by SGD Singh
“So Fanishwar staked her,” said Kelakha.
Aquila glared at him, and Kelakha mouthed, What? “Yeah, we don't really let Vampires go. My mom's ideas are a little unconventional.”
“So she didn't know anything?” asked Asha.
Moving closer to her, Aquila said softly, “Janu would've known if the Vampire were lying, Asha. All she knew was that the five of them were having a grand-ass time toying with and draining civilians brought to them by those scumbags you, uh, took care of. They figured Ranya was building up to recruiting them for something, but they planned on taking off when they got bored, so they didn't worry about it.”
“Now is where I should probably tell you I, uh, visited Ranya again…earlier tonight,” Asha said, and before they could criticize, she hurried to fill them in on what she had seen and heard.
Kelakha grinned at her. “You really do have a problem following orders, don't you?”
“Or else you just really like kitchen duty, girl,” Ursala said, but he, too, was smiling with admiration.
Aquila opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Tanvir burst in, his arms loaded down with a basket of grapefruits.
I'll report to Barindra. Maybe they know something new.
Shoving the basket into Kelakha's chest, Tanvir said, “Here. Juice these.”
“But we're expected in Jodha training!”
“Well, you should've thought of that before you decided to make a detour through my kitchen. And you two!” He pointed to Ursala and Aquila. “Take over the daikons from Sandhu.”
They groaned in unison.
“Uh-huh. And when you're finished with that, wash the kale and peel the beets. Asha, you're wanted down in Weapons.” He winked and, breaking into song, disappeared into the pantry.
Asha laughed, looking from Aquila to Kelakha to Ursala. Their excitement was contagious. She looked at Aquila and smiled.
Meet me later?
Aquila's smile broadened as he bowed, and Asha's heart skipped a beat.
Your wish is my command, my lady.
“Dude!” said Ursala, flinching dramatically. “Don't do that telepathy thing in front of us. I feel extremely uncomfortable when she blushes like that. Kelakha and I just ate, for Christ's sake.”
Throwing her apron at Ursala, Asha hurried across the garden to the stone door, unlocked it with her ring, and took the steps two at a time down to the welcome heat of the weapons forgery.
Arihan's scarred back greeted her just inside the door. With his long hair coming loose from its braid, he looked every bit like an intimidating monster-killer. At least until he turned, and his face broke into a smile, silver incisors glinting.
Motioning Asha to follow, he entered the plush reception room. “Sit here for one minute—just wait until you see!” He left, leaving Asha alone.
Dhevan entered the room a moment later holding a folded bundle of black silk, Avinash and Arihan followed closely, all three wearing matching grins.
Laying the bundle on the coffee table, Dhevan said, “All right, no less than three Talent rings, plus your personalized weapon.” He unfolded the silk, and Asha gasped.
Three rings lay shining against the dark silk, rings more beautiful than Asha could have ever imagined.
“She likes them,” laughed Arihan.
“Like? Are you kidding? I love them!”
“This first one here,” began Dhevan, pointing to the gold ring with a large, rectangular emerald, “is, of course, your Seer ring. Emerald for psychic power, sapphire for heightened intuition and telling the future. Fluorite stabilizes intuition. And no ring would be complete without diamonds, of course.”
Asha slipped the ring onto her right first finger, where it fit itself perfectly to her skin with warm weight. The faceted emerald dominated the center of the ring on a pedestal of diamonds, while the other stones curved down the sides in two dazzling fractals of dark sapphire-blue, the fluorite in deep shades of purple. Sparkling white diamonds spiraled down its thick gold band. Janu's Seer ring looked laughably plain compared to it.
“Of course,” she laughed. “One simply must have diamonds!”
The men looked at each other with raised eyebrows.
“What?” Asha asked. “I don't really care about diamonds. I was just kidding…”
“The first finger on your right hand is for your dominant Talent, they say. Hasn't been anyone with more than one in… a very long time,” explained Arihan. “I guess this means you're a Seer first.”
Asha blinked, glancing reflexively at the three men's first right fingers. They all wore similar agate and diamond rings with brushed steel bands. Tvastar rings. Avinash's perfectly unblemished hands contrasting curiously with Dhevan and Arihan's multiple scars.
“Next we have your Healer ring—ruby, fire opal, and diamonds on a copper band,” said Dhevan, handing Asha a ring with the largest cushion cut ruby she had ever seen bulging at its center, reminding her of the inside of a pomegranate as it glowed in the warm light. Two smooth opals adorned either side of it like luminescent leaves, their fiery depths shining every color of the rainbow. Diamonds surrounded each stone, shaping the leaves, running like vines down the copper band. Asha placed the ring on her left first finger and it seemed to snuggle around it. “Ruby protects health, while opal is for healing.”
“And last, but definitely not least, we have your Jodha ring,” beamed Dhevan. “On an onyx band, its garnet, which stimulates the senses, and tourmaline, which strengthens body and spirit. And, of course, diamonds.” He put the ring in her hand, and Asha, after giving them a questioning look, put it on her middle right finger, where it fit itself to her skin.
The craftsmanship of the ring took her breath away. Fashioned into small, intricate feathers inlaid in gold, the stones overlapped each other in deep red garnet and tourmaline, alternating between the sparkling green-blue of the Caribbean and bright candy-pink. Standing out in dramatic color against the black onyx, the ‘feathers’ curved around a radiant trillion-cut diamond at the center. It was like no ring she had ever seen.
“And now,” said Dhevan, rising, “We leave the rest to Avinash here. Keep your rings on at all times. They are part of you now.”
Arihan patted Asha's shoulder, flashing his silvery incisors at her one more time before following Dhevan through the door.
Sitting down next to her, Avinash cleared his throat. “I wanted to be the one to give you this,” he said, taking another silk bundle out of his pocket.
“Your parents would have been very, very proud of you, Asha. I want you to know that. They would have really enjoyed seeing you get this…” His eyes shone as he took Asha's hand, lifting her left middle finger. Holding up a thimble with a tiny needle at its tip, he quickly jabbed Asha's finger, placing the base of the ring to her blood.
“First, put the ring on…” he said, grinning. In a brushed steel band, leaves of jade, lapis, and turquoise stood out against branches of diamonds.
Sitting next to the ring on the silk were two miniature katar, the long, flat sides of their handles inlaid with the same stones as her ring, in an interweaving design of flowers. On the thick base of each blade, flying falcons of inlaid mother of pearl and onyx stood out against the mysterious metal, the detail so breathtaking that they seemed to take off amid golden swirls, winding further along the blades. Asha swallowed against her emotion as she saw the falcons had bright blue tourmaline eyes.
With shaking hands, Asha put the ring on her left middle finger, feeling it fit itself snugly as her eyes filled with tears.
“And now, touch the weapons with it,” Avinash said. “They'll fit in your weapons belt, here and here… just brush your hand lightly across them. You can do it fast, like in combat—yes!”
Laughing through her tears, Asha watched the katar in amazement. Shimmering for a fraction of a second, the blades widened and grew to the size of her forearm. Asha admired their razor-sharp edges, their perfect balance, the way her hands fit luxuriously into their
smooth, rounded double handles, the sides perfectly shielding her arms exactly to just below the elbow.
Avinash said, “Squeeze the handles!” nodding and smiling.
Brutal-looking jagged knives forked out from the katar's central blades, and she oohed appreciatively.
“I know, right? And look, they're diamond-tipped,” Avinash said. “I don't think we've made anything like these for anyone before. Congratulations, Asha.”
“Uh, Avinash? Did Lexi already get her weapon?”
He nodded. “Deadly, gorgeous khanda. Agate and a diamond the size of an egg in the hilt. Suited her very nicely.”
They both laughed.
“Your father, I remember, had two talwar, just like Nidhan, with lapis and diamonds. Your mother had an elegant dagger with jade and peridot…”
“What happened to their… I'm sorry, never mind.”
“It's a perfectly logical question, Asha, with a perfectly logical answer. Your grandfather has them and will no doubt give them to you if you want them. Usually, if you're closely related, your blood will trigger the weapon's features. Although,” he smiled, “you're running out of fingers. And Dhevan would want me to tell you, by the way,” he pointed to Asha's weapon ring, “that jade brings serenity, lapis is for friendship and truth, and turquoise for brotherhood,” he said in a bored teacher voice, then laughed.
Asha looked down at her hands, wiggling her fingers in the light. A small fortune wrapped itself around them, and she thought suddenly of Kushi, and what she would say. Probably something not very nice.
Thinking of Kushi led to thinking of Ranya, and Asha felt a chill in spite of the heat.
“Ranya… she's been waiting for me to get my rings. She said something about… being nothing but a useless civilian without them.”
“Do me a favor and stay away from that Witch,” Avinash said. “Barindra is looking for her and, trust me, when Barindra looks for someone, he finds them.”
Asha shook her head.
“Believe me. Things do not end well for Underworlders who target The Infernal Guard.”
Asha felt as if Ranya's claws were running down her spine as she whispered, “What if it's too late?” She looked up at Avinash, and the sadness that filled his eyes made Asha forget to tell him her warnings about the Witch, her feeling that time was running out.
She started to ask about her father when Avinash wrapped a giant arm around her shoulders. “Don't worry, mija. Everything will be okay.”
She felt the truth before she knew it. Asha gasped, scrambling out of his reach, and stumbled against an armchair.
“You're—you're a Werewolf!”
Chapter 33
“You told her,” Kairav said, glancing up from her book as Avinash led Asha into their apartment.
The staff and faculty lived on the opposite side of the building from Asha's room, and their living quarters were larger and felt more like a home, more lived in. The apartment's cream walls were covered in bright oil paintings depicting various Satya realm predators. A large painting of a jaguar dominated one wall, and its yellow eyes seemed to follow her.
Asha's heart did a somersault as she noticed a framed photo of a younger Kairav and Avinash along with her parents and three others. The Trainees of Colombia, a much smaller class than her own.
“I didn't tell her,” Avinash growled. “She's a Seer, for Christ's sake!”
Putting her book down, Kairav rose and took Asha's hands in hers. Asha saw that she wore only her key ring and what must be her personal weapon ring, a large rose quartz and aquamarine the color of Asha and Janu's eyes, surrounded by diamonds. “Come and sit with me on the balcony, Asha,” she said, smiling. “You can go back to work now, mere pria. I'll see you for dinner.”
Mumbling something unintelligible, Avinash left.
“Actually, let me make tea first,” Kairav said, turning to the kitchen. “I'll meet you in a minute—go ahead.”
Instead, Asha picked up the photo of her parents and studied it closely. Everyone seemed to be laughing about something. The ocean in the background was bright blue, their skin dark and radiant with sun. The uniform at the Colombian Infernal Guard Headquarters was similar to what Asha wore, except the materials looked light and breezy, and the sleeves were shorter.
“It's hard to believe it's been nineteen years,” said Kairav, looking over Asha's shoulder, ginger tea steaming in two cups. “That picture was taken one weekend we all snuck out and spent the night dancing and stuffing ourselves with fattening food. Times haven't changed all that much, I guess.” She laughed softly. “I remember your parents caused such a commotion when they danced that we had to return to Headquarters earlier than we wanted to. They really were magical to watch…”
“So they both grew up at Headquarters, just like Aquila?”
Kairav nodded. “Your grandfather, Abhijay, taught us Healing. And Ignacio, of course, was a master weapons creator, not to mention musical instrument genius. The joke was that Balraj and Giovanna were inseparable from the moment they met when they were three.”
Kairav carried the tea onto the balcony, and Asha followed. This, too, was larger than her own balcony, and filled with potted plants. Carved candle holders lined the railing, and Kairav lit them as she talked.
“Whatever the truth, by the time the rest of us got there for our training year, they were as inseparable as two people who don't share the same Talent can be.” She motioned Asha to sit, then looked across the moonlit garden, smiling at the past. “They used to infuriate the rest of us by speaking in such rapid, slang-filled Spanish that no one could understand a word they said. They were the first to get married the next year.”
“Wait. The next year?” Asha felt like an idiot for not knowing when her own parents got married. “Weren't they, like, eighteen?” She had never thought about it. They were married, and that was that.
Kairav laughed. “Giovanna said they'd been engaged since they were three and had waited long enough. Avinash and I married a few months later.”
“Wow,” Asha said. “I mean… I guess it's good they had time together before…”
Kairav nodded, sipping her tea.
They sat in silence for a long minute, Asha watching the flames of the candles flicker in the cold breeze, trying not to think about her parents' love life. At all. Clearing her throat, she said, “So Avinash…”
“After getting married in Colombia, we travelled for a year. It's pretty standard for Infernal Guard members. Take a year or two off, take a break from life or death situations, and honeymoon around the planet.”
“If all these Talents are genetic, why don't people have more kids?” Asha said, then immediately regretted it. “I didn't mean… I'm sorry.”
Kairav waved a hand, smiling, “No, no. It's a good question. If what we do, if who we are, is about saving the world, why aren't there more of us? But no one knows the answer to that question. All I can tell you is that there have always been as many members of The Infernal Guard as there needed to be at any given point in history. Most of us don't have kids, and if we do, we have only one. Usually they're Talentless. I'm sure you've figured out by now that there being so many of you this year—and many like your cousin Nidhan, with two skipped generations between Talents—doesn't bode well for future peace between realms.”
“So Underworlder… activity dictates the number of emerging Guard?”
Kairav turned a worried gaze on Asha and nodded. “This year there are more seventeen-year-olds in training around the world than there have been for a very long time.”
“So, anyone genetically connected could be… that could be, like, hundreds of people?”
“Potentially,” Kairav said. “That would be extremely bad news. There aren't hundreds, Asha. Trust me. They would have to be turning seventeen, so their Talents would have already shown signs of emergence.”
“So it's normal to…”
“Not worry about birth control, yeah.”
Asha blushed furi
ously. “That's not what—”
Kairav laughed. “Now, are you going to let me finish the story or not?”
Asha raised her cup and bowed her head.
“We travelled around Europe, Asia, the States… then in January, sick of the cold in Mongolia, we decided to visit Avinash's cousin in South Africa. Ibubesi showed us around Cape Town like a couple of tourists: the pristine beaches and high rise hotels. And the endless slums where, of course, Headquarters was hiding. By then we missed being around other Guard, and we eagerly accepted the offer to stay with Ibubesi at Headquarters. We spent weeks exploring their facility, learning about their inventive security measures, and, best of all for Avinash, watching them create new weapons. Everyone was so kind to me, so warm and gracious, in spite of my lack of Talent. They made me feel welcome.
“One evening Ibubesi offered to take me to buy some rare herbs, and I jumped at the chance. Avinash was happy in the forgery with two other Tvastars, knowing I would be safe with Ibubesi in even in the most Underworlder-infested alleyways.” Kairav smiled. “Like his name, Avinash's cousin can Turn to an enormous lion and has a personality to match.”
Kairav sighed deeply, the candlelight casting flickering shadows across her beautiful eyes.
“We returned to a bloodbath. All twelve Guard members and even three children had been slaughtered. I never knew blood could just… pool everywhere like that. It was like a lake… and pieces of people were…”
With a shudder, she turned to Asha, shaking her head as if to clear the memories. “I ran down to the forgery, screaming for Avinash. Ibubesi looked for survivors. By the time we found him, it was too late. He was barely alive, and the nearest living Healer was in Egypt. When Ibubesi said there was a way to save him, I took it. And I would do it again. I would have traveled to the lowest Underworld, I would have done anything. I didn't stop to think if it was forbidden or not. My husband's life was slipping away, and I wasn't going to just sit there and watch him die. Not when there was a chance that he could live.