Other Places 3: Detours

by P. S. Power

  It was a thing to be avoided, as far as he was concerned.

  Zack didn't stop reading minds as they left, so he picked up that Lisa was both attracted to, and repelled by, Darla, on a personal level, and was a bit worried that she was going to be taken off and killed, for having insulted him so often over the last weeks. She'd kind of known it wasn't right, but it made so much sense, didn't it? If Zack was trying to set her up to be his slave, then her failures were all explained away in an instant. It wouldn't be that she was a waste of space, or a moron that had overreached and made a thousand bad choices. No, it was him. Even before he'd walked in probably. Except that it didn't make any sense.

  She knew that too, Zack could tell.

  If a Greater Demon really wanted anything from her, the plan wouldn't take half a year to come to fruition, would it? That left her having screwed everything up, which was hard to swallow. Deirdre was gone, and wouldn't come back... she'd debased and demeaned herself, and eventually lost the one thing in the world that she'd thought she had a handle on. All on her own? Even beaten down and with nothing, the remaining Wistra in her system cried out that she was just one or two steps from taking it all back. It told her that she could regain it all, and that it wasn't her fault.

  Except, naturally, that wasn't the case.

  Zack took them to his house the long way, walking out into the parking lot, since no one would expect that, he didn't think. It meant boosting Darla through the natural rift there, but she just pretended to be hugging him for a few seconds, as if anyone would care about that. No one would notice it happening, after all. Not Humans at least. Not even the Police officer that was watching the back door of the candle shop again.

  He was big, as in about six-two and a little heavy, but like a biker, not a couch potato. His shaved head was offset by his prison beard look, and unless he'd changed his ways since the last time the two had met, he was probably in need of a shower and a tooth brushing session. He didn't even bother to look over at them as they vanished into thin air.

  The man was one of those people that simply couldn't wrap his mind around reality not being what he always had been taught. If he'd learned that his own police Chief was a Vampire, if she showed her fangs and ran around the local school track holding him in her arms for an hour, the guy still would have blocked it all out.

  So, naturally, when he'd noticed that another Detective had come to the mall, thinking things were funny, and then backed off suddenly, he'd assumed it had to do with a payoff. Because it just couldn't be that there was nothing going on, could it?

  That reminded Zack of something. As he got to the front door of his small, rather plain looking, white house, he spoke softly.

  "I need to write up that role playing game guide. Barb and I were planning to do it, mainly as a joke, but I think it might just be a good idea."

  Darla smiled at him, and helped steady Lisa, who was at least not pulling away or making frightened animal noises. That was an improvement over what she'd done before. With Zack.

  Enough of one that he wondered if it was really her, for about the tenth time.

  It was dark outside, but just past dusk, so the Vampires on his bed were still there, sleeping. They didn't really die during the day, after all, just went into a state that seemed a bit like it. Their hearts slowing and their energy use going way down.

  It clicked, as to why that was, suddenly.

  During the day, their Human energy sources would be up and active, needing to power themselves. At night they'd slow down and sleep, making it so that the drain of having an undead attached to them wouldn't be as taxing. If there was only one energy source, it would show a lot, but by spreading that out over ten or more people, things would probably not show much at all.

  When the Vampires got old though, they didn't need as much energy to keep going, even as their powers increased, so they could stay up all day, without damaging anyone they fed from.

  It was a bit different than the hunter/prey model that he'd always assumed was going on. It was clearly designed to be cooperative and make some people capable of staying up all night to protect against something.

  "Lisa, you should get the first shower. I'll start warming up a snack for our friends. Then I'll make something for dinner." He hoped that she'd be able to eat at least. He and Darla had to.

  The blonde girl took Lisa by the hand.

  "I'll take care of that part. Make something with protein in it? I want a good dessert, too." She'd pay for it, so being a bit demanding was probably fair. If a hassle, since Zack had really been planning to just open up six family sized cans of ravioli. Then serve a few boxed cakes.

  His mentor intended him to actually cook, since it was one of the things she insisted he learn to do for himself. He could, now, and was just being lazy.

  Taking a few moments to focus, he increased his personal sense of energy and got rid of the feelings of tiredness that had crept in. It made a huge difference. Now, instead of feeling like he couldn't breathe, what with all the Greater Demons screwing with his life, he just felt slightly annoyed. It was better that way, he decided.

  So he laid down three kinds of steaks, made some biscuits and started a big pot of water for potatoes, so he could mash them. Then he laid out a tray with cookies on it, which were all from a bakery, so at least not just something that Nabisco was providing. Not that his mentor was too good for that. She just wanted to make his life harder in the moment. On the good side, it was actually about teaching him, not just being a pain in the rear, he thought. She generally didn't do things just to be bitchy, as far as he could tell.

  It was nearly like she actually liked him, or something. She didn't though, he was certain. She wouldn't let herself feel anything like that, in case he died in the next weeks, months or years. Or... Well, that might not be the truth. He had to think about it for a bit, but she could just turn those feelings off, after he bought it, if that happened. So she could afford to be a little nice to him now, and not hate the sight of him, if that made bothering to spend time with him less annoying for her.

  Poor thing, having to put up with a crazy little demon kid like himself. Zack smiled, and got back to work, peeling the golden potatoes and then slicing them with knife work that was a lot more confident and quick that he would have credited himself with being able to learn, even a few months before hand.

  There was a sound that was suspiciously like giggling, then, a few moments later, the toilet flushed. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Lisa had been holding drugs and that they'd just gone away. Probably after a covert strip search. It had to be that, since there was no sound of crying from the Human, or angry muttering. In fact, she seemed happy, if what he was getting was correct. Probably because the hot cheerleader was climbing into the shower with her. It made for an awkward visual, but he didn't block it out, just getting the kids' blood ready for them.

  Rowan came out first, being about ten years older than the other Vampire in the house. She yawned, which was cute, and her red eyes looked at the bottles on the stove, in their bath of warm water, instead of at him.

  "I don't suppose you have some to share? If not, I need to go hunting."

  Zack waved at the pot.

  "One for you, and one for Roland. There are four more in the fridge, and it should last a few days. If I'm not here when you wake up, make sure you both have some each day, first thing. Breakfast is the most important meal, after all." He made it sound funny, or tried to, and it worked well enough for the woman, who was still in the same clothing from the day before.

  From the months before.

  That wasn't going to work, he decided.

  "I'm going to put you and Roland in early, so you can get new clothing from the mall. I'll send you with cash. Can you be in charge of that? Get stuff from the Chasm, since they'll be open late. Grab a full wardrobe change for each of you? If you have time. You'll need to be in to spell Madeline for the night. The Bat Shifter spy that works for us?"

&n
bsp; She kept staring at the blood, her eyes locked on it, as if she wasn't allowed to touch it until told to. He pulled it from the water, and dried it off with one of his many kitchen towels, then popped the top for her and passing it carefully. She drank then, without being ordered to, which meant that Roland was there just in time for Zack to repeat the whole thing and pass the second one over, which was perfect, since that meant he could use the small pot for gravy.

  The shower scene didn't take that long, really, and Lisa came out looking cleaner, if in the same clothing as before. It was probably an oversight, but his ex-boss didn't have a spare set of things at his house for some reason. Luckily, even if it was going to cost him money, Darla was willing to outfit the woman. That meant, since she was serious about not leaving Zack alone and he was still cooking, that they had to wait.

  It was a bit of a time crunch then, since Rowan and her angry seeming cohort needed to be sent off to work, and Zack had to eat and not let anything burn. Darla would make fun of him if the food wasn't perfect. Then make him do it again, until it was.

  So, that meant Zack had to think for a bit, managing to do it hard enough that an idea came from the memories that Tarsus had given him, seeming to hit him from outside of himself, from the right, in this case. As if they existed in a matrix of information for real. It was something he'd noticed before, but hadn't spent any real time thinking about. If he could locate the things in space, that meant he might figure out how they were organized.

  For now though he picked up on two things. One was how, and more importantly, why, he didn't have to jump when going through the lines. It was because of his personal intent guiding where he was going.

  The second thing was that, about four thousand years before, Tarsus had figured out that very same thing, and that if a node was held open for a being that couldn't travel on their own, with the terminus placed closely on the other side, so they didn't get lost, then that intent could be held inside the body of another person. Meaning he didn't have to physically carry them through the line himself. Or even a node point. Oh, it would take a bit of magic, but as long as he used enough discipline, that wouldn't be too big of a burden.

  As soon as the biscuits were out of the oven and on the cooling rack, just before the potatoes were done, as the meat still sizzled, Zack formed a node, linked it to the shop, and gestured at it. Then, using a bit more power, he made it glow a nice deep purple, so they could actually see it.

  "That will take you to the store. Remember to... Crud. One second." He ran then, grabbing some cash from his room, and handed it over. It was enough for the two of them to get what they needed, he thought. If not, well, they could go again, in a few days.

  Zack muttered that, and stuffed the cash into Rowan's hand.

  "Roland, listen to her. She's in charge." That made sense, being that Zack liked her better, if only slightly. Eighties hair had his moments, after all. Mainly highly annoying ones, but that wasn't completely without its charms. Then, thinking about what Darla had to be doing to put up with him, Zack made himself really believe it, while holding the node open.

  His mentor watched carefully as they went into the glowing expanse, the node room visible on the other side, if you paid close enough attention. He had to work to place his intention inside of each of them, but it was clear they both made it, at least to him. Then he dashed across the room back to his potatoes, since they needed to be drained already.

  Lisa sat at the table, nibbling a tiny almond cookie, her face blank. After a while she sighed.

  "You really are a Greater Demon, aren't you?" As if there had been doubt inside of her, which there wasn't.

  He nodded, but kept working right along, not wanting to lose time later, redoing it all.

  "That's the claim at least. If it comes up, I'm also supposedly one of the evil insane ones." It was true enough, but Darla laughed, as if he were kidding.

  "Except that you're also possibly the nicest of us, Zack. Even Keeley is harder inside. That isn't horrible, but you have to remember, you are evil. You have to be, or the others will kill you. When it comes time, don't let them see you as weak."

  Zack snorted, spinning in place, and moving in the shortest line possible to get to the butter in the fridge. He should have taken it out to warm already, but hadn't, being distracted by his freaking bizarre life.

  "That was for your benefit, Lisa. I already know that I have to be evil. Well, at least I'm still not taking slaves or raping anyone. For now. That probably means I'm going to have to kill a bunch of people to make my points, instead. I guess I could offer people a choice? Part with some tail, or die?" On the good side he was so far removed from feeling much at the moment that the idea barely impacted him.

  His old boss and current... He didn't know what she was. Future asset? Pet? Girlfriend? Zack shrugged a little and watched her work things out. It poured off of her, so he was able to track it before she spoke.

  "So... In order to stay alive, you have to be a monster, or at least make everyone think you are?"

  His mentor looked at her and smiled.

  "Close enough. Only, you see, by our standards, Zack isn't strictly sane. That was probably done to him, not how he was born, which means that..." She stopped, and went so still it was almost as if a Vampire had taken her place. "Of course. It's a bit convoluted, but it makes sense, doesn't it?"

  She looked at him, as if he were supposed to have worked it all out at the same time.

  Which, somehow, he actually had. That was impressive, for him.

  "The Adversaries are trying to change the balance of power? If they can create more insane Demons, then..."

  Darla popped a whole cookie in her mouth, crunching it quickly as if making a point.

  "If that's the case, then Xenses and his team might well have been trying to do something completely different than I thought, in regards to you. They put you on the lines, turned you into both victim and predator when you were too young to do anything except adapt, in order to bolster their ranks... Well, it explains why they don't want you dead. If they do that, whoever comes next will probably be on our side." She included Lisa in that, as if it made sense.

  The Mage wasn't stupid, if you subtracted the things with the drugs at least.

  "So, your side, our side, I guess, won't they want to kill him?"

  Zack felt a flash of panic, then made a point of melting some butter in the microwave, doing it carefully so it wouldn't splatter too much. He added some herbs to it, in an attempt to make it seem like he was planning the whole thing and not just covering for the fact that he'd forgotten earlier.

  The pretty blonde girl nodded, slowly. Her face was actually too happy seeming.

  "Except that, so far, they aren't doing that either. It means that, either we were fooled the whole time, in which case they'll try for you now, Zack, or they had a good handle on the whole thing and are using us to draw someone out? As bait, perhaps?"

  He didn't say anything for a long time, just setting the table, and finally, once it was all ready, and still warm sat and dished up his own food first. That was the polite thing to do. Then he did a small plate for Lisa, since she was... His. At least as far as any Greater Demon went.

  Changing the topic, he waved at Darla.

  "So, you had sex with her in the shower? You didn't ask permission."

  His mentor actually seemed pretty happy about his mentioning that, for some reason.

  "I did. Have sex with her. What do you want in trade?"

  Zack didn't need anything, but shrugged, and tried to not be a jerk about it all. By their rules, if what he knew of them was correct, having sex with Lisa, who was a person he was claiming as his property, if not personal slave, was a small enough thing. It wasn't even worth money, since the woman had clearly consented on her own. With a Greater Demon too, which was probably a good thing, really, since Lisa had issues there.

  "Eve." He took a bite and swallowed politely, while she glared a bit at him. She didn't say no tho
ugh and let him finish speaking before starting to hit him or even negotiate. "For the morning shift this summer, at my store? I'll try to get her in part time with the Vampires too. That's the point, right? She's scouting them, to see if she wants to join up? I can make some decent introductions." He took another bite, and didn't add sex with the girl in.

  Not that he was being polite or too noble for that, she was hot, and old enough, or would be legal by then, so it wasn't a problem. He just already had that kind of permission.

  Which Darla knew.

  "All right. You still have to ask her, and she can say no, however."

  Lisa was watching them, her face a bit bitchy looking, as she glared between them.

  "I think that I choose who I have sex with. Thank you."

  Darla nodded.

  "Yes, that's right. What... Zack basically just told me that if I tried to do anything with you, without his permission, that he'd fight me. In a way it was a sign that you're protected, not just from me, but all Greater Demons. Lesser ones too, I imagine. True, it isn't going to stop some of them from trying, if you come on their radar, but a lot won't want to face him, not over some Human woman. I know it seems rude, but, well, the fact is, you don't want to be a slave, and he's putting himself on the line to make sure that won't happen."

  It was a bit more well thought out than he'd been thinking of, but close enough.

  His old boss and current... He still needed to call her something. Friend, he supposed, would have to work. She looked at him, her face going a bit red. Her thoughts were embarrassed though, not really angry.

  "So, I'm what, your property? A vassal? How is that different than being a slave."

  He ate for a bit, pouring melted butter from his second gravy boat into a biscuit, then letting it soak in for a few seconds.

  "Well, you can say no. Go where you want and do what you choose to. Sure, today I'm being pushy with you, but just because I'm your friend, really. That's all. If I can help you, I will. Then, later, if someone else needs help, maybe you'll do that, passing things along?"