The Hand of Kali Box Set Vol 2

by T. G. Ayer

  Maya wanted to scream. How was she supposed to help Joss if she didn’t know what she was supposed to do?

  She was about to ask Joss if she had any ideas, when something hit her broadside, as though a hurricane had come out of nowhere to batter her down.

  “Maya!” Joss screamed as the link between the two girls shattered and Maya could hear Sabala’s words of encouragement, though they failed to make her feel in control.

  Pushed away from contact with Joss, Maya tumbled on a sea of energy, flailing as the power threatened to suck the life out of her. She pushed back as hard as she could, sending a stunning burst of energy into the demon’s mind. Screams filled Maya’s thoughts and she forced herself not to gasp from the shock of the harsh noise.

  But she took heart in the sound because it was part pain and part fury, which confirm she’d managed to injure the mahavitala. Not permanently, but at least enough to distract her. Maya left Joss’s mind, returning to consciousness to find Ria staring at her, eyes wide with terror while the hellhound watched calmly.

  Maya held up a finger. The demon was not going to get the best of her. She’d give her life to protect Joss and now she had an idea she hoped would work. She planned on giving her BFF the energy to keep the barrier up for as long as was necessary.

  She entered Joss’s consciousness again and went straight to the ward, familiar now with the energies of her friend’s mind. Without pausing to tell her what she was about to do, Maya sent a steady stream of her fire into Joss’s barrier, working quickly while the rest of her awareness watched for Kripali.

  Only when she felt a pulsing of relief from Joss did Maya retreat. And as she did so she heard her friend’s words in her head.

  No, wait. Not in her head.

  Maya’s mouth hung open in shock as she stared at a smiling Joss. “Damn, it’s good to be back.”

  Chapter 33

  Joss’s voice was soft and weak, probably as weak as her body.

  Maya couldn’t reply, shock still controlling her vocal cords, shock that also had her forgetting she wasn’t meant to speak aloud. Sabala growled a warning even as Ria waved a hand between the two girls, then put her finger to her lips.

  Joss’s eyes went wide when she spotted Ria, and she opened her arms for a hug. After the girls embraced, Joss reached out to the hellhound and rested her hand on his head in greeting.

  Ria studied Joss’s hand as it stroked the top of Sabala’s head, then she straightened and scribbled a note to Joss. Please excuse Maya. She was supposed to cast out the demon and I think she didn’t expect to succeed.

  Maya peered over and read the reply, then let out a grunt before taking the notepad and responding. She didn’t cast out the demon.

  Ria frowned staring from Maya to Joss. “Then what….” she said aloud, forgetting for a moment before Maya slapped a palm over Ria’s mouth.

  Taking the notepad, Joss gave each of the girls a wary look before she replied, Maya gave me enough energy to boost the protection around my mind. And because I don’t need to focus on keeping the barrier strong, I can return to consciousness without the bitch taking me over.

  Kripali, wrote Maya.

  What?

  That’s the bitch’s name.

  Well, good for her, Joss replied, then retrieved her hand from Sabala and shifted on the mattress to sit up a little higher, propped up by the pillows. So, can we figure out a plan to get rid of her. And quick? And can someone tell me why we aren’t speaking aloud?

  Maya sighed and replied, It’s a lot to write down. I’ll grab your iPad and type it up. In the meantime, let’s get some food in you and tell Mom and Dad.

  Ria nodded at that and left the room. Joss looked at the door and then at Maya, eyes wide in disbelief and filled with questions. Nice threads, Joss wrote, grinning, just as impressed as Maya was at their timid friend’s badass leather fashion choices.

  Joss had read over Maya’s shoulder as she wrote the short version of what had happened since the debacle in the basement of the toyshop. Joss’s eyes were wide, and she was reaching for the iPad to reply when Leela and Dev entered the room.

  Maya and Ria smiled as their BFF was swept up in silent hugs from Leela and then Dev. When the welcome cuddles were done with, Dev looked around the room. Taking the iPad, he continued writing a line below Maya’s explanation.

  The barriers I put in place are holding together but we were hacked. Probably by the nurse. It’s likely she brought something into the house.

  Maya pointed at the machines hooked up to Joss and raised her eyebrows.

  Dev nodded. Yes. At this point anything is a danger. We need to prepare to protect ourselves.

  But before Maya could ask what they needed to do, Joss took the iPad and typed furiously. I’m not going to stay here if I’m putting you all in danger. Maybe we should split up. I could go somewhere else, maybe back to the mountains or even to Patala?

  Maya shook her head vigorously.

  Maya, I am unable to read the messages. Could you tell me what is being discussed? I feel rather left out.

  Maya snorted, then ignored all the weird looks the sound received. Then she quickly read all the messages to Sabala in her mind. She’d grown used to talking to him in her head, and it was almost no longer weird.

  Then she leaned closer and held Joss’s shoulder as her dad replied on the iPad, remembering to voice the message in her mind for Sabala. We are all in danger from KALIMA. You aren’t the cause of this situation, Joss. And we are not going to leave you alone. We stick together. We stay together unless we have no other choice.

  Joss looked about to challenge him but then her shoulders sagged, and she sank back against her pillows. Leela patted the mattress to get everyone’s attention, then mouthed Pack quickly.

  Maya glanced at Sabala. Watch Joss, she said.

  Then, in silence, she and Ria hurried off and returned within minutes with their bags, then checked Joss’s closet for her go-bag. Ria helped her change out of her pajamas into tracks and a sweatshirt. Maya toed Joss’s loafers over to her and then waited as she slipped them on.

  They were done and about to go in search of her parents, with Maya curious as to how they were planning to leave the house unseen, when Sabala growled, the sound soft but threatening enough for Maya to freeze. She waved at the girls and they all sank to the floor beside the bed.

  And then the floorboard outside Joss’s room creaked.

  Everyone in the house knew about the squeaky floorboard. They all knew to avoid it and even Maya’s parents would refrain from stepping too close to the wall, knowing the sound was loud enough to wake someone.

  Only Nurse Lark hadn’t figured it out, which was how Maya usually knew the woman was on her way into Joss’s room. Which didn’t explain how the old nurse had managed to sneak up on Maya’s dad earlier in the day.

  Nothing was making sense anymore.

  Nice save, pooch, Maya said to Sabala who didn’t deign to reply.

  Now, the girls duckwalked toward the far wall and watched as two dark figures appeared in the doorway.

  Sabala positioned himself between the girls and the danger but Maya said, Don’t do anything unless I tell you. I can’t have you ripping up people who are only doing their jobs.

  As you wish, Maya, the hellhound replied, sounding disappointed.

  Maya ignored Sabala and raised her hands to throw two balls of energy at the intruders. As the fire flew at the two masked men, their forms, clothing and weapons were clear for the girls to see in the light of the flaming missiles.

  If Maya had to hazard a guess, this was a team from KALIMA, the dress code and the weapons all familiar enough to her. The fireballs hit the pair hard, sending them backpedaling right into the balustrade. The combined weight of the two agents cracked the wooden railing which gave way, sending them falling to the floor below.

  When she glanced at Joss, she saw the fury in her friend’s eyes, knowing she’d recognized them as agents. Maya raised a finger and pointe
d at the door. She barely waited for the nods from her friends before scuttling like a crab toward the doorway. Keeping low turned out to be smart not only for the girls.

  Sabala trotted past Maya and reached the threshold just as another agent rushed into the room. The agent tripped over the hellhound and as he sprawled on the floor with a low thud, Ria appeared out of nowhere and knocked the weapon from his hand then used the butt to knock him out.

  Three down, who knew how many more to go.

  The girls closed in on Ria and peered out into the hall. Shadows moved at the bottom of the stairs and on the other side of the landing at the entrance to Maya’s parents’ bedroom.

  She slipped into the hall and kept low, moving to the top of the stairs as the intruder entered her parents’ room. Sabala followed with Ria supporting Joss who was still a little too weak to be running for her life.

  From inside the room came the sound of a choked cough, and then a low thud as a body hit the floor. Then, Maya’s dad popped his head out of the room, spotted her and aimed a finger at the floor.

  Basement.

  Maya gave him a thumbs up and glanced over her shoulder at the girls who were already responding with a thumb in the air. Just as they passed Maya’s bedroom, another shadowed figure entered the hallway. The shadow paused and Maya and the girls waited to see what happened next.

  Even Sabala paused, hackles rising teeth bared as he waited.

  There was no doubt the girls had been seen, but then, instead of calling for help or shooting at the trio, the figure hurried past them and headed downstairs toward the cluster of bodies in the hall as agents helped their injured teammates to their feet and out of the house to safety.

  Whoever the agent had been, their loyalty to the current board was most certainly in question. Maya would have loved to know who the agent was but that was something she was likely to never find out.

  But she had all her money on Andres Mirov.

  Chapter 34

  As soon as the front hall was cleared, Sabala led the way and the girls hurried downstairs as fast as they were able while helping a weakened Joss along. The hellhound held his snout up high to check the hallway, then snuffed to give Maya the go-ahead.

  The trio hurried to the basement entrance, with the hellhound now watching their six. They were entering what could turn out to be a trap, but they had no choice. And the Sabala hadn’t scented any danger in the basement either, so Maya took that as a good sign.

  She supposed they could always leave through the garage beside the training room and make a getaway, though it would be neither silent nor secret.

  Thankfully, as they entered the basement, they found the place empty. They gathered in the dark to wait for Maya’s parents, all silent, each fighting their own internal battles. The girls kept close as though needing the warmth from each other’s bodies as a physical reassurance that they were going to get out of danger safely. Sabala positioned himself between them again and Maya hoped she didn’t have to repeat her warning.

  If any of the agents were mauled by a demonic dog, the board would have good reason to claim the Raos were dangerous and reckless, even if Sabala was protecting their lives.

  Beside Maya, Ria clutched the gun she’d taken from the agent and Maya spotted a flash of metal in Joss’s hand, which was now far steadier. None of them wanted to injure any of the agents. They could easily end up hurting people they knew, trained with or went on missions with. One of these agents could have been Mirov for all Maya knew.

  At least she knew Claude was confined to her wheelchair which would have given her away instantly if she was one of the agents betraying and endangering Maya and her family.

  Now, Maya couldn’t think about anything else but the impending danger to herself and her two friends.

  The girls faced the stairs, holding their breath as footsteps echoed down to them. Two shadowed figures rushed down, weapons aimed at the girls. Without thinking, Maya flung out her hands, throwing a protective dome of fire energy around herself and her friends. She’d acted just in time, as one of the agents fired, the bullet racing at the dome then bouncing off, spitting flames and smoke as it fell to the floor.

  Before Maya could think of doing anything else, the pair of agents went sprawling as her parents shoved them hard from behind, then raced to the girls.

  Maya dropped the protective barrier just long enough for her parents and Sabala to enter the dome, before closing it. But she wasn’t fast enough. Another agent raced down the stairs having followed her parents to the basement, firing on them as they entered the dome of protection.

  Maya wasn’t sure how many bullets made it through other than the one’s which had hit her, but she threw up the shield fast.

  Sabala growled. You are injured, Maya.

  I’ll be fine, you just watch out for the girls.

  The hellhound snuffed in response as Maya glanced around her. Ria held a hand to her thigh, and her dad sported a blossoming red stain on the shoulder of his tan shirt.

  Anger fueled Maya’s magical protection and she focused on the agent holding his weapon on them all. She had to stop any of the bullets from hitting her family again and knew she had to eliminate the danger.

  The dome around them hummed with the added energy and gave off sparks in places where the fire power pooled. Maya focused on one of the small tornadoes of flame, thrusting it outward at the agent who was still firing at the shield.

  The fire surged at him like a spear, striking him in the upper shoulder of his shooting arm. He swore as he was flung back, his head hitting the bottom stair while his weapon skidded away, spinning around and around, presenting a danger that made Maya freeze.

  The agent though, was out for the count and Maya looked over at her dad. “Now what?” she asked softly.

  But before he could reply, the house above them exploded, debris raining down on their heads as the ceiling caved in. The staircase slammed down into the basement along with wooden flooring and furniture. Leela cried out in horror and Maya gasped in pain and devastated shock, though she focused on strengthening the dome above their heads so it would keep the falling ceiling from crushing their protection. This was their home and KALIMA had just destroyed it.

  “Was I imagining it or were they trying to kill us?” asked Maya, her voice cracking.

  “Looks like it, kiddo,” Dev replied, resting a hand on her shoulder despite his pain, seeking to comfort her.

  Ria let out a soft grunt. “Maybe they just wanted to subdue us. Can we assume those weren’t real bullets?”

  Maya studied Ria’s face, one eyebrow curving. “Is that real blood on your leg?” she asked archly, partly sad that they all wanted to deny the betrayal of their agency, and partly angry that any one of them would want to make excuses for KALIMA. Not after they’d dodged so many bullets in the last few minutes.

  Ria’s eyes darkened. Her sigh was so soft that Maya almost didn’t hear it. “Okay, so maybe denial isn’t going to work. Now what? We’d better decide soon. You’re not going to be able to hold up the house for much longer, even if you pretend you’re related to Atlas.”

  Joss choked on a laugh and then shook her head. “This is insane. What are they after?”

  “Control of the agency? Me? You? Who the hell knows?” Maya bit out the words, anger now flowing over her like a tidal wave. She looked over as her mom’s warm hand rested on her shoulder. “Mom? Can you call Chayya? Sabala? Get Nik to come. I’m just not sure how quick either of them will be, so we may have to wait.”

  Leela nodded and Sabala snuffed his agreement. “I will be back soon.” The hellhound faded away, though Maya could see he wasn’t happy about leaving her without his protection.

  At her side, Maya saw her mom summon Chayya with the bowl the Goddess of Shadows had given her. Maya had refrained from calling Chayya too often. She’d felt bad for monopolizing the goddess’s time in the last few months, though this situation was most definitely reason enough to disturb Chayya.

&
nbsp; If there was ever a time the Raos and their extended family needed help, it was now.

  Chapter 35

  Though Maya had expected Nik and Chayya to take a while to come to their aid, she’d been wrong. Perhaps Sabala had made it clear enough for Nik to get moving instantly. He arrived within moments of Sabala’s departure with the hellhound at his side.

  “What’s going on?” Nik asked, his voice warping as he looked up and around him at the magical dome and at the injured people all staring at him, faces tense and filled with worry.

  “We need to get out of here. Can you move everyone to safety? I’ll keep the barrier up but I’m not sure how much longer I can do it.” Maya flicked a glance at her hip where blood had soaked her pants all the way down to her ankle. She’d compartmentalized the pain, but the loss of blood wasn’t something she could ignore for too much longer.

  Even now, darkness began to edge in on her vision as Nik nodded and turned to speak to her dad. “Where do you wish me to take you? I can offer safe refuge in Patala if you wish?”

  “No. We can’t go to Patala yet. Needs to be somewhere in this world for now. Just until we figure things out,” Maya said, her voice reduced to a croak as the weight of the magic began to press down on her even harder.

  “I have a place,” Dev said, though Maya could hear the uncertainty in his voice. “I’ll guide you but take the girls first.”

  “Joss stays with me,” Maya said on a grunt. “I can’t be away from her too long.”

  Nik glanced at her but didn’t argue. He and her dad conferred for a moment and then he held a hand out to Leela first. They disappeared, and just as they faded from view, Chayya appeared, her usually serene face lined with concern.

  “Maya. I came as soon as I could, but I wish I’d left sooner. What is happening?” The goddess’s eyes were wide with horror at the scene within the basement. Then she straightened. “Never mind. Who am I taking? I sense Lord Nikhil’s departure and can follow him.”