Keeley Thomson (Book 2): Keelzebub by P.S. Power Read Free Book Online Page A

warm, but it was an interesting effect.
    Darla looked at her, questioning with a glance of blue eyes.
    “We can talk, unheard, this way. I don’t think any of the others can spy on us while the field is in effect. Functionally we aren’t standing in the universe at all right now, even though it looks like it. I can explain later. I didn’t know the issue, so, like the boy scouts say, always be prepared.” The look that followed was calm, but had a slightly forced look to it that spoke of it being manipulated toward that end, rather than genuine, meaning Darla was concerned.
    Something to watch for then, Keeley decided. If she could tell, any other Demon probably could too.
    Keeley took a breath and nodded, the key starting to burn her fingers a little.
    “Is Finias our father?” She didn’t blurt it out, just said it as if they’d actually been having a conversation about the topic.
    Darla froze.
    It was the very first time that Keeley had seen her do that. More, she was considering trying to lie to her about it, which was a waste of time. It was a simple enough thing to answer, wasn’t it? Yes or no?
    After about ten seconds Darla just shrugged.
    “I wasn’t planning to tell you about that yet. Really he’s not a bad guy, but kind of a bad influence, which is why I volunteered to be your mentor and the others on the council agreed. He wanted the job, of course, but, well, you’ve met him, twice now, what’s your take on him?”
    Keeley shook her head, which got Darla to straighten a bit, as if she saw something that Keeley hadn’t known she was communicating. Probably the annoyance she felt at him running his mouth.
    “Nice enough, I think he has the hots for my mother, which kind of makes sense. They got together in the first place after all. Right now I’m ticked at him though. Or might be. I think he told her. My mother.” Her fingers were starting to smoke where the silver key was touching them. The flesh turning black. Keeley killed the pain totally and started healing as fast as she could.
    “It’s how I figured all of this out. I don’t know it for a fact, but if so, well, that has to endanger me. Kind of reckless, at least from my perspective. Plus, if so, it has to endanger my parents right now too. That might just earn him a kick in the balls, if I can figure out how to do that and survive it.”
    Darla went still, thinking. After nearly a minute, she nodded.
    “That’s about the size of it. Well, time for damage control then. This kind of thing is why we didn’t hand you over to him… Reckless. It should be fine for the time being, but try not to let on that you know what he did when you meet with him tomorrow. We need to get back to normal space before your hand burns up completely. Good job holding that though. I didn’t really think you’d manage it. That’s high level pain control for someone as young as you are…”
    Keeley looked down at her fingers, which were on fire now, and tried to increase the speed she was healing at. Darla passed the box to her, signaling she should drop the key inside. It was still just silver in color, not glowing, not even blackened by her fingers. They stuck to the metal though, melting to it a bit, just before it dropped in, Keeley shaking it off a bit she grinned.
    “I smell like cooked pork.”
    Darla winked.
    “People do. Taste like it too.”
    With that, the key dropped and Darla closed the lid, making a small tapping sound when it sealed, the then a small whirring noise as the gears all snapped back into their original place, the key on the top turned back and Darla took it out, quickly slipping the silver thing back into her jeans pocket.
    Then she moved to dump the black bag on Keeley’s bed without preamble. Snacks. It was all junk food, cheep, high calorie stuff that even a few weeks before she’d have turned her nose up at. Now they tasted wonderful. Then given everything her sister had probably just gotten her to do the equivalent of