Dead Certain (Eve Benson: Vampire Book 3)

by P. S. Power

  Keeley waved at him, inside the door, and moved to the counter, slapping down several hundred dollar bills.

  “I’d like one of everything. I’ll be in the back, chatting with everyone?”

  He looked annoyed, since that meant more work, but Eve cleared her throat at him.

  “Actually, we’re both going to need to make things. I’ll show you the new waffle cone stuff. You’ll want some of that, too, Keeley. I… need someone to feed Fram here.” It would be wrong to ask Maggie to do it, considering everything that had gone on, being enslaved by him and all that. Bey would probably find a way to kill him, and leave him dead, too, if left alone too long with him. Maybe not though. The ancient Vampire was a pretty reasonable guy, after all.

  It was settled in the back without her asking anyone, when Keels moved in along side of him, right away, and started barking orders to David.

  It was cute, but Eve understood. She was the one that told them they were dating now, and since it was better than going to war, or really, almost anything else that could happen, her friend was just trying to go with it, like it was real.

  Brilliant, actually. Even if they didn’t bone, being nice was a lot better option than bickering would be, for the health of their new treaty. The last thing they wanted was for Greater Demons to sit around searching for loopholes.

  Chapter twenty-two

  Fram feeding wasn’t fun, but Eve took a turn every few hours, and was surprised to find that the whole thing was actually done, three days later. She felt like a wimp now, given that. Of course she’d had to regrow things using only energy, which was harder than solid food was. That was what she was telling herself anyway. It made her feel a bit better about her slow performance.

  Keeley stayed the whole time, and chatted with her and the others, as if they were old friends. Felicia more or less was, but Keeley really seemed to get along well with Ginger, too. Bey had decided that everyone was staying there, to care for Fram, until further notice.

  Eve didn’t comment on it, but it was pretty clear that a certain Greater Demon would be making an effort to get together with Ginger later. Probably in some kind of business arrangement, since that was the kind of thing Keeley did for fun. Fram ate, mostly, and was friendly enough when his mouth was clear of frozen foods.

  It was great practice as far as making the new product went, and the man gave them feedback on the waffle cones, and new treat ideas, and how to fine tune things. Eve made a point of taking notes.

  Lyn actually came back, but it wasn’t until the third day, just after the other Greater Demons left that she walked in with a container of blood from the front. It had been warmed, and was the animal kind, in one of the heavy ceramic mugs they used for it.

  “Here. I want you to make an attempt at holding four more links. When you have them, we’ll start working on some magical practice. Small things at first, but that will grow in time.” Her face was blank, and watchful, as if Eve would say no, or throw a fit. It was a thing that she should have done already, so she wasn’t going to be a bitch about it now.

  “Good idea.” She did it, closing her eyes and trying not to let things slip. It was really all she could manage focusing on four things at once. That meant she ended up just sitting there, on the floor by the sofa, for about three hours, before she felt like she could open her eyes and not lose the things.

  Energy was rushing into her, and had no place to go, which she pointed out, waving her right hand a bit.

  “So, I should do something? I’m not used to this.”

  The other new links had evened out, after a week or so, and she’d kind of incorporated the extra energy. This was just pressing into her, making the new links slippery.

  “Emotions first. It’s a valuable thing to learn, controlling that kind of thing. Try to remember feeling calm and peaceful. Imagine it, if no clear memory presents itself. When you have it, add a trickle of power to it, and slowly increase that, until you feel only peace inside yourself.”

  It was a bit harder than it sounded, but not too much, being similar to the meditations that she’d done before with Keeley. After a few minutes, she felt blank, and calm. No anger stirred inside of her, which left her feeling a bit empty, but good.

  “Now, do the same for hunger. Remove the last of it that you feel. Hold both things at once, by mixing them together, into one. It will take less energy to hold in your mind that way.”

  That was harder, but happened. Then after holding it for a while, Lyn smiled.

  “That’s a good start for the day. Hold those, and try not to let them slip. It may not seem like a large thing,”

  Eve smiled.

  “No hunger and no rage? Not a big thing? You’ve never been a Vampire before, have you?”

  “Oddly enough, I have, and do understand your point. So, hold these, while increasing your focus on your work. You need to make certain the new product list is created, and added to the menu, I’d think. Prices, and getting pictures of things for the walls. It spurs appetite, and let’s people know what you offer. All of your locations should have that. For now, just working out the best options will be a good enough place to begin.”

  The woman didn’t exactly ride her the whole time, but after a few hours of work, discussion and holding the new links and feelings, Lyn did something new, and made her find another new link, from the blood that she’d already had. Then another, when she actually managed it. That took magic, too, since it wasn’t a normal gift of hers. Not that she knew about anyway.

  At five Lyn left, since, as she pointed out, she had a husband to see to. That reminded Eve that she had a boyfriend now. One that hadn’t gotten in touch with her for several days. She’d have been pissed, but literally couldn’t feel that way at the moment. Plus, she’d worked the entire time, and not walking into a room filled with Greater Demons had probably been suggested to him by a dozen people, or more. Including some Demons, she didn’t doubt.

  So, after Lyn left, she headed down to the bookstore, wondering if he wanted to see her or not? Saying they were dating wasn’t exactly the same as doing it. Eve knew that one, from past experience. Well, it wasn’t like she loved him or anything, so if he didn’t want to do that with her, that was fine. It might hurt a bit, but she’d live.

  He was in the store, and looked harried, running from place to place, shoving books onto the shelves, then running, an actual trot, up to the front desk.

  He saw her, and went white.

  “Fudge. Eve, I can explain. This is all Hiram’s fault!” He rang up three people in a row, smiling and trying to seem normal, even with his bloodshot and glassy eyes, before turning back to her, coming around the counter, and giving her a big hug. He smelled a bit, and looked exhausted.

  “Hiram?”

  “Yeah. The jerkwad went and robbed a bank. Then got Zack to take him to some other land, or world, where they’re both working on a deal or scam. I don’t know what it is. The girls are useless. I mean, I love them all, don’t get me wrong, but every time they come out on the floor they get taken into the back room, to have sex. Worse, Zack’s gone and when people come in to go places they keep looking at me like I should get them there. It wouldn’t be so bad, but I haven’t slept in days now.” He yawned, but gave a laugh and slapped his own face a few times. He had a beard, so it hid the not shaving part of things, and his breath was minty fresh, meaning someone had given him a toothbrush. The Alede would be good that way, but they should have let him get a shower, at the very least.

  “Ah. Well, I can help out with the Node transfers not at all, but I can run this place. I think I remember how, at least. Go get some sleep, and dream about how awesome a girlfriend I am. You understand me, disregard the fact that I was gone for several days. I was working the whole time too, so we have that in common, being career driven. Make sure to remind Zack he owes you, when he gets in. Otherwise he’ll probably forget. Make him blow you, or something.” She grinned, then shrugged at him. “Or at least give you a bonus. T
hough that would be kind of hot. If you do that first one, let me watch?”

  “Yeah. Sure thing. So, you know, you think I should get overtime?”

  “At the very least. Go home and get cleaned up. I need to be back at work in the morning, since Ginger is in Iowa right now. She got to run out yesterday. Which reminds me, I need to call her, to make sure she’ll be in for the trainee meeting tomorrow night.”

  He nodded, and looked ready to fall down, but headed out, as if she had a right to tell him to do that. Sleep deprivation could do that to Humans. It made them pretty suggestible.

  After twenty minutes, Kaitlyn came out of the back, with two guys, both of who looked about the right age to be dating her, so twenty or so, and seemed well satisfied enough. They smiled at Eve, but neither one of them stopped to buy anything.

  Kait waved happily.

  “Eve! I haven’t seen you in forever. Where’s Ben? I hear you two are an item now? Lucky you. He’s really great. I kind of wish…” She looked away, then turned back and smiled. “Screw it, can I join you? Both of you? I can’t really be his girlfriend, but I want that, too. A relationship that’s more than just sucking and licking. I mean, I want to do that as well, and kind of have to, being what I am, but this place is really shaping up that way. Short of working in a whore house, I doubt I could be better fed. Do you think that would be okay? Or shouldn’t I ask? It’s new with you two… And I guess that answers my question, huh?”

  “Maybe? I don’t know what I’m doing either, so we couldn’t ruin it any more that way, working together. Do you want me to ask about it?”

  “You’d do that? That would be nice. Thank you! I should do something for you. We could go to the back?” It was the Alede way, offering sex like that. Honestly, if the UPS guy delivered a package in a timely fashion, she would have given him a quickie, just to be polite. They fed off of sex, but enjoyed it too. It was win-win, all the way around.

  “Except that I don’t really need that kind of thing anymore. I can do it, but it would be kind of wasted effort. I could do you, and at least you could enjoy it, but the other way around, not so much.”

  “Oh, right. I forgot. That sounds horrible, by the way. So.”

  “Working for a bit would be a good present? At least doing what you can. Who else is here? I can hear that someone is busy, in the second reading room, but… Roberta?”

  “Yep. I know, we should all have been pitching in more. Poor Ben. Zack did say he wouldn’t be too long. A few days, I think? That was… A few days ago, so any time now.”

  “Hey, great. Well, let’s get this place arranged as well as we can. It isn’t an embassy, so if we have to, we can lock up at nine.”

  Kaitlyn might have seemed a little hyper just then, thanks to all the sex, but she was far from stupid, and knew what day it was, so shook her head.

  “No can do. Order night. The new books will be here any minute. I can do that part, if you handle the front?”

  She nodded, and started to shelve the remaining books on the carts, since they’d all be needed soon. She cheated a bit, using greater than normal speed. She had to be careful not to damage the books or shelves, but it meant she was able to get it all done, in about ten minutes, without looking too strange.

  About six the stacks of boxes started coming in through the front. There was only the one driver doing the deliveries, and they could have let him in the back, but this was the pattern it seemed like for some reason.

  It all had to be accounted for, but Kait did all that, then vanished with the guy for a bit. Just to be polite, no doubt. He seemed happy enough to have done his job, when he left.

  Then the succubus actually went to the back and started to open the boxes, bringing out full wooden carts for Eve to get into the right places. It wasn’t hard work, and she did it faster than normal, but people came in constantly, leaving poor Roberta looking slightly disheveled, instead of red haired, and like she was about to star in a movie. Eve barely got to see her.

  At about eight, she came out with a woman that had gotten in under the radar. She was hot, and familiar, being The Lover. That she’d come to visit and stop for sex first kind of felt about right, really.

  At the counter, the woman just exuded sex, catching attention even with the better looking succubus right beside her.

  “Snowflake. I fear I wasn’t able to bring as many of the others to the table as I’d hoped. Did the information about The Mind Taker work out for you?”

  “It did. Really well, too. We got Tarsus in, and Finias back, so that’s forty mil off, right there. That’s…” She felt silly, but counted people off on her fingers, ticking each as she said the name. “The Librarian, The Bold, The Vile, The Lover, The Ferryman, of course… that leaves two. Which is less than great, but a start. If you want in, The Bold already set up a good plan for it with me.” She went over the whole thing, which had the sexy Greater Demon lick her lips.

  “Really? I can call The Mistress of Souls about it, to make certain it’s all as it seems?”

  “That’s a good idea, actually.”

  She smiled.

  “I also have The Cartographer in with us. I fear he isn’t willing to part with cash or gold for it, but he is offering the equivalent in maps? They’re quite worth it, but I don’t know if you have a personal need for that kind of thing. He works Node paths, for the most part. You don’t walk the Nodes, do you?” It was said conversationally, as if that were just the kind of thing that everyone did.

  “Not yet. Still, it could come in handy at some point. So would that be one left, in the old plan?”

  “Oh, no. He isn’t in on that. I just mentioned it to him, and he does like the idea of not being enslaved. I can’t give you the names of the others, but I did recommend you to them. I also made sure they know that it would be poor form to kill you, until after the treaty is set for the rest of us.”

  “Oh? Nice of you. Thanks. I think we should have a get together, in a few days, to make sure that’s all set up. Let me get with Keeley on it? Would next Saturday be too soon for you?” She didn’t know what anyone else had going on, or if doing it over the phone would be better for everyone. It kind of made sense, given the tensions.

  “Or we can skip that? What will work best, do you think?”

  The Lover looked at her with a deadly serious gaze.

  “Truly? Getting as far away from this as possible, as soon as you can. I can see the allure of it for you, protecting your property, The Mistress of Souls, and setting hooks into some of us at the same time, but the remaining three… They’re pretty much forcing The Mistress to take them, and know it. Either she does it, or dies, which isn’t a place for you, Snowflake. I say this as a friend, and a person that wants to have sex with you. Get out of it, and stay far away until the dust settles.”

  Eve could see that one, so nodded. It was just so confusing, dealing with these beings. They were all so much more intelligent than she was. Even the insane ones were. They simply saw so much more, and thought so very far ahead. Even giving her a hint like The Lover just had, that there were three left, not two, was done subtly enough that she really could have missed it, if she hadn’t been paying attention.

  She was just a clerk, really. Maybe an apprentice killer, and general pain in the ass. On the good side, she was able to use magic now, well enough to keep herself from being annoyed at being called Snowflake. That was kind of like a super power, in its own right.

  Now if she could just use it to make herself smarter.

  Which, of course, she realized, might just be possible. It would take energy, but could she increase her ability to see things clearly, and remember it all accurately?

  The Lover seemed to be content with things as they stood, and touched Roberta on the arm.

  “You were wonderful. We should do that again, soon.” Then she walked out, her hips swaying from side to side like she’d invented the idea.

  Which for all Eve knew, she had.

  The redheaded su
ccubus made a face at The Lover’s back.

  “She’s a Demon? I didn’t know. She gave off life energy. I didn’t know that anyone other than Humans, and a few really similar creatures could do that. I wouldn’t have even guessed if you hadn’t talked to her.”

  Fram had mentioned that before, that it would be possible to fake it, but that he just hadn’t wanted to bother. It seemed that The Lover was willing to. It would help sell her act, wouldn’t it?

  Trying to focus, as well as she could, Eve realized that it was another thing she could use magic for. She pushed herself by concentrating, then added life energy to it, and was soon as clear as she had ever been. Standing there behind the front counter, near one of the three registers. Calm, and not hungry, at a level that she hadn’t thought possible before. Then, trying to remember what it felt like, she tried to make herself feel smarter, then actually push into it, so she was. It took a few ramping iterations, using being just a bit smarter as a way to figure out how to get a tiny bit more, but after a while, she had it.

  That led to increasing her memory capacity and clarity, and then working on how clearly she could see the world around her. It was all effort, and used a constant flow of life energy from her links, but she was able to pick up the rest that had been active in the blood she’d drank earlier. That meant, even though it was a lot of work, she had twenty cows, all sharing their energy with her. Allowing her mind to work faster, and better than it ever had before.

  It gave her a headache, but by healing faster than normal she held that one off.

  The process was damaging her, since her brain was essentially Human, but that could be handled now, thanks to the extra power coming in.

  Holding that, which took some doing, she was able to get back to work, and empty a cart faster than she had before, by a good percentage. It was easier to see where everything belonged. Before it had been a small fight each time to figure it out. Now it just made sense to her. A lot of things did.

  It wasn’t like every plot and plan around her fell into place in an instant, but she could kind of tell where they were now. How things interacted. Like Zack not being able to stop Warren when he’d been abusing her, Lisa and Bob. She’d figured that it had been about hiding that he knew Fram was around, but that was silly. He’d been buying time to work other things around, clearly. Like helping to teach Eve how to be the best Vampire ever. Keeley was in on that one, and so was Darla. They’d done a lot more than had been clear to her before. Pushing and pulling her into actions that left her learning, but also strong.