by P. S. Power
“That is kind of hard for us. It isn’t that you’re against it though, right? Just that you don’t feel drawn to it? We can work with that, I bet. Have you come in and do some of the men and women that show up, while one of us stands near, drawing the power off at the end. Not that we can’t do our own work, normally, but if it ever comes up, that could be a good thing to keep in mind. I know that’s happened to me before. I got stuck as a man for three weeks and couldn’t work up enough power to shift back. Having someone there to bail me out would have really helped. As it was, Kait had to pass energy to me, like I was a little kid. Talk about humiliating.”
The words got a nod, even though it sounded outside of what she was skilled in personally.
“If that comes up, I’ll have your back. The other way around as well? If I have men, or women that need sex, I can bring them by you?”
Felicia moved in and hugged her closely. Like the drunk guy, there was a good bit of groping involved.
“Always. Still you should learn that kind of thing for yourself, in case it comes up. I’ll set something up for you? It will mean more classes, probably. Worth it though, if you’re going to be around Humans, Alede or most of the other groups that are even close to that. Shifters come to mind. They enjoy that sort of thing, too.”
Especially the Bats, which she was thinking since one of them walked in then. This one was new to Avery however. The look was familiar, naturally. Copper hair, which was about an inch and a half long, a nose that was kind of similar to her own, being more African than not, but with pale skin and freckles. The thick glasses weren’t a rule, but about half of them seemed to wear them.
This one looked fit, moved a lot and smiled hugely when she saw Felicia groping Avery like she was.
“Good morning, Felicia. You have a friend already? It’s early for most people.” She waved a bit, instead of shaking. The Alede kept her hands, both of them, firmly on Avery’s behind, without moving.
“Maddy! This is my pal, Avery. Avery Rome. The Shifter line walker? I was just talking to her about some sexual instruction lessons. She doesn’t have a sex drive, which is different. On the good side, she doesn’t seem to be resistant to that kind of thing, either. It just isn’t there for her. Kind of like some Vampires, I think.”
The Bat Shifter beamed suddenly.
“Ah! I know you then. Kind of. Calley Hale is my niece and has mentioned you. Often, in fact. As in, she called me last night, and spoke at length about how cool you are. Also, how she wants to come and stay with me for a few days, so she can review the school you’re going to. She can visit of course, but I don’t know that you need us to storm in and shake things up.” She grinned then. “Madeline Hale by the way. Bat Shifter. I work here and spy for the Shifter Nation. On Zack, when he’s around. I thought he was on the schedule for today.” The question was leading, and Felicia answered instantly.
“You heard that the Mage’s Maddy was killed?” That got a nod, since it had apparently been big news, for informed people. “He’s trying to find who did it. That means Avery and Troy are watching this place for us, in case an attack comes in. We had an incident the other night. A man… I don’t know what his problem was. He went for Richard though. The older gentleman who comes in for books and is actually nice to all of us?”
That got a deep breath taken by the tiny woman, so Avery explained.
“Not a Human. A New Vamp, as it turned out. Helpfully he reported me to the Vampire Council. They offered to have him killed outright, since I’d told him that he either fixed himself or I was cutting his entire people off. They weren’t pleased to hear that part, it seems. I told Eve that as long as they were working with us to repair things that we probably could leave that last bit off.” She yawned then, and smiled. “Sorry, I’ve been up for a few days now. I should go get some sleep, as soon as Troy comes in, which will be in about… An hour, I think.” The clock said five, but that didn’t mean he was coming in at all that day. She hoped so, but it wasn’t as if she had school or anything.
Bat Maddy looked around and sighed.
“Well, I need to get to work. Nice meeting you, Ms. Rome.” She started to walk away, as Felicia grinned a bit at the formal use of her name.
“Avery. Please. I mean, I’m calling you Maddy from now on, so that only seems fair really.” Not that there was anything wrong with Ms. Hale, but that was probably going to be their President soon, which could be confusing to some. Rather than tackle her to the ground for a beating, the tiny, very thin, Shifter turned and smiled. It was a powerfully intense thing.
“All right, Avery. Good to know I don’t have to walk on eggshells with you. That would get tense, fast. I tend to be way too casual for things like that.”
That wasn’t her way, but Avery smiled back and nodded in agreement. It sounded better than the truth, which was that she was halfway to being a shrinking wall flower, mixed with military goon squad member. On the great side, it was pretty clear that Maddy Hale would understand her, since she’d been at battle camp a few times with her. Not in the same training arcs, but the woman was recognizable, once she had a name.
They all worked to get the store tidy, until Lars the Trollienkeine came in, with another large fellow. Felicia nearly ran at them, but backed off a moment later, which interestingly Maddy Hale did as well. Both of them were smiling, however. Thankfully Lars waved at them both from a distance.
“That is a kindness. My people, we find those that have too recently been with others in an intimate way to be… aggravating. Really it is that we might fight to protect our recent mate, so we all tend to stand back from those who have done such in the last day or so. This is our headman.” He waited then, taking a very deep breath. “We received a dream message, late in the night. A summoning, for all the head men of my people to return home. It is of greatest importance, so we must all strive to attend if possible. It would take years to do that over land.”
Avery nodded, prevented a sigh, then pulled the little silver disk out from under her gold sweater. She stuck it in her mouth and closed her eyes. It probably looked funny, but she didn't explain, even after she woke back up.
“Okay. I’ll need the location of all the people going. Can you do that? Or, do you know who can?”
Lars slapped Avery on the arm then. Not hard. It required him to reach down a lot to get it done.
“We can show you to those who would know how to find others. It will be much effort, what payment will be required for this? It is not the second Tuesday of the month. Perhaps we should wait? The situation seems dire, or we would not ask. It is too great a thing to request of anyone.”
Instead of worry over that she shook her head.
“I have enough riches for now. Zack isn’t here and no one will tell on us, specifically. I think we can just do it. This time, Tuesday or not. You’re my people, after all.” She meant it, but it wasn’t literally true. Interestingly, the Bat Shifter nodded from across the room.
Then she called out, if softly.
“Us Shifters have your backs. Let us know if you need anything.” That was probably dangerous to offer, since the Trollienkeine couldn’t pay, properly speaking, but the head man stood up much straighter then. His English was better than Lars’ as it turned out. Almost without accent.
“Spoken as true heroes. There will be ballads sung of you, Avery Rome of the line walkers. Perhaps you as well, Madeline Hale of the Shifters.”
That sounded embarrassing, but she didn’t scream no and try to head for the door, just starting on finding everyone, after moving the two very massive men to the other room. They were true giants, but also muscular, from both their nature and their occupation as weight lifting gym workers. It took several hours to find everyone, the last bit going faster, since Troy arrived and started to help out. Even after Lars explained the part about Avery doing the work for free, since Zack, their Chief, wasn’t there to punish her for it. The words were spoken as if Avery might suffer a horrible fate for aiding th
em.
That got the Vampire to grin.
“No doubt, right? Just, you know, if anyone asks about it, hint at some kind of huge and terrible price we extracted from you all? We won’t, but that way we can keep the prices up for everyone else, which will keep Zack happy enough.”
The men acted as if that made any kind of real sense, or as if Zack wouldn’t have worked out a way for them to get home in time. The thing there, one that Avery had been told about very clearly, was that Zack couldn’t do that kind of thing very often. Not because he needed each coin or bauble provided in trade, but due to the fact that the others would use that kindness against him if he did it too often. Avery, possibly even Troy, could do that without worry, though.
So they did.
Hours later, about ten-forty by the clock, the Vampire patted her on the shoulder.
“That should do it for now, until we have to pick them back up. You should go and get some rest. I’ll see if I can take the night shift here. Bey… I don’t know what he has planned. There’s some garbage going on right now, as you probably know. I… Let me call this in. Better to know the plan than to not have one.”
That took about an hour for Troy to get in touch with anyone, who turned out not to be The Bey, the killer of the Vampire Council, but Marissa Constantine. The Accountant of the Vampire Council.
It made for a very different conversation. One that Avery wouldn’t have expected to happen at all. Troy was very young for his kind, and while the line walkers were respected, the treatment he got was kind of special seeming. Deferential, to be honest.
“Mr. Lopez, what a treat to hear from you. I hope all is well? We can send aid, if you need it. I can come myself, if desired?” That last bit was purred, as if she were suggesting a date, or as Avery was starting to finally pick up on, her body.
Troy smiled. It was forced, but everything with that kind of person was.
“Thanks, Marissa. It isn’t really an emergency, I just wanted to find out what Bey had planned for the evening. We’ve had Avery Rome working here doing node transfers for nearly the last two days straight now. When not here, she went to school, so it wasn’t a break for her. I offered to work tonight, but I don’t know if that will fly.”
There was a sudden intake of breath then.
“Oh… It was mentioned by Bey that he would need your aid, if it was possible, this night. To travel to many different lands. Perhaps he could postpone that… Yes. I’ll suggest that to him as soon as he can be reached. We need to take care of Miss Rome. As it stands I fear that we are still in her debt for works performed.”
That was news to Avery, but didn’t matter in the end, as someone else there pointed out, since it was either risk their friendship with the Dragon, or cost a war with several other nations, if they didn’t respond in a timely fashion. Troy looked annoyed by the banter, since in the end there were several Vampires, important ones, going against his plan, but Avery just shook her head at him and smiled.
“I’ve gone without sleep before. I can do it again. I will need to sleep tomorrow though, I think. Even if I can’t get any.” Meaning that she’d eventually fall down, or more likely, lie down on the floor and do that, regardless of anything else.
In the mean time she had her magical talisman to keep her going and all the food she could eat. Troy, when he got off the phone, gave her a rather disgusted look.
“That, was not helpful of them. I understand, but there are only so many people allowed to work here, as far as line travel goes. Zack, Kaitlyn, me and you. I’m not even allowed to hire on, since it could be a conflict of interests, on the Vampire side of things. The only reason that I can volunteer here for free, is that Zack is my best friend and has been for so long that no one can doubt it being real.” The dead man closed one eye, his dark brown hair made to seem darker by his pale flesh. His little mustache was very well trimmed, she noticed.
Mainly because he stroked it for a moment. It wasn’t thick, being cut too neatly for that. Still, it was a lot manlier than what most men did, going with no hair on their face at all. He went on then, smiling.
“I actually knew Zack back when he was just a Human. So was I. So, you know, years now. He was, you get the idea, always a Greater Demon, but he really didn’t know about that. We were roommates and had each other’s backs during some pretty hard times. Two regular guys fighting Vampires and Demons. By fighting, I mean cowering in fear on my part, but I was still there… So no one will be bothered with me working here now. Barb is out that way. It would look too much like Zack controlled the Vampires. Eve… that’s totally different. The Greater Demons pretty much treat her as one of them now. She’s, you understand, in that league. So for her to work here Zack would have to part with hundreds of millions of dollars and big favors.”
That was all news to her.
“You know, I’m starting to think I’m under-informed. So, I’m doing this because… Kaitlyn isn’t as strong as I am?”
The Vampire smiled, his face lighting up.
“That’s the one! I love her, but she can’t fight her way out of a paper bag. So, Zack has to show that if anyone tries to come for him, or his people, there will be a cost to it. It’s why you’re here during the busy time, too. If any Greater Demons want to do anything while he’s away, they know that they have to fight you to the death. You’re good with that part, right?”
She thought he might be teasing her.
Except that it also made sense.
“I don’t want to die yet, but I’ll fight, even if it means dying, so I guess?”
“Wise lady. Wanting to die is a good way to lose. Still, nothing will actually happen, since you’re kind of a big deal. Only little things will be a real problem, or Zack wouldn’t have risked leaving right now. In that case, well, he’d probably have sent you and I to find whoever killed Maddy Morse. That might have worked, even. I mean, you did good work with Steve and Calley, finding those killers. Scotty was there, too, I hear?”
That was just the truth.
“Lars as well. He did a lot of the most important work. Tracking the killers down. Zack should have asked for his help on this one. He’d do it, I bet. He’s the kind that would.”
Rather than tell her that was silly, or didn’t fit the problem at hand, there was a simple nod.
“I’ll suggest it if he asks. So, I can’t get you extra sleep. What else do you need? More food? Clean clothing and a shower? Cute outfit, by the way. If it wasn’t the part where I end up backhanded through a wall, I’d totally ask you out.”
“By Barbara?”
That got a grin that seemed almost real to twist his lips up suddenly.
“Nope! By you. Barb is actually nearly good with that kind of thing, as long as I don’t sleep with any Vampires that have more rank or power than she does. That’s all that counts. Our own people. So far, anyway. Things are a little awkward that way just now… Yeah. That means you and I could date. Or you and her. If I tried to get with Edom, then they’d have to fight, which would mean Barb losing. Eve…That one is different again. Barbara has more rank, being an Assistant Ambassador. Eve is Bey’s protégé, which means that she’s been put up against threats that most other Vampires wouldn’t survive, even being only a few years old. I can’t let Barb get into it with anyone. Not that I get to stop it all.”
That part was hard to understand, but she got it after a while.
Then, understanding, she grinned.
“Well, glad you liked the outfit. I’m going to go and get a shower and change. Then I’ll be back at four?”
That sounded less than fun at the moment, but it was her job, for the time being. That meant she would do it. Even if she really didn’t want to.
The mission, as always, came first.
Chapter five
The next five days were rather annoying. Mainly due to the fact that Zack wasn’t back first thing Monday morning as hoped. That day she had to cheat, sleeping in the afternoon, forcing Troy to stay late. Only f
ive hours, but Avery felt a bit bad about it anyway.
Thankfully, the work was just work and no one spit on her at school. No one screamed about the evil Dragon in their midst, or did more than knock into her in the hallway a few times. Even that was a kind of acceptance really. She was so unimportant that no one noticed her any more than the rest of the students there. The entire week was a hazy, mentally blurry smear of colors.
The only thing keeping her going was the silver amulet that had been provided for the task. It worked, but wasn’t allowing her mind to clear. Interestingly, while that messed up half of what she was doing at the book store and school, she made all her transports perfectly. That part was easy enough that she finally took half an hour of real time to just sit in the void and rest. It was a long time there. Hundreds of years, she suspected.
That didn’t refresh her a lot, when she came back, but it did give her plenty of time to think about the things that were going on in her world.
First, she had to find a way to get some more sleep. Troy had been making sure she got a bit each day, but for the last three in a row, the Vampire Council had required him to go and take people around in the middle of the day, leaving the store without anyone to guard it.
Kaitlyn was good about doing the line transport work, but the idea that she wasn’t up to fighting for it came off of her in waves. The next day there would be a party, which Avery had set up to take several people to, along with her, as well as being expected by friends. Not going could leave them feeling insulted, possibly even losing her their friendship.
It took her several years of sitting alone in the void to realize that putting a sleeping bag on the floor in Zack’s office, while Kaitlyn worked, would probably be enough to keep anyone from going for them. She’d be right there, after all.
That decided, knowing it had really, honestly, taken her a lot longer than it should have to get to a simple answer that wasn’t all that novel, she turned her mind to other matters. The procurement of candy for the Human children and a costume. Micha had decided to help her with that, what she was wearing, but she needed to check in on that portion of things. After getting some sleep.
