by T. G. Ayer
But, Kali shook her head and smiled. The action rounded her cheeks and she looked positively radiant, if one can look radiant being blue and all. "On the contrary, you have progressed naturally, developing your skills so well that I believe you are ready for the next level."
"The next level?" asked Maya, feeling a little stupid as she parroted the goddess.
"Yes, Maya." Kali tipped her head to one side, studying Maya for a long moment, her dark eyes almost glowing with latent power. "The abilities granted to you are manifold. Your power to control flame; given to you to enable you to eliminate demons and any other dangers at will, and of course for protection. And your blood power, to detect and find evil, in essence to track down anything bad. So far you have honed it to track demons, but there is more to that power, and with time you will learn to use it for far more than mere demon tracking."
Maya nodded, a little unsure. Kali's revelation that her powers were even more than she'd expected hadn't been such a revelation, especially coming within minutes of healing Joss's burned hand.
Kali's soft voice broke the hollow silence of the tiled room. "There is one more power that you have not yet received." The goddess straightened her head, focusing squarely on Maya's face. A frisson of discomfort slid down her spine. Would Kali judge her on her reaction? The last thing she wanted was to come off as an airhead.
She fidgeted, her fingers tugging the bottom hem of her pajama top. "Another power?" Maya asked. Her conversation skills were more than lacking and didn't bode well for Kali's impression of her as an intelligent human specimen.
Too late, though. She certainly couldn't turn back time and take it back.
A grin spread on Kali's face and Maya stiffened. Had she heard her thoughts?
Damn.
Kali laughed softly, gentle and almost loving, the sound of a mother's amusement when her child did something cute. She glided towards a slim waist-high brass stand that usually held oil and a multitude of burning cotton wicks. Now, they were unlit, but the goddess swept her hand across the tops of the oiled cotton and all six sprang alight, flickering and casting a gentle glow onto Kali's face.
"Don't worry, Maya. We only read minds when we want to know something that you are not willing to tell. Fortunately, you are . . . how do you modern souls say . . . an open book?"
Maya nodded, a little embarrassed. Open book, indeed.
Kali laughed again. "Other humans will find it a little harder to read you, my dear. Gods, though, are a different story." Then she leaned forward, her expression eager. "Now. Pay attention. You must learn how to call me when you need me. I believe Chayya has provided you with a method to easily call her to you?"
Maya nodded. "She gave me a brass pot," she said, still amused with Chayya's version of an emergency text.
"And I will also give you a vessel. One which is significantly different." Kali extended her right hand and bared her palm. A breath later a bowl appeared, dull and yellowed marked with a million cracks and imperfections. Unimpressive to say the least.
Kali bobbed her hand, and Maya reached for the bowl, taking it into her own palm and turning it over. When it finally sunk in as to what the bowl really was, Maya almost dropped it on the tiled floor.
She had to force herself to maintain her grip on the bowl. Or more accurately, the skull.
Maya glanced up at the goddess, a little afraid of what she would be expected to do with this particular receptacle. Appearing on a multitude of images of Mother Kali, it often collected the blood that dripped from a severed head the goddess held with another one of her eight hands. Of course, the head was another symbol, this time of human ego, the mother being depicted as the destroyer of ego. A garish image, but apt.
Kali tapped the ragged edge of the skull. "You can call me to you with this kapala." She smiled at Maya's fearful frown. "Do not worry, child. I will not require a human sacrifice."
Maya's eyebrows rose, and then she grinned at the mirth in the goddess's eyes. Kali was teasing her.
Then Kali glided closer. "Well, it is, in a way, a human sacrifice."
Okay.
Maya held her breath.
"You will be the sacrifice. Or at least, a part of you."
Maya's eyes shifted from Kali to the kapala, her heart beginning to thud harder against her ribs. She wasn't too sure of where this was going and she mentally crossed her fingers.
Kali chuckled. "Enough teasing. You will prick you finger and place a drop of blood inside the kapala. Then you must light a piece of sambrani. The blood and the incense will do the rest."
Maya hesitated again, the sight of the skull giving her the creeps.
"You do not need to be afraid of it," said Kali, softly. "Tell me, what do you see?"
Maya's forehead creased. "It's a human skull."
"And if you look closer?"
Maya lifted the kapala to her face, turning the bowl over to study every inch of it. To her surprise she found the cracks seemed to be hand-drawn, the surface too smooth, the shape too perfect. "It's man-made," she said, relieved.
"And what does it tell you?"
"That it's a representation or a symbol?"
Kali nodded, satisfied with her response. Then she dusted her hands, as if that resolved Maya's curiosity regarding the human skull, and moved toward the raised platform set against the back wall of the room. The little dais held a pair of black stone carvings, one of Lord Shiva, the other of Kali herself. Maya's parents had always put both deities on an even footing, and even the inclusion of Kali at Shiva's right hand was unusual when Parvathi was his consort.
Technically.
Maya forced herself to concentrate as Kali knelt before her likeness and waved her hand. The air shimmered and a brass tray appeared. Upon it sat a small pile of camphor shards and a little rock of frankincense.
Kali shifted, the deep red fabric of her sari rustling as she glanced over her shoulder and beckoned Maya closer. Maya obeyed, stopping beside Kali and sinking to her knees, feeling more than ridiculous in her bright blue pajamas next to the silk-and-gold clad goddess.
"Place the kapala here," she pointed beside the tray. Maya obeyed and sat back on her heels. "Now, for the blood."
Maya looked around the temple, wondering what she was meant to use to puncture her skin to draw the blood. With the wave of her hand, Kali produced a small silver pin. "This will suffice. No need to get fancy."
Maya took the pin without a word, pierced her forefinger and pressed the tip to encourage a bead of red to form. Then she rubbed the blood onto the bottom of the kapala. Strange, and a little creepy but who was she to judge?
Kali motioned at the camphor and Maya sprinkled a dusting of grains onto the blood smear.
"Light it."
Maya obeyed, reaching automatically for the box of matches that sat beside the main brass lamp.
Kali clicked her tongue and the sound danced off the tiled walls. "Not with that. What is the use of having fire power if you do not use it?"
Maya nodded, trying to hide her smile at the goddess's obvious irritation. Kali certainly didn't have qualms about using mystical power to perform everyday tasks, so why should she?
Maya proceeded to pull a flame from within her core before setting the camphor alight with a soft sputter.
She reached for the frankincense, what she'd known all her life as sambrani or loban, and dropped a small rock into the burning flame. Almost immediately the outer surface of the grey-and-white speckled resin began to melt and a smooth white smoke rose into the air, filling the room with the unique fragrance.
It had always been strange knowing this particular incense was so commonly used among all of the other major religions. Sometimes the simplest of things show how very little difference exists between people.
"Now, once the sambrani is burning, you call to me."
"What do I say?"
Kali frowned, genuinely puzzled. "What do you mean?"
"Is there a chant or something?" asked Maya. She proba
bly had to recite a few Sanskrit verses or something.
"Do not be silly, child. Just use your words and speak to me. I will hear you and come as soon as I can."
That's it?
It was Maya's turn to frown. "So why do the priests chant those verses and mantras if that doesn't call the gods to the temple?"
Kali smiled. "The chanting is a form of purification, a means to center the minds of the worshipers. Most people's minds are filled with too much thought and emotion, too little peace and serenity. They are unable to focus long enough to allow their plea to leave their souls and make its way to us."
"So anyone can summon you?" Maya glanced nervously at Kali. She'd used the word summon as if the gods were at her beck and call. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean . . . "
"Do not worry, Maya. That is what we are as gods. We exist merely to serve you. Sometimes we cannot come the moment we are called, but we will come." Her expression was serene, unaffected, pure.
Maya nodded and swallowed. The goddess's assurances had failed to console her. "So I perform the ritual, and ask to see you. Then I wait?"
Kali nodded. "You would not need to wait too long. A few minutes, perhaps a little longer. If you call me I will find you wherever you go afterwords. I will, of course be discreet so only you will see me." Kali smiled in such a way that Maya could have sworn she'd winked at her.
Maya cleared her throat."How come you don't reveal yourself to others?"
"Because they may not be the one who needs me. I go where my people need me. Appearing to all and sundry would be a waste of my energy and would probably cause too much of a commotion."
Maya grinned. "You would qualify as a celebrity."
The goddess laughed softly. "That is the last thing any of us would aspire to."
Then Kali got to her feet in one smooth move. "I must be going, but I will return soon to begin your training for your final power."
"What is this power?" asked Maya, curious now that the word training had been mentioned, making the mysterious new ability all the more real.
Kali gave a half smile, her lids lowered. "You will have to wait and see, my dear."
Maya pouted but didn't dare demand an explanation.
"See you soon, Maya Rao," said Kali as she walked across the tiled floor and then disappeared into thin air.
Maya let out a breath, feeling the tension escape from her body along with the air from her lungs. She should have been used to visits with gods and goddesses, but Kali was different.
Kali had bestowed Maya with her powers. Fire, and then blood.
Now, she had one more to look forward to.
Maya's stomach turned over and she swallowed against the queasy roll in her gut.
Who knew? Maybe the new power would come in handy.
Chapter 5
Joss stood at the little stereo beside the coffee machine, swiping the finger of her now-healed hand across the screen of her iPod as Maya walked into the kitchen. Her dad was busy unpacking paper bags of Thai food and the delicious smell of spiced noodles and fragrant rice drifted toward Maya, eliciting a symphony of grumbles from her stomach.
Dev smiled as the air filled with the soft jazz sounds of Melody Gardot and Maya suspected they were in for Joss's special play-list that included Norah Jones and Joss Stone. If Maya didn't know for sure, she'd have bet money that her friend was named for the famous Joss. With the music set, the girls helped to lay out plates and cutlery.
Anything to get stuck into the meal faster.
Maya sighed and as she sank gratefully into her seat, she pulled the Styrofoam box filled with noodles closer to her plate. "Come to mama," she cooed at the box before letting out a soft grunt. "Airplane food sucks."
"I'll second that," said her mom as she walked in bearing a large bottle of orange juice. She grabbed a pitcher from the cupboard and filled it before setting it onto the table.
As Leela took her place beside her husband and began dishing, Maya gave the jug a glare, remembering the glass of OJ she'd melted not too long ago. Her gaze slid to the burn that still adorned the aged wood of the kitchen table, and a pulse of guilt rippled through her. Neither one of her parents seemed to be in any kind of hurry to be rid of the constant reminder of her tantrum.
The silence in the room was broken solely by the clink of Maya's fork, she being the only one utterly incapable of eating with chopsticks. Deep within a strange meld of satiation and peace, it was only when Joss poked her in the arm that Maya looked up from her plate.
"What?" she asked, sending a grumpy glare at her friend, slightly annoyed at the intrusion as she'd finally managed to sneak a few minutes without worrying about strange fire abilities and how she was going to manage them without incinerating herself and the rest of the country.
"So, you breathe any fire yet?" Joss asked, grinning as she spoon rice into her mouth.
Crap.
Maya had forgotten to tell Joss to keep her lips zipped until she got the fire-breathing under control. Like with most siblings, she blabbed unless she was sworn to secrecy. She wasn't ready for the twenty questions they were sure to fire at her.
Maya went still, hoping her parents had missed Joss's indiscretion.
"Breathe fire?" asked Leela as she leaned forward, curiosity brightening her eyes.
Double crap.
"Yeah. Maya was full of hot air on the plane." Joss smirked. Maya suspected she was hoping for a big reaction.
As if performing on call, both her parents looked from Joss to Maya, and the silence that filled the following moments held a hint of a threat with which she was quite familiar.
She dared to give a tiny sigh but it ended up just a hiss of breath discernible exclusively to her own ears. Lifting her chin the tiniest bit, she said, "It's nothing. I just breathed a little fire. That's all." She gave a shrug and hoped they would drop the interrogation.
But her dad's forkful of noodles hovered mid-air a few inches from his mouth and her mom still remained motionless.
"It's fine. Really. I'm going to speak to Nik about training so it doesn't happen again." She spoke all in a rush and then came to an abrupt stop, deafening silence now crowding the room.
Dev cleared his throat and set his fork, still laden with noodles, back on his plate. "What happened before you . . . did your dragon impression?" he asked, his lips turning up slightly at one corner.
Leela gave him a withering glare but he barely blinked an eyelid, just waited for Maya to answer.
"I was thinking about Ria. I'm assuming I lost control because of it. I'm still so pissed off about that." Maya sighed and leaned her elbows on the table, completely unaware that she'd used a word on the bad list. "My anger made me lose control and I know that. I'm going to be responsible about it and speak to Nik as soon as possible."
"And in the meantime?" asked Leela, her almond-shaped eyes still dark, fatigue and worry now deepening the shadows etched beneath them.
"In the meantime?" asked Maya, straightening in order to tackle her food. She planned to tackle Joss later.
"How do you plan to control it in the interim? You don't exactly have the boy on speed-dial."
Mom, you have no idea.
Maya merely gave a short nod and tried to keep her facial muscles under control. She had enough on her mind that was related to the conspicuous absence of the boy without letting her mom know that she was bugged about it.
"What do you suggest, Mom?" she asked, genuinely interested. Her mom would have something in mind already, or she wouldn't have asked the question at all.
"You should try some Yoga." The expression on her face claimed she was actually being serious.
Maya groaned. "Mom! The last thing I need is to be wasting time on some flaky, hippy stretching."
Dev snorted, the rough sound drawing the studied attention of all three women at the table. "What?" he asked, his face the picture of innocence. "Not too long ago she was denouncing gods as just myths and folktales, and see where that got her."
&nbs
p; Leela and Joss turned to look at Maya, neither able to hide the width of their grins. Seems they'd forgotten all about their food.
Thanks, Dad.
Then Joss cleared her throat. "Your dad has a good point there, Maya," she said between bites. "Don't knock it 'til you try it."
"Of course, you'd say that," Maya said with a stony glare, her emphasis on the word you sounding as all-encompassing as she'd meant it to be.
"What do you mean?" asked Joss, her eyes flickering with amusement. She knew exactly what Maya meant.
"Do your research. There weren't many brown hippies," Maya snapped before shoving a forkful of noodles into her mouth. Despite the ribbing, she was still enjoying her noodles.
Joss burst out laughing. "Sure. Blame me for the mistakes of my entire race."
Maya jumped at the opening. "So you're admitting the whole hippie movement was a mistake?"
Joss chortled. "Not a freaking chance. Where would humanity be without Kaftans, boho chic and weed?"
Maya couldn't maintain a straight face any longer. The whole conversation had devolved into a bunch of nonsense.
Despite the mention of illegal substances, Dev and Leela were also chuckling and Maya knew they were laughing at her. And strangely enough she was actually fine with it.
A little teasing never hurt a girl, fire-breathing or otherwise.
Chapter 6
Early next morning, far too early courtesy of jet-lag, Maya trudged into the kitchen to find they had a visitor.
"Claude! What are you doing here?" asked Maya with a bleary-eyed grin.
She'd barely stopped speaking before Claudia Romero, her mom's closest friend and her adopted aunt, enveloped her in a hug that almost squashed her flat.
"Air," croaked Maya, pointing to her throat and pretending to choke. Both her parents ignored her from their seats at the table, eyes trained on their devices, neither moving a muscle to save her. Their amused expressions reassured Maya that they had no intention of helping her out. At last, Claudia laughed and let her go, and immediately Maya felt bereft.
Funny how that goes.
