Emergence (The Infernal Guard Book 1)

by SGD Singh

  Watching her, Asha thought of her grandfather, and as the sorrow of the song tugged at her chest, she felt her own tears falling. Wish you were here, BapuJi.

  Oh my Beloved Friend Lord,

  Hear the condition of your disciples.

  Without You, the beautiful clothes that we wear are like diseased blankets pressing on us.

  Our luxurious homes are like dens of snakes.

  Our water pots are like spikes, impaling us, and our cups cut like daggers.

  We suffer like animals at the hands of butchers.

  Oh Dear Friend, in Your presence, even a straw mattress is comfortable.

  Without The Righteous Lord, in our spacious mansions, we are burnt alive.

  Chapter 14

  “Any questions?”

  Because it wasn't raining for once, Uma moved Underworlders Studies to the papaya orchard. Asha was trying to ignore the flies. It wasn't easy when they kept taking turns landing on her eyeballs.

  Swatting at them, she tried to get Lexi's attention, shaking her head, but Lexi's hand shot up.

  “I have a question,” she said louder than necessary and everyone froze. Asha cringed at the thought of what Uma would do if she felt disrespected, or thought they weren't taking her class seriously enough. But she turned calmly to Lexi and nodded.

  Even so, Asha was pretty sure everyone flinched when Lexi said, “Dragons and unicorns. Do they exist?”

  Uma didn't act like it was a ridiculous question.

  “Both from Tapas.” She pointed up. “That's the world above ours on the scale of one to fourteen. It's not really up, but it makes it easier to keep things straight by thinking of it that way.” She shrugged. “I prefer to think of the dimensions in terms of their percentage of evil per capita… so, yeah! Dragons and Unicorns, Merlions and Phoenixes, Pegasus… es… Pegasi? Pegasus. All long extinct here.” She lowered her voice dramatically. “Only the legends remain. No one knows why or how the creatures ended up here, long… long ago.”

  Lexi looked pleased with herself as she smiled around at the rest of them, her smirk lingering on Nidhan. “Much like the duck-billed platypus, some doubted their very existence.”

  Oh no. He couldn't be that dumb.

  Asha hadn't bet against Lexi since that one time at SeaWorld when they were nine, but the look on Nidhan's face confirmed he had joined in the bet, and was now thinking of the penalty of double laundry duty.

  Uma clapped her hands and said, “Today we will be covering Revenants and Asura.”

  Everyone looked at her, pens poised to take notes.

  “Oh, c'mon, you guys.” Uma shook her head. “Haven't you been reading at all? This class is supposed to be for discussing what you've studied on your own.” She looked up at the sky and sighed. “Revenants are what civilians mistake for ghosts. In actuality, they are creatures from our neighboring world, Atala.” She pointed down. “Reading the subconscious mind, Revenants take the form of the deceased, drawing on human grief, guilt, despair—basically all negative energy to depress their victims. They live off misery. Once a victim is ripe with depression, the Revenant is able to posses them, controlling their victim's actions while feeding off their misery until they die of malnutrition or, in many cases, commit suicide.” She paused, leaning to pick up a mango from a basket of fruit.

  “Revenants have the ability to work together with Wraiths and Asura, so they're much more dangerous than they sound.” She held the mango to her nose. “One way to tell if a person is possessed by a Revenant is that their eyes are completely black. They've started wearing contact lenses these days, and of course, sunglasses. They are not trapped inside their victim like a Vampire, so we usually have to kill them in their true form.”

  She began throwing the mango and catching it, pacing in front of the class. “In their true form, Revenants look like an oily black puddle. They blend in quite well almost anywhere, especially here in India. They smell like coffee and can move extremely fast—at night, of course. All Underworlders come out at night, except Werewolves, who only have to worry about the full moon. Hence our night hours. Are you used to the eighteen hour schedule yet?”

  Everyone just gave her a sleepy look. Asha brushed another fly away from her eye. We're discussing monsters, and I'm falling asleep.

  “You'll get used to it eventually,” Uma said, smiling cheerfully. “Okay, where was I? Oh yeah. When a Revenant leaves a living victim, usually in order to flee us,” she bowed, “we begin the long and strenuous healing process, which you'll learn about with Prabhnoor and Senya.”

  She took a bite of the mango, peel and all, and Asha and Lexi glanced at each other with wrinkled noses.

  “Now. Any questions?”

  Nidhan asked, “When they're in their true form, can Revenants get through cracks, like under a door?”

  “Yes,” answered Uma, looking around the class.

  Li Tsia said, “Can they look like more than one… deceased person at once?”

  “No. They have to pick one form. But they can work together, reading each other's thoughts.”

  “How do you kill them?” asked Lexi.

  “I like how your mind works, Hewitt.” Uma pointed the mango at her. “Holy water on their true form works, but it's messy. If you have the element of surprise, you can behead the human victim, which severs the Revenant's head, but has the disadvantage of killing a civilian, which is definitely frowned upon. I prefer the sun bullet on its true form. Just make sure you aren't too close, or you'll be covered in slime and it itches for days.”

  When no one else had any questions, Uma resumed her pacing.

  “Now for Asura. It's all about fear with the Asura. Where Revenants feed off despair and misery, the Asura feed off terror. Like the Revenant, they read the human subconscious mind and become what their victim fears most. Then, instead of possessing their victim, they actually consume the victim's life force. To a regular doctor, it will look like some serious illness, previously undiagnosed, was the sudden cause of death.” Uma rubbed the side of her leg. “They have extremely sharp, venomous claws. Papaya wrapped over wheat grass paste helps, but the Asura's venom is deadly after twenty four hours. They always leave a scar, and it really hurts; take my word for that.”

  Asha thought of the scars covering Arihan's back and Garud's arm, and she shivered.

  “Better to avoid the claws, people. Both of these Underworlders are two very good reasons to learn to control your mind, and to understand your fears and emotions. A good diet helps. And eat a lot of garlic. Like the Vampire, they don't care much for garlic…

  “The Asura's true form is a kind of dark, cold shadow, which blends well in our realm. They're one of the many reasons our Headquarters have such tight security and are surrounded by holy water.” She took another bite of the mango. “You have to be extremely fast to behead an Asura, risking its claws. The holy water bullets get rid of them quite nicely from a good distance, so extra target practice doesn't hurt.”

  Everyone was silently taking notes. Uma paused while they finished.

  The quiet was broken when Wei Feng jumped up and started brushing his hands frantically through his blue-streaked hair. A beetle the size of a mouse crawled across the ground to Himat, who waited patiently for it crawl onto his hand, and then placed it gently into the parsley growing beside him.

  Uma sat down against the slender trunk of one of the papaya trees.

  “So,” Himat said. “If you control your mind…”

  “While they're trying to transform, it'll give you that split-second advantage to eliminate them.”

  Wei Feng raised his hand. “If you get scratched and you don't get help…”

  “You die,” Uma said. “That's a good reason to always have flares loaded into your weapon, and to never go into combat situations alone. But casualties do happen, on a very bad night.”

  She threw the mango pit across the garden and it landed in the center of the compost pile outside the kitchen windows.

  �
��The Asura work together with Revenants and Wraiths to sell fear-induced blood to Vampires, which is a nasty pastime. But what makes the Asura particularly dangerous is their ability to create Witches. And I'm not talking about women with long noses flying around on broomsticks, cackling as they grow herbs and shit, which don't really exist, by the way. These creatures were humans who were taken as infants by the Asura. They were kidnapped, or sold, and then created into Witches through God only knows what torture.”

  Uma's good mood was visibly evaporating. “As they mature, Witches are taught and then made to perform spells for Underworlders—the magic that they can't perform themselves within this dimension, or spells with risky consequences.” She paused, both anger and sadness flashing across her face at an obviously painful memory.

  Asha shivered in spite of the heat.

  “The infants have always been female, as far as we know, and no member of The Infernal Guard anywhere in the world has ever been able to heal a Witch, on the very rare occasion that we manage to apprehend one of them alive. They are utterly insane by the time they reach adulthood.

  “Unfortunately, one of the things we do not know about Underworlders is where they keep these unfortunate girls.”

  Asha sat still, forgetting to take notes. A cloud covered the sun and thunder cracked like a shot across the orchard. The rain was coming back.

  “All right, we'll end class early,” said Uma, glancing at the sky. “But I want you all to read. You will each write a report comparing the European Werewolf-Vampire Wars of 800 BC and 1769 AD. At least ten pages, people. Then I want your educated opinions and arguments on The Asian Zombie Epidemic of 503 AD, and especially what could have been done differently. And I want them by next Monday, along with at least five questions from each of you.”

  Everyone finished writing that down, and as they got up and started for the building, large raindrops began to fall.

  “One more thing, before I forget,” Uma called after them. “You are all cordially invited to a wedding reception Saturday night at the J W Marriott in Chandigarh. Eight o'clock, formal attire. Let someone know if you need a ride—Himat, I see you thinking about dumping your aloe-garlic-daikon juice in the dirt! Come on, drink up!”

  † † †

  They spent the remaining three days of the week following a grueling routine of seven hours of Spiritual Martial Arts with Javin, with a break for lunch, and then two hours of sparring with Garud after dinner, before three hours of target practice with Arihan, and a too-short six hours of sleep at dawn.

  Asha was so exhausted by Friday that she didn't remember her birthday until Lexi pounded on her door, bursting in before the alarm started going off.

  “Happy birthday, Asha!” she shouted cheerfully and Asha winced. Every muscle in her body ached. She stared, bleary-eyed, at Lexi, wondering how her best friend always managed to look rested, with not a hair out of place. Then she noticed the elaborately wrapped present in Lexi's hand, and her eyes narrowed.

  “This,” Lexi presented the box to Asha with a flourish, “is for you. Congratulations, you are now seventeen, which I gather means something around here.”

  Asha yawned, eyeing Lexi suspiciously as she unwrapped a small, ivory leather box declaring Jacob&Co, and her eyes widened. “Is this… ? Oh my God, Lexi. You did it again. These are… they're like…”

  “I saw them in Paris, and they're Colombian emeralds, and I thought of you, and how they would make your creepy eyes pop, and I just—”

  “Bought them.” Asha shook her head. “Lexi, it's too much! You could feed a thousand starving kids for a year with these.”

  “And what would they do after a year? I'm not a politician. Can you ever just accept my gifts without complaining?” Lexi snatched the box and shoved Asha into the bathroom, forcing the earrings onto her ears. “They are gorgeous! Sixty-nine carats of facetted Colombian emeralds, flawless diamonds. Look!”

  “Lexi—ow! Could you—” Asha looked in the mirror. “Wow. They're…”

  “I know. See? Pop! They'll look great at the reception tomorrow night. And wait 'til you see what I ordered for us to wear,” she sang, grinning.

  Asha put the earrings back into their satin-lined box. “Lexi, you—”

  She was already through the door, waving. “You're welcome! Can't talk now, training with Tzirga.”

  Asha groaned. “Seriously? More training?”

  Asha fell back onto her bed, her mind wandering to a muscle-soothing herbal bath. She wondered if there was time for one before breakfast.

  † † †

  That dawn, after another eighteen hours of training, Asha stood drying her hair, debating with herself whether to practice her harp and ignore her exhaustion for one more hour or not, when her phone chimed with a new message for the first time since she left Miami. Dropping her towel, her fatigue vanishing, Asha ran to the small table where her phone sat plugged in.

  Asha. Happy Birthday. We are all very proud of you here.

  I know that your parents would be very proud too.

  Study hard.

  Te amo más que a nadie en el mundos.

  Abhijay Sandhu (BapuJi)

  Asha read and re-read the message. Then she hurried to Lexi's room.

  Lexi wrapped her in a tight hug, then looked at the message again. ”… I love you more than all the worlds?” Asha nodded, laughing.

  “So… of course.” Lexi nodded, then grinned. “I wonder what his Talent is?”

  Asha shook her head, shrugging. “I guess when he wants us to know, he'll tell us. Also, Lexi, thank you for the gift. Even if it is too much.”

  “Well, you're welcome. Now go get some sleep. You look like crap, by the way.”

  † † †

  Complete darkness. Cold. Silent. The still air smelling of… stone. Asha stretches her arms out, feeling around blindly. Rough, moist rock. She gasps as her palm is sliced open, warm blood wet on her wrist. Dark. So dark. A wave of panic rises up, threatening to drag her under.

  Someone. Something in the darkness. Time running out!

  A baby cries out suddenly, so close, and Asha jumps, twirling blindly, reaching, cutting her fingertips. The crying pierces the cold air again, echoing through the inky darkness.

  “Hello?” Asha's voice croaks hysterically in her ears. “Hello? Is anybody there?”

  She shuffles on legs that feel too heavy, a sickening dread washing over her, following the terrible sound, reaching blindly. Too late… too late!

  Another sound breaks the silence and Asha stops, holding her breath.

  Drip… Drip… Drip…

  White light strobes suddenly to her left, and Asha sees she's in a narrow tunnel. Breaking into a jog, she moves on heavy legs toward the light.

  Drip…

  Just before rounding the corner, absolute terror hits her like a punch to the throat, and Asha almost trips. Gasping for air, she leans against the jagged wall.

  No time!

  Asha reaches for her weapon and feels nothing but empty air. She is inexplicably unarmed, and her heart pounds, panic overwhelming her senses. Reluctantly, her mind recoiling, Asha looks into the room.

  Hate-filled eyes raise to meet hers, registering surprise, then amusement.

  A high voice like bells reaches her. “Welcome, Asha. It seems the Prophecy was correct, after all.” She glides across the room, arms outstretched, impossibly long nails reaching…

  Bursting into laughter as Asha stumbles backward.

  Then Asha sees what lies on the table.

  And screams.

  † † †

  Asha sat bolt upright in her bed. She looked frantically around, panting. There was no darkness. No rock. Sunshine glowed through the carved wooden shutters, making cheerful designs on the silk rug, reflecting off the brass jug of water, the colorful fruit.

  The sound of laughter still echoed in her ears, even as the pounding of her heart began to slow, replaced by the sound of singi
ng birds and a gentle breeze through leaves. Asha moved across the room on weak legs, filling a glass with clove water.

  She looked at her hand, realizing in amazement that it still hurt.

  Happy seventeenth birthday.

  Chapter 15

  “I don't think I'll go, Lexi,” Asha said, rolling over and pulling the cotton sheet over her head. It felt good to be back in her rooftop room at Nidhan's. “I think I'll just stay here and, you know, rest.”

  “Oh, no you don't!” said Lexi, yanking the sheet to the floor. “You are going to come with us to the party. You are going to look a-mazing, and you are going to have fun.”

  Asha opened an eye and squinted up at Lexi. “You look amazing enough for both of us,” she said. And Lexi did. Wearing a magenta and orange silk salwaar-kameez with elaborate gold embroidery and a flowing dupatta, her blonde hair in a thick French braid and gold earrings bordering on the gaudy, Lexi looked gorgeous.

  “That's because you haven't seen what I got for you yet,” Lexi said, opening the closet where Asha's clothes still hung in their fancy packaging. She held up two pairs of shoes. “What do you think? These or these?”

  Asha gave her a half-hearted shrug. “Who cares? What? Okay, fine. Go with the flats. More traditional.”

  Lexi grinned. “That's the spirit!” In a swirl of energy, she was back from the closet. “Now, allow me to present to you pure fashion fabulousness!” With a dramatic sweep of her arm, she laid the wrapped bundle across the bed.

  Asha sighed and glared at Lexi, but finally sat up.

  Opening the packaging, Asha caught her breath. She had never seen clothes so beautiful.

  “Jesus, Lexi! Did your dad—”

  “Just put the clothes on already, Asha! We're gonna be late.”

  In shining black silk, as soft as petals, the full, Patiala-style salwaar pants fell around her legs in elegant folds as Asha put them on. Pulling the top over her head, she ran her hands along the delicate silver and emerald green embroidered flowers that completely covered the kameez, the high slits on either side of the short dress complementing the draped pants. Its liquid silk dupatta was a work of art, twinkling crystals and black pearls within shimmering black embroidery. Asha stared at herself in the mirror, speechless.