Keeley Thomson (Book 4): Demon Trap

by P. S. Power

  The brunette in the middle made a face that seemed a bit disgusted. It was aimed at her, but didn't seem to be as personal as all that.

  "Not during the Christmas season. Daily twelve hour shifts for the next week, except for the day itself. That's life in retail." For all the world it came out sounding conversational, rather than freaked. The others looked at the incredibly good looking woman, and seemed pretty scared for her though.

  Keeley just nodded.

  "Sounds pretty intense. Well... here." She dug out a card and handed it over. It said she worked for Coretechs, but had her public information on it, if they needed her for anything. "After that, give me a ring? It never hurts to have friends, and really, it's a lot safer than pulling guns on a Greater Demon. You do all realize that anyone else would have killed you for that, right? I probably should, but I won't this once, since you were confused, and just trying to help out a friend of mine." She meant Kaitlyn, but she really didn't know if they were thinking clearly enough to get it.

  When she touched the center woman's hand, it was clear that they'd met before. She was the guy from the basket shop. It was a clever bit of moonlighting really. She could do her duties at the plus sized women's clothing store and also meet a greater cross section of people at the same time. The ten dollars an hour she was being paid wasn't enough to make it worthwhile that way, but the potential contacts were a real draw.

  After a few more words, all fairly polite, considering everything, she just left, walking out the way she'd come. Her focus was behind her, since the guns were still there, loaded and ready to shoot at her retreating back. No one moved though. The very pretty Alede just seemed baffled that they were both free, and still alive. Once out into the mall proper, the brick tile under her feet decently clean for the kind of place it was, she looked to her right.

  There were lights coming from a single shop at that end of things, which she knew to be the Vampires yogurt place. Normally she would have just kept walking, since someone had just tried to kill her after all. It even made sense to do that. On the other hand, letting people get away with things like that had to be handled carefully. If she went and spent a few minutes getting a treat, then no one would think she was running away from the Sucubi. If she just left it would be easier for people to think they might actually worry her. It was odd, but they really didn't.

  Externally there was no hesitation, she just turned and moved, finding herself walking in to the little, very clean, and brightly colored space not two minutes later. No one was watching her openly, though the man from the knife and sword shop glanced out briefly. Touching his mind showed that he was totally alien, a Kobold, but that he was also just getting ready for his day at the forge, making blades that were far too good for people that weren't going to be using them in actual combat.

  In front of her stood Lenore, who stopped working and let a seconds worth of fear leak out of her, even as her face went totally still, hiding her reaction. It was odd for the first impulse of a dead thing to be fright, but Keeley understood it. There wasn't a lot in the world that could really challenge a Vampire openly, one on one. That pure fact of the matter to the decently pretty undead woman in front of her was that the new boogey man had just walked into her shop. It wasn't what she expected on any given day.

  "Hi Lenore. Could I get one of those caramel cookie things?" She had the cash for it, so she started to get it out, even though the Vampire didn't move. Or speak. It was a shop after all, but nothing happened for a long time. Finally Keeley shrugged. "I came to get some ribbon, from Valerie at Pretty Plus? She and her people tried to kill me, isn't that silly?"

  The single bill, a five, got passed over the counter, leaving it sitting there as the woman schooled her face and nodded once, a very controlled movement that seemed more than a little fake, now that Keeley was concentrating on her.

  "I see. How did that end? I didn't hear anything." That was saying something, since she had decent senses that way.

  "Well, you know, I paid for the ribbon and made a lunch date. It isn't like they could be a real threat to me. I understand that people think of me as a potential threat, but making friends is another way to handle that kind of thing. This tradition where everyone tried to kill the baby Demon is getting a bit old. I'm pretty much going to have to kill the next being that tries, just so everyone knows not to bother. I've been being too nice so far, I think, since all the beings doing it have been a little... I know this will sound wrong, but they've almost been too cute to just slaughter." She grinned and looked at the bill, Abe Lincoln had been faced to seem like he was staring at the woman.

  It was a bit of a trick, but people acted differently when they were being watched. They were more honest, and likely to do what was normally thought of as the right thing. That could still vary from person to person, sure, but in the main it worked pretty well, even if it was just a picture. In this case it got the woman to start making some food for her. She took her time, but did a very good job of it, creating a thing of art, with fluffy folds of white cream and hot caramel carefully layered as if by a master. Which Lenore was.

  If you spent enough time trying to perfect something, you generally got pretty good at it. That fact was what made most of the really old Demons so dangerous really. They weren't more powerful than the new ones, they just knew what to do so well that it was hard to take them by surprise, or get the drop on them.

  The treat got handed over without much pause, with a napkin and red plastic spoon that had a very long handle. It was a little cheap looking, but fit the theme of the place.

  "There you go." She winced visibly as soon as the words came from her lips, after all, they could be taken as being at least a bit patronizing, if Keeley cared about such things. Instead she took a bite that was mostly caramel and whipped cream.

  "Thanks. So, if you could get the word out to people that I'm going to kill the next one that tries to bother me? That would be good. I'd hate to kill any of your friends for instance, or Zack's. I will, but then I'll feel all bad about it." She paused and took another bite looking at Lenore the whole time. If it was a movie the audience would think she was coming on to the woman, but that wasn't the case. Not at all.

  "Oh, no wait. I really won't feel bad about it. Anyway, I'd appreciate you doing that, if you care to." After all, she wasn't begging a favor here. It was a way for the woman to help her own people, if she wanted to.

  That was all.

  The Vampire girl went still again, but finally nodded.

  "I'll see what can be done that way, Mistress of Souls."

  Keeley didn't correct the usage of the title. After all, it was better to be feared than dead, and right now that was starting to look like the main choice she had in the situation.

  Chapter eight

  Lenore wasn't servile for the rest of the conversation, but she didn't go out of her way to add anything either. There was a strong undercurrent that said to Keeley that the Vampire was just trying to get through things, and survive the day. It was a bit unfortunate, since they might have been friends if the woman could see her as an actual person, instead of just a threat. It was pretty clear that wouldn't be happening that day though.

  Smiling, Keeley quickly finished the food and threw the container away carefully, the cool paper slipping out of her hands, without even feeling sticky at all.

  "Tell Zack I said hi? I don't want him to think that I'm avoiding him or anything. I just need to get this delivered." She hefted the white velvet in her right hand. It was sitting on top of her little bag, which was required gear it seemed, since Darla insisted, but inconvenient. What she needed was a small pocket universe to keep her things in, that would follow her around.

  That was, she knew, possible to arrange. It took some energy and focus to create, but it was no harder than going onto the inroads really. The skill was similar enough that she was pretty certain she could set one up. Then she could have stuff with her all the time. Weapons for instance, so that when she had to
fight next, which was coming soon no doubt, she wouldn't be at a huge disadvantage.

  Lenore gave a stiff nod in her direction and murmured something that was polite enough for a goodbye, but seemed almost as if she was about to feel relief that the Greater Demon was gone. It was kind of obvious really. So much so that Keeley knew she should probably feel insulted, but didn't bother. They'd either work out how to be friends in the long run or not. For the moment she was only important because the being had attached herself to Zack.

  It was a clever move, and Keeley knew that, in good part, it was really the point.

  Vampires weren't incapable of love, but the woman in front of her wasn't fooling herself into thinking that Zack was her soul mate. No, her intent was to keep him bound closely enough to her to benefit from his abilities. She didn't get that the very idea of a human line walker was a farce though. She really thought that he was what everyone thought. A boy with a magical talent that was more than a bit insane, if affably so. So far gone that it opened the universe to him in a way that couldn't happen for anyone else.

  That part was right at least. Zack was sweet and gentle, in his own way.

  Keeley waved on her way out the front door of the yogurt shop.

  "That was good, I think I'll come here for all my future frozen treat needs." She made her voice and body language seem sultry, just to change the demeanor of the situation. After all, confusion was a state that caused people to be easily manipulated, and that worked for Vampires as well as humans. They were just another kind of person after all.

  The mall had decorations up along the hallway, but it was clearly a lackluster attempt by a being that both didn't care about the holiday and clearly didn't know what they were really doing. It was a copy of something from an old magazine, most likely. Bits of fake green pine were hung with golden bells and bright red ribbon. It was enough that most wouldn't notice, but the patterns were reproduced too perfectly for it to be real. It would play on the subconscious mind of anyone coming in to shop.

  The Knife and sword place was open already. There was no sign in the door, but the front was open, so that anyone could walk in. The display cases were full, so Keeley walked in, having just thought about the fact that she needed to be armed. A sword and long knife were a starting place. She'd also need some firearms, and eventually magical weapons too. Those were harder to get though. Until she could arrange that, just having something would help a lot.

  It didn't take long for her to see the one she wanted, since it was hanging on the wall to the right. It wasn't the shiniest thing in the place, but the amount of carbon in the steal meant that it was hard enough to keep a good edge. A katana. The name popped into her head from an old television show that she'd seen. One about ninjas, but this was the kind of blade their enemies, the samurai, carried. It was heavy enough to be strong, but light enough that, if she were careful, her low body weight would still allow her to use quickly. A heavier blade would work too, but even given her new strength levels would be slow, since she couldn't wield it properly. Not without using magic at least.

  The Kobold, who looked like a man in his fifties or so and had a lot of slightly wild gray hair at the moment, or at least his magical disguise did, walked from the back, a ten inch long blade in his right hand. It was excellent quality too and had power strumming through it.

  "May I be of service to you today?" He sounded very skeptical for some reason. Probably just because she looked like a schoolgirl, and was there too early. The being even set the knife down, so it was pretty clear she wasn't being taken as a real threat. Or a target.

  Keeley could work with that.

  "Yes, I'd like to see about getting that sword." She smiled happily and pointed, knowing it would make her seem young and fragile. A delicate flower that didn't belong in a place like this.

  The Kobold sighed and shook his head. His words were professional though.

  "That would cost five thousand dollars, miss. Perhaps you'd be more interested in something decorative? I have some things in a similar style that would look lovely on the wall. I can even help arrange for a display rack, if you wish?" It was clear he didn't want a good blade to languish, so Keeley shrugged.

  "I notice that you made this with high carbon Toledo steel? It's in the Japanese style of construction, but the metal is wrong. Strong though. I keep being attacked, and need something that will hold up against things that are more than human. As it is, the poor thing probably won't last long. Not with the things I have to face. Would you be willing to take three thousand for it? I'll go to four if you throw in a quality knife as well." Thanks to the knowledge that floated around her at all times, she was able to see the blade for what it was. For one thing it was worth a lot more than what was being asked for it, since it was built in a lost style, but you haggled with Kobolds, or they wouldn't trust you at all.

  "Five thousand, and I'll find a blade worthy of this one to act as companion to it." At least the being looked shrewd then, instead of upset or suspicious.

  Walking toward the back suddenly, the knife being picked up as he moved, the man flowed. It was unnaturally graceful, and wrong at the same time. The real body under the glamour and illusion he wore wasn't built the same way as a human. The limbs were too long for one thing, and the thick fur caused slight ripples along the seeming. Most wouldn't have noticed it, but it was a sign that he could use a better mage or shaman for the work.

  She looked through it, at his back, to see the tall, nearly wolf man like thing underneath. It was pretty, in a tooth and claw type of way.

  Keeley waited though and only five minutes later he returned, holding three knives for her to look at. It was so clear that she was supposed to pick the second one he set down that she didn't even bother pretending to look at the others. The being seemed shocked though.

  This one wasn't Toledo steal though, but Damascus, made in a different style all together. It was oddly shaped, with a point for stabbing, but a single curved edge on it for slicing as well. The watered pattern on the side and matte gray look gave it away though.

  She shrugged.

  "Seven thousand for both?" Again she was cheating the being horribly, but the grizzled looking form didn't seem upset. Probably because she was indicating that she actually knew what she was looking at.

  Besides, that was all the cash she had on her.

  They dickered back and forth, but after a few minutes they settled on what she actually had, and her new weapons were wrapped up in plain brown paper and tied with plain brown twine. They didn't have sheaths, but she wouldn't need them really. Not after she set things up at least. That would have to wait though, because it would take about twenty hours to do the work. More maybe. She had a meeting in a few hours, and needed to get to that first.

  The trip home was normal enough, and she was able to set her new toys down in the living room without Sherry seeing them. Her mom wasn't stupid, and she had to know how dangerous things were for them at the moment, but she had a feeling that told her that, as the adult, it was her responsibility to protect her child, not the other way around. That wouldn't work though, so it was easier just not to mention certain things until they came up.

  "I'm home." She used a singsong voice, which got Sherry to spin, her hands busy on her work table, putting together a string of garlands that was cheery and glittery, while not being all that tacky, at the same time. It was the use of real greenery and pine cones that helped that way, Keeley thought.

  The velvet ribbon got handed over carefully, since she was holding both of the decently large spools in one hand, their cardboard sides warping under the pressure.

  "This will work really well. Thanks honey. Were there any problems?" The tone of voice she used was nearly comical, it was worried, but her face held a near panic that only parents could feel. The fear that their minor daughters were out having the sex.

  "Well, a bit. Nothing that I couldn't handle. Before you ask, no one tried to get busy with me." It was easier to say thi
s time, since it was just a throwaway line, instead of an examination of her personal habits, or lack thereof.

  "Oh? Good. I was a bit worried. I'm probably wrong, judging people for being different, but Succubus is kind of a thing, isn't it?" She got back to work, finishing the project she was on, rather than working on poinsettias again yet. Her OCD wouldn't let her do anything else, most likely.

  Keeley looked at the amount of work and then projected the average time for an adult, but business oriented party. That would be starting at six or seven. Given the amount of supplies, things actually looked to be well in hand. It was still before ten after all. Time for her to get things ready for the day, but she had enough time still. Two hours to prepare or so.

  First she took a shower, since being clean was important, even if you were a Greater Demon. Then it was on to hair and make-up, standing nude while she did that, since she planned to wear a button front blouse with a high collar. The trick there was blending things properly so that her face wouldn't try to smear on the white material. She noticed that her abs finally had the faintest hint of fat over them. There were still hard looking boy muscles there, but it was better than it had been even a few days before. While she changed she made a point of drawing and absorbing energy.

  That part, taking it into herself, was still a problem. She was getting about half of it, most of the time, but it wouldn't be hard to collect far more. Her limit seemed to be a physical one though, which, if she had it right, would only be fixed with a lot of practice and a good amount of time. That was a bit sad, since she already didn't have to eat as desperately. Not all the time at least. She would though, before she left the house, extra energy or not. It was just a good habit for her to have.