“It seems I have a vested interest in keeping that secret now more than ever,” James said softly.
Quinn felt bad about exposing James’s secret like that. But he was certain he was looking at the first prophet of their generation. Prophets were only born when the world had need of them and they were often abused for their power. James really needed to get as far away from Soma as he possibly could. He needed a proper mentor to teach him and help him prepare for his Proving.
“You’ve just been teaching yourself? Running on instinct?”
James nodded. “It’s my only option. “If they knew….”
“Can I really trust you?” Quinn knew Livia wanted to get her hands on Allie and the rest of his family, but he wasn’t sure he could trust James to keep the little information he had about Allie to himself.
“You think I’m the enemy,” James said. “But I don’t offer information to Soma unless they ask, and when they do, I’m intentionally vague. It’s saved me from a worse fate than this cushy job. I’ll be at Amrita. I always have to go. Apparently I’m a good recruiter. I’ll make sure we don’t recruit your friends. They’ll be fine.”
“Can you give her a message?” Quinn asked. “The redhead.” It was a reckless request but he was desperate.
“Depends on the message.”
“Tell her they need to forget about me. I don’t want any of them looking for me anymore. It’s too risky. Tell her … tell her I’m okay and I’m handling it.”
James nodded. “I can respect that. I’ll see she gets the message. And don’t worry. You can trust me, Quinn.”
“Please don’t make me regret it,” Quinn said.
“You just concentrate on not giving Livia a reason to go after Graham, and I’ll handle keeping her away from the redhead. I may not be a hero, ready to die vanquishing the evils of Soma, but I’m also not an asshole.”
~~~
* * *
1 Rigveda 8.48.3
CHAPTER
TEN
Sasha: Summer
The Chola Valley Temple
Sasha stared up at the early evening stars as she stepped over the mosaic threshold at her feet. Something about crossing into the valley had both Jayesh and Imogen visibly anxious.
“There is no turning back now,” Jay whispered. “We are here for the duration.”
“How did … what is this?” Sasha screwed her eyes up against the blazing afternoon sun. “Oh!” she gasped as the Chola temple appeared in the valley below. The sun shone brightly when only a moment ago it was nearing nightfall.
“Give us a minute, Jay,” Gen whispered as she took Sasha’s hand. “Welcome to the Chola Valley.”
Hidden far from mortal eyes and nestled in a verdant green valley, the temple had a timeless quality about it. Like something from the ancient past, but at the same time, it was in pristine condition. Towering gatehouses stood at the north and south ends of the walled structure, each at least eight stories high and carved with intricate patterns of relief sculpture. The gatehouses at the eastern and western walls were half the size. The gardens within the temple walls bloomed bright, with trees and bushes shielding the inner wall that housed the temple. Fifteen stories of carved stone stood at the center of the grounds, surrounded by four quadrants of smaller temples and pavilions with cloistered paths connecting the walkways.
“Time is different here, Sasha,” Imogen said gently. “There is no rhyme or reason to it. While six weeks will pass at home, for us, it could feel like months or even years here. Mother Raghavan is gifted in many ways. She will teach her students what they need to learn in the time that is needed for them to learn it. The outside world and the river of time is of no concern to her. While we are here, it will be like stepping into the past. The days will blend together and you will lose all sense of time.”
“And how long were you here before?” Sasha was almost too afraid to ask.
“I was gone from my home only a few months,” Imogen said.
“But it seemed longer?”
“Nearly a decade by my count,” Jayesh answered, staring across the valley. “But it could have been longer.” He shrugged. “It takes as long as it takes.”
Sasha sank to her knees on the steps. I can’t do this. Even if was only six weeks of her life at home, she wasn’t sure she could live through the months and years it could be for her in this place. She was already so anxious to get this business behind her.
“How could you not tell me?” Sasha glared at her sister.
“One must come to the mother in ignorance. Many do not realize how this place works until they leave and return to their own time. It was a necessary deception, sister. Take comfort in knowing your life is on pause until you learn what is needed from the mother.”
Sasha’s feet felt heavy as she followed her sister. With every step she walked farther away from her goals. “I can leave at any time, though, right?” But she was afraid she wouldn’t like the answer to her question.
“We may leave only when the mother believes we have each learned what we came here to learn,” Imogen said, her eyes filled with tears. Sasha realized how long Imogen would be away from her husband, Lucien. The separation could feel like an eternity for her.
“Each of us?” Sasha glanced at her sister and the silent man who stood just ahead of them. “I am the one here to learn.”
“Oh, she’ll have something to teach us all,” Jayesh said bitterly. “If it’s one thing the mother does well, it’s teaching those who don’t want to be taught.” He hefted his bag up onto his shoulder. “She will not allow our departure until she believes we are ready.”
“Gen … I’m so sorry,” Sasha whispered.
“Do not be sorry, sister. I would never let you do this alone. We will learn together, but you must understand, it will take longer if you do not embrace this experience.”
“Then we should go meet this mother and get on with it. I have important things to get back to at home.” Sasha took a step forward.
Jayesh groaned. “We’re going to be here forever.”
~~~
Sasha gazed up at the stone walls as they approached the northern gate. The silence was deafening and it struck her that this was a place only ghosts haunted.
"We must go to the main temple to request an audience with Mother Raghavan," Imogen explained. “She’ll be expecting us.”
“She’ll make us wait,” Jayesh said.
“Are there other people here?" Sasha asked.
"Many are here, seeking wisdom from the mother, although it will seem deserted to us," Jayesh said. "There are … many layers of this place. We will never cross paths with anyone outside our own time.”
Jayesh led them to the temple at the center of the complex.
Sasha’s eyes were huge as she tried to take it all in. It really is like stepping out of time.
"Come, please. The mother will see you." The voice caught Sasha by surprise; she didn't see or hear the man approach from the garden path behind them. With her sense of hearing as sharp as it was, the sensation of having someone surprise her from behind was a strange one.
"Do not worry. Brother Raj has trained here all his life," Imogen whispered. "He is like a ghost. He travels the shadows on silent feet."
Sasha nodded as they followed the monk along the path to the center of the complex. The temple cast them in shadow as Sasha gazed up. Each level grew smaller as the structure rose to its highest peak. Statues of men and women stood twisted into the most impossible contortions, wielding sharp-bladed weapons and shields. Trumpeting war elephants and pouncing tigers, carved in relief, seemed to leap from the building.
Hundreds of steps rose from the garden path up to the great stone building. Sasha took them slowly, warmth spreading from the roots of her hair, standing on end, all the way to her toes. But it wasn’t from the heat of the day. It radiated from the marks left by Imogen’s protection. A warning that she was in danger. She shared a nervous glance with her sister. Gen took her hand and gave i
t a gentle squeeze. “It is just the unnaturalness of this place causing you distress. Nothing to worry about.”
Sasha wasn’t so sure about that as she stepped into the coolness of the temple vestibule. The shade was refreshing after their long climb up the pathway, but the atmosphere here gave her a creepy vibe.
Brother Raj led them to a small antechamber to wait. "Please rest. The mother will be with you shortly." He bowed as he left them. Silken pillows rested on the cool stone floor, surrounding a table of refreshments. Braziers burned at the entrance, filling the room with a cloying incense.
"It could be a while," Imogen said, taking a seat at the table.
Sasha sat beside her and fidgeted with the fringe on the corner of her pillow.
"Meditating would help speed this along," Jayesh said. "The mother will not join us until we are all in the right frame of mind."
"You are right. As long as we are tense and uneasy—and impatient," Gen added with a nudge to Sasha's side, "we will be here for a long time."
Sasha meditated regularly with her family. It was part of their daily training and she knew she needed it now.
"Fine." Sasha found a comfortable position and began the breathing exercises that would help her find peace within her mind. She had to leave all her baggage at her feet and focus only on her mind and her body, letting the tension and fear fall away.
When she opened her eyes, the sun was setting for the second time that day. She heard the soft shuffle of footsteps along the stone corridor behind her. The immense lifeline of the mother washed over her as she came to greet her guests. She might be the oldest Immortal I've ever met. Even older than Grandmother Nadira.
"You are welcome here, Sasha El Sadawii, daughter of the most honored Mughal empress and sister of Rani.”
Sasha glanced at her sister at the mention of the unfamiliar name.
Imogen’s only response was to stand and bow to the ancient guru.
The mother was old, but her features were still smooth, giving her an ageless appearance. She walked with a cane, but didn’t seem to need it. Her long hair was swept up in a no-nonsense bun at the nape of her neck, a few wispy strands escaping to frame her face. Her robes were plain and well worn. She was exactly what one would expect of a guru living in an ancient Hindu temple in the valley of the Ghat Mountains. And Sasha was pretty sure that was what the mother wanted her to think.
Sasha rose to greet the woman. She may not want to be here. This might be the last thing on earth she ever wanted to do, but this woman deserved her respect.
"Thank you, Mother Raghavan." She gave a curt bow. "It is an honor to meet you."
"You are like your noble sister. In some ways. In others, I think you may be even more stubborn." She gave her a sly wink. "Come, let us speak of your training."
"Jayesh." The mother nodded as he rose to greet her. "It is good to see you again, although I fear circumstances have chased all your hard-learned lessons straight from that stubborn head of yours.” She rapped her cane against his forehead. "We will help you find your way again, dear boy." She gestured for them all to return to their seats and eased herself down onto a cushion with aid of her cane.
"You are all here because the Senate wishes me to teach young Sasha the old ways. You both know I cater to no government—I merely humor them. I have invited you here because you each possess a spark of the ancient power within you—most strongly in our young charge." She bowed her head reverently to Sasha. "Lessons will be learned. Fears will be confronted, and you will leave here with the knowledge you need to face what comes for you next. It will take as long as it takes. Tonight you will feast and rest, for tomorrow you will need your strength."
Mother Raghavan snapped her fingers and a host of robed attendants rushed in with the evening meal, placing trays of clean and wholesome foods on the table before them.
"May I ask what you will be teaching me, Mother?" Sasha spoke with respect, unsure if she was even allowed to ask questions.
"I will not be teaching you, Sasha. Another student needs my attention." She glanced at Imogen with a knowing smile. "I will oversee your training, but another will be your guru while you are here."
Jayesh's shoulders slumped as he took a long gulp of his wine. "She means me." He slammed his cup down, gesturing for a refill.
"You are correct, Jayesh. While you are here, you must take on the responsibility of teaching this young woman. We will meet at dawn in the eastern gardens each morning to discuss your progress.”
Sasha didn’t think it could get any worse, but every time she thought she had her head wrapped around this newest chapter of her life, the knife twisted as a reminder of how little she knew. She couldn't imagine anything worse than Jayesh as her trainer.
"And what will I be learning?" Sasha asked.
“While you are here you will master the art of kalaripayattu, an ancient martial art taught in three stages. Tomorrow at dawn you will begin with meithari, stage one of kalaripayattu. Jayesh will explain now."
"Of course," Jayesh said. His tone was respectful, but his body language made it clear he wasn’t amused. "Kalari means 'training ground' and payattu means 'fight.' Stage one of kalaripayattu is called meithari and is simple enough, yet it can be the most difficult aspect of training for both the teacher and the student. Meithari focuses on physical exercise that will prepare the body for the later stages of training. You will engage every muscle and every joint from head to toe to ensure you are flexible and strong enough for the difficult forms that will come later. The kalari forms can be complex and will require your complete focus. We will work them every day, through each phase, until you have perfected them all.” He sounded as if he’d swallowed Teaching Kalaripayattu for Dummies.
“The second component of meithari is focused on the mind. The ideal student will achieve balance between the strength of the body and the strength of the mind. Deep meditation and focus is no doubt already part of your daily routine. But during meithari the teacher and the student must achieve a pure relationship of trust and devotion to each other. We must find our balance before we can continue to the second phase, called ankathari. You will not learn what ankathari means until we have both mastered our roles during meithari."
We’re never going home. Sasha felt her old life slipping away from her faster than she could blink. It takes as long as it takes. She would be here only six weeks, but she still had to live through however long that might be in this place. It could feel like years. Quinn. The thought of leaving him to whatever hell he was going through shattered something inside her. The days and months, maybe even years, ahead with her hands completely tied, unable to do anything to help him. The thought of experiencing something so profound without him left her feeling sad and hopelessly lost.
"No tears, my dear," Mother Raghavan said, her voice full of sympathy. "Your life lies just beyond the threshold of this valley, right where you left it. Your time here at the temple will only make you stronger so you can face what is coming with the experience you need to achieve what has been set before you.”
Sasha got the sense that the mother wasn’t just talking about the Senate’s well-laid plans for her future.
“Embrace this experience and it will go quickly. Resist it and you could be here for a very long time. Either way, it takes as long as it takes. It will be up to you and your teacher to make this a success."
Sasha nodded, drying her eyes. She would do this. She would find a way to get along with Jayesh.
"We will talk each evening as the sun sets over my gardens. I will wait for you there.” She gestured at the head monk waiting to take them to their rooms. “Rabishan will see you to your dormitories."
"Yes, mother," Sasha murmured, bowing her head as the mother left them for the evening.
"Please don't make this difficult," Jayesh and Sasha said at the same time after Mother Raghavan’s footsteps faded in the distance.
~~~
CHAPTER
ELEVEN
&nbs
p; Quinn: Fall
Atlanta, Georgia
“Why are you so twitchy?” Santi scowled at Quinn across the kitchen island.
“I’m not.” Quinn fidgeted with his breakfast. It always bothered him to eat in front of her, knowing she was never getting enough.
“You’re like a five-year-old messing with his cereal. Eat and get out of here. You know Livia’s a stickler for the schedule. And God help you if you mess up Lennox's day. She'll tear your face off.”
“I’m going.” Quinn drained the last of his juice and went to rinse his dishes. He hated making Santi clean up after him.
“You know you’re sweating, right?” She frowned up at him, checking his forehead.
“I’m just … off today, I guess.” He grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze, leaving her to her chores.
He caught a glimpse of himself in the foyer mirror on his way out of his penthouse prison. He looked like shit. He felt weird, too. Like a newly Awakened kid on the cusp of touching his power for the first time. He hadn’t felt like that in ages.
It wasn’t that long ago, Quinn. Just a year ago his last gift had manifested, but with four unique gifts in his arsenal, it wasn’t likely he’d ever have to go through that again.
Quinn stepped onto the empty elevator to make his way down to the training center. His life had settled into a new normal over the last few weeks and it surprised him how easily he had slipped into the routine of Soma. After a morning with James, they’d hit the gym to work with Lennox. He knew Livia only had them working together so he would get attached. That way, when she was ready to remind him who was in charge and what she wanted from him, she could use Lennox against him and it would hurt that much more.
Lennox came to Soma before she could even remember living anywhere else. Ryan found her wandering around the first floor lobby. She couldn’t have been more than two at the time. James suspected her parents feared raising a child as powerful as Lennox would likely be. To Quinn, she wasn’t much more than average. But to those who hadn’t grown up with someone like Aidan, in a family as powerful as theirs, he supposed Lennox could seem intimidating--especially to a young couple. They probably thought they were leaving her with people who would see she was trained properly. But they couldn’t have known they were sentencing her to a cold and clinical life that would never be her own.
Emerge: The Captive: (Book 3) Page 10