by P. S. Power
He could, actually, see that one.
"But you still need to have a room and we'll have to work something out so that you commute a lot, or it won't seem real to the beings that are coming. That's the important part. You're all under my protection. Not Keeley's, and not Darla's. Mine. It has to be real too, or it won't count. So, I guess, as mean as it might sound, I own you all. Or if you want, you own me. Either way, just believe it and act on it, all the time." That got Darla to take over, agreeing with him at least.
"The Second Crucible... It's different and we can't know what's coming, really. Zack is right though. All of you should go with him, as soon as possible. Tonight, if you can."
He shrugged and then rolled his eyes at her.
"Darla isn't totally wrong, since there are some bargains made here, but we have a few days. Just remember, you belong to me, and not these two. Right, Darla?" It was him being mean, because they weren't really trading people at all, and here he was basically demanding she really give them over, but she, a bit grudgingly, agreed.
"Yes."
That said, he looked around and figured that everyone would simply leave, or maybe go and talk in small groups. Instead, they all just went silent, until Fram moved forward, toward Keeley, and kissed her on the cheek.
"So, I can get through the school year here, so that Barb won't just be missing again. What do you want to trade for it?" That started them on a rather boring conversation, which let him wave to Sheri and Rebekah. Hally moved toward Keeley, which made sense, given that she was, more or less, her girlfriend. She seemed worried. Probably because there was no Human way to really understand what had just happened to her.
Darla moved over as well, her face grim, but she didn't interfere at all. There was a series of significant glances between the women, however, that lasted a good fifteen seconds.
Zack tried to look professional, like a doctor or lawyer, not some book store clerk. Reaching out he shook first Sheri's hand and then his Vampire woman's. Both were thinking very different things.
Sheri figured that Keeley had traded her away to get her freedom, which simply wasn't correct at all. It was a thing that she'd been warned might happen however, by Finias. Either Keeley stealing her free will, or someone else moving in to do it, in order to use her as leverage against the girl. That she hadn't been killed or sent away before probably meant the girl really loved her though, right?
She felt a strong desire to go and clean, suddenly, since she had some issues with OCD. It meant she was a good housekeeper. She also had her flower business, which was doing well, thanks to Clara and her son, and their very famous catering business. That was probably over now, since they had no reason to work with her. Except for the fact that she did good work, of course.
Rebekah just looked at him, wondering if he was going to beat her. Then rape her, naturally, since it was how people showed dominance among her people. It was, he knew, something that Eve should be warned about before she went that way. Troy too, since it was in his future plans.
Zack gestured at them.
"Basically this means that we can expand the businesses a lot, since we can get you to pretty much anywhere you need to go, as long as it's scheduled ahead of time. I mean, you both have to sleep with me too, since, you get the idea, hormones, but you don't have to do anything you don't want to that way." He grinned. "Notice how I'm just pretending that you want to have sex with me? I'm clever that way. Now you'll have to be all curious and want to try me out..."
It was playful but answered all their real questions. Sheri though, felt a bit uprooted.
"Where are we going to live? I don't really know anyplace else."
He rolled his eyes.
"Vancouver, Washington. You used to live there, didn't you? So you should know the area and everything. It's a good place. Lots of shopping."
That got him slapped on the arm, but he let it go, since it was more flirty than combative. Rebekah took a sharp breath over it, even as he ignored what Sheri had done.
"I can keep my business?"
Darla explained what he did, with node travel, and that meant Zack was left alone for a while. The strange thing there was that Elis floated over, his face a bit grim.
"So, can I go back to my old troop, or not?" The clear idea in his relatively unshielded mind was that he wasn't allowed, but Zack didn't want him, personally, so it seemed like a great idea to him.
"Yes. I'll take you..." He looked around and then at the clock on the wall. It was only about five in the afternoon, since where they'd been time had elapsed, but not evenly, compared to other places. He guessed that here they'd been gone closer to three days, rather than a little over one. "Now, if you want? I should let people make plans. Darla, can I give you some cards to hand out? I have some with me..." It had the store number on it as well as his home phone.
Sheri, Hally and Rebekah each got one from him, personally, which should have told them all something, though only Balthias seemed to get what it really meant. It was cute, but the giant, white horned beast, with his red leathery skin and large tusk like fangs, waved him over just before he was going to open the node back to his store for himself and Elis.
"A word, if you will, Line Walker." There was no anger in the voice or attempt to cast out too much fear, as far as Zack could tell. He was still locking that down pretty hard, so it might have been happening, but no one else was fleeing for their lives, which meant it was probably pretty well under control.
"Sure, over here?" That took them by the front door, which meant that Eve walked with them, her face neutral enough. She didn't back off, even when Balthias made little motions at her.
After a bit he gave up, her refusal to act enough to hold him at bay.
"I am not a being such as you, Line Walker, nor would I make threats that I cannot back. These people are my friends however, and as dear to me as any ever have been. Even The Mistress of Souls. I would not see them harmed." He didn't glower, which given his heavy brow ridge and how far down he needed to look in order to see the rest of them, had to be taking effort.
"I agree. If needed, for their protection, may I call on you? It shouldn't be needed, but it never hurts to have a back-up plan in place."
The thing who had been trying to threaten Zack, without actually dying or being locked away, managed to smile then. As if he'd been taken off guard. What did he think Zack was going to do, whisk them all off to be tortured for the rest of their lives?
"Acceptable. I will also, potentially, be available as a guard for those children at your enslavement camp? If you should choose to consider hiring me for that purpose."
Eve pushed at the Lesser Demon, as if she didn't get that he was free now, and might just kill her for it, if he got annoyed. Not that Zack would let that happen, but Balthias wasn't forbidden from trying. Not like he had been even a few days prior.
"Come on Bal, he didn't mean that kind of camp. Just like, you know, toasting stuff over a fire and little kids singing annoying songs. If there was guarding needed it would be the other way around, to make certain that no one got in, to hurt them. Or, you know, rape them or anything, like at regular summer camps." She glanced at Zack, as if looking for back-up on that one, clearly not really knowing that his camp wouldn't have that kind of thing.
"Good points. You two can help me work on that side of things? I've never done this before, after all. Definitely no rape. Or killing, in general. That's why the camp was shut down last time. One of the kids held another under water until he died for some reason. No one ever knew why. Having someone around to prevent that kind of thing would be a good idea." It might not be a giant and evil looking Lesser Demon, but then again, if he worked cheaply enough...
The being bowed a bit and went over to Keeley, carefully not staring at Darla's back. Zack didn't know the story there, but while the Lesser Demon might want to take Keels to bed, Darla was going to die, if she wasn't careful, around the creature. At least if his facial expression meant anything.
Still, if that was the case, he was smart enough to bide his time.
That left him standing with Elis and Eve at the door, and she, clearly, was still hanging with him. Instead of telling her to go away, he looked into her brown eyes, and nodded.
"When do you need to be home by? Should you call or something? It's what, Thursday?" He tried to count it up, but she shook her head.
"Friday. Good plan though, let me call my dad. One sec." She had a cell, which meant it made sense to use it there, where she wouldn't have roaming charges. If that was a thing. He remembered it from commercials, but even that had been a while.
"Hey, It's Eve. So... I was kind of sold to a Greater Demon and won't be home. Um... The Line Walker? Uh... Okay?" She held the phone out, for him to take. "My dad wants to talk to you?"
Zack sighed, but then did it, since it was going to happen, one way or the other.
"Hello?"
"Line Walker? This is Chief Roy Benson. I hear that you've taken my daughter? I'm a good friend of The Technician, so you may want to think twice about that." He actually sounded threatening, which Zack decided to think of as mildly cute.
"Don't worry, it's with her blessing and really just about social climbing for Eve and some of her friends. I'll have her back to you by Monday, for school. Though she's moving in with me for the summer. It's a pretty safe place for her to be. Here, in town, less so. If you're the Police Chief and not fire captain or what have you, then you might want to get with Darla on that. Soon, really." She was walking over right then, so he moved his head, in a way he hoped meant that she should talk to the guy on the phone, before he came at Zack with a side arm.
That could get awkward, pretty fast.
Darla took the cell from his ear and smiled, her face looking fresh and happy again.
"Roy! So good to hear from you. Yes, we should talk, soon. Eve is the property of the Line Walker now. That means he'll protect her, with his life, if need be. There's a situation, and we need to get your personnel ready as soon as possible too, just in case. Right now I believe that Eve is going to do some forward scouting and make certain that Zack has cleaned up his man cave enough for females to stay in." She stopped talking and listened for a bit, then slowly let out about half of a breath. "Honestly, Roy? If it comes down to it and anything ever happens to me, or Keeley, you should go to Zack. He's perhaps the kindest of our people. That alone is why I'm letting Eve go to him, instead of taking you all, and fleeing my own territory. That or forcing Keeley to move on and find her own, which would probably be for the best."
They spoke for a bit, and then Eve got the phone back and had to chat for a while. Darla looked at him and then held his arm, as if trying to keep him from going.
"I really should push her out. Her mother will be seen to, and she's an adult now."
That made sense, but he tried to pull up what tiny bit of information he could about the Second Crucible. It was remarkably scant. That meant The Librarian was hiding things from him, he was willing to bet.
"Except that, and I can't prove this, but I think you're getting the Second Crucible too, at the same time. That was probably decided when you screwed up and helped me and Gregor go and find those terrorists the other day. The Cleric warned me that if I kept doing things like that people would eventually try to put me in charge, too. It was just a matter of time though, right? Keeley they pretty much have to prove out, given that she could end up with an army of Greater and Lesser Demons, if given enough time, but you've actually done stuff. Been useful and helpful. Foolish of you, no doubt."
It would have been nice if she would have at least acted surprised by what he'd said, but she just nodded, as if she'd already worked that out, which clearly, she had, hence her basically giving away her people to him. It was a lot of work for him, so he should get something for his time and effort. That would be the people, no doubt?
He formed a node for them all, and waited for Eve to get off the phone, then made the thing glow a nice purple color. It was on the front stoop, so he waved at it.
"You two just walk through. It will take you to the node room in my shop. We should hurry, before the neighbors notice. I'll talk to you later, Darla?" They were supposed to meet up for that mediocre sex, after all.
"Probably in a few days. Things are going to be a bit out of sorts here for a while. Remember to get Eve back in time. You should have everyone up, soon. You weren't wrong in what you were thinking about this." She hadn't read his mind, just listened to him, which was nice.
People hadn't always paid that much attention to what he'd said, in his life.
"I know. Be safe and get ready. I can't really help, but that doesn't get you out of being my mentor. I'm almost certain of that. Maybe you could farm that out? Like tutoring? Get someone else in to do all the hard work for you?" He was teasing, but she shook her head, making her hair move a bit.
"Nope. The rules are clear on that. The mentor has to stick with their brat." She smiled. "Vice-versa, too. Technically you can help, not being an adult. I'll find something useful for you to do, if it comes up. It could all still be a trick too. But, go, I think the neighbors are coming home, and the amorphous glow there is kind of showy."
The others walked through and he guided them, placing a sense of intent inside of each. Eve, at least, needed to learn to do that on her own. Elis was going away, so he wouldn't need anything like that.
It was faster this way, rather than boosting people through, and not all that hard, for him at least. Elis needed to go to a specific house in Toronto, which was well away from the Nexus there, but easy enough to find from his memories, so Zack set it up before the being could turn his white and chalky form around. Rebekah had the same teeth, the same fresh blood red eyes that held no other color to them and the same pale white hair.
Only on her it worked, making her seem exotic and merely intimidating, but in a sexy way. On Elis it just looked wrong. It wasn't a great reason to dislike someone, but it was enough of one for the moment. That meant he could point to the node, which was glowing and smile at the man though.
"There you go. Home sweet home." It really was too, though the Vampire seemed skeptical, as if it might be a one way trip into a volcano, instead of what was promised.
True, that was a thing he could have done, but even The Mistress of Souls had felt he'd been punished enough for his crime. That had been using his Vampire powers to take over the mind of the girl next to him, and having sex with her. To Keeley that was rape. Elis thought of it as an advanced seduction technique. They were clearly of two different mindsets on the matter, but the Vampire had still been punished for it.
He hesitated, so Zack moved in and pushed him, hard, then closed the connection, not needing it himself. Then he clapped his hands, once.
"There! Or, I didn't ask, but he was being punished by Keeley for hurting you. Are you good with how it all turned out, or... I mean, we can kill him, I guess? To me it seems like he hasn't changed, if that's important to you?"
She waved it away as if that just didn't matter at all. Then she spun a bit, looking around.
"Not a bad place here. This is in Washington State? That was... I could get used to traveling like that. We could go off to Hawaii tomorrow, and work on our tans." She looked at him as if she were serious about that.
Like they'd have that kind of time?
He didn't explain that just walking out the owl door into the store proper and waving at things.
"Cafe in the back. You eat for free there. Don't get fat, even if Palma tries to push food on you. If you're a few years from being a Vampire it's going to be worth it to stay trim. In the long run. This front section is where you'll be working. With Kaitlyn, who's up front here for once, with Hiram. They're co-managers, so make sure you bring them treats and all that." He mentioned that as they got to the front desk, where they both stood, watching them approach. Then, after a few seconds, Kaitlyn squealed and came around the desk, hugging him.
"You're alive! Good, w
e have a bunch of stuff lined up for tomorrow. We didn't know when you'd be back. What were you doing?"
"Mainly killing and resurrecting The Mistress of Souls until she listened to reason. We're good now, so it won't be a problem. This is one of my new people. Eve. Technically you are too, but you probably guessed that one already." Kait had a deal with Keeley, but it was only to have sex on demand, mainly with other people. That was practically a gift, every time the other girl called.
"Eve!" She got a hug too, and it lingered a lot longer than was normally polite. The girl just did it back, looking a little baffled.
"Hello, extremely good looking person I don't know."
He was about to introduce her, but the Alede smiled.
"Yes you do, you just don't know me in this form. I'm also Kyle? We've done it, like, half a dozen times?"
Eve blinked, and then just hugged her back a bit harder.
"Oh, hi! Okay, Keeley mentioned that part to me. So you work here too? I'm not really going to be in until this summer, or, I don't know, maybe on weekends?" She looked at Zack who made a considering face.
"That's not a horrible idea. She might be part time down at Yoghurt World or Candles and More too, part time. I'll check that."
The girl looked at him, but tried not to seem upset by what sounded like a vast amount of work having come from her opening her mouth.
Zack put his arm around her gently and gave a light hug.
"Don't worry, it's cooler than it sounds, contact wise. We still have to ask too. They may not need you. If that's the case, well, there's always lots to do around here. Don't worry, you won't be bored."
She at least tried to look eager, even if she didn't feel that way.
It was a good thing. A hopeful one.
That, he decided, was going to be his theme for the time being.