by P. S. Power
"You look like Zack, but not exactly. A little older, a bit more muscle. So, some kind of shape changer? We've met before, so, a Greater Demon? I know you aren't Keeley or Darla, and Fram wouldn't have grabbed me like that... Barb?"
The Demon in front of her leaned in and kissed her cheek.
"Right in one! Perfect. Or, more to the point, I'm Xenses. Darla and Keeley are my sisters, and Zack here is my son. Is The Technician coming over in the next few minutes then? She'll likely die, if that happens, since I have a bargain of mutual assistance with The Rotted, who's in the other room. Molesting your boyfriend in his sleep, I think. She made herself look pretty for him, so I doubt he'll complain."
Zack rolled his eyes, but didn't correct the man. Troy wasn't his boyfriend, but that was too fine a point for most of the Greater Demons. Really, since even the sane ones thought that, it was probably the truth, and he was in denial about it, but it was a comfortable one for him, so he decided to run with it. For the moment at least.
Eve made a face at Xenses and crossed her arms.
"You killed Keeley's dad! Why did you do that?"
"He was a jerk and didn't deserve to live. I did her a favor. One that a goody-good like her couldn't have done for herself. Did she thank me though? Get down on her knees and give me a hummer of gratitude? Nooo... The bitch tried to make me a slave and killed me."
The girl didn't seem intimidated or impressed, which was sort of interesting, since Xenses might just try to kill her too. Or he might have, normally, but couldn't now, without breaking his word to Zack. Eve was his, and that meant off limits. Really, he needed to try and get Troy too. He was enslaved to Finias, so it would be tricky and probably require that one of them die. The Greater Demon, by choice, since the older man would soak that better than the Human.
Still the girl didn't step back or anything.
"Fine, I'll give you that she didn't need him around, but tossing her his head? That was cold. Why?"
"Duh, Eve, so that she'd know he was really gone. It was why you had to kill your mother yourself. Same thing, really. I was going to do that for you, before I left, but my bitch of a sister drove me off first. I always liked you best, you know. Out of the whole gang. So strong and well formed. Not like that Hally girl. I suppose you took her in too, Zack? It's a trick you know, to protect them all."
The Greater Demon that looked like him shook his head and then hugged Eve again.
"Hey, we should get together and fuck soon. If I can work out the rights for that with Zack I mean. I wanted to do you before, but, you know, Barb lacked the right equipment and it would have given everything away if I'd suddenly shown up as Japanese dick-girl. That could be fun too though."
There was a moment of stillness, but instead of screaming at the man, Eve brushed at her black hair and seemed almost pleased.
"Sure. Just sex. No armed sized super penises or anything. Just regular sized things. Lube too. No dry anal. I'm probably in for enough of that with the Vampires."
That got a laugh, from Xenses.
"Too true. They do love the back hole that way. I suggest you lube it before going off to work with them each day. An ounce of prevent prevents tearing, after all. That Mage Ambassador, Bob, you should nail him too. His second as well, when she gets back in a few months. She's Zack's bitch, but doesn't know it yet. Likes girls, so you can get some more experience that way. It can't hurt to have a Mage in your pocket, if you aren't going to be a Greater Demon. Now, all this sexy talk is making me horny, and I have some things to talk to my son about. Boring stuff, so, you might want to do something more fun? I know, why don't you go in and wake Troy up. You and Ann can double team him? I'd do it, but, you know, busy."
She snorted a tiny bit, as if the Demon hadn't been serious. Still, when Zack pointed at the correct door, she went, her face bemused. Hopefully The Rotted wasn't in the shape of an eleven year old girl. Or worse for Troy, boy. Given the rather manly sounding voice from the room, one that wasn't his roommates, it wasn't a child at least.
Xenses sat back down and patted the sofa next to him, as if that was going to happen? Moving across the room, he settled onto the arm of one of the new comfy chairs, so that he was nearly standing, and ready to fight.
The Demon looked at him with almost no expression at all.
"Is that any way to treat family? I thought we had an agreement in place?"
"Oh, we do. Notice how we aren't fighting to the death, and how I haven't fled for my life and remaining sanity? Besides, have you met the rest of our family? I spent half of the last week at the end of the world, killing Keeley over and over again. She's practically my favorite Greater Demon, too."
That got too much insight, too fast for comfort.
"Oh? You fucked her? Good for you! Was that while she was dead or before? It won't do her any good if she can't remember it."
Zack wondered if the being in front of him knew what he was saying at all, and how it sounded. Was it for affect? Or did he just think that way? It was hard to tell, and in the end, might not make any difference at all.
"Alive, and of her own free will, thanks. We had a thing in place, so..." He didn't describe it, since the whole thing would seem too weak and soft to the man, no doubt.
Xenses seemed happy about it however.
"Still, it's a start. She's so weak, and picky, right now. She won't survive long if she doesn't toughen up. Not like you. You're nearly as strong as a real adult. It's why I came, today."
"To try and rape me? Because that might not go well for you, if you try it. Though the thing where you look like your old self is a nice touch. I need a new look soon. I think that I subconsciously mirrored that, without realizing it, as I grew. Not that it's a horrible look, but I was thinking that I might try out being, oh, an eight or so, for a while? Just to see what different reactions I get?"
There was awkward sounding cough from the other man, and a slow shake of the head.
"No. The time for that kind of thing is past. I did it right the first time, and in the end, you fixed the errors that were left in. There is nothing, that anyone can do to you, ever, that you can't just move past now. That was the real point you know. Even the fact that you became insane is only a happy side effect. Possibly what Tarsus had in mind, as a test, but you're the first one of us that it's worked with, so I doubt it's going to be a major theme going into the future."
"Good, because it's creepy to do that to little kids. There are worse things in the universe, but not a lot of them."
This got waved away, as if Xenses was bored with the idea already. He was The Defiler, and while he had his reasons, which seemed to be involved in the idea of making people "strong", it was also clear that he was so far gone into his own insanity that a little chat with Zack wouldn't be changing anything.
"Posh and tish, Zack. That isn't why I've come, anyway." Then, naturally, he stopped talking. Because everyone did at that point in the conversation, didn't they?
Zack tilted his head, trying not to even guess as to what the being wanted from him.
Xenses let out a long his of air.
"I know where your parents are, Zachary. I want to give them to you, as a gift."
Zack...
Laughed.
Chapter twenty-two
"With the Greater Demon Goethe? Enslaved to him, picked up shortly after Keeley severed that link by killing you?" He stared at the being, who looked so much like he did at the moment, and decided he was really going to work on fixing his face and body soon. Vain or not.
That would mean having to learn at least the basics of shape changing, but he had that information inside his store of data, and it didn't seem that hard, but time consuming. He could start by building some muscle, and work from there.
Xenses however, gave him a look that said Zack was being an asshole. Coming from almost anyone else it might have hurt, but he really didn't care that much, given their history together.
"I would have thought that you'd have gone for
them automatically, once you knew. I mean, they aren't that bad. I re-grew your mother's legs, just after you ate them, so that you could do it again, but Finias took you first, and broke the link. By killing you. A little kid. How's that for cold? Still, she's your mother. Where's your heart, Zackie?"
He knew the answer to that one, and smiled, letting it seem dark and a bit like he was about to start throwing down with the Greater Demon that was, clearly, goading him.
"Buried, exactly like you wanted, so long ago. I remember what they did. What you did too, but at least you can argue that you were trying to do something good. You were wrong, and sick, but you believed it. They sold me for power though. For magic. They knew that other people had it, and couldn't stand that they were just normal. So they sold me, their only son, to a Demon, trying for more. My mother didn't even realize that I wasn't Darren's son, did she? She truly was just sending her little child to suffer at the hands of a monster." He let a bit of venom come into his voice, since he actually felt it.
The other Greater Demon grabbed at his chest, a bit too dramatically for the situation, really.
"Ouch! Wounded. You really think I'm a monster?"
Zack didn't back away from it, just nodding.
"We all are. You personally however, are even worse than most of us, as far as I'm concerned. The thing there is, that you're a monster. An insane Greater Demon that can't see why what you're doing is wrong. I know that, and blaming you for being what you are is foolish. It wasn't a choice for you, just a state of being. They knew better! They were supposed to be my parents, and protect me! Oh, it might not have worked, going up against you, but they should have tried, at least enough not to just hand me over for a few promises and kisses!" Zack turned a lovely color of red, and was actually yelling, by the last line.
The other man didn't stand though, even if he had been called names.
Instead he sat and spoke in a reasonable voice.
"That's sensible then. I hadn't looked at it that way before. It's a very Human way of thinking, isn't it? Or maybe not. I'd assumed that you'd do the Human thing and run to them, battling Goethe and taking them, or more likely, dying thrice. He's tough, after all. Old too. Instead you're just sitting back, sensibly, and not even bothering with them?" He smiled and pumped his fist a bit, over his head. "I'm the greatest! I did that for you. I made you strong enough that no one will ever hurt you again. It worked!"
Zack had to consider that, and after a few seconds, nodded.
"I suppose it did, after a fashion. It's still a poor plan, but I know you can't change. Not easily. Maybe, someday, I can show you a better way? Right now I don't have one for you."
Xenses grinned at him.
"But we, you and I, are good? Tell me that we're good, and I can go, happy enough, for now. I never wanted you to hate me, Zack. I just wanted you to have a chance to live. To be truly free, too. You are, and you do. I don't expect you to thank me for it, not yet, but maybe, when you've gotten some time to look around at reality and understand that seeing it clearly all the time isn't the best way to be, possibly then, you'll forgive me?"
Maybe. Not likely, but he could try. After all, you didn't pick your family. Then again, you didn't have to let them get away with things like that either. The fact was, almost certainly, that Xenses wasn't capable of changing. Not really. That meant the only thing he could do about the being was destroy him. Or trap him somewhere.
That was against their agreement, so he wouldn't. After all, he was far too young to break his word. That kind of thing would linger, after all.
Just then, almost as if on purpose there was a sound of female moaning from Troy's room. Eve, it sounded like, with some manly grunting and the soft sound of flesh slapping against more of the same. He didn't let it distract him, but the conversation was just about over, anyway.
The resolution they'd come to was about the best one they could, really.
"Keeley and Darla are still planning to kill you, if they can." His voice was conversational again, so there was that, if nothing else. Zack didn't feel all that worked up about it really.
Xenses stood, and looked over at the door the sounds were coming from.
"Oh, they'll get over it, in time. That, or kill me. I'm pretty good at not dying. We all are, when it comes down to it. The problem with those two is that they haven't really learned to live. So, what was the secret that Keels traded her own mother for? Where the g-spot is?"
Zack suddenly got something that he'd totally missed before, and it made him cringe. Mirror Him, who was a part of his personality now, was really the reflection of Xenses. They had the same horrible sense of humor and everything. Finias had said so, but Zack had thought he meant the face and body, not the mind.
He nodded.
"We covered that one. A lot of other things too, but no, if you want to know, you'll have to trade for it. It isn't as big of a deal for you, so I won't ask for all your people or anything, but be ready to trade big."
The evil, and yet familiar, Demon seemed interested at least.
"What do you want?"
Zack actually had nothing, to tell the truth. He didn't need anything at all. It was, he knew, a good thing. A position of ultimate power, really. If he was the one that had things others wanted or needed, then they had to do what he wanted, not the other way around. It left him scrambling though, in the moment. Finally he hit on something.
"For two years, you need to leave Keeley and Darla alone and do your best to get your friends and other Greater Demons to do the same. Within reason, I mean. No suggesting that they go after them, that kind of thing. I don't expect you to battle everyone that's going to drop over on their own, or anything stupid like that."
There was a long and drawn out silence.
"Six months."
Zack shrugged.
"A year and six months. This is big enough, I think."
"A year?" Xenses looked ready to keep going, but Zack nodded. It would either be enough for them, or not. It didn't protect anyone really, since the girls might go after him anyway, but there was an equal chance that Keeley and Darla would lose, if they tried it. He could handle it if they died, but it wasn't what he wanted, even if they were a couple of pains in the ass, sometimes.
"A year. Tarsus told me that he plans to start the Second Crucible for Keeley in a few months. He'll kill her if she fails. I think the plan is to do Darla at the same time, but there was no death threat involved there."
The other being laughed.
"Oh... that is perfect! Wonderful, really. Well, good for them. So a truce between us all then? For a year. They won't be doing anything as foolish as warring with me, not if that's going on. I need to go and see to getting some people ready. The Second Crucible? No wonder they gave you all their people. If they're smart they'll sign over everything to you, since otherwise they'll probably lose it all anyway. Well, not my concern. Tootles, Zack. I'll be by for dinner in a few weeks?"
That was new, him saying things like that. Zack took a breath, but managed a nod.
"Right. Call first, I'm actually working a lot lately."
"No problem. Ann? I need to leave now. Are you staying?" His voice rose and the noise from inside the room stopped. A few moments later a good looking and muscular Hispanic man came to the door. Nude. It was Troy, except with more muscle.
"Yep. I think I'll stay, for a few weeks. You don't mind, do you Zack, sweetie?" It was creepy, coming from the image of his best friend.
"If you look different and follow my rules, then yes."
"What rules?"
"No killing, or torture, or making my life too hard. That goes for all my people, too, not just me."
"Oh." The Troy looking Demon seemed to be considering thing and then agreed. "We can do that. I'll set up in your room? I need to get back to things..." Then, distracted, the naked and enthused man turned and went back to the room, where the noises resumed, a bit more intensely than before.
Zack rolled his eyes, and wo
ndered how he'd managed to get himself into situations like this. Xenses stood and moved over to him, then patted his shoulder, in an almost fatherly manner and went to the front door.
"I'm very proud of you, do you know that?"
He hadn't and still didn't, since Greater Demons had a sketchy relationship with the truth at times. Still, it was a nice thing to say.
"See you later. In a week or two."
"See you then, son."
The Greater Demon left, a node opening and his presence stepping onto the line. He moved away quickly enough then, but it wasn't much compared to what Zack did, normally.
Then Zack decided to leave himself, or would in a bit, actually just walking down the street, not taking any shortcuts at all. There was a newspaper box, where he could get a real estate listing. People were coming and he had a lot to do, but, he realized, things were actually going pretty well for him.
He hadn't thought that would ever happen, especially after learning what he really was, but, at least for now, things were good, and Zack was in a place where he could do pretty much whatever he wanted. Most people never had that much freedom, did they?
Oh, his life wasn't perfect and he had things to keep working on. Barb the Vampire, for instance, still acted like he was going to beat her, almost every time they met, and that should be dealt with, because he considered her a friend. One of his people too.
The Ettarian Summit needed to be seen to as well, but that could be managed, he decided. A bit of pressure in the right places would help a lot.
The Vampires needed more guidance, but they had the right idea, just poor execution so far. The banked blood, the new kind that Rebekah was providing, which didn't taste too horrible to even consider, was going to have to come down in price, but with his help, they could do that.
He smiled and looked into the mirror on the wall, to his right.
It was hard to tell, but for the briefest of moments it seemed to come alive and smile back at him.