Evil is... (Once a Demon Book 2)

by P. S. Power

  After that she started to dial the phone again, planning to make sure there would be room for Will and Ravi in the line walking program, when the device in her hand rang at her. Rudely, since she wasn’t ready for that kind of thing. Smiling at the thought, she made her voice pleasant.

  “Keeley Thomson, how-” She didn’t get the words out, a rather friendly voice speaking at her first.

  Quickly.

  “Hey, um, Keels? This is Calley Hale. We have a bit of a problem. The Shifters, I mean. A weird thing up in northern Maine. A portal, we think, from the description, except that it’s all black and the things coming through are… Not normal. There aren’t a lot of them or anything as far as the people we have watching it are saying. Ten or so, I guess, so far? They seem to be drinking light in, leaving Human shaped holes in space, all in black. Which sounds familiar, after last night. You’re in charge of weird new things, right? Division Six, I mean.”

  That was, most likely, the truth. Plus, the description really did sound similar to what they’d seen the night before.

  “Right. We need Will Dern on this. I’m out of here in… Probably an hour, to go and do some healing work at the hospital. Our friends from last night. We can reschedule that, if this is an emergency. The injured people aren’t going anywhere. Not under their own power.” Saying it that way was awful of her, she knew. The kind of thing a bitch would say, not a nice and sweet Wise One like her.

  There was a sound then, from Calley’s tongue. Raspberries being blown. Not loudly, but with enough energy to be heartfelt.

  “Not so far. They float out of the void or whatever and after a minute just vanish. Terry, the wolf Shifter we have watching them, is just sitting there, in plain view, on his phone. They haven’t tried to hurt him or anything, even though he waved at them. They didn’t do it back, but that could mean anything, from them not noticing him to just not doing that kind of thing on a cultural level.”

  She shrugged.

  “Does he have a camera or can he get one taken to him? That’s really about all we’d be doing to start with. Recording things and seeing if there are reports of problems. As long as no one is being hurt, we’re just cataloging things. Just looking like the beings from last night doesn’t mean a new group of people won’t be treated well by us. We aren’t racists, after all.” Which was true. Doing anything else was asking to for a fight, possibly a war, to start.

  The words got a bit of mumbling in the background, which was too low for her to understand.

  “I… Yes, we can set that up. We should have someone there with a good camera inside an hour. Do I need to call Dern myself? I don’t have his number, which is why I bothered you. Plus, you know, that thing where I’m trying not to act all freaked out by you, since you’re trying not to be an evil demon any longer. I think I’m nailing it so far, don’t you? I’m barely leaving sweat stains under my arms or anything right now.”

  Keeley laughed. Meaning it, for the most part.

  “Thanks. Your efforts are noted and appreciated. Especially since I’m actually not doing too badly, as far as being scary or evil at the moment. Internally, I mean. Oh… What did you think of Will, last night? I mean, for sex. He’s single and won’t just do me, since we’re partners here. I’m pretty sure that you or someone from your embassy could come and have some fun with him in his office though. As long as they aren’t in the same chain of command. Not that we should order anyone to have sex with him.” Calley would be good for that, even if she wasn’t that great looking.

  Will wasn’t that picky and the woman was honestly nice. Also, the President of her people, which meant she worked at their controlled node in Montana, most days. Having someone in the building would be a better plan, so that they could coordinate their meetings.

  Calley snorted at her idea. It wasn’t exactly friendly, either. The reasoning for that was innately Bat-like, though.

  “Right now we have a bunch of freaking prudes working the office there. That’s mainly down to Fellows being a Dragon though. It isn’t her fault, really. Only…” There was a moment of hesitation, then something that sounded like a verbal shrug. “Meh… Really, while I won’t order her to go and have sex with anyone, it really wouldn’t hurt for her to be friendly with the head of the new division there. Especially since we’re already calling them in for free help. Let me… Well, I can ask about it. She’s a prude, not a moron. Plus, cute enough to work that way. Avery Rome’s half-sister.”

  A thing that didn’t shock Keeley at all to hear about. Inside, somewhere, she had that information, holding the woman’s mind inside of her information stores. Really, she had all the living Dragons, since there weren’t a lot of them and they were all powerful enough to be worth taking seriously.

  “Neat. I should be here for about an hour, if she wants to ask about anything, first. Will’s a good guy. The real kind. I’d be hitting that myself, except that we work together and my new boyfriend might not like that. Oh… I gave him your number for that? Along with some strong hints that you might be up for the occasional booty call.”

  Ravi wasn’t as good looking as Tyler or L.C. of course. What he was, of course, was enough for the broad nosed freckled girl to be interested in. The woman was great when it came to be friendly with people on a physical level.

  Calley made a very pleased, almost sexual, sound. Really, her entire kind of Shifter came preloaded as being sex junkies. Most of them still managed to be a bit better about it than Don Holmstrum had. Then, even if they were a bit fugly at the edges as a people they tended to manage fit and thin really well, which worked for more people than pasty and overweight did. Not having millions of dollars they also had to work the personality angle in life, which helped them seem pleasant most of the time, as a group.

  “Really? That’s so sweet of you. I didn’t get you anything at all… Yet. I’ll check with Fellows and see what she thinks about the idea? I’ll need to be a little bit subtle about it. We could set up her and an Alede for the job? Dragons are loyal as all get out and will stand by you once you know them… It’s just hard for most of them to actually make time for love, not having a sex drive.”

  That was a thing that Keels understood without it being said. They were going to need to be careful with their pushy ideas. Not that there was any harm in communicating a plan like that. Ordering someone with little to no sex drive into bed with a man she didn't know might be a problem. Given that Fellows was a Dragon Shifter, could lead to a fight, instead of anything as simple as the women merely saying no, thank you.

  Not that Keeley wouldn’t have won, if it came to that. After all, it would be no different for her to shift into a Dragon herself than it was a blonde short girl or the shape she was in at the moment. It was still a thing to avoid, since good people didn’t set others up for unwanted diddling, if they could help it. She was mainly certain on that point, at least. Even if she was making plans for Will that way.

  A thing that had her hang up her cell and then call up Judy Swan, since the succubus was actually in her phone and going to be spending time with Will, later in the year.

  The device picked up after four rings.

  “Judy here! How are you doing today?” The tone spoke of the woman being aware of who was on the other end of the line, even if it wasn’t actually true. The idea came across the line to her, carried on a breath of magic that promised good things if Keeley was only willing to give her a little time.

  “Hey, Judy! It’s your best buddy, Keeley. You know, the new and improved, not scary at all one that works with you on Reality Wars?” Or would, if they made that happen. It looked good, to be honest, at the moment.

  The attractive actress didn’t even sound tense when she spoke then.

  “Keeley? Oh, hey! What’s up?”

  She took a breath, as if steeling herself to ask for a major favor.

  “Okay… My boss, Will Dern? He’s been working all the time. Calley Hale and I are setting him up to meet with Morisy Fellows, the Dr
agon shifter. Avery’s half-sister, in case you haven’t met. Anyway, that’s us trying to get him a regular date or two. Only Dragon shifters don’t have a sex drive. I was wondering if you’d like to also go out with Will, once shooting starts on RW?”

  She held her breath, hoping the woman wasn’t going to see it as a set up or trap for her in some way.

  There was a pleased gasp.

  “That’s wonderful. Thanks for thinking of me. He seems like a very nice man. I didn't get the feeling he was that interested though, for some reason, the last few times we met.” Her voice was a bit sad about it, too.

  A thing Keels understood. It was rare for people to not want to have sex with Alede. Most of the time it meant they didn’t have a sex drive at all. That or were using drugs or magic to prevent that kind of thing from taking place.

  “That… It’s the heart of the problem. He’s already thinking of you as working with him, so is trying to be good and not sleep with you. It’s a Human notion of things, which he can’t afford to keep doing, working here at the CoN. He thinks you’re amazing, he just doesn’t want to end up being accused of sexual assault if he hits on you.” It was a real issue at the moment, in the world.

  There was a grunt from the phone, a thing that sounded disgruntled.

  “That. It’s been hard for the last half year, really. I can still get men interested in me, but most of them act half panicked after things are over. So… Kait mentioned that you were talking to some of the girls at Westfield about him the other day… Do I get a relationship with him, do you think? That was what you were talking about, wasn’t it?”

  It had been, so she nodded, holding the pink and silver cell to her ear.

  “Yup. Maybe with Fellows too, if you play your cards right. I can help with that? Will really doesn’t have a lot of time for things like that right now, hence focusing on the sexual aspects. If he agrees to my clever plan, I can get him hooked up with some magic so he won’t be jealous or anything like that. It’s not the same as him being instantly good with you having a hundred different partners per month. Then again, if he chooses to do it ahead of time, that still counts, really.” At least if the spells and magics were worked out correctly.

  Judy laughed, instead of whining about things like that being needed to get her into a long-term relationship.

  “As long as it’s his choice, it really does. Thanks, Keeley. For thinking of me. I’d love to try, if Will’s interested. Morisy as well?” There was a hopeful tone to her voice.

  Then, a lot of Alede really did want to have someone to love. A person that didn't just end up going away, when the magic or allure ended or jealousy overwhelmed their friend.

  “I’ll run it by him. If you want, you can make appointments with him and I’ll come and get you, to bring you here? Call it two or three times a week. We can make a point to get you two out in public as well, if you aren’t seeing anyone right now. For the publicity aspect of things.”

  Those words got a considering noise and an agreement, at least in theory. That was done carefully by the lady, so as to not be accidently taken as a slave.

  After a while, Keeley addressed her last point.

  “Anyway, you have this number? You can call if you need anything. I’m… You know, I get that it’s hard to believe, but I’m really trying to be your friend. I hope it works.” She honestly did, even as she knew that it would be hard for the Alede on the phone to understand that.

  “Okay. We’re friends then. No take backs… I’ll call in a day or two, to set things up. Thanks.”

  Then the woman hung up, as if it were a normal phone call and not her talking to a fear inducing demon that might eat her soul if she felt slighted by the ending of the conversation.

  Half an hour later, a decently handsome woman, who happened to be black, and darker in skin tone than Avery Rome was, while still showing enough similarity in bone structure to prove they were related, knocked a bit hesitantly on the frame of Keeley’s open office door.

  “Hello? I was told to report in here, for a mission. You are Thomson, aren’t you? President Hale said it was urgent.” There was a look at the door, which didn’t say anything on it, not being helpful that way yet.

  She smiled, making her face polite looking for the woman she was planning to trap. Then, instead of starting right in on the idea of Will being single, and Judy being a good time in bed, she stood up, touching the Dragon’s arm as she got to the door. Drinking in her life’s story. A thing that wouldn’t work with Avery, her pal. It was a bit harder with Morisy Fellows than a normal person, without being impossible. Avery was a Queen Dragon, after all and her skin would have sent the magic dancing off completely. Fellows was just normal that way. Smaller when transformed by nearly two thirds, and more susceptible to magic, while still being kind of incredible as far as changing form went.

  Drinking her life in told Keeley a lot about the woman, who was cute, without it being too much, really. She was also a dedicated and hard worker, as well as a good bit more lonely than she let on, in life. Calley had mentioned on the phone that she wanted Fellows to go down to Deep Six and basically do what she was told, without any specifics being given at all. Leaving it a mystery, which was making the mercenary woman next to her suspicious. She was used to be told everything rather bluntly, after all.

  Thinking about it for a moment, judging what the woman was like, inside, Keeley changed the plan, on the fly.

  “Two things. Three, really. There was a report of strange activity in Maine. Calley Hale called that in. Your people are handling that for now, but clearly, we need to not have your President in on that too closely. At the same time, Will Dern is really important. Normally we’d do everything through Ty Gartner, but he’s out on a mission in… Twenty minutes. So, you’ll be needed to take his place for that. Not that Dern is hard to work with at all. Really, he’s great. Human. Ex-Special Forces. Open minded and locked on though, which is why he has control of the new division being formed. Busy though. It’s against the rules for any of us in D-Six to work more than sixty hours a week. So far he hasn’t managed that one very well.” She glanced at the woman and shook her head a bit. Just enough to show that it was happening, without being overt about it.

  They weren’t moving, since it was the briefing portion of things. A thing that the Ambassador next to her understood.

  Fellows looked at her, not seeming too impressed to find out that Will Dern was being considered that important. Things ran hot and cold there at the Sparks Embassy, as far as things like that went. Half the Ambassadors thought they were worth being worshiped and the other half just wanted to get the work done. Dropping Ty’s name had made a difference though.

  He wasn’t in charge of the place, since it was technically an embassy complex, in which he had a single, rather normal, office set up. The thing there was that almost everyone there thought of Tyler as the man in charge of everything, because he, personally, normally stopped them from going to war or fighting in the parking lot. Sometimes with a beating, if the people involved refused to work things out peacefully. It wasn’t the real job description of the CoN, even if it ended up being that way.

  Which got the woman next to her to take a deep, rather slow, breath. Seeming nervous, if only a small amount. After all, Will hadn’t been made to sound scary at all. Just important.

  “I’m filling in for Gartner? Just for my people, but still…”

  Keeley shook her head then. It was too good of a line not to work with it.

  “No. For everyone here. Possibly some Human side concerns as well. You’re good with Humans, or Hale wouldn’t have sent you. Don’t worry, we’ll have real secretaries and things, so you won’t be answering phones or getting the coffee… Still, you need to work out how to get close to Dern here, without him really noticing it. Um…” Keeley shrugged then and looked away, as if embarrassed.

  After all, if Fellows had walked in, mentioned she was the Ambassador for the Shifters and suggested she was there
to help out, Will would just take it and not question it until the woman was out of the area.

  Keeley wanted to set things in motion in a different direction, though.

  “Um… Okay, this is a bit underhanded, but he isn’t dating anyone. There’s a chance of something happening with Judy Swan, but she’s an Alede, so you know, if that happens it’s an incredibly open thing. They don’t really do anything else. He… Just works all the time, and won’t just call in a prostitute or get one of his underlings to do things with him. It’s a Human thing, you know? You could probably…” She didn't bother saying never mind, just looking away a bit harder, letting her cheeks fill with blood, so it seemed like she was blushing.

  Fellows didn't do that at all. Instead she nodded. As if setting poor Will up for booty calls and dating in the office was simply a thing to think about.

  “That’s not a horrible plan. As long as he’s clean, I mean. We should… Should we go in?”

  Shaking her head, Keeley went over the Maine situation, including everything they had so far, so that Fellows could deliver that data to the man himself. Then she walked the woman in, not adding anything in particular to Will about what she was setting up.

  The Dragon Shifter did that part for them, pretty nicely. Including the information that Will was dating Judy Swan and that, when he tried to protest, explained that it was actually racially insensitive for him to place his Human cultural conditioning ahead of her wellbeing.

  “Anyway, I was talking to your second in command here, Thomson. She seems to have worked things around so that I’ll be handling the ambassadors and possibly some other people for you, for the foreseeable future. I have orders from my CoC on that, in fact. It’s a bit of a coup for us Shifters, getting in on this level of things. That means working together, if that works for you? We can get together and talk about that over dinner?”