Living Proof (Tyler G Book 2) Read online

  It actually sounded fun to him. He'd always wanted to learn to use weapons like that, but had never had the chance. Honestly, he probably needed to learn firearms, knives, and some kind of bludgeon. A short stick or something would be better than a full staff weapon for that.

  "Sounds good. Really fun, actually. I should be getting a break any day now. I'm nearly certain of it. I mean I only work forty hours a week. Supposedly." He grinned, since it didn't matter nearly as much lately. He had twenty-four hours a day now, and didn't get tired. It meant he had the time to get things done. It was more about getting things aligned with Calley than anything else. Sex was kind of the same thing, no doubt. He had time for it, if he could make it happen. Then, neither girl that he lived with was actually being too hard to get that way, so it was probably something else going on there. Like him filling every single moment with work.

  Given that he liked sex, that didn't have the right feeling to it. Sure, he wanted to do a good job with the bookstore and this other project he had going on with the Coalition, but neither should have stopped him from doing that kind of thing if he made a point to be available.

  It was then, most likely, a Greater Demon plot. Zack had mentioned that he needed to be a bit more careful there, not trusting that kind of being, and that, while clearly stupid on his part, his lack of getting busy was a good thing to blame on them. That, and the weather. He had to start somewhere, after all.

  Calley however, watching the road like she was a Hawk, not a Bat, spoke knowledgably about what was going on in his life, as far as work went.

  "Well, things will calm down at work for you in a few days. For a bit. The first round of vacations will be done then, and your other coworkers will come back. Then, at the start of August the next round begins. Ben is going to be gone then, right?" She spoke with the confidence of a person that had been in on planning from the start, not just a casual eavesdropper.

  Given her hearing she probably knew everything that went on at Westfield, at any given time.

  Kyle, the slightly rugged, but very clear skinned and handsome boy smiled.

  "Yeah. Eve managed to get time off too, if nothing goes wrong. We're all going to the Ettarian lands for two weeks. I've been wanting to go for a while now, since I heard what people were saying about it a few years ago. It's pretty much a technological wonderland. The people there are all telepathic giants, about seven feet tall, but pretty, and as it turns out, harvestable for Alede. I checked that with their ambassador." The boy sounded conversational, and a bit excited.

  It did sound pretty neat.

  "I should do that soon." Ty muttered, thinking about things without explaining.

  Calley giggled, and teased him a bit.

  "You're going to blow the Ettarian Ambassador? Can I watch? That should be pretty interesting."

  Ty nodded, which got Rupert to smother a laugh and pass the large box of food up to the seat with the crowded Alede in it. Robert took it, letting his hand brush against the Bear's a little. Not enough to be sexual, since for the time being they were all pretty locked down that way.

  "Yep. That's precisely what I meant. Not going around and making a point of talking to everyone. Just getting on my knees with some stranger like that. I'm sure he'd be thrilled when I stopped by out of the blue." There was enough sarcasm that everyone probably got it, but Valerie tilted her head a little, and took a small and delicate looking sandwich, which was wrapped in wax paper.

  "Oh, watercress. My favorite. I don't really think that Yavvel would enjoy that in particular. Unless you can become a woman? Some of the others might like that too then. Now, just going for a visit might work for some of them. You'll want to learn about each group first however, to see how you need to approach them. Some will need gifts, and others pretty words. Some of them need for you to basically walk in, and start yelling at them to do what you want, or else. So that it's a real thing to them." There was an abstract tone to her voice, as if that wasn't a big deal to her, but it sounded like it might be sort of important really.

  "Can we make an appointment for that? So I can pick your brain and take notes? I don't want to take up too much of your time or anything. It can be any time I'm not working?" Which was just true, for the most part.

  There was no answer for a bit, since the woman had started eating, though after she'd finished her small bite there was a nod. The back of her blonde head made it seem energetic. Like it was a great idea, not a bother or anything.

  "We can, provided nothing else comes up. We, the Governing Body and I, have been worried about what we could add to the effort. For the Coalition? This will be far more real seeming than some of the other suggestions. Most of them were to either pay for a healthy share of it, or to offer sex. That..." She took another bite, finished it and then turned for a moment to look at him. Kait and Robert did too, which took some straining on their parts. "We're taken less than seriously by a lot of the other groups due to that kind of thinking. It's our natures, and not a bad thing, but it's difficult to be a real player in the game when everyone constantly thinks you should be on your back, under them."

  That would be a problem.

  He nodded then, his head moving slowly.

  "Well, that sounds like a real enough thing to me, actually. So far the whole Coalition is pretty easy going. Mainly making some phone calls. Really, we should see about getting you an interview or two. Television or radio? Let people know about you from your own words. Do a thing at the library, like the Vampires did a couple of months ago... Do you have a blog?" That was a word that he'd heard before. Once he had a computer of his own he might even be able to look one up.

  Kyle laughed. It was a good natured seeming thing, rather than being filled with sexual overtones. Really, while Ty was kind of fond of Kait, it seemed to him like she was a better fit with the Human world as Kyle. Just more relaxed about a lot of stuff.

  "We do! It's even halfway decent. Really, it's a news site, for our people, though a lot of it is also opinion. I can get you the address for it, if you want to take a look?"

  It was neat sounding, and better than he'd figured on. For some reason, he'd been thinking that the Alede weren't much more than constant sex. Given that Valerie had just pointed out that it was a problem for them, he felt a bit embarrassed for a few seconds, then realized that no one else would think anything of what he'd been assuming. In a way that was even worse.

  "Awesome, so you can help me set one up for the Coalition too? A web-page? I don't really know how to do that myself."

  The good looking young man turned again, and winked at him. It was flirty, as soon as all of the attention had turned to him directly. There was probably just no way around that. Alede were, in the end, what they had to be in order to survive. Like sharks, they were constantly looking for their next meal. Sexy, sexy sharks, but still, now that he thought of it that way, Ty could kind of see it.

  Kyle, and Tyler tried to get the name right this time, since none of the Alede made mistakes that way, seemed pleased to be asked.

  "Sure. I do that as a hobby anyway, so I can run it for you, if you want? Then we'll have two points of being useful that don't involve being the world's biggest ho-bags. Not that there's anything wrong with that." It got a low chuckle from the people in the seat in front of them, and from Calley. The other two men were silent on the topic.

  They bantered for a while, and nibbled on food. The trip, according to Ang, would take about three and a half hours just to get to the boat dock. Then it would be about two hours to the island in question, which was off the coast of Washington State, but small enough it didn't show on any maps in particular.

  The Dragon Shifter kept his gaze moving constantly, looking for threats.

  "We, my people, own it. We have about fifty of them in different places around the world. They can be surprisingly useful. Not just as prisons. I go on occasion myself, so that I can change. It's hard to do in the city, and not be seen. Though, I suppose I should get over that no
w. We're out. It's just hard to keep that in mind."

  That seemed like a thing to Ty, who was impressed. He barely owned his own socks, much less property. Having a whole island, even a little one, was a big deal. They were an entire people though, not just private citizens, so that made a big difference. It was the kind of thing he should have put down in his notebook, which, naturally, he'd left behind the desk at work.

  Feeling stupid, since he was trapped in a van with people from two of the groups he needed to get info on, he sighed. It wasn't like they could get away from him at the moment, so he needed to be using that to his own ends. Ty asked questions for a bit, since working from memory wasn't a horrible thing either. Not perfect, but he could do it. If worse came to worse he could pin Calley down about the Shifters again later. Kait would serve for the Alede, he bet.

  Or, apparently, her mother would. Valerie was really helpful that way, doing most of the talking for her people. Even better, she seemed happy to be doing it, rather than upset about him prying in like he was.

  Halfway there they stopped at a very small gas station. It was in the middle of nowhere, and not all that well trafficked it seemed. Rupert explained why that was without missing a beat.

  "This is a front for us Shifters. The lady that runs it is a Swan. Nice woman. Real sweet. Most of them are. If you ever have to disappear, and can get to a place like this, the people there will help you. Anyone really. It doesn't matter if you have two forms or not. It's our thing, for Shifters, but it's a lot simpler to keep things quiet if anyone can use it, believe it or not. That might come up, I guess, with your new group?" The voice was pitched into a near whisper, but everyone could hear him as they pulled in.

  Calley, bopping around in the front a bit, nodded.

  "Yeah. Not that it comes up as much for us anymore. Two years ago, half of us had to go into hiding if we were seen changing. Now we just wave at the neighbors and explain, more often than not. Take a fruit basket and a pamphlet over to them the next day with a smile. The world is really getting different, fast. I personally blame the Vampires for it, but it makes it a lot easier to stay in one place, so I can't whine too much!"

  That, it seemed, was a thing that everyone could agree with, as they got out to stretch their legs and use the restroom. Supernatural others or not, they all still had to do that.

  It was another thing to put in the notebook.

  Chapter four

  Calley didn't let them rest long, suggesting that they had a schedule to keep, since there was a guy waiting for them with the boat when they got in. Or there would be. They were over an hour and a half out still. That was fine for Tyler. After all, while the world didn't feel like much to him now, he also didn't have pain. That meant his legs and back weren't sore from sitting around for hours like the others probably had to put up with. Hunger was always there now however, oddly enough.

  That was, now that he noticed it, a constant gnawing at his middle. It was work to ignore it, but nothing he ate at all made it much better. It was just always there. A bit like what a shark probably had going on. That constant urge to munch on something.

  Given that, he had to reconsider how the poor Alede probably felt. If he had to trade wanting sex all the time for desiring food... Well, it wasn't like he was satisfied with snack cakes, as far as he could tell. No, he wanted something different by far.

  The something in question being raw meat, no doubt. More to the point, raw Human flesh. It was gross, thinking about it for him. Not because it was just a sick thought, but due to the fact that, on a deep level, one that he mainly kept buried with the force of will, it sounded delicious. Like a real treat. His mouth watered at the idea, which wasn't the kind of thing he wanted to know about himself.

  On the good side, no matter how perfect that seemed to him, he was still in control of the sensation, or at least the actions that he took. So he had a veggie filled pastry, with a light sauce that was tangy and took his mind off of things. On the great side, he could eat all he wanted, and it still tasted really good to him. He just didn't need to, if he'd been told correctly.

  It was a really bizarre thing to notice, but he understood. Lucy had told him he could now, which was why it all came together. Before, when he was younger, she'd probably told him not to notice how different he was, and how to act so that no one else would guess as to his real nature. Now he was, for the first time since he'd died all those years ago, himself.

  The ethical zombie.

  "People are our friends, not food." He muttered the words, as he took a bite of his snack, which got everyone but Calley to turn around. A few of them were smiling curiously at him. Because they didn't assume he was a monster, which was nice of them.

  Sighing he shook his head.

  "You know, it's why I can't eat meat? Because I secretly crave Human flesh? Not in a friendly Alede way either. So, if I ever start trying to eat someone, make sure to stop me?" It was his plan. Even if he couldn't be killed very easily, they could shoot him in the head. That, or lock him in a little room, alone.

  Calley gave a single nod.

  "Not a problem. You aren't the only person we know with something like that going on. You should ask Ginger about it when we get back. Anyway, we're closing in on the destination. The boat isn't huge... Anyone get sea sick?"

  Ty didn't know about himself, but was willing to guess the answer was no. He didn't really feel sick very often at all and never had. Rupert raised his right hand, looking a bit sheepish. No one else did or said anything on the topic.

  "Me. I have to go anyway. Family."

  Which was the word of the day. That, or community. It was why Tyler was headed there, even though he'd only met Vivian the one time. To his surprise, Rupert kept talking, looking at him, mainly.

  "Viv. She... Might try to attack, out of anger. That happens a lot with Shifters. She hasn't been there long, so maybe not. I'll go first, since she might not come at me as hard. Then... I think you should go in, behind me, Mr. Gartner. If you will I mean? The rest of us might not be that welcome. She'll have to figure that the Alede came to kill her. I... Have you?" It was a bit blunt, but Valerie turned to look at him, shocked.

  It really seemed like a genuine thing, too. Real, and like the thought had never even occurred to her. Which it probably hadn't. She was, by nature, a lover, not a fighter.

  "Why would we do that? Over a tiny knock to the head? I admit, I was worked up when I set the sentence. I shouldn't have allowed it to happen. We could have talked it out, or allowed her to work for redemption some other way. It's why Kyle and Robert insisted on coming. To protect me from her wrath, for letting this happen to her. I deserve it. Two weeks. All alone. She'll be half mad or more. Probably suicidal, too." Then, as if it were the right thing to do, she started crying.

  It wasn't a loud or sobbing thing, just damp tracks, visible on the side of her face when she turned to Rupert, to apologize. The Bear looked completely baffled. For once though, Ty thought he had it worked out. It was even a think that he'd made notes on, in his book.

  "So, let me see here. To the Alede being left alone, without contact like that, would be both starvation, and a kind of torture? Sensory deprivation, at the very least?" The very pretty blonde woman nodded. It looked like she was wearing makeup, but nothing ran.

  "Yes." She sounded miserable. Robert reached out to touch her hand, and turned to the left, showing that he was crying too.

  Made miserable by the pain of the woman that had beaten his boss into unconsciousness.

  Tyler went on then, his face still, looking at Rupert.

  "Shifters don't see it that way, do they? She was left with enough food? So it's, what, just camping for her? Probably not even long enough to seem like a real punishment? No worse than some kind of military survival exercise that she's done before, right? Which is why she'll be scared. She'll see Kyle and Rob here and have to think that this is the real punishment. After all, she went after an Ambassador. Death probably isn't out of the pictur
e in her mind right now."

  That got a snort from the front, from his Bat friend.

  "No shit, right? I mean, I know that Val wouldn't set that up, but Vivian isn't a diplomat. To her she screwed up so big that... Well, she might have offed herself already. Just to prevent a war. I know, no one is scared of the Alede, but think about it. Val has at least two Greater Demons she can call up for things like that. Maybe more. Vampires as buddies, and she could probably get Jahn Samson to do what she wanted, in order to make this right. It wasn't enough of a punishment. We'll need to fix that somehow." She drove for a bit as that sank in. Then, after a while, she glanced over at Ang for half a second. "Beat her when we pick her up? If we shoot her in the knees first, we can pull that off without too much trouble."

  The Dragon man nodded.

  "I'll do it. She doesn't know me, and probably won't hold a grudge that way. She might, but I'm not really worried about her coming for me later. It wouldn't be a fair fight." He spoke calmly, as if they were going over what people wanted on their pizza later. Which sounded good suddenly.

  Valerie made a sound that was nearly a gulp, and Ty managed a chuckle, keeping anyone else from speaking.

  "Nope. We'll put her in helping someone at Westfield so we can watch her for a while, but that's all. I know, she can work with Lisa, the Mage Ambassador? That way none of you will rough her up or anything. I'd get her in with the Vampires, but they have lots of help already. Lisa's people seem to be pretty lazy when it comes to community service, and won't do much for her. Can Vivian get along with her, do you think?" He looked at her brother, who furrowed his brow, but nodded, as if that was a fine enough idea.

  "Yeah. I hadn't thought about that. I mean, Shifters and Mages aren't enemies or anything, but we don't normally try to put spies in their offices either. We don't need to really. We, you know, just stand back and listen, for the most part. The only one we have infiltrating there is Madeline. Calley's Aunt? She'll be working with you, I think, in a few days. Not that I know the schedule there. She's really nice." The man spoke innocently enough that it was strange when Ang turned to glare at him for it.