Secondhand Garagyre

Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

PAISLEY

Laithog is quiet on the drive to my house. I’ve never been more thankful that I didn’t let my mother brow beat me into buying a car or a small hatchback vehicle, because Laithog never would have fit in either one of those vehicles. As it is, he’s slightly scrunched in my white, four door, F150 truck. But , to be honest, I don’t think the manufacturers have taken into consideration hauling around a massive non-human being when creating the interior of said vehicle.

He explained to me, in the midst of one of the sincerest apologies I’ve ever received, that since his blood hunger is satiated, that he would be able to maintain a full glamour, the stuff that allows him to be invisible or pass for human should he go into public, as long as he fed regularly. Which is why I am not freaking out about having a mythological creature in the front seat of my truck.

He assured me that no one except me will be able to see him until he can craft an appropriate human glamour. Apparently , his kind needed to ingest blood as well as solid food. It is the blood, however, that fueled his magick, and nothing else.

All this information is delivered to me in a quiet, yet remorseful tone of voice as we walked across the cemetery to my truck. I could tell that his actions while he is in bloodlust, after he told me that’s what have taken hold of him, were not consciously done and were attributed to his extended stoneslumber . In essence, he is starving and lost control of himself.

Maybe I should be more concerned for my safety, but I don’t think Laithog is giving himself enough credit. My utterance of his name shouldn’t have amounted to anything, but it is the only thing that allowed him to snap out of bloodlust and regain his sanity. That counted for a lot in my book.

It also created questions.

A lot of them.

After his hesitant, yet short explanation, he tells me he would tell me the rest of his story once we reached the “safety of my dwelling.” His glance around the cemetery is piercing. Since discovering that man has watched me for months, Laithog is insistent on getting me somewhere safe.

Which brings us to now.

The lights shine across the cattleguard, and the truck rattles as we cross it, the tires sounding the departure from pavement to dirt road. The jarring nature of the truck must jostle Laithog out of the place he retreated to because he becomes more alert and looks around in fascination. “ You do not live within the confines of the village?”

I laugh a little before I can stop myself. “ No , I don’t live in town. I live about eight miles south of the closest town. I’ve always preferred to live with nature surrounding me instead of the noise other humans make,” I explain.

“ Women of this time are permitted to live alone…?” he asks with trepidation.

That question takes me by surprise. I knew he is from another time but that tells me just how old he truly is. “ Yes , women are allowed to live alone and have been for some time. We don’t have to get married either and can have our own professions. Financial independence from our parents is also something that is a cultural norm these days. Well , in this part of the world it is. I can’t speak for all countries.”

A pensive look spreads across his face as he absorbs what I’ve just told him. I turn left into the driveway, hitting the brakes out of habit since the road has multiple washed places where the county hasn’t made repairs. It isn’t until the truck comes to gentle stop, and I cut the engine off, that he speaks again. “ I knew you came to speak to your brother by yourself, but it didn’t dawn on me that you have no escort there and back until just now.”

“ No , no escort as you say. I come and go as I please, by myself, and have for years. I’m a mature adult by my species standards”

The look he gives me as his emerald eyes trace my figure from top to bottom and back again make me shiver slightly. There is a heat in his gaze that hasn’t been there before. “ Yes , little one. I am aware that you are a woman grown, this I assure you,” he retorts, his bright green gaze running over my body, lingering in certain places longer than other.

“ Oh , um. Well , here we are!” I chirp out with forced cheeriness, ignoring the heat in his gaze.

The deep sound of his chuckle hits my ears as I clamber out of the truck and shut the door behind me.