Dead Certain (Eve Benson: Vampire Book 3)

by P. S. Power

  David left, not even going to get a coat, if he had one. Leaving through the front, sulking a bit. His look at the back was telling, but if you didn’t know the whole story, or as much as she did anyway, then it would probably just seem a bit like he was pissed the others were holding his jacket hostage, having a Bey back there to guard it like they did.

  Felicia didn’t notice, but also didn’t work there, so she started to sit, and then threw her hands up.

  “This really would be better back home. We could paint the club. Scrub the floors. We run a decent place, but it could still use it. That, or go in and check the day staff at the blood donation center. Here, I just get to run around outside all day. It works, but I’m not really getting much done, am I? I can’t even call my people, since they’re all asleep still. I should write a book or something, if I’m going to have all this free time.” She looked happy though, not frustrated. Not annoyed about the lack of things to do, or the sun starting to burn her, even through the room and the ground above.

  It took Eve a bit, but finally she shrugged.

  “Let’s try something new? We can see if Lenore will give us the use of her waffle cone machine and work out some recipes? You’ll have to run and do all the shopping for it, but I can pay. It will be fun. Hilarious too, I bet.”

  She wasn’t all that serious, so felt a slight sense of unreality when Ginger ran out, looking just a tiny bit manic.

  “We can’t really call yet, since my parents will just be getting up. I can go get the machine, and be back in… Call it half an hour?”

  It sounded about right, so Eve shrugged, not trying to be a pain about the whole thing, but knowing Ginger was still not pushing herself like she needed to. Especially if people were going to start treating her like a master Vampire.

  “Ten minutes? I know you can do it. It will hurt, but it isn’t that far, and you’re freaking Ginger. As in, The Ginger the Vampire! You don’t give up, and don’t give in. Felicia, can you go down to the book store, and start looking up some recipes for it? Really, just ask Carla in the back, and take good notes. She’s in the café. Hsreth. So pay attention to what she says on the topic.” It was a bit bossy, but she prevented herself from telling her she could do it, because she was The Felicia. “Go! I’m timing you!”

  She got to work, too, and cleaned the place up while she waited. It wasn’t ten minutes for either of them to come back, but Ginger won, or would have if it was a race. She came back at twelve minutes, her eyes looking wild, and not breathing. Because she was smart.

  Eve nodded at her, but spoke out loud so the others in the back could hear about it.

  “Not bad. That’s at least twice as fast as before. Get ready, since we’re doing the whole trip out to Iowa at double that. Remind me to work in another fighting lesson, too.” She kept working the whole time, until Felicia got there. The neat part of the whole thing was that they actually had everything they needed to make the recommended batter. It was a little bit more complicated than what Eve was used to doing, but between the three of them they managed to work out how to make the flat rounds, and then turn them into cone shapes. Thankfully they had a little metal form for that in the box the silver waffle maker was in.

  When they had ten of them ready, she and Ginger took turns making first basic and then more complex soft serve dishes with them. They didn’t have a carrier for the things, so just handed them out to anyone that passed, and wanted one. It was early still, so most people didn’t, for some strange reason. They didn’t stop though, Felicia putting on an apron and trying her own hand at it, after the others called Ginger away, to go, right then, to her parent’s house.

  Eve could just hope that it would go well for her. The idea was nerve racking. That was one of those things that amazed her, since the truth was, her worry for her little buddy was worse than the idea of Greater Demons trying to attack. Not that it wasn’t a real danger. It was, except that so far, for some reason, that type had pretty much left her in one piece.

  Who knew what the girl’s parents might do to her? Throw her out for being different? Yell at her for not calling sooner? Blaming all her new people, for letting it happen in the first place? That one would even be fair, so what could they do? So she worried, more concerned for Ginger than she was anyone else at the moment.

  That meant she didn’t really get that anything was wrong when the wide hipped and big eyed woman came in. She had dark tan skin, and full red lips, but everything was just off of perfect. She was a little too old, pushing thirty, for ideal loveliness. Her breasts were just a bit too large. Not enough to make it a noticeable thing, but for all she was casting lust into the air, this wasn’t an Alede. Sure, they could do that too, but this skirted, black haired, beauty was just a tiny bit too normal to be one of them.

  There was no way she was a Human though. Not if she could just stand there, making Eve wonder if she was getting wet. Even when she was Human herself, this lady wouldn’t have been enough to make that happen, but here it was. Being projected at her, overwhelming the fact that she didn’t have a libido anymore.

  So, no, not normal.

  Eve grinned, and handed her a cone of vanilla frozen with a single line of thickened strawberry swirled into it. Topped with a little light whipped, and a single handmade maraschino cherry.

  The lady took it, her face pleased seeming.

  “For me?”

  Eve winked.

  “You can pay for it, don’t worry. I won’t insult you that way. I take it you either came to kill me, or get in on the thing I’m setting up for the others? I have agreement from The Mistress of Souls, if you do. It will cost, one hundred million, and that probably won’t be the only expenditure. That’s just for my part in this. It’s worth it though.” She didn’t bother to think, just staying relaxed, and ready to move, if it came to it.

  Rather than a fight, the feeling of being turned on ramped up, a lot. Eve didn’t bother to fight it, but couldn’t see how it was going to help the woman.

  After a minute, looking expectant, and seeing her just stand there, the Greater Demon put her hand out, to try and touch her. She moved back, just one step.

  “Nope. You can buy in, and trust me, or not. Just like anyone else.”

  “Very well.” The woman pouted at her, and did it so well Eve wanted to take notes. She was even better at it than Barb. “How about eighty million? I could trade some other things, to make up the difference?” She licked her lips, suggestively, but Eve saw the trap there, if not several of them, stacked up in one offer.

  “Hmm, tempting, but no. Though if you can talk at least one of the others in your little gang to do it too, I’ll give you a discount. Ten million off for each you bring us? Just for the truce. They have to mean it though. No fair bringing them just as a coupon.” Large, Demon shaped things that would really be hard for older ladies to tuck into their handbags.

  There was a subtle touch to her own chest, the Demon’s right nipple hardening under her loose, multicolored blouse. A whole lot of cleavage was showing, which she actually heaved in Eve’s direction. She’d heard of that, as a joke, but had never known anyone that could pull it off, and not seem ridiculous. Until now.

  “Twenty million off, for each I bring in?”

  Eve thought about it, and realized that even if she ended up paying out of pocket for it, that might be worthwhile.

  “As long as they aren’t in on it already? That’s The Ferryman, and The Vile. You know, the one you were pretending to be yesterday? What was with that anyway? Ginger is going to have nightmares about the people she killed coming back, for decades. Hardly fair.”

  That got a pause, but no denial. It was the lust that gave the whole thing away. This was obviously The Lover that The Vile had mentioned. True, she could have been being set up too, but it was worth it, to just see what she’d do.

  “I was just here to find out what I could pick up. I pretended to let the girl defeat me, and lay in the back, collecting data for hours. I even
have all of you in my information collection, Eve Benson. Not updated for the last day, but most of it. You’re an… Impressive young woman. We could spend some time together some time. Those of your line don’t have a sexual response, but it’s within my abilities to make anyone feel that way, if I choose. That would be worth far more to you in the long run, than mere money.” She tried to touch her again, and Eve floated back, stepping quickly, but with what she hoped was a big smile.

  “Not right now. After this is all done, if you and I are both still alive? We can talk then?”

  That got a look that smoldered, but it really was with lust, and not anger or hatred for her being a pain in the ass.

  “We’ll see. Now, I think I can bring in most of the others, at least to talk. They have the full, buy in, as you’ve said? That would make my part twenty million. Provided I bring it off.” She sounded confident.

  Eve could understand how that one might work out for her, given everything.

  “Tell you what, if you can tell me who has Finias, I’ll drop that last bit for you, too.”

  It was probably wasted cash, but the woman gave her a look that was thrilled. Like the information wasn’t worth twenty times that much?

  “I can do that. He’s with Tarsus, at his home in the Mediterranean. Solving a rather fascinating puzzle maze, as a game, I believe. It will probably take several more weeks, but when you live long enough, such things can provide diversion. If you need him back early, I suggest to call The Librarian, and see to that yourself. Snowflake.” She grinned wickedly, probably knowing from their brief contact the day before how much that name was starting to bug her.

  “Lover. If that pans out, and you bring the others to me, with good intent, then we’re set. Have them call here? Now, that will be…” Eve eyed the cone in the other woman’s hand. It still wasn’t melting in the slightest, but they hadn’t spoken long yet. They also didn’t have a price for the things. “Twenty-five cents. For the materials used to make it.” She’d heard both Darla and Keeley use that one before.

  A single bill was pulled from thin air, as the woman took a long, sensuous swipe at the thing with her tongue, then she stopped, and stared at it.

  “This is really good. I’m impressed.” She took her seventy-five cents in change though, and waved a bit on the way out.

  “I’ll be seeing you soon, Snowflake. Very soon indeed.”

  Eve didn’t really doubt that.

  Chapter nineteen

  Life had to go on, even if you were dead.

  Eve thought about that fact several times over the course of the rest of the day. Then again, she was probably going to end up dead for real, sooner rather than later, at the rate things were going. Being in the middle of some kind of Demon hate feud was about as stupid as anything she’d ever heard of. Really, Eve was almost certain that one of them, if not more than a single individual, had helped her make that poor decision to get involved.

  That or she was an idiot all on her own.

  If it wasn’t really about some secret desire for some soft Keeley flesh, which if that was the real deal, would have to be some kind of artifact from when she was Human. Vampire Eve knew better than to let herself do things like that, and while Keels was a buddy, she wasn’t an I’d die for you, one. More of a hey, come to the party, kind of pal, at least as far as Eve knew.

  Then again, here she was, getting involved in Greater Demon political crap that was at least a thousand times more dangerous than anything else she could have imagined. It had to backfire on her, didn’t it? Even if they won this time, and made the bargains and treaties they needed without any problems, sooner or later it was going to come back and bite her on the neck. If not more delicate places.

  Probably those, and not in a way that would let her feel good about it.

  Worse, she was being a moron, and calling up Tarsus, their leader, like it wasn’t even a thing.

  On the second ring a man picked up. She’d gotten the number from Darla, since if she was going to be the most stupid person on the planet that day, she might as well drag her other friends into it, right? Besides, it was about seeing if she could get Finias back, alive and well. Honestly, she should have tried to bargain with The Technician for doing it, but it hadn’t occurred to her, since she pretty much figured she was just going to die, anyway.

  So, instead, she stood behind the counter of Yoghurt World, wearing a plain tan outfit that looked geeky, if efficient, and the requisite white apron with green writing on it. No one would doubt her fashion sense at least. She fit the role she was playing perfectly, after all.

  The man on the phone didn’t sound right for Kenneth, the boy Vampire that had claimed to be Tarsus the day before. That meant nothing though, since Greater Demons didn’t play by rules, as far as she could tell, other than the one that had them holding to most of their agreements for some strange reason.

  “Good morning.”

  It was nearing evening in Vancouver, but this was a long distance call, with an emphasis on long. She’d need to drop some money in the office for it, she realized. It wasn’t really work related.

  “Hi! I’m calling for Tarsus? The Librarian? This is Eve Benson.” She didn’t know what else to say about it, since it was possible that the man on the phone was a butler or slave. Just because Zack didn’t have that kind of thing didn’t mean the rest of his kind wouldn’t. Keeley didn’t have servants, Eve didn’t think, but had so many slaves it wasn’t even funny. Hundreds, at last count.

  That was her super power. Enslaving people.

  There was a low grunt from the handset, but it didn’t seem to be angry, just a tiny bit surprised.

  “Miss Benson. This is Tarsus. To what do I owe the pleasure of your call?”

  She made a face, one that was half suppressed grin, half nose wrinkled in disgust.

  “I don’t know that it could be called a pleasure, really. A few things, actually. First, we’re going to need you to get Finias out of whatever maze, or trick you have him in, for a meeting tomorrow. I’m going to kill Fram, The Bold. Don’t freak out too much, I’ll bring him back. I already have some things arranged for that. Then I need a hundred million dollars from you, for my part in negotiating a treaty between you and The Mistress of Souls. You’re welcome, in advance, by the way. And yes, I am awesome, thank you. How long will it take you to have Finias around? I think he’ll enjoy seeing Fram having his ass kicked, and I’d hate to have him miss it, since I probably won’t be able to get The Bold to hold still for that one twice.”

  She felt her jaw spasm, the tension there nearly ruining what she was saying, her voice managing not to betray her however. She felt something approaching real fear then, which she hadn’t, outside of a fight, for a long time.

  There was snorting, and a bit of something that might have been a long suffering sigh.

  “You know, back when I was a boy, the Vampires knew their place. They’d hide all day in their graves, and creep out as rotting messes at night, to plague the living. Now they call you up and demand you give over without any real reason at all. It’s hardly the most courteous change I’ve seen over the ages, I assure you.” The sound after that was far more like an honest to goodness primal growl than anything else. She was used to those though, being who and what she was. She’d heard as good off of Ginger.

  When she didn’t say anything, and only laughed a little, Tarsus spoke again.

  “Now is the time you threaten me? Rending and tearing, if I don’t buckle to your demands? You did a good enough job with The Ferryman. It would be natural for you to wonder if all of us will be taken that easily, all the time. Perhaps you intend to do things that way? It might even work, with some of us. The element of surprise has been lost however, which might make it a bit harder. No Greater Demon will ever think you less than a threat, if they hear your tale now. Do you think your skills are a match to seven Greater Demons, all at once, Miss Benson?”

  That got a snort, from Eve, who hadn’t even been thinkin
g that in any way.

  “I need threats? With my good buddy Tarsus? I mean, we’ve bonded, haven’t we? Over all that tasty blood? Unless that wasn’t you, in which case, we should be friends. Killing Keeley for being The Mistress of Souls…” She froze for a second, then didn’t lie at all. She felt like it still, but he’d know she was doing it, and that would make her seem weak. “Well, it’s a great plan. I can see it, as an idea. Now that she knows about it however, it could end up being a big mess. She’s letting me set this up instead of going in for a fight for her life, which is either her saying that I’m mind-blowingly cool, or that she thinks you all won’t be too stupid when it comes down to it. So, what do you say? Some actual common sense from the bad guys for once? It’s kind of what you’re known for, other than eating gross things, and raping people for sport. So it would be a good time to whip that out.” For some reason she imagined Kenneth standing in front of her, as young looking as he was, unfastening his trousers to do just that. It made her chuckle, which got a slightly darker version of the same thing from the man on the phone.

  “You’re a rather glib thing, aren’t you? I could just kill you. From here, I mean. At this very moment. With no chance of you fighting back whatsoever. It wouldn’t even take me long to set up. I have everything I need, just down the hall. Can you tell me why I shouldn’t do that?”

  “Can you tell me why you’d be that silly? I’m offering to save you a world of problems, and for only two hundred million dollars, plus whatever is needed for the actual treaty itself. It’s a huge bargain.” Eve wondered if it would hurt, dying like she was about to, but didn’t back down from what she was saying. It was better to perish than seem weak.

  Tarsus, the leader of the Greater Demons, if they could be said to have one, laughed at her. She thought that was what he had in mind, from the tone. When he spoke though it was far more reasonable than she’d figured on.