It’s Saturday again, so here’s another part of my novel, Dark Goddess.
Previously Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6 , Part 7
Kali fit quite nicely into
the trunk of Gabriel’s car with room to spare so she wouldn’t be too
cramped. Not, Garrison hastened to
assure himself, that he cared at all for her comfort, even the slight comfort
that breathing room in a tight space might lend her. Human though the girl may be, she was still
an abomination that must be dealt with ruthlessly. She was not an innocent child to be pitied.
Except, in some ways, she
was. This girl, this incarnation, had no
memory of whom she had once been. No
real idea of why she must forfeit her life for the greater good and to pay for
past crimes.
The demon, Azazel, had
obviously failed in some way when he’d taught the vampire of the past how to
preserve her memories and history into the eternal unconsciousness. Once they were safely tucked into the ether,
she’d explained to Garrison so long ago, they would never be lost. And, if she were ever to die—as she so
obviously had—and return—as she had—her new incarnation would remember the life
she had once lived through the memories, which would come to her in dreams.
Except, they
weren’t. Or, rather, maybe they were,
only Kali didn’t see them as anything but strange nighttime imaginings.
It was hard, Garrison knew,
to accept something like this.
Magic. Vampires. Reincarnation. He’d had difficulty believing it himself, and
he came from a time when magic and spells had been just as commonplace as computers
and aeroplanes were today. And yet, he’d never quite been able to bring himself
to believe.
Well. That wasn’t exactly true. Garrison had always believed in her.
From the moment she’d first told him what she was, he’d believed. It was everything else he had failed to
grasp.
Nowadays, the average
person was much too skeptical to believe in demons and magic. Those who did believe, or thought they did,
often were so enchanted with their own fantasies, they failed to see the world
that was right in front of them.
Kali, thankfully, was not
one of those horrible children who dressed in black and cried over pain that
did not exist in their lives. For a
young woman whose life had been filled with so much pain and frustration, she
was remarkably practical and intelligent, just as she’d been when they first
met. She had no time for nonsense such
as vampires. Of course she did not believe
him.
Garrison drove up the I-5
until he came to a small tourist town nestled at the base of the
Grapevine. He could save that hurtle
until tomorrow when he was rested, the tank was full, and Kali could sit in the
car proper, not the trunk.
Of course, it was obvious
threats and pain would not keep her docile.
She was, as she used to be, a warrior, ready to defend her freedom no
matter the cost to her life.
He’d have to drug her
into submission. He hadn’t wanted to,
although he had prepared for this contingency.
Drugs were easy enough to obtain, and there had been many times in the
past he’d needed prescription sleep-aids to send him into the land of Nod. After what he’d seen in his life, it wasn’t a
surprise. The challenge would be keeping
her sufficiently subdued without overdosing her. His plan was contingent on her surviving four
more days.
There were other supplies
he needed, so he stopped at a store that was one of those miraculous marvels of
modern convenience that sold everything from clothing to hunting supplies. Inside, he purchased first aid accoutrements,
food, clothing, undergarments, toiletries, and a book or two to keep the girl
occupied on the long drive ahead. He
also refreshed his supply of duct tape.
He’d prefer handcuffs, since they were harder to get out of, but even
this store didn’t sell them.
Motels were plentiful in
this area, and Garrison was able to find one that was relatively vacant. It was run down and could be rented by the
hour. Kali had to be worn out by now,
and he was going to get the drugs in her as soon as possible. However, if she did give him any trouble, he
wanted to be isolated as possible. This
den of sin would do nicely.
After depositing his
purchases in the room, Garrison went to the car and opened the trunk.
Kali opened her eyes
right away but didn’t say anything. Nor
did she struggle as Garrison took her by the wrists and hauled her into a sitting
position. She merely sat there and
looked at him from world weary eyes.
He hesitated only a moment
before he released her wrists. He
wrapped his arms around her waist and gently—probably too gently–lifted her
from the trunk and set her on the ground. Tiny thing that she was, she weighed
next to nothing. When she didn’t fight him,
she really was quite easy to move.
“Where are we?” she
asked, shivering.
Garrison wrinkled his
nose as the stench clinging to her hit him.
She stank of vomit, blood, and dried sweat. Her curls were matted, and she had blood
caked across her face, arms and clothing.
Miraculously, her nose didn’t appear to be broken from when he’d planted
it against his car, although her eyes were bruised. She looked as if she’d been fighting for her
life, though. He needed to clean her up
before anything else. He didn’t want
anyone to see her like this.
“Home, for the night,” he said in response to her question. He shut the trunk and took her by the wrists once more.
I’ve heard it’s better to post small chunks than entire chapters, so I’m trying not to overwhelm. Let me know what you think. I’d love some constructive comments.
