Other Places 3: Detours Page 6

  "Jennifer Stone, and Kaitlyn Fargo. A Mage and an Alede. Both are going to be very important, I think. Well worth meeting now, when you can more easily make friends."

  "I recall young Jennifer, having met her at our embassy there. The other is unknown to me, but if you recommend them to me, I shall hold them in the highest of esteem, rest assured. Now, would it be possible to come there this night? I know that seems rushed, but it is better in general to strike soon after such events, rather than wait for wounds to fester and rot."

  Which was, no doubt, good advice. Also, most likely, a trap. Who it was meant for, Zack couldn't tell. Marissa wasn't in on any plots to get him, which was a thing he knew for a fact, but that didn't mean the others might not be. The rest of the Vampire Council. It would be foolish for them to try it, but that didn't mean, now that they knew he was a Greater Demon, and a very young one, that they might not test him. The time honored tradition was killing his kind, after all.

  As shown by that Mage earlier.

  Zack did something he normally wouldn't have, and tried very hard to believe what he said next.

  "Let's do that. Can you all be waiting, at about midnight? Near a node would be good. Or several. Are you all in the same place right now even?"

  That, helpfully, turned out not to be the case. It was a nice sign, but not anything certain. After all, the Vampires were known for being tricky. It was nearly their thing, when it got down to it. They were clever and planned things out on levels that were nearly... Demonic. He smiled then, only feeling slightly proud of them. It wouldn't do to underestimate his friends after all.

  Bey had the node locations for all of them at least, and it wasn't hard to find Marissa. With a single phone call in fact, since she was sitting in the back of Yoghurt World. He walked down, because it wasn't far and he really wanted to see Lenore.

  'You mean you really want to fuck Lenore? Not that she isn't a real wild child in the sack. I swear, this place is killing me. You're going to have to get us some soon, or I'm taking over and doing the first piece of trim I see. I swear it.'

  Zack nodded. It was probably harder for MH than it was for him, since he'd been burying that sort of thing for several hours, so that he wouldn't make too many mistakes. It was easy enough for him to manage, but without that he would have probably slept with a lot of women that day already. Maybe all of them, if he could manage it physically.

  Which, he could, he realized. It was strange, but he just wasn't the person that he'd always thought he was. It was amazing what a little food could do. That reminded him to try and catch another snack on the way out of the frozen yogurt place. It was getting late enough that, while Lenore was still there and several other Vampires had come in, no doubt on business, Edom, the assistant Ambassador was there too. So was his little friend, Barb.

  She looked at him nervously, but managed to smile, which was better than his greetings from her lately. Since two weeks before when she'd found out he wasn't just a regular Human, to be specific.

  "Barb! Looking awake and healthy, I see. So, when are we getting together for that date?" He was teasing her a little bit, since they technically had gone out once already. He hadn't slept with her, since that was literally the day he'd started seeing her mother. Lenore. It was hard to remember that, since the 'daughter' looked about six years older than the pale strawberry blonde woman. Her skin wasn't dark, but she had that blush of youth still, for a Vampire. Her dark hair offset her skin, but she didn't have that dry feeling that the oldest of her kind got. At least if Bey was any indication.

  "Hey Zack. Yeah, I... You know, let's do that? It was pointed out to me that I've been a bit of a ditz lately, treating you differently than before. I mean, if you aren't the same person, or want to be treated differently, you'd just order me to, right?" She grinned at least.

  He, for his part, rolled his eyes.

  "Yeah, sure. Or, you know, I'd gently suggest it? Still, I am going to get all demanding right now, and ask for you to whip up some treats? Um..." He looked at the menu, and then shrugged, he got it all for free, didn't he? "One of everything on the menu. Try to do it well, since you know that Lenore will come and check your work."

  That got the other woman, who was at a booth across the room, talking in a low tone to a man that looked huge for a Vampire, and had skin nearly as dark as Edom. His bald head and stark black beard made him look tough too. He was younger than the rest, clearly. Enough so that he kept raising his voice.

  "I cannot allow that! They must be removed."

  What the issue was, Zack didn't know, but he was willing to leave it alone, unless it turned out to be about his little Vampires. The ones that were at the old summer camp that Zack owned. Or at least Bey kept trying to give him. He didn't have the paperwork on it, but he sort of thought that such things weren't all that important to the very old. The words were said and that was good enough.

  He was thinking of them, naturally enough, since two of them were sitting in the first booth, looking highly nervous. Watching him. Rowan and Roland. He nearly smiled, seeing they were both still alive and everything. It hadn't been, and probably still wasn't, certain at all that they would survive, but they'd lasted months. It was a good sign.

  He didn't wave, since that would be a bit too cute, and he had a real mission. Instead he headed directly to the back, as Barb gave him a dirty look and muttered something about kiss-ups. Marissa wasn't alone in the back, sitting in conference with the local Police Chief, who was a Vampire that looked to be in her late forties... and was probably a whole lot older than that. Chief Sims. The woman stood up when he walked in, which was a first. The last time they'd met she'd barely noticed he was there, at first.

  "Line Walker! I... Meant no disrespect." She looked down and then actually got to her knees, while Marissa hid a smile with her right hand. It was an affectation, but she still did it pretty well.

  "I did warn you that he was here, Althea." She seemed amused, as the slightly older looking woman in her professional outfit, which was a dark blue, with a stark white blouse underneath, started to beg. For her life. For the lives of her people in the area. Including he noticed, a bit abstractly, the police department. He just waved at her.

  "That's all right. I didn't hear you. This time. I'll be nice. Stand, please." Then he offered his hand to her, and nearly winced as her life hit him. It had been hard. Brutal on a level that he feared his own probably was, at least during that year and four months that Mirror Him still kept from his conscious mind. It was spread out more though, for this woman.

  The voice in his head spoke to him, not bothering to try and reflect in anything.

  'No, Zack... It was worse than what you think, by a lot. Still, you should punish her somehow. Spank her, or kill some of her people. She was just saying that you were a fool, and that they should kill you. You can't let that happen, even as talk. You shouldn't let it go. One sign of weakness, and her kind will swarm all over you. As in, taking you up the ass and then chopping your head off. This isn't some kind of a joke or game.' There was a slightly defeated tone to the voice, as if he thought Zack was just going to ignore him.

  It was tempting to do just that, since he really wanted to be nice, but Vampires had rules about things like this.

  When she got to her feet, he sighed, and let the space in front of his moving right hand warp incredibly, before letting himself move. It meant that, with his natural speed, the Police Chief nearly died, blood actually spraying away from her head a bit. It was nearly what Bey normally did to people, making their heads explode. That was a trick though, and required more force as well as a timed opening of the hand. Zack managed to pull the movement about a quarter of the way through, which merely sent her crashing into the reinforced cement of the back wall, buckling it outward a bit when she smacked into the white paint. She made a mess, too.

  Blood was everywhere. She lived though and weakly tried to stand, not being able to do it yet, as the elder Vampire Marissa schooled her face.
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  "That, my dear, is why we do not mock Greater Demons, even when they don't seem to be present. Remember this, for the Line Walker is a delight compared to most of them. Are you taking her as your slave by your rules, or ours?"

  The Greater Demon way would be to lock her in as a slave by magic, using a deal. The Vampire one would be easier, but less certain and involved beating the woman, then raping her, probably anally, and tossing her into a corner, at least figuratively, broken and unable to fight back. Technically, he knew, he should at least continue the beating, if nothing else. Not as a lesson for the Chief, but for the others there, including Marissa. It made him look weak, to their eyes, if he did less.

  Instead he walked across the room, and turned the woman onto her stomach, forcing her legs under her, and head down, even as Edom, Barb and Lenore came in to watch what was going on. Barb at least, looked scared. Lenore looked rather pleased however, as if she thought he was honestly going to rape the woman, and that it was a good plan. He had to admit, he was making it seem a bit like that. Her head was still half caved in though, from where he hit her, and it was sort of gross. He killed that off, with a touch of magic, and then lifted her skirt and ripped her panties off. The pantyhose dangled a bit.

  Then he spanked her, like a naughty child. While laughing. It was a credible impersonation of an insane person, too.

  "I'm doing this to be nice. If you force the issue, Sims, I will take your behind and make my cock the size of my arm first. Not that I know how to do that yet, but I hear I'll be learning how soon. The point is, don't push me on this, understood? The Vampires are my friends, but that means not trying to kill me. Or us humiliating each other, more than needed. Stand up, when you can." He dropped her, letting her face hit the ground. It made a damp smacking sound.

  Then he turned to Marissa, and bowed a bit.

  "The rest of the Council has booked passage, coming here for a meeting with you tonight? Midnight, if that works for you? I can change that, if you need?"

  The woman actually froze, then nodded stiffly.

  "Would... I will need to take some precautions in case they have turned against me, for not supporting their current efforts. May I purchase such backing here, do you think? You have Trolls and Shifters, no?" This was said to Lenore, so Zack didn't correct the woman's language.

  Calling Trolleinkein "Trolls" was a bit like calling a black American the n-word. Even with his screwed up home schooled education, Zack knew not to do that. Either one of them. Especially if you wanted them to work with you.

  That part was up to her and her people however, Zack gestured to Barb, and walked out of the room as if he hadn't just backhanded a master Vampire into a wall and then strongly implied he was going to make her his bitch, in a prison fashion, if she didn't toe the line. The thing there was, if she didn't, he would. It was creepy and not what he wanted, but he really wanted to die a lot less, and letting her run around plotting against him was a poor plan. Really, Darla would probably spank him, for not killing the woman outright.

  Maybe with some of that rape, just to show him how it was done. Not that she'd gone there yet, but it also hadn't come up like this.

  Gesturing lightly to Barb, he moved to the table with Roland and Rowan, knowing that their names had been something different, once upon a time, before their last master got a hold of them. Mark and Cindy, or something. Not that he cared at the moment. One name really was about as good as another, as far as he was concerned. Plus they sort of matched that way.

  "Hey all. How are you doing? Getting enough to eat? Keeping busy?" What did you ask young Vampires that had been taken as spoils of war, anyway?

  Rowan tilted her head, holding it, trying to smile shyly. It looked off still, but she was only about forty years old, as a Vampire. So sixty or so, over all, given her looks. He didn't touch her to find out. Barb was better at that kind of thing, but had, he realized, a much better education. Lenore had schooled her people well, as far as blending in had gone. It made a difference.

  "We were told to come here. That we were to be the slaves of a Greater Demon. That or die." She didn't seem truly happy about it, and Roland grimaced, hard.

  Then he made a single soft grunting sound.

  "I think we should run. Say, what happened back there? I heard noise, some talking, but didn't understand it all."

  Zack nodded and smiled at the man, who he used to call eighties hair. He still had a mullet, which would have to go if he was going to be working in a book store. Both of them would need better clothing too. That night. They were wearing things he'd given them, still. It was probably all they owned. The things were clean, but looked lived in, and well worn already.

  He leaned in a bit and faked a wink.

  "The Police Chief suggested killing me. Idly, I think. So I gently introduced her head to the back wall of this place, and then threatened to do your Vampire dominance rape thing. I spanked her instead, because I'm cute that way, but... you get the idea?"

  Rowan was clearly the smarter of the two, since she at least went wide eyed.

  "You're the Greater Demon?"

  Roland simply looked unbelieving, but that didn't matter, as long as they worked hard.

  "Right in one. I knew I liked you. Okay, so, first I'm going to eat a bit, and then, while I do that, I'll explain that you aren't really slaves at all. Employees. You get paid and can even earn some vacation time. Have you two eaten today?"

  Roland looked around and then, covertly, made a face. It wasn't pleasant, but showed that he didn't want to be beaten either.

  "Goat. Earlier, before they drove us here a few hours ago."

  That got him to wave to Barb, and without getting up, asked for two bloods to be passed over. He was paying for it, but the two in front of him needed to understand that coming to him was actually a good thing, not a punishment. Then, slowly, over the next half hour, as he ate, he made sure they knew that. Rowan at least, seemed to believe it.

  "So... We aren't the lowest on the totem pole here? I sort of thought we were going to be killed."

  "Nope. Or at least no lower than any of the other new people, which is everyone. It's a mixed group though, and I expect you all to get along, and be very polite. To everyone. They won't always deserve it either, so be ready for that. If it gets too bad, I'll handle it. For now, it's pretty much a real job. You stock books, make sales, and if you can earn a place there, work in the Cafe. That... Is probably worth doing. We have a Hsreth running it, but need a night shift. If you can make that cut, you're probably going to find yourselves looking at a very bright future indeed."

  They didn't believe him, even after Chief Sims came out and visibly shied away from him. Her head wasn't healed all the way yet, but her skin was, so he didn't think the kids understood what had actually happened in there.

  When they got to the book store, he started to show them around, but was interrupted the instant they got into the node room. A time distortion field slapped over them all, and a wall of death came toward them. Two Greater Demons, a Lesser Demon and a Manthori Vampire.

  The leader, his mentor, pointed a single delicate finger.

  "Get him!"

  Then, they did.

  Chapter five

  The fight itself was fast, furious... and a lot more gentle than he would have expected, if he'd been asked a few minutes before. Darla, who was dressed like a business woman and looked completely different today, seeming to be in her late sixties and having a different set to her shoulders and a slightly different chin, held herself back totally, for one thing. Keeley looked like herself, but was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, instead of her normal clothing, which was generally dressier.

  Balthias wasn't even blasting fear into the room, which meant that Roland and Rowan tackled him almost immediately. Or tried to, at least. They ended up being held by the nine foot tall red and brown horned Lesser Demon, but not harmed at all, even as they struggled. It was like an adult dealing with two slightly unruly children. That just
left Rebekah, the bone white, and blood red eyed, Manthori, and Zack's Aunt, who looked like a sixteen year old runway model.

  They did hit each other, but Keeley held back a lot and just wasn't as strong as he expected. Darla had mentioned that to him a few times, but then she'd also said that the other Greater Demon wasn't as good as he was at fighting. That... Wasn't exactly right.

  Her technical skill was decent, and at least as good as his was. She just didn't have the speed and strength she needed to really hold her own with him. Not without using magic for it, which she wasn't doing. Probably to be nice. At first. About three minutes into things, as he hit her about six times in a row, right in the face, with Rebekah holding onto his back, ruining his aim, or trying to, she started to get faster. Zack could see the growing bulge in space around her body, flares of distortion showing where she was going to be moving next. It was pretty easy for him to match her though, since manipulating space was, ultimately, part of what he did.

  He was also the Line Walker, and they were right next to a node. Smiling, he waited for her to leap toward him, a rather tight and well thrown kick coming around from his left, which he blocked with a knee. The female Demon's leg snapped under the strain of her own blow, and his own leg was thrown out from under him. Still, with a bit of pain control, focus and planning he managed to sort of hop forward, tackling the thin girl, and picking her up in one rather awkward movement. Then he dove, carrying both of them into the node. It was simple enough to pick a destination, so on the other side he let go of her and stepped, or rather hopped, backward.

  Her right leg was broken from her own kick, the shin pushing out against the blue jean material, but he was pretty certain his left knee was too. As soon as he got back, he started to heal, wondering if Rebekah, or Balthias would keep fighting. If so, he was going to have to hit the Lesser Demon with the Vampire woman, because there were no weapons in the place, and technically he couldn't touch the creature at all. It was an effect that unreal things had, when interacting with Greater Demons. Ghosts, Lesser Demons and a whole host of other things simply couldn't stand contact with them. It was like a force field, nearly.