Free Rakshasa Book I, Part #4: Shadowfall by Alica Knight Page A

wanted her to wake up and I didn’t care if the world knew what I was. I watched her twitch, groaning softly in her sleep, her face twisted as though she were in pain. We didn’t know what was causing Katelyn to not wake up; it wasn’t an injury that we could find and no drug anyone knew would remain in her system this long. As the days dragged past, we all worried what was going to happen to her.
    I had sometimes wondered if my lineage, my awakened power, was going to come with some terrible cost. I hadn’t paid anything yet, so far, but perhaps the cost would be paid in blood and suffering, in tears and pain.
    Paid by my friends.

Chapter I

    Sometimes, You Can’t Do Anything

    I don’t know how long I watched Katelyn toss and turn, but it must have been hours.
    When a human’s Rakshasa lineage manifested itself and the power within us bubbled to the surface, the process was gradual and slow, like going deaf. Hearing loss was like that; you never really noticed until everyone could hear something you couldn’t.
    My power had been building, slowly, and right now I could hear everything . I could hear the faint noise of cars purring down the nearby street. I could hear the distant mumble of television from the apartment beside the one beside mine, and I could hear the couple upstairs making love—the faint squeaking of their bed, the soft, heavy breathing, the occasional gentle moan. No human could hear these things, but I could.
    But from Katelyn, the only noise I could hear was her quiet inhalation and exhalation, punctuated by a gentle, uncomfortable groan.
    “She doesn’t look good,” came a voice from behind me. Asena, the red headed woman descended from a British soldier stationed in India, the unofficial leader of our little group. No matter how good my hearing became, it seemed, Asena could be quieter than even I could hear.
    It was one of her talents. We all had them. Some had one, some had many, but they all seemed to be clustered around a common theme. Hers was sound. She could mimic any voice she wanted, or move completely silently. I’d stopped being surprised when she, or the rest of the coven, dropped by unannounced. In fact, I found their presence oddly reassuring.
    “No,” I said, “she doesn’t. I’m worried about her.”
    “No change today?”
    “Nope. The same as yesterday.”
    Asena and I stood in silence, staring at Katelyn as my friend’s restlessness abated and she became quiet once again, her breathing becoming gentle and calm, her facial features relaxing. Although Ishan had assured me that it appeared in all ways like a normal fever, I couldn’t shake the feeling that, as she slept, she was experiencing some kind of terrible dream.
    Without taking my eyes off Asena, I heard Katelyn’s breathing, gentle and relaxed. For a moment she seemed completely at peace, as though she was just sleeping like any normal human.
    Then she inhaled painfully and I knew her fitfulness would start again soon enough.
    “Katelyn needs a doctor,” I said. “It’s been weeks. Weeks , Asena. We need to take her to Canberra Hospital.”
    “You know we can’t do that.” Asena moved in front of me, standing between Katelyn and me. “You know we can’t.”
    “She’s my friend. She got into all this because of me, she hasn’t done anything wrong. She needs help. I owe her that much.”
    “Aurora,” Asena said, “we can’t.”
    I growled, thumping my fist against the doorframe. The force chipped the paint and cracked the wood beneath. With my enhanced hearing I heard the couple above me stop their activities. The vibrations would have felt like a mild tremor in the room above.
    I had to remember that I was stronger than I used to be.
    Asena lifted her hands and rested them on my shoulders, giving a gentle squeeze. “Did I ever tell you about my Dad?”
    I shook my head.
    “He died last year. Cancer.”
    I grimaced. “I’m sorry.”
    “It’s okay. We knew it was going to happen, and we