by P. S. Power
"Deal." That got a soft gasp, which was pure affectation, from the other Demons in the room. Tarsus stood next to Bente across the way, near a balding man with glasses who looked a bit like a monk. They all seemed rather concerned. That could be about her being a baby, since at least one of them knew it for a fact and they probably all did, if she were being honest. Or it might have been that Fram was very powerful, and good at taking advantage of the essential Greater Demon arts, like making life entrapping bargains.
The battle began, and ended in the space of three heartbeats. It was so simple in fact that Keeley wondered at first if Fram was faking or had managed to slip by her power completely. That wasn't it though, since the link between them was strong and very complete. She'd simply captured him, taking him totally off-guard. That was kind of funny, since he'd been the one attacking her, but it worked well enough.
"Fram, you will not think of struggling at all, ever. You will tell me only the complete truth and will serve me loyally in all ways, from now on. You will not allow yourself loopholes in this at all, do you understand?" She didn't add the word slave to the end of it, since that would be overkill.
"Yes." There were no titles used at all, which could have been considered rude or mean he didn't know who she was. That didn't matter though. He didn't need to know anything in particular now, except what she wanted him to.
People gathered around, but at a distance, expecting a bit more of a fight it seemed. Finias actually moved to Zack and pulled him away by his good arm gently, smiling the whole time, and Darla rolled her eyes at Fram in disgust.
"That was the worst performance I've ever seen, Fram. Explain the situation to us. How did you get free of the space I put you in, and why did you so foolishly challenge the Mistress of Souls like that?"
The Barb lookalike just stood there, not answering at all. It made sense really, since he was trapped by Keeley now. Her slave to call and order, not Darla's. That didn't mean he couldn't answer her though, if he wanted. Or even lie to her.
"I'd like to know that as well. Answer, please." She smiled and touched his arm gently, waiting for the fight to come, for the drain on her system, but nothing happened at all. Just words.
"I was reassembled by three of our kind. Who they were, I wasn't told. I actually thought it was you, Technician, and perhaps The Mind Bender, until I was told that as a price of my rescue I'd need to come here and challenge the baby Demon known as Keeley and capture her to my will. I was given this form for that part of things, and told to abuse the girl as much as I could without killing her as soon as I had her under my power. It should have worked." There was no hint of fear at least, or even anger. Just a sense of longing for control over another being that would help the Greater Demon rise in the ranks.
That just wasn't in the cards though. Not that day at any rate.
Darla looked at Keeley and shook her head a few times, hard enough that her golden locks swayed a bit. Finias came over too, still looking pleased.
He spoke first though.
"Well, that was a good plan then. My daughter has her own pet Greater Demon now. I wish that I could say it actually had been me that thought of it, but it wasn't, dear. Darla?" He glanced at her, which got a soft smile to arrange itself as well.
"That might be a good prank, I have to admit, but no. I didn't have anything to do with this either, and if I did, there would have been a bit more flash to the whole thing. This party is too small for people to find out about it for instance. Plus, I would have charged for setting it up." That was the Demon way after all.
She wanted to pour over what Fram had seen and been told, but just touched him, using the link between them to take all his information at once. It was a big enough load that the others watching her winced, except Tarsus, who simply nodded at her once. Fram was nearly two thousand years old, and while he was actually decently powerful, he was also a monumental screw-up. It was kind of sad to see really. All the parts were there for him to use, but for some reason his inner self insisted on taking the wrong path over and over again.
It almost made Keeley feel sorry for him.
"Fram, please go and stand by Balthias. He'll be in charge of you for the rest of the evening, so, as long as it does not contradict what I've told you in any way, do as he says." It was an insult, of course. Placing a Greater Demon in the care of a Lesser one was basically saying that she thought Fram was too stupid to follow basic directions.
It was also just mean enough that no one would think she was being too soft or kind about the whole thing.
Smiling, she went back to the party and waved Zack back over, which got Finias to come with him and, after a moment, Tarsus and the balding man, clearly a Greater Demon too, to move into place near her.
Finias glanced at Fram and shook his head.
"This is most unfortunate. Given the events here tonight, it's very clear that the knowledge that you're rather younger than you seem is well and truly out. Two failed attacks, and at one of my events. I'm most disappointed. That kind of thing rarely happens. I'd kill them for you, but that seems almost superfluous now. I loved that bit with the mistletoe by the way."
Bente stepped in, and touched Keeley on the arm gently.
"You're but a babe? I would have never known. I've heard rumors, but could hardly credit them, given your achievements. I doubt that anyone will take advantage of you however, at this point. Not if they value their freedom. The word will be spread." Her words held perfect clarity, but a strange lilt to them that was a good bit less flat than had been there before. It was almost kinder in a way, as if she were suddenly willing to trust Keeley a little more.
Which made sense.
To the other Greater Demons it had probably seemed like she'd come out of hiding suddenly, before she was found out like this. That meant they'd all been fooled for nearly a century, and that there was a reason for her to be there, out in the world, at that moment. It could have been a danger, so they had to be wary. Now it was clear to everyone paying attention that she was just young and suddenly there, because that was what had happened.
A trickle of fear touched her stomach then, but she used a bit of focus and magic to control it. She had a name already, and if the memories in the library she'd been given were correct, that was a big deal. She wasn't safer for the whole thing being known of course, but things were probably about a wash. No one sane would attack her this openly again soon. Fram shouldn't have, but he didn't count as sane really. Not for one of their kind.
Darla shrugged as if it weren't a big matter that she'd been outted as a baby in public.
"We came for a party, it seems these interruptions are finished for now. Shall we mingle?" Then she walked away, going to talk to a rather dumpy looking woman in a hideous green dress that looked like it had been gotten from the Goodwill. For real.
Looking around, Keeley decided to do the same. Being shy wouldn't help her now after all. No one looked overly interesting at first, but after a few moments Zack walked nearer and let his shoulder almost touch hers. That got several people to head their way, slowly, moving carefully to see who was likely to reach him first. No one really wanted to give offense after all, did they?
"So... You're a baby? What does that mean really?" The words weren't accusing, just curious.
She forced a sigh and a playful smile that hinted at a bit of flirtation, but it didn't distract him much at all.
"I'm sixteen. My powers manifested about five months ago. Greater Demons are counted as being 'born' when their abilities first show up. That can vary in time, and some minor things show first, but somewhere around sixteen is pretty normal, give or take a few years. Until then we're pretty much human." It was all true, but she stopped herself there. Zack wasn't stupid after all, and there was enough information in that to make him wonder about himself, if it came up often enough.
It might actually be better if he didn't know though. If he was going to be one of them one day at all. It was so dangerous a situation,
given the fractured state of his mind that she kind of hoped that wasn't going to be the case at all. It would be more positive for him to be just a human that thought he had Mage lineage than to be one of them, and die without ever having a chance to live at all.
He didn't seem to pick up on it at all though and just nodded.
"Good thing I didn't sleep with you then. Jail bait." He didn't seem upset with her though and she waved at her face, smiling in a way that had to be charming.
"With this face no one would blame you though. There are different rules for Greater Demons anyway. For the most part that works out to being whatever I want to do, so we're good, if you want to have sex. Or not. I won't be offended either if you don't wish to." She sounded old suddenly, but didn't bother to stop herself. Acting like a child wouldn't help her at all, especially now that people knew all about her.
She was really going to have to work harder on learning to fight well. At this rate it was going to be coming up again.
There was just a bland look on his face, and a pat on the shoulder.
"I can't say it isn't tempting. It will probably make everyone feel better to know that I'm not hooking up with a Greater Demon anyway. You really freak them all out, at work." He went silent then, because a woman simply walked up and started asking about a complex shipping arrangement.
The details were actually interesting enough, since it would take him to eight different remote locations to find specific rare items and goods, mainly to trade to others for separate materials, all to make a poultice that wouldn't actually do anything at all. The woman had a skin condition she was hiding and had been told that only this would cure her. That wasn't the case, and a bit of an antibiotic cream would work much better. The information was actually all there in her own mind too, but the woman didn't trust humans enough to allow their medicine to be used like that.
So instead she was preparing to spend a good portion of her people's wealth on a placebo. It might help for that reason, but Keeley smiled and shook her head a bit. Zack noticed it and looked at her, his other self popping forward enough to change the shape of his face, ever so slightly.
It was another sign that he wasn't exactly a regular human boy at least, wasn't it?
"Keeley?" Nothing more was added, but he touched his injured arm ever so slightly and started to shift his energy pattern, drawing in a tiny trickle of force from the world around him, feeding off of it.
"I have something that will work much better than that. It's... a bit harder to get a hold of however. I'm sure this lady won't want to deal with me directly, which is wise of her, but since you're my friend, I'll sell it to you directly and you can do the transaction with her. Half the value she pays for it?" Her people did a lot of fine stone work, but it wasn't anything that would be worth that much, except artistically speaking. Art, while interesting and pretty, was the kind of thing that didn't hold tangible value in the minds of too many people. They also had goats, and sheep. Fine angora animals. If he were to trade for goods, that would be the thing to get from her. That much wool was doable for her, but a hardship to her people. Unless they spread it out, long term.
That wasn't her job though, protecting the assets of people.
Zack seemed enthused enough however.
"That's good then. Is that alright with you ma'am? Keeley's pretty cool about things like that, but you know, everyone says you have to be careful with her kind, and that probably isn't just prejudice, since Greater Demons keep telling me the same thing."
As it turned out, the woman was just about willing to do anything to make the itching stop. Over the course of several minutes they hashed out an agreement, for some of that wool, to be delivered annually for five years. Now they just had to find someone who wanted to buy or trade for it. That or learn how to make yarn.
Others came up to them, but mainly just to press flesh, and be seen by The Line Walker. They did the same with her, but were so scared and wary it was almost comical. The last person to come up was another Greater Demon, the man with glasses and the bald head. Currently at least. His face was made to look a little long and slightly homely, which meant a cultivated aspect of normalcy in his regular life. This was a being that dealt with humans day to day and didn't try to stand out.
"Mistress of Souls." He stood back and didn't bother to bow or anything like that, just waiting for her to greet him by name. It took a few seconds for her to find it, but it was there in the memories she'd been given. Even with this face attached, which was very helpful.
"Cleric. So good to finally meet you. The Technician has spoken of you often." That was even true, but the Greater Demon laughed loudly as if she were joking.
"All good I hope? She's never really forgiven me for creating Christianity. It has value to people, but some of their number persecuted her when she was young. It was a different time, but I fear she's holding a grudge."
It was a thing that Keeley had noticed herself. The woman was a bit down on Christians in general, but she still went to church when Keeley insisted. It was a good plan after all, and a way to make contacts.
Keeley smiled and looked away for a second, a bit shyly, then she made herself rally, not wanting to seem weak. Not given that this Demon was in charge of North America, which was his current job, if she understood things correctly. It kind of meant that the incident with Fram was his responsibility as well as Finias', but she was happy enough with the outcome so far. She looked good, and while having another person to control was a bother, she thought there was a place for Fram. His people too. He had slaves of his own after all.
"Most of what she'd said about you directly does involve that. But it still wasn't overly negative." Then she actually found herself at a loss for what to say. They were Demons after all, it wasn't like talking about the weather would hold any interest for the being.
Zack did though. Luckily it was a good thing, though it was very clear to her that The Cleric already suspected the same things about him that she did. Gregor hid it well though and made certain not to give things away at least, which was nice of him.
"Mr. Hartley, would I be permitted to recommend some work your way? I have occasion to come into contact with some people that have situations arise, but who should avoid working too closely with a certain type of being, for their own benefit. I will warn you, most of them won't be able to pay your full rates." The Greater Demon looked so innocent and holy at that moment that it was easy to see how he'd gotten people to go along with him when he came up with a religion.
Zach just started to agree, almost too easily. After half a sentence Keeley touched his arm to get him to stop.
"I believe what should be said here is that, while Zack is more than willing to help these people, that doesn't negate the fact that you would be the one hiring him directly. Perhaps you might set a rate of one favor, to be named at the time of the aid being given, for each situation you recommend?" It was a fair enough deal really. Too much so, if she were going to be honest, but if they asked for nothing, everyone would think they could walk all over Zack. Her too, most likely.
The Greater Demon sighed, and shook his head.
"That's fair enough. Though I keep full right to refuse any request and some measure of balance need be sought in each matter. A deal then?" He held out his hand to shake, but this time Zack surprised her, stepping back and shaking his head.
"We don't have a deal. An agreement only, for the specific things spoken of."
That got Gregor to chuckle and bow a little.
"Very good! An agreement then, Mr. Hartley. I'll be in touch if anything comes up." Then without saying anything more on the matter, he walked away, seeming as if nothing had just happened at all.
Keeley didn't mention it, but after a while there was music and some food to eat. The Vampires, all looking a bit tentative, tried the blood that she'd brought for them, warmed by Rebekah in the microwave to about body temperature. Six of the people in the room had some, and five of them were over to t
alk to her about it not a minute after finishing.
It was the tall Manthori, Harland, that spoke first, his English being almost perfectly clear. Given the mouth full of fanglike teeth in double rows, that meant he was both decently old and had taken time to practice making himself understood.
"That was delicious. How did you manage it? Some magic?" He was baffled, but she just smiled. "It's a secret recipe. The plan however is to make it available to Vampires all over the world, if there is enough support for the new initiatives that Richard Swerlin is putting forth. I felt that having a slightly more quality drinking experience might just push a few on the fence over to our side." The side of not taking blood from people directly. It wasn't that big of an issue to her, since they had to leave them alive to get any energy from it, but the fact was, Vampires could mess up. That meant leaving corpses, or teenagers all over the world going missing, far too often.
It was hard to actually hurt a blood bag too much. The normal anticoagulant was far less than tasty however, which made banked blood a lot less than popular. It was even worse with animal blood. That already had a slightly different flavor, according to Rebekah and Richard. Adding in a bitter medicinal agent didn't help at all.
All the Vampires seemed to agree that it was a good plan.
Lenore especially.
"Since the council is behind the movement, we're already in on the plan, regardless. This will help however. Are you planning to manufacture it yourself?" There was a bit of hesitancy under the words, since she wouldn't want to be beholden to a Greater Demon in particular. None of them would overly.
"After a fashion. Rebekah will be running things on the Vampire side and be our public face that way. I'll be aiding her in setting up centers for it around the U.S. first as a testing ground. I have some experience in the field. We should have it in production inside of three months and available for sale at that time. Perhaps with delivery to the home?" The words were designed to reach Harland and Bey, sounding a bit old fashioned and stilted to everyone else no doubt. They were nodding though by the end of it and Rebekah looked a bit shy suddenly.