by T. G. Ayer
Kas turned to Maya and ran the back of his hand across his mouth, wiping off the traces of blood remaining on his lips. He stared sadly at Maya for a moment before he surrendered to the anger simmering in the flames in his eyes. Kas stepped off the dais, forcing Maya to take a number of steps backward. He held his hands toward Maya palms out, and began to chant lines of familiar words. The same ones Balraj had spoken when he’d finally succeeded in taking her fire.
Maya’s stomach twisted, her fear becoming a tangible thing within her gut. She breathed, tamping down her emotions, concentrating hard on Kas. His position, his voice. Everything slowed down the tiniest bit as she began to see each element of her awareness separately. She heard Kas breathe in and out, heard his heartbeat, the staccato sound betraying his underlying emotion as he stared at her.
With the chant over, Kas raised his hands, expecting Maya’s Fire to leap forth and drive into his body through the center of each of his palms. It was what Maya expected, too.
Except nothing happened.
Kas stared at her. His anger flushed his face as he thrust his palms forward, repeating the words and waiting.
“Maybe your sorcerer isn't as powerful as he thinks?” Maya suggested with a small smile as she waited, knees soft, ready to pounce if he so much as blinked in her direction.
Kas growled his anger and yelled Balraj’s name. “It will take some time, Your Majesty. Just a little time.” The sorcerer spoke from the shadows.
His words were certainly no comfort to Maya. Neither was the confidence in his voice. But she wouldn't go down without a fight. She had something they didn’t have. Amrita flowing thick and fast within her veins. That should certainly count. Maya hoped.
“Balraj.” Kas roared. The fury of the command brought the sorcerer scurrying from the corner of the Hall. “Keep her still.”
Balraj nodded and scuttled forward to Maya. He stood still then thrust his hands out, palms aimed at Maya; a movement twisting her stomach with fear at the memory of the pain she’d suffered at those hands.
Balraj’s magic drove deep into Maya’s body, finding the threads of her fire and drawing them out ever so slowly. Maya gritted her teeth. No way was he taking advantage of her power again. Maya planted her feet solidly onto the grounded and gathered the flames.
She poured all her anger and pain into it, recalling the agony Balraj had caused her, the amount of suffering he’d put her through. The heat built up in her abdomen, fire licking her veins, burning white hot yet comfortable, bearable. She breathed and gently pushed the fire to her fingertips allowing the heat to build there. She waited as Balraj chanted, feeling the pull he had on her Fire. His magic battled her inner control and she watched almost as an onlooker as she took a deep breath and thrust the fire out of both hands in twin streams of bright orange heat.
Straight at the sorcerer.
He cackled, thinking he’d succeeded but he was so wrong. The fire flew at him, controlled by Maya. Balraj stared at his hands. He may have realized he held no power over her. But it was too late.
The double-barreled fire penetrated the sorcerer's chest with a force that propelled him backward until the step to the dais tripped him up and he fell into a sitting position, legs akimbo, a startled, confused expression on his pale features.
Maya trained her Fire on him until she felt he’d had enough. He was after all a powerful magician. Who knew what tricks he had up his sleeve? But Maya left it a moment too long. Her power a bit too much.
She eased back the streams of flame but in vain. An orange glow burned beneath Balraj’s skin, creeping along his neck and down to his hands. The shocked sorcerer turned his palms over, his eyes bulging with unadulterated fear.
Maya’s heart thudded as she watched him burn up from inside. There was nothing she could do. Not anything she knew how to do, anyway. Besides, he deserved his punishment for what he’d done to her. Still, she felt a rush of guilt run through her. She was no unfeeling killer. Nor would she ever want to be.
Now she stared in subdued horror as the fire filled Balraj's head, as it singed his clothing, turning the orange cotton fabric into bits of black soot.
Then he exploded and Maya ducked.
She raised her head a mere moment later and wanted to laugh at herself. What had she expected, chunks of cooked meat flying all over the place? She shook her head slightly and stared at the spot that Balraj had occupied only a second ago. All that remained was a charred circle in the floor where he’d stood and bits and pieces of black ash and orange fabric floating around and landing softly on the marble tiles.
And Balraj's gleaming dagger.
Maya’s gaze darted around the room in front of her. Her breathing evened as she realized while she’d been intent on Balraj, she’d lost track of Kas. He was behind her somewhere, and that meant he couldn’t see what she was doing.
She knelt, her fingers closing over the hilt of the weapon; Maya withdrew the vial of Naga poison and swiftly dipped the tip of Balraj's dagger in it. Her fingers shook as she closed and hid the tiny bottle again and shoved the weapon within the fall of her skirts.
She felt the vicious tip of Kas's dagger before she registered his breath at her ear. He stood close behind her as he plunged his knife deep between the ribs on her right side.
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She steeled herself against the pain, drawing immediately on her fire, urging the heat to search out the broken organs and tissue, to mend and fix her body, stem the blood loss and knit the open mouth of the wound.
Kas stepped back as Maya turned, a triumphant grin on his face. The amber fires still glowed within his eyes making Maya sad for him.
“Don’t do this, Kas. Stop now while you have the chance.”
He shook his head sadly. “It is done, Maya Rao. You will soon die. Whatever you are, Fire Wielder, Hand of Kali, Demon Hunter. It makes no difference because you are merely human. Just a mortal.”
Maya glared at him. “Don’t you think the Mother Kali would want to protect me? And where she can’t protect me, don’t you think she will come to my aid?”
The demon king glared at her, unhappy with her confidence. He shook his head again. “Be that as it may, Kali cannot enter this palace. No god or goddess can. Or have you forgotten that?”
“No, I haven't forgotten. I just know I’m getting out of here soon enough. And that you will pay for your crimes very soon, too.”
Kas laughed, the sound deep and jovial. “You think I am afraid of consequences? I have waited a lifetime to be able to rise again and take back what is mine. And nothing, especially not a puny human girl, will stop me.”
“Well, good luck to you, Demon King.” Maya spoke softly, gripping the hilt of the poison tipped knife, waiting for the opportune moment to stab him.
He lunged at her, a vicious curved sword appearing in his hand out of nowhere. Maya stabbed at him and jumped back. She’d missed. But luckily so had he.
No fair. Maya readied herself for another pass. She faked a lunge, bringing Kas closer than he expected. Before he retreated Maya gouged the dagger deep into the flesh of his bicep, ripping open the hand woven sleeve, laying bare his wound.
She’d succeeded, but why didn’t she feel thrilled and triumphant about it? She knew the poison in the dagger was powerful but she didn’t know if it would kill him. And somehow, the thought of killing Kas didn’t sit well with Maya.
She forced herself to stay focused. She couldn't afford the emotional weakness right now. He was the demon king holding all the gods hostage by taking away their immortality elixir. But Maya had Varuni to think about - the goddess waited in Kas’s dungeon for Maya to free her. That was real. And Nik and Chayya? They were no doubt worried sick waiting for her. She didn’t have the time or the inclination to sit around waiting to be rescued.
She had to act. Now.
Kas stumbled back, a little surprised at Maya’s attack. His features settled into a hard, angry expression. His eyes flitted to his knife and Maya knew h
e wondered why she wasn’t weak from the injury he’d inflicted. He lunged again and this time Maya wasn’t fast enough. He tripped her up but as she fell she wound her foot around his calf bringing him down with her. She used his momentum and rolled with him, curling her dagger round in one smooth move to place it at his neck.
“Go ahead.” He urged. “Do it.” He sounded sullen, yet his eyes taunted her. Which confused Maya all the more. She pressed the knife to his throat as she leaned over him, one knee against his chest, the other holding his hand firmly on the marble floor.
But Maya couldn’t kill him. She shoved herself off him in disgust. It was too easy to slit his throat while he goaded her to finish the job.
Kas laughed as they rose to their feet, dusting himself off. “I knew you didn’t have it in you.” He chuckled as he began to circle her. Again, he held out his wrists and Maya stiffened. He was going to used Balraj's magic. “I’ve wasted enough time playing your games, human girl.”
As he spoke the last word, he thrust his hands toward Maya and tugged them back, the movement fluid, graceful. But Maya didn’t have time to contemplate the sinuous beauty of his potentially deadly motions. She felt a pull in her solar plexus, as if her fire were being tugged out of her body by Kas’s single move.
A thrill of fear surged within her as she fought for control of that burst of fire. Could he really take her Fire from her? When the flames began to surge forward to her fingertips, Maya began to panic. Fire left her hands reaching out toward Kas as he stood there, so calm, so expectant.
She should have killed him when she had the chance. Maya wanted kick herself. Her Fire pulsed within her veins, flowing through her in answer to Kas’s call. He was taking Kali's Fire.
No.
She wasn’t going to let him.
She slipped her fingers into the little metal detail that curved out of the handle of the sorcerers dagger, letting the weapon rest on the tops of her fingers, blade jutting out to the side. It gave her the freedom to use her fire while still able to used the blade if needed.
Maya calmed herself, remembering what Nik had taught her. She breathed deep, letting the intake of air flow into her lungs, bringing peace and calm.
Fire spurted from Maya’s fingers and flew to Kas. The demon king smiled.
Peace filled Maya’s veins, calm flowing through her mind and soul. She reached for the Fire deep in her solar plexus, winding the tongues of flame together, and gathering them into a smooth skein of golden flame.
Heat bathed Maya’s face as her Fire roared, leaving her body, escaping to Kas.
At last, Maya breathed again and the Fire breathed with her. Calm and content and controlled. Heat rippled within her body, flowing smoothly to her hands, when it turned to stem the tide of the flames leaving Maya’s fingers.
The warmth dissipated, the Fire slowed and Kas stared at his hands, confused.
Maya shifted her weight on her feet, her toe tracing a wide circle around her. She drew her right arm anti-clockwise over her shoulder, bringing it up waist height, to join her other hand. Her father would be proud of her fluidity. The movement gave her the perfect amount of latent energy.
Maya glanced at Kas, a little sad he’d pushed her this far. But she couldn't allow anyone to take her Fire especially when they wanted to exploit it for their own needs. He met her gaze as if he knew what she meant to do.
He didn’t move.
She breathed and nudged, sending Fire roaring out of the palms of her hands, a stream of heat flying at Kas with a strength and power that amazed Maya. And shocked the demon king. The barrel of fire hit him straight in the chest and sent him staggering a few feet, battling the onslaught of flame.
Maya felt a moment of victory. Which lasted only until Kas stumbled toward her, shoving back against her Fire. Maya had seen his pure white fire before, could see he was trying his hardest to summon it.
She had to finish it now. Before he drew on his own fire. The poison hadn’t had any effect. But maybe she needed to get the Visha into him a second time.
Maya tipped the dagger forward, held it waist high, concentrating hard on Kas as he moved another step toward her.
The demon king grew stronger, but Maya had to take the chance. Before he could advance any further or gather any more strength Maya ran the few feet it took to get to him. She caught the startled look on his face but she didn't slow down, just kept running, slashing at his thigh as she went.
The growl of pain he uttered made her feel slightly bad. She had to remind herself he hadn't had any qualms about potentially killing her while relieving her of her Fire. She spun around behind him, as he turned to face her, one hand at the blood-ridden gash in his trousers. Kas glanced at the dagger, then at his wound.
Maya blinked, a moment wasted as she ducked to avoid the fiery ball of white fire Kas sent at her. Heat warmed her cheek as Kas's flame flew past Maya's face, singeing her hair. She ignored the bitter odor of burnt hair, and threw the dagger aside. She turned to face Kas, smoothly drawing a ball of flames of her own, and letting it fly at the demon king without a pause.
Maya's fireball glanced off Kas's shoulder, leaving behind a black patch of burnt fabric, revealing reddened, yet unhurt skin. Kas grunted, sent fire back at Maya that came with such speed she couldn't get out of the way fast enough. The ball came straight at her abdomen and the only thing she could think of doing was to grab the fire, like Nik taught her, grasp hold of it, mold it, and send it back at its owner.
The fireball hit Kas dead center of his chest and he staggered back in shock. His own fire couldn't hurt him, but the power Maya had put behind the speeding ball of flame surprised him.
And it shocked Maya.
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But she had no time to waste as Kas began to send her a volley of fireballs, each larger and hotter than the next. She dodged a few, and threw some back at him. Her fire was stronger than his but she wasted so much time deflecting his fireballs she couldn't draw on her own. Then she had a thought.
What if she imbued his fire with hers? She'd only know if she tried. If it worked then she'd at least be able to subdue him.
She concentrated on catching the next batch of pure white fireballs, gathering each in her hands, spending precious moments filling the growing ball of flame with her own Fire. Maya kept her gaze on Kas, hoping he'd keep his eyes on hers. She hoped he wouldn't notice her injection of Kali's Fire into his demon flame.
The ball grew within her palms and Kas grinned.
Maya grinned back, passing the sparking fireball back and forth from hand to hand. She drew her arm back sending the flame flying at Kas with all her might. Her body shuddered with the energy she put behind the throw.
Kas, so confident in his own fire, so sure of himself he all but reached for the fireball as it closed in on him. He blinked again at the speed at which the ball flew at him. Then caught it with a confident swagger. But the power behind Maya's throw sent him staggering, and for a moment, she wondered if her hidden Fire would fail. Until Kas screamed as Kali’s flames wound themselves around his hands, setting his flesh alight with a strange shimmering flame.
Maya cringed as Kas yelled out again, staring at his flaming hands in horror. When his gaze returned to Maya's it was filled with confusion. And something else. A heavy hooded dulling around the amber glow of his eyes. Perhaps the first dose of poison had been working its way through his body all along. Perhaps her Fire had sped up the deadly strength of the venom.
He took a step toward Maya and she scrambled backward to avoid him as flames spread to his upper arms and chest. The demon king fell to his knees. Maya winced as bone connected with marble in a jarring thud. Kas sank onto his heels, his eyes almost rolling back in his head as he swayed, unbalanced and weak.
He swallowed hard. "You are very strong, Maya Rao. Perhaps my sorcerer misled me. He'd been so sure he'd weakened you with his attempts to take your Fire. It seems he was wrong about his potion too. But this is not the end. You and I are no
t yet done." His lips twisted into a parody of a smile as he sank to the ground. Instinctively Maya ran to him. She wasn't sure what she'd meant to do but she didn't get to do it.
The demon king Narakasura shimmered, then disappeared.
Maya stood there for a second, shocked at Kas’s disappearance. She hadn’t expected to defeat him with her Fire. In fact she’d bet everything on the poison being the way to overcome him. The moment felt a little anticlimactic. And the silence in the white marbled hall made it worse. Her gaze fell on Balraj's dagger lying on the floor. She made a face, reluctant to have anything further to do with the hideous sorcerers possessions but she needed a weapon. She retrieved it and headed to the door, taking one last look at the grand throne room of the white palace of Swargaloka.
At the door, Maya ducked her head into the hall, looking out for guards. Footsteps echoed at the far end of the passage. The Rakshasas were coming, although they didn’t seem to be in any great hurry. Of course, they wouldn’t know their Demon King was gone. Maya scurried to a nearby alcove, almost fully occupied by a gigantic brass statue of the elephant-headed god Ganesh. She tucked herself beside the figure, glad the god's huge protruding stomach hid her from the oncoming guards.
As soon as they ran into the throne room, Maya fled down the hallway without a backward glance. She paused at the end of the passage and tiptoed to the edge of the circular stairwell that would take her back to the dungeon and to the goddess Varuni.
Her heart thudded as the sound of a gong echoed around the palace. The multitude of hurried footsteps meant the guards must know something was amiss. She hoped they were hurrying anywhere but in the direction she needed to go. The hallway seemed clear so Maya descended the steps, dagger at the ready, but flight after flight all she met was dead silence. Perhaps the gong had called all the guards away? Maya hoped that was the case.
Where had Kas disappeared to anyway? He’d left before she could properly finish him off and she felt dissatisfied. But she'd come for Varuni. And now she could get her out of here.