On the Line (Alternate Places Book 3) (44 page)

Hawk didn't say anything to him, but Chris apologized for
being late, explaining he had to go on a special escort duty, since Claire had told
him to. Kate kept her smile inside, since the Vampire boy seemed mollified by
this answer and showed the other boy where he needed to stand and the
procedures that Claire had told him to use.

Kate wandered off then, figuring the boy's would either get
it right or not, and her being there wouldn't help anything. In the large room
she found about fifty people standing with drinks in hand. All of them were
either important leaders or standing next to one. Looking around she found her
own mother, standing next to Cerise the Alede leader.

She made her way over, hoping that wouldn't be a breach of
some sort. It was, at least in small part, her party, and Patty was her mother,
which should give her a reason to walk over. Plus, she'd met Cerise before.
True, she'd kind of had to tell the leader off at the time, but hopefully that
would be forgotten by now.

As she reached the group, her mother turned and gave her a
hug and a kiss quickly, then stood with her arm around her, showing possession,
or ownership.

“This is my daughter, Kaitlyn.” She told the small group
proudly.

Cerise gave her a sweet smile and a small bow, without any
sign of recognition. They made small talk for a minute or two when a pretty
Alede standing near them spoke, her tone haughty and dismissive.

“Mother... I didn't come to listen to you prattle at some
diplomat's brat. If we can't talk to someone important can we at least find
someone more interesting than
this
?” The beautiful, but suddenly unlikable
black haired woman really had the whole derisive thing down well. That was hard
for one of their kind, to tell the truth. It was almost admirable, in a strange
way. It was clear that the girl had worked for a long time to make that happen.

Kate couldn't tell how old the Alede was. She knew Cerise to
be at least over a thousand, and she'd been in office for nearly the last fifty
years, so the girl would be older than
that
at least. So, old enough to
know better. At least in theory. The man with Cerise looked embarrassed and
slowly moved away from the girl as if trying to distance himself. Her date
stood with her, looking bored himself and as if he hadn't noticed what the
woman next to him had just said.

For her part Cerise froze in place looking like someone had
just done something very unpleasant to her at an orgy, without permission. She
held this in well though, behaving a lot better this time than the last time
they'd met, when she'd tried to kidnap Zack using her feminine wiles. Not that
Kate could
blame
her. Finding an individual that could feed you to full
inside a few minutes was
huge
. It wouldn't shock her if the woman made another
try for Zack tonight, now that she thought about it. Then again, that's
probably half of the reason why Patty was sticking to her, to run interference
if need be.

She looked around in the awkward silence and saw two people
that could potentially help them out. Reaching out she tapped the man on the
shoulder gently and caught Eloise's eye over his shoulder. Each stood with a
drink in hand, scoping out the room covertly. Kate only noticed it because they
seemed a little like Alede as they did it, looking for people to have sex with.
These two, she realized with a sudden grin, probably had less sexual ideas in
mind with their searching. It was a bit of a shame, since there were so many
good choices there that night, if they wanted to get a little frisky.

“I don't know if you'll remember me...” She began, Clyde, lit
up and put his right hand out toward her.

“Miss Swanson! Of course I remember you! And your lovely
mother as well. Ambassador, so good to see you again.” He turned to address
them both, using a hand to draw Eloise into the group smoothly and introduced
her as well.

Cerise gave Kaitlyn an approving glance and looked at her own
daughter with a little frown. She turned her attention to Clyde then and made a
point of including the Mage leader as well, even if she didn't seem as likely a
bed partner.

Patty took her by the arm and wheeled her away. They both
spoke at once, softly enough that no one three feet away would be able to hear
them, unless one of the Bats stood listening within ten feet.

“That was well handled Kaitlyn...” Patty gave her a small
squeeze.

“Clyde knows who I am! Squee!”

They both laughed a bit and moved back to the group. Don had
been cornered by the Demon representative, but seemed to be being aided by
Beatrice, who stood next to him as if half lover, half bodyguard. Zack was shaking
Hathe's hand and apologizing again for the oversight, repeating what she'd said
about how important they viewed Lesser Shia as friends several times in a row.

The girl, woman, whatever she was seemed to be growing bored
again and asked when the Line-Walkers would get there. Trying to be helpful
Kate pointed out where Zack and Don stood, not too far away. The other woman
took her date by the hand and made a bee line for Don, since he was the better
looking of the two men. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed two blonde
Alede, both looking like Britney, headed in the same direction.

Good. Don would have back up.

Cerise took a deep breath, causing her bosom to stick out
nicely. Her nipples hardened under her sheer gown, her lips turned a slightly
brighter red and her pupils dilated, all showing sexual interest in the people
she spoke to. This response was Alede biology's way of saying, “Don't hit me!”
pretty much placating people by offering sex.

“I'm so sorry about my daughter. I shouldn't have brought
her, but she swore she just wanted to come and meet everyone. As a race we
can't afford to cause
any
problems with anyone, which by her age she
should know... I'm almost afraid to let her go off by herself here. She'll
start a war with the Line-Walkers or something...”

Kate waived this off.

“Don't worry, I'll run guard for her. What's her name though?
I don't remember it being mentioned in school...” She held a smile frozen on
her face, hoping the older Alede wouldn't take offense at her not knowing her
family line back to the n'th generation. Some of the old ones could be strange
at times.

Cerise just thanked her and told her the woman's name.

“London. Thank you dear... After her rudeness to you earlier,
it's very kind of you to help like this.” Reaching out the Alede leader took
her arm gently, making a point of rubbing it in a slightly suggestive fashion.
The Succubus version of a clap on the back.

Being careful not to sigh, Kate made her way over to the
small group, where the Demons' representative stood looking like he really
wanted to move on to something else now and Beatrice looked ready to pull a weapon.
Her body language actually made Kate wonder if the Demoness had one on her.
That was silly though. She was a Demon. Of course she did.

Don stood bracketed by Britney and Blaine, who both used very
obvious Alede signals of ownership, London stood in front of them, hip cocked
and left hand out, palm down at waist level. This being roughly the equivalent
of flipping the other two off and telling them that she
outranked
them.
Kate watched the women for a second before doing anything, just in case she'd
misunderstood the situation.

“I can't imagine how you were trapped by these...
people
,
but I'm sure that I can be far more entertaining than they can. I had the best
schooling and
I'm
important. These Alede aren't worthy of you, you need
someone with class and something approaching style.”

Blaine stood, a lovely smile on her face, wearing a sequined
silver dress that actually managed not to look tacky, at least on her, though
Kate had no illusion that she could pull the look off herself. For that matter,
she wasn't totally certain Britney, standing in a nice black dress, almost sheer
in the right light, could have managed it either, for all that she looked like
the same person. Blaine just had a different way of carrying herself that
seamed stately and had ever since she'd gotten back from the void.

For instance, Brit looked about ready to hit the girl at the
moment, her weight shifting into position slowly, centering her weight, right
hand moving back into position carefully. It looked almost like a natural set
of movements, so smooth that Kate almost didn't notice it herself and she'd
suspected
that this would be happening.

London kept talking while the girl across from her got ready
to break her nose. Kate half felt like she should let her. Sighing, she stepped
forward and looked at Cerise's daughter from close range, leaning over she whispered
in her ear.

“Your mother asked me to stop you from starting a war with
the Line-Walkers, so I'll tell you that the Succubi you're insulting right now
are the sixth and eighth highest ranking people in the new government
structure. And the one in black is about ready to hit you, which you probably
deserve, but would force your mother to sever ties with them, which would be
bad all around. I suggest you apologize, or at least head back toward your
mother and try to stay calm.”

Stiffening London snorted, glared at Kate and walked away,
calling her a bitch under her breath. Smiling Kate gave Britney a hug and told
her not to deck Cerise's daughter if she could help it. Just for good measure
she grabbed the other girl's ass as she backed up. Knowing it would reassure
her. Dreading it she nodded to Don took a deep breath and headed back to her
own mother, who stood next to Clyde and Eloise still.

“Then that little bitch came over and claimed that those two
are some kind of government officials for the walkers! Can you believe that? I
should have her executed for being so stupid! It would have served her right if
I'd slapped her right then and there. Threatening me as if I were some regular
person or something.”

Clyde smiled at her and Eloise raised her eyebrows, worried.
Palms up she just shrugged and winked at the older Mage woman, mouthing “sorry”
to her, hoping that she could read lips. Clyde saw it and shook his head
slightly.

Zack came over with Hathe and one of the translators in tow,
the other actually mingling, probably meaning that that one was the actual
ambassador for their people or the equivalent at least for the night. Patty saw
them coming and motioned for Cerise to turn her attention to him, Kaitlyn
gestured with her head to Clyde and Eloise a little less subtly, but still with
a decent amount of decorum. London kept railing about how abused she had been.

Patty put a hand out to Zack, hugged him and kissed him on
the lips, showing ownership for this group, but didn't claim true ownership.
She bowed carefully to Hathe and the Translator in turn, not certain who they
were. Kate knew since her mom used the hand gesture for it asking assistance
with them, so she didn't misstep if anyone else knew.

“Cerise this is Mr. Zachary Hartley, the first Line-Walker.
His friends...” She paused, hoping someone would step in here, no one else did,
so Kate continued for her smoothly, gesturing with her whole palm.

“This gentleman is Hathe, Administrator of Lesser Shia whose
true title is so complex and different that we can't actually understand it in
English. Next to him is one of the legendary translators of Lesser Shia.” She
bowed to both in turn, a low bow to show respect. Everyone in the group picked
up on this, except for London. Though luckily her
date
did, and took a
step forward in front of her, bowing so low and with a flowery motion that
Hathe missed the fact that London had failed to bow at all. She doubted Hathe
would have cared even if he had. The man was nice, but driven by a keen
business sense as well. He'd never let a mere personal slight, real or
perceived, get in the way of work.

Hathe spoke through the translator, but so smoothly and
kindly that the whole group quickly warmed to him. He looked down as he told
them about how his own unimportant position had almost kept him from the night's
event, but thanks to the Alede Line-Walker he was able to come.

Zack broke in there, “Not your unimportance at all. My own
oversight. I forgot to notice one of the most important people, because you
were always there. You're virtually like family to us Hathe.”

Patty nodded, telling the man how highly Zack had spoken of
him in the past.

Looking around at Patty, Cerise signaled her with a covert
gesture, so subtle it would have looked like nothing more than a twitch of two
fingers to anyone that didn't know the meaning. Given the context it meant that
Cerise wanted to meet with the Alede Line-Walker, if possible. The same move
could also be construed as wanting to have sex with her, or possibly Hathe, but
probably not.

Hathe bowed to Zack, then Kate, “You're both so self-effacing
and generous, seeking to put a humble servant like me at ease, when you could
simply have left me at home this night, missing this opportunity! And to think,
you didn't just send one, but two of the new walkers to get us!”

Zack turned the talks to trade then, which Clyde and Hathe
picked up instantly, catching the thread without blinking. Eloise and Cerise
added their own voices soon. Claire caught her eye and covertly waved her over,
so she made an excuse and left the group, feeling a sense of relief, since
London had stopped talking for a bit, seeming actually interested in what the
leaders were saying.

Catching her arm with a smile, Claire swung her around gently
and walked her out of the room.

“Luthor would like to meet you, but asked me to
request
this of you. He doesn't want to seem pushy, I believe. It would look best if
you went over with Troy. Is that all right with you?” It seemed like a strange
question, but Kate shrugged and told her she'd find Troy and do it right away.
Claire kissed her, a warmer kiss than normal, both in duration and skin
temperature. The Vampire dimpled at her and said, “Hot Tub”.