by P. S. Power
Calley led him to her car, which was a nice Sedan, being larger than seemed to fit her personality. It was nice though, and new. A deep red color that was kind of loud, but the inside was clean and smelled nice. Like spices.
They rode in silence, the Bat woman twitching and moving like always, more or less. That didn't mean she wasn't paying attention to the world however. It was kind of clear she really was.
When she spoke it was a bit shocking to him. Part of that was that her voice was small sounding. Not bombastic or excited which was kind of common for her.
"I didn't mean to make you upset. With the orgy thing. Really, I was kidding. I know that kind of thing isn't really what Humans do most of the time."
"Eh? Oh, I wasn't worried over that. Not much. I just noticed that a lot of things in my past that I'd never really thought about seem to have just been orders. You know, that whole slave thing? Even understanding this now was kind of an order from my mom. That's all. Deep stuff you know. That's how I roll."
There was a tiny chuckle that was nearly too soft for him to hear.
"Okay. I got that one wrong. Good to know."
"I know I'm all complicated and stuff. Sex is cool and you are who you are. This was all about other junk. Stupid things, probably. Or not. I don't even know, to tell the truth. I guess that it comes down to being a slave. Part of me wants to control my own fate, and I think that Lucy will support that even. I just can't know that for a fact."
Calley drove for a bit and finally spoke, her words a little clipped.
"I know. How can we fix that?"
"That's the thing. As far as I know, it can't really be made any better. This is it. This is the best I can have for myself. Really, it isn't that bad, over all. I'm not alive, but I get most of the perks of that. Plus the cool healing thing. It just..." How did he explain what he was feeling to a person that was, in the end, the captain of her own ship?
"You want to have control."
"Okay, I was getting ready to have to beat around the bush for a while, but that's the heart of it. The thing is, I can never know if I do or not. Even if things were better and I thought that I was a real boy again, I could never know that it wasn't just Lucy telling me to think that way. Even if the other Greater Demons told me it was the case, I can never actually know, can I? Plus, I kind of have this sense that everything is going to come to an end. Not instantly, but, you know, for real? I think it started when Lucy brought me back."
There was a soft smile then, which he saw on the side of his friend's face. The inside of the vehicle was dark, but he could make that much out.
"Oh. That one. News flash, anyone that knows about Greater Demons has to have the same thoughts. Not just them either. Mages can screw your mind like that, too. I bet Ettarians could manage that as well. Incredible telepaths, those people. Then there are dozens of chemical ways to do the same thing. That... I know that it doesn't make things any better for you, but you should know that we're all in the same boat there. We all live with that kind of fear. Or..." She stopped for a while, thinking about something or another. "Really, most people just don't consider that part of things in life. That's how we get by."
That was a powerful tool, no doubt. All he had to do was give up thinking about things, and it would all be good again.
It wasn't wrong. He could see that, and even had to figure that sooner or later it would be pretty much what he did too. After all, Lucy could make him do or think anything she wanted. That was clear. If that was the case, either she already had, or she didn't want to.
Either way he didn't have the ability to really control her on the topic. That meant he was, for the rest of his life, going to be vulnerable. Her orders were, more or less, the word of god. Not unless he could learn, somehow, to beat that. To become, if not living, than strong enough to not be a slave.
Even while being one.
That did not seem likely. In fact, he was willing to bet that no one had ever managed it in all of history. Still, if anyone had, he could copy it. If they hadn't...
Then he could be the first. It wasn't like he didn't have enough time to learn. Even if it never happened, it seemed like the kind of thing that wouldn't be a waste in the end. It was interesting, but he was fine thinking about that. There was no residual sense of being tired when he considered trying to survive on his own.
Without eating people. That one was a deal breaker for him.
As they got back home, the trip not really taking very long, since the new embassy structure seemed to have been picked for its convenience to him, or more likely The Mistress of Souls. That made him have to wonder if she lived in the area herself. For all he knew she lived out back. The place was large enough, and there was a guest house looking thing in the back yard that he'd never been out to. They didn't have servants, as far as he knew, so it wasn't for that.
The evening went a little bit differently after that. If coming in that late, since it was nearly two in the morning now, was going to be called evening. Steve was out for the night sleeping like a Human should, and Ginger was back at work. Calley needed to get to bed too, and after a sleepy kiss she headed off that way.
The difference was that both Scotty and Rebekah were gone for some reason as well, and there was a strange Vampire sitting in his living room. He could tell that she wasn't alive at a distance, like always, now that he'd learned to pay attention to that kind of thing. She didn't seem good to eat. She was also wearing a dress, and had luggage with her, which probably meant she was visiting. It wasn't like they didn't have the room for that kind of thing.
"Hello! I'm Tyler." He didn't hop over to her, since most ladies didn't want to shake hands anyway, and it would be awkward at the moment, given his cane. On the good side, even though it was a bit short on that side, his tiny little foot, which was bigger now, actually touched the floor and was sticking out the bottom of his trousers. He wasn't ready to go running, but it was kind of clear that it wouldn't be too long now.
The lady, who looked to be about thirty or so, and was a bit manly, if in a made up and cute way, lit up when he spoke.
"Ah! A person. How entertaining. I fear that I drove the others here away with my unannounced visit. I'm Marissa. It was suggested to me by Lenore Hawthorn that I could, perhaps, visit with her daughter Ginger. I'd planned to travel this way, and do prefer the home touch to a hotel. Are you a servant?" There was no particular tone to the words, even at the end. As if asking if a person was a servant was just making conversation in her world.
Then, it was possible that the lady was just having trouble working out what exactly he was.
"Nope. I live here. With Ginger, so this is the right place. We should get you a room. Normally I'd help carry the bags, but... Well, re-growing my leg right now. Sorry about that."
The woman waved at him, and smiled in a friendly fashion.
"Oh, pish. Don't give it a thought. I carried them here from the airport, I think I can make the stairs. So, if you don't work as a servant here, which I could see being a very good job, being such a grand place, how do you occupy your time?"
He led her up the stairs, since there was an empty room at the end of the hall that he, Calley and Ginger shared. Probably up the stairs too.
"Musician, among other things. Keyboard, and singing. We have a band here. I also work in a bookstore. Down this way?" He gestured, and hobbled after the woman, able to nearly keep up, now that his foot was able to touch the ground. "Also, I head up the Coalition of Nations. That's why I was out so late. Calley, the woman you heard a bit ago? She's the local Shifter Ambassador."
They got to the room, which was empty and very large. It had its own bathroom as well. For his part, he stood in the door, but after placing her bag down Marissa turned and waved for him to come in.
"So, you're that Tyler? Gartner, isn't it? That portion wasn't pointed out to me. I hope you aren't offended by my dropping in like this? No doubt this is Lenore trying to get me in trouble. I'd thought we'd parted fr
iends, but you never know with women. I do believe she thinks I have designs on her man friend. The Line Walker?" That was name dropping it was clear, and she obviously knew that he'd pick up on that one.
Ty grinned.
"Who doesn't? He's cute. Not that I've gotten to do anything with him myself. He owns the bookstore I work at?"
"Oh? That does make you well connected then, doesn't it? Not to be importune, but I couldn't help but notice that you don't have a heartbeat. Are you perhaps one of the New Vampires? No one mentioned that we were running the Coalition, though it's a wonderful idea."
He shook his head, and limped over to one of the soft looking green chairs, sinking into it, as she did the same, in the one across from him. So they could have a conversation.
"I'm undead the hard way. Resurrected by The Rotted. Basically her slave, though she doesn't make me do that much, day to day. My adopted mother. So, read into that one what you will?"
He laid the cane across the arms of the chair. That was probably a bit defensive on his part, since the Vampire woman would have little to no desire to drink his blood, being that he didn't have any life force to leech off of. That sounded mean in his mind, thinking things like that, but it was just meant to be the truth. He had nothing in particular that this woman would want. Not that killing him would actually get her.
Not unless she was The Storm in disguise. If that was the case it was a better one that Will the male feminist had been. Not that he'd picked up on it until it was too late, meaning it had been a good enough thing to trick him with. He just liked Marissa here better. Probably because she was a woman, which seemed less threatening to him, even though that was insane. The Vampire could rip him limb from limb. A thing he might well survive. Will, the skinny Human man if he'd really been one, hadn't represented a real threat to Ty. Not even considering that the first time they'd met the man had managed to get him shot three times.
It made an impact.
Now this lady could have killed him, true, but that danger was out in the open. The thing there was a question of who she really was. As a Vampire she was powerful, and dangerous, but so was The Storm. The difference was more along the lines of asking who wanted to harm him then. Marissa had no reason to, if she was whom she claimed.
He realized in a flash that he didn't really know that. She'd given a name, and nothing more so far. Then, he hadn't asked for her information, so she might not even be hiding anything from him. It would be silly to try kicking that door down just to discover it had been unlocked the whole time.
There was no speech from the woman for a while, the well dressed woman, her clothing new, but done to a classic cut, watching him without blinking. That would have made him nervous, except that it was a very Vampire type thing. Not a Greater Demon one. Sure, that could be faked, but it would take skill and being willing to bother with it. It made him feel better, which might be a trick.
For probably the first time in history, a person being stared at directly by a Vampire was sitting there hoping she was just thinking about lunch. Which was a good point. She was a guest, and if he was playing host, which giving her a room seemed to be saying, it would be polite to get her some food. A thing best accomplished by raiding the fridge. True, he might have to repay Rebekah for the blood he got from her stores, but she owned the company, so he was betting they could go wholesale.
"Would you like something to eat? I think we have some Human blood in the fridge. Animal too. Ginger doesn't eat people anymore. It's a self-discipline thing, I think, rather than her being poor." He didn't know what an Ambassador got paid, but it was probably more than a yogurt girl.
There was a clap then, the pale hands looking soft, and the nails trimmed short, but well cleaned and groomed.
"Wonderful of you to offer, kind sir. You'll turn my head yet, being charming that way." She actually batted her eyes, and gave him a look that would be best described as coquettish.
He returned a wink. After all, he had two girlfriends, and there were Vampire rules for Ginger, but that didn't mean he wasn't allowed to be polite. Not as far as he knew.
"Here let me run and get that." He limped still, but a foot stabilized him on the right now, and while the cane was helpful, the foot was about half size. At that rate he'd be able to wear shoes on both feet by noon.
Marissa walked behind him, even though he'd planned to just dash down and get her something. That was fine, because he realized that he didn't really know how to warm it up. The glass bottle went into a small pan of water, and it wasn't boiled, just brought up to about body temperature. How to tell when that happened he didn't really know. He could guess at how warm a thing was, but Tyler didn't really know how close he could get on the lower end. He ran at something like room temperature himself and didn't feel it. Not in particular. So a warm day felt the same as a freezing cold room to him.
Which made the Vampire coming along make sense.
"So, Marissa, what brings you to the area?"
There was a slow exhalation, and a flapping hand wave, as if she didn't want to say anything. Then, oddly enough, she coughed and told what was probably the simple truth.
"Honestly? I came to spy on Eve Benson as she works here. There's no harm in those that she's chosen to train this time, but my fellow Councilors and I wish to make certain that she isn't working on an army to overthrow us. Not that we imagine that to be the case! It's simply that she's become most powerful, far too soon for one of us."
Ty shrugged.
"Okay. Sounds like a plan to me. I don't know all the people involved, but Rebekah and Scotty are all right. Not monsters or angry Vampires. Evan... He seemed nervous around me earlier. I... Really, I think it might have been because I was there. The local Ambassador was a bit like that too, at first. Still, Evan seems like a good guy. The others I haven't met yet." He spoke like it was a report, which she seemed to take it as.
"Oh? Very nice then. I'll need to question them all. Delicately, of course. No one sane treats a Master Vampire casually, no matter their age. In part that's why I've come, under the covers, shall we say?" There was a bit of a flirty air to the words, and a look that told Ty that the woman knew exactly what she was saying and how it would sound.
Then, working together, they warmed her blood so she could drink it.
Chapter five
As it turned out, a few hours later, the reason that Scotty and Rebekah had vanished had everything to do with the sudden arrival of a Council member. They were busily standing down the street, under a tree. Cowering in fear. At least that's how it was described to him when Eve got there at about four. It was light out, or close enough that it was easy to see.
She hadn't gotten them or anything, just coming to the house on her own, after running past them.
"Hey, if they want to stay outside in the sun like that, it works for me. I just need to get the others to do the same. This is the largest group that I've ever taken through something like this. Rebekah is nearly there though, already. She could probably do it on her own. Hopefully that will make it easier."
Tyler met her on the doorstep. The girl looked young and wasn't that much older than he was really. Her hair was near black, and her warm brown eyes twinkled a little bit as she smiled at him. For his part he accepted a careful hug and noticed that the woman didn't question why he had a cane, and a bare foot sticking out of his pant leg. It wasn't full size yet, but was getting there. Finally.
Eve glanced that way, but didn't make a big deal about it.
He resisted an urge to grab her butt as he pulled away. Not because he thought she'd freak out about the move, just because it would be rude to Ginger if he tried things like that. Not Calley. She wouldn't have cared, given who she was. That part was kind of nice, actually. Of course, it also meant that the Bat was going to have a lot of partners in life. Friendly women didn't lack attention really, as far as he could tell.
"Um, do you know a Vampire named Marissa? From the Council?"
Eve was smart
enough to get that something was going on with that question, which, Tyler understood, was really intelligent. She didn't look it, being too pretty for that kind of thing, but a lot of the women he knew were smart like that. On a level that he couldn't match, looking like they could have walked off a movie set.
"I do know her. Why?" She glanced at the house, getting the idea instantly.
"She's come to spy on you. I think the idea is to make sure you aren't moving against the Council, training yourself an army of day walking minions."
The Vampire smiled at him and rolled her eyes, then looked over to the side. At just about the place where The Storm had slammed her into the air, a few weeks before. Then kidnapped him to stuff into a magic blocking cave.
Being clever like she was, the girl understood what he was thinking. That, or she was able to read minds. If that was the case, then he had no secrets from her anyway, so he didn't worry about it. He had enough to on about, without having an issue with her as well. Unless she was The Storm. Then there was going to be a problem. One where he was in trouble again, he didn't doubt.
"Oh? Well, that sounds like a plan then, if she came to spy. Not that she really needs to. We're cool, she and I. You know, partners in the animal blood business? How about you?"
The question was how he felt about having the Vampire lady there, he understood. Eve seemed slightly uneasy about it, as if it were going to be her job to get rid of the Council member if he had an issue with her.
"She seems nice to me. I got her a room, so she can stay here while you work. Past that if she wants. Are you working out of here for the project?" He realized that he didn't really know how long that was going to last.
"Can I? I was kind of thinking that we'd just be in your new embassy. I didn't know I was going to get a warm shower too. Awesome. So, I should go and see Marissa, then find my new trainees."
He nodded, and started to move back into the house, speaking while he did. True, the Council Vampire would be able to hear him, just being in the other room, but he didn't really care about that part.