Green Tea and Black Death (The Godhunter, Book 5) (23 page)

  
Then the worst part. A family walked into the courtyard, said something to the man seated there, who in turn nodded and gestured to the bowls of rats and food. The visitors went over to the bowl of rice, reached a hand in to take some, and ate the rice. They ate the rat rice!

   “
Oh great, googli moogli,” I stepped back even further and Kirill caught me.

   “
It's okay,” he whispered. “They are just animals. Leave them be and they will leave you be.”

   “
Right, right,” I was feeling a little light-headed. I wasn't eating rat rice, no matter what this goddess could do for us.

   “
This way,” Brahma led us to an empty wall. He placed his palm on the wall and said some words under his breath. A panel opened. “Let me go talk to her first and ask permission for all of you to enter.”

  
He disappeared without another word and we all looked at each other with varying degrees of disgust. Persephone made a small surprised yip and suddenly Hades was holding her in his arms with a smirk on his face.

   “
One ran over my foot,” she squealed. “Don't you dare put me down, Hot Stuff.”

   “
I got you, Bunny-Nose,” Hades said gently. “Don't look down. It's okay.”

   “
Alright,” Brahma peeked back out. “Come on in. Why is Hades holding Sephy?”

  “
Don't ask,” I shook my head and followed Brahma into a corridor.

  
The corridor was shockingly white. There were no carvings or any kind of relief to the brightness. Just white and more white until we reached the end. It opened out onto a huge room with a domed ceiling. Sunlight streamed in from small openings all over the dome, lighting the room completely and shimmering off the placid pool in the center. Around the bright blue water(probably due to the tiles in the bottom and not the water itself) were plush carpets and divans laden with colorful pillows. Potted trees were placed intermittently around and bolts of beautiful, shimmering fabrics hung in mid-air, strung ingeniously on wires from the ceiling. They acted as room dividers of a sort and swung lazily in a breeze.

   “
Welcome,” A lean lady with golden brown skin stood from one of the divans to greet us. She had bright white hair that fell down to her waist in a straight sheen and she was dressed in a simple, white, unadorned, cotton sari. When she got closer, I had to stifle a gasp, her eyes were entirely black. She held a hand out to me and I automatically shook it.

   “
Thank you, Lady Karni Mata,” I nodded. “I'm Vervain,” I went on to introduce the entire squad. “We appreciate you seeing us without notice.”

   “
Please,” she smiled and I was relieved to see her teeth were normal. “Call me Karni, and come, have a seat.” She turned and went back to her divan as we all spread out on the others. “I hear you're having a problem with Xi Wangmu.”

   “
Yes, precisely,” I looked around but the Squad seemed alright with me being the spokesperson. “I've been hunting her without luck and now we're on the verge of an outbreak of bubonic plague. Brahma suggested that you may be able to help us with the rats, which I believe Xi Wangmu has infected.”

   “
That horrible bitch,” Karni hissed. “Why must she use them as her instruments?”

   “
I totally agree,” I grimaced. “She doesn't fight fair and it makes it difficult to oppose her. Is there anything you can do to help us? I'm willing to negotiate some kind of payment if you'd like. I know you're neutral in this war.”

   “
Not necessary,” she waved her hand regally. “This is a job I'm happy to do. I believe I can help you eliminate most of the risk and protect my kabbas, my little children, as well. It's my pleasure and my duty to be of assistance.”

   “
I can't thank you enough,” I stood when she did and shook her hand again.

  “
Now, where are we going?” She put her hands on her hips determinedly.

   “
Hawaii,” I smiled grimly. “There's always some kind of trouble in paradise.”

Chapter Thirty-Two

  
Chinatown after dark was a completely different scene from Chinatown in the daylight. There was so much color during the day, shops with golden statues and jade jewelry, crystal suncatchers, multicolored clothing, fresh vegetables and shining fish. At night the colors seemed to disappear in the glare of fluorescent bar signs and the garish outfits of the clubbers. The dark alleys swallowed even those, creating mini abysses in the bustling city.

  
We headed into one of these abysses since what we had to do was best left unseen. Karni Mata had pulled her hair back into a long braid but other than that, she was the same as when we'd first  met. I, however, had traced home and changed into my fighting gear, just in case a certain plague goddess showed up.

  
Kirill and Trevor took up positions guarding the entrance to the alley as Karni centered herself and began to work. She had her eyes closed, her hands casually out to the sides, and her graceful fingers fluttering. I saw a slight glow on her fingertips and that was all the warning I had before the furry hoard of little scurrying bodies flowed toward her. They came from all directions, filling the alley and clamoring over each other to get to her.

   “
Holy rat turds!” I exclaimed softly.

   “
Don't move,” Brahma whispered to us all.

  
It was a good thing I'd allowed most of the Squad to go home because I don't think Sephy could have handled it. There was only Brahma, Kirill, Trevor, Teharon, Thor, and I left, besides the Rat Goddess herself. It was also good more people weren't there because it was doubtful that many more of us could have fit into the alley without being overrun by rodents.

  
Karni held her hands above the scurrying bodies, a soft light spreading over her face, down her arms, and out over the furry congregation. They stilled immediately, even ceasing their high pitched squeakings, and just stared at her. Pretty much all of us were staring at her though. It was hard to look away, she was just so damn beautiful right then.

  
She began to cry and my heart broke to see it. This glowing goddess, golden brown skin turned into a citrine jewel by her light, had an expression of such deep sorrow on her face, it was hard not to sympathize. I almost went over to give her a hug but then she started to speak.

   “
So many,” she whispered as her tears continued to fall. “So many of them are sick. Oh my poor little ones, what has she done to you?” She swallowed hard and took a deep breath. “Come here, you with pain, come to me and I will take it away.”

  
Part of the mass backed away while others moved forward, resulting in this strange, rocking, furry movement, til Karni Mata had a thick circle of infected rodents at her feet. The others pulled back even further, creating a definite line between them, as if they knew something awful was about to happen.

   “
The time for this life has come to an end,” she said gently as she bent down and brushed her hands over the little bodies. “Now you can move on, be reborn back into the world. Your sacrifice will be noted, I promise, and you shall ascend to a higher level. I can't save you but I can give you a peaceful journey.”

  
The glow intensified, became blindingly white, and spread over the infected rats. It encompassed all of them and pulsed once. When it receded, the rats were simply gone. The uninfected ones spilled forward to take their place though and it looked as if nothing had changed. There were just so many of them.

   “
Receive my blessing and protection, children,” she said sweetly. “Disease shall not find you in this life.”

  
She held her hands out again and once more, the glow started but this time it was red. Bright, shockingly red. It spread over the rats and seeped into their fur, darkening once before disappearing. When the glow settled, Karni Mata stood back up and waved her hands at the rats in a gently shooing motion.

   “
Be well now, children. The plague bringer can't touch you now.”

  
They scurried away, squeaking happily as they climbed into holes and pipes, flowed into cracks and drainage openings. When they were completely gone, Karni swooned and Teharon caught her. She stared up at him with her dark eyes and he smiled. I knew then, he was a goner. My sweet healer was falling for the rat lady. Go figure.

   “
Are you alright,” he asked her as he took her weight easily.

   “
Yes,” she smiled back at him. “I feel much better now.”

   “
You were incredible,” I interrupted their budding romance. “Were those all the rats in Chinatown?”

   “
Yes, those that were infected have been destroyed,” she laid a hand on Teharon's arm casually but I saw his smile grow. “Those that were free of infection, I have placed a protection on. Xi Wangmu will not be able to touch them. I think I'm able to stand now. Thank you, Teharon.”

   “
My pleasure, Karni.”

   “
Pleased with yourselves in all sorts of ways, I see,” Xi Wangmu stepped out of the shadows as if she'd been there the whole time.

  
I instantly lowered into a fighting stance and my men came up on either side of me to guard me. Xi Wangmu laughed, looking over us all with derision. Her tiger tail was swishing rapidly around her feet and I knew it was a bad sign. Nick always did that right before he was about to pounce.

   “
You think you've thwarted me by protecting rats?” The Chinese goddess laughed again and it was all I could do not to smack her. “Humans are already infected. My plague will spread no matter what you do now, Godhunter and Godhunter minions.”

   “
Minions?” Thor grimaced at her. “Not likely.”

   “
Whatever,” her Chinese accent was getting thicker. “Dance around, play with little furry pests. It okay, I done now. Time to watch.”

   “
Pests?” Karni Mata seemed to grow a little. “They are not pests, they are divine creatures, more intelligent than you give them credit for.”

  
Karni's hand grew, her fingers lengthening and her nails growing into sharp, curved points. She reached out and swiped Xi Wangmu's face. Four long, ragged lines appeared, dripping with black blood, and Xi Wangmu screamed. She screamed like a little girl and held a hand to her face. While she was screaming, Karni stuck her claws into Xi Wangmu's side, creating another gaping wound.

  
I shot forward, eager to get in on the attack but before I could get there, the Chinese bitch traced out. I comforted myself with her screams, which echoed off the walls. Then something occurred to me and I looked over at Karni Mata. Her claws had remnants of Xi Wangmu's blood on them.

   “
Don't touch the blood,” I waved anxiously at her.

   “
Tainted?” She raised a brow and looked over the black drops on her nails.

   “
Allow me,” Teharon held out a hand and blue light coalesced over Karni's claws. When it faded, the blood was gone.

   “
My thanks again, Native healer,” she waved her fingers and they went back to normal.

   “
Oh nice,” I grinned. “An Indian woman and a Native American man.”

   “
What's so nice about it,” Karni looked at me with a puzzled grin.

   “
Dot and feather,” I held up my hands like it was obvious. “A matched set.”

   “
Dot?” Karni looked over at Teharon for help.

  
He placed a finger to her forehead. “Dot,” he said, even though she had no dot there. What kind of dot Indian was she? Then he held up the feather that always adorned his one, thin, side braid while the rest of his hair hung free. “Feather. Vervain is teasing us about being labeled Indians although we are entirely different races, so she separates us by a symbol our people use.”

   “
Ah,” she laughed. “Very funny. Dot and feather. I like your feather.”

   “
Thank you,” he brushed his finger over her cheek, “but you have no dot for me to admire.”

   “
Yes, it is called a tilak,” she beamed at him, “and it's not my thing, as they say.”

   “
Well, now that the rats are safe and the dots are named,” I shrugged. “How about some dinner at Moonshine?”