by T. G. Ayer
Joss’s injuries were all on Maya.
Now, Maya stopped pacing to lean against the room door as though she intended to make everyone stay out. There’d been enough activity when she had awakened, with doctors and nurses rushing in and out, a jumble of alarms going while the reiki healers hovered at the bedside giving Maya a look that said she was next on their list after they attended to Joss.
Maybe she didn’t want them to see her guilt? She thrust the thought aside and stared at Joss. They’d been friends forever having met in kindergarten and Maya’s family had slowly begun to take on the role of Joss’s surrogate family.
Maya let out a slow soft breath and folded her arms, probably the only comfort she was going to give herself. Her best friend lay on the hospital bed as still and silent as the dead, normally milky skin tinged with a strange grey, golden hair lying limply on the pillow beside her head.
She appeared near death but even when one of the healers had admitted to those suspicions aloud, she’d been reassured by the doctors that Joss was very much alive though they couldn’t explain the strange coma she’d fallen into.
Maya had heard the doctors asking after blood tests. Joss’s blood had been sent to the labs for testing and they’d have to wait a while longer for the results. Waiting wasn’t what she wanted to do. She wanted to know what had gone wrong. And she wanted to know what exactly was happening to her own mind.
Why was she seeing her past?
She’d come to admit to herself now that what she’d been seeing were visions of her previous life as the Mother, but nobody had ever said she’d possessed any sort of seer ability, nor had they told her the mother had the power to wield fire.
There were too many pieces of this puzzle missing and Maya didn’t like it.
And as far as her powers were concerned, she was stumped. Sure, the visions were strange and dangerous when they appeared to her unpredictably. And yes, they were life-threatening when they came on during a freaking battle with a demon. But she couldn’t deny that her new skills were impressive, making her accept she was more powerful than she’d ever thought she’d be.
Fire, and healing, and now visions.
As for those visions, she was tempted to say they’d endangered Joss, but she wasn’t so sure. Had the vision not appeared to Maya, would she have been able to fight and kill the demon so efficiently? Would she have been able to harness the fire in a way she hadn’t known she was capable of, and then use her previously undiscovered power to obliterate a dangerous vampire demon?
Maya wasn’t entirely sure she would have succeeded without the vision but what she did know was the result in the end was Joss in a hospital bed looking like she was staring death in the face. But, as far as Maya was concerned, Joss wasn’t going to stay that way for long. Maya was going to do something about it.
Or die trying.
Chapter 19
Three days later, The Rao Residence
Even though Maya had spent three days in the KALIMA hospital unit, she found she was still not rested, nor was she of any mind to rest. She and Joss had been transported home late the previous evening, a process overseen by their sternly diligent redheaded doctor who’d only left when she’d double- and triple-checked all the machines connected to Joss to confirm they were working as they should be.
Dr. Phead had instructed Maya to rest. She’d also assured Maya that despite the girls’ new location, she’d be keeping an eye on them from HQ.
The wonders of modern tech.
But the doc hadn’t really known who she was dealing with. To Dr. Woden, Maya was a list of physiological and biological readings. An anomaly to be studied on a regular basis. But what the doc knew was only a small percentage of Maya’s true powers—which wasn’t even broaching the subject of Maya’s potential.
Even her parents took the doctors examination report with a pinch of salt, both well aware of the number of details the doc had a hope in hell of seeing on her monitors and readouts.
So, though Dr. Woden had prescribed sleep, Maya must have gotten a placebo instead. Sleep never came. Which was ironic since she’d slept soundly both nights she’d spent in Joss’s room. Now, Maya fidgeted, bouncing her knee, rolling her thumb around her forefinger, and picking at the elegant lace on the hem of her purple satin pajamas.
She’d discarded her favorite duck pajamas in favor of something a little more elegant, seeing as how she was a year older, and wiser, and of course more powerful. And yet she still longed for the comfort of the familiar softness.
Now, Maya took an impatient breath. She knew why she was restless, knew exactly what was on her mind. She needed to speak to Kali or Chayya, but she was hesitant to call either one of them because a part of her was afraid of what they would say. A part of her was terrified they would tell her Joss had no hope of recovering.
And that was an answer Maya knew she could not handle. Not now, not ever.
The house was silent, the machines beeping in Joss’s room at a low enough volume to not echo. The noise didn’t disturb Maya. In fact, she kept an ear out for them, needing to hear the sounds to reassure herself that Joss was still alive, still able to recover.
A noise at Maya’s door had her glancing up. Dr. Pheadra had stationed a nurse at the Rao’s residence and the woman was tasked with looking after Joss, and apparently also Maya. Deanna Lark was a grey-haired, stoop-shouldered woman with round steel-framed glasses balanced near the tip of her nose. With her full cheeks and generously pillowed frame, she was the picture of grandmotherliness. Maya was of the opinion the woman was a dead ringer for the old lady from the Tweetie cartoons.
Now, Nurse Lark smiled at Maya and elbowed the door to open it wider. She entered the room, bringing with her a tray filled with a cooked breakfast of eggs, mushrooms, sausage and grilled potatoes. The smell was heavenly, and Maya’s stomach growled as the nurse settled the tray on her lap.
Nurse Lark clapped her hands briskly and said, “Eat up, young lady. You need your strength back quick as a whistle.” And then, without waiting for Maya’s response, the old woman strode out of the room and closed the door behind her.
Maya stared at the door for a long moment, wondering what to make of the nurse. Nurse Lark looked the picture of sweet kindness but beneath the huggable exterior ran a layer of impenetrable steel. Maya looked down at her plate and smiled. It wasn’t going to be hard to obey the strict instructions she’d been given.
Very soon, she’d finished her breakfast and, oddly enough, found herself still hungry. After wiping her mouth on the napkin the nurse had left beside her plate, Maya contemplated going down to the kitchen for a second helping. It did occur to her that there may be rules about seconds.
Gluttony and all that.
In the end, Maya decided the decent thing to do was to take her plate to the kitchen and save Deanna the trouble of fetching it. And, if there happened to be second helpings available, Maya could help out to ensure they didn’t waste any food.
The house was quiet as she walked downstairs on bare feet. Sabala’s absence from her side was conspicuous but she was glad he was keeping an eye on Joss. When she found the kitchen empty, she hurried to check the pots. Moments later, she’d served herself a second plate and tucked in, polishing off round two in record time. She washed up after she was done, and then hurried back upstairs to check on Joss.
Maya stood in the doorway to her friend’s room, studying Joss’s still form. How long did they have to wait for Joss to come back to them? Maya wasn’t sure she could stand the agony. Or the fear.
She wanted to laugh and cry all at the same time. Her disappointment and sorrow only served to bring her mood way back down. Even good food couldn’t save her frame of mind now as she walked listlessly back to her room next door.
So much power, and yet she felt the most helpless she’d been since the goddess Kali had bestowed the fire power upon her. Maya shivered as she recalled Kali’s words.
"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."
And the mother goddess hadn’t been glossing over the truth. New powers seemed to arise at every turn and Maya often wondered if she was little more than a walking time-bomb.
She sighed and approached her closet, quickly changing into a pair of gym shorts and a tank. She was way too restless to hang out in her room.
Training sounded like a far better option than rest.
But as she left her room and hurried to the stairs, Maya’s steps slowed and she came to a halt. She turned on her heel and stared at Joss’s room door. Everyone had said they needed to wait, but what if Maya didn’t really need to after all.
She had the power of the goddess Kali running through her body, her blood, her atma. Maya had saved and healed a good few people these past months. And if she counted the near-apocalyptic undead situation they were still recovering from, maybe she’d even saved the world.
Surely Joss deserved at least one small attempt on Maya’s behalf.
And though the goddess Kali had advised Maya to use her powers wisely, she’d never once used her fire for personal gain. Well, healing oneself is probably personal gain but that was splitting hairs. Besides, in this case, she was using her fire to help her friend.
And if not to help Joss then at least to find out what was wrong with her so Maya and her parents, and the whole fracking agency, could find a way to help her.
Chapter 20
Maya gathered Kali’s kapala and Chayya’s bowl from her room and dropped them into a satchel, though she hoped she won’t need them--she just wanted them with her for emergencies.
Now she paused on the threshold of Joss’s room and stared at her sleeping friend. The nurse glanced up from her armchair a few feet from Joss where she’d been sitting, head bent over a multi-colored scarf, knitting needles flashing in and out with soft ticks.
Nurse Lark smiled and got up, setting her knitting inside a little bag at her feet. Then she grabbed the bag and hooked the strap on the crook of her elbow. She reached for the tray of uneaten food that she’d brought up just in case her patient woke, then hurried out of the room past Maya.
The nurse gave Maya a wave as she approached. “Call me if you need anything. I’ll be down in the kitchen if you want me,” she said as she passed.
Maya nodded and responded with a cheery smile though she knew she’d not bother the woman, no matter what. Despite Nurse Lark’s well-meaning behavior, Maya still didn’t trust her one hundred percent.
She paused at the admission. Had Claudia’s betrayal rendered Maya incapable of trusting people? She didn’t want to think about it. Thoughts of Claudia all too often sent her into a funk, and right now she needed her head in the game.
Maya shut the door and leaned against it. After she’d made the decision to try and enter her friend’s mind, she’d found herself questioning the decision, studying it from all angles for reasons why this was a bad idea. But it wasn’t. As far as she could tell, seeing what was inside Joss’s mind would solve everyone’s problems.
The medical team was waiting for a change in her physical condition, which meant they could likely wait for weeks, if not months. And worst-case scenario, they’d be waiting forever.
Despite the agency being so paranormally inclined, they appeared to have slipped back to the hard and fast rules of modern medicine when it came to Joss’s injuries. Were they merely being closed-minded or were there other reasons why they didn’t want to use paranormal tools to figure out what was wrong with Joss?
Maya shook her head sharply. “Stop delaying the inevitable,” she muttered beneath her breath. She rolled back her shoulders and walked closer to the bed.
Maya was more than ready to start the process. She didn’t need to do anything specific other than make sure she was touching Joss, and of course, ensure her own mind was clear and sufficiently focused. She set her bag on the bed at Joss’s feet and sat on the mattress beside her unconscious friend.
She lay her hand on Joss’s forehead, her skin sensing the electrical energy pulsing beneath skin and bone. A combination of pure electrical charge and soul aura flickered against Maya’s hand, giving her hope that Joss was still alive enough to return to them whole.
But beneath her fingers, the rhythm of the pulsing stuttered, just the tiniest ripple but enough to have Maya’s nerves shout a warning. Something was different with Joss’s coma, and Maya’s heart rate catapulted into overdrive.
Calm down, breathe.
She wasn’t going to be able to join with Joss’s mind if she didn’t get her own under control—which was harder to do than she’d expected. Worse, she was likely to see things within her friend’s mind that nobody other than Joss had a right to see. What if Joss took the whole process of delving inside her mind as a betrayal if Maya sees her secrets? Would Joss even give permission for the procedure if she was conscious?
And doubt crept slowly into Maya’s heart. Was she too emotionally entangled with Joss to keep a clear head? This was probably why professionals of all fields avoided dealing with friends and family—conflict of interest came in many flavors.
But Maya shook her head, refusing to back away. What if she was Joss’s only chance? What if she left Joss’s return to health to the medical team, and Joss didn’t survive because they never find a solution—or even the cause of her symptoms?
The muscles in Maya’s hand tensed rock hard. She had to do this. She’d deal with the consequences, whatever they may be.
If Joss is unhappy with your actions, would you be comfortable losing your best friend, should she be unable to forgive you? asked the voice in Maya’s mind.
Fine time for you to return to my head, Maya grumbled silently. I don’t need your thoughts inside my mind when I’m trying to reach a state of peace.
I apologize for the intrusion, but I believed you needed a con for all your pros.
Maya made a face. Well, thanks for that. Now stop talking so I don’t bungle this and turn both Joss and me into a vegetable.
I do not understand. A vegetable?
Maya groaned. What was with this mystery voice in her head? I’ll explain later. Now, be quiet. When only silence followed, she got to her feet and rounded the bed, climbing up to settle herself on her knees beside Joss.
More comfortable now, Maya closed her eyes and focused her mind, bringing the warmth of her fire to simmer near the surface of her skin. She’d joined minds before with the demon Narakasura who was kinda sorta her half-brother through her mom.
That hadn’t been fun even if it had helped them figure him out. And she’d done it with the dancer Rosa when they’d been on the hunt for the evil priest not so long ago. She’d even been inside the creepy priest’s mind, where she’d learned the truth about Claudia.
So, the accessing part wasn’t going to be hard. Maya suspected staying inside Joss’s mind would be way harder. Kas was a demon, an almost undead creature. Rosa and the priest had been dead. Joss was very much alive.
Glancing over at Sabala who was sitting beside the nightstand, staring at her in silence, Maya said, “See you on the other side, pooch. And get help if I die, okay?”
The hellhound did his half-nod half-snort thing, which Maya often interpreted as exasperation. She imagined if he did put words to the action, he’d say, “Drama queen much?”
Maya adjusted her focus to Joss and pressed her fingers to her friend’s temples. Then she took a slow breath, in and out. “Here goes nothing,” she muttered softly.
Maya’s mind, though free from distractions, was suddenly immersed in a multitude of thoughts, like a hundred different conversations all being spoken at once. Add that to the images overlaid in her vision, a multi
tude of merged scenes, all too convoluted to pry apart and make sense of.
For which Maya was grateful. The layering and sound confusion probably meant Joss was very much alive, though trapped within her own mind. Maya paused, trying to focus on one familiar memory, perhaps an image from the basement, or before the team had entered the toyshop. Anything to help Maya hone in on something that would help shed light on what had sent Joss into unconscious bliss.
As Maya hovered inside Joss’s mind, the sounds and images began to push at her own senses, stabbing pain searing her brain like a network of migraines. Sobbing softly through the pain, Maya moved more out of instinct than anything. She’d exposed her mind to Joss’s which explained the pain from all her friend’s brain activity.
Maya had to protect herself if she was going to succeed. Otherwise, she may end up stuck inside Joss’s head forever. Now, Maya tugged on her fire power and sent the energy toward her mind, curling the heat around her consciousness like a glass dome.
And slowly, the pain dissipated, leaving her to take a relieved breath. She should have protected herself first before entering Joss’s mind.
Guess doing is the best teacher, second only to failure, of course.
With her mind protected, Maya edged deeper into Joss’s thoughts, focusing on the images in her own mind of the basement, hoping to filter through her friend’s memories in a smarter way.
Google reverse-image search for mind-readers, anyone?
Maya pushed away her smartassery, somewhat impressed she was still capable while journeying through the mass of input that was Joss’s mind.
Thankfully, the image focus turned out to be the smartest move.
Only seconds had passed when Maya came to a collection of thoughts and emotions, sounds and sights, related to the basement chaos. She took a few more moments to orient herself in the timeline of memories as memories clearly didn’t organize themselves logically.