Daughter of Kali- Awakening

by Shiulie Ghosh

  "Oh Kaz, all your stuff. I'm so sorry."

  "How did it start?" I asked, through frozen lips.

  "They don't know. The neighbours called the fire service out a couple of hours ago and they managed to save the houses either side." Two fire engines were parked in the street, men in helmets and yellow jackets busily rolling up hoses and taking down the flood-lights they'd trained on the house. A police officer was wandering round making notes, and several neighbours had come outside in their dressing gowns to watch the drama. One or two nodded sympathetically in my direction, but I ignored them.

  "Why are you both here?"

  "Dad phoned me. He didn't have your number, he thought I was with you. He's over there. Dad! Dad!"

  A tall man in corduroys and a tweed jacket turned towards us. Em's Dad, Chief Constable Graham Fox. A man I'd known nearly all my life but was still secretly afraid of. He was always so upright, so proper. He had never seemed warm or particularly compassionate. Given how kind his daughter was, I should have known better. He strode over and without hesitation, engulfed me in a fatherly hug.

  "Thank the Lord. You're alright," he said gruffly. I felt tears pricking at my eyes, taking me by surprise. "No-one knew if anyone was at home, and by the time the firemen got here, it was too late to go in and check." He held me at arm's length, examining me critically. "Is your mother safe?"

  "She…" No, she's not safe at all. "She wasn't at home. The house was empty."

  "Small mercy. It looks like the electrics set on fire. These old council houses are very badly maintained. Who's your landlord?"

  "Mr Patel."

  "Hassan Patel? I know him." Mr Fox looked grim. "I'll be having a word with him, first thing. Now, do you and your mother need a place to stay? You can come to ours, we have plenty of..."

  "No, no, it's okay. Mum and I are, um, staying with some friends."

  His bushy eyebrows knit together.

  "That explains why I haven't seen the pair of you for a while. Well, tell Mari if she needs anything, Karen and I are ready to help. Clothes, bedding, a warm meal, anything." He was looking at me so kindly, it was all I could do not to blub. He gestured at the charred mess behind us. "I take it you were insured?"

  I had no idea.

  "I think so."

  "Good." The police chief turned to his daughter. "And may I ask why you're out so late, young lady?"

  "I was just out, Daddy." Em looked nervous, and Mr Fox swept her with his piercing gaze before settling on Darius.

  "And you are?"

  Darius stepped forward smartly, his hand outstretched.

  "Darius, Sir. I'm a friend." Mr Fox looked at his hand until Darius dropped it.

  "A 'friend', eh? Whose friend? My daughter's?"

  "Yes, Sir." Mr Fox's expression was pure granite as he looked him up and down. Darius didn't flinch, enduring the once-over stoically.

  "You at school with my daughter? You look older."

  "I'm in college, Sir. I'm hoping to study medicine at university."

  "Hmph." Mr Fox grunted, sounding unimpressed. "Haven't seen you around before, and I know most families."

  "We've just moved into the area. I hope you can meet my parents one day."

  "What do they do?

  "They're in security. I'm sure you'd have lots in common." He flashed his smile, blasting Mr Fox with his charm offensive. The older man seem immune.

  "It's late. Or should I say, early. I'll be taking my daughter home with me, if you don't mind." Mr Fox took my hand, engulfing it between his own. "You'd best be off too, Kaz. There's nothing you can do here. I'll be getting a full report from the fire department and I'll let you and your mother know what to do next."

  He nodded curtly at Darius and hustled Em away.

  "I'll see you tomorrow, Kaz," she shouted over her shoulder. I remained where I was, looking at the ruins of my childhood home.

  "Shall I take you back to the Mansion?" Darius asked.

  "In a minute."

  The street gradually emptied. The neighbours went back to bed, and the fire engines drove off. And still I stood, lost in thought. A fragment of a dream came back to me, words running through my consciousness like a song that plays incessantly in your mind.

  It will end in flames.

  Curls of smoke drifted into the sky, meeting the first light of dawn. I walked towards the shell of my home.

  "Hey, where are you going?" Darius caught my arm.

  "I just want a closer look."

  "It's not safe. The place is a wreck."

  "So stay here."

  I shook his arm off and walked to the edge of the rubble. The gate which separated our front path from the pavement hung drunkenly on its hinges. I pushed it gingerly with my foot, and it fell off. I stepped over it to the remains of the front door which was now lying on the path. Beyond it, I could see what had been our front room. The sofa was a sagging pile of scorched sponge, the walls darkened with soot, and all that was left of the Kali painting was the charred frame. The canvas was gone completely.

  Darius put his hand on my shoulder.

  "I'm so sorry," he said. "But thank god you weren't here when the electrics caught fire."

  "It wasn't electrics."

  "What do you mean? Em's Dad said..."

  "I know what he said. But I just feel it. This wasn't an accident."

  "You think it was deliberate?"

  It will end in flames. Kali's voice in my head. Were these the flames she meant? But nothing had ended. I still hadn't found Mum.

  "Kaz?" Darius sounded concerned. "Let's go. There's nothing to do here."

  He was right.

  "Sorry," I said, turning to leave. "I just had this feeling..."

  And that's when I saw it. Fluttering on the fence, obscenely clean among all the blackened carnage, hidden from the street but clearly visible from the house. Something I'd seen countless times, but desperately out of place here. I heard Darius exhale shakily.

  "What the...?

  It was one of the posters advertising the school prom, pinned to the rotting wood with a shining golden pin. No, I realised, not a pin.

  Hesitantly, I reached out and touched it. It was Mum's nose stud.

  "What does it mean?"

  Darius was pointing at the message scrawled across the poster. A message written as if someone with claws had struggled to hold a pen. And then slashed the paper beneath to underline it.

  I read it and felt my head start to swim. My dream came back to me with sickening clarity. The message stood out starkly, and though its meaning wasn't clear to Darius, it was to me.

  Care to Dance ?

  An invitation.

  A baited trap.

  The end of childhood.

  ◆◆◆

  Darius caught up with me on the stairs in the Mansion. He grabbed my arm, and swung me round.

  "It's a stupid idea," he said. "I could stop you. I should stop you." He looked down at me, and for once his greeny-blue eyes were not twinkling. They were dark, like a lake under a stormy sky. I held his gaze.

  "You said I could count on you," I said softly. "For anything."

  "Not for a suicide mission."

  "I have to do this, Darius. She's my mother."

  "You're putting yourself in danger!"

  "I don't care."

  He grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me.

  "BUT I DO!"

  We stared at each other, stunned. I was aware of how close he was, his jaw tensed just inches from my own. I could smell his scent, a mix of soap and citrus. I held myself very still and slowly, he eased away from me, pushing his hands into his jeans pockets.

  "It's a trap," he said quietly. "Even you can see that."

  "I know. But it makes no difference. This could be the only way to find Mum. I have to do this."

  "Even if you end up getting killed?"

  "But it could lead us to the kids, and the Sphere! The prom is on the same night as the full-moon. This is our last chance. To s
ave them, and save her. We have to take it!"

  A door above us opened and Mrs Peters poked her head out. She was in her dressing gown, her hair in rollers. Any other time, I would have giggled.

  "What's all the noise? Oh, it's you two. It's still early, why are you up?"

  "We need to have a meeting," Darius said curtly. "One hour. Violet, can you round up the Professor? I'll fetch Di and whoever else is around."

  "What....?" I began.

  "If you insist on doing something stupid, you're going to need back-up. We have to plan for every contingency. We'll need help." He stalked off towards the Jump room, and I rubbed at my eyes. They felt scratchy from tiredness, but I couldn't sleep now.

  "Kaz? What's going on, dear?" Violet looked at me questioningly.

  "We'll explain everything in an hour. Wake the Professor."

  I reached for my phone, then hesitated. Did I want to involve Em in this? And then I thought, but you'll be risking her boyfriend's life too. Of course she had to be involved. I texted her.

  An hour later, I looked at the faces around the room.

  Most I knew; Henry and Violet, Darius, Em. Di was there, dressed in a tight leather vest and jeans, looking bored. Next to her were three Warriors.

  Max, I recognised. There were two others I didn’t. Both dressed in black, their faces impassive but alert. Warriors. One looked barely old enough to shave. He glowered at me, as if trying to make up for youth with attitude.

  "But how do you know the poster was left by Nisgath?" asked Violet. I struggled to find an answer they'd comprehend. Because Kali happened to mention dancing to me in a dream? Darius jumped in.

  "Some of Mari's jewellery was on it. I think it's obvious Nisgath is trying to lure Kaz to the prom. What I don't know is why."

  "Вы верите, что Мари все еще жив?" This from the glowering young Warrior. The only word I understood was Mum's name.

  "Yes, we think she's still alive," answered Di. I shot her a look of surprise and she raised an eyebrow. "What? Doesn't everyone speak Russian?"

  "так почему демоны хотят эту девушку?" The Warrior looked questioning and Di shrugged.

  "Beats me."

  "What did he say?" I asked.

  "He's asking why the demons want you."

  "The Named One holding Mum wants to torture her. They think kidnapping me will do that."

  The older man stirred.

  "No offence, but why is this important? We've got hellholes opening up all over, we don't have time to be tracking down your mother."

  "Javier, that's a bit 'arsh, mate," said Max reproachfully. "Mari's one of ours."

  "We all know the score," Javier shrugged. "When our number's up, it's up. No Warrior would want another deliberately putting themselves in danger."

  "Ah, you haven't met Mari then?" enquired Di. Darius shot her a look.

  "You're missing the point, Javier. These demons have the Sphere and a bunch of sacrificial kids and a full-moon. If they carry out their ritual, they can make a hellhole we can't ever shut down. Is that what you want?"

  Javier shifted uncomfortably. "The Chairman says that's a load of..."

  "The Chairman's wrong!" I took a breath, and lowered my voice. "The Chairman's wrong. If we don't stop them, the demons will create a permanent hellhole in two days’ time. The same night as the prom. And that's the only place, the only place we know we can find one of them. It will come for me, and when it does, you can follow it back to its lair and put a stop to its plans."

  "Destroying demon artefacts is not so easy," frowned Javier. "You have a spell?"

  "We have something that will neutralise it, yes," said Henry. "Let us worry about that. You just need to concentrate on killing demons."

  "And we have some new gadgets that will help. I've been working on a few ideas," piped up Em. The Warriors looked at her in surprise.

  "You're a bit young, aren't cha love?" observed Max cheerfully. "You a child genius or something?"

  Em opened her mouth angrily but Violet got in first.

  "She is utterly brilliant. And youth is no bar to ability. Look at Luka, he looks like he still drinks milk before bed." She gestured at the young Russian, who answered amiably enough.

  "молоко очень питательное."

  "Yes, milk is nutritious," said Di impatiently. "So, where were we? Oh yes, rescue the kids, destroy the Sphere, save the world. Simple." She paused. "Oh, and save Mari, of course." I ground my teeth.

  "Max, Javier, Luka, are you with us?" Darius looked at each of them.

  "The odds are against us and the stakes are 'igh." Max winked at me. "Just the way I like it, mate."

  Javier shrugged and nodded.

  Luka looked straight at me and asked a question.

  "как вы знаете, демоны не будут убивать вас сразу?"

  "He says, how do you know the demons won't kill you straight away?" said Di.

  "I don't. But I think they want me as one of the sacrifices. And I think they want to do it in front of Mum."

  ◆◆◆

  "So you're really doing this?"

  Em found me in the kitchen when the meeting finished. The plan was simple. I would go to the prom as bait. The Warriors would already be at the school, hidden, watching. When Nisgath or one of its drones grabbed me, they would follow it.

  The biggest risk was that Nisgath would simply kill me there and then, but as Di had cheerfully pointed out, that wouldn't matter. Whether I was dead or alive, the Warriors could still follow the demon back to the caves.

  "It's the only way."

  "If you're right, Nisgath will turn up whether you're there or not."

  "I have to be there, Em. For a start, I'm going to be the one wearing the ring."

  "But..."

  "Think about it. Nisgath could take me straight to the Sphere. I could deactivate it straight away, before any of the kids die."

  "And if you're already dead?"

  "Nisgath won't kill me till I'm down there with Mum. Even if I'm dead by the time the Warriors track us, the ring will still be on my finger. They can still use it."

  I sounded more confident than I felt. Em looked at me critically.

  "You're very calm about all this."

  "I'm not, though. I'm terrified." I wrapped my arms around my body. "If I think about it too much, I start getting so scared, I can barely see straight. And then I remember Mum, alone in the dark surrounded by demons, and what she's going through. And I know I don't have a choice."

  "Oh, Kaz." Em put her arms around my shoulders. "We'll find her, I promise. We're all going to help you." She pulled back and looked at me, shame-faced. "I'm sorry about yesterday. When I saw you and Darius holding hands, I got so jealous. But I know you're just friends."

  I didn't say anything. An image flitted unbidden through my mind. Darius pressed against me, about to kiss me. I tried to focus on what Em was saying.

  "I guess I still can't believe he's with me. The thought of losing him... I don't know what's worse, him being killed by a demon or him going off with someone else."

  "It's okay, Em. Forget it."

  "It's not okay. I know you would never do anything behind my back."

  I rubbed my face, trying not to think about him. His hands clasping mine, his thumb brushing my palm.

  "Nothing happened, Em. You've nothing to worry about."

  "I know, Kaz. I know, because I trust you. I will always trust you."

  And just like that, it was over. I knew that I would never, ever do anything about my feelings for Darius. Because she'd found the right combination of words to lock them in. I trust you. Like a spell.

  I looked at her, at the absolute faith and confidence in her eyes, and wondered if she knew, if she'd chosen the words deliberately.

  "I'm glad," I said heavily.

  "What are you two talking about?" We both jumped as we realised Darius was watching us from the doorway. He looke
d tired, I thought, and I realised he'd had as little sleep as I had.

  "Girl stuff." I shrugged. "Where are the others?"

  "Gone to headquarters. They're going to lay their hands on as many weapons as they can without raising suspicion."

  I nodded.

  "They seem like good people. I'm glad they're on our side. Even Di."

  "Di's a great Warrior. You're lucky to have her. I'm surprised she's helping us, she seems to really hate your Mum."

  "I wondered about that myself." I frowned. "I think she just wants to get rid of Dark. Or maybe she has some other agenda. With Di, you never know."

  "Are you both dumb?" We turned to Em in surprised. "She's not doing it to undermine Dark, or for any other stupid reason. Seriously, isn’t it obvious?” She looked from Darius to me, and I shrugged.

  “Isn’t what obvious?”

  She's doing it for you, Kaz."

  I snorted.

  "No way. She can't stand me."

  Em rolled her eyes.

  "I hate the woman, and even I can see it. You’re her niece. You remind her of her brother. You're family."

  Darius and I looked at each other. I remembered what he'd said about the other Warriors never having families, and being jealous. But Di? I shook my head.

  "Sorry, I think you're wrong. Di despises me. She even told me flat out we’re not family."

  "Gotta agree with Deva," said Darius. "Di's always sniping about her."

  Em shook her head but didn't push it.

  "So is everything sorted for the full moon?" I asked. It was now just two days away.

  "Yes. We've worked out our perimeter positions. Di and Max to the south, Luka and Javier to the north. You'll be in the grounds, away from the main entrance so the people inside are in as little danger as possible."

  "What about you?"

  "I'll be in the grounds too, as close to you as I can get."

  "Darius, no!" I protested. "Anyone near me will be at risk!"

  "Hear me out." There was an expression on his face I didn't recognise. "You're putting yourself in an extremely dangerous situation. There's a good chance you'll die. You'll be scared and stressed, and you won't be able to control what happens. Your fear will make you vulnerable. I know, because I've felt that way before. I've been trained to deal with it, you haven't. There's no way you're facing this on your own. I'll stay as close to you as possible. I'll keep out of sight, but I'll be right there."