Realm of the Goddess (8 page)

“So you all have powers? What’s yours then?”

“Not all of us,” he replied. “Some do and they can develop at any stage in life. But the ones who get it as children have it the worst.”

It made sense. I could relate with those kids on some level. When I’d first started having my nightmares, I thought I was going crazy. It wasn’t as if I could just talk about it to anyone. So at first I suffered in silence until my parents and teachers began to notice little changes in me. I became withdrawn, avoided sleep and ended up passing out in class one day. When I told my family, their reactions seemed odd to me at the time. My grandmother immediately told my parents to take me to a holy man. It was strange, but my usually modern parents agreed immediately. At the time I’d thought they were doing it just to appease my grandmother, but now I had to wonder if they hadn’t suspected something back then. Of course, the holy man had just muttered some things and nothing had changed. I continued to have the nightmares, and after a few unsuccessful sessions with a therapist they decided to move to Seattle. I guess at the time they must have thought they might be able to escape whatever was happening to me by running away. Now, when I thought about the orphans I felt glad that at least the Rakshakari were there to help them. I had to wonder, though, how many others were never found and what fates awaited them. I shook myself mentally. I had to get out of this funk. My focus had to be on my parents right now; that was all that mattered.

“Okay, so what else do I need to know before I meet everyone this afternoon?” I wanted to be prepared.

“Well, Vikram will insist that you start combat training immediately,” Shiv said.

“Combat training...” I said. “That should be interesting.” This Vikram fellow had no idea what he was getting himself into. I was a swimmer, so I was in good shape, but I was known to be quite clumsy. How that was going to translate into combat maneuvers, I wasn’t sure, but I guess I would find out soon enough. Shiv stood up and looked at me.

“Callie, look, it’s going to be a bit overwhelming meeting everyone and I don’t want you getting stressed out or anything.” He looked worried, and I was glad that I had him to lean on. I didn’t want him to think I was getting all mushy, so I put on an expression that said I was totally fine with all the craziness going on around me.

“Don’t worry, Shiv,” I said nonchalantly. “I’ll be fine. But I would like to borrow your laptop to do some research.” He nodded as we walked out of the library and up the stairs. I spent the rest of the morning looking up oneiric manipulation. I was still shocked to realize that my father had this whole secret identity that I knew nothing about. Stirrings of resentment started up in my gut, so I was glad that my cell phone made the familiar bleep sound for a text notification. I picked it up off the bed and looked at the screen. It was from Ben. Damn it. I had forgotten to get back to him. I knew that he would be worried, really worried by now. My last text would have kept him going for a little bit, but we had never gone too long without getting in touch with one another before. I had to see him and give him some sort of explanation. I made an impulsive decision.

Can you meet me at the park in 15 minutes?

He responded,
Sure. Usual spot.

I hesitated only for a second before deciding I wasn’t going to tell Shiv where I was going. I needed to see Ben alone. I snuck quietly down the stairs and out the door and made my way to the park. Our usual spot was by the swings. We had played there as kids, and when we got older it just became the place we hung out whenever one of us needed to talk. I had no idea what I was going to tell Ben. If I told him the truth he would think I was insane. But there was a part of me that wanted to tell him so badly. I wanted someone from my real life to know what I was going through, someone with whom I had a history and who knew my family.

He was already there by the time I turned the corner of my street. From here I could see the whole area. There was a water park and it was empty today. During the summers it was packed with people, kids mostly who just wanted relief from the heat and parents who sat on blankets spread out on the grass. Today there were a handful of kids and parents scattered throughout the park, but there was nobody by the swings. Except for Ben.

Chapter Six

He was already
sitting on one of the four swings, waiting for me. I sprinted over to him and sat down on the swing to his right. He looked at me for a moment before speaking.

“Callie, what’s going on? You said you had a family emergency, but then I went to your house this morning and no one was there.”

A feeling of dread shot through me. That was exactly what I’d been trying to avoid: Ben going to my house and being attacked by something waiting for me.

“I’m sorry Ben...things have been crazy for the last few days.” I tried to think of a plausible reason and came up with the lamest one possible. “One of my aunts in Kolkata died, so my parents had to fly over there. I’m staying with some family friends.”

I hoped he would let it go at that, but I should have known better. After all, it was Ben. He was nothing if not persistent.

“Why didn’t you stay with us?” he asked, sounding a little insulted.

“I wanted to, but you know how my mom is. She was all worried about appearances and all that crap.” I felt I was being convincing, and deep inside I felt awful about lying to my best friend like this, but I couldn’t risk involving him in my mess.

“I’m sorry about your aunt. Were you close to her?”

This was not going well. I had to change the topic somehow.

“Kind of,” I replied. “But I might have to fly there too, so I won’t be able to stay in touch for a while.”

“Callie...I know we haven’t been spending that much time together recently, but...”

He began to fidget with the zipper of his hoodie. I had never known Ben to fidget. It just wasn’t who he was. He was confident and funny and a great listener.

“Ben...whatever it is...you know you can tell me. I’m sorry I haven’t been around.”

“No...it’s okay, you had your stuff to deal with. I just need to tell you something and I know this isn’t the best time, but...”

He never got a chance to finish because just then Shiv came bounding around the corner. He stopped for a second and looked around until he saw us by the swings. Then he ran over to us.

“There you are...I’ve been looking all over the house for you,” he said, barely out of breath. He nodded at Ben. I did not want to see the look on Ben`s face, but I knew I would have to.

“Umm, I was going to tell you that I’ve been staying at Shiv’s parents’ place...” I said, knowing what Ben must be thinking. So much for how my mom felt about appearances.

Ben didn’t say anything at first, but then he slowly got off the swing. “That’s great...umm ...I have to get back...” he mumbled, giving us a weird little wave as he turned and walked back toward his cul-de-sac. I couldn’t have felt worse if I tried. I had lied to my best friend and Ben deserved better.

“I’m sorry, Callie, I feel like I interrupted something, but my parents are looking for you and they’re not too happy that you ran off without telling anybody.”

“I’m sorry. I had to talk to Ben. I just disappeared and he didn’t know what happened to me. I owed him some kind of explanation.”

“So what did you tell him?” Shiv’s expression was controlled, but I was sure he was worried I had told Ben something about the real situation.

I was beginning to feel a little annoyed, so my tone was sharper than I intended. “Don’t worry, I didn’t tell him the truth. Your secret is safe.”

He gave me kind of a half-smile. “You know it’s your secret now too, don’t you?” he said softly. I hated that he was right, but I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of admitting that.

“Let’s just get back,” I said as I turned and started walking back toward his place. When we got there his parents were already setting the table for lunch. There was basmati rice with peas and carrots, shrimp sautéed with spinach, curried lentils and a yoghurt salad with tomatoes and cucumber. I realized I was hungry, but first I had to give them some sort of explanation.

“Callie, we were quite worried when Shiv said you weren’t in the house,” Nina began, her voice calm and composed but stern.

“I’m sorry, I should have told you that I was going out,” I said as sincerely as I could. “My best friend Ben was worried about me and I knew he would go to my house looking for me.”

“We understand, Callie,” Dev said, offering me the dish of rice. “We just need to make sure that you’re safe at all times. I’m sure you can appreciate that.” I had finished helping myself to the rice and passed the dish on to Shiv.

“Look, Callie, we understand that you may be used to coming and going on your own, but things will have to change from now on,” Nina said. I decided I definitely did not like her and there were a few things I could have said to her, but my parents had raised me better than that. Maybe I was being sensitive, but I didn’t like her implication that my parents didn’t care when I came and went. But I knew this was not the time to get into all that so I swallowed my resentment with the shrimp.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you. I’ll remember to let someone know next time.”

The rest of the meal was eaten in somewhat awkward silence, but then it was time to go to the center. I was quite intrigued to meet this Vikram and to see what the other Rakshakari were like. Mostly I was hoping they could help me find my parents.

It was a long drive from their house to the center. About an hour later Dev pulled up outside a large compound surrounded by a wrought iron fence. A security guard opened the huge double gates to let the car pull in and Dev drove up a long, winding driveway and stopped under an awning in front of the main entrance. It was all very grand. A large staircase led up to the front doors. Two large lion statues flanked the entrance. We got out of the car and walked up the steps. Before we made it to the front door, it was flung wide open and a man stepped out. He was Indian and seemed older than Dev, his black hair peppered liberally with gray. But his luxuriant moustache was his defining feature. It reminded me of the villains in the Bollywood movies that my mom loved to watch. I almost expected him to start twirling it between his fingers. Thankfully, he did nothing of the sort, but I still couldn’t stop staring at it as we reached the top of the stairs. He looked at me intently for a few moments. Then he gave a slight bow and smiled.

“Welcome to the Rakshakari Center, Callie. We are honored to have you here.” And with that he turned around and led us inside. The interior of the mansion was even grander than I had expected. We stood on marble floors in the foyer. Statues of various Hindu deities stood in corners around us. Embroidered hangings adorned the walls. The scent of incense lingered in the air. To my right a curtain of marigolds separated the foyer from something on the other side. Vikram noticed me looking at it.

“That is our temple room,” he said. “Come and have a look.”

I looked at the others, but Dev nodded at me. “You go ahead, Callie. Nina and I have business to attend to.”

“And I am going to the training room,” Shiv said. “We’ll catch up to you later.”

And with that they were all gone, leaving me with Vikram.

“Guess it’s just me then,” I said. Vikram didn’t say anything but just walked over to the flower curtain. He parted it and we went in. I stood for a moment to take everything in. The room was large, painted a golden yellow, which gave the feeling of being outdoors on a sunny day when in reality it was a typical cloudy Seattle day. There were more flowers everywhere, mostly marigolds, strung in garlands that hung from the statues of Durga, Kali, Saraswati and Lakshmi. I noticed that there were not many statues of gods. There were a few people praying in an alcove in a corner. Others were tending to the various offerings placed in front of the deities. Sweets, bowls of milk and more flowers. They were taking away the old ones and replacing them with fresh offerings. Soft music played in the background, creating a very tranquil atmosphere.

“So, what do you think, Callie?” Vikram asked.

“It’s so serene and beautiful,” I said. “Are these all students?” I looked at the people milling about, most of them young like myself.

“Yes, these are all initiates,” Vikram said. “They come to us from various parts of the country and train here. We have some of the best teachers in the world here,” he added.

“What about school? I mean, they all seem so young, aren’t they in the school system?”

“No, everything they need to learn is taught here at the Academy. In addition to regular school subjects they also learn combat techniques and the intricacies of Hindu mythology.”

I nodded, not really knowing what else to say. Luckily, Vikram continued.

“Why don’t I show you around the Academy? It’s quite large since we have residential halls and the school buildings. This is the main house. I live here, but it’s also our headquarters. We have Rakshakari visiting from abroad quite frequently, as well as conferences.”

He turned around and led me out of the temple room, back into the spacious foyer. I followed him out the front door, around the corner of the building. From here I could see what he meant by this being a large compound. It was enormous. There were three multi-storied buildings forming a semi-circle about fifty feet on the right of the main house. To the left I could see a tennis court, a swimming pool and another large enclosed space where some students were sparring with swords. Beyond all that, stretching out as far as I could see, were trees, tall pines that towered over the buildings and created a rich green backdrop.
Not a bad place to live and go to school,
I thought. The sun was beginning to set and I took a deep breath of the cool, pine-scented air before following Vikram, who had already begun making his way toward one of the buildings.

“This is our all-female dormitory,” Vikram said, holding the glass double doors open for me. It took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. We were in a lobby. In one corner was a flat-screen television with a seating area, which was empty at the moment. In another corner there was a set of square tables with stools around them. On each table was a small square wooden game board. I walked over to take a closer look and gasped. They were Carrom boards. When I lived in Kolkata, my cousins and I would play Carrom all day long during summer vacation. It consisted of small circular disks arranged in a circle in the center of the board. The players would have to use a larger disk, called a striker, and a flick of the finger to hit the disks and send them to one of the pockets on the four corners of the board. I hadn’t seen one of these in years. I must have had a smile on my face because Vikram came over.

“Memories of childhood?” he asked, his voice gentle. I nodded.

“I haven’t played for years. I’m sure I’ve lost my touch.”

He pointed toward the hallway and gestured for me to follow. “The ground floor is mostly for activities. The first two floors are for senior students and the remaining four are for all the rest.”

“How many students live here then?” I asked, smiling at a couple of girls who had just come out of the elevator. They looked at me curiously but smiled back nonetheless before heading out the door.

“About one hundred and fifty in the girls’ dormitory and another one hundred in the boys’. Remember that our Academy serves the entire West Coast.”

“What about the third building?”

“That’s for staff, trainers and other administrators. What I really wanted you to see was our combat training room. I was hoping you might pick a weapon.”

I looked at him in confusion. “A weapon…?”

“Didn’t Dev and Nina tell you? We feel that you should stay here and prepare.”

“Prepare...for what, exactly?” I began to feel a little irritated. I did not appreciate being kept in the dark like this. I had no idea how much Dev and Nina had told Vikram.

“Well, Callie, you know what lies ahead for you...for all of us. You have no combat skills and you cannot attempt to face Mahisha, or any of his demons for that matter, without some training.”

Okay, so he knew everything. What he said made a lot of sense. I did feel totally unprepared, and if I wanted to have any chance of saving my parents I would have to learn how to fight. There was a lot more I would have to learn, and this was the place for it. Plus it would be kind of a relief not to be so close to Shiv all the time. Or his mother.

I nodded slowly. “So when did you want me to start?”

“Well, you can move in tomorrow. Your combat training will commence immediately. You will also be working with Mr. Perkins, who is our resident expert on demonology. He will bring you up to speed on what you need to know. Given the urgency of our situation, there is no time to waste. Now let me take you to the combat training area.”

I followed him down a dimly lit hallway until he stopped in front of a set of double doors. He pushed them open and stood aside to let me enter first. I stepped inside and looked around. It was a lot like the room in Shiv’s house, except much bigger. There was one part of the room designated only for weapons storage.

“Some of these weapons are thousands of years old. They have come to us after being passed down to generations of Rakshakari.”

“Do the initiates only learn the ancient arts of combat or do you also teach them other forms of martial arts?”

“We certainly try to prepare our guardians in as many different forms as we can, After all, evil comes in all shapes and forms. We wouldn’t be so presumptuous as to think that our ancient combat techniques are all that we need to protect the world from evil.”