Finally Dead (Eve Benson: Vampire Book 1) (35 page)

So
everyone else standing there looked horribly uncomfortable.

She went
on then.

“Yeah,
so we got with his family. His, uh, uncle Bob is watching him during the day.
If he gets out of line like that again, it’s off to butt rape prison, and no
one likes that.
I
think we should send him anyway, but apparently Maggie
doesn’t want that kind of thing to happen to anyone, being nice like she is.
So…” It really didn’t sound like enough at the moment. Like he was being let go
with no more than a slap on the hand.

What
they couldn’t tell the people there though, was that in real life you pretty
much couldn’t keep a Mage in prison for any length of time. They weren’t fast
in what they did, but their magic let them do almost anything, if they learned
how and were willing to practice their skills enough. True that didn’t help in
a fight much, without a lot of prep work, but trying to lock them up? That just
wasn’t going to play. They didn’t even really try that with each other. No,
they used different punishments if it came to it.

Mainly
shunning, and fines, from what Eve had seen.

The guys
were all a bit put off by it, and Tara looked ready to cry. After a while,
where people stood around in a clump as new ones came, she thought she
understood why. The pinched faced costume maven liked Mark. Or she
had
at least. Then, instead of asking her out, he’d gone and committed a crime to
try and get Maggie. The Vampire wasn’t
that
much better looking than she
was or anything, so it
had
to hurt.

In fact,
even though about forty percent of the people there were female, Eve realized
that she was the best looking one around, by a good margin. Even dressed down,
a lot of the guys, and a few of the other women, were looking at her. Staring
really.

Thankfully
the group got to break up a bit a few minutes later, since Zack and Barb came.
That doubled the staring, since as a group, the three of them looked stunning,
standing there.

She hugged
Barb, and then put an arm half around Zack, which made Ben’s face fall a bit.
Looking at the man, her favorite hero at the moment, she winked.

“Zack
and Barb. As in the ones that wrote the Node Rulez books? I’m not dating either
one of them. You’re single, aren’t you Barb?” She nodded and moved forward as
if she
hadn’t
been put on the spot without warning. Her hand came out
professionally which got an awkward shake returned by Ben.

“I am.
Trying to set me up with your friends already?”

“Yep.
Especially Ben here.
I
like him, but you know, I can’t date for a
while.” She shrugged, and then looked at the others. “Rage issues. I’m working
on it, but you know, on the hot crazy scale, I’m not worth the effort yet.” She
crossed her arms, to show what she meant, but no one seemed to believe her. Not
even Zack, who knew that kind of thing first hand. Greater Demons knew almost
everything, after all.

“Don’t
buy it, Ben. She’s just trying to be shy. Anyway, can you take us around before
things really get started? We should meet people, and then see the game in
action. I can’t wait. Each one of these takes on a life of its own.”

Almost
as if the whole thing was planned, he led them all away, along with Barb, to
meet and greet the people that had actually paid for the things they’d written.
Even Maggie was sucked along behind them, as if part of the group. Probably
there to protect her people from Zack, Eve knew, if it came to that. It
wouldn’t though. That meant Eve was able to do her own walking around. It
didn’t take long for her to catch the familiar scent, it being the very first
one her Vampire nose had encountered.

The male
New Vampire, who’d kidnapped her, along with his friends. At least one of them
was there too. The older woman who was a Classic, like she was.

Eve got
ready to fight, to throw her body into the pure white of pain, and kill the
man, who was approaching her already. The woman was right behind him, looking
youthful, and not out of place at all.

When
they reached her, their faces were…
Pleasant
. Kind of bordering on
neutral, but not scared or angry seeming. These people weren’t really ready for
a fight either, for some reason, which was interesting. She would have been, if
she were them. Kidnapping a person was kind of a big deal, wasn’t it?

“Hello!
I’m the Vampire Lemont. This lovely fanged lady is my girlfriend, Leslie.
You’re new, aren’t you?” It was clear that they got that she wasn’t Human,
which was probably as plain to them as their states of being were the other way
around.

It also
seemed like they didn’t recognize her. Since she’d kind of kicked their butts
once that was a bit odd, wasn’t it?

“Yep. I
came with Maggie? I’m Eve. I work at Yoghurt World, at Westfield?” They were
Vampires, so got what
that
meant, but didn’t seem to feel threatened by
the news.

Lemont,
if that was his real name, took a deep breath and let about half of it out in a
huff. Then he sort of whispered.

“Is this
about Jim and Clary and the others? I don’t know what they were thinking. Even
if they needed the blood, robbing the embassy was
insane
. I would have
given
them the money for it, if they needed.”

There
was a nod from the Vampire behind him. His girlfriend, Leslie. It was a strange
coupling, but there was no rule saying they
couldn’t
be together, if
they wanted. Actually, it was probably useful, all things considered. The New
Vamps could be awake during the day, so Leslie could get him to do the shopping
and banking stuff, without having a Human servant.

Eve
nodded then, her face blank.

“It was
really weird. Can you tell me anything about it? There are a lot of things
going on, all centered on this place and group, lately. It’s caught a bit of
attention, so, you understand, I was sent in, as the junior lackey, and all
that?”

She
expected denials, but the Vampire couple looked at each other, and then nodded
almost in unison.

Leslie
moved forward and spoke in an almost subliminal tone.

“There
have been some things. Mainly with the Mages. Can we speak? Later? At Denny’s?”

Because
that
made sense. Where better to plan things out? She nodded, because no one had
tried to attack her yet. Not even the kidnappers, who clearly were acting like
they just didn’t get who she was.

“After
this? I can follow you over.”

That got
a nod, and the couple both smiled at her politely, and walked away.

They
weren’t the only ones she recognized either. Tim’s brother Todd was there,
along with a clutch of fishy seeming people that were all slightly buzzing with
magic. None of them came over to her, though a few looked at her. Finally Todd
did though, his young face looking slightly puffy. Probably from depression and
rage over his buddy being killed.

“Hey.”
He seemed pensive, rather than angry.

Eve
nodded back.

“How are
things going?”

“Not…
good. Can we talk later? If anyone asks… Tell them that I wanted you to have
sex with me or something?”

It was a
good line, she knew, since it put the idea right out front, but made it seem
like a deflection too. As a ruse it worked, because he probably
would
want to get busy with her if he could. She was hot. It was a thing that
everyone that saw her could understand.

“Can you
get over to Denny’s later? I’m meeting some friends there.”

It could
be a problem being he was young enough he might not have a car, but the boy
nodded, and then wondered off, moving back to the group of mages. Several of
them looked at her and more than one or two were people she recognized from the
candle store over the years.

Including
Warren, who was taking great pains not to be seen by her.

Because
that
wasn’t strange or fishy at all, was it?

Eve was
willing to give Warren the benefit of the doubt. Even if he was acting sketchy
at the moment.

She’d
worked with him for a long time after all, several years, and they’d had all
that quality time together. Straightening shelves and sweeping floors. Okay
that didn’t exactly mean she
knew
the guy, did it? Did she know anyone
at all, really? Eve was kind of certain on that score. The answer was simply
no
.
Even her old school friends had all turned out to be different people than she
thought they’d be, in the end.

Gary,
her
totally
gay friend, had turned straight for some reason, gotten
married and had two little kids. Eve had always suspected magic being involved
in that one though. As in the real deal, too. Probably enslavement to a Greater
Demon. There would be no other way to make him look at a woman’s crotch and
think it looked yummy. That just wasn’t who he’d been. Sure, people could
change, but it was a sign that she couldn’t count on people being what she
thought, wasn’t it? Not in the end.

Look at
her.

Here she
was going to
geek
events… and actually sort of liking it. True, most of
the people were just walking around and socializing, but that’s what a party
was. That these particular people wanted to do that while pretending to be
something they weren’t, well, again, that’s what a party
was
. Eve
grinned, and walked over to Warren. After all, she knew him, and it could be
that the man was just kind of shy outside of work. It might also be that she
was hot and he was trying to hit on one of the guys there that would be
distracted by her? She noticed that most of the males in the group turned to
look at her when she came up, so it could be that. The women all glared.
All
of them.

Angrily.
She was used to that kind of garbage, true, since pretty girls had to put up
with that sort of thing from the less pretty ones in certain situations, but
this was a
bit
over the top. Besides, two of the women weren’t all that
bad, honestly. They still seemed really pissed at her. Warren for his part,
seemed a bit panicked.

That
didn’t really make sense, did it? Even if he
didn’t
want to hang out
with her.

“Hi! Do
any of you want some snacks? I made them, so I wanted to make sure you knew
they were for everyone.” That got a strange and mixed reaction from the crowd.
About half of them suddenly relaxed,
including
Warren. One of the
prettier women too.

One of
the men though, who looked about twenty-five, had a well trimmed beard and a
thin waist, even if he managed to be more fit looking than anything else,
practically sneered at her.

“Like
you
eat food?”

Eve
stared at him, ready to fight suddenly, when Warren turned and growled at the
man. Cattily.

“Fuck
you, Jim. Not
every
skinny girl is your anorexic ex. This is Eve, my…
girlfriend. Now back off before I put you through a wall.”

It got a
chuckle for some reason, probably because the man was a flamer in a hard core
way, or at least seemed like it, but Eve nodded.

“I
know
what you’re all thinking, but we have an arrangement. It turns out that we both
like threesomes, so I just grab up an extra guy every now and then and… well
you know. How about it Jimmy? We could make a sandwich?” She looked at him
boldly, waiting for him to attack, or at least snap at her, but he actually
blushed.

“I… I’m
not into guys that way. Sorry.”

She
shrugged.

“No
problem. You should try not to be so close minded though. I mean, Warren really
is pretty good in bed, and have you seen his abs?” She hadn’t, but was willing
to bet he had them, as lean as he was. Probably from doing massive amounts of
magical work.

She’d
never really gotten that part before, just assuming he didn’t eat much. It was
the part with Mark that had gotten her to really consider things about Mages
like that. She’d always seen Warren as just a coworker, not as some kind of
extra hard working super being. She probably seemed like a giant slacker to
him, since all she’d ever done was go and get coffee and cleaned things up
along with some light paperwork.

The last
holdout of glaring women shook her head a bit, but relaxed then, too.

“Eve, is
it? I don’t recognize you. I would have thought that Warren would have
mentioned it to me, if he were going to switch teams like that. Not that he
doesn’t like girls too, but he told me he was focusing on guys for a while.
I’ve been hinting after him for years. No love for Ellyn at all, I guess.
Hardly fair. Not that I blame him really. You have that hard look, and short
hair, so he can pretend you’re a boy pretty easily, right?” She was trying to
be mean, but that was as good an excuse as any.

“Yep.
Plus, I do anal. So with the lights off, and some Old Spice on, he hardly
notices the difference. So, I guess you
won’t
be wanting a cupcake? I
mean, having to watch your weight like you do? It’s a shame, they’re
really
good.” She wasn’t fat, being on the right side of average for the U.S. but she
made a hurt face and then nodded, tears actually coming to her eyes.

Eve
sighed.

“Don’t
worry, I’m
joking
with you. You did just say I looked like a guy. Seems
fair. Don’t cry.”

Ellyn
made a face like a petulant child then, her chin forming lines and ripples due
to the force of it.

“I’m
not!
Bitch
. I’m just mad because I really can’t afford to have a
cupcake.”

Eve
could understand that one. It was hard to stay skinny, and even before she’d
gone all in on fasting for the sake of building her resolve, she’d gone without
a whole lot of food at parties and events.

Trying
not to be the bitch Ellyn seemed to think she was, she moved in and touched her
arm lightly. Magic flared, getting her to go wide eyed.

“
Vampire
?”

Eve
noticed that half the crowd in the little clutch seemed amazed by the news, and
the rest seemed… Honestly, like it was either no big deal or they already knew
it.

Jim
cleared his throat and looked around.

“Yeah,
she’s like, the number three person at the Vampire embassy. A new hire though?
I heard that from my dad. He noticed her the other day when he was in to get
some paperwork for business travel.”

That…
Sounded
really
fake, to her. Not just a little, or like he was lying to
make a joke either. No, he knew
who
she was and also wanted her to think
he was too dumb to understand it. That set off alarm bells in her head.

Eve
smiled a bit.

“Nothing
like that. I’m actually just the newest Vampire in town, and have to stay with
a keeper all the time, so I’m there during the day.” Except apparently while at
large public events with lots of food available. No one called her on that part
though.

Which
was wrong.

That
Vampire Children were largely out of control killer freaks was in the guide
books that these people all had, and read. They had to know that Zack was The
Line Walker, too. Warren knew that one first hand, working at the mall. For
that matter Zack used to have the same job at the embassy there, more or less.
So they’d have to know that the information was correct wouldn’t they? People
would tell them, if nothing else. The books were a treasure that way. Eve was
going to finish reading all of them, if she could.

These
people were playing dumb though. Acting like they didn’t know simple things
that they all should. Okay,
part
of that might have been that the weaker
Mages didn’t know what was going on, or that the younger ones didn’t get that
she was really a Vampire not just playing one, but that didn’t make sense. If
she could feel the magic that had flared up around Ellyn, a Ward of some kind,
then how could a Mage miss it?

The
honest answer was that they wouldn’t. Not most of the time.

So what
was going on?

It was
frustrating, not knowing, but part of her task was to…

Actually
she nearly thought that her job was to
investigate
, and get to the
bottom of things, but that wasn’t true at all. She was there to pass out some
snacks while other people watched what was going on, listened, and got ready to
take people down if needed. That she hadn’t been attacked yet… Well that was
good. It didn’t change her job from being…

Eve
sighed, understanding that she wasn’t
really
needed there. Bey and the
others could have sat back at a distance and listened like they were doing,
without her being there at all. Oh, maybe she was of some use as bait, but even
that was going to be a marginal enough thing.

She
waved at the group.

“Anyway,
goodies. Also, Zack and Barb are here. The ones that wrote the guidebooks?
Everyone should go say hello.” That got people excited enough that half of them
broke character, and moved off in the direction she pointed. Oddly enough that
was a general move toward the food, too. It made it seem like the night was
special and planned out, rather than just another game in the park.

People
were eating, which was nice to see. The sandwiches were going faster than
anything else, and she really should have seen to some drinks. Someone had
brought a large container of water with a spigot to share, which was nice, and
some plastic cups. It was much tidier than people trying to stick their mouths
underneath the thing. Warmer too, since that would have to be chilly for most
of the people there, having their heads soaked like that.

She was
left with Warren, Ellyn and Jim then.

The ones
trying to avoid the Greater Demon? That
could
just be prudence. Lots of
people avoided Zack, and he’d killed one of the kids that came to their game
nights not long before. If the others knew that however, it didn’t show. They
were all crowding around trying to touch him and running to get their books if
they had them there, for Barb and him to sign.

Fair
enough, but not really in balance.

What did
it mean though?

Why
hadn’t the Vampires that kidnapped her recognized her? That
could
have
been acting, but it was hard to buy that they’d both be that good at it. One of
them might be, sure, but both at once?
Maggie
could pull it off, Eve had
no doubt at all. The rest of them though? It was baffling, but she winked at
Warren. He was someone she kind of knew, if nothing else.

“You
didn’t tell them about me? I’m a bit hurt. We’ve been together for years now.
True, I was Human back then, but still…” She was playing with the line he’d
dangled about being together, since that was what polite people did when tossed
a thing like that.

Warren
gave Jimmy a hard look and then almost glared in Ellyn’s direction, his face
looking meaner than she’d seen it before.

“Well
you know, it never really came up. Say, um, can we talk?
Now
?” He looked
troubled about something, and was trying not to pay attention to the other two,
who both stiffened up suddenly. Getting that he wanted to talk about them?
Perhaps to give her all their secrets?

Distraction
time then.

“By
talk
,
you mean blowjob behind the bushes? I know your codes by now. Your pals here
can come, too, if they want? I can work up some lube, I think. Jimmy, you’re
in?” She made it so not teasing that the man blushed again and shook his head.
Like she was serious? They wouldn’t be doing anything that took lubricant out
in a park. That was stupid, there was too great a chance of getting caught that
way.

“I’m
good. El and I will go, and, ehm, get something to eat?”

That got
them to leave, as if it were all real, and not just her messing around with
them. Did they not know how very gay Warren was, or was that just
her
not understanding things? If so, he was probably about to read her the riot act
for acting like he was gay in front of his peeps.

He
didn’t take her arm, but did walk away with her, his voice slow and almost
neutral.

“You’re
probably wondering what I’m doing here, right?”

She
honestly was, but not for any normal kind of reason. She would have thought
that he was simply too busy, to tell the truth. Kids games like this, with his
geeky friends…

The same
ones that kept using compulsion spells to take over all those people’s minds.
It half clicked into place for her then, as she felt magic start to raise
around him. On the good side he didn’t have a lot of time to come up with
something to take her over with. On the bad, he was pretty fast for a Mage.  Powerful
too, if she got the idea now. There was a
huge
feeling of silver and
white energy coming off of him.

She
turned to him, and nodded.

“Yeah… I
have some questions. Are you behind this foolish attempt to start a war, or is
one of the others in charge of that? Maggie maybe? Or Marcus? Was his taking
her over part of that, or just meant to throw the rest of us off?”