by P. S. Power
"Got it. So, I need to pick up more hours at work?"
Zack shook his head a little bit, but didn't say no.
"That's a plan. You get free food there. It's part of the payment for the work, so keep that in mind. I could..." He stopped, and took a vast breath, letting it out in a shudder. "I could set up enough food for you, if you want? I'll trade you Tina and Darren for it?" He held up his right hand a bit, then moved to the sink and started rinsing dishes before loading them into the dishwasher. "I'll set things up for them to have their slave links broken, and to be brought back. That way it won't cost you anything. So, that, in exchange for as much as you can eat? Good food, too. No meat in the mix?"
Tyler stared at him for a moment, wondering if there was a trick involved. Was Zack planning to torture the two new people, or use them to get at Goethe? That last one might be fair enough, or not, but Ty's job with the Coalition meant he pretty much couldn't give Humans over to any of the Other's for things like that. Not if he could stop it.
Then, what if Zack just wanted to help him out? That sounded kind of nice, really, since trading with The Technician for people to be brought back from the dead couldn't be cheap. That was the problem. It seemed geared toward getting Ty what he wanted, and that didn't make any sense.
"I... The food, an assurance that all you have planned is to break the slave thing, and, um, a favor?" It didn't feel right, asking for more, but the thin, good looking, guy just locked eyes with him.
"What kind of favor?"
Tyler had something for once.
"Um, I need some people brought here, and taken home when a party is done. The Technician's friends? I think there are four of them in all, maybe five? I don't know where they are, but they were speaking English?"
That got a snort. A single, slightly derisive one.
"Arizona. All right. That food, my assurance that I'll follow through with my plan, and transport for Darla's friends and her to a party here. If they don't want to come, or can't, it isn't transferable, however. Anytime in the next three months for that, as long as it fits in my schedule?"
It was tempting to put his hand out to shake, but he just nodded.
"Done." It felt a bit like a mistake however, and his breath caught when he saw the look on The Line Walker's face.
It wasn't happy about having made a great bargain, or blank. He seemed upset. Almost like he was going to cry, which wasn't a thing that he thought that kind of being could do for real. So was it fake? If so, why bother? Jonas didn't even see it happen, and the expression was gone quickly enough to just possibly have not been a thing that he was supposed to notice.
Zack winked then, and smiled, seeming like his normal self.
"Can my new people stay here for the night? Maybe a few days? I want to get with Darla on this and see about getting use of her time machine. If not, well, like I said, there are other ways. That one is pretty good. I should go and see to that now. I can pick you up at just before six tomorrow? For work? You mentioned five as being good for you?"
There was a glance down at his still thin leg, but Tyler patted it. It was closing in on being back to normal. Faster than he'd thought it would, too.
"Sounds like a plan. I'll be ready. Say, have you seen my mom lately? I tried to call earlier, but there was no answer."
That got a head shake.
"A day ago, but not since. Though you might try calling twice? I hear that works, before going off to worry about people. I mean, you know that she's alive, and not trapped or anything. Other than that, what she's doing probably isn't your business, is it?"
Jonas made a face.
"That's a little harsh, isn't it?" His voice was nearly meek sounding, but he still said the words, Greater Demon being there or not.
Since Zack just shrugged, it seemed safe enough. It was, of course, but most wouldn't know that. Plus it could always change, without visible warning.
"The Rotted isn't going to play by normal rules, and is so old and powerful that it's a waste of his energy to be concerned for her. He's trying to use Human rules for a situation that they won't be effective for. It's a Greater Demon way of thinking, but he needs to get on that now. Especially if he's going to go around acting like one of us, making agreements and all that." The words were dark, and nearly mean, but not derisive, somehow. "You should get with Eve. I think you two should make a point of being friends. You have a lot in common. I'll mention it to her, if I see her."
Then the man got up, and patted Jonas on the shoulder.
"You'll be fine here, I think. The others will be back later. I know, you can suck off Tyler here while you wait." Then, with those sweet words he left.
Ty rolled his eyes.
"That was a trolling thing to say, wasn't it?" He glanced at the other man, who'd gone really still for some reason. "I mean, you're a Vampire, so you'd have to talk to both Ginger and Rebekah about that first, right? He has to know they're both busy right now."
The man gave a slow nod, and then sighed.
"It's... The New Vampires, like me, we aren't very strong. We can handle the light, but no one even knows if we'll be stronger as we age. We're all too new. There have been some stories, about our kind being abused by the others. Made into sex slaves and things like that. I can't take a Greater Demon in a fight, so, I guess I just get on my knees?" He didn't seem to want to, which was a bit insulting, since Tyler knew he was of at least average looks. That got him to smile, thinking that.
"Nope. If you don't want to do that, then we won't. I mean, I know that I like to get to know a person first anyway, myself. I didn't know that about the New Vamps. That should be looked into. Can you write up a report on it? I can pass it to the Vampire Council, I think. Especially if it has something to do with Humans. That's what the Coalition really does. Even if not, I can pass it along. I have some contacts. Um, Marissa is staying here, to spy on Eve and her new trainees? You could talk to her about it?"
If he'd seemed a bit nonplussed about going down on Tyler in the kitchen he seemed perfectly freaked about that idea. It showed on his face, which was rare for Vampires. At least the Classical ones. After a few seconds he nodded though, and looked at the table top. He was sitting, though there was no reason to be doing that, in particular. It was just the kind of thing that people did.
It was, if nothing else, less conspicuous than standing around would be.
"I'll try. That... It's dangerous. I'm pretty safe, myself. Representative Swerlin is a nice guy, for a Vampire, and hasn't let anyone do things like that to me. Bekah is important too, with the singing and blood business. Should I risk coming to the attention of a Council member in my own right? She might kill me. Or rape me herself. Being a hermaphrodite like she is... Well, she can get the job done, can't she?"
Tyler stopped for a second, that bit of news catching his attention pretty firmly.
"I... Did not know that about her. Well, neat? I'll have to ask if she wants to do something later. If I get time. Now that my leg is nearly back to normal, I need to start getting back to real work."
Not that he had anything to do at the moment. Except, he realized, going off to call everyone and make certain they were doing all right. He should have done that already, but had gotten side tracked. The first thing he did was call his mom, since, while he shouldn't worry about her, she was pretty important to him.
He did it at the table, with Jonas right there. The phone picked up this time, and a little girl answered it. That was what it sounded like to him.
"I can't talk. I'm at summer camp, and we aren't supposed to have phones." It was a very strange thing to hear.
Instead of asking what kind of camp it was, he just spoke.
"I need to learn magic. Zack thinks if I eat more that will help with the energy? Tarsus is looking for a way for me to get free of you, or at least power myself. That may not happen. He said I should tell you that so you won't think I don't love you. I do, I just want us both to be free. That's all."
"Oh?" There was a hushed laugh and then a more reasoned sounding voice. "Do it. I should be around in a few days. I have a project that I'm working on here, to trap a certain Greater Demon cunt. Try not to get me killed with the magic? I think I get the idea there, and it means pulling from me directly. I can take energy from you, if you eat enough, after a fashion. It isn't a direct trade though, so be careful in how much energy you consume, please?"
"Got it. Love you, mom. Talk to you soon."
"Love you too, honey." It sounded really funny coming from a little girl, when said that way. Phony, and like she was reading a line from a play.
After that he called Kaitlyn. She seemed surprised to hear from him.
Complete with a gasp.
"Tyler? Are you okay? I can... We can come help you. Zack told us you were back, and alive, but no one knew what to do. I should have called, but I didn't know if you were able to talk yet. What can I do?"
He nearly hesitated, but then tried to speak in a friendly manner.
"Not too much. I'm actually doing pretty well. I'll be in tomorrow night to the bookstore. What I wanted to do was get together and go over Coalition things? We'll want our other people, too. Vivian and Balthias. Can you set that up?"
"Yep! Good thinking. Can we meet here? If you're coming in anyway, that will save on travel time for me and the others."
"Sounds great. After work though? That might be a bit too late for everyone else... You know what? Screw it. Schedule it for nine in the morning and I'll just stay and work until then. It makes for a long day, but I won't get tired. So, how are you doing?" That was him trying to be polite, though he did like the Alede.
For her kind she was hard working and dedicated, he realized. On a level that was close to being the best it could be, given her drives, needs, and situation. Really, she was closing in on super human, or at least being a workaholic, in that regard. She had a plan in place, to take over her peoples ruling body though, and being lazy wasn't going to get that done.
Plus she'd helped him lecture a radical feminist once. It wasn't that he disliked that kind of person really, as much as they'd kept being really mean, trying to kill his friends, and kidnap him. That part reminded him of something.
"Oh, I need to get a gift basket or a card for Maggie Sims. She saved me from those kidnappers. For that matter I need to get in touch with the local prosecutor, and the one that's handling that cult thing. I'm kind of shocked they actually calmed down already. I really expected more harassment, you know?"
They had tried to kill him in a Wal-Mart, after that they'd gone silent, as far as he knew. Then, being dead in a cave for nearly a month might just have hidden him pretty well. Even if he wasn't actually hiding from them.
His pretty Alede friend was helpful. Instantly, as if she thought it was part of her job.
"I can do a blood basket, for Maggie. With some flowers? Daisies I think, unless you have romantic designs on her? She's cute in a nerdy way, don't you think? You should do that. I'll handle that part. I can't do anything about the court stuff, I don't think. We did have another protest across the way. The local feminist group called in support from Portland, and are really going after my mom. I get it, I guess, but still, it isn't going to help them in the end."
"You get it? Really? I don't. Even after all the explanations. I mean, it's kind of clear they don't think highly of men, and you did do that scary thing where you became one in front of that woman. I even can sort of see the whole thing were being too pretty is hard for them to take, competition wise, if on a subconscious level. But, mainly the man thing. So if they were coming for you, or me, or even Zack, I could see it. But Val is a total love. Why have a problem with her? Especially when the only way to do that is to go and force it to happen?"
That got an honest to goodness and untroubled sounding laugh.
"Seriously? I guess it's having a different perspective that way. Those women don't hate men, not most of them. They hate that they haven't had the world handed to them, like they were promised as little girls. The pretty girls grow up to be princesses, and the less attractive have to actually work for what they get. That wasn't what they were told would happen by their moms and dads. So they have to actually struggle. Not as hard as men for the same things, but they genuinely can't see that, having only one way to see the world. So they can't stand attractive women that get by on their looks. Since that's about seventy percent of being an Alede, they can't help but see us as the enemy." She sounded really certain of that one.
Tyler, for his part, didn't know. After all, he only had one perspective, too. It was kind of clear regardless that the groups coming for him and his friends weren't good people. Both groups. Jamison Blythe's cult, and the feminists. They were different, and had different political leanings, but had both taken the wrong path in life at some point. Ones that led them to think it was okay to hurt others, and to blame them for the wrongs of the world.
The religious group didn't see people that didn't believe as they did as being real people. The feminists... Didn't see half the Human race that way. Oh, they might have, as individuals, but these fanatics, as a group? That didn't seem likely.
The thing there was that he had nothing in particular that he could do about them. Telling them they were wrong wasn't going to help. They had to know that, on some level. You couldn't call for the death, or harm being done, to anyone, and still think you were a good person, could you?
That would take far too much rationalization to work. At least for Tyler.
Chapter seven
At dusk the world changed. It was a quiet thing, at first, noted as different when they realized that Steve was missing in action. As soon as they did, Tyler suspected that The Storm, or at least some other Greater Demon had stolen the guy away. Probably to torture him, or to use him as a weapon against someone else. Like him.
A single call, while they all sat in the front room of the mansion, found him easily enough. He was over at Keeley's. From the sound of it when they spoke on the phone, he was trying really hard to get laid. Failing at it, too. In the very worst way possible. By acting like her friend. Tyler could have told him that one wouldn't work. It didn't with normal girls, and a Greater Demon was probably a lot less likely to fall for him being a nice guy than the regular kind would have. Walking in and ordering her to get on her knees would have worked better for him, than trying to clean her kitchen. Not that the first one wouldn't have him dead, if she wasn't in to it.
Still, flowers and making a move first thing were a much better option. Except that it couldn't really work for him, because Keeley was never going to be able to respect him. He was, literally, her slave. A thing to be used, and nothing more. If anyone in the world had ever been more in the "friendzone" Tyler hadn't heard about it. The whole thing was incredibly sad, actually. Steve York might not have been perfect, but he deserved better than that. Everyone did.
If he'd been a regular guy, Ty would have told him to forget about the Greater Demon and to just go on with his life. Maybe by striking up a friendship with a few of the Alede, who at least would make him being kind to them worth his while.
Rebekah had her friend Jonas over, but was still willing to work on the music, which was a problem in a totally different way. It meant that Steve was supposed to be there, ready to freaking play. The big deal there was that, being her slave, he didn't get a lot of option but to love Keeley. Ty was in the same boat, with his mother, but she was his mom. He might love her more than was reasonable that way, but it wasn't the same. Sure, he was a young guy too, and had a lot of high octane hormones, just like Steve, so he could get the idea. It wasn't the same for him though. Lucy was someone he respected and cared for on a deep level. That was all though.
Rebekah didn't seem to get any of it.
"We don't have a lot of time to waste. We're in the studio soon, and we need to be ready. The means showing up for the practices on time, Steven!" She didn't seem nervous at all, just a bit pissed off. At Steve. She gra
bbed the phone, and suggested, with a bit of venom in her voice that he'd better get back before they started playing, or they might just find a new guitarist. One that was willing to take the band a bit more seriously.
Her face was blank though, and she scowled a bit as soon as she set the device back in the cradle across the room.
"Sorry you all had to hear that. It's Keeley's fault. She could order him not to think of her that way, but she decided that having him as a friend would work better. It's a good plan, in a totally mercenary way. Having control over him and then forcing him to just be her friend like that is cruel. Demon though, so what do you want?"
Tyler rolled his eyes. Normally he tried to be nice about whatever the others wanted, but this time he had to disagree.
"He doesn't get a choice, and threatening him over it won't help anyone. It will just drive us all apart. He has to side with her. He doesn't have the ability to not do that." Tyler was ready to fight about it. Not upset himself, but sometimes you had to stand up to people. Otherwise they might just decide they were right.
Rebekah glared at him, her all blood colored red eyes shining a bit. Her lips pulled back, and she turned on him, looking ready to attack.
That lasted right until he tilted his head a little bit.
"Really? I point out a fact, and you want to go all hyper-vamp on me? That... Is something wrong?"
The bone white lady showed half her teeth, sneering, but then shook herself a bit.
"Sorry. Sorry." She moved to the sofa, where he was sitting and took the far end. That was pretty much her place in the room. Sinking into place, she closed her eyes for a bit, before speaking. "It was being up all day. It wasn't fun. You're right, I shouldn't take it out on the rest of you. Sorry."
