On the Line (Alternate Places Book 3) (16 page)

Merri chuckled too, but none of them said what it was about until
Libby finally put her hands on her hips, and demanded to know what the joke
was.

“Oh, twas nothing... Zack just asked if the boy wanted to go
into the void later and see what it's like. He said he would, but that he
wanted to get that oral sex from you first, if Zack didn't mind. He said he
didn't, but that Donald should also see if he could interest me in doing it
too, since I'd gotten so good at it.” Merri looked pleased with herself at
that, then looked at the others.

“Well, it's what he said!”

Don agreed.

“Seriously, you didn't all just see that? With the double
images and all? I'm so glad Merri saw it at least, or I'd think I was going
nuts. Succubi as best friends, Incubi as roommates, teleporting guys that talk
in your head and glowing magical women that keep giving us awesome food. And Libby,
who, if it weren't for the fact that I'm still half worried that Kate would
kick my butt if I actually did it, I'd be running off with right now...” He
looked at her and waved his finger in the air. “For that oral sex you were
offering earlier. Joke or not,
that
made me horny.”

Libby chuckled and took him by the hand. “You don't mind, do
you Kate? We can both do him if you want...” She started pulling him out of the
room then, her voice fading a bit as she led him away.

Kaitlyn called out softly.

“Nah, but go easy on him. He was a virgin before last night
you know. So leave him with enough energy so that some of us others can have a
go too. You know how it is when you're a newbie, wanting to do everyone you can
all at once.” This came out as a whisper that Libby could hear, but the Human
wouldn't. She also got that Don's new, more aggressive attitude toward sex had
a lot to do with how many Alede he'd just been exposed to. Three, functionally,
since she didn't count. The second that Val had touched him however, the twins
had started leaking a lot of passion, which caused Val to amp up her own
offering to the room.

On any normal day, Merri wouldn't have offered even a suggestion
that she do anything with Don that related to sex. The Bat girl however really
was
like that, all the time. It was one of her best traits, as far as Kate was
concerned.

Libby murmured back that she'd just go once, leaving him
available for at least Val to get a go. Merri would be too busy cooking most
likely.

Kate looked at the other two women and repeated it.

“So, Zack really offered to take him into the void? That's, I
mean to the best of my knowledge he's only done that with me and Felicia, and
then only because we would have probably been killed if he hadn't. Has anyone
else even tried it?”

Merri shrugged, a habit she'd cultivated, seeing Zack do it
so often, Kate knew. The Alfric woman felt surprisingly aware that she wasn't
the equal of the others when it came to cultural knowledge, and tried to catch
up everywhere she could. She even studied reading in English with Troy at
night, sometimes, before they played video games.

About forty minutes later Libby and Don came back. The red
head winked at Kate, but didn't let go of his hand. Kaitlyn saw the satisfied
look on Libby's face and wondered if she'd really held herself to
just
one
turn. Hard to know with her. She'd lie about sex without even thinking about
it, which had helped Kate out in some dark times, so she didn't really want to
find fault with the habit now. Merri passed out plates of food for them all to
eat at the table in the kitchen, so that she could talk to them while she
worked

“Now Don, how much do you think it will cost to finance this
game of yours?” She asked as she moved from one part of the kitchen to the
other rapidly. “I mean to do it up right, hire the best workmen for the job and
all that?” Reaching into the oven she pulled out a pan with bread loaves on it
with her bare hand, not even seeming to notice it as warm.

He scratched his head, then rubbed it, clearly thinking. He
stopped and then looked down at his plate, his face serious.

“My guess? Between one hundred and two hundred million
dollars, maybe another couple million in advertising. Figure twenty people
working for two years full time, that's at least four million right there, and
that's not even paying them top dollar. You know, I never really thought about
the cost like this before. I guess because I just figured I'd somehow magically
do most of the work myself, or that some big company would pick it up. I can
see why so few really good games get made now and why they all get sold for sixty
bucks a pop. Now I almost feel bad about all the games and movies I've
downloaded for free. Of course, if I didn't do that, I wouldn't have ever
played
them, so it's really not a loss for the companies that made them, but if
everyone does it...”

Val snorted, one of the few people Kate knew who could pull
that off and still look sexy doing it, but didn't comment. Eventually she
noticed everyone looking at her and took a bite of the small meat pie in front
of her. If Zack were there it would have had only vegetables, but Merri used
meat for everyone else's food, unless they didn't want it. Kate followed suit,
the crust flaky and tender, perfectly so. If it weren't for the fact that she
literally couldn't get fat, well, not unless the societal view of
attractiveness changed drastically, she'd probably weigh four hundred pounds
already.

When Valerie spoke, it was with a slightly sexy nod.

“Just thinking...
I
could probably finance that game
for you myself, and not even notice I'd done it. Zack gives me a ninth of what
he makes each week, since we're married and all, which is more than a lot of
small countries bring in during a single year.... Not bragging, but if you
really want to do it, say after you finish school? Someone around here should
be able to help out. Even if you get mad at Kate for sleeping around all the
time, we won't hold
that
against you.”

She purred the last part at him, which made him smile.

"Don't worry about that. I mean, it goes against
everything that
I've
ever been taught about relationships, but I think I
understand the basic idea. You guys have to have a lot of sex, and even if you
don't need it for energy reasons, your cultural adaptations are pretty well
set. Besides, Kate... Well, with her everything was put out there up front. I
know the situation, and haven't let myself... You know, fall for her."
Glancing at Kaitlyn he tilted his head before going on. "So that won't be
a huge problem. What I worry about it Blaine and Britney. I've known them for
months, and we're all kind of close, but my ideas about them are all wrong.
Plus, let's face it, I've already kind of developed some issues there. I mean,
I
really
like Brit, and she's been pushing me away the whole time, so...
Yeah. Plus, now I know that Blaine badly wants to get with me. It will probably
make me wonder if he's
really
just looking at what's on my dresser while
I'm changing, or if he's checking out my butt. It could get awkward."

Then he ate for a bit. They all did. In silence. The whole
time he looked directly at his plate, but when he glanced up his eyes were on
Valerie.

 “I mean, I've
wanted
Britney since I first saw her.
Sure,
now
I know that I pretty much
had
to want her, but in all
this time it's been me pretty much hinting and her solidly hinting
no
back. Even while she slept with everyone else capable of movement. Then there's
Blaine, I mean I'm pretty straight, jerking off Kyle last night aside, but
Blaine's just so much
louder
than say, you two,” He pointed at Val and
Kate. “Energy wise I mean. I'd wake up at night with a boner and find
him
getting a blow job across the room. Or going at some girl, or even guy while I
tried to sleep. I know
now
that this is really as much a curse as a
gift, but that whole time, it kind of ate at me. I'm worried now that I may not
be fair to them, even knowing what I do. I honestly do like Brit, but I don't
know if I could ever be as understanding as I would have to be in order to make
it work, and seriously, Blaine? Maybe if he could be a girl and be happy about
it, but I don't think I could handle being more than his friend as a male...”

Libby looked at him, and smirked a bit.

“Dude, you jerked off Kyle? He's a
total
babe, isn't
he?”

Don laughed instead of answering. No one had a good response
for him, but after they finished eating Val took him away to her room for a
while. They didn't reemerge until nearly nine, when Zack brought everyone home
from work with him.

Without saying much, Zack instantly took Don and Kaitlyn by
the hand very carefully not mentioning to anyone else where they were going she
noticed, and walked out with them, carrying them through the rift into the back
of the gift basket shop. Zack turned, looked Don in the eye, giving him the
instructions that he'd need to survive most likely, Kate realized. She'd never
seen him do it without speaking out loud though. After a minute he stopped and
looked at Kate.

“Good. He's ready. I'm going to cover both of you at first,
then when you're ready, I want you to pull yourself in as tightly as you can
Kaitlyn. If you do it right, I'll let go of you and let you hold yourself together
in the void. Ready?” He stared right at her while speaking, and winked when she
gave him a slightly shocked look.

Without waiting for an answer, he stepped into the node,
carrying both of them with him.

She felt a slight twinge of fear for her friend, who had no
clue what he might be getting into at all. Then she realized she'd better focus
now
, since she could find herself dissolving in the void if she didn't.
Not that Zack would do that on purpose, but he'd have to focus on Don right now
or else he could easily go insane or even die.

It took what felt like several minutes to draw her mind into
a highly disciplined and focused state. It could have been longer, but she
really didn't think so. Time was really subjective here and ran funny as a
rule. Still, she could usually tell the difference between a minute and a
month. Normally at least. She concentrated first on feeling her shape, an
amorphous thing, vague and wispy in the dark. She could tell, eventually at
least, where she ended and Zack began. She pulled her energy inward, as tightly
as she could, trying to make sure she'd hold together. If that was even
possible for someone other than the Line Walker.

Then she felt it. Zack wasn't there with her any more. She
nearly panicked, but locked that down and pulled herself together again. Feeling
the void pulling on her at the fringes, she pulled back, over and over again,
until it became automatic. She did this a hundred times, then a thousand, then,
eventually, millions more times than she could have ever counted.

After a while she became aware that a voice spoke to her in
her head. It had probably been doing it for a few years when she noticed it.

Hello, little one.

It repeated this over and over again, the voice. It felt like
it came from inside her, but she knew it wasn't
her
voice, or even of
her own making.

Zack?
She returned, even though it didn't sound like
Zack to her.

No, I'm not the little shadow, but his friend. Perhaps
he's mentioned me? He calls me Big Shadow... I don't really have another name.
I never needed one, until I met him.

This shocked her. If she'd been physical right now she would
have stammered and probably made a complete fool of herself. No one else had
ever gotten to meet the Big Shadow before, it hadn't even been possible she realized.
She told it that she felt honored, since Zack had
indeed
mentioned it
before, many times. Normally in glowing terms.

Then the Big Shadow taught her how to see in the void. Not the
same way Zack saw, she knew. Not in shadows and impressions, but in colors and
feelings instead. The Big Shadow explained to her that being of the lust
eaters, her powers and abilities would always show up differently than her
friends. That was the way things were designed, after all.

Still, focus and concentration are always useful things.
Plus, this way, I have another friend to talk to now! It gets long between
visits here, with only the Little Shadow coming when he can.

After a while she noticed a bright pulse of color next to
her, two of them she realized, with tendrils of thought moving from the outer
one to the smaller one inside of it.

Is that Zack and Don?

The Big Shadow told her it was
and
that she could talk
to Zack, by forming the thought and casting it on a line to him. If she
noticed, she spoke this way already. After a few moments of focusing, it could
have been a few years, it being hard to tell, with nothing to work with as an
internal or external clock, Kate saw that she had been doing this indeed.
Mainly by reviewing the lines that had come out of her and the Big Shadow,
which she saw clearly now, though she hadn't moments before.

Throwing a single thought she tried to catch his attention.

Zack?

A moment later she tried again, making it bigger, and she
hoped, more powerful.

Zack?

He responded to her, and told her he loved her then. She felt
it, even though she could also feel that he wouldn't have sex with her. That
didn't matter too much to her, not here at least, as long as she had his love.
Bright rose colored lines came off of him, many directed at her. Nearly as many
as went to any other single person.

Kaitlyn! We'll be ready to go soon. Hang on a bit?

She thought back at him that she'd wait and pooled her
thoughts tightly, memorizing this sense of the void, so that she wouldn't lose
it. After a long time, not a few moments at all but longer than she'd been in
the void all together so far, Zack covered her again and pulled them all out of
the nothingness, back into the small gift basket shop.