Other Places 3: Detours by P. S. Power Page B

taste, or the mouth
feel, but him eating. It was an excuse to have him be given things constantly,
for a time. He was using a lot of magic to keep his emotions in check, but that
wasn't visible from the outside. Not really. Finally, after Barb started to
help, and Lenore pulled out her notebook, to take what they were suggesting
down, he remembered why he was actually there.
    To
introduce Rebekah. Not to stand there like a freak, having a meltdown.
    Carrying
the treat in his hand, which was no doubt rude, he waved to the Vampire woman
and the Demon girl.
    "This
way." He knew that Marissa was still there, since he could feel the
ripples in space around her, even as she held still. When he saw her, talking
softly into a small black and gold cell phone, he waved. It was a small thing, done
with a spoon in his hand, but she smiled back and kept talking.
    "At
midnight, yes..." She paused, and he focused his attention a bit,
realizing something. His hearing wasn't anywhere near Vampire level, or Bat
shifter, but he could tell what the other person was saying, based on the
patterns that the sound made as it disrupted the universe. It was different,
but he knew that Marissa was, very gently, being told to go soak her head,
since no one wanted to sell mercenaries to her at the moment, because that
might just start a war with the Vampires.
    It
was a point and the Kobold on the phone knew that. He recognized the voice as
the blacksmith, from down the way.
    That
meant she was off the thing not two minutes later, trying hard not to seem
panicked herself.
    She
glanced up at him, from where she sat on the nice dark brown leather sofa, and
then looked over at Lenore, and Rebekah.
    "I
see you need the space?" Her nose twitched ever so slightly, picking up
the scent of sex, and her mind made the leap. "Or not? I fear my local
options for support in this evening's gathering are limited. I don't suppose
you'd be willing to stand against the Council for me, dear? If they
attack?" She was talking directly to Rebekah, but Lenore moved to the
front and bowed, first to Keeley, and then Marissa.
    "This
woman is The Mistress of Souls, the Greater Demon. Rebekah is her second."
She stopped, slightly wide eyed, but relaxed when Keeley nodded.
    "That's
right. We, along with the Lesser Demon Balthias, have been asked to help make
certain that things go smoothly this evening? I hope that will put your mind at
ease in this. The Line Walker contracted us for it."
    That
wasn't what she was there for, exactly, since the goal was to make certain he
lived, but it was close enough.
    "Correct."
He lied, easily and as if it were simply the truth, without trying at all. He
took a few more bites of food first, but then, ten seconds later, the taste of
fudge in his mouth, continued. "I'll test each one as they come in, after
making certain I'm not walking into an ambush. If I am, well, then you'll need some
new council members. If not, I'll bring them here, one by one. If they're going
to be a threat to you, I'll handle that before we get in." Unless, of
course, they had a really good reason. Then he might change his mind.
    He
didn't say that. Or even want to.
    It
was... Different. It probably meant, in some very real ways, he was a worse
person now than he had been even an hour before. Part of him wanted to blame
Keeley, but that wasn't true. She'd set the chain off, but that... Well, it
wasn't bad, just uncomfortable for him. She probably did it on purpose. She
knew enough about him to understand that trying to take him could do that. In
fact, when Darla had lightly flirted with it once, to test him and see if he
was one of them or not, Keeley had nearly freaked out.
    Then,
at the time, he didn't have any way to cope with things, except Mirror Him, and
taking that away would have broken him for a long time. He couldn't afford six
months of gibbering right then either, since too many things wanted him dead.
    So
now, after he had some small ability to handle things,