by Jen Pretty
Steeling my resolve, I had a shower and tamed my wild hair. I dried myself off and wrapped up in a thick bathrobe. I wandered out determined to find everyone and make a plan of attack. I wanted to kill the stupid buffalo.
That is how I would get through. I had the man I loved, what more could I possibly need?
I told the little voice in my head to shut up. It was fighting time.
CHAPTER SEVEN
In the dining room with the long wooden table, I found Nara and several of his vampires. Vincent was also there as were Trevor, Singh and the female vampire who had fought with me against the fallen vampires in the city, Peri.
She smiled and waved at me. “You look pretty again,” she said, and I laughed with her. I sat between her and Vincent and dug into some breakfast as soon as they set it in front of me. I was starving and needed to fuel up if I was going after the stupid buffalo.
Everyone was talking and discussing strategy and logistics about travelling. I looked over at Peri and winked. “Do you want to come fight a demon with me?” I asked her with a mouth full of flatbread thing with yummy spread stuff on it.
“Absolutely,” she said. I gave her a thumbs up and stuffed more food in my mouth. They were still discussing things like airports and rental vehicles.
I chewed quickly and took a sip of the mug of coffee sitting in front of me. “I’m driving. No way am I getting on a small plane. Forget it.”
Everyone stared at me like I was crazy and maybe I was.
“It will take days to get there by car,” Vincent tried to mansplain to me.
“I don’t care. Peri and I are gonna hit the road like Thelma and Louise.” Peri laughed. Nobody else did. At least someone thought I was funny.
“Has she been drinking?” Trevor asked.
“I have not been drinking. But it would take more than desert moonshine to get me in one of those tin cans. We can take turns, drive all night and get there in no time.”
Everyone still looked doubtful. I rose slowly to my full height which wasn’t much, but they were all still sitting. Durga helped by turning my eyes red, and I spoke slowly, so there was no mistake. “This is my show. I will do as I please!” I punctuated it by slamming my hand down on the table. Everyone jumped except Singh who curled his lips in that weird lion smile thing he did before he went back to licking his plate. I looked around the room, pausing at every pair of eyes for a moment to the soundtrack of Singh's rough tongue removing the glaze from the ceramic plate they had served him on.
A round of “Yes, Durags” later, I pulled my chair back in and used a napkin to sop up the coffee I had accidentally spilled in the name of dramatic effect. Shit. I glanced at Peri who bit her lip so she wouldn’t laugh and I gave her another wink. She might be the best friend I ever had. She liked killing vampires and getting bloody, and she wanted to drive across the country with me.
“Road trip,” I whispered. She grinned and did a tiny happy dance in her seat. Yup. She was mine.
That reminded me. “Where is Drew?” I asked Vincent.
“He is in America. Helping Vlad with the city while I’m gone.”
I nodded, then chugged my coffee and went to find clothes.
“I would like to come with you,” Vincent said from behind me as I rifled through the closet of women's clothes in my size.
“You can fly if you would rather. I wouldn’t mind getting to know Peri better. She fought with me, you know. She’s funny and good with a blade.”
“Are you pushing me away?” he asked, his eyes avoiding my gaze.
I backed out of the closet.
“Are you insecure now? I didn’t know you had an insecure bone in your body,” I teased as I approached him. I kept walking until I pressed my body up against his. I slid my hands around his waist and wove my fingers together locking him in place.
His eyes landed on mine. “I wasn’t insecure until I met you. I’ve never made so many mistakes with someone in my life. It’s like I can’t see straight when I'm around you.”
He dipped his head and caught my lips with his. He relaxed wrapping his arms around me. I hummed in his mouth, and he lifted me off the floor. My legs wrapped around his waist before he turned around and pressed my back into the wall, trapping me against his body.
He broke away and took a few heavy breaths before he spoke again. “I don’t want to lose you again.” He rested his forehead against mine.
“You won’t,” I said.
He kissed my forehead before setting my feet on the floor and taking a deep breath.
“Ok, we will fly out in the morning and meet you two at the Aurangabad Airport. It's south of the caves, so we can meet up and go together. Promise you won't go in alone?”
“You know you can’t fight Mahishasura, right? Only Durga can.”
“I know, but I want to be there when you face him. If he has a lot of rogues around, I can help. I'll bring some of Nara's men. Plus, I have a score to settle, and I want to see it done.”
I patted his chest. “OK, we will see you there.”
I walked past him and grabbed clothes, changing quickly. I grabbed a few extra sets of clothes, just in case, and headed out to find my road trip buddy.
Vincent found us a nice rental. It was a new car, and I suspected he purchased it off the lot, but let him tell me it was a rental, anyway. He had a thing about cars. It was a nineteen-hour drive to Aurangabad from Jaisalmer, so we would arrive in the morning.
The nice lady who always fed us packed a basket of food and snacks. Peri had driven south before so knew all the best places to stop if we needed to. I was sure we would at least need to stop for a bathroom break because I drank another cup of coffee before we left the house.
“Farewell, Lark. I hope we meet someday again,” Nara said as I threw my extra clothes in the back seat of the car.
“I’m sure we will,” I said with a smile and hugged him. As he pulled away, he took my hand and kissed the big ruby ring he gave me. Vincent glared but didn't rip Nara's head off, so that was nice.
While I had my back turned, human Singh slid into the back seat of the car.
“You can’t take the plane?” I asked.
“Nope, I’m coming with you. I will stay a people, so I don’t scare truck drivers.”
“You will stay a people?” I asked.
He nodded, and I laughed at the ridiculous lion. I gave him two hours before he was itching to shift.
Vincent grabbed me up and kissed me hard. I laughed as he set my feet back on the ground. Then I got in the passenger seat. Peri had called first dibs on driving the new car. I let her, hoping she might dent it and teach Vincent a lesson about the value of old cars.
The car ran silently and slipped through the city like a ghost. I fiddled with the radio station until we were on the highway and I gave up on finding an English channel. The car radio had satellite, but I couldn't figure out how to switch it over, so I turned it off.
“Thank god,” Singh said from the back seat.
“So, what do you do for fun, Peri?”
She smiled at me. “Hunt vampires and watch movies, mostly.”
“Have you ever done yoga?” I asked.
“I have. I lived with a yogi in Tibet for a decade.”
“Yes! I knew it. We need to do yoga together. I had a studio, but it got blown up,” I said.
“You aren’t very old to have had so much stuff happen to you.”
I laughed. “How old are you?”
“I’m 462.”
“Holy crap,” I replied.
Singh huffed in the backseat, and I turned around to find he was a lion. Already. “You didn’t even make it an hour in human form? What happened to ‘I’ll stay a people?’ You will scare truck drivers.”
He set his head back down on the seat and closed his eyes.
Peri was laughing from the driver's seat which made me laugh too. God, life was weird.
When our laughter died, I continued my questions.
“
So how did you end up living here?” I asked as she switched lanes and passed a truck full of goats.
“I was travelling the world and fell in love with India. I’ve been here a long time. The magic is kind of gone, but I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go.” She glanced at me before looking back to the road. “When we kill this demon, I’d like to talk to Vincent about moving back to the US.”
“That would be awesome. He can always use good fighters. I want to travel for fun, someday — not because some monster is killing people.”
“I can understand that. I like fighting though, so I’m glad you are here. It’s been boring the last hundred years.”
“Glad to be of service,” I said with a laugh.
We settled into a comfortable silence for a while. I watched the country go by out the window. It was mostly sand and scrub brush with the occasional wispy tree.
We switched at the first rest stop, and I took over the driving. It was awkward to drive on the wrong side of the road, but soon the desert gave way to more grass and shrubs. There were busses and cargo vans along with dirt bikes all vying for road space. People walked along the highway with goats. There were small tractors and the occasional cow roaming lose. I imagined hitting one would do some serious damage, but people here drove fast, and I loved it. The road was new and smooth. Between the other drivers' speed and the open land, it didn't feel like I was going one hundred and thirty.
I slowed as we approached a small town. People and cows roamed the crowded streets. Motorbikes lined up in front of square buildings and goats running around. The center of the road had a cement partition in places or just a fence. I wasn't sure if it was to discourage cow crossing or pedestrian, but both were in ample supply. I coasted through and was nearly to the other side when Durga made herself known. She had been quiet since I came back from near dead or whatever I was. I slammed on the brakes and skidded to a halt on the narrow shoulder. Cars honked behind me and tires screamed on the hot pavement, but I had already unbuckled my seatbelt and thrown my door open.
“Yes!” Peri cried as she jumped out of her seat and skidded around the car to follow me.
She reached in and grabbed the keys, locking the car as I moved silently towards an old shed. It was rundown, and the door was half hanging off. Durga didn’t push me to run, but she wanted me to go in the shed; it was curiosity.
As I approached, I realized someone chained the shed door closed. Wrapped through holes drilled in the steel door and padlocked was a thick chain. Rust ran across the lock as if no one had opened it in a while. I reached out hesitantly to touch the lock, but Durga lost patience and made me grab it and pull. Apparently, we were The Hulk now because the chain broke and the door swung open.
“Oh shit,” I said taking a step backwards. There, in the dark, sat a vampire. He was gaunt like the ones in Nara’s dungeon, but he also had his fangs removed. His mouth had two gaping black holes. Someone had chained him by the neck to the back wall, and it was the only thing holding him upright.
“That’s disgusting,” Peri said as she unsheathed her blade.
“Wait,” I said. Durga rose and looked at the vampire. He was pathetic, and Durga felt sympathy for him. Not hatred or disdain like she had for the fallen rogue vampires in Jaisalmer.
The vampire's eyes remained locked on me with a plea for help. I think he would have begged if he had been able to move.
I stepped into the darkened shed and squatted down in front of the man. He didn’t snap his teeth or try to bite me. He wasn’t even fallen. He had been in here god knew how long and kept his sanity and humanity? I reached out and pulled the chain around his neck, breaking the heavy links. He hit the ground with a thud, and the chain rattled and clanked against the steel wall.
Durga reached out to touch the man's face. His sunken cheek was cold under my fingertips. I wanted to ask him his name, but I knew he couldn’t speak. I could see now that his clothes were bloodstained and torn as though someone had beaten him. Durga warmed my fingertips. “I’m sorry, this will help.”
As my hand grew hotter and hotter, the man's eyes grew wide, and his mouth opened slightly wider in a silent scream. A single bloody tear sprung to his eye, it was thick like sour milk. I watched it ran slowly down his face as the pain of the fire burned away the damage that someone had done to him. He gasped a breath and closed his mouth. His hand rose to cover mine on his cheek, and he tipped his head into my palm. He blinked away the last of his tear and sighed.
“Thank you, Goddess.” His voice scratched like an old record.
“Who has done this to you?”
“It was the demon.” The voice sounded familiar now, but I couldn’t place it. It was someone I knew.
“I will slay him.”
“Of course, you will.” The vampire's lips curled up into a terrifying smile, and I finally recognized him as Ninel. Little of his appearance remained. If not for the curve of his smile, I would not have figured it out.
“Where is Vilen?” she asked
“He remained behind, Goddess, to continue your work in Moscow.”
“Very well. You need a good meal and rest before you are fit. Come, I will find you a willing sacrifice unless you rather end your journey in this world. I have learned it is not wise to force those who do not wish to continue to do so.”
It felt like Durga was talking to me.
“No, Goddess. I have much left to do in service to you, but I would not wish to slow you down. Leave me and continue. I will not be fit for some time after the damage the demon has inflicted.”
“I have a few moments to spare. Also, you are good company for my travels. Lark and her new friends are tiresome.”
I tried to object, but Durga was in full control at this point, so I put it in the memory bank to discuss next time we were chatting.
Durga rose and pulled Ninel to his feet. Holding him upright and slinging his arm around my neck, she finally let go of control and let me navigate Ninel to the car. Singh was snoring in the back seat. Lazy lion. I swung open the door and gave his furry butt a boot; he grumbled and shoved over enough that Ninel could sit on the seat.
I slipped into the driver's seat and waited for Peri.
“How do you guys get blood, anyway?” I asked.
She chuckled. “How long have you been living with vampires?”
“Well, I haven’t asked about the blood drinking thing.” I remembered Vincent biting me the night before, and my heart kicked up a notch. I understood why someone would want to let a vampire bite them now though.
Peri gave me a wicked grin. “Come, I will teach you the ways of my people,” she said in a deep voice. I laughed, but got back out of the car and hit the door lock button, so nobody messed with my car. There was still a lion in the backseat so I doubted anyone would open the door.
My loose pants and top flapped in the wind like a flag as we walked back into the small town. The large trucks driving through barely slowed, but traffic came to a standstill up ahead when a cow wandered on to the road. There was a car honking its horn and edging closer to the animal, but the animal didn’t hurry. It was a badass cow.
Peri grabbed my sleeve to get my attention as she turned between some dirt bikes and headed for a small door. The building was sand coloured like most were, but the door was turquoise.
I tried to keep watching the cow but had to assume he made it safely across the road as I entered the building and lost sight of my new spirit animal.
Inside were tables and chairs set up like a diner. The ceiling was a pinwheel with spokes coming from the center of the room and meeting the walls. They had strung colourful ribbon between the spokes making it look more like a carnival than a diner.
Some people sat around in small groups, chatting quietly, drinks in their hands. I realized it was a bar. I was driving so I definitely couldn't order here, but Peri strutted up to the counter and ordered something. She spoke smoothly, and the man behind the counter smiled at her. She put money on the counter and
as soon as he set down the drink; she slung it back. Then she winked at the man and gave him a come-hither kind of look. She stopped to look back and smile at him before walking out the door.
“Three, two...” she started counting.
A man came running up behind us. He stared at Peri like she invented chocolate. She reached out and took his hand, leading him back to the car. She pushed him up against the back bumper and pressed herself into him. Her mouth traced the line of his neck, and he tipped his head back.
It was awkward for them to be making out here by the side of the road, but the man didn’t seem to mind. I stood and watched for a few moments until Peri’s teeth broke his skin. The man's body trembled, and he went limp. She looked at me and motioned her head towards the car. Right, Ninel.
I unlocked the car and pulled the sleepy vampire out. He was still unsteady.
“He doesn’t have teeth,” I whispered. The man pressed against the car smiled. He was in some kind of trance or something.
“I’ll open the vein, you hold your friend up here next to my buddy,” she said smiling at me with blood-stained teeth.
I propped Ninel up, and he turned his head to look at our victim.
Peri bit the man's neck again, and this time when she pulled away, blood sprayed out. Two solid pumps shot across the ground before Ninel slammed his mouth down on the open vein and I watched his throat bobbed. You could feel the relief coming from Ninel as the blood rushed out. A few moments later, Ninel's tongue slid up the man's neck, and the blood stopped.
“This is how you make road trip memories,” I said, stuck between horrified and intrigued.