Other Places 2: Road Blocks (26 page)

"Well, Xenses mentioned that you both were light eaters. He's been here off and on for about a week, pretending to be Judy Swan. I worked out a bargain, a trade of services I guess. I'm supposed to treat him like family, eventually at least and he's agreed not to kill me, rape me or do any of that to my people. He's still coming for you and Keeley. Finias too. He's really mad at him for letting me starve."

She reached out and touched his arm gently, taking in the information, which he couldn't stop her from doing anyway, which had her actually looking impressed after a moment. Then she looked around and pointed to a hundred dollar bill that had been dropped by the back door. Right in front of it in fact.

"That was it. The point that made things go in your favor. You offered to let him pay for the meal. That was adult behavior from you, and then you called him on what he'd done directly, not responding with a lot of fear. That's a thing he respects. Don't get me wrong, you aren't out of hot water there yet, but things have improved for you about fifty fold in a few hours time. Of course, as the kids say, if you go over to the dark side, there will be problems. I'll make some cookies."

He didn't get the joke, and she didn't explain, but it was clear she meant what she said, getting up and starting to make some chocolate chip cookies that were actually made from real chunks that she created from a block of chocolate in the cupboard. She chattered while she did it, explaining things, and reminding him to pay attention.

"Some of what he said was just correct. Shape changing, and the rules about sex. I'll give you the same talk that I gave Keeley with one caveat, you can, in potential, get a woman pregnant. That takes work. You can't catch diseases, and you should probably get used to the idea of doing things in all combinations. Keeley's actually a bit of a prude that way, but the rules for our kind are open. If you want to do a Trolleinkein, Vampire, or even your Aunt, you can. As long as I don't object I mean, which for now I will. With me. By all means have a crack at Keeley. Her mother too, if you can negotiate for the use of her. Sherri is really sweet, but I swear Keeley has something against her getting any action at all. The big thing there is that with any of her people, or mine, or any Greater Demons, negotiate for the rights first. You can't just get away with that kind of thing. Also, be aware of who's area you're in. This one is functionally yours, by the way. Keeley actually still lives in mine, which as an adult is a bit of a no-no." She used a little ice cream scoop to measure the cookies onto a new, but non-stick, tray.

Zack swallowed, but realized that she hadn't ordered him to do that, just suggested he try to get used to the idea that the rules weren't the same for him as they might be for others.

"Or, of course, do whatever you like that way. You're young and will adapt."

"I hope. If I can."

"Oh, you will. Crazy or not, you already have been, so it's something that will happen. Right now, after you clean up in here, we need to start working on fighting. Then figure out how to redecorate your living room. That thing looks really out of place right now. Too bad Xenses couldn't have gotten that done before running off."

It took an hour for it all to be done, and then he was shown some basic fighting moves, then a lot more, being instructed in how to both use the memories he had to learn faster while being told to heal at the same time. He had to kill off pain sensations too, since after a bit she didn't hold back at all. At four, when Troy got up and stumbled to the bathroom, she stopped suddenly and bowed. He tried to do it back, which got her to kick him in the face, really hard. She was grinning about it too.

"This isn't a dojo, Zack-san. We aren't Humans. We don't have their rules and no one will ever cut you any slack if it comes to a real fight. You've got the basic skills for it now, but we need to practice, a lot. Right now, after your boyfriend comes out of the bathroom, you should clean up and then eat again."

"
Boyfriend
?" It was insulting, and meant that way, he thought, but the tone had been a little off.

The too pretty Demon mentor shrugged, looking at the bathroom door.

"Yes. You aren't sleeping together, but what else could you call it? Friend then, if the term insults you, but I meant Troy. You'll need to watch him, with your new deal."

That got Zack to look at her funny, not understanding how that would work.

"He's my friend... Even you just said so."

"Exactly, however Xenses stated that only
your
claimed people would count and he's clearly in thrall to Finias. His slave. I picked up the link at the Christmas party. It isn't a big deal, since he's being allowed to roam free, in exchange for helping you, and I don't think he knows about it really, but it's there. That means that Xen can have him, if he wants. You're allowed to protect him however, so that isn't out of the picture. You aren't ready, but you can fight now. Better than Keeley can, though don't tell her I said that. She's a bit sensitive about things like that."

Then, while he was washing up, having more than a bit of dried blood on him, Darla cooked and made food for Troy as well, since she was polite that way it seemed. The idea that Troy was someone's slave... It worried him, to tell the truth. It also gave weight to the idea that Finias had known about him for a long time, and let him starve. Maybe it had been needed? A part of hiding him from the other Demons, perhaps?

His roommate was still dressed in PJ's, but they were his nice silk ones, meaning he was trying to impress a girl. Since there was no one else there, that meant he was angling for Darla, most likely.

"Wow, this is all really great, thanks." He gestured at his plate, which was a small pot pie, made with roasted chicken. It wasn't huge, but it was very well done.

Troy nodded, agreeing, and eating his own.

"Yeah, thanks." After taking a few bites he looked at Zack and then made a bit of a face. "I heard that you got fired from the candle shop? I can try to pick up more hours at Terran 2 LA, if we need the extra money?" It sounded gentle and kind and as if being fired hadn't been his fault, which, for once, it really wasn't. Darla shook her head however, not eating at all.

"He's opening his own place, a bookstore at the Mall. With a little coffee place attached, I think, though it isn't set up yet. That, plus his transportation services will keep you both in pop-tarts. So... Troy, any plans to become a Vampire yourself?" She said it as if it only made sense, which got Zack to feel slightly shocked, but his roomie just took a bite and nodded.

"It's an offer on the table. Edom thinks I should wait a few more years, until I'm in my late twenties at least, so I won't be this young looking forever. That makes sense to me. Especially with the new blood service coming online. I can live on protein drinks in exchange for super powers, you know?"

"That's sound advice. My friend Eve is considering doing that as well. I'm planning to have her come here this summer and watch Lenore and her friends, while working for Zack."

Troy, slave to Finias or not, smiled.

"Is she cute? On top of that, is she friendly? If so she can just share my room. I could use a girlfriend to help protect me from 'Stocky The Bunny Boiler'." He sighed and shook his head. "A crazy girl that's been following me. She's totally driving all the other women away at the bar too. Even telling them I have diseases. Kevin isn't letting her in, but she sits across the street and waits for me. It's
creepy
."

Darla nodded.

"Well, I can ask her about that? You're good looking enough, and she's not exactly stingy with her sexual favors, but she might be willing to pretend to settle down for a bit, in return for a bed and perhaps board?" She glanced at Zack, and he nodded, since the girl had seemed nice enough and if they wanted to spy on him that badly, they could anyway. They were Greater Demons. That had to be a thing they were good at, and that he wasn't ready to stop at all yet.

It was a bit of a powerless feeling, but MH had stopped screaming at least and was back to merely whimpering in the background, letting Zack do the hard things. That would probably have to be what happened in the end. One of them was going to have to become the real him and MH wasn't up to the job. Zack might not be either, but he could try, couldn't he?

He spoke softly, thinking about things, and realized that he needed to set a lot of things up that day, if he was really going to have a place to work from. He made a mental list, while talking.

"Eve is actually really good looking. She's a Cheerleader. High school though, so watch the age thing and make sure you find out who she's attached to. Keeley?" He looked at Darla, who shook her head firmly.

"Me. I suppose you can both have sex with her, as long as she consents." That was blunt enough that Troy started to choke on a bit of chicken. Zack nodded.

"All right. I suppose we should arrange a date soon, so we can all meet? I mean an interview. For the position?"

They hashed that out, and at about five-thirty, Darla got up and left, telling him that he had the next evening off. She suddenly had things to do herself, which would be about Xenses, since they were actually fighting. The very strange thing there was that the Demon hadn't corrected a lot of what the man that looked like a famous actress had told him. About how her side was trying to stop the other's freedom, and all that. Zack didn't know that he really agreed, since the side Xenses was on seemed to be really evil, and the one that Keeley was on less so, but still bad.

He had to survive however, and so far he was doing it without being anyone's sex slave, or eating people. Again, apparently. That tried to shake him, so he fought it down. He'd eaten his mother's legs while she screamed and had done his Human father in the rear? He'd been forced, or controlled into it, somehow, but... Yeah, that tried to steal his sanity for a bit and probably wasn't even close to the worst of it. That he'd had to set up a plan with the being that had done all that to him was unconscionable.

Thank goodness for the ability to control his emotions. That one trick was all that saved him, he thought.

After cleaning up again, with Troy moving to the living room to get a game going, a new one that he'd actually paid for, since they could afford that now, Zack sighed. Things were far from perfect in his world, but he was alive, for the moment, and was able to actually plan for the future. He had money, and still, by some miracle, had a girlfriend. Given everything he could probably have more than that soon, if he wanted.

All he had to do was help stop a war and he'd have millions of dollars for it. That looked to be reasonably likely even. People would grouse and moan, but in the end, fighting was always a poor plan, on the large scale.

He'd have to figure out who exactly was setting him up for being at, or near the conference, though he was willing to be that it had actually been done to force him out into the open. It
could
have been Xenses, but no mention had been made of that at all. It was one of the Demons that knew who he was though, he thought. There were others, Vampires and Shifters, or even Mages, but none that could have done what had happened that weren't able to travel easily to the Ettarian lands. That meant one of
his
new people. One that would both know about him, and care.

True, in the end it might not matter, but chances were it was part of some bigger plan, and when he thought about it hard enough, it was clear that if it was, then it wasn't directly about him. He was only just coming onto the scene. So that meant he was being used as a pawn, most likely. Since he was too ignorant to really figure everything out for himself yet it would probably work, too.

It was a bit sad, about Lisa and how the Mages were reacting, but maybe that last part was for the best? It would be good to win his old boss back to his side, since she was his friend, even if she hated him now. That wasn't the case, however, and he knew it. She actually
liked
him. More than she was comfortable with. That was probably just because he'd been really helpful to her, but it was something worth pursuing, being friends again. If nothing else it would leave him looking like the good guy, just for trying.

That was the most important thing for the time being, no matter what else he eventually became. He needed to engender good will now, while he had some momentum going that way. Otherwise he'd keep hitting road blocks, and it would just die, leaving him alone and standing in place, with who knew how many hostile creatures coming for him.

With that thought, he left, going through the front, using his shortcuts, and not really knowing how he was supposed to get floor space at Westfield. Hopefully he had enough friends left there that someone would help him with it. If not...

Then he'd figure it out.

If what he'd heard was correct, that was actually supposed to be what Greater Demons were good at.

Putting on a smile, in case anyone saw him, he crossed the street, then looking through carefully first, stepped into the Mall parking lot, to get his new life going for real. It would be hard, and take time, but he could do it. Now.

He hoped.

Taking a moment, he fixed that to something more certain, using a bit of magic and some concentration.

Then he knew he could do it, and went in.