For Centuries: Book 2 Of The Godling Series (Sequel To Killing Garmin)

Chapter 32

Cal's POV

Earlier today

***************

I hate here. I hate here. I hate here. This is the worst place ever. Nobody understands why I hate it so much. It's easy to get, I just don't tell people because then they give me sympathy and I don't want sympathy. I want change. This place is like a prison. I can't get up. I can't leave. I can barely even move. It's like when I was in Garmin's army. I was stuck in a white room, strapped to a bed, being practically brainwashed into thinking bad was good and good was bad. Then Garmin gave me a tattoo that literally holds evil inside of it. The tattoo used to be much, much bigger.

I used to be consumed in this tattoo. Comsumed in evil. The tattoo grows with how much loss, how much pain, how much evil, is inside of me. That's how it worked with everyone in Garmin's army. All those surviving always, always, have evil brewing in them. Most tattoos are on the soldiers' wrists. Sam has one on his wrist. It's a snake wrapped around his wrist. It's still about the same size as when he came here almost two years ago. We've had a couple conversations about that, but he says it can't get any smaller. I'm pretty sure nobody knows about this here except us.

But I hate it here. I hate having to lay on a bed for hours on hours. I hate having to take medicine. And also the excruciating pain running through my body. I hate everything about the med center. I hate how the doctors and nurses have to look down at me and talk. I hate how they look at me with fake sympathy. I hate how anyone could look in here and see me laying on a bed at any time. I hate everything about this place.

I sense someone walk through the door but I don't know who it is, because they put up a mind block. I look over at them and jump. It's someone who I never expected to see. Someone who I thought to be dead. Someone who pretended to save me but really only turned me into his puppet. He is no someone; he's a monster. Garmin.

"How are you here?" I demand, sitting up through the pain.

"That doesn't matter," he replies in his gruff voice I prayed to Zeus that I'd never hear again. "What matters is why I'm here."

"Then why are you here?"

"To tell you," Garmin says. "I'm going to ruin your life."

"You're dead," I respond. "You can't hurt me."

"I can destroy your life," he answers. "I will make you lose everyone you care about. I'll have the godling leave you. And not to mention you can't even control your power without me. You should've stayed by my side. Things could turn out different for you."

"You're dead," I say. "You aren't real. Just my imagination. Hallucination."

He moves towards me swiftly and pushes me back down on the bed with his hand. He stands over me and I stare up at him with wide eyes.

"One day," he says. "You'll lose control. The good will consume you again."

"No," I reply.

"Yes," Garmin says. "Trust me."

I'm about to reply when another person walks in. Morgan. I continue staring up at Garmin who puts a finger to his lips.

"Cal?" Morgan asks. "Cal?"

Garmin moves away from me and towards Morgan.

"Such a pretty face," he says. "Too bad I'll have to kill her. With her pretty hair-" Garmin goes behind her, pretending to examine her hair "-and a pretty face. And look at that body."

He's taunting me. I know he's taunting me. Garmin reaches out to touch her.

"Don't move," I say to him.

"Okay, okay," Garmin says. "Not that she's your property, Callum. And now she probably thinks you're crazy."

"What?" Morgan questions, looking at me, confused. "Why-"

"Don't you see him?" I demand.

I'm crazy, but I just need some reassurance that he hasn't been raised from the dead. She looks around then back at me. I hear her think, what meds is he on?

"Who?" she asks.

"Just look," I say. "He's standing right there."

I gesture to where Garmin is standing, right behind her.

"Wow, you must really sound crazy to her," he says when she looks behind herself.

I see that she's called a nurse in. Great. Garmin walks up to me.

"Yes, I'll have to string her pretty little neck up on a rope," he says. "I'll hang her right in front of your door."

Anger bubbles up inside me as I look  at him. I feel energy running through my body and then shoot... something out and make a big crash. What did I just do? Whatever it was, it hits the wall and leaves a mark.

"See?" Garmin asks. "You can't control your powers anymore, Callum. You can't save her."

And, somehow, I do it again. It still misses him, though.

"Cal," Morgan says. "Who are you seeing?"

I turn to look at her.

"Can you not see him?" I ask.

"Nope, nutjob," Garmin says. "If I don't kill her, she'll leave you and it'll be all your fault."

I bolt my head up to staring at Garmin. I narrow my eyes at him.

"Because everyone is going to think that you are crazy, Callum," he says.

I sense the nurse walking up to me with a needle full of practical tranquilizer.

"Come on, Callum," Garmin says, looking at the nurse then me. "Fight back. Be the soldier you are and kill her. You want to."

I stare back at him and don't move a muscle. I feel the needle go in my arm but still don't move, still not breaking eye contact.

"Your loss," Garmin says.

Blackness takes over my vision and the last sight I see is Garmin smiling with his sharp teeth before I pass out.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

I wake up in the med center room and blink at the ceiling. I look over and see Morgan sitting there with her hand on mine. I feel a lump in my throat, remembering what Garmin said he would do to her. I can't lose her. If I lose her, I'll lose myself. I sit up and flinch at the pain, but sit up nonetheless. I wrap her in a hug, which hurts but is worth it, and she lightly hugs me back, not wanting to open any of my wounds. I feel tears on my cheeks. I barely cry, but the love of my life is a good reason for crying. I knew it the day I met her. Morgan is the love of my life.

"I love you," I say. "I love you, I love you, I love you."

"I love you, too," Morgan replies then pulls back. "What's wrong?"

So much.

"Promise me something," I say, looking at the ground. "Promise me you'll never leave."

It's a big thing to ask and I already know her answer. But I need to hear her say it. I need to hear her say it. Morgan puts her finger under my chin and pushes my head to look up at her. I look her in the eyes. Her beautiful eyes.

"I promise."