by T. G. Ayer
“It’s recent?" Her heart began to race.
Nik shifted on his feet and said, "Yes. Very recent."
Nik transported Maya to the Apollo Theatre in London's West End.
"I'm sure I'm supposed to be excited I'm finally here, but the circumstances of this visit kills it all."
Maya stared out from the stage at the multitude of red seats curving along the room in an elegant semicircle. The gold-toned balconies and wall decor seemed garish in the bright lights, but Maya suspected it was more the reason she was here that sullied the drama and majesty of the famous theatre.
"We should be alone for a while, but just in case, I've erected a protective circle around the stage. Local law enforcement are here in full force. We can study the body and the scene without being disturbed, but we have to be quick."
Maya nodded, knowing Nik’s protective magic would make anyone approaching forget why they were there in the first place. That wouldn’t last for too long considering higher ups would be looking for answers and people would get suspicious sooner or later.
Better make this quick.
Maya walked around Nik and came to a sudden halt. The floor before her was awash with streaks of blood. To an untrained eye, that's all they would be; blood smears.
But Maya studied the lines, and as she followed them, images flitted through her mind, as if she could see what was happening with her own two eyes. Though unfamiliar with classical dance, she was able to identify a pattern. From her experience with the dream not too long ago, she saw the movements of the girl’s feet that had created the bloody prints.
She pointed at the smooth, neater streaks. "Here. See these marks. How much cleaner they are than the rest?" Nik nodded. "I think this was when she began to lose control. Maybe she'd grown tired? But from there on, you can tell how the smears become messy and uneven. Almost random."
"The police reported inexplicable blood trails. Apparently they were unable to identify them."
Maya nodded. "I only recognize them because I had that dream." Maya paused. "Well, not a dream any longer. Although, to be honest, I'd prefer if it was just my imagination."
Nik glanced over Maya's shoulder and she knew immediately what he was looking at. From the moment they'd arrived, she'd tried not to look at it. She'd even studied the patterns of blood smears to avoid the sheet-covered body sprawled to the right of the stage.
Now she had no choice.
Nik moved past her and Maya turned on her heel really slowly. She took a breath and held it as she followed him to the body. They kept to the side of the bloody floor so as not to create more footprints.
"The blood is still wet," Maya said softly as they drew closer to the dead girl.
“Death is estimated as at forty minutes ago."
Maya looked up at Nik's face, his features hooded as he stared down at the covered corpse. He crouched down and took hold of the edge of the sheet, drawing it away from the girl's face.
Maya silenced a gasp. The girl's skin was alabaster pale even though Maya could tell that she was of a duskier complexion. She wore a complicated outfit made from deep blue and red silk shot with gold thread. Gathers and pleats, tapered pants and delicate blouse. Her skin appeared gray and bloodless, and her makeup made her look like a mannequin.
“What was she doing here so late?”
“Her parents obtained permission for her to practice before her performance tomorrow. She’s always been dedicated. Practices two hours every morning before she heads to school. This exam performance was a culmination of four years of study.”
Maya swallowed hard. It was such a waste. Of the girl’s effort. Of her talent. Maya forced herself to remain emotionless. She had to be objective. So she studied the body.
Dancers applied their makeup with a heavier hand to allow the full effect to be seen from the audience. Close up, a glance at any dancer’s face would be disconcerting, but watching the performance from the audience, most people would never guess.
Now, the thick layer of makeup made it harder to identify the girl's expression, but Maya had known the moment she saw her face that she'd been terrified at the moment of her death.
"She was scared," Maya whispered, sinking down beside Nik.
He glanced at her, curious.
"Her face. She looks terrified," Maya said, almost choking as memories flooded back to her. "I know exactly what she felt."
Nik curled an arm around her shoulders but the rush of emotions was too much and she flinched. He seemed to understand because he removed his arm and rubbed her back slowly, just a gentle touch to say he was there for her, but that he wouldn't overwhelm her.
He bent close to her ear. "What do you think happened?"
Maya inhaled slowly, then pulled the sheet away from the girl’s feet. They were swollen, and bruised, covered in cuts and clotted blood.
She pointed to the girl's feet. "She wouldn't have felt that until the end."
Maya shifted her gaze to the girl's face.
"She would have come out, played the music, then began to dance. A few minutes in she would have felt a strange pull of energy, and then the dance would have increased in speed. A good time later she'd have struggled, perspiring, fatigued, breathless. And in a lot of pain. She would have become aware of the trance taking control over her. Or at least I think she would have. I guess it depends on whether she was sensitive to the trance in the first place."
Nik nodded. "Many people are not susceptible to the trance. Some say that it is only the holier, more spiritual people that feel the pull of it."
"But we both know that's BS."
Nik gave a subdued smile, aware, like Maya, that this wasn't the place to joke around.
Focusing on the girl, Maya said, "She may have struggled when she felt her feet hurt. I think that would have been painful enough to cut through whatever was controlling her."
"So the perspiration resulted in dehydration."
Maya nodded.
"But that means she'd have been dancing for hours."
"Yeah. A lot of hours. Which explains the damaged feet."
"How long? Can you hazard a guess?"
Shrugging, Maya said, "I'm not sure. An autopsy would help clarify that." Maya met Nik's gaze. "Can we get access to the results?"
Nik looked at the dead girl. "We'll put out feelers, and see where we get. I have someone in MI5."
"You have someone everywhere," said Maya dryly.
As Maya got to her feet, her mind filled with the beat of drums and the melody of a violin. A wave of dizziness washed over her and she threw out her hands as she felt her body fall. She felt Nik grab hold of her arm.
And found herself kneeling beside the girl, her fingers immersed in the pool of blood surrounding the body, with Nik leaning close. "What happened?" he asked, shock clear in his eyes.
Maya shook her head. "I don't know. It felt like some kind of energy pulling on my mind." Maya gasped and stared at Nik. "It was exactly the same thing I felt in the dream.
They both looked at the girl, lying there prone and lifeless.
"You said you felt a strange energy while dancing, and then now again, a wave of energy."
Maya nodded.
"And dancing creates emotional and spiritual energy.
"Does it also create cosmic energy?" asked Maya softly as she got to her feet and wiped her fingers off on her jeans.
Nik didn't answer. He just stared at the girl. "Cosmic energy is a precious commodity."
Maya's eyes widened. "Someone is sucking the energy out of the dancers to collect cosmic energy."
Things just keep getting better and better.
Chapter 18
MAYA AND NIK arrived back at the house, both sunk deep within their own thoughts. They entered the kitchen to find a pot of chicken curry simmering on low and the table half set with plates and spoons but no glasses or placemats.
Maya frowned at the state of abandonment, and gave Nik a confused glance. Even Sabala was missing from the
scene.
A handbag sat beside the kitchen table, which gave Maya a reason to smile. There was only one person she knew who carried a bright pink alligator purse.
Claudia.
Was she here to reprimand her some more? Or was it time for Maya to face the music and maybe get suspended or something.
Hope not.
They’d be overreacting especially since so much good had come from her actions. Why would they make such a big deal out of it?
Maya turned on her heel and hurried out of the kitchen down the passage, keeping an ear out for voices. As expected, she found her visitor in the study with her parents. Joss, though, seemed to be missing. Probably preoccupied or studying.
Joss had seemed distracted after her visit with a parents. Maya made a mental note to make some time to talk to Joss because she knew her friend would need it.
From the door, Maya studied the trio in the study. They looked like a group of friends gathered to chat about nothing. But Maya wondered when the last time was they'd discussed a movie or a concert, or something equally innocuous. Chances were, this visit would be more about demons and demonic possession.
Maya entered the room, a bright smile on her face. The smile was her only defense against the tightening in her heart. She knew full well Claudia had been pretty mad with her.
Now she tried hard to keep her eyes off the wheelchair in which Claudia sat. Three heads turned as Maya moved into the room.
"Hey, honey," said her mom with a smile. A smile that held a slight edge of concern which was amplified by the fact that her mom was stroking Sabala’s dark head.
Maya smiled and hurried to Claudia's side. "Hey you," she said reaching out to give Claudia a hug that could be had in the privacy of their home. At the agency everyone behaved totally professional, no hugs or personal references. And Claudia was the strictest about it.
In the past, hugs had always been something they'd enjoyed, like two girlfriends meeting after a long time. Although Claudia had been her mother's friend, she had also been Maya's own confidant.
Though Maya felt Claudia's arms gather her close, she sensed something was missing. She ignored the little hollow in her heart and gave her aunt a squeeze.
As Maya released her and got back to her feet, Claudia said, "Where have you been?"
Maya sighed and sank into the seat opposite her aunt. She sensed Nik walk into the room but he remained just inside the doorway.
Her dad gave him a nod, and her mom, who was leaning against the side of the desk, smiled at him. He was comfortable with them now, not needing to give anyone formal greetings. Which was a relief.
Claudia twisted in her wheelchair, her black hair gleaming as she moved. She smiled up at Nik. "Well, look what the cat dragged in. How are you, Nik?" Her smile was bright and friendly, and she looked gorgeous, Maya had to admit.
"They keep me busy. And by they I mean everyone on top of the world as well as under it." Nik smiled, and Claudia gave a soft laugh.
Then she turned to Maya. "So . . . do tell." Her tone and demeanor was much more relaxed now and she almost seemed like a different person to the woman who’d chewed Maya out yesterday.
Maya nodded. "The girl at the theatre in London was killed in much the same way as I’d dreamed."
"She danced herself to her death?"
Maya nodded. "Yes, she showed all the signs I'd experienced in the dream. Perspiration, and dehydration, and of course bloody, broken feet. The skin had been damaged in the same way as mine had, only much worse."
"So whatever you experienced in your dream was multiplied in reality?"
Maya sighed. “She’s been forced to dance, controlled by some awful power, she looked like she'd perspired until her entire body was dehydrated. Also, her feet looked like they had been beaten to a pulp. There was blood everywhere . . . the entire stage was covered in it."
Maya's voice broke as she looked down at her hands, at her blood-stained fingers. She was unable to continue talking about what she'd seen, unable to handle recalling the dream and understanding entirely what the girl been going through. She shook her head. Then swallowed hard, and slipped her hands inside her pockets hoping nobody had seen the proof of the horror she’d witnessed.
Claudia tilted her head, her dark eyes shining with compassion. She held out her hands and Maya automatically reached out for them. She took Maya's hand in hers, holding them in her lap squeezing it lightly. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that. I can see it's been hard on you."
Maya nodded, the movement jerky as Claudia’s thigh muscles shifted beneath her hand. She stiffened. But that wasn’t possible. It was just Maya’s imagination gone crazy.
She sniffed and said, "It's just the dream was so intense, and so painful. And when I saw the girl lying there dead on the stage, it was as if I knew exactly what she'd been through, pain and terror . . . and everything."
Claudia squeezed her hand. "I know honey, consider yourself fortunate that all you experienced was the dream and not the reality."
Maya's heart tightened, she could have sworn she'd heard an odd edge to Claudia's voice. A hint of hardness that made Maya wonder what Claudia was really saying.
As she gave Claudia a bright smile, Sabala trotted over and took up post beside her. She glanced at the hellhound and wondered what he’d sensed for him to leave her mom and come to her. Had he also felt something off about Claudia?
Maya said, “I’ll be fine. And you're right. For me it was just a dream, and I appreciate that. Especially now, having seen the reality. It's a horrible way to die." Maya took a deep breath, turning her attention to her parents. "We need to find her killer. Nik has a theory."
She glanced over her shoulder at Nik, who took a few steps closer to the desk. He leaned against the bookshelf at his back and said, "We know the energy a dancer creates is powerful. And we know the more talented the dancer, the more energy she creates. We're just wondering if that's why only the most talented dancers were targeted."
Claudia frowned. "So you suspect the killer is after the energy the girls created?" Her tone hardened and Maya noticed her skin go a little pale. This whole thing seemed to be affecting everyone on a deeper level. Maya just hoped it would be over fast before it took a greater toll on them all.
Nik nodded. "Exactly that. I'm going to start putting feelers out, find any possible suspects with a history of hoarding or abusing cosmic energy."
Dev nodded. "And I'll do the same with KALIMA."
There was a moment of silence, in which Dev turned his attention to Claudia. He gave a short nod, and said, "You can fill us in now."
Claudia smiled, and Maya could have sworn it had a tight edge to it. She blinked, trying to ease her mind as to her suspicion.
Claudia shifted her gaze, meeting Maya's eyes. "I have news regarding the undead woman you found. We ran her fingerprints and identified her. And we found her family.”
Maya leaned forward. "Who was she?"
With a slight shake of the head, Claudia gave Maya's dad a glance. It was as if she wanted permission to continue, reminding Maya of Dev's seniority.
He gave the nod and Claudia said, "Carly Matthews. From Santa Monica. She had one child - a girl. Her parents thought she’d run away. They came over and identified the body."
Maya stiffened.
"The body?"
Chapter 19
"YES," SAID CLAUDIA. She seemed to be watching Maya carefully. "A priest had been called in to perform the ritual. From previous experience we know the undead rarely survive final rites."
Dev laughed. "It's not as if we want them to survive."
Maya glared at her dad. "Why wouldn't we?"
"Maya, they need to move on to the next plane. We can't have undead walking around as if they belong on earth."
Maya shook her head. "You didn't see what I saw. She was sentient. She was aware. It wasn't as if she was some kind of crazed zombie. You saw it. She asked for help."
Dev shifted forward and settled his
elbows on the table "Maya, surely you can't seriously be suggesting we allow them to live. So to speak."
Maya nodded. "Why not? Who are we to say who lives or dies?" Maya’s thoughts were for the woman’s child more than anything.
"Why are you thinking this way all of a sudden?" asked Leela. She looked concerned. As if she thought Maya had lost all her marbles.
"Because until now, I'd never come face-to-face with one. Has anyone ever taken the time to sit and have a conversation with one of them? Yes, I know they died. Their lives have been expunged. And they did come back to life in a body that was technically dead. I understand all of that. But if their minds are still conscious, how can we say we are in the right by killing them. They're still people. If she asked for her family then doesn’t it mean the undead still know who they are, and they still know their families? Not all these people had risen from the grave. So many of them died without their families knowing. Don't you think it's our duty to help reunite them with their families?"
Claudia laughed. "Come on, Maya. This is bordering on the ridiculous. Our job is to make sure they complete the journey to Patala. What do you think Yama would think of this new plan of yours?"
There was a hard note to her voice. She seemed angry, her tone filled with derision. Maya glanced at her mum, a question in her eyes. Leela was frowning, the glance she gave Claudia questioning her attitude.
Maya wasn't sure whether she should be relieved. She'd never foreseen a time when the relationship between her family and Claudia would be threatened. She wasn't about to push the issue now. If her mom was becoming aware of the tension that was all that was needed.
Nik cleared his throat. "I'd be happy to take the proposition to Yama. I'm sure he would take it into consideration."
Claudia laughed again, this time coldly. "You think Yama would consider keeping zombies alive?"
Nik tilted his head, studying Claudia. "All I'm saying is he would consider the option. He may not agree. Or, he may agree to allow them a short space of time in which to say goodbye." He glanced at Maya, his expression softening. "I think that's all Maya wants. I highly doubt she's expecting us to leave the undead walking around without ever reaching the gates of Patala."