The Hand of Kali Box Set (Books 1-3)

by T. G. Ayer

  But Nik merely nodded and didn't seem in the least annoyed with her suggestion. He smiled and said, "You may be in for a little surprised when you do finally meet my mother."

  Maya frowned and was about to ask why when Nik continued, "I'm older than you think. And so is my mother."

  She frowned again, "How old are you?" Suddenly, she was waiting for his answerer even though she'd never even wondered at Nik's age. Why had she never thought about it? He was a demigod son of Yama the God of the underworld. Why had she taken it for granted that he was really close to her own age. Now she was more curious than ever.

  Nik sighed and rubbed his hand through his hair. "I'm not sure how you're going to take this. I mights as well just come right out and say it." He paused and Maya nodded. "I was born in 1952. My mother is now 81 years old and she has a small place in Florida."

  The silence was palpable as Maya absorbed the ramifications of Nik's answer. 1952 she thought. That would make Nik 62 years old. Then she said "Wow, I'm dating an old dude."

  "Is that all you have to say," said Nik. Confusion twisted his brow.

  "What did you expect me to say?" Maya asked, a soft smile at her lips.

  "Well, I didn't expect you to take it so well," he said grinning. Clearly he'd been tense about her reaction. He'd been worried about what she was going to say to his age revelation. Apparently there were two of them who were a little unsure of themselves in this relationship.

  "How else do you expect me to take it," asked Maya. "You are the son of the God of the underworld. You're a god in your own right and I really didn't expect you to be human. It's hard for me to get my head around it, I have to be honest. But it's not anything that I can't handle for now." Then she thought of something. "Do you age at all?"

  Nik nodded. "I do age but at a very, very slow rate. Most of the gods are immortal but the demigods are not. Unless they partake of the Amrita."

  Maya's heart twisted. It was easy to think of him as being a demigod, easy to think of him as being son of the God of the underworld, but it wasn't exactly easy to think of him as not aging. Before her stood a man who was 52 years old. Or more specifically, he'd been around for 52 years. Maya was 16. She was human and she would age and soon she would be just like his mother while he looked the way he looks now. Maya wasn't sure that she could handle that. But maybe that would be something she could think about another time. For now she would just enjoy the moment. Enjoy being part of his life. Enjoy being with Nik. She'd deal with the bigger issues when the time came.

  Then she remembered something. "Kas." She frowned.

  "What about Kas?" asked Nik.

  "Varuni was kept in captivity for decades. How old does that make Kas?"

  "I'm not entirely sure of the dates, but we suspect that Kas had generated his rebirth just before the turn of the 20th century. So I'm guessing he would've been born around 1880 to 1890."

  Maya nodded remembering what Kas looked like but also remembering that he was a demon and capable of shape shifting. "So he is kind of like you."

  Nik nodded. "In essence, yes. Kas is the son of an immortal and even though he used a different method of being born into the world again he still is, for all intents and purposes, a demigod."

  "A demon demigod you mean." Maya raised an eyebrow

  Nik nodded. "A demon demigod. That's pretty accurate."

  "Where do you think he went?" I asked, thinking about Kas and how he'd disappeared into thin air after she'd injured him. She still felt bad about hurting him. And she'd wrestled with her guilt too- why hadn't she killed him like she was supposed to? Was it because he'd managed to make her sympathize with him? To be honest he'd had a pretty enigmatic personality, one that she'd been slowly drawn to and instead of wanting to kill him she'd wanted to understand him better.

  Although she'd expected to get into trouble with Yama for not fulfilling his direction in the end she hadn't. She just decided to consider herself lucky and leave it at that.

  "I haven't a clue," said Nik frowning. "And with Kas still out there, we have unfinished business."

  "So you guys have absolutely no idea where he went?" Maya asked.

  "We have some thoughts. Maybe Naraka."

  "Why can't you go and find him and arrest him?"

  "We are trying. But so far we've come up with nothing. There have been sightings but as to how trustworthy they are we cannot be certain. He will be found though. That is a promise."

  "Do you think he could be the one sending the demons after me?" Maya asked still worried about the demon English teacher.

  "I don't think it's likely," he answered and Maya had to agree. Her gut told her that Kas wouldn't be sending his demons after her with the intent of hurting her. So far all the demons that had been on her tail hadn't held back in fighting her. Amber would've readily ripped Maya apart before taking her off to her master. "The demons after you seem much more vicious and I'm not sure Kas would be sending such creatures to find you."

  Maya smiled, "Do you think he's really a bad guy?"

  Nik frowned, "I really can't say. I know he had his reasons for taking Varuni. And I know he had his reasons for trying to come back to have a life. Maybe he'd done wrong in the past, how can we judge him now?"

  Maya thought about Balraj, Kas's sorcerer who'd experimented on her, who'd tortured her trying to take her fire. Maya was sure she wouldn't be able to forgive Kas for that. It's not as if he was totally innocent. It's not as if he hadn't harmed by his actions. Still, Maya hadn't had the heart to kill him when it counted.

  Maybe that could be considered a failure. But Maya wasn't going to be keeping one eye on the past. For now she had to figure out what her next step was. What does the hand of Kali do next?

  "So, let's talk about blood," said Maya, trying to refocus her attention.

  Nik nodded and turned to the row of bloody bottles. The macabre sight made Maya's skin tingle. As she stood and studied them she realized it wasn't just the sight of the blood that was making her feel uncomfortable. It was something about the blood itself.

  She shuddered and Nik glanced at her. "What's wrong?"

  "I dunno, I just feel weird. All goose bumpy," she said rubbing her arms. Nik smiled. "What's funny?" she asked scowling.

  "It's not funny. I'm just happy you can sense it without me telling you to." He had a very satisfied look on his face which Maya assumed was a good thing.

  "Okay, so what exactly am I sensing?"

  "Your ability to detect demon blood is on high alert because many of those bottles contain the blood of different types of demons," Nik said as he reached forward to grab one of the bottles. "Now, for the next part of the test. You ready?"

  "As I'll ever be I suppose," said Maya eying the bottles suspiciously.

  "Good," said. Nik as he handed her a small, stoppered vial filled with bloody sludge. "Now, smell this and tell me what you think of it."

  Maya grimaced and took the bottle, holding it carefully, the thought of dropping the vial just as bad as the idea of smelling its contents. She gritted her teeth and brought the bottle closer to her face.

  She must have spent too long staring at the bottle because Nik's voice broke through her thoughts, "Maya you really do need to remove the stopper to actually smell the blood." There was a smile in the tone of voice but it didn't make her feel any better.

  "I am well aware of that," Maya snapped, glaring at his grinning face. She tugged at the little cork stopper and jimmied it off, bringing the vial close to her nose. It really was a now or never sort of situation. She might as well get it done.

  Maya bent to the mouth of the vial, her nostrils positions just an inch from it. She inhaled slowly, tentatively, not wanting to get a lungful of eau de demon. She got the scent of copper, the distinct bloodiness if the odor, but that was all. She realized then that she wasn't even tingling or feeling odd while she smelled the contents of the vial.

  She frowned and looked up at Nik's expectant face. "Is something wrong with this bl
ood?"

  "Why do you ask?" said Nik, his expression inscrutable.

  "I don't smell demon. I just smell blood." Maya shook her head as she spoke, confused. For a few frightening seconds she feared that maybe she was failing at being the hand of Kali.

  "Well done," responded Nik, giving her a small round of applause. She frowned at him and he spoke. "It's human blood."

  Maya shuddered giving the vial a disgusted glare. "Who did you find to donate this?"

  Nik laughed. "You don't worry about its origins, just concentrate on learning the technique and the intricacies of the odors."

  "So human blood doesn't give me the heebie-jeebies. That's comforting," Maya said with a wry smile. She stoppered the vial and moved it over to the far left of the table. "Okay, what's next?"

  Nik handed Maya a second vial. The moment the vial touched her skin Maya's body began to tingle with awareness, a sense of discomfort that spread though her limbs and even raised the hair on her scalp. Nik was silent. He waited while she stared the cork. Maya wrinkled her nose as she brought the vial closer then stopped.

  "How do you feel?" Nik's soft voice penetrated her foggy thoughts.

  Her mind had taken on an almost dreamlike quality, her focus directed exclusively on the vial in her hand. Her palms itched and the back of her throat felt parched. Maya blinked, trying to free herself from the threads of strange power that seemed to be trying to overcome her.

  She cleared her throat. "I'm not sure. I feel a bit weird."

  "Weird is good." Nik's voice was cool and calming, sending a wash of comfort over her super tight nerves. "Tell me what you feel"

  "My palms itch, as if my fire just wants to burst out of it. And my throat is sore, like I need to drink ten glasses of water before I feel any better. And I feel like I'm weak, or drugged." Maya's voice hitched. She couldn't deny she was afraid. These sensations were strange and they had her worried.

  "That's exactly what you want to feel. It means your body and mind are reacting to the blood." Nik searched her face. "You have to find a way to handle it, to not let it overcome you."

  "Easy for you to say," Maya grumbled.

  "I know," he grinned. "I'm sorry. I wish I could be more helpful but all I can do is give you direction. You need to feel your way through it yourself."

  Maya nodded, although she was slightly annoyed that she didn't have a real teacher. Not that she didn't appreciated Nik but knowing he didn't know how to sense the blood didn't inspire a lot of confidence in her.

  She focused on the bottle and brought the open mouth to her nose. She was trying to be brave, decided to just jump in with both feet. Her stomach heaved as she breathed the odor of the blood in and for a moment she was certain she would throw up all over herself. She swallowed hard and concentrated on the smell.

  "This is definitely demon but it's not Rakshasa."

  "You have always been able to recognize the smell of Rakshasa blood," he said his voice low and encouraging .

  Maya nodded. "Yeah, I've been close enough to Rakshasa blood on many an occasion." Maya recalled the pungent odor of rotting meat and incense that she always got when around Rakshasa demons. She knew now that the odor was the smell of their blood. "So what sort of demon is this."

  "That vial of blood belongs to a Vitala demon. A Vampire."

  Chapter 10

  Maya's eyes popped wide. "You're kidding me right. For a moment there I thought I heard you say it's vampires blood."

  "You heard right." Nik's expression remained neutral.

  "So, you're also saying to me that vampires are real?" Maya scoffed.

  "I'm real, aren't I?" said Nik, raising his eyebrows. "And so are Rakshasa's. So what's the big deal with vampires being real?"

  Maya stared at him, a little unsure how to respond. He was right. So many unbelievable things were really real, how could she now question the existence of vampires. "Um, okay. I see what you mean." Maya bit her lip, her gaze hovering over the bottle of vamp blood. Then she nodded at Nik. "So, what do these vampires look like. Do they have fangs and turn into bats?"

  "No, Vitalas are spirits or demons that possess the dead, so most people assume the dead person has come back to life but that is not the case. They use the corpses to get around and can leave the old body for a new one, at will. The only vampiric characteristic of the Vitala is that they have long thin wings and can fly for short distances."

  Maya shuddered. More things that go bump in the night. And she had thought the Churel had been bad enough.

  "So what's next?" she asked, hoping they would get the whole gross exercise over with as soon as possible.

  "Now you need to taste it."

  The silence in the garage was an almost tangible thing as Maya stared at Nik, the horror freezing her expression to something she was sure was ghastly.

  "What?" she croaked. Blood thundered in her ears and her stomach heaved.

  "Taste it." Nik was relentless.

  "You're insane. I'm not putting that stuff in my mouth," Maya said, her voice ending in a high-pitched squeak.

  Nik watched her, his expression far too patient for Maya's liking. "You have to. There are deeper nuances to the taste of the blood that will enable you to identify the creature if in disguise. It will also amplify your ability to detect the demon. Like with the Ms. Harris demon, you would have smelled her from outside the class if your ability was as strong as it could be. At the height of your strength you would be able to detect a demon within a 500 yard radius. Your ability to detect and track them really does depend on your familiarity with their blood."

  Maya gritted her teeth. He was making a good case, everything he said made sense and even the prospect of being so powerful as to detect demons from hundreds of yards away was extremely encouraging, but she was still hesitant. The thought of the Vampire demons blood on her tongue, in her mouth, still made her want to throw up.

  For a few moments Nik remained silent, allowing her to think it over. A part of her accepted she would do it in the end. She would not be able to say no to the opportunity to master her powers. That would be stupid. But it didn't mean the idea didn't disgust her.

  Maya exhaled, then held her for finger over the mouth of the little bottle before tipping it over. She removed her blood drenched digit, then set the bottle on the table. She stared at the red liquid wetting her fingertip and grimaced.

  Then she stuck her tongue out and touched the tip of her finger with it. She didn't want to get any more of the blood in her mouth than she had to. She turned to Nik tongue still sticking out of her mouth.

  "Swallow," he said, his eyes twinkling. Maya glared at him. It then occurred to her that glaring while sticking ones tongue out might not be a very intimidating look.

  Maya grunted then pulled her tongue into her mouth and tasted the blood. Every cell in her body rebelled and her throat muscles refused to function as she tried to swallow. Bile surged up her throat and she felt a little faint. She gripped the edge of the table and refused to let Nik see her dilemma. At last she forced herself to swallow, and tamped down the urge to throw up as well.

  Again she tasted the rot of meat at the back of her tongue, a bitter iron taste too, quite unlike the coppery tinge to normal blood. And something different that made her sure the blood did not belong to a Rakshasa.

  Maya nodded.

  "Can you tell the difference now?" asked Nik.

  "Yes, it's subtle but it's definitely there." She looked at him. "That does not mean I am any less disgusted."

  "I'm sorry to do that to you Maya, but it's the only way."

  "It's fine. I can handle it," Maya answered, still not certain she believed her words. But the best thing was to get on with it. That meant more smelling and more tasting. "Okay, so who's next?"

  Nik reached for another bottle and handed it to Maya who sniffed, shuddered, then proceeded to taste the blood. She had decided the faster she got it over and done with, the better. This time the blood tasted ashy and bitter.

&
nbsp; "What demon is this?" Maya asked grimacing.

  "That's the Preta demon. They look like corpses, thin skin over bones, with big bellies and long thin necks."

  Nick sounded so matter of fact he could have been discussing the weather, instead of demons and demon blood. Maya swallowed hard. The thought that she had just ingested demon blood still making her stomach churned.

  "Okay, so what's next," asked Maya, more keen now than ever that she wanted to get the whole thing done. "We've done the human blood. We've done the Vitala blood, and the Rakshasa, and this was the Preta demon. What more do you have for me?"

  "Just one more," Nick said as he pointed to the final bottle sitting on the corner of the table. Maya reached for the vial. She couldn't deny that she was relieved that this was the final lot of blood that she had to taste. She opened the stopper, inhaled the scent of the blood and sniffed. She looked at Nik frowning, "This smells like rotten fruit with a tinge of bloody on the side."

  Nick laughed. "Taste and let's see if they also taste like rotten fruit."

  Maya made a face and turn her attention back to the vial. "Well, here goes nothing." She repeated the process, tipping the vial onto the tip of her forefinger and placing it carefully onto her tongue. And she'd been right, it did taste of fruit. "So what demon is this last one?"

  "That is a Pisacha demon. In their natural form that are red-eyed, dark skinned and have bulging bluish veins. They can become invisible at will and can also take on whatever form they chose."

  "So there's a very real possibility we have interacted with one at some point?" asked Maya.

  "Of course. That is a possibility. And now that you know what their blood smells like you will be able to identify a Pisacha even if it's invisible standing twenty feet away from you. The trick then is to get it be visible. Unless you are able to fight it off just using your sense of smell to guide you."

  "I'm beginning to see what you mean," she said turning to face Nik. "The taste of the blood amplifies the ability to smell it. It's as if it trains my nostrils to detect the deeper parts of the blood that can tell exactly what type of demon it is. It's still majorly gross that I have to taste the blood, but I see now why you made me do it."