by Jen Pretty
“You might as well stop, you will just hurt yourself,” Alex stepped out of the shadow.
“Thank God. Get me out of here!” I said, shaking the bars. They didn’t rattle, but I was so frustrated.
“I can’t do that,” he said, looking at the floor.
“What are you talking about? Go get the guys.”
He looked up at me, sadness on his face. “You took too long.”
“What?” I moved down the bars as he walked away. I remembered that a set of arms had carried me through the tunnel. My mind struggled with the thought it had been Alex who dropped me in the cell. It couldn’t have been. Durga had claimed him, and she healed him.
“I thought I would be in these tunnels forever. I made a deal with Vernon. I didn’t have a choice.”
“What does that mean?” I yelled.
He turned back around to look at me. “It means, I can't save you today. I promised him I would leave you here, and he let me live. My hands are tied.”
“Your hands are tied?” I yelled, banging on the bars. “Alex!” He disappeared through the wall.
I listened, but the silence was complete. Turning, I scanned the cell. The back walls were solid stone, and the front was all steel. I ran my hands over the bars, shaking each one, trying to find a loose one, but they were all solid. The stones were the same.
I studied the carvings. They looked like someone scraped them in with a knife. The edges were sharp and square. I traced my fingers over them and felt a pull like someone embedded magic in the stones.
I turned away from them and surveyed the cell again. There was nothing to see in the dim light. It was just a box, not designed to be comfortable or even keep a person alive.
Collapsing to the ground, I sat cross-legged in the middle, hoping I could reach Shiva. I closed my eyes and took a deep cleansing breath. Slowing each inhale and dragging out each exhale until they were steady and deep. I counted in my head, trying to pull away from my surroundings and into meditation. The minutes ticked past as I emptied my mind. I struggled to stop thinking, just to let go. I realized that Durga had been helping me meditate all this time. It had to have been her influence as I hadn’t struggled to reach Shiva once since Durga popped up in my life. I briefly wondered if the magic in the cell was stopping me from meditating too but had to push the thought out of my mind before it took over and I lost all hope of reaching deep meditation.
I focused back on my breath, and finally, I opened my eyes to the familiar surroundings of Shiva’s Temple.
✽✽✽
“Shiva, we have a problem,” I said.
“Lark, what is it? I’m quite busy,” the God said, petting the snake curled in his lap.
“I’ve lost Durga,” I said.
His head snapped up, eyes focusing on me, and shock registered on his face. “Did you make her angry? She once didn’t speak to me for 100 years,” He said.
“It’s some kind of magic,” I said.
“What magic? Who has done this?” He jumped to his feet, tumbling his snake out of his lap.
“Mahishasura,” I said, for it was not the doing of Vernon. It had to be someone with more powerful magic than a single witch.
Shiva stared at me. His snake did too, then it slithered up Shiva’s leg, into his pants and disappeared.
I shuttered.
“This is terrible. She must fight Mahishasura or the entire world is at stake.”
“I know the story,” I replied, rubbing my forehead.
“Tell me exactly what happened,” he said. So I filled him in about the witch and Vernon and Mahishasura, when I finished, he continued to stare at me. His chest was rising and falling heavily.
“So, they trapped you in a hidden tunnel below Moscow, with Sanskrit inscribed on the wall?”
“Yes,” I replied.
“Summon your vampire to free you. Perhaps once you have left the place of magic, Durga will return to you. If not, all is lost. Go now!” he stepped towards me and made a shooing motion with his hands.
“Wait! What do you mean summon my vampire?”
“The one you claimed as your own. Durga did not claim him; you should be able to reach him.”
“What does that even mean?” I asked, rising and trying to stop him from kicking me out.
“It means go, NOW!” he said, and suddenly I was back in my cell.
✽✽✽
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The one I claimed as my own… that was what Shiva said. I was almost sure that meant Drew. He was the only one I had claimed. I thought Durga had claimed him though. Isn’t that what she said? She got all Goddess-like and yelled at Vincent. Hmm. I didn't know how to summon him, so I sat in the cell and thought about him. I thought of him in Vaughn’s mansion in Moscow, though I couldn’t send out my senses to find him. I thought of him leaving the house and coming downtown.
I thought I could see him. I focused so hard that it seemed like he was doing it — walking out the door and getting into a hatchback car. Vincent was following him, and I didn't want Vincent to come. Or maybe I did. I was so confused by Vincent right now and my feelings for him. I wanted him, but he was being unreasonable. Guilt ate at me, though. I wanted to kill Vernon, but I didn’t want to destroy Vincent’s brother. I thought I could see Vincent's mouth moving and Drew driving the car through the city at high speed. He banged on the steering wheel and yelled at Vincent.
I hoped it was some kind of magic because if it was all in my head, I was in for a big letdown when they didn't show up. I watched as Drew parked the car and got out. Vincent lifted a cover off a manhole. I didn’t recognize this one, but they dropped into a tunnel and raced through the dark space until they came out into what looked like Metro 2. The smooth cement and glistening steel tracks were identical. They ran along the tracks and skidded to a stop at a tunnel that looked like all the rest, but I hoped it was the one we had turned down.
When they came upon a bunch of dead vampires, I knew it was the right one. I tried to see if Vilen or Ninel were there, but I didn’t get a good look. There seemed to be a lot of dead vampires though. A good sign, probably.
Suddenly, they stopped, and Alex strode out of a shadow.
“Kill him!” I yelled into the empty cell.
Drew pulled out a long knife, and I saw Alex's hands go up. Vincent grabbed him by the throat and looked back at Drew. I could see Drew struggling with what he was doing as if he wasn’t sure why he was holding his weapon.
Alex pointed down the tunnel, the look on his face was pleading. Vincent had his look of pure rage that I had seen a few times. He threw the smaller vampire down the tunnel in the opposite direction and then he and Drew ran again, heading toward my hidden tunnel.
My legs had gone numb from sitting cross-legged so long, but I knew they would arrive soon and I had to make sure they came through the wall.
They got to the end of the tunnel and stopped. I imagined Drew walking through the wall. He stared at it like it was crazy. His brow lowered as he inspected the stones. I watched him reach out and try to place his hand on the wall, his fingers fell through, and then he lurched forward.
I opened my eyes to find him at the bars in front of me a moment before Vincent.
Drew smiled and looked down at me. “Did you use some crazy magic?”
I bit my lip. “Yeah, I guess so. I need a little help to get out of here. It's spelled.”
Drew pulled on the bars and then turned and kicked them like I had been doing. He was stronger than I was without Durga though, so when he kicked it, stone dust fell, and the bar rattled. He kicked it several more times as Vincent stared at me. I kept my eyes on Drew and tried not to meet Vincent’s eyes. Things were weird between us right now. I didn’t like it.
Finally, the bar Drew had been kicking gave way. I jumped up and slipped through the small opening. It was still a tight squeeze, and I would probably have a bruise on my chest, but I made it out and then grabbed Drew’s hand and pulled him back through the hid
den doorway into the tunnel.
Durga’s scream of rage was deafening as she flooded back into me. She filled every part of me like I was too small. My skin pulled and finally my arms split, and I became Durga.
Vincent found himself held against the wall by the throat. Apparently, we were blaming Vincent for the trouble his brother made for us.
“You will stay out of my way. There is no hope for the vampire you once called brother. He will die today, and if you stand in my way, you will die too!” Her voice was low and barely controlled but echoed through the tunnel like thunder.
If I had been on the receiving end of that rage, I would have probably died from the threat alone. Vincent turned his head, exposing his neck to her, and she dropped him to the floor where he coughed and sputtered.
Durga turned her back on Vincent, Drew’s eyes were wide, and she strode forward.
“You are a good and loyal warrior in my war. We must find Ninel and Vilen, and then we fight.”
“When you finish, do not return to my city, I will not try to stop you, but do not follow me,” Vincent said from the ground where he still sat. His eyes met mine and Durga snorted at him.
“You think I need your permission to go where I please?” her glare burned into him.
“No, Goddess,” he muttered.
She turned and strode down the tunnel, leaving Vincent on the ground. Drew’s feet followed along behind as she sent out our senses and found Ninel, Vilen and Singh. Those who were hers.
I wanted to look back at Vincent. I tried to force my head to look back, but Durga was too angry. She kept our eyes locked forward, but she softened the further we got from him. Finally, she let go of control, my body returned to my shape, but we were too far, I didn’t bother looking back. What was the point anyway? He didn’t want me to return to his home. We would kill his brother and then that would be that.
“It will be fine Lark,” Drew said. His voice startled me from my thoughts.
“It probably won’t, but it is what it is.”
He nodded, and we continued in silence. Durga pushed me down the main tunnel to another one where Vilen and Ninel were. Singh bounded up and rubbed his face across my stomach.
“I am sorry, Goddess.” Ninel fell to his knees and bowed his head. Vilen followed suit.
“It’s OK guys. You kind of had your hands full, let's just go, all right?”
They got to their feet, and I turned back to leave, but the giant tiger wouldn’t stop weaving in front of me and rubbing on my chest.
“Singh, we need to move. I need to get Vernon before he leaves the country.”
Singh’s purr rattled through his chest, and he finally relented and walked along beside me. We got back to the main line, and Durga pushed me into a run. I let my legs pump as fast as they could. Running was better than thinking.
I could think about how ruined my life was later. For now, Durga was sending me after Vernon.
When my knife flashed into my hand, and I came to a stop, I knew it was time to do what I had to.
“Come out,” my voice called down the tunnel.
Movement along the wall was the only warning before a body slammed into me, taking me to the ground. Behind me, I heard the sounds of battle start again. It was almost incomprehensible that more vampires lived in these tunnels. The team had already killed dozens on two occasions. Now there were more. The stories of a city beneath the city must have come from these fallen and rogue vampires who occupied this secured tunnel.
I focused on my fight and struggled to get my hand out of Vernon's tight grip. He was sitting on my chest, holding my hands above my head. I dropped my knife and finally fought one hand out from his grasp, calling my knife back to my hand before attempting to stab the vampire in the neck. He threw himself backwards, and I leapt to my feet. Diving forward, I tried to stab him again. His fist collided with my face, slamming my head back, but Durga blocked the pain. Though the punch knocked out the vision in my left eye, I could still see well enough.
Durga brought forth her sword. It was much heavier than my blade. The first swing nicked Vernon’s chest but, like a fallen vampire, he didn’t even notice. His teeth bared, he charged back in before I could swing the blade back towards him. His teeth latched onto my collarbone, just below my jugular. His bite was so strong, the bone fractured and I screamed at the loud crack sound.
Durga couldn’t stop all the pain, so she took over. Calling our knife back to my hand, she used it to slash at the vampire, getting ever closer to his neck. He grabbed the knife and pinned it down as he bit again and again at my throat. Finally, Durga broke my arm free of his grasp and used my hand to tear at his neck. I felt hot blood pour over my writs as my hand wrapped around something hard and sharp and pulled.
Vernon’s body went limp over me, crashing down and knocking the wind from my lungs. It took a moment for my mind to catch up and realize I had just broken his neck with my bare hands. Or rather, Durga had.
Vomit swelled up my throat. I attempted to swallow it down and push the dead vampire off me, but his weight pressed hard and the vomit spilled up. I sealed my lips and thankfully someone tore the dead weight off me before it was too late. I rolled over and spewed all over the cement floor of the tunnel.
I looked behind me to find Singh shaking Vernon’s dead body. The lion's teeth clamped onto the vampires already ruined neck, and his limp arms and legs flopped across the floor. I looked away before fresh sick could climb my ravaged throat. I raised my hand to my shoulder as my collarbone snapped back into place. Looking up, I found the team working effortlessly to destroy the remaining fallen vampires.
It was as if Drew had always been part of Ninel and Vilen’s team. They watched each other's backs and fought seamlessly. Soon the last vampire fell, and the tunnel grew silent.
A slow clap came from behind me. Singh dropped his rag toy and let out a low growl. I spun on my heel, coming face to face with a man, except he had horns on his head. His eyes were glowing green, and his nostrils flared with each breath.
Durga rose dividing my arms and bringing forth all her weapons at once. She pushed me out of the way.
“I killed you,” she hissed.
The beast before me was Mahishasura, Durga saw him as I did, but flashed the sight of him as a buffalo into my mind. As a buffalo, he stood much taller. Like Singh, he grew when he shifted.
Mahishasura laughed at Durga’s words. “You think you are the only one who can return?”
Singh launched himself from the ground behind me, and in an instant, the giant buffalo Durga showed me, was standing in front of me. His great horns lowered, and he slammed into Singh, impaling him. Singh’s roar deafened me a moment before the buffalo threw him into the wall of the tunnel. The lion slid down to the ground to lay still.
The buffalo shifted back into a horned man, but now he wore a cruel smile.
“I’ll see you in the homeland,” Mahishasura said, laughing. Durga threw her weapons at the beast, but before they reached him, he disappeared. All her weapons clattered to the cement. Durga let out a bellow of rage and then disappeared back to her space inside me. Her fury still tangible and making my blood course through my veins faster than usual.
I ran to Singh and fell to my knees beside him. Running my hands over his fur to check for injuries. The buffalo horns had gored him. A trickle of blood leaked from small cuts, but his chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. I ran my hand over his thick white mane, and his yellow eyes peeled open. After a moment they focused on me, and he shifted back to a human form.
“You ok?” I whispered.
He gave me a cocky smile and winked. Little shit had been playing me. Or maybe playing Mahishasura. Perhaps it was better the Buffalo demon underestimated us.
I rose to my feet and helped Singh to his.
“Lark?” Drew said from behind me. I spun around and faced him. “That was an ugly dude.”
Typical Drew, stating the obvious. I shook my head and walked past him and th
e Russian vampires.
“What is the homeland?” I asked Ninel.
“India,” he replied without a second thought.
I turned and walked on down the tunnel.
“Where are you going?” Drew asked, jogging to catch up.
I didn’t know, so I didn’t answer. Alex was still in the tunnels, and he had betrayed me, but I didn’t care. Or maybe Durga didn’t care.
I wanted to find Vincent and talk to him. Fix things somehow.
There had to be a way.
I wouldn't let Durga control my whole life.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
I traversed the tunnels in a haze. My shirt was blood-soaked and clung to my chest. It had cooled to the point it should have been uncomfortable. Although my body shivered, I felt numb to the pain and the cold. My mind was spinning, and I couldn’t slow it down.
Durga had said we couldn't save Vernon, but she didn’t even try to give him a chance. She said she would, but when the moment came, we killed him. I killed him.
Durga didn’t want me to be with Vincent. I stopped dead in the middle of the tunnel. Had Durga done this to make sure that Vincent never wanted to see me again?
Suddenly I was in front of Shiva.
✽✽✽
“Did you find her?” he said as soon as his eyes landed on me.
Durga popped in beside us and Shiva jumped back as if something had burned him.
“I am fine, husband.” Her eyes swung from Shiva to me. “You,” she said, her eyes narrowing. “Are wrong if you think I killed the fallen brother to ruin your budding relationship with Vincent. Vernon was deranged, and he had to die. Vincent will see the truth eventually though you should be thanking me. I have saved you from a life under the thumb of a vampire.”
“Yes, you saved me from happiness. Now I get to keep going through my life all alone. Thank you, Goddess,” I said with enough sarcasm to ensure she knew I was not thanking her.
“How dare you speak to me in that tone,” she said in her usual haughty voice.
