The Secrets of the Elements novel Chapter 21

"May I know where you have been?" questioned Indra as he stood tall, towering them; their heads bowed before him.

"The temple," Daksh lied. "I went to the temple without telling these guys, so they came there searching for me."

"And why exactly, would you in such a situation go to the temple?" asked Indra.

"Indra," said Dai Ma, entering the small room in the cottage. "The High Priest has summoned us, this instant we must leave."

Indra nodded his head.

They crossed their arms, closing their eyes and vanished, leaving the three of them alone.

Rutuja sighed.

"Saved," added Rishi. "Thank you, High Priest."

"The High Priest is in Srinagar, right?" questioned Rutuja and looked at Rishi.

"Yes, Shankaracharya Temple. Why?" said Rishi as he threw the jacket on one of the six chairs around the dining table.

"He has special powers, how doesn't he knows about the book being in the wrong hands?" wondered Rutuja.

"Those five might be good, you know," said Rishi and sat on the chair. Rutuja opened her mouth to say something but then stopped.

"Yes, they attacked us, that's because Daksh attacked them first, it's not their fault, they were ready to talk," Rishi clarified.

Rutuja looked at Daksh.

"Well, I came to know that they had the book so. . ."

"So? You didn't consider telling anyone of us or Master Indra?" interrupted Rutuja.

"Okay, what's done is done, it is time for damage control," said Rishi and kept his hand on Rutuja's hand.

Daksh glared at Rishi; Rishi smirked.

"What next then?" asked Rutuja.

"Daksh obviously knows where those guys live," said Rishi as he poured some water in a glass.

Rutuja looked at Daksh; her eyes demanding the truth.

Daksh fought the urge to punch Rishi right in the face.

"Daksh," said Rutuja.

"Well, yes," he replied. He could not lie.

"So done then, we're going to their place and taking the book from them," said Rutuja and headed upstairs banging her heels against the floor.

~~~~~

There was a knock on the door.

The five friends had gathered at Tej's house, enjoying a hot cup of coffee, sitting in the hall.

"It might be mom," said Tej and opened the door.

With an anguished shriek, Tej fell to his knees, clutching his stomach.

"Tej!" screamed Advika.

Daksh lunged at Ray, dagger in hand. However, at the last moment, Ray snatched up a metal pan from the table beside him and smacked it into Daksh's face with a loud crunch.

Rutuja kicked Maya in the stomach and pushed Zarna on the glass table with enough force to shatter the glass. Blood oozing out from Zarna's forehead.

Advika's heart leapt in her chest. Rutuja held Advika's hands behind her back with a knife held against her throat.

"Where is the book?" she demanded.

Ray thrust his arms forward, and blue lightning surged towards Rishi, completely obliterating Rishi's own beam of energy. With a cry, Rishi threw up his hands in a feeble attempt to protect himself from the oncoming lightning and sank to the ground.

Ray snapped his fingers, and the lightning reeled away from Rishi, springing back to his fingertips, before disintegrating in a shower of blue sparks.

Tej threw a ball of fire towards Daksh. Daksh blocked it with a ball of vacuum that emanated from his hands.

"Stop!" screamed Rutuja. The knife drew blood from Advika's throat.

"Give us the book, otherwise," she said and tightened her grip on Advika's throat.

Tears slid from Advika's eyes. Grantha help, she thought.

~~~~~