by T. G. Ayer
“Yay for Joss. She’s unique,” said Joss with a fake grin. “So how will Joss keep her body alive if it’s already dying?”
Chayya smiled. “I can only assume you will need transfusions of some sort, either oral or intravenous.”
Joss made a face. “I’m not gonna be sucking anyone’s blood.” Then she froze, stuck her tongue out and ran them along her teeth, pausing on her canines as she went. “They don’t feel different to me. Are they growing?”
The goddess chuckled and shook her head. “No, child. They are not. And not all vampiric forms of demons display such things as extended canines. For now, I think you need to retain a strong hold on your mind. I will try to learn more about how to halt the progression of the infection in your body.” Chayya got to her feet and moved toward Maya. “Maya, you need rest. And do not attempt to heal yourself or anyone else. Joss is safe for now as your protection appears to be sustaining itself. Which means you are free to sleep. Though try not to remain unconscious for longer than five hours at a time.”
Maya nodded and thanked the goddess who waved her off before disappearing. As Chayya faded, she said, “Nikhil will do the healing, Maya. Do not think to disobey me.”
Maya didn’t reply though Joss was chuckling, and Ria also laughed, raising her head to say, “That goddess has your number, Maya. You’d better obey.”
Maya made a face at Ria. “To be honest, I don’t have the energy to disobey. I may already be asleep.”
Leela got to her feet. “I’ll show you girls to your rooms.”
Maya shook her head. “I’m not going anywhere. The only way I’m going to fall asleep is knowing everyone is here with me. So, I vote pajama party right here.”
Leela paused and then nodded. “I think that’s an excellent idea. You can hang out here and freshen up as you’re all healed and attended to.” She walked over to Maya and sank down beside her. “I’m going to have to check the wound, which means you’ll need to drop your pants.”
Maya groaned. “It’s not that bad. The wound is just below my waist, Mom. And I’m wearing gym shorts anyway.”
Everyone laughed and Maya wondered how her mom could be worried about near nudity at a time like this.
“I’ll tend to Ria first, if that’s okay,” Nik’s voice cut into the laughter and Maya blinked.
Dev replied, “Of course. I can wait until you’re done with Maya as well.”
But his wife replied, “I’ll be the judge of that. I’ll have a look at the damage and decide who needs immediate attention.” Her tone was curt, and her husband took her instruction in his stride, smiling tenderly at her before nodding. “Of course, babe.”
Maya groaned and covered her eyes. “Ugh, you two. Now is not the time.” Then she moved her hands to cover her ears, making her point even clearer.
Laughter filled the living room of the safehouse in the mountains, giving them all a brief moment free from fear and worry, and one in which love was the focus of their attention.
Whether they liked it or not.
Chapter 37
Maya rested, finding it easy to fall asleep while surrounded by her family, with Sabala watching over them all. Nik worked on Ria’s leg wound and Maya had watched as he’d dulled her pain with his magic and then dug out the bullet before using his fire to start the healing process.
Ria had sat as still as a statue, not even flinching when Nik had coaxed the bullet out with a pair of sterile forceps. This Ria was tougher, braver than the girl Maya had known through her childhood. So much had changed for all of them.
Now Maya’s heart tightened as Joss’s toe dug into her thigh. But it wasn’t pain that had elevated the clenching in her chest. Joss was traveling a road that neither Maya nor Ria could walk. She was going to have to brave much of the journey ahead alone, which Maya found incredibly unfair.
How had this happened to Joss? How had Maya allowed it to happen?
“Perhaps you need to calm your mind, Maya. None of what has happened is your fault. If anything, your intervention has only helped to make the situation better.” Sabala’s voice was reason and an objective point of view, but had Maya not acted rashly and attacked the demon, the creature wouldn’t have sought refuge in Joss. She could have chosen anyone else and yet Joss had been her victim.
Maya shut out Sabala’s voice and shifted position as Nik approached her, his smile tender and apologetic as though he knew Ria’s wound had been easy compared to Maya’s own.
He’d been attending to her dad when she’d fallen asleep and now the bloodstained sofa was empty. Nik touched her arm as her eyes widened. “He’s using the bathroom, getting cleaned up. Your mom is with him so he’s fine.”
Maya nodded and pushed herself more upright. Ria had fallen asleep, now dressed in a pair of green pajamas, while Joss lay on her back, her pink painted toes tapping Maya’s knee. Nik looked down at the moving toes then met Maya’s eyes.
He was shaking his head as he gently tapped Joss’s ankle making her reposition herself to accommodate him on the sofa. “It must have hurt but you let her keep doing that?”
Maya shrugged. “She needs comfort and human contact. It’s just a temporary pain to me but it means so much more to her. To be honest, I’d trade my life for hers if someone told me that was the way to save her.”
Nik’s lips formed a thin line. She could see admiration in his eyes and admonition too. She was tempted to argue her case but found she was far too tired. Instead, she settled against the cushions and tugged her pants down to reveal her hip bone and the damage to her body.
“Maya!” Nik hissed his voice loud enough to wake Ria and bring Maya’s parents running. Joss was sitting up too, eyes wide as she peered around him.
“Maya! What the actual f-” Joss cut off her profanity, but she shouldn’t have bothered because Maya’s dad filled it in for her.
And even Leela didn’t flinch when he swore and rushed over to Maya’s side. “I’m not sure if I should spank you or ground you.”
“Maybe you should do both,” suggested Nik as everyone stared down at Maya’s bare hipbone and the flesh and bone ripped apart by three bullets.
Not that they knew yet how many had hit her. The agent had been a crack shot and he’d hit his mark three times in a row in the few seconds it had taken for her to drop the barrier for her parents to get inside its protection.
She gritted her teeth as her mom slid the waistband of her trackpants a little lower. “Maya. How many bullets hit you?”
Maya shrugged. “Two. Three. Not sure. What difference does it make? I’m still alive.”
Nik muttered something under his breath and then probed the edges of Maya’s wounds. She tried to bite down on the pain, but her energy was all but drained.
“Lie still and breathe slowly,” Nik said as he sent bursts of his own healing fire into her wound.
Pain flared and she could almost identify the exact positioning of the three bullets, understanding now what Nik had done. He’d used his fire almost like the way a whale or a bat would use sonar.
Pretty cool trick.
Maya lay as still as possible and breathed through the pain, trying to separate herself from her body just enough that the agony wouldn’t eat at her last energy reserves. She’d have to keep those for Joss.
She must have spoken her thoughts aloud as Joss’s voice cut into her thoughts. “Maya, I can manage for a while without you helping me keep her out. Can you just focus on getting through the surgery?”
“Listen to her, Maya,” Nik coaxed gently. “I’ll help her to hold back the demon if it comes to that, but right now I’m focusing on propping your strength up. If you don’t help me, I’ll run out eventually. I’m not as powerful as you are with your fire.”
Nik’s words echoed around Maya, like words yelled down a long dark tunnel. She frowned and blinked hard trying to focus on his voice, but in the distance, she could hear the sound of laughter.
Cackling laughter that ripped into her heart.
<
br /> The demon was there with them.
Panicking, terrified for Joss and for the rest of the family, Maya sat straight up so fast her head pounded. She held her skull and pushed her feet off the sofa to the floor but as her vision focused, she stopped moving.
The living room was dark and silent, the sound of soft snoring from her dad playing chorus to the wind outside as it rattled through the branches of the trees hemming the house in.
Out the window, the inky sky was lighter on the horizon, and Maya realized she’d passed out before Nik had completed his surgery. She pressed her hand to her head and looked over at Joss to find her friend watching her with narrowed eyes.
Maya frowned, her first thought that the demon had now taken over Joss. Then Joss spoke, “I told him he either he had to knock you out or I would,” she whispered, her gaze softening. “You’re a stubborn b-word, Maya.”
Maya rolled her eyes but didn’t complain about being knocked out without prior consent. “Actually, I’m glad. I’d about run out of energy. How long have I been asleep?”
“An hour, I think.”
“Geez. This night has been far too long for my liking.”
“Agreed. Now maybe you need to get some proper sleep. Nik’s snoozing over there so he’s probably going to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when you wake up.”
“He’s sleeping? Was it that bad for him?”
“Think just because he’s a demigod that he won’t need to recover? That surgery was tough on all of us.” There was an odd edge to Joss’s voice, a hollowness that made Maya pay closer attention to her friend, worrying now that something was wrong, and Joss wasn’t saying.
Maya shook her head. “Aren’t gods supposed to be super powerful? Even demi ones?” she whispered back, hoping if she could keep Joss talking, then she’d figure out what was troubling her.
“I would think since he’s only half god, he’d still suffer a few mortal afflictions,” she replied with a smile, which Maya noted was quite forced.
Maya studied her for a long moment. “You okay?”
Joss stilled, a dead giveaway that something was up but she didn’t want to discuss it. Now she shook her head. “Nope. Just tired.”
“I can tell you’re lying,” Maya muttered, but exhaustion was pulling at her again and she couldn’t hold it at bay.
Chapter 38
When Maya woke, the sun was streaming into the empty living room, the warm rays soaking into her skin. She pushed off the covers and got to her feet slowly, testing her strength before she ended up falling on her face.
Thankfully, she didn’t pass out.
Sabala looked up at her from where he’d been sleeping not an arm’s length from her. He didn’t say anything though, not even in greeting, but she let him be.
She was walking toward the kitchen when Nik almost slammed into her with the two cups of coffee he was holding. “Morning,” he said, passing her a cup.
Maya accepted the coffee and followed him as he went to the ranch slider and opened it. Sabala trotted after them, then turned back as though he understood they needed their time alone.
Nik walked across the deck and rested his elbows on the railing, staring out at the stunning view. How strange was it that at the worst moment of their lives, when they were immersed in turmoil and betrayal and pain, they found themselves in one of the most beautiful places nature could provide?
There must be something ironically poetic about it. Or poetically ironic.
Maya shook her head free from the thoughts and sipped the coffee while inhaling the scent of pine and oak and moss. “If I had a choice in the location of my death, then I guess this place suits.”
“Stop being melodramatic.”
Maya smiled at him. “I’m kidding.” But only a little, she thought.
Nik looked at Maya for a few uncomfortably long seconds then turned to study the view again. “You should not have hidden the severity of your wounds.”
“I was fine,” she replied curtly.
“Reckless is what you were. If you pushed yourself too far and died as a result, who would have been there to save your family?”
Maya was about to retort that she wouldn’t have died but then she fell silent. “You’re right. I guess I thought I could handle it.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“Huh? Suddenly you can read my mind?”
“I know you, Maya. Even if you knew you were mortally wounded, you would have kept going if you thought you’d be saving your family. It’s one thing to want to save the lives of those you love but another entirely if such an act endangers all their lives.”
“Are you trying to say losing one is better than losing all of them?” Maya snapped, anger filling her voice.
He was right and he knew it. Which was why he tucked her hair around her ear and cupped her cheek, his skin warm from the heat of the coffee cup. “I’m going to arrange a squad from my royal guard to watch the property. And Chayya will return soon. I believe she’s doing some research regarding the process to free Joss.”
“And while you’re gone you want me to rest and recuperate?” Maya asked, her tone cooler than she’d intended, although her heart had warmed with his thoughtfulness.
He didn’t appear to mind, instead drawing her into a half hug, arm slung around her shoulders. “Ria’s on the mend and fuming, so demons and agents better watch out. Your parents are working on fixing your electronics, and your father is confident that he’ll be able to keep you all off the grid and safe. But they have agreed that Patala is an option.”
“And Joss? You’d better not be telling me you’re willing to sacrifice her safety and leave her behind because I can tell you now I won’t leave her.”
Nik shook his head, a sudden breeze lifting his hair and tossing the dark curls about. “I wouldn’t dare. I will take her to my mother where she will be perfectly safe. And you can stay with her if you want. The property is protected by the royal guard as well as the gods’ magic. Joss will be fine there even if you have to leave for short periods.”
“And how long is this for? I get the feeling you believe she’ll never be cured.”
“Not cured entirely. I am certain we will find a way to cast the demon out, but the damage done to her body….”
“What about the amrita? I helped save the goddess Varuni, so surely she’d be open to giving Joss some of the nectar,” Maya said hopefully.
Nik nodded and she let out a relieved breath as he said, “I don’t think she’d say no, but be prepared for it to be only a temporary solution.”
Maya bit her lip. “Gosh, you’re a bit of a bummer.”
“Sorry, Maya. I don’t want to give any of you false hope.”
Maya let him take her coffee out of her hand and set it on the railing. Then he wrapped her in his arms and held her tight as though attempting to send his own energy into her body by his touch.
And it seemed to work.
When he released her moments later, Maya looked up at him. “Thanks. We couldn’t have gotten to safety without you. And Chayya.”
Nik smiled. “Anything for you and your family, Maya. Now I’d better get moving so I can arrange your protection quickly. I’ll try to get back soon.” He stepped away and disappeared, giving her a wave before he’d completely gone.
Maya grabbed his cup and took it inside, muttering to herself about having to clean up after him. As she entered the kitchen expecting to see Joss, she found Ria at the table, frowning at her oatmeal. Sabala sat a foot away, watching Ria intently though she didn’t appear troubled by the hellhound’s scrutiny.
“What’s up? Don’t like oats?”
“No. It’s Joss. She didn’t sound…right. She walked out in the middle of our conversation as though she hadn’t even heard me.”
“Where did she go?”
“Said she was taking a shower.”
“I’ll go check on her,” Maya said. As she spun on her heel to go in search of Joss, the sound of a car engine shattere
d the peaceful stillness of the wilderness morning. Her first thought was that her dad was testing the car out to make sure it was running in case they needed to leave in a hurry.
But then her dad walked into the kitchen a second later, frowning as he too looked outside, drawn by the sound of the car. “Is that Nik with the car?”
Maya was about to say ‘No,’ then didn’t bother. Instead, she fled the kitchen, racing out of the living room and down the stairs to the basement and garage. The roller door was wide open, and she caught sight of the taillights of a Range Rover as it sped off.
Without thinking, Maya spun around, spotted the keys on a line of hooks and snatched up a set. Her dad had thought ahead with three cars and two motorcycles in the garage, preparing for a variety of scenarios.
Maya sprinted for the first motorcycle, tested the key to make sure it matched then swung a leg over the seat. “You’re not going without me,” Ria yelled, grabbing the keys for the second bike and climbing on. Maya didn’t waste time telling her to stay behind.
The girls were halfway down the drive, wheels kicking up dust and gravel when they heard the second Rover fire up. Dev was following which was good. They had no clue where they were, and neither did Joss.
What the hell was she thinking?
Chapter 39
Ria and Maya sped along the road following Joss all the way into the town at the bottom of the mountain. Though the streets were a maze and the town didn’t appear to be the safest place on the planet, the girls didn’t take long to spot Joss as she weaved through the narrow streets and hung a left into an alley. Thankfully, at this time of the morning the streets were fairly empty with only a handful of pedestrians turning to stare as the vehicles sped past.
Sabala was following, and Maya could see him flit through the shadows, appearing and disappearing as he kept pace with her. When Joss took the alley, Maya skidded to a stop and yelled out to Ria who slowed as she neared them.
