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

by Riverr Ravenswood

  Baba crouches down in front of me and gently takes hold of my left arm. He starts lifting my shirt sleeve while saying, “that is why she is called a treasure. Kazi. Because she is a gem. She makes everything around her beautiful just by her purity of thought. She blossoms where others might not survive. She has overcome struggles and has become her perfect self, beautiful and whole. She is evolved and pure. And she has the power to conquer the senses,” he moved my shirt sleeve up to my elbow. He gently traces his thumb over the lotus design on my forearm and then bends my arm upwards so that I could look at it. “Just like a lotus.”

  ====

  I keep looking at the lotus, and his words keep resonating in my mind.

  I look up to find his eyes intent on my face….

  What?

  “Gold for higher conscience, and black for grounded, glittery for she is blessed,” Dad says softly, kissing the side of my head.

  What are they saying….

  I look at all the other faces in the room too, only to find awe and respect in every eye. Lexie squeezes my right hand which she’s been holding.

  I take my eyes back to Baba and I finally whisper what I had been wanting to ask, “what do you mean?”

  Dad holds me tighter. Baba smiles gently, then reaches forward and kisses my forehead.

  “You, my dear gudiya, are the Kazi.”

  Chapter 31

  Ryan

  We have known this for three days now and it’s a pleasant surprise to know that Ada is the Kazi. I cannot imagine what she must be feeling right now.

  I have been looking at her since Sensei started speaking about the background, about what Vyhdir knew but didn't tell the others.

  And it makes sense… she had broken down because she was worried that she could have hurt Lexie. Even the first night she was here, she had immediately apologized to Enzo despite the fact that he was being a dick. Now I understand the reason why. But I still get the feeling that there are a lot of layers to her. And I cannot wait to peel back those layers and see all of her bare in front of me.

  Where did that come from?

  Oh who am I kidding? It came from me. And it has been in my mind ever since she’d walked in to see the house.

  I wonder if that was fate or if Pa or Sensei had planned it so. Pa’s daughter, coming to stay with us, Pa’s warriors. I mean, what are the chances?

  “Breathe….calm down. Breathe. It is not a big deal,” Sensei tells her, taking in her pale shocked face.

  “Not a big deal? How can you say that? You have been looking for this Kazi for so many years!! Hell, Ma probably got killed because of this. And you are saying that I am this...this...this soul thingie?”

  Sensei lets out a chuckle and Ada shoots him daggers with her eyes, and I must admit that it is the most adorable thing I have ever seen. She is like a cute fuzzy kitten, giving murdering eyes to a dragon.

  But Ada is no kitten. She is the lioness and she would soon be reclaiming her world.

  My world.

  “Soul thingie? You talk as if it’s a separate entity from yours..,” Sensei gives her an amused look.

  “Are you finding it funny?” Ada hisses, narrowing her eyes.

  “No. I am not finding it funny. I am, however, finding your reaction to the situation hilarious.”

  “I will spar with you right here right now O'man if you don’t stop making fun of this situation! I could have hurt Lexie!!! That is how much control I have on my magic. And now you tell me I am Kazi? How do you even know? And if you smile one more time Baba, I will unleash my wild!”

  Her face is flushed and her voice is angry. And that is doing weird things to me.

  For a beat, nobody moves. And then, Pa gets up, holds Sensei’s elbow and guides him to the back of the room, all the while Sensei keeps giving Ada an amused look.

  I cover my smirk with my hand, feigning a yawn.

  It takes a lot to shut Sensei up. More than that, it takes a lot to call him an old man and still be breathing.

  I shake my hand as I realize that this girl might not realize how big of a legend they truly are.

  “Okay Gudiya. I am sorry. I didn't realize this would freak you out so much. Now tell me, what would you like to know first? I am sure you have questions?” Sensei returns to his spot in front of her and asks.

  “I am sorry Baba. I didn't mean to lash out at you,” Ada says, pointing her eyes down. Such a submissive look doesn't suit her one bit. But I know she means it.

  Sensei’s eyes soften, and he smiles. “It is okay Gudiya. I understand. Now tell me what questions do you have?”

  She nods and then looks around at all of us, gauging our reactions to the news, probably.

  “Umm… I haven't been to the college in three days?” she asks finally.

  What? Of all the things to ask….

  “No, you haven't. You're wondering how Nikki is dealing with her reality being shifted?” Sensei asks with a raised eyebrow.

  She smiles and nods.

  “There was nothing we could have done Gudiya,” Sensei says on a deep exhale. “You were unconscious. Vince did go and he saw that since Nikki didn't find you in the courtyard, she didn't scream your name. But she was confused for sure.”

  “And nothing untoward will happen to her? Now that her reality is shifted slightly….?”

  “No, nothing bad will happen. Fortunately, it wasn't something that was life changing for someone, like how you interacted with Mathew. Imagine you saving his life and then the day goes on repeating and his life is being threatened every day? And if you don't turn up one day? That would be the day he gets killed, right?” Sensei asks her intently, and then she nods. “So fortunately, your interaction with Nikki wasn't on that level. It was pretty mundane, so hopefully nothing bad.”

  She seems to think about it some, then nods.

  “Okay. umm..What happened with Enzo’s magic the other day? Is it true that his magic wouldn't have hurt Vince?”

  Sensei looks at Vee and Enzo and then takes one deep breath, “I don't know for sure gudiya. That is one theory. I have other theories too, and we will check that in a bit when you have some control over your magic. But for now, I think your, all of your magic is so deeply entwined with your feelings that it unleashes when you are not paying attention. That’s why when you thought of annihilating your enemies with a snap of your fingers, you blew a hole in the kitchen wall. That’s why when Enzo thought you were in danger, his magic took over. We need to work on this as everything is changing. I could never have envisioned it like this. But yeah, let’s wait and see. Okay?”

  She opens her mouth, about to protest I’m sure. But then quickly closes it and then shakes her head.

  “Okay sure.” She looks conflicted though, and then looks at Sensei, and my breath gets knocked out of my body at the emotion in her eyes. “I am sorry for being angry with you Baba.”

  And I am literally rendered breathless as I look at Sensei. The love and devotion in his eyes for this girl, his gudiya, that I wonder briefly if Pa ever gets jealous.

  “It’s alright Gudiya. It’s fine. I know you were frustrated and I know that you would never lose your cool on someone you care about without a good reason. If anything,” he stops and looks around him at all of us. Pa smirks and I wonder what’s coming next. Sensei exhales through his mouth, as if this requires a great amount of effort from him. “If anything, I am sorry gudiya, for teasing you about it.”

  The entire room bloody stills. Ada is frozen on her seat. Sensei avoids looking at anyone, and I think Ada senses something, because she takes a deep breath, shakes her head and sits up straight.

  “Well, look at that…,” she says softly, and when Sensei looks at her, she gives him her knockout smile. “Now that we have established we both are apologetic, why don't we get to more interesting topics?” she asks cheerfully.

  Sensei returns her smile and then nods.

  “Well, you start, what do you want to know first?”

  “Baba,
I want to know what everyone's magic is. Then I want to discuss Mathew’s note. And then why don't you all tell me about our captives? Or wait… first everyone’s magic, then the captives and Mathew’s note. What say you?”

  Suddenly I am nervous as fuck. She will know what I can do. Will she look at me with awe after that or hate me?

  I look around and see Lexie biting her lips nervously, Enzo is running his fingers through his hair, Vee finds his shoes very interesting, and Ash is staring at Ada.

  Pa and Sensei exchange worried glances too.

  Good, it isn't just me that is worried about her reaction.

  “Okay. We will start with Lexie, then Ry, Vee, Ash, Enzo, Cael and then I. Any objections?” Sensei asks looking at us.

  Various levels of head shakes can be seen.

  Ada scoffs. “Wow, so much enthusiasm guys.” She rolls her eyes and then stops abruptly. “Unless, you don't want me to know?” I can see vulnerability in those beautiful almond shaped golden eyes. “In that case you can just tell me that, and I won't hound you. Seriously.”

  “No baby girl. You need to know what and who you are working with. Even if we have an objection, we need to let you know. Because like it or not, you are going to require that knowledge.” Pa tells her, and her shoulder lower in relief.

  It hits me like a hailstorm that although she wants to know what our powers are, she’s willing to respect our choice if we didn’t want to tell her. Knowing that her life just became super dangerous, and how important it would be for her to have all the knowledge. It is really hard to come by somebody who would actually respect others in such a way.

  “Okay then. Lexie, why don't you start?” Sensei asks Lex.

  She gives a nervous nod. Then opens her mouth to speak, but then shuts it. Closing her eyes she takes a deep breath, then opens her eyes and looks straight at Ada.

  “Ada, I… I .. umm.. Just, dont hate me please. Because I cannot bear for you to hate me after this.” Lex says in a soft voice, face flushed red, and then she lowers her eyes, as if ashamed.

  My heart goes out to her, but Ash gets there and wraps his sister in his arms. We all know how much she’s struggled with it.

  Ada sits up straight, and looks at Lex intently.

  “Lex?” Lexie’s eyes whip to Ada. “I could never hate you. Whatever it is, you can trust that there will be no judgements from me. None. and whoever has ever told you that you need to be scared or ashamed of your magic, needs to be gutted. It is a gift. And honestly, every skill and magic depends on the wielder, does it not?”

  Every eye in the room finds Ada’s face, and finds what I find.

  Purity, innocence, and wisdom.

  Lexie chokes up, and then nods.

  “And I know in my heart that you are not evil. You are one of the purest people I have known. And I have known some pretty pure and badass people. Ma, Dad, and Baba being three of those. So whatever has caused you to feel that way, forget it. Snap out of it, and show Baba and Dad that they raised no pussy. You hear me?”

  As if her words held magic themselves, Lexie’s spine straightens and a new determined glint fills her eyes. She releases a slow breath, and I can see the moment that barrier in her mind shatters.

  Then Lexie gives an evil smirk, that is just like Sensei’s.

  “Cool, so are you ready?”

  Chapter 32

  Ada

  Anticipation fills me as I look at Lexie. I am going to see magic.

  A wide smile is on my face, that causes Dad and Baba to chuckle. I just shrug and sit forward.

  “Wait!” I shout. Everyone looks at me. Worried. Then I ask with a smile wiggling my fingers, “do I need popcorn?”

  Everyone bursts out laughing, and Lex just shakes her head.

  Hey, it's a valid question!

  “Yes, yes it is valid alright,” Enzo says, with amusement trickling his voice.

  “Oh…” I said that out aloud.

  The others laugh some more. And with the mood lightened, which I feel Lexie needed, I feel at ease too. I hate to see her doubt herself so much. I have no doubt in my mind that she is the rockstar that I think she is. Now I only need to wrap my head around the fact that all of them are magical. Including me.

  “Okay. So… the best way to start is by telling you that I have what you might say, in common man terms, an empathic nature. Only added by the allure. Meaning, I can feel what others are feeling. Their emotions, their feelings. Things that you cannot hide beneath looks and appearance, words, or weapons. With me so far?”

  I nod, enraptured by the transformation that’s taken over her.

  “My magic has an orange colour. The way it works is that what others feel, I can feel on my skin. Sometimes, it is icky. Sometimes it is warm. Sometimes it is just creepy. For example when I feel someone lusting after someone with impure thoughts, it feels like a creepy slimy bug is crawling on my skin. I can literally feel what everyone around is feeling. That is one aspect.”

  She looks at Ash, who gives her a nod. Her doubt is creeping in and I wait for her to get over it.

  After taking a deep breath, she continues. “Another aspect of it is that I can make people feel things too.”

  I gasp. And her face crumples. What? No no, she misunderstood.

  “No no, you misunderstand. I am only mesmerised. So you can make others feel happy? Give someone crying a reason to smile?” I ask, visibly excited at this.

  Why the hell was she worried about this?

  Everyone looks at me shocked. But Lexie shakes her head. “No. Not at all. I can make others feel attracted to me. My allure makes it harder for people to ignore me. Remember the first time we met? How everyone was looking at me, and girls were glaring daggers at me?” She asks me, looking ashamed.

  I nod.

  “That is what happens. The men, or women who like women, get attracted to me in a way that sometimes borders on stalkerish and murderous. While the women loathe me for my looks. At times, that is a handy ability, because men literally become putty in my hands. But on an everyday basis, it is a struggle. I don't like the attention it gets me, and I hate the hate it brings my way.” She shrugs one shoulder and looks away.

  Ash looks broken. Still holding on to her, he strokes her arms.

  “So, let’s say, you wanted to know what someone is feeling, you would do that how?” I ask, hoping to bring her out of her melancholy.

  “Umm, so..,” she looks at me and smiles. “Well, I need to feel them with my powers, once the connection is made, I can just sense it. No, I can feel it.”

  “So it isn’t twenty four seven?”

  “It used to be. But I have been working hard to turn the switch on and off and it works.” She smiles as she says this.

  “Okay. And it works on everyone, or are there limitations?”

  “There are limitations. If someone is cloaking themselves, like our captives, which means they’ve been given a magical cloak to hide their emotions, thoughts, etc from others. Also you guys, I can’t feel anyone in this room. Including you, and this is from before you became a part of the team.”

  “Is this a common skill?”

  “Not really. Sensei?” She looks at Baba.

  “Not common, no. Feeling others is fairly common, and many of the gifted have this ability to some extent. But Lexie can literally feel it, so that makes it almost hard to defeat. Plus, added by her allure, it is a deadly combination. Others either have the allure, or the feeling ability. Not both together.”

  “Okay. So… others know that she has this ability? As in, other sects? They know she can do both?”

  Everyone exchanges glances.

  “Maybe. I am not sure. Why do you ask?” Dad says.

  “Okay let me rephrase. How easy is it for others to know what all of your magic is?”

  “Well, some are pretty known for they are sort of legends. In a good and a bad way, both. And that is because they have displayed their magical powers in front of the others. But otherwise, just to k
now what magic the other person has, one can speculate, but won’t know for sure what it really is.” Baba answers me.

  “Okay. And if I don’t want her to know what I’m feeling, assuming I am from another sect for example, how do I protect myself?”

  “The cloak. The one our captives have. They put a magical cover on themselves, that prohibits others access to them. It’s like a door. Not everyone can cloak from us. We are extremely powerful. Everyone in this room, including you. So someone really powerful must have designed their cloaks,” Baba tells me, rubbing his chin.

  “So I just need someone to cloak me and anyone who can feel emotions, will be stopped?”

  Baba looks at me and I can see the wheels in his mind churning.

  “Not really. It has to be specific. So they can say that they want themselves to be protected from mental or emotional probing, but then those more powerful than the caster, would be able to. Unless the caster specifically asks the magic to cloak the wearer against a specific kind of magic. And bulks that cloak up with enough power to defeat someone powerful.”

  He stands looking at me. He knows what I am thinking, yet he wants me to ask the question anyway. So I do.

  “So… silly question. But how do the captives know to cloak themselves against all of your magic in that sense?”

  Every back in the room straightens.

  “That’s a brilliant question. Why did we not think of that?” Ash asks.

  “So, maybe she displayed her magic in front of others and they figured out what it was. Or, they just know what her magic is and are able to cloak themselves against you guys. Right?” I ask, trying to connect the dots.

  I am trying to understand the nitty gritties of it. It is fascinating. But this is bothering me. If it isn't common, then how do they know?