Realm of the Goddess (11 page)

We took a break and soon it was time for lunch. Thankfully, it consisted of pizza and salad. I was starving and wolfed down four slices. We stayed at the table longer than usual discussing the upcoming trip. After lunch Vikram asked us to join him in the library, where he had laid out several maps. As I sat down, I got a closer look. They looked like older maps, because some of the markings were different. Some were maps of British India from 1860, others were more recent. I noticed that on the older one someone had circled an area about 1,200 miles southeast of Kolkata. It was part of the Andaman Islands, which my parents and I had visited back when we still lived in Kolkata. The Andaman Islands were part of a colony the British government had chosen to use as a prison island of sorts during the centuries of the Raj. Of course, by the time we visited it had long been a resort island for tourists from all over the world. This little island that had been circled in red bore no name.

“What is this place?” I asked, looking at Vikram.

“That is North Sentinel Island,” he replied.

“I’ve never heard of it,” I said, pulling the map closer to get a better look. The fact that there was no name on it struck me as odd. Vikram seemed to sense my confusion.

“It’s not marked on any maps because it isn’t really part of India, or any other country, for that matter. There’s a small tribe living there. But they have been untouched by civilization.”

“So why are we interested in this tribe?” I asked.

“Well, because they are said to be the first people to come out of Africa around sixty thousand years ago. They have survived and managed to stay completely remote. No outsiders are allowed on the island.”

That took a few moments to sink in. My mind was reeling. The fact that there was an area that no government or any other party had been able to take over was quite the feat. I wondered how they had done it. How had they kept everyone out for so many centuries and not fallen prey to the lures of modern life?

“And,” Vikram continued, “because we have reason to believe there is an ancient temple hidden deep in the jungles. And that is where we think the Sword of Kali has been hidden.”

“I thought outsiders can’t go there,” I said, confused because none of this was making any sense.

“That’s true, but we have accounts that go back thousands of years, and they provide sufficient evidence that what we suspect is true.”

“Think about it, Callie,” Dev said. “What place is more perfect than one so remote, no one will ever think of looking there?” He looked more animated than I had seen him since we’d met.

It did sound possible. The battle between Mahisha and Kali had taken place about five thousand years ago. Her sword was never found, but according to Nina, even within the anthropological community there were those who believed such a sword existed. So if somehow it had been hidden on this remote island that time had forgotten, it would have been kept safely out of Mahisha’s hands. It was the perfect hiding place. A sliver of excitement began to grow deep inside me, as though finally things were beginning to fall into place. I knew there were many other details left to iron out, but at least this was a start. We had a quick dinner of sandwiches in the library as we talked more about the native inhabitants of the island and the very infrequent encounters outsiders had with them. From what I heard it seemed that each time it had been a disaster for those who encroached on their shores.

I listened to them talk for hours, asking questions whenever I felt I was missing a big piece of the puzzle. As the evening wore on I found myself fading. I knew I was done for the day.

“I’m sorry, but is it okay if I go to bed? It’s been a long day,” I said, standing up and stretching my aching legs. I felt like an old woman, but I knew that tomorrow morning it would be even worse.

“Yes, of course, you need to rest,” Vikram said. I wished everyone goodnight and left them to continue. I went upstairs, took a hot shower and got ready for bed. I was asleep as soon as my head touched the pillow. That night I slept without dreams or nightmares. It was the best sleep I’d had in a long time.

Chapter Nine

The next day
dawned bright and sunny and I woke up feeling refreshed and ready for another day of training. In fact, Seattle was enjoying an unusual string of good weather, and the initiates and I took full advantage and trained outside most days. Tara had me running laps every morning, and I hated her for it. Apparently it was to improve my stamina. I hadn’t realized my stamina needed improving, but she was the boss as far as my training was concerned. I was also required to spend time with Mr. Perkins, professor of demonology, in addition to my regular class time. This I did not mind since I had a lot of catching up to do. Plus it was sort of fascinating. Some of the demons we studied were the stuff of horror movies and nightmares. I learned about Makra demons, Kleesha demons, Kaama demons, Agni demons, and Maya demons. Some would burn their victims from the inside out while others would drive them crazy by creating illusions in their minds. Before I knew it, two weeks had passed and it was time for Shiv and I to go on our trip. On some level I think we all knew that this trip could end up being a total disaster, but given the circumstances and the urgency, this was the best option. I felt that Vikram and the others hoped the rest of Kali’s powers would manifest somehow in me between now and when I actually came to face Mahisha.

“Callie, are you ready to go?” Tara called from downstairs. Our luggage had been loaded into the cars with all of our equipment while I double-checked the maps and files of research that we were taking with us. Nina had passed on all the information she had been able to find out from the Elders. This included accounts from witnesses dating back hundreds of years. At least I wouldn’t be bored on the twenty-seven-hour trip to Kolkata. I nervously touched my skull pendant, looking at my desk, which was strewn with paper and covered in post-its, making sure that I didn’t forget anything vital we might need there. Even though a lot of it seemed irrelevant to me, I was not leaving anything to chance. Even though crude hand-drawn maps didn’t seem to make any sense to me now, I knew that on the island we would be without phones, GPS, or any of the dozens of other resources we were used to. We would be in unknown, uncharted territory and I wanted to have as much information with me as I could carry in my backpack.

“Tara, I’ll be right down,” I called out, taking one last look around the room I’d been staying in for the past couple of weeks. Then I closed the door behind me and went down the stairs to the foyer. I picked up the backpack that I’d brought down earlier and went out to meet the others waiting by the cars. Shiv and I were riding to the airport with Vikram so we could go over last-minute instructions. Tara, Dev and Nina were coming in the other car.

When Vikram had first suggested that Shiv and I go on this quest alone, I had been suspicious. After all, he was the head of the Academy and it struck me as strange that he would send someone as inexperienced as me with just one other person. But when I discreetly hinted at it, I found out that the last thing he wanted was to raise suspicion in Mahisha’s camp. It was bad enough that they already knew about me and had my parents and Ben. But if they knew what we were planning, we wouldn’t stand a chance. So Vikram, Nina and Dev came up with a plan. Shiv and I would pose as newlyweds on our honeymoon in the Andaman Islands. That was so commonplace that no one would notice anything untoward. Of course, the tricky part would be to get from there to the North Sentinel Island. According to articles and reports we had read, there was no way to get onto the island without being attacked. What the Rakshakari were counting on was the fact that I was an avatar of Kali, and that would protect me from attack. This was all a theory, of course, and we had no way of knowing what would happen.

A few minutes later we were on our way. To the casual observer we would appear calm, but each of us knew that this trip was no game. We had little knowledge of what we might face, and no amount of preparation could disguise the fact that this could be a deadly wild goose chase. Of the five of us I was probably the most apprehensive, but if the others were also aware of that, they were doing a pretty good job of hiding it. By the time we reached the airport we had gone over every detail for the umpteenth time. As Shiv and I said our goodbyes, I couldn’t help wondering if I would see them again. I knew I was being maudlin, but in the last couple of weeks they had been my anchor, my link to sanity in a world where everything had suddenly gone insane. I looked at Shiv and wondered what he was feeling. We hadn’t had much of a chance to spend time alone, so I didn’t have a clue what he thought about this whole plan. We checked in, dealt with immigration then went to find something to eat once we reached our boarding gate. It wasn’t too long before we were on the plane, and as I settled into my seat I hoped that on the long, long flight I would delve into the mystery that was Shiv.

“So, Shiv, when was the last time you went to India?” I asked, thinking this a good time to start getting to know more about him. He didn’t answer right away and I didn’t push him; I knew how it felt. It wasn’t easy to leave everything and everyone familiar behind and just start a new life.

“Actually, it’s only been three years. But it feels like a lot longer.” He turned to me suddenly with a look I couldn’t define. “You know who I miss the most?” I shook my head, even though I knew it was a rhetorical question. “My dog, Dobby.” He grinned when he saw my expression. “Hey, laugh all you want. I’m a huge Harry Potter fan and I’m not afraid to say it.”

Was I surprised at this confession? Sure. Did I think he was absolutely adorable at this moment? Hell yes.

“So what happened to Dobby when you left?”

“We gave him to my uncle. The one we’re going to be staying with.”

“So you’ll get to see him...that’s great.” Shiv nodded with a smile and leaned back in his seat.

We sat in silence for a while until the attendants started bringing the drinks around. Then we began to go over our plan again.

We pulled down the trays and spread out our stuff as best as we could. We spent the next several hours poring over reports and articles that the Rakshakari had been gathering for years concerning Mahisha’s followers and their activities. What I learned did nothing to banish my growing fear. Ever since Kali had all but destroyed Mahisha thousands of years ago, he had been regrouping. It had taken several millennia, but he was finally strong enough to pose a real threat to the Immortals and to humanity. His followers had grown over the last few centuries, and as humans turned against their own kind over land and resources, Mahisha fed off their greed and weakness to lure them into his fold. It didn’t take much to convince a desperate person to take the easy way when times were tough.

This wasn’t just happening in North America. Reports from Rakshakari members all over the world told the same story. The day was near when Mahisha would arise, having regained his full strength. And from what Vikram, Nina and Dev had told me, once that happened there would be no stopping him.

I had heard the whole story of Mahisha from my dad when I was little. Mahisha had once been loyal to the Immortals. So loyal, in fact, that he felt he deserved immortality. When he brought this request before the Trinity of Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva, the three most powerful gods, they were amused. Their rejection enraged Mahisha, who had spent many years in complete devotion to them. He approached Indra, the King of the Gods, and begged him to reconsider. Although Indra pitied the devoted Mahisha, he could not grant him immortality. He did, however, decide to grant him a boon. This boon would render Mahisha invincible from death by any man or god. Upon receiving this boon, Mahisha rejoiced. He would show the arrogant Immortals what he was capable of. He embarked on a campaign of terror against humans and gods alike. When the Immortals realized they could not stand against Mahisha’s powers, they complained to the Trinity, who created Kali. In receiving the boon, Mahisha had neglected to take into account that he could be killed at the hands of a woman. His arrogance would have led to his downfall if not for one thing that went wrong during the final battle. And it was this detail that no one could tell me for sure. No one knew why Kali had failed to destroy Mahisha, and if we didn’t figure it out soon, then we were all doomed.

By the time the flight attendants came around with the lunch trolleys, we were both going cross-eyed and were ready for a break. After lunch I tried to close my eyes for a bit but found that I was too restless to sleep. All sorts of thoughts were swirling around in my head, and finally I just gave in and stood up.

“No luck with the rest thing, eh?” Shiv rubbed his eyes and ran his hands through his hair.

“I can never sleep on airplanes,” I said. “I think I’ll just walk around for a bit.”

I almost ended up on his lap trying to squeeze out into the aisle. Muttering about how airplanes should really have more legroom, I walked to the lavatory and freshened up. By the time I returned to my seat the tea and coffee carts were being wheeled around, so I asked for a cup of tea. Fortunately, by this time Shiv had moved over to my seat, so I didn’t have to climb all over him with a hot beverage. I could see the dark circles under his eyes. I glanced at my watch and did a quick calculation. We’d been in the air for almost eight hours, so I knew we’d be landing in London soon. I was looking forward to the opportunity to get out and stretch my legs before getting on another plane for the nine-hour flight that would take us to Kolkata.

I finished my tea and placed it on the cart as it passed by again. I leaned back in the seat and closed my eyes. I was about to doze off when a sudden wave of nausea washed over me. I tried to open my eyes, but it was really difficult and I just gave up and waited for the nausea to fade. It started to abate but then something strange happened. I could hear Shiv saying my name, but it sounded like it was coming from far away. I could feel his warm cinnamon breath on me as he spoke and I felt a tingling that started deep in my belly and worked its way up to my chest then into my head, and then I was floating away. I wondered if I was having another vision, but this was different. I was weightless, as if floating on clouds.

I looked around, but there were no bodies, no screams, only serenity. I felt a touch on my shoulder and turned around. Shiv was standing there. But he wasn’t really the Shiv I knew. He looked different, celestial somehow, his dark hair long and falling in curls around his shoulders. His chest was bare, muscular and over his right shoulder he wore a strap from which hung a sword. He wore some sort of loose trousers, the kind Indian men often wore for formal occasions. He was smiling down at me, and when I looked into his eyes I could see my reflection. Only it wasn’t really me. I looked exotic, with long, dark tresses cascading down past my shoulders. I was wearing a lot of jewelry and a gold sari. Then the reflection disappeared and I was drowning in his eyes again. I opened my mouth to ask what was going on, but no sound came out. Instead, he started moving away, as if pulled by some invisible force. He seemed to be calling out to me, but I could hear nothing. I reached out to touch him, to hold him to him, but he kept moving away until he was a speck in the distance. I felt myself floating again, getting heavier. My eyelids fluttered until I could not keep them open any longer, and then blackness took over.