by P. S. Power
Norris pulled her into a hug and danced around with her in his arms, so happy tears came to his eyes.
"I... My little sister, Devra, she went rogue ten years ago. The officials took her away, and... we simply never heard of her again. The rumor is that they either kill them or let them starve to death alone, in a cell. If we can help keep that from happening, we should do it." Then he kissed the girl again, for a long time.
The others, including Kaitlyn, all nodded. That made the kissing awkward, so she pulled back which let Norris keep speaking.
“No one's ever taken a person who'd basically gone rogue and taught them true control before. Do you know what this could mean? We lose young people each year to this...”
Zack tried to ignore the fact that what it would really mean is a lot more work for him. If it saved lives, he should at least try, if he could manage it, no matter how much work it took. Plus, Kate hadn't really taken that long to set on the right path, had she? A few measly years.
After that, for weeks, everything went smoothly. He worked increasingly hard, as the demand went up and more people were willing to pay for his services. The women still wanted a lot of his attention, but now he had some time for it, which really allowed him to feel like he could be there for them when they needed him. With the Alede well-fed, which they only needed every two days or so if they were given a full allotment of energy, they weren't pestering the Humans for sex nearly as much either.
They still liked sex and their sex drives were high, but they just wanted it, they didn't need it to live, which made their lives easier, too. Even if everyone wants you, it takes a lot of work to have a full time job and six lovers a day, Sarah mentioned that to him.
He'd gotten with Claire about what the Demon had told him – the name of the Demon possessing his father's corpse – and she found out precisely what that meant in Demon terms after a week or two.
“With his name, you can find out what the last Nexus he passed through that had a Demon office or store front was. If you're willing to pay, and you personally can afford what they'll ask in gold, they'll tell you every trip that a given Demon made within a decade. They can't give you every single jump, but Demons don't like to use non-sanctioned Nexus nodes, not even the really bad members of their group. Why that is I couldn't find out.”
Zack had a way to track the Demon now, so it seemed like a good time to work out the rest of his plan.
The next day, after work, they were to go to the big Vampire meeting in Reno. The specific location placed it outside of Reno proper at a privately owned facility. He'd found out how to get there easily enough from the nearest node. It only took a small amount of walking and three shortcuts.
The attendees were supposed to make their own accommodations however. Many bought houses he was told, in secret locations around the city, just for the single event. He asked Lisa to do that for them, as well. He felt awkward about spending that kind of money on something they'd only use once, but Lisa assured them that they could rent it out later, so it counted as an investment, not just a onetime expense.
He plotted with Claire in secret, and they decided to bring Patty with them. This wouldn't be that unusual for him, being known to have a lot of women in his life. To have 'a spare' brought along, especially since the older Vampires often thought of the Alede as readymade sex slaves anyway, just marked him as powerful.
Once there, he'd show up the first night for the welcoming party and then work with Patty the rest of the time. It probably wasn't enough, but they needed to start somewhere.
He stood with Kaitlyn in the front of the store, having just put up a new window display, when the Demon Beatrice walked in carrying a bundle of clothing draped gracefully across her arms.
Holding her free hand up she forestalled any movement on his part.
“The Vampire from across the way commissioned a suit for you. I need measurements so I can tailor it to fit. I'm good at this, if we can do away with the whole song and dance about how I'm an evil Demon and you won't deal with Demons. This was paid for in cash, no strings or loopholes, honest.”
He looked up at Claire who nodded at him. He whispered that they would talk about this later.
The Demoness took her time and seemed to be enjoying his discomfort with her touching him. When she finished he asked if she had enough time to do the work, since they left the next evening, and such things always seem to take longer than that.
“Ha. I'll be back in an hour for the final fitting. If it takes two hours you don't have to pay me.” He looked at her and crossed his arms.
“You've already been paid.” Her kind were too careful with money for that not to have happened.
She smiled and hurried out the door, calling, “Then it better not take longer than two hours!”
An hour and fifty-two minutes later she returned and had him try on the clothes.
“Perfect, as I thought they'd be, and under two hours. Told you I was good at this.” She bowed her way out of the store, even though she'd just turned and left earlier.
He got out of the clothing and hung them up immediately, at Lisa's instruction. Otherwise they'd wrinkle, and that would take more work to fix than they'd have time for the next day, according to schedule.
The next day he prepared himself mentally in the void, taking Kaitlyn for her second trip. This one lasted most of the morning. The girl, not technically a child any more, having experienced many decades of devoted mental practice, told him that she was seeing things when she came out. Lines and colors that weren't there before. They were different than what he could see, but he didn't doubt their reality at all.
“While I'm gone, see if you can figure out what they are or mean. I can't wait to find out myself.” She would be staying with Lisa for the four days he and Patty would be gone. He made a point of passing a full amount of energy to her before he did anything else.
“I don't know if this will last you four days, so call if it gets too bad, all right?”
She promised she would.
Things ran quickly from that point on, until he found himself and Claire both dressed in formal clothing. He in a tuxedo and her in a lovely gown that looked, and probably had been, handmade. She looked incredible, he thought. The red of the dress – a dark red that brought to mind blood – really brought out the color in her face, even though she wore only the slightest bit of makeup. Her hair had been done up in some classical style he couldn't name, but he'd seen in depictions of old Rome or possibly Greece. He couldn't see her shoes under the hem of the gown, but she seemed to float, rather than walk, she moved so smoothly.
“You look lovely,” he told her. “I can see why they thought to invite you.”
She laughed and put her hand on his arm so that he could guide her in to the building.
“They only invited me because they heard I knew you. Shall we go in?” Somehow she made it look like he led her, even as she pushed him along, all the while moving in that even, floating fashion. He started walking so he wouldn't fall, only to find his way barred at the door by two of the largest Vampires he'd ever seen. This would all be stage dressing of course, a Vampire's size having almost nothing to do with their strength or power. Vampires half this big could tear him apart just as well as these two could.
He held out the invitation, which said 'Claire Hawthorn and Guest', she'd been adamant that even though it had been addressed to her, he should be the one to carry it. Some protocol thing that he didn't have time to learn the roots of yet, she had informed him.
Past the first obstacle came the second, an older looking man, a Vampire, who must have been turned at about seventy for some reason, asked for their names. He smiled pleasantly though, projecting a sense of calm and even delight. Again, as Claire told him to do before they left the house in Reno a few minutes before, he gave his name first, Zachary Hartley, and then gave her name in the same fashion.
Stiffening slightly, the Majordomo nodded and gestured for them to pass him, just whe
n they cleared the door, they stopped, so that he could announce them.
“Miss Claire Hawthorn, escorted by Mr. Zachary Hartley!” he rang out.
The room stopped, and the people, about half Vampire, half other things, including Human, turned to look at them. After the requisite count of ten he'd been told to wait, he walked on. Supposedly this would give anyone who wanted a chance to put a face to the name so that they could come over and talk later.
At this point, his part in the festivities should be over, she'd told him earlier, unless anyone wanted to chat with them. Being that she had only low standing in Vampire culture, at least for this level of things, it didn't seem likely, in her estimation, that anyone would bother with them. They could kick back, enjoy the free food and drink and whatever entertainment had been provided. The rest of the weekend would basically be business meetings she assured him, according to Vaun.
Claire spotted Vaun in the crowd about then, being one of about a dozen faces she knew on sight. The older Vampires didn't often 'hang out' with the younger ones, he'd found out, when he'd suggested inviting Vaun to Christmas.
The older Vampire crossed the room with a lovely woman, who looked about thirty and seemed Human, and another Vampire that externally looked about thirty as well.
“Claire! You look lovely and you, Mr. Hartley! I certainly didn't expect for you to come all this way. I'm pleased though. Very pleased actually. It makes our district look very good that you'd come with one of our Captains.” He shifted his body out of the way, revealing the other two behind him, a very formal movement that clearly indicated a shift in topic.
“Claire, Mr. Hartley, this is Percy Montmercy and his lovely companion Diane. They wanted to meet you both...” He eased out of the way, not bothering with the reverse introductions. Zack guessed they'd seen them at the door.
Montmercy offered his hand, his beast rising and eyes turning to full blood red in an instant, his Shadow tried to compel Zack to do his bidding, a giant beast it was too, standing over nine foot high and with a massive profile. He quickly chatted with the beast and got it to calm down, causing the Vampire to move back suddenly, eyes going back to normal.
“Goodness!” Montmercy cried out, taking a step back. “I'd thought the rumors were false, but I just threw everything I had at him and he didn't blink. Set me on my heels in fact! Amazing.”
He shook Zack's hand for real now, cupping his one hand in both of his, smiling in a genuine-seeming fashion.
“I hope you won't take that amiss. I just wanted to gain control over the Line Walker, I'm sure you can understand...” He grinned.
Zack laughed.
“I think I can see it from your point of view, yes. Still, I'd like to keep the little freedom I have left. Work and duty, you know, all that stuff, it tends to eat up time pretty quickly.”
“Indeed. Ever the bane of the thinking man, work. Still, after about seventeen hundred years, I've found that work is the only thing that continually challenges one. Except love of course.” He indicated the women with a half wave gesture made with both hands. Barely moving, yet making the meaning apparent to all.
They moved on quickly, as another group hovered, waiting to speak to them and another followed them. This went on for some time, though the questions varied, a few asked about appointments to discuss business and Claire took their names, writing them on a small pad she carried for that exact reason, since Vampires didn't use cards. She added little notes in a secret shorthand as she went.
One young lady, looking barely older than Kaitlyn actually, asked for his autograph. Not knowing what else to do, he asked her name and composed a message to go with the signature that her Shadow helpfully suggested to him. She squealed when she saw it and thanked him, blushed, and hurried off.
“Well, that was a little awkward... Still, she seems like a nice person. I just don't know why some people think I'm a celebrity,” he whispered to Claire, not wanting to embarrass the girl, but not caring who heard really. In a room like this, filled with ancient Vampires, to speak pretty much meant being overheard.
Drinks came around, which he declined, except water. Being even a little tipsy had never agreed with him, actually making it harder for him to block out the things he managed to normally. No need to make life harder for himself, he figured.
Claire held a flute of rose colored champagne, which contained a few drops of blood for flavor, she'd told him when it had come around, more to make conversation than to warn him not to take any himself.
A large, powerfully built Vampire came across the room. Not exactly pushing others out of the way, though he wasn't gentle about 'brushing' past them either. To Zack it looked like he meant to call attention to himself.
“Clara! Here you are. I've been looking all over for you. Time to come home now and leave your silly little,” his hand waved in the air a little. “Whatever it is you've been doing, acting or whatever...” He reached for her arm, only to find it gone and Vaun standing in his way instead.
“Forest! So good of you to come, but there seems to have been a slight mix up, as I don't believe you were invited. Just an oversight, I'm certain, but rules and all, so how about you leave now?” It wasn't hard to tell that Vaun did not love this Vampire. Given that he and his cronies had already almost killed him personally, Zack couldn't say that he really liked the man much either.
“Fine, just let me collect my little whore and I'll be on my way. No need to bother yourself, I can retrieve her. I won't even punish her for running off, not much at least. Perhaps a little of the old ways though, eh, love?” He laughed, a strange, bizarre cackle that seemed to say he might be mad, but that his Shadow didn't echo. The Beast inside him readied for a fight, and stared not at Claire or even Vaun, but Zack.
“Oh, the days of old. How she loved it so when I fucked her up the ass while making her suck cock after cock until she had her fill. I remember when we brought her the first girl to lick, how she screamed and howled at being made to lick the poor little thing's ass clean after the servants had finished with it. She learned though, over time, didn't you, my sweet.”
He moved closer to her, and she drew away, keeping out of reach, pretending to reach past Zack, his Shadow projecting the move about to be made: grab the jacket with one hand, crush the skull with the other, then claim the man had stolen his property – ludicrous, he knew, but Vampire laws were interesting in regards to things once owned long ago. They wouldn't be able to touch him for the death, no matter what it cost them.
Zack didn't think, he didn't have time. As Forest reached for Claire, making his move, Zack threw his right arm up in a clumsy, useless block and formed a tight beam of blackened energy that he directed through the man's sandy blond head with his other hand. Instead of taking his time recalling the energy, he pulled it back suddenly, remembering Wu-Li having said something about that and Vampires and hoping he got it right.
Forest's head flew back, nearly exploding from the impact, then he fell to the ground, not truly dead, but in a torpor due to lack of energy. That energy went into Zack, and then Claire.
The room went silent.
The Majordomo came over quickly with two different large Vampires.
“Most sorry, sir. He seems to have slipped past us somehow. Are you injured in any way? Or you, Miss.” He sounded concerned on both levels, meaning that he, at least, seemed to genuinely care.
The big Vampires took Forest away quickly. They managed to be somewhat discreet even though everyone in the room had turned to watch what had happened.
Montmercy came over at a quick walk, carefully waiting for others to move out of his way.
“Ghastly! You did right to thrash him. I'm terribly sorry. This is not the way we normally run such functions. I hope you won't let this reflect badly on the rest of us? His sort isn't invited as a rule, I don't know how he made the list...”
Vaun looked at him. Something passed between the two Vampires that Zack could only barely track, a communication that m
oved so fast that it almost escaped detection, even on the Shadow level.
“Oh, he wasn't on the list at all. I don't know what he thought his game was. He obviously didn't come for Claire or he would have simply walked into Underwood and tried to get her there. No, he had something else in mind, clearly. I find it passing strange that he lunged for Mr. Hartley instead of going for Claire as he'd indicated wanting to do.”
Claire's eyes widened.
“That's... far more clever than I would have expected of him. It's possible he was part of a greater plan.” Her gaze suddenly rested on Zack. “Did you...”
“His Shadow told me that he meant to kill me, then claim right of old property or something like that, because it would be hard to touch him if he claimed that. But I only got that and his attack plan before I had to react. If we could question him further...” Dreading the idea, he knew it would be better to face him now than when he had a chance to recover. He wouldn't want to fight any Vampire if he could help it, especially not one at full strength.
“Alas, I think he's been thrown out by now, into the street, as it were. If he's recovered himself at all, he'll be a good ways off. Still, best to ask and know for certain. Majordomo!” Montmercy raised a hand tried to catch the older looking Vampire's attention.
Claire held Zack's hand. He could tell that she didn't want to seem weak by clinging to him, but the encounter had set her back for a moment, until Zack had easily disabled her greatest fear, without hesitation. Or even seeming to be bothered by it. She smiled and clung to him a little more.
Let them see! Here is who I am with! Do you dare mock me now?
No one bothered to mock her at all, instead they stared at Zack intently, some of them with that reptilian look that he'd heard really old Vampires eventually developed after thousands of years.