Friends and Enemies (Gwen Farris Book 5)

by P. S. Power

  The magical and wonderful thing that held all her gear.

  The door swung open smoothly. The hinges were made of copper, but hidden inside the nearly black colored wood. The outside had fine hand carved design on it, made to look like diamonds in different sizes. There was a rough patch inside, which probably showed it wasn't as high quality as a lot of things around the place, but she didn't mind that. Katherine took over then, and patted the spot on the back of the door on the right, which was about twice the size of her hand.

  "This is a very old piece. I think my great aunt had owned it when she was a girl. I used to see it, up in the attic. You know, when I used to sneak away up there with Reggie? I do wonder what a Saint is." She made a noise, which seemed strange. It was different than the kind of things that Gwen was used to hearing from anyone. Then, as if she were going to select a new pair of shoes, she reached in and took out the copper colored crin that Gwen had been intending to kill herself with. "I... Don't truly know how to use this. I've seen you doing it, but haven't done it myself yet. I just need to squeeze the hand brace?"

  That was what they called the spongy, rounded portion that acted like a trigger.

  Gwen felt a trickle of fear then, since she was being possessed by a crazy woman holding what amounted to a gun. Then again, that had been her plan, and as long as she wasn't going after anyone else, there was no real harm to it.

  "Yep. It's a bit awkward, but if you stick the business end there in your mouth, it will do the trick. It probably won't even hurt. I don't suppose you're planning to help with that? It would be a great time for you to become suddenly useful." Gwen tried then, to take control of the body, but failed. Totally. She could speak, but there was no movement generated by her then. It meant something to her that she hadn't realized before. When she wanted to, Kate Vernor couldn't just take control, she could do it with total skill. Picking and choosing what she wanted Gwen to be allowed to do.

  "How about this, Gwen Farris. We go and find your girlfriend Beth, and your lovely doppelganger, Heather. If they don't clear me, tell you at least that I don't have your skills, I'll come back here and kill us. I won't argue or whine about it, even if I don't want to die. But... And this is the important part, when I'm proved to not be a threat, I want something from you. I mean, regardless of how you feel about it, this is my body. I should get something, don't you believe?"

  What that would be, she couldn't guess. More to the point she didn't really want to. The obvious thing would be control of the body, so Gwen sighed. Even if the girl wasn't able to rift just because Gwen could, even if that was proved, that didn't mean letting her run all over the place causing trouble was a good idea. The girl had other skills, even if she was a bit of a waste of space. If nothing else she knew how to control minds on a level that was dangerous. Erin Debussey had learned to use operant conditioning with magic to basically force people to do anything she wanted.

  Kate had been her lover, for a time. The odds that she didn't know how to do that sort of thing were pretty small.

  "There isn't a lot of point to me letting you have free run of things, is there? I have work to do, in case you haven't noticed, and if I can't get it done, then, there's no reason for me to live."

  "Right along to the objective then, aren't you? Every single time, too. Not that I didn't get that about you by this point. I do want a life, but I understand that you, and the others, won't forgive me for what I've done. I chose a side, and even if it was a trick by that blasted Healer from Europa, we lost in the end. You know what though? I'm glad of it. I still feel like I'm about to be grabbed and taken to the voidic plane. Constantly. I can see now that the sales pitch I'd gotten was more than a bit off, wasn't it? I'd been promised the power to make the world a place that would suit me. Finally. Instead I think I would have ended as either food, or at best, a slave. I'd make a poor servant, so food was probably going to be it."

  Gwen wanted to wave her hands, because duh, but couldn't, even as the weapon was being put back. Correctly, sitting in the brackets it had been taken from carefully.

  The idea that nearly a hundred people, possibly more hadn't been able to see that part of things for themselves was frightening all on its own. The Elder Gods weren't just nightmares, they were so much worse than that. Even if the beings had gotten into reality, looked around at the people that had helped them get there and wanted to reward them, it wouldn't have worked.

  Because those people would have already been insane just from being too near the things.

  That was in the legends, too. Written between the lines, maybe, but there for anyone smart enough to read to figure out. It wasn't Lovecraft maybe, with all the purple prose and poetic license, but the fear was there in all the old stories. Gwen hadn't even been there for three months before she'd worked that out. If she could do it, then people smart enough to rip open a hole in reality should have been able to as well.

  Her new body, seeming to not care one bit about what she wanted at the moment, moved out into the hallway. It was eerie and made her feel weak. Small too, as if her mind had shrunken down to the size of an orange, instead of being a person like she normally was.

  "I do not like this, Sam I am." The words came out loud, and earned a third derisive snort for the day.

  "You, are a most odd person, Gwen Farris. That anyone in the press believed you were me, even for a few moments, is beyond consideration. The only good part there was that Deborah at least managed to see through your act. What if you'd stolen my body and life, instead of being the one wronged? No one would have known about it for months! You have to admit, that would have been far more likely under most circumstances. The ugly and poor woman stealing the life of the attractive young heiress."

  Gwen didn't respond, since the reason for that wasn't too hard to figure out. The girl was just being whiney and venting about old matters. Chatty now after months of not saying anything, most likely.

  People saw, and heard, what they expected to. As long as a person fit inside the normal social expectations, more or less, everyone, probably regardless of what world they were in, was trained to go along with it. In that way she'd been easier to fit into things that way than the spoiled heiress had, at times.

  Deborah was even one of those things that Gwen had right, where Kate didn't.

  Among other things, the woman was a reporter, an openly gay activist, and as it turned out, had once been Katherine's girlfriend. The thing there was that in this place, that kind of relationship was as forbidden as it would have been back home in the nineteen-twenties or so. Not so unheard of that people couldn't understand it existing, but more than enough to raise eyebrows and have you shunned socially.

  Gwen wasn't into women, she didn't think, and it was pretty clear to her that Kate was more open than not that way, liking everyone that fit her model of being worthy enough. Gwen's own, probably under-sexed and prude filled manners were far more acceptable however, day to day. That kind of thing had helped her fit in, a lot.

  Then there were the other things.

  Like being willing to help out when it came time to work. Including at a soup kitchen, with Ethyl. It had been pretty strange for the spoiled heiress to be doing, but everyone seeing it wanted it to be true. They'd all kind of wished that the girl had started to fix her life, so they'd let it go, no matter how weird she was being otherwise. Even her hanging out with super soldiers was better than smoking and drinking, so people in the press let it go for the most part.

  Right up until Erin Debussey had outed her to the media. Then, because Gwen was a fighter, she'd struck back, accusing the woman of having basically brainwashed and raped Katherine Vernor, then getting her killed. It had struck close enough to home that the older woman had fled the telesar, rather than defend herself. It had made her look incredibly guilty.

  Then, no matter what Kate said now, Gwen had always wondered if it wasn't a bit closer to the truth than not. Erin really did brainwash a lot of people, and Katherine hadn't been a ha
rd target that way. It was just possible that a bit of mesmerism had been used on her, that the other girl didn't really know about. If that was the case, then the whole thing was just not fair.

  They walked together, with Katherine in charge, down the rich and splendid hallways. The theme for this wing was a golden silk hanging on the walls, instead of wallpaper. With lots of light colored polished wood. It was kind of a common theme for the entire place, wood and silk, but it did look good. There were no throw rugs on the floors though, since the whole thing was meant to be walked through, and those things were a tripping hazard as often as not. If you were out in the halls, you were supposed to have shoes on. Slippers at the very least.

  They found the needed bodies in the casual sitting room.

  Heather looked up at her and smiled, which was friendly enough, though Beth seemed concerned for some reason. Ethyl looked horrible however. For her. Worn and like she hadn't been sleeping well at all. Death threats could do that to a body. Gwen knew that one from way back.

  Before Gwen could speak, to introduce the idea of having her brain scanned for troublesome Kate rifting abilities, the other girl used their mouth.

  "Good morning! This is Katherine." There was a hand held up as Heather stood, her hand going to a side uniform pocket. Gwen wanted to smirk, knowing that she was about to die. Killed instantly, like she'd told them to do if her body's owner ever won and took over. "Stop that! Gwen was going to kill herself, to keep me from taking over... Because she thinks that I know how to rift now. Like a common Westmorland. I don't, which should be obvious to anyone with a brain, so I was hoping that you could read me and let her know that we don't have to die, Bethany? Be a good girl, and do that now. Like a good dog."

  Gwen made a face, and did it hard enough that she actually managed to take over for a moment.

  "God, Kate. Bitch much? 'Oh, she thinks me a common slave, ta-ta. Slave, save me now. Sit up like a good dog first. I'll get you a treat if you beg well enough'. You didn't even offer to pat her on the head." Gwen was ready for Heather to take her out then, but the other woman was too smart, and actually realized that having Beth read Kate was a good idea.

  It was still mortifying, having to let Katherine speak like that, using her mouth. It made her look bad. Like she was the one saying those stupid things.

  Ethyl went wide eyed, her own mouth opening in a rather unflattering expression of disbelief.

  "Katherine? I... Hadn't thought to speak to you again." The lady, who was always perfect, had makeup on, and a nice, if slightly plain, dress. It wasn't enough to hide her fatigue however. It probably helped, being the point of such things, but it wasn't quite sufficient to cover the dark circles under her eyes.

  Killers coming for you would do that, Gwen thought. Actually, she knew it, for a fact, having been in close enough proximity to things like that before that she could relate. Recently even.

  Her lips betrayed her again, and a single hand flapped toward Ethyl a bit.

  "I would wager not, given the way you betrayed me. On the fine side of this, you and father have the perfect daughter now, don't you? Obedient, sober, and proper all the time." There was a feeling of movement from the face, as if she were smiling, but different. Like it was mixed with disgust at the same time. "Why, she even landed a Duke. True, a crippled and magicless one, but I'm sure Gwen will pop out a half dozen spoiled little monsters for you to pet and coddle like you never did me, in a short enough time." As if to illustrate the point she patted their flat middle.

  Beth went blank, and so did Ethyl.

  Heather grinned. She was the hardest person there, mentally, other than Gwen.

  "I'd heard you were a spoiled waste of space. I hadn't really thought it would be possible though, Ethyl and Robert being so gracious and kind. Still, Beth, if you'd go into B state and read her?"

  Their blonde friend stiffened a bit, and went bland, as opposed to blank, which seemed to be two different expressions in this place. Then she waited.

  The Special Service Westmorland was already standing, even as the others sat around the large and lace covered table. The look on her face was one that Gwen could think of only as professional.

  "Katherine, can you use any of the skills that Gwen has learned?"

  "No. Not the magical ones. I can probably mimic a couple of the physical things. Punching someone in the head, say. That, and running. The other training just hurt too much for me to pay attention to. "

  She sounded a bit apprehensive about it all, but Beth spoke a single word.

  "True."

  That didn't stop Heather from going all over the situation, her voice firm the whole time.

  "How about the other non-magical ones then?"

  "Well, I've picked up a few things. Gwen's always fighting, and using a crin, so I think I can do those things, a bit. It gets so boring, being hidden in the back of my own head all the time, so I watch things. I don't know for a fact, but I think I can make bread, too." There was a sound then, as Ethyl choked on a laugh.

  It was a bit mean. Not the kind of thing that Kate threw around, but enough that the girl glared at the older lady.

  "You don't believe me?"

  Mrs. Vernor, her eyes dancing a tiny bit, smiled, then covered it with a hand. It was polite, but also, Gwen was coming to see, what you did when you were trying to show someone that they'd mis-stepped socially. It would have been helpful to know that before, since she'd seen it directed at her enough. Gwen couldn't see how bread making was a problem though. Even if Kate had been the sort to look down on common skills like that before. No one could doubt that it was healthy for her to learn new things, even if they felt a bit low class.

  Gwen cleared her throat, and took over then.

  "The point being, I think, that I don't have to blow my own head off just yet? Or more to the point, Katherine promised to do it, if you two didn't clear her."

  Heather ignored all of it and went on, grilling Kate for long enough that the girl started to get antsy. Most of it was about her involvement with Erin Debussey, which was about what Gwen had always suspected it was. It was so clear that the older woman had tricked her into things that even she normally wouldn't have even thought of doing.

  Katherine waved her hands as she spoke, not understanding the abuse that she'd been put to, and made faces at Ethyl, as if pleased to be making her uncomfortable. Having been wronged didn't mean she wasn't a bitch now.

  "We were lovers. Friends. I'd thought so, anyway. I don't know, now. I guess that I'd believed her when she said that the Elder Ones would bring me back, after we sacrificed Gwen to them. Now I know that wouldn't have happened, but I think Erin meant it, back then. Until that hole opened up in the underground, on the day of the ceremony. She loved me."

  Gwen made a face, but didn't comment. After all, it didn't really matter that much anymore. Debussey was dead.

  Finally, after an uncomfortable half hour, or slightly more, Heather released Beth from her telepathic state and waited for the complete report.

  The other Westmorland just shook her head a little.

  "Katherine Vernor is a most unpleasant person, inside. Vain, petty and vile. Guilty of things that I won't speak of right now, to save Gwen pain. She doesn't just look down on Westmorlands as beneath her, but everyone in the world, including her own parents, and Erin Debussey. You aren't wrong about your thoughts there however, Gwen. The woman used her tricks in full measure on the girl." There was a long breath, and silence then, for a good long time.

  Gwen spoke softly, her words more gentle than she'd thought they would be.

  "But, even if she takes over, she can't hurt anyone? Not any more than a regular woman might be able to? She can't rift, or use my force blasts?"

  There was a long look then, a lingering one that focused her friend's blue eyes on her own face. Just as it was about to become uncomfortable, a nod was added.

  "That's all true enough, Gwen. She can no more teletransport, fly, or release magical blasts of forc
e than I can. That doesn't mean she isn't dangerous however. I think we can all see that portion of things, after the recent events."

  It was Ethyl that nodded, getting the point there before Gwen did by several seconds.

  "Yes. She's a body thief, and a murderer. Both things that would have her put to death, if she were in control of her body again. Even now only the fact that Gwen is in there too is saving her. By order of the King, due to the great debt we all owe there."

  That got nods from everyone, including, to her own surprise, Gwen.

  Because it wasn't her that was in control of the body at the moment.

  "I know that, mother. Miss Farris is a much better person that I ever was. Which is why you're all going to help me. Do it, or I'll kill us both. Gwen and I."

  Chapter four

  "Gwen and me." The correction was a petty one and she wasn't totally certain that it was correct for the Western Kingdom. Not that she cared.

  Smiling Gwen felt her mouth twist hard, into a look that was, she didn't doubt, fierce and pretty much angry. Those were things she was really good at.

  "No problem though. Heather, kill me." There was no doubt that the woman would. She might not even be able to help herself. The Westmorelands all had different training throughout their lives, but this one was a fighter, not a Detective or Healer.

  It showed, in that Heather Westmorland suddenly pointed a silver piece of metal directly at Gwen's face. Well, to be fair it was probably directed at Katherine at the moment, but the effect would be about the same. They were about to die. She was scared, and could feel the terror coming off of the other girl at the same time, but she wasn't going to let that little bitch have control of their life. It just was not going to happen. Even if it was the right thing to do, Gwen wasn't going to let someone terrorize her friends into giving over.