by Jen Pretty
“That's my spot, lion,” Vincent said. Singh just yawned at him and then rested his chin back on my stomach and closed his eyes.
“That baby has a hell of a bodyguard,” Vincent said.
“Elliot,” I whispered.
“Is that his name?”
I nodded and pet the giant cat that guarded my baby already. My baby. I stared at the ceiling. Would I fight Mahishasura with a baby inside me? That was ridiculous.
Durga rose so fast, one second, I was in bed in the motel room and the next I was sitting in front of Shiva.
✽✽✽
“Hello ch...” Shiva paused, his eyes studying me. Durga appeared beside him a moment later, her arms flapping like she was in a hurricane.
“I give you your wish, and this is how you repay me? You must end Mahishasura. We must do this.” She scowled at me.
Shiva raised his hands when I looked back to him as if to say he is not getting involved.
“I didn’t say I wouldn’t. I have to wonder if its really a safe place for a baby.”
“Ah, that’s what it is. I knew something was different about you,” Shiva said smiling and petting his snake as it zipped around his neck like a noose.
“The demon’s demise is the only thing you need focus on. What life will your child have if you allow the demon to run free? The world will perish!” Durga’s anger was palpable.
“Ok, holy God, calm down. Your arms will fall off if you don’t stop waving them like that.”
“Oh shit,” Shiva whispered.
Durga’s face went red, and she screamed as she kicked me out of meditation.
✽✽✽
The room spun for a second when I opened my eyes. Guess me and Elliot would slay a buffalo demon. I rested my hand low on my stomach. It was still flat, but I could feel a flutter. I was no expert on babies, but I was pretty sure I should not be able to feel him kick yet.
“Oh shit,” I exclaimed.
“What is it?” Vincent asked from across the room where he sat staring at his phone.
“I know nothing about babies,” I said.
Durga’s angry face flashed on the back of my eyelids.
“Never mind, I can deal with that after we take care of this little demon problem,” I said to pacify the ancient Deity.
Vincent crossed the room and knelt beside the bed. I would have dragged him onto it, but a pesky lion was occupying most of it.
“You are going to be an amazing mother, and I can’t wait to meet our boy, but you are right, we have to take care of this little problem. You ready to discuss a plan?” Vincent smiled. “I’ve been eavesdropping on the Peri and Frankie in the next room. They seem to get along well. Also, they have a plan.”
“Perfect,” I said, hopping up from the bed. I had kicked my shoes off, so I pulled them back on and grabbed my bag of now-cold burgers on my way out the door. The lion, snoring softly, kept the bed warm for me.
I knocked and pushed open the wooden door of the next motel room in time to see Frankie and Peri jump apart like two teenagers caught kissing behind the bleachers. Interesting. I bit my lip and pretended I had seen nothing.
“Hey, guys. Any idea how we are getting into those tunnels?” I asked, nonchalantly.
“Lark. Yeah, we’ve come up with an idea that might work,” Frankie said, his cheeks pink. He sat down at the small table where they had maps spread out. Someone had drawn on the exact location of the narrow entrance we found.
"If we start here, I can shift you into the first open area that Peri described. I can’t take you further without seeing it first, or I might end up dropping us into solid stone which wouldn’t be great. But if we sneak in and take a quick look before they come out, I can take you in."
“If all the soldiers set up here, we can lure the fallen with some of your blood. The soldiers can take care of them while we head in.” Frankie finished by pointing to the tiny arrow on the map.
“Sounds good,” I said.
“I would be happier if you weren’t going in alone,” Vincent said.
“I’ll be with her,” Frankie said.
“Yes, but you only have magic, you don’t have fighting skills too,” Vincent pointed out.
“I have defensive magic. I can protect her,” Frankie countered in an equally indignant voice.
I slammed my hand down on the table, stopping the idiots from their argument. “I don’t need protection. Durga is a bloodthirsty, crazy person right now. She’s got this.” That stopped the fighting before it began.
Peri leaned over and whispered “that was hot” in my ear. I shook my head at her but smiled, anyway. This is why she is my best friend.
“I’ll go with you lark,” a voice said from across the room. I hadn’t even noticed the slimy little vampire sitting there. I remembered Vincent had asked me not to be so combative with Alex and bit my tongue.
“It’s ok. I got this. I’m the only one who can fight the buffalo jerk, anyway.”
“Actually,” Peri interjected. “I can help. I’m a woman.”
“Can you get Peri and I both in?” I asked Frankie.
Frankie nodded his eyes locked on Peri like he wanted to object to her going in. Awe. He was in for a rough ride if he tried to control Peri. I was sure that would go over like a lead balloon.
“All right, Peri and I can go fight the buffalo man, while all the rest of you kill fallen vampires.
“Slice and dice,” Ninel said from the bed. I hadn’t noticed him there either. I needed to pay more attention to my surroundings.
“You stay here and guard the fort, big guy,” I said.
He nodded, and his eyes slid closed again. Maybe he would want to come home with us once this was over. I was attached to him. It might have been Durga’s influence though.
“OK, do the soldiers know what to do?” I asked.
“Kill fallen vampires?” Peri asked. When I nodded, she said, “That’s pretty much all they do.”
“Perfect,” I said grabbing a cold chicken burger out of my greasy paper bag and taking a big bite. There was no way I was eating the cold McDonald's fires. I wished they had big macs here, but their cows are sacred and all that so the choices had been veggie burger or chicken and some of us need meat. “Give me ten minutes to fuel up, and we can go.”
“I’ll go tell the guys,” Peri said, walking out of the room.
I took her place at the small table and set my greasy bag on the edge, so it didn’t ruin the maps. Vincent stood by the door, his eyes glued to his phone.
“So, you good?” Frankie asked.
“Yup, I’m good,” I said smiling. “How about you?” I asked raising my eyebrows.
He crinkled his nose. “This is awkward.”
“It doesn’t have to be. I like Peri.”
The corner of his mouth ticked up at her name.
Frankie reached into my bag of fast food and grabbed a box of fries. He popped a couple in his mouth and then a few more. Gross. Cold french fries.
I ate another chicken burger and downed a bottle of juice, and I was ready.
“Let’s get this show on the road,” I called loud enough the vampires in the next room would hear me.
We all met in the parking lot and filed into vehicles.
Time to kill the demon.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
We pulled off the about an hour hike from the cave, cross-country. There was no way we could get any closer and still hide the vehicles. Luckily, I had recently done quite a bit of walking, and the vampires had endless energy. Most had a sword strapped to their backs although some had knives at their hips. Vincent looked like a soldier in his boots and army pants. The strap across his chest and handle of a long sword poked up over his shoulder making me want to eat him up. He was badass. I forced myself not to watch as he walked and muscles rippled under his tight t-shirt.
Singh swaggered along beside me, never out of reach. My will and determination. I took a deep breath. The night air had cooled, and the haunting ca
ll of some unseen bird cut through the night. The moon was full, offering enough light to see by, but also that unearthly feeling that poured tension into the atmosphere. I wanted to creep in, but I also wanted to race forward to end this faster.
The vampires walked on silent feet behind me. A few times I had to look over my shoulder to make sure they were still there.
In the car, we decided Frankie would zip ahead and make sure that there was no one in the area around the caves. I didn't want security or the police swarming us.
Frankie appeared before me, startling me out of my thoughts. He gave me a thumbs up and then he turned and walked beside me down into a gully. Up ahead was the Velganga river which flowed over the cliff and ran between us and the caves. I had seen it on the map. We would have to take the road to cross it, leaving us vulnerable if Mahishasura had a lookout. I was betting the buffalo didn’t bother with a lookout though. He seemed confident in his own power and invincibility. We had to get in the cave opening so Frankie could see where I needed to go once we lured the fallen vampires out.
We crept up out of the underbrush and onto the road. Tension ran through me, making me swivel my head around trying to see every direction at once. My anxiety was high, and I felt like someone was watching me. Durga took over and sent out my senses. All the fallen were underground. I should have thought to do that. I needed to get my shit together and focus. I took a deep breath and pushed forward.
Peri stepped up beside Frankie and me. We crossed the open area in front of the caves and moved towards the narrow opening. The world was eerily silent and still as if it were waiting for just the right moment--the earth, holding its breath.
Peri slipped into the narrow opening, pulling Frankie through with her. He was tall but was thin enough he just barely fit. After a moment he tumbled back out followed by Peri.
He stood up and dusted himself off and then nodded.
Now or never.
I called my knife to my hand and quickly slit the skin on my arm before I had the chance to second guess it.
Blood bloomed on my skin and pooled a moment before sliding off the side my arm to fall in the dirt. I walked to the cave entrance and held my arm there, letting the light breeze carry the scent of my blood down to the horde of hidden vampires.
Singh rubbed his massive head across my stomach and purred before he moved into position opposite me in front of the cave. There he waited for his first victim to come through.
I closed my eyes and sent out my senses; the vampires stirred and moved beneath the earth. Their sense of smell was a billion times better than mine. Like sharks in the water, they moved towards the scent. When I was sure they were all coming, I pulled my senses back in and checked on the soldiers. Everyone formed a semi-circle watching the gap in the rock. Vincent's eyes were on me. I smiled at him, and he smiled back like I hoped he would.
Soon I could hear the approaching feet shuffling in the cave. Fallen vampires would soon be upon us. I gave Frankie a nod, and he took my hand, using his magic he took me to the top of the cliff. Then disappeared and reappeared with Peri. I looked down on the scene below and waited. Every muscle in my body was ready to fight, but this was not my fight. I had to wait.
I sent out my senses and watched in my radar as the vampires flooded out through the narrow gap and the battle began. I saw Mahishasura still tucked away deep in the caves. He probably knew I was here by now, but it would take me some time to find my way down to him.
Several minutes passed as I waited for the tunnels to clear. The fallen vampires moved fast, but they could only exit one at a time. I made sure none exited through any other means, assuring myself that the fallen wouldn’t attack from behind while Peri and I made our way through to Mahishasura. About a dozen fallen vampire stayed in caves near Mahishasura. A reasonable amount I was sure Peri and I could handle.
I took one last look at Vincent’s light before pulling my senses back in and opening my eyes. They flooded the entire area with fighting — vampire vs Vampire. Singh’s white fur glowed in the moonlight, shaking a fallen vampire, his teeth wrapped around its neck. Vincent’s sword swung effortlessly taking out fallen vampires as they reached him. Bodies were already piling up, but so far it only looked like fallen vampires.
I turned to Frankie and nodded; it was time to go.
He took my hand, and a moment later I was in the pitch-black cave. My knife flashed into my hand, and I took out the tiny pen light I had stored in my pocket. A second later, Frankie and Peri shifted in too, and we moved forward.
We hadn’t checked out the cave system past this room, but I could feel Durga pressing me forward, so I trusted her to lead us in the right direction.
Beneath my feet was a sandy stone floor, worn bare in the center from hundreds of vampire feet. The passage beyond the small open room was comfortable enough for Peri and me, but Frankie had to stoop, so he didn’t bump his head. The stone walls muffled the sounds of the raging battle and the further we walked the quieter it grew. When we came to a fork in the cave, Durga shoved me to the right, and we continued another hundred feet before it spilled out into a cavern. The intricately carved walls were like the rest of the caves in Ellora. The ceiling was delicate scrollwork that rolled down the walls to form people. Gods and Goddesses in various poses protruded from the stone. Some had flakes of paint on the surface, hinting at the beautiful colours this room would have had a thousand years ago.
Steps, carved into the stone, led down towards the center of the room where a smooth rock protruded from a tiny river. In the Hindu religion, people worshiped their Gods by pouring water or milk over a rock, called a lingam. When I walked in the desert, I watched people in the small villages doing this. They did this daily to praise Shiva, the creator of all things.
I stepped over the trickle of water and down another set of stone steps into a narrow passage. The tunnel continued to narrow until I had to turn sideways again and scraped against the stone walls. I looked back and realized that Frankie had gotten stuck. He couldn’t go any further. I stopped and waited as he backed out until Peri could get ahead of him. Guess I wasn’t taking my warlock with me. Peri caught up and gave me a thumbs up before patting her short sword. Crazy woman was almost as bloodthirsty as Durga. The Goddess, annoyed at the slowdown, gave me a shove and I scrapped my arm painfully against the rough stone wall.
Jerk Goddess.
I scooted along the ever-narrowing passage. Wishing I hadn’t eaten those two chicken burgers at the motel and the third one in the car on the ride here. Elliot would have a squished head if it got any narrower, but the penlight disappeared into the darkness ahead giving me no sign of the length of the passage. Children must have carved it. Or maybe there was something to the aliens theory. It was slow going, but after what was probably only another hundred feet, the tunnel opened. Another fifty feet and I could walk straight again.
I took a breath to calm my nerves and closed my eye, sending out my senses. Hopefully, we were getting close. As soon as the dots of light appeared, I pulled my senses back in realizing a moment too late a fallen vampire was right in front of me. A body slammed into me, banging my head back onto the stone floor and teeth latched onto my arm as I raised it to protect my neck. The teeth bit down hard like a bulldog and broke the bone in my forearm. I screamed.
A moment later the body went limp, and Peri heaved it off me. Hopefully, it was Peri. I lost my penlight and couldn't see anything. Durga rose, her superior vision allowing me to see around me. It wasn’t as good as my light, but I wouldn’t be able to fight with a penlight either. Peri stood at my head, her blade, bloody in her hand. I hopped to my feet and gave her a pat on the shoulder.
Luckily the gross vampire had bit my left arm, and it was already healing, so I soldiered on. The tunnel took a left turn and then came to another fork. Durga pushed me one way, but I was sure I had seen vampires the other way with my senses. I didn't want them to come up behind us, but I had to get to Mahishasura.
“Ther
e are some down there.” I pointed. "Buffalo this way,” I whispered. Not that being quiet mattered anymore, but there was something about the tension that made me want to be quiet. Peri gave me a salute, then turned and marched towards the fallen vampires, leaving me alone to face my demon.
I took a few steps forward, wanting to send out my senses, but not wanting to close my eyes for even a moment after the last time. I focussed ahead and didn’t notice someone creep up behind me until a hand fell on my shoulder.
CHAPTER TWELVE
I spun, calling my blade. In an instant, I had the foe pinned to the wall, my knife at his neck and nearly impaled in his spine before my eyes settled on the familiar face of Alex.
I pulled my knife back quickly, but a trickle of blood still ran from his neck.
“Thank you, goddess,” he whispered as I considered stabbing him, anyway.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” I whispered yelled.
“I have to crown the king,” he whispered back.
I threw my hands up and pushed him forward. I was not letting that weasel stay at my back. Just what I needed, someone to divert my attention from my real target. No time to argue. I gave him another shove, and we stepped into another larger room. The walls here were more like a mural. They showed a battle between animals and humans. It reminded me of Frankie's warehouse with the dragons on the ceiling except this was full of tigers and serpents.
As I scanned the room, I finally found my target. Mahishasura sat on a raised platform, his legs crossed and one hand raised as though he were a God.
I laughed at the absurdity. Or maybe it was Durga. She and I were so close now, I wasn’t sure where I ended, and she began.
“You mock me now. You will not laugh when I am through with you.”
The buffalo man launched himself off his platform, his teeth bared and small horns aimed for my chest. Durga became flesh as my arms multiplied and her trident raised a half second before the buffalo impacted. The force of him hitting the trident pushed me back across the stone, but I stayed on my feet. Mahishasura landed against the far wall, his momentum carrying him. Dust rained down from the ceiling, and I had a passing worry about a cave in but pushed it away to focus on the biggest threat. Mahishasura transformed into his full buffalo form. His horns scraped the ceiling as he lifted his head and bellowed a hollow sound. His head was as tall as my whole body. When his eyes locked on me, a puff of foul air blew from his nose. I knew it was now or never.