On the Line (Alternate Places Book 3)

by P. S. Power

  Kate sighed and shook her head.

  “Sorry, no. I meant to come out from the node the Line Walker always uses. Would it be Ok if we walk over from here? I don't want to get in the way of your business or anything. I'm really not this stupid most of the time, just new to this...”

  The Demon smiled at her and leaned close. His teeth were wide and flat, the whole look gave him an alien feel, but not one that looked particularly menacing.

  “Well now...” It started to say, then chuckled, a low sound.

  “Ah, why not? Anything but being helpful would only cause problems. Just remember please, that the Demons of Lesser Shia are trustworthy and honest! For Demons at least.”

  He led them over to the other main node, where everyone else stood waiting. Kate shrugged and looked at everyone when Don ran over to give her a hug.

  “My turn to be embarrassed! I ended up in the Demons' node instead of here. This Demon, sorry, I didn't get your name?” Kate turned to it and waited.

  “Oh, I'm Plenthi, pleased to be meeting you. You are?”

  “I'm Kate. Thanks for your aid. This is Don, the other newb, you probably know Zack?”

  The white being nodded and bowed. Reminding Zack that they had met, the first time the Human had come to this node in fact.

  Zack thanked the Demon too, which got a bow in return then left, telling them that if they ever needed anything from Lesser Shia or surrounding areas, to let him know. If it could be found, he could find it.

  “Wait, Plenthi...” Zack held a hand out.

  He explained the kind of thing they looked for, Plenthi nodded and clapped his hands happily.

  “I can direct you to a shop that sells exactly what you need. Here, let's get you a translator and guide, then you can go and fix whatever it is that you need this for. Yes, that's what we'll do.”

  The Demon looked happy to be of help. After a while Kate casually asked what Plenthi would want for this information.

  “Oh, nothing. Just, well, if you come across a being that I could perhaps make a deal with, you'll think to steer them to Plenthi? I'm not a great Demon, but I also don't squeeze every last drop from each deal like some will. I don't require souls or the lives of those unborn in trade for my services for instance. If you think this service of value, then please remember me.”

  Zack bowed so Don and Kate did as well. For a Demon this one seemed... nice. Kate tried to remember the name, just in case anyone ever asked and couldn't be talked out of dealing with Demons. Better one that at least pretends to be kind than one that can't be bothered to make even a show of it. Besides who knew? Maybe Plenthi was the exception among Demons. She wouldn't count on it, but it could be.

  Zack left them there and told them to come get him when they were ready to go home, and he'd transfer the twins and Jelly again. Then he stepped into the node and vanished.

  The translator and guide made no pretext of taking them on a sightseeing trip, knowing what they came for and where exactly to take them. The route would take a while, but the sights were still worth looking at the blue robed translator informed them.

  Outside the world turned into something that resembled a giant flea market. One built by termites, using an organic looking style that had few, if any, ninety degree angles. As they walked, Kate noticed the scents. Everyone started sniffing and the translator bowed.

  “Small nanite clouds are released each day, tiny machines that, in this case, replicate scents, based on what your body and mind feel is most pleasing at the moment. They're harmless and all of them will be out of your system within a single day, but for about four hours, you'll smell what most pleases you.”

  Don grinned and told everyone that the world smelled like warm honey buns. Lars smelled roasted meat and Birk smelled tacos, which made everyone laugh. The Alede all smelled more intimate things, which they normally would have shared, but didn't after Kate elbowed them both while looking at the Trolleinkein. Jelly smiled and told them how she smelled lemons.

  “Go figure, I wouldn't have guessed I liked the smell of lemons that much!” She linked arms with Kate and rested her head on the slightly taller girl's shoulder for a moment, then let go, in order to gawk at everything around them.

  The translator took them to a side walk, one with hand rails and a covering awning, and explained it to them carefully.

  “The ground here is solid, but can pass things along its surface. When you step on it, nothing will happen for a moment. Then, as you walk you will be propelled forward much faster than your steps would normally carry you. Walk at your normal speed please and do not run. It should carry you at about forty-three miles per hour. The wind is brisk, but you all look suitably dressed.” The translator repeated this in flawless sounding Trolleinkein, which got smiles from the large men. They nodded that they understood.

  The translator got on the dull white surface and waited. Then when everyone stood behind the blue clad figure, he began to walk, slowly at first, then building speed as they went. After a minute or so they were flying past the world around them, even though it felt to Kate like she was walking normally. She'd done this before, having been to Lesser Shia a few times now, making her an old pro. The others all stared, and acted amazed as they did it.

  Making them all seem like tourists. Not interesting and cool like her.

  When they got near the place they needed to be, the translator signaled with a hand gesture and stepped to the right, telling all of them to do the same. Jelly almost missed it, having been looking the other way at something, but Birk grabbed her arm and swung her to him as she walked past, spinning her around slightly by the arms. As she did this he softly said “thweee” which somehow made the otherwise aggressive move seem playful. Kate winked at him when she caught his eye.

  They still had to walk for awhile, past about forty different shops, stands and kiosks, each with a small group of people in front of it. The streets teamed with beings, but somehow none of them ever seemed to come too close. No more than six feet away, even though at least some of them must have been comfortable with closer body space limits. After all, Kate thought as she looked at some of the various kinds of people passing her, she didn't have a problem being closer than that to people. It was almost like a force field steered people away from one another, or like the ground itself guided their steps a bit, kind of like that walk way only slower.

  Standing and paying attention she noticed that the translator had two thick blue and white lines that ran to it, something she hadn't noticed before on anyone. The being guided them to a humble looking, at least for this neighborhood, shop, empty when they went in, except for them. There were no shelves, just a single counter with a strange looking veiled being behind the counter. The proportions behind the veil and baggy robe didn't seem human at all, but the voice sounded soft and like it came from a very pretty woman to Kate. Not that it mattered, not right now. If this being had a different nature than she did, all to the good, especially if it could help with their problem.

  The translator didn't wait for anyone to speak, instead it made simple introductions and asked for one of them to explain what the problem was they needed addressed. It took a while, because the being wanted to know the whole story, including who had attacked Kate and who had held themselves together. The being wanted the same tale from both Don and Jelly specifically, even though it had just heard it. When Britney started speaking, trying to go over the story again, it gave her a piece of candy and explained that it had already heard from one of her kind, but thanked her for her thoughtfulness and commended her desire to aid others.

  It listed off each person involved and double, then triple checked what kind of person, race, temperament and basic skill sets each had before disappearing into the back of the shop. When it returned it provided a vial for each woman, coded with the first letter of their name, as well as one for Kate, to her surprise. It had her open the vial and swallow the contents in front of it.

  “This is a form of bacteria, carefu
lly crafted specifically for you. It won't harm you in any way, but will remove the specific addiction. If you wanted any other addiction removed, that would be extra, of course. Yours is free, because you came in person.” The creature bowed to them all.

  Kate felt... Well, she decided, she felt fine. She didn't crave the hyper levels of feeding from Zack, but still knew it would feel nice. It seemed to work, though she had no proof. She asked if Don would try passing her energy, explaining what she did to the shop keeper and translator, figuring the rest of them would get it already.

  After a minute she had to push Don's hand away. The pleasure felt a lot more intense than it had been, like it had the first time she'd felt it, over a year ago. She nodded and asked how much. When she heard, she couldn't believe it.

  “Three gold? Each?” She said, hoping it wasn't for each bacteria or something. The translator asked for clarification from the creature, who shook its head.

  “No, for all of them.” It said, clearly indicating all the vials.

  Kate asked Don to get the coins and waited for some catch in the bargain. To be told they needed a thousand doses or something like that, but the creature informed them that, as long as the doses were taken by the right person, one would serve. This didn't, it informed them, mean that the individual couldn't become addicted again to the same thing, it simply removed the current addiction. Care would be needed and the person would have to choose to not continue doing what they'd been doing before.

  The money disappeared so quickly that Kate wasn't sure where it went and the creature listed several other services that could be rendered, including body modifications, though the individual would need to come personally in most cases, unless the change was to be very generic. Mental upgrades, longevity services and more. Kate looked at the group with her and then told the creature that she would keep all this in mind, because it really could come up, given the way their lives tended to go.

  The translator got them all back to the right node, taking the reverse of the same route they had come by, though they used the walk way across the street to get there. It left them at the door to the node room and bowed to them as it backed away.

  Kate and Don took Birk and Lars first, along with the vials, then went back for the twins and Jelly. Don took Jelly and Britney at one time, when he stepped out he dropped to his knees gasping for breath. Zack smiled at him and chuckled a bit.

  “That never gets better you know. If you can, always take people one at a time. Big people are hard, but two or more are much harder, even if they're the same overall mass. Eventually you learn to pant more softly. If you practice at least.”

  He walked with them back to the house, collecting Chi from Bat Street, since he'd made the ruling earlier and Patty since she was their expert in such things. She looked at Zack, worried and a little scared it seemed to Kate. A line forming between her eyes at the top of her nose as she walked, casting glances at his back every few steps.

  It took a while to get everyone together for the project. Lisa had to come by car, from wherever Maryl had hidden her, fearing that someone might attack in retribution. The Bat woman knew how fast everyone could turn on you and didn't want to take any chances with her girlfriend. Claire drove herself over from her house, the place she stored the rest of her young Vampires, some of whom simply weren't well enough behaved for company yet.

  Chi lined them up and administered the vials to each woman in turn, explaining what he'd been told. That the bacteria inside did nothing except remove the addiction that Zack had caused. They all took it happily enough, since it would get their Zack back and, even if not addicted to the pleasure he could create any more. They still loved him, or at least were fond of him.

  Then Chi surprised them all by telling them that, while Zack could be around them now, he wasn't allowed to use any pleasure on them other than what he could create by normal means. That being what any normal Human could produce without any special abilities. Zack nodded and didn't say anything.

  Maryl frowned and shook her fist playfully at Kate.

  “Darn you! I didn't even get to give him a hand job yet.” She laughed though.

  Lisa looked around uneasily and started to walk over to Kate, uncertain of herself. Libby followed and finally walked up beside her and slowly put her arms out for a hug, shoulders hunched as if ready for a punch instead of an embrace from the girl.

  “Sorry Kaitlyn. I know you weren't trying to steal Zack away... I shouldn't have knocked you out with that lamp...”

  Lisa looked at the small Bat woman shocked.

  “You hit her with a lamp? I used fairly high level Magic and barely did anything to her. I should have gone with a lamp. Who knew?” Lisa moved in and hugged her too. “I am sorry about that, it was, not good. And Jenifer...” Lisa walked over to the girl who looked a bit scared and put her arms around her.

  “Thank you! I know that it can't be easy to stand up to your new boss like that, especially if they turn out to be a psycho addict that's trying to hurt people... But you did it. You did the right thing, even though it was hard and didn't give in, even when you thought you were losing. Skill comes with time and practice, but guts like that are rare.” She hugged the girl again, holding her close for a few moments longer than Kate thought really necessary, which made her laugh a bit.

  Jelly looked at Lisa, then at Kate and started crying. Because that made sense?

  “I'm..” She began, looking a little panicked as everyone in the room looked over, concerned. The day had been rough and if the girl started having a meltdown, who could blame her? Everyone took a few steps toward her, just in case she needed them.

  “I'm spying on you for George Penbroke!”

  Chapter six

  Kate felt floored. Like someone had physically knocked the wind out of her. If they had a spy in their midst, especially one for George, then Jelly would be the logical one to pick, but still... she'd slept with the girl! They'd all slept with her and not just once or twice, but a lot. Maybe it was the Alede in her, but to Kate, when you slept with someone, especially more than once or twice, a bond was formed, and while it didn't make anyone a better person, it did normally preclude things like outright spying for evil Mages that wanted to destroy you and your friends.

  The next shock came when Lisa gave the girl another hug, her arms wrapping the girl tightly, a small smile coming to her face, not a totally happy one, but gentle and not blaming at least.

  “I know. Most of us here have known for a while now. We were just waiting for Kate and her friends to get a chance to settle in before telling them. Eloise told us. Apparently your uncle Willet found out that George was using some charges against him as leverage over you and went directly to Eloise with it. He told her to just take him in right then and protect his niece. Which, as I'm sure you realize, she decided not to do, taking him in. She really did get him to promise to be on good behavior until your internship is over. Binding word, too, so he's getting a vacation. Not that he shouldn't have to pay for his crimes, but the Mage council doesn't allow blackmail either. In this case it's a bit of a wash, but you might want to talk to Willet and let him know that he doesn't get any more free passes because of this?” Lisa kept hugging the girl as she spoke.

  Sitting down on the carpet, a blue throw rug that managed to be soft and clean even after everyone have walked on it for weeks, she just felt tired. Kate wondered who else in her life would end up betraying her. She shook her head and ran a hand over her face, paying attention to the caress of flesh on flesh for a moment. Taking a deep breath and swallowing, she listened to what Lisa said.

  “It should be clear to anyone that you were in a hard spot here and that you didn't have a lot of choice. After all, if your uncle was willing to be taken in to free you from the clutches of my father, who, while he's been a bit of a dick about all this spying thing lately, isn't exactly evil, then you two must be pretty close. I've known Willet for years and frankly, I didn't think he even knew what a selfless action
was.” She stood back from the girl a little and looked directly into her eyes. “I'm happy to be proved wrong about that.”

  Britney and Blaine both crossed their arms and looked at her with real anger in their eyes. Britney spoke for them glaring and not breaking eye contact with the smaller girl that knew for a fact she couldn't take the tall blond in a fight.

  “You used us just to get close to Kate? We thought you were our friend!” She took a step toward the girl. An angry move that caused a few people in the room to tense. Troy had to put a hand out to stop Zack from stepping forward. Telling him softly that having his butt kicked by two hot chicks in a single twenty-four hour period would be a little much even for him.

  Don however didn't let that stop him from stepping between the girls. After all, he hadn't had his butt kicked at all that day, had he? Kaitlyn thought she got the idea though. He simply viewed the world differently than an Alede did. That was all.

  “Britney, I know it doesn't feel good to be used by someone just because they wanted to get close to someone else, but that doesn't really deserve a beating. If it does then I'd have to start in on about a dozen of the people that did the same thing to me this year to get close to you and Blaine. And, honestly, it sounds like trying to help her uncle out of a jam is a pretty decent reason. I'm a little sad that she didn't sleep with me because she wanted to, but, hey, that's about what I get in life, right?”

  A laugh came from the corner of the room, and David, one of the younger Vampires stepped out, causing Claire to raise an eyebrow at him, but he didn't stop.

  “Ooooh, poor little Donald, all these hot women only want to sleep with him for some kind of reason, instead of just for him. Boo-hoo...” He laughed and walked over to Don, slapping him on the back. “Cheer up. It could be worse. They could all not sleep with you for a reason.”