who is this person?

  Curiosity gets the better of me and I start making my way towards the bent head.

  Someone bumps into me and sends all my books flying. I whirl around to find two girls standing shoulder to shoulder. Great! Had to fucking happen!

  “What is your problem?” I ask them in an even tone.

  “You. You are the problem! Take your fucking sex crazed ass from here and leave this place.” The blonde one says. I can see why she is jealous of me. But come fucking on! What the hell am I supposed to do if I am made the way I am?

  “Sorry honey. Last I checked you were not the owner of this store or the college.” I bend down to pick my books. Alert and looking for any one coming at me next.

  “You need to leave. How long can you keep avoiding confrontations? Will you fight everyone?” Blondie’s friend asks me.

  “Well, I won't fight if you won’t.” I tell them nonchalantly. But inside, I am praying with all my might that it does not escalate. Pa will absolutely kill these bimbos. Wait, how can I forget my brothers? They will rip them apart with their own bare hands.

  “Listen slut-” the blondie starts moving towards me but then bumps into someone.

  The other person turns around and takes in the scene around her. Her beautiful golden eyes survey the people, look at me, look at the others and then at the books strewn across the floor.

  Blondie-two hisses, “watch where you walk bitch.”

  Golden eyes raises one eyebrow and then very casually, removes her earpods and tucks them in her jacket pocket.

  She looks at me and asks, “need help?”

  I am stupefied to see that she isn't looking at me with hate. I am even more shocked to see that my allure doesn't seem to affect her. Maybe it is because there is no man with her…

  “You don’t know who she is…” blondie-one says. Tears burn the back of my eyes, but I don’t let those come out. There is no way I can show vulnerability to these bitches.

  Golden-eyes shrugs, and lowers herself to the ground to pick my books.

  Blondie-one does not like that her message is being ignored. I roll my eyes and take a deep breath. It is sweet of Golden-eyes to offer me her help, but why should she get on the bad side of these bitches. I have the guys with me to protect me should it be required. But I don’t think she has anyone around here if this gets ugly.

  “Hey, it's okay, thanks. I will take it. Just go. You will make an enemy out of them.” I take the book from her hands. She shrugs again and continues picking up the books.

  Blondie one and two had enough, I guess. Because they step forward and grab hold of her right arm.

  “She is a bloody whore. A slut. Stay away from her or you will make enemies of us!” Blondie-one says.

  I sigh and start picking up my books myself. It was good to have known the feeling of someone taking my side. The feeling of another girl taking my side. It is all an illusion though. But then she speaks.

  “Who did she sleep with? You?”

  Gasps can be heard all across the center. Everyone is frozen in shock.

  Maybe nobody has ever said anything to the blondies. My eyes are drawn to the girl again. She looks familiar. Not looks. She feels familiar.

  “What the fuck! She didn't sleep with me!” Blondie one says.

  “What the fuck bitch. Are you her slut friend?” the other says, and they both cackle.

  The girl rolls her eyes.

  “You are forgetting one very important thing. Sluts become sluts because of the dicks that crave them. You didn't sleep with her. So is it your boyfriends? If it is, then why did they choose her, hmm?” she asks them with a smile.

  “Oh please. My boyfriend didn't sleep with her…” Blondie says.

  “So why the anger? She didn't sleep with you, she didn’t sleep with your man, and I am assuming your dad is a bit old for her. So why bother? Why the anger? Live and let live girl.” She smiles at them.

  I am dumbfounded.

  “If she didn't sleep with them till now, then it doesn't mean that she won't ever. Precaution is better than cure. And this illness needs to be decimated at the root,” blondie one says looking at me with hatred. So much venom.

  “It doesn't matter if she wants to or not. As long as your men know how to not get distracted by beautiful confident women, there shouldn't be any harm to your relationship, should there?” she retaliates.

  “Of course they won't.”

  “There. Then you don’t have anything to worry.”

  “I trust them, but I don't trust her. And you are just getting on my nerves. Maybe I should blacklist you too. I can make your life a living hell.”

  “You don't trust her? Dude, you dip a fork in a pudding, not the other way around. The pudding ain’t moving if the fork ain’t coming at it.”

  I had to laugh at it. And so do the others. It seems like my allure is wearing off. Is that even a possibility? Because the other people in the store are rolling their eyes at the blondies.

  “You think you are so smart!” blondie-one twists her arm
.

  I realise it has escalated enough and I step up to help her out. I am trained after all.

  But just as I move, she gets herself out of the hold the blondies have on her and then looks at them with death in her eyes.

  Holy fucking amazeballs.

  I didn't know anyone was capable of that. Her entire persona changes.

  “Listen Barbie, it is cute that you think you can intimidate me. But you touch me again,” she steps into the blondie’s personal space, “I will gut you. Do not touch me. Do not bother me. And do not bother other girls if you think your man ain't man enough to keep his stick in his pants. This better be the last fucking time. If you harass any one else, I will come for you and you won't even know what hit you.”

  I don't know if she is silly or stupid. There is no way she can defend herself, right?

  The blondie’s boyfriend steps forward to catch hold of her and the friend steps forward too. How it happens I don't know, but she has the boyfriend in a chokehold and I have the blondie’s friend on the ground.

  “Oh shut the hell up fucking Banshee!” she tells Blondie-two.

  Then she dips her head to the man’s ear and whispers something. He goes white, as white as chalk.

  She shoves him forward making him fall on his face.

  Straightening up, she levels Blondie-one who’s backing away with one look. Seeing her football boyfriend in a chokehold is a strange sensation, I would agree.

  “Like I said. Last fucking time. I don't care if you hurt my friend or a stranger. I hear about it, I will come for you. Got it?”

  Blondie nods.

  “I need you to say you got it.”

  “I got it,” Blondie says trembling.

  Golden-eyes turns to me, gives me a nod, and leaves.

  I get up and look at the blondie on the ground. She doesn't say a word to me. The blondies leave the center together not even sparing me a glance. It is as if I don't even exist.

  Wow. I stand there for a bit too long, making sense of it all. For as long as I remember, nobody, no girl sepcifically, has ever been kind to me. Forget being my friend.

  The other people in the store approach me to help me up, and offer me pats on the shoulder. Another first. But I have to find her.

  I take my books and rush outside to find Golden-eyes. I see her taking coffee from the food truck and I run to her.

  “Hey. Thanks for that. But you didn't have to do that” I tell her.

  She looks at me taking a sip of her coffee. A soft moan leaves her mouth as she does that.

  “Hey. It's okay. Why didn't you retaliate? You look like you could have taken them on.”

  I smile and sit opposite her.

  “I didn’t want to create a scene. I am used to it.” I shrug and look off into the distance.

  “Why?”

  “Boys want to sleep with me. Girls think I want to sleep with their men. I don't want to sleep with anybody.”

  “Wow. Modest much?” she asks. I look at her surprised, and laugh.

  Not at the words. But at the fact that she said it seriously.

  “No, not modest, it is what happens,” I smile softly.

  “I am not saying you're not beautiful or anything. You are. But I think the more you think everyone is focussed on you, the more it will happen.”

  She doesn't know how it works. I cannot control others' reactions. Can I? Of course I can’t.

  “No… I don't think about it-”

  “I have a feeling, my gut. It is telling me that you need to meditate and focus on what you want to happen. Not on what you don’t want to happen. Know the difference?”

  “It is a very Secret sort of thing,” I tell her rolling my eyes.

  She looks at me dead in the eyes. I freeze. It is a stern look. She can pin me to my spot, without even laying a finger on me.

  “My feelings are never wrong. My gut is awesome. So when I tell you that my intuition is telling me what you should do, you should at least try it.”

  “It doesn't work like that,” I say.

  “It does. Try it next time,” she says.

  I look at her and shake my head.

  “Before you say it doesn't work like that one more time, try believing that your looks won't create rapists out of men and murderers out of women. Here…” she gives me her phone, screen displaying something. “It is a guided meditation. Take a note of it and listen to this. Just twenty minutes. Clear your mind, then enter the same bookstore with the belief that your looks, even though breathtaking, do not leave others lusting after you.”

  I gape at her.

  “Come on, I don't have all day.”

  I shouldn't take her seriously, but something in the way her eyes are right now, innocence and mischief together, I find myself laughing.

  “Well okay… I will do this. But know this, next time I enter the store you have to be with me. Who else will save me otherwise,” I say looking for the meditation she showed, on my itunes.

  “You don't need me to save you. But sure. I have half an hour free,” she smiles and goes back to her coffee and Kindle.

  As the meditation starts playing I look at her, trying to make sense of how I let myself be cajoled into this. She points to my earbuds and I shake my head.

  Plugging it in, I give myself over to the meditation.

  I follow it to a T. By the end of fifteen minutes I am feeling calm, grounded, and relaxed.

  Towards the end, the voice asks us to set an intention for the day, to be careful while doing that to cover all bases.

  I do just that.

  As I open my eyes, I see Golden-eyes standing and collecting her empty plate and cup to throw in the garbage.

  Upon seeing that I am done, she nods, takes her bag and starts walking. I follow.

  The meditation has left me feeling so calm.

  I don't understand …. I meditate and exercise daily, I even go deep into hypnotherapy as part of our training. But I have never felt this relaxed.

  We both enter the bookstore, the intention clear in my mind.

  She goes off to the other side of the store, picking up colours and a sketchpad. I busy myself browsing things.

  I feel at peace. Nothing bothers me. Is it just the meditation?

  I go up to the counter and pay for the stuff I have taken. She is finishing up paying at the other counter. And with a new sense of clarity I look around. Nobody is looking at me.

  Nobody is looking at me!

  I frown. What does that mean? Is my allure off?

  As soon as I think about it, heads start snapping up.

  Fuck…

  I close my eyes and take myself back to the meditation, and remember my heartbeat, and the intention. I open my eyes, and find everyone slowly getting back to what they were doing.

  This couldn’t be true.....

  I look at Golden-eyes, bewildered. She winks at me and smiles.

  As soon as we are out of the gate, I look around to make sure one more time.

  Giddy with the fact that yes, nobody is watching me.

  She says, “you are way more attuned to the Universe, I feel,” and gives me a beaming smile. “I gotta go. Have to meet my friend and go house hunting. It was nice meeting you. Take care.”

  “Wait!” I scream. Everyone stops and stares at me. Something in me doesn't want to see her go. A part of me feels like she is meant to be with us.

  “We..umm… have you found a house?”

  “I have shortlisted one, but it’s not finalised. I have to check it out first. A bunch of students are staying there.”

  “We have a room too, if you don’t like it then maybe call me?” I ask tentatively. Trying to hold on to anything that would make us friends.

  “Sure, that would be amazing, thank you.” She frowns and then starts laughing. “Umm… I don't know your name….”

  I laugh too.

  I thrust my hand forward, “Alexis. My friends call me Lexie.”

  She takes my hand with a warm smile a
nd says, “I am Ada.”

  Chapter 20

  Ada

  I look at the crumpled piece of paper once again. It isn't a riddle, at least I am hoping it isn't. But it states just one line.

  'Look where no one is known to return from.'

  And what did he even mean by his life and sword is mine? Who the hell even uses words like swords these days? Or actual swords, for that matter.

  Pinching the bridge of my nose and trying to calm my breath, I walk to the coffee machine. Enzo and Lexie will be here any minute. It’s time to ask the questions that have been bothering me.

  Maybe Dad and Baba will talk about most of these in our call tonight. I still smile at the memory of the first time I had called Sensei, Baba. I swear I had seen the old man’s eyes mist.

  Wait, tonight!?

  Would I have to go back to the mansion and stay there? Dad will say it isn't safe for me to stay alone.

  I take a sip of my coffee. The warm brown elixir slides down my throat and gives me instant peace. I take a few moments to stop the panic and the question mill in my mind. Dad and Baba will answer whatever questions I have. I am sure. I need to stop this useless panic.

  I hear the front door open and the sound of feet running. Getting up from the dining table I turn to face the door. I am jittery after yesterday, ready for war. But something tells me it is Lexie and Enzo.

  They come in view and Enzo stumbles to a stop.

  Lexie however, keeps running and tackles me as soon as she is able. I laugh as I return her hug.

  “You stupid foolish woman. Never ever run away like this again. None of us were able to track you, not even Ry,” Lexie whispers in my ears.

  Hugging her as tight as she is hugging me, I say what has been on my mind, “I will never run away from you Lex. But I won’t stop and stand uselessly while every part of my body tells me someone needs my help.”

  “If you two are done, can we talk now?” Enzo grumbles.

  Lexie lets me go after squeezing me one more time for good measure. I look up to see Enzo looking at me, anger, relief and longing in equal display on his face. There is a stiffness to him which wasn’t there before.

  Without thinking I walk over to him and hug him around his waist. He is all rock and abs underneath his T-shirt. I try to ignore what it does to my body. Since he hasn't hugged me back, I start retracting myself from him. Maybe that is what brings him out of whatever rock hold he was in, and in an instant he wraps his strong arms around me and holds me tightly to his chest. Burying his nose behind my ears he takes a long inhale and that inhale, oh my GOD, it … it just… it melts and solidifies me. It doesn't even make sense.