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.”
There was a plethora of deadly looking weapons hanging on individual hooks on the wall, but once again my eye went straight to the whip-like sword that I had admired in Shiv’s house. Vikram followed my gaze to where the sword was hanging with its companions. He walked over, took it off its hook and turned to me with a knowing smile.
“So it appears that you have a connection. The urumi was Kali’s weapon of choice as well.”
He held out the sword. I hesitated for a split second before grasping the handle. Nothing happened. I don’t know what I had expected, but maybe a part of me had hoped that holding a weapon that had been a favorite of Kali’s would impart some magical powers to me. But that didn’t happen, so I was left standing cluelessly with the urumi in my hand and no idea what to do. Vikram looked as though he too had been expecting something along the lines of Xena, Warrior Princess. But he recovered quickly, arranging his features into an encouraging smile.
“Maybe we can start with the training right now,” he said, calling over one of the trainers with an imperious wave. A young woman just over five feet tall walked over. She wore a white tunic over a pair of loose-fitting white pants. Her hair was in a long braid that swung down to her hips. As she came over, she bowed slightly to Vikram. He returned the gesture with a quick nod and then turned to me.
“Callie, this is Tara, one of our most talented trainers.” Tara’s face exhibited the barest hint of pleasure at Vikram’s praise, but then she turned to me with a broad smile.
“Callie, it is so great to meet you. We have been waiting.”
“It’s nice to meet you too,” I said, feeling a little awkward at the thought that most people here knew about me, but I knew nothing about them.
“Would you like to try your hand at a little swordplay?” Tara asked, pointing to the training area. I looked over at the students working there. They all seemed very skilled, thrusting
“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.”
There was a plethora of deadly looking weapons hanging on individual hooks on the wall, but once again my eye went straight to the whip-like sword that I had admired in Shiv’s house. Vikram followed my gaze to where the sword was hanging with its companions. He walked over, took it off its hook and turned to me with a knowing smile.
“So it appears that you have a connection. The urumi was Kali’s weapon of choice as well.”
He held out the sword. I hesitated for a split second before grasping the handle. Nothing happened. I don’t know what I had expected, but maybe a part of me had hoped that holding a weapon that had been a favorite of Kali’s would impart some magical powers to me. But that didn’t happen, so I was left standing cluelessly with the urumi in my hand and no idea what to do. Vikram looked as though he too had been expecting something along the lines of Xena, Warrior Princess. But he recovered quickly, arranging his features into an encouraging smile.
“Maybe we can start with the training right now,” he said, calling over one of the trainers with an imperious wave. A young woman just over five feet tall walked over. She wore a white tunic over a pair of loose-fitting white pants. Her hair was in a long braid that swung down to her hips. As she came over, she bowed slightly to Vikram. He returned the gesture with a quick nod and then turned to me.
“Callie, this is Tara, one of our most talented trainers.” Tara’s face exhibited the barest hint of pleasure at Vikram’s praise, but then she turned to me with a broad smile.
“Callie, it is so great to meet you. We have been waiting.”
“It’s nice to meet you too,” I said, feeling a little awkward at the thought that most people here knew about me, but I knew nothing about them.
“Would you like to try your hand at a little swordplay?” Tara asked, pointing to the training area. I looked over at the students working there. They all seemed very skilled, thrusting
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