Demon Girl (Keeley Thomson Book One) (18 page)

   Keeley wondered if it would be enough.

   Because in her new memories she saw something that scared her. Out of every ten new demons, only one survived their first twenty years.

   And Keeley was already over sixteen.

   When Darla had mentioned that statistic... well it had sounded like she had a little more time to actually learn things.

   Apparently that just wasn't the case.

Chapter nine

   Darla wanted to go and hunt the lesser demon Balthias and see if she couldn't trap him again. It was, she pointed out, largely wasted effort to destroy something created of thought. After all, something else would just pop into its place, probably within a few days and given the tone of Christian fear and hate right now, that probably wouldn't be an improvement. 

   “It's all the “end times” nonsense. You'd think they get the point that Jesus just isn't coming back by now, but every few hundred years they have to get themselves all stirred up and thinking that it's going to happen any day. It never does, but they won't learn from their failures. As a group it probably means they're insane, but then, we knew that didn't we?” She gestured for Keeley to follow her and led to her bedroom, which was a good bit bigger than it looked.

   “Darla, has it ever occurred to you that you might be being a little anti-Christian?” Keeley smiled when she said it and tried to look happy.

   The blond shrugged.

   “Probably. Most aren't that bad really, let's just say that as a religion they haven't exactly been good to our people. Sometimes with a reason, but no one loves to be vilified. No one sane at least. It makes me a little snippy.” She pointed at the room.

   Keeley could see that the shape was wrong, even understood a little bit of what was there. Or rather what had to be going on. Forcing herself to check the memories that floated around her, imprinted outside of herself in the very fabric of the universe, she got it. It was simply a complex set of hidden walls that would leave most people feeling like the space was the right shape, while making closed space toward the left side. Near the front. A place that almost no one would look for something like that. People looked for secrets in the back of things or underneath.

   “So, how do you feel?” Darla asked as she changed clothes quickly. “A lot of the newer demons feel a little unsettled after meeting their first ancient demons. Tarsus is one of the old ones too. You probably caught the color differences?”

   Keeley nodded, how did she feel? A bit like she was in shock.

   “Afraid mainly?” She decided to confide. “Tarsus... Um, Darla... He didn't threaten me, because he doesn't think I'm going to make it at all. No reason to bother. Too physically weak and immature for all the information I now hold. He only threatens the really strong ones, like you, so you don't get above yourself too soon.”

   Darla huffed and shook her head.

   “Don't buy it. Most of the info you just got is true, but he leaves out a lot about himself and it wouldn't surprise me if he did that bit of mental sabotage on purpose, because you're so smart. Moot point though, he's wrong about who survives just as often as anyone else. We make up rules and some are right, but most of the time, when it comes to what works as a demon, each of the survivors is different.”

   Dressed and ready, Keeley back in her own jeans and a t-shirt, both a little baggier than they had been the day before she thought, Darla drove her home.

   “Sorry to just dump you like this, but really, odds are that Balthias won't be coming for you at all. His beef is with me, so I'll just keep it that way. He can't do much to me directly. Or you, for that matter. Yes, he could hit you with a car, and that wouldn't feel good, but you'd probably survive it. I do wish your strength would kick in, but for now just remember, he can't actually touch you himself, he'd have to use an object to damage you. So if he comes, just run away.”

   “If he can't touch me, why should I run? To prevent car related blugeonings? I mean, that sounds like a more than good enough reason, I can't imagine that feeling good, but... you say he physically can't touch me?”

   “Yep. Remember when he backed off the other night? Ghosts, lesser demons, most tulpas, they can't make contact with you, with any of us. But you run... because I don't want you to endanger the mortals around you if you get attacked. You'll want him to follow you and of course to meet up with me fairly quickly, since enough damage will kill you and he can certainly do it if he tries.”

   “Ah. Duh, I should have realized that. OK. So I go home and...” Do what? Her homework? She was pretty much done but that didn't mean she couldn't come up with an extra credit piece or something. Or work out the advertising campaign for the homecoming game and dance.

   They called first, because Darla didn't want to arrive unannounced, but both the Thomson adults waited for them when they got in. Keeley's dad managed to not drool all over her new friend, though he was clearly way too interested in her for comfort, Keeley understood now. Eeek. The new memories in her head had a lot more information about how men thought than she really wanted to know. It would be helpful, but that didn't mean she wanted to know that about her father, did she?

   “Girls!” Sherry said happily when they got in, handing out hugs easily.

   “We didn't expect Keeley back until later, tomorrow even... is everything alright?”

   Darla sighed and shook her head.

   “Not really, some... person, probably a drunk driver, just crashed a stolen car into my house. Caved in one of the walls. I mean, who does that? The crew is coming to fix it tomorrow, but I'm in a hotel for the next week or so, unless the crew can manage to fix it a lot faster than I think. Not much of a fun weekend that way, so... here we are.”

   They talked about the “crash”, the damage and how “scared” the girls were. Keeley really was a bit, but that mainly had to do with the fact that as a demon, a young one, a lot of beings would probably try to kill her on sight. Including other demons, which was one reason Finias was sent out. He didn't particularly like to kill and when a new demon popped into everyone's awareness he'd know about it. So he could send her a warning. Or Darla. So far only a few people knew about Keeley at all. The longer they could keep it that way the better her odds of survival were.

   When Darla left Keeley started working on her extra credit projects and then the poster campaign for the dance. She had the layout for three different ones ready to go by the next day, not sleeping at all. It wasn't that she was nervous really, Darla was right that no one would be looking for her yet, especially at home. It was just...

   Everything.

   She was a demon? Seriously? And now, as soon as anyone found out, they'd kill her. How unfair was that? She'd found out that she wasn't just a regular weirdo or freak and maybe virtually immortal and then, bam, she had to put up with the fact that she may not even make it a few more years? Possibly not even days if she got sloppy?

   The only good thing about the whole deal was that neither of her parents had noticed that she wasn't wearing her glasses at all. That was cool. Eventually they'd notice, and she still didn't know what to tell them. Hopefully she could confer with Darla about it first and they could come up with some trick or lie or something.

   Sunday was boring for her, and she felt half exhausted by six in the evening when the doorbell rang. No one else was home so she approached the whole thing carefully, wondering who would be visiting.

   Darla stood outside, waving as she looked through the peep hole. Happily.

   The demon swept in rapidly when the door opened and grabbed Keeley up into a sudden hug.

   “Good. I was worried for a second. Roy called, he said that there have been a few attacks, mainly teenagers from our school. Balthias trying to strike at my people most likely. Just scaring them so far, roughing a few up. Reports of a man in a “demon mask” though. I came here first, obviously. You look exhausted.”

   She spoke, almost manic. Like she'd mainlined something that probably wouldn't be legal. After a second without waiting she nodded.

   “Right, you don't know you don't need sleep yet. Ah... Here... try to remember what it felt like the last time you were really hyper and awake, once you have it, just focus on that feeling for a minute.”

   Keeley called up the memory of the day before, after she'd gotten up and then isolated what that was really like. A moment later it was like something clicked in her head. A feeling of not being tired at all just washed over her all at once.

   “Oh, hey, that's cool!” She felt totally awake. Completely.

   “Good. I wasn't sure you could do it yet. It probably means that your mental talents are a good bit stronger than I thought. You should be able to evoke anything now, at least inside of yourself. So you don't need to sleep if you don't want to, you can run and keep going back to a fresh and relaxed feeling and your body will follow, not feel fear, that kind of thing. You might be able to increase strength that way too. Just remember to use the skill and practice it as often as possible.” She swept in and looked around suspiciously, then sat on the brown sofa.

   “I need to go and check on the others. But you come first. Oh, by the way, remember that. Not that you come first, but when you're dealing with anyone, always make them feel like they do. It will make them feel better about you. In this case I really did check on you first though. Of course, I'd say that even if I didn't.” This got followed by a grin and then she stood.

   “Tomorrow morning? I'll pick you up at six-fifteen? You'll need time to get dressed. Be ready. It shouldn't be hard now, but if you decide to sleep through the boring part of things, set an alarm.”

   Then the girl whisked out of the house rapidly. Moving a good bit faster than a person walking really should have been able too. Not some kind of blurring super speed, but if there was a world speed walking championship, Darla could have easily won.