Other Places 3: Detours (43 page)

"Good,
because it's creepy to do that to little kids. There are worse things in the
universe, but not a lot of them."

This
got waved away, as if Xenses was bored with the idea already. He was The
Defiler, and while he had his reasons, which seemed to be involved in the idea
of making people "strong", it was also clear that he was so far gone
into his own insanity that a little chat with Zack wouldn't be changing
anything.

"Posh
and tish, Zack. That isn't why I've come, anyway." Then, naturally, he
stopped talking. Because everyone did at that point in the conversation, didn't
they?

Zack
tilted his head, trying not to even guess as to what the being wanted from him.

Xenses
let out a long his of air.

"I
know where your parents are, Zachary. I want to give them to you, as a
gift."

Zack...

Laughed.

"With
the Greater Demon Goethe? Enslaved to him, picked up shortly after Keeley
severed that link by killing you?" He stared at the being, who looked so
much like he did at the moment, and decided he was really going to work on
fixing his face and body soon. Vain or not.

That
would mean having to learn at least the basics of shape changing, but he had
that information inside his store of data, and it didn't seem that hard, but
time consuming. He could start by building some muscle, and work from there.

Xenses
however, gave him a look that said Zack was being an asshole. Coming from
almost anyone else it might have hurt, but he really didn't care that much,
given their history together.

"I
would have thought that you'd have gone for them automatically, once you knew.
I mean, they aren't that bad. I re-grew your mother's legs, just after you ate
them, so that you could do it again, but Finias took you first, and broke the
link. By killing you. A little kid. How's
that
for cold? Still, she's
your mother. Where's your heart, Zackie?"

He
knew the answer to that one, and smiled, letting it seem dark and a bit like he
was about to start throwing down with the Greater Demon that was, clearly,
goading him.

"Buried,
exactly like you wanted, so long ago. I remember what they did. What you did
too, but at least you can argue that you were trying to do something good. You
were wrong, and sick, but you believed it. They sold me for power though. For
magic
.
They knew that other people had it, and couldn't stand that they were just
normal. So they sold me, their only son, to a Demon, trying for more. My mother
didn't even realize that I wasn't Darren's son, did she? She truly was just
sending her little child to suffer at the hands of a monster." He let a
bit of venom come into his voice, since he actually felt it.

The
other Greater Demon grabbed at his chest, a bit too dramatically for the
situation, really.

"Ouch!
Wounded. You really think I'm a monster?"

Zack
didn't back away from it, just nodding.

"We
all are. You personally however, are even worse than most of us, as far as I'm
concerned. The thing there is, that you're a
monster
. An insane Greater
Demon that can't see why what you're doing is wrong. I know that, and blaming
you for being what you are is foolish. It wasn't a choice for you, just a state
of being. They knew better! They were supposed to be my parents, and protect
me! Oh, it might not have worked, going up against you, but they should have
tried, at least enough not to just hand me over for a few promises and
kisses!" Zack turned a lovely color of red, and was actually yelling, by
the last line.

The
other man didn't stand though, even if he had been called names.

Instead
he sat and spoke in a reasonable voice.

"That's
sensible then. I hadn't looked at it that way before. It's a very Human way of
thinking, isn't it? Or maybe not. I'd assumed that you'd do the Human thing and
run to them, battling Goethe and taking them, or more likely, dying thrice.
He's tough, after all. Old too. Instead you're just sitting back, sensibly, and
not even bothering with them?" He smiled and pumped his fist a bit, over
his head. "I'm the greatest! I did that for you. I made you strong enough
that no one will ever hurt you again. It worked!"

Zack
had to consider that, and after a few seconds, nodded.

"I
suppose it did, after a fashion. It's still a poor plan, but I know you can't
change. Not easily. Maybe, someday, I can show you a better way? Right now I
don't have one for you."

Xenses
grinned at him.

"But
we, you and I, are good? Tell me that we're good, and I can go, happy enough,
for now. I never wanted you to hate me, Zack. I just wanted you to have a
chance to live. To be truly free, too. You are, and you do. I don't expect you
to thank me for it, not yet, but maybe, when you've gotten some time to look
around at reality and understand that seeing it clearly all the time isn't the
best way to be, possibly then, you'll forgive me?"

Maybe.
Not likely, but he could try. After all, you didn't pick your family. Then
again, you didn't have to let them get away with things like that either. The
fact was, almost certainly, that Xenses wasn't capable of changing. Not really.
That meant the only thing he could do about the being was destroy him. Or trap
him somewhere.

That
was against their agreement, so he wouldn't. After all, he was far too young to
break his word. That kind of thing would linger, after all.

Just
then, almost as if on purpose there was a sound of female moaning from Troy's
room. Eve, it sounded like, with some manly grunting and the soft sound of
flesh slapping against more of the same. He didn't let it distract him, but the
conversation was just about over, anyway.

The
resolution they'd come to was about the best one they could, really.

"Keeley
and Darla are still planning to kill you, if they can." His voice was
conversational again, so there was that, if nothing else. Zack didn't feel all
that worked up about it really.

Xenses
stood, and looked over at the door the sounds were coming from.

"Oh,
they'll get over it, in time. That, or kill me. I'm pretty good at not dying.
We all are, when it comes down to it. The problem with those two is that they
haven't really learned to live. So, what was the secret that Keels traded her
own mother for? Where the g-spot is?"

Zack
suddenly got something that he'd totally missed before, and it made him
cringe
.
Mirror Him, who was a part of his personality now, was really the reflection of
Xenses. They had the same horrible sense of humor and everything. Finias had
said so, but Zack had thought he meant the face and body, not the mind.

He
nodded.

"We
covered that one. A lot of other things too, but no, if you want to know, you'll
have to trade for it. It isn't as big of a deal for you, so I won't ask for all
your people or anything, but be ready to trade big."

The
evil, and yet familiar, Demon seemed interested at least.

"What
do you want?"

Zack
actually had nothing, to tell the truth. He didn't need anything at all. It
was, he knew, a good thing. A position of ultimate power, really. If he was the
one that had things others wanted or needed, then they had to do what he
wanted, not the other way around. It left him scrambling though, in the moment.
Finally he hit on something.

"For
two years, you need to leave Keeley and Darla alone and do your best to get
your friends and other Greater Demons to do the same. Within reason, I mean. No
suggesting
that they go after them, that kind of thing. I don't expect
you to battle everyone that's going to drop over on their own, or anything
stupid like that."

There
was a long and drawn out silence.

"Six
months."

Zack
shrugged.

"A
year and six months. This is big enough, I think."

"A
year?" Xenses looked ready to keep going, but Zack nodded. It would either
be enough for them, or not. It didn't protect anyone really, since the girls
might go after him anyway, but there was an equal chance that Keeley and Darla
would lose, if they tried it. He could handle it if they died, but it wasn't
what he wanted, even if they were a couple of pains in the ass, sometimes.

"A
year. Tarsus told me that he plans to start the Second Crucible for Keeley in a
few months. He'll kill her if she fails. I think the plan is to do Darla at the
same time, but there was no death threat involved there."

The
other being laughed.

"Oh...
that is perfect! Wonderful, really. Well, good for them. So a truce between us
all then? For a year. They won't be doing anything as foolish as warring with
me, not if that's going on. I need to go and see to getting some people ready.
The Second Crucible? No wonder they gave you all their people. If they're smart
they'll sign over everything to you, since otherwise they'll probably lose it
all anyway. Well, not my concern. Tootles, Zack. I'll be by for dinner in a few
weeks?"

That
was new, him saying things like that. Zack took a breath, but managed a nod.

"Right.
Call first, I'm actually working a lot lately."

"No
problem. Ann? I need to leave now. Are you staying?" His voice rose and
the noise from inside the room stopped. A few moments later a good looking and
muscular Hispanic man came to the door. Nude. It was Troy, except with more
muscle.

"Yep.
I think I'll stay, for a few weeks. You don't mind, do you Zack, sweetie?"
It was creepy, coming from the image of his best friend.

"If
you look different and follow my rules, then yes."

"What
rules?"

"No
killing, or torture, or making my life too hard. That goes for all my people,
too, not just me."

"Oh."
The Troy looking Demon seemed to be considering thing and then agreed. "We
can do that. I'll set up in your room? I need to get back to things..."
Then, distracted, the naked and enthused man turned and went back to the room,
where the noises resumed, a bit more intensely than before.

Zack
rolled his eyes, and wondered how he'd managed to get himself into situations
like this. Xenses stood and moved over to him, then patted his shoulder, in an
almost fatherly manner and went to the front door.

"I'm
very proud of you, do you know that?"

He
hadn't and still didn't, since Greater Demons had a sketchy relationship with
the truth at times. Still, it was a nice thing to say.

"See
you later. In a week or two."

"See
you then, son."

The
Greater Demon left, a node opening and his presence stepping onto the line. He
moved away quickly enough then, but it wasn't much compared to what Zack did,
normally.

Then
Zack decided to leave himself, or would in a bit, actually just walking down
the street, not taking any shortcuts at all. There was a newspaper box, where
he could get a real estate listing. People were coming and he had a lot to do,
but, he realized, things were actually going pretty well for him.

He
hadn't thought that would ever happen, especially after learning what he really
was, but, at least for now, things were good, and Zack was in a place where he
could do pretty much whatever he wanted. Most people never had that much
freedom, did they?

Oh,
his life wasn't perfect and he had things to keep working on. Barb the Vampire,
for instance, still acted like he was going to beat her, almost every time they
met, and that should be dealt with, because he considered her a friend. One of
his people too.

The
Ettarian Summit needed to be seen to as well, but that could be managed, he
decided. A bit of pressure in the right places would help a lot.

The
Vampires needed more guidance, but they had the right idea, just poor execution
so far. The banked blood, the new kind that Rebekah was providing, which didn't
taste too horrible to even consider, was going to have to come down in price,
but with his help, they could do that.

He
smiled and looked into the mirror on the wall, to his right.

It
was hard to tell, but for the briefest of moments it seemed to come alive and
smile back at him.

Then
it spoke.

"I
did say you could do it. Not that I want to be one of those jerks that always
says I told you so... But..."

Then
the image just became him again.

Normal,
complete and whole, the way he was supposed to be.

Zack
walked out, into the cool evening air, and smiled. Things were, possibly for
the first time ever, right in his world.

It
was, he decided, a good thing.

One
of the very best.

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