Happy Ever After Chapter 12

Chapter 12

“What?” I found it hard to imagine anything at all that would terrify the type of guards we’d just been watching kick the crap out of each other, let alone a little old tea-drinking lady…

“Whatever they’re guarding, they’re scared.”

“Why would they be scared of an old lady?

I could feel his mental shrug. I dunno. Maybe it’s not her they’re scared of. Maybe they’re scared of what will happen if they don’t guard her properly. From what I’ve heard from Stan, Queen Freyda is one scary bitch.

Well, he was right about that. But it didn’t explain what this grandma was doing there. I took a peek at his memory but although the basic image was there, it was pretty fuzzy. That was clearly the problem – I was looking at his memory of the Weres’ memories, and it was like a third or fourth generation photocopy – all the fine detail was gone and I couldn’t really make out the features. I was about to ask some more questions when Bruno came over. He’d been hovering nearby, clearly anxious, but now he said “it’s sunset. We need to go back inside.”

“Can you give him a few minutes? He’s a bit out of it right now.” The big guy was reluctant but Barry genuinely did look shaken, so he agreed to wait a few minutes longer. As we sat there, limos began to pull up – more wedding guests, timing it so they arrived just after sunset. We were to one side, slightly shielded by the pillar, but we attracted a few curious glances from the vampires as they passed up the steps and into the palace. Fortunately, the wind was so strong that it was whipping skirts and hair all over the place, so no-one lingered.

Bruno had been on his lapel mic, and when Barry finally said, “I’m feeling better now,” the Were shook his head.

“Mr Davis says you’re not to come through the palace without protection; too many other vampires around. He’s sending Deacon for you. ‘ The big guy looked pretty pissed off, but there was no denying he wouldn’t be that much protection against a predatory vampire. I guessed Deacon was one of Stan’s followers, and sure enough a few minutes later a tall, thin vampire arrived on the steps and beckoned to us.

Bruno reached down and hauled Barry to his feet and we followed Deacon back into the palace. As we walked through the foyer we attracted quite a lot of attention from the visitors who were being greeted by senior Oklahoma vampires – I heard murmurs of ‘telepaths’ and ‘Texas’ and, unfortunately, ‘consort’s pet.’ So the staff weren’t wasting any time making sure everyone knew my status. Freyda’s orders, I was sure. I kept my head up and my back straight, and ignored the burning in my cheeks, reaching out for Eric as we mounted the stairs. By the time we reached the hallway with our rooms, I had already heard from him.

He was up and about (he’d never been one for lying in bed when there was no-one to lie in bed with) and was concerned about what he was picking up from me. I told him about the comments, and he send strong waves of comfort and appreciation through the bond.

You know I don’t think of you in that way. And it’s only for two more nights. Where are you now?

On my way back to the suite. Stan’s already arrived, and Barry and I have been down to the maximum security block.

Disapproval. I know – Amelia is here and told me what was happening, otherwise I would have been alarmed at your absence. You shouldn’t have left the room without my knowledge.

Annoyance. Just because they’re calling me a pet doesn’t mean I am one, Eric. I have a brain and a will of my own, and I don’t need your permission to go walkies. If I’d waited for you to rise the Weres might have been off duty and we’d have lost our chance.

Rueful acknowledgement. A good point. Did you get anything?

Puzzlement. Well, we got something, but it’s pretty weird.

Intrigued. Very well, come straight back to the suite and bring Barry with you. I’m with Stan and some of his people now – I wanted to meet before Freyda comes looking for me. Deacon knows where to bring you.

Okay. ETA two minutes.

Irony. Over and out.

We left Bruno at Stan’s door and when we entered our suite, Eric was sitting on a couch, with Amelia in a wing-chair to one side. The coffee-table in front of Eric held a tray of True Blood bottles and the surveillance detector, green light glowing. On the couch opposite were Stan and Joe, with three vampires standing behind them. I didn’t recognise them from my last trip to Dallas but they were introduced to me as Amos, Elliott and Billy-Ray. Isabel was back in Texas, minding the store, apparently.

I greeted them politely as Deacon joined them, and they nodded with varying degrees of indifference. Joe just watched me silently and Stan said ‘Miss Stackhouse,’ but that was as warm and fuzzy as it was going to get. At a nod from his boss Barry joined him on the couch and I’d just sat next to Eric when there was a knock on the door and Eric called permission to enter.

Pam came in, and I stared a little as Eric introduced her. Normally a fairly conservative dresser, except when on duty at Fangtasia, her dress tonight was anything but conservative. A tight silk sheath revealed almost more flesh than it covered, the deep peacock blue making the whiteness of her skin even more startling.

She sat on the other side of Eric, who was dressed casually in jeans and a sweater, and greeted the guests. There were nods all round, but I was surprised at the way Pam practically purred as she said hello to Stan. The Texan vampire looked a little surprised too, and I remembered that Pam had expressed an interest in ‘geeky types’ when I’d first met Stan in Dallas. Maybe this was her opportunity to get to know the King of Texas a little better, but it would have to wait for the right moment.

Eric passed around the True Blood, then when everyone had taken one, he looked at me expectantly, and said, “do you have anything to tell us?”

“We might have.” I looked across at Barry. “Can you tell them what you saw?”

He looked slightly mutinous. “Uh … can someone tell me what I was doing, first? It might help me make sense of what I saw, and Sookie wouldn’t say what was going on.”

“Not wouldn’t – couldn’t.” I turned to Eric and said, “I promised him someone would explain what was happening – can you fill him in, please?”

Eric nodded and in a few sentences outlined the reason we were all here. Barry’s eyes widened, and I could hear his mental oh crap! as clearly as if he’d said it out loud, but his months of working for vampires kept anything indiscreet from coming out of his mouth. He was just suddenly real worried about what this could mean for him and his future. If Stan lost…

Eric finished up by saying, “I suspected there was something or someone unusual being held in the maximum security area, but my sources within the palace couldn’t help me. So I asked Sookie to try and read something from the Were guards, with your help. Presumably you achieved something?”

He looked at me questioningly and I was about to speak when Barry said, “well, why couldn’t you have just told me that, Sookie? Didn’t you trust me?”

I wasn’t sure what to say; I didn’t know if Eric wanted other people to know about what he’d learned to do to block areas of my mind, but it seemed he didn’t have a problem. “Sookie has been deep-glamoured not to be able to speak of our plans to anyone except myself, Pam, Stan and Joseph,” he said. “It’s a technique I learned from the Native American vampires.”

Stan seemed very interested and started to ask questions, but Joe coughed discreetly and we came back to the main topic at hand.

“So, what did you see?”

I explained that I’d distracted the guard while Barry had gone digging, and when he told them what he’d seen and felt they were as astonished as I’d been.

Joe said, “Are you sure they were scared? You couldn’t mistake it for another emotion?”

Barry shook his head. “Nope. They were scared sh … spitless.” He glanced across at me, as though in apology. I mentally shrugged. I’d heard worse.

The vampires looked at each other with speculation in their eyes, and Eric said, “can you describe this woman to us?”

“uh … maybe sixty, sixty-five. Round face, fuzzy dark hair, sorta untidy-looking. She had those little glasses that sit on your nose – you know, the kind with no earpieces? She had a high-necked blouse and a tweed jacket on and she was drinking tea, I think.”

“How do you know it was tea?”

“Well, it was in this dainty little tea-cup, you know? I guess it could have been coffee …”

“I don’t think what she was drinking matters,” said Stan. “What is important is, who is she, what is she doing there, and why is Freyda keeping her prisoner?”

There were no answers, but Joe said, “can you remember anything else about her? Anything at all?”

Barry closed his eyes as he racked his brains. I was tempted to go in and take a look, but his impression was going to be clearer than mine. Then he said, “She was surrounded by all this junk, and she had a little brooch on, I think, and an ID badge like ours. But that’s it, sorry.”

He looked apologetic, but Eric had stiffened. “An ID badge? One moment.” He got up and went into the bedroom and came back with his laptop. He pulled a datastick out of his jeans pocket and plugged it in, then, a few seconds later, he turned the screen so Barry could see it, and said, “is that her?”

Barry leaned forward. “Yes! That’s her! But how …?” Eric looked smug and the other vampires all sat up, registering varying degrees of interest.

Stan frowned, “how do you come to have a picture of this woman on your computer?”

“You remember Freyda’s take-over plans, which I sent you? I got this image from the same source. I didn’t see how it could be useful at the time, but I kept it, and when Barry mentioned an ID badge it rang a bell. You can see the picture here is part of a driving licence – clearly it was copied to be used to make the ID badge Barry saw her wearing.”

“So who is she?”

“Ah. That’s the difficulty. I don’t know. Do any of you recognise her?” Stan and all his vampires leaned forward to study the details on the screen. I remembered the slightly startled expression on the face we’d looked at on my computer. Then they all sighed and shook their heads.

“So, where do we go from here?”

Eric said. “I’m not sure. I admit I’m disappointed – I’d hoped we’d find something to help us with the coup, but it looks as though it’s not relevant. I suggest we set it on one side and continue with our battle plans.”

Stan nodded and said, “how many vampires do you have with you?” They were just about to settle back into a discussion of tomorrow night, when an idea occurred to me.

“Excuse me, Eric.”

The other vampires looked at me in annoyance but Eric paused instantly, and said, “what is it?” I felt warm inside at his acknowledgement of my importance to him in front of his fellow-vampires. I wasn’t just a pet.

“Just a thought, but would Parker have access to facial recognition software? I know there’s some pretty sophisticated stuff out there. It might help identify her.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “That’s a good idea. Pam – check that out as soon as you can. But she’s clearly not a threat to us or our plans – just someone Freyda wants to keep secure for some reason. We’ll have to come back to the mystery of Miss Bertine Leventis at another time.” He turned back to Stan and the others, but there was a bell ringing faintly in my mind. Where had I heard that name? It was familiar somehow, but I couldn’t pin it down…

I tuned out the discussion that was going on around me, racking my brains, but nothing emerged. It was only when I heard my name that I registered the conversation again. The vampires were all looking at me expectantly.

“Excuse me?”

Eric looked mildly annoyed. “I asked if there was anything else you’d noticed while you were downstairs. Anything that might help us.”

“Uh … no. I don’t think so. Barry mentioned one of the vampires was worried about a gambling debt, but I still don’t understand why the guards were scared and why the cell was full of junk …”

He sighed. “We’ve moved on from that Sookie. Right now we need to focus on these plans.” They had a rough diagram of the palace spread out on the coffee-table, and they were all studying it carefully. I caught Amelia’s eye, and she glanced towards her bedroom. I nodded and quietly stood up. We weren’t needed for this and I knew Eric would fill me in later.

Anyway, I had a very strong suspicion he was intending to make sure I was somewhere safe when the coup went down – he would fight better if he knew I wasn’t in danger. We would be having words about that, but for now I didn’t feel there was anything I could contribute.

Eric’s voice sounded in my head as Amelia and I retreated to her room. Don’t disturb yourself, lover. We’ll give it some more thought later, I promise, but Freyda will be here soon, and we need to finish our business before she gets suspicious.

Got it.

I closed the door behind us and leaned against it, puffing out my cheeks. This was so frustrating! I knew that name was familiar, but my mind just wouldn’t give it up.

“Ames, can you put any memory-enhancing spells together with the stuff Eric gave you? This is going to drive me nuts.”

“Sorry, Sook. That sort of thing takes way different ingredients and a lot of time. And I don’t think Eric would be happy with me casting spells on you – he was pissed as hell the last time I did it.” True that. “Anyway, messing around with your mind seems to be something Mr Deep Glamour seems to prefer doing himself.”

I grunted and flopped down on the bed next to her. I remembered to fill her in on ‘her’ message for Cal about being late, and she pouted some – it seemed that, even though making ’em wait was her usual MO, on this occasion she wasn’t keen on playing hard to get.

Her mind said she was more taken with Cal than with anyone since Tray died, and I hadn’t missed the physical resemblance between the two Weres, although Cal was distinctly less hairy. Bearing in mind what was due to happen tomorrow night, I didn’t think there was much of a long-term chance for this relationship, but Amelia had to be as aware of that as I was. For the moment I was happy to see her so enthusiastic; she burbled on about his many charms and I nodded in (approximately) the right places, but my mind kept returning to the little old lady in the cell like a sore tooth that I was unable to keep from probing …

I picked up a message from Eric that the others were leaving and he’d been summoned to see Freyda. I was glad to come out of Amelia’s room, but I didn’t want to go wandering round the palace any more – the looks I had been getting made me very uncomfortable. If this was what it meant to be a pet, I was happier than ever that we weren’t going to be staying.

The living room was empty now, even the tray of True Blood empties had been removed. I went through to the bedroom where Eric was changing his clothes. He looked edible in a black velvet tux with silk lapels. It was a good job vampires didn’t suffer from dandruff – with his love of black, it would have been an absolute nightmare.

“I’m sorry I have to go, dear one,” he said, “but Freyda wants me to meet some of her Sheriffs who’ve come in from the more distant Areas for the wedding. It’s a nuisance, but I may learn something useful; at least I’ll be able to assess the loyalty of her supporters – whether they’ll fight for her and how hard.” He turned away from the mirror where he’d been smoothing his hair.

“Did the planning go okay?”

“Very well. Joseph had some excellent ideas – beautifully ruthless. He’ll make a very good king.” Then he came to me and pulled me into a tight embrace. “I’ll mindspeak you when I can, but don’t expect me back any time soon. Her meetings tend to be long and boring.”

“Can I talk to you too? I could probably find some things to say that would keep you from being bored.” My hand crept down to stroke the front of his pants and he inhaled sharply.

“Best not – I know the sort of things you’d say and I can’t afford to get distracted while I’m in public.” I felt the flesh under my fingers stiffening and swelling and he sighed and reluctantly moved my hand away. “It goes against every fibre of my being to say so, but you will have to stop doing that, lover. I don’t want to greet the Sheriffs of Oklahoma with a hard-on – it might give them the wrong idea.”

“I don’t know, some of them might be flattered…”

He smirked, then sighed again and pulled away with an effort. “We’d better play it safe – we’re too close to our goal to risk my being distracted now. I’ll keep my end of the link closed. Stay safe for me.” And then he kissed me and was gone.

I wandered back to Milly’s room to find her flicking through the channels on the plasma screen TV opposite the bed. I couldn’t think of anything else to do, so I joined her, listening out all the while for Eric’s voice in my mind.

True to his word he was giving me a running commentary on what was happening. His emotions were coming through loud and clear, and he was clearly bored out of his mind. A great believer in actions speaking louder than words, Eric had very little tolerance for pompous blowhards who loved the sound of their own voices.

All monumentally dull so far … Gods, I wish she’d just shut up and get on with it. A strong mental impression of a sigh. Meetings; the practical alternative to real work …

That’s interesting, all Freyda’s Sheriffs are younger than her… all the better for us. Pam could eat most of them for breakfast …

Now they’re discussing the Areas I’ll have responsibility for. Mostly the north of the kingdom. Hmm, that Sheriff is glaring at me as if I’d farted right under his nose …

I giggled, and Ames glanced at me, but fortunately she was watching Frasier so laughter was appropriate.

I continued dividing my attention between Eric and the TV, stifling yawns as the evening went on until …

Cataliades has arrived … he doesn’t look any better …

An image of the demon lawyer as I’d seen him last night came to mind. Although he’d tried his hardest to behave normally, he’d had a haunted look about him, nothing like his usual urbane self. The only other time I could remember seeing him ruffled was when he’d been helping me dispose of Donald Callaway the antiques dealer who …

And as soon as I had that thought, I had the answer! I sat bolt upright clutching at Amelia’s arm as the penny dropped and she stared at me wide-eyed as though I’d gone mad. “Of course! It’s obvious! And oh crap, no wonder the guards were so scared!”

“What? What are you talking about?” Amelia was damn near shaking me in her impatience.

“I know who the prisoner is!”

She instantly turned the TV off and said, “tell me! Is it someone important?”

“Hell yes! It’s … I can’t remember, have you ever met Desmond Cataliades? the lawyer? he’s half demon.”

“No, but you’ve told me about him. He’s like your demon godfather isn’t he?”

“Sponsor, yes. Well, it turns out that he has a sponsor too – maybe it’s something all demons have – and I’ve just remembered, he told me once his is a woman called Bertine! This must be her!”

“Holy hell! Are you sure?”

I was thinking hard now. “Yes, it all fits. It’s got to be her. Even her surname – Leventis – that sounds Greek, right? Like Mr Cataliades? That would explain why he couldn’t help Eric like he promised. If Freyda’s kidnapped his sponsor she’d have him over a barrel – he’d have to do whatever she said.”

“But why didn’t you recognise the name when you saw her picture back in Bon Temps?”

“I only saw the face – the writing was too small. And Eric never mentioned the name, or I might have put two and two together sooner.”

“So this Bertine, is she a half-demon too?”

“No, she’s a full demon, and a pretty powerful one too. I can’t even think how Freyda managed to imprison her – that must be why she needed the Vlakas wards. The guards are probably worried she could break free. Do you think they’d hold a demon?”

Amelia nodded. “I think so, if they were set up right.”

“Poor Mr C – he must feel terrible. She pretty much raised him and his half-brother. No wonder he looked like he’d been up all last night and half of tomorrow. We have to do something.”

“Like what? If it was that easy, Mr C would probably have done it himself.”

“We’ll have to ask Eric. He’ll think of something. He’ll be really pleased we’ve solved two mysteries in one!”

####

Sure enough, when Eric came back a lot later, he was delighted and fascinated by my theory, and agreed that this had to be the answer to who was in the cell and why Mr C looked so down. Some things still puzzled me, though, and I brought them up when we were in bed together, towards dawn.

“I still don’t understand how she was trapped in the first place. And once she’d been trapped, why is she just sitting there in the middle of what looks like a thrift store? You’d think she’d be mad as hellfire, wouldn’t you? Not calmly drinking tea.”

“Hmm. You’re right – it is intriguing. Tell me everything you know of Bertine Leventis.”

“Well, it’s not a great deal. Mr C said he would tell me about her when he had more time, but he’s never got around to it. She brought him and his half-brother up when their mom was killed, so I guess she’s a lot older than him. He thinks she’s a bit naïve sometimes, but she’s an expert in ancient folklore – it was her who accidentally told Callaway about the cluviel dor – and that’s about it.”

“Nothing else?”

I racked my brains. “He thinks I’d get on well with her, but I can’t remember him saying anything else. Sorry – we had other things to be thinking of at the time.” Like disposing of Callaway’s corpse…

“That may be enough … Do you remember the other documents we studied from the datastick?”

“Sort of. There were the plans for Freyda’s take-over and the bill for the wards and … what else?”

“There was a signed order from Freyda authorising the moving of the contents of her secret vault to an undisclosed location in the basement. You remember I was puzzled at the time as to why I’d heard nothing of a hidden treasure. Why had it not been used to tempt me? Well, suppose the treasure was not something that would tempt most people, but would be fascinating to someone who specialised in that particular field?”

“I don’t follow. What field?”

“Suppose it was … a collection. A collection of supernatural artefacts, or ancient talismans, like your cluviel dor. Hugely valuable if you knew what to do with it, how to use it, but it might not look like much at all. Perhaps just like a pile of … junk.”

“You mean …”

He nodded. “Maybe Freyda’s treasure was moved to the cell as a way to trap an expert in ancient folklore. Just think of how a naïve specialist in that field would react if she was invited to study a collection of magical objects like that. She’d jump at the chance.”

Now I saw where he was heading. “Of course she would! And that would explain the ID badge. She wasn’t kidnapped or taken by force – she thought she was a guest. She just walked in through the front door and offered herself up like a lamb to the slaughter. And once she was in the cell, there was no getting out again. Damn!” I was awestruck at how devious Freyda had proved herself to be. “We have to get her out of there.”

“Why would you want to do that?”

“Well we can’t just leave her there – she’s a prisoner.”

“There are a lot of prisoners down there, most of whom probably don’t deserve to be imprisoned.”

“But she’s Mr Cataliades’ godmother! He’s a mess because Freyda’s got her!”

“I know that, but I don’t see any realistic possibility of breaking her free of the Vlakas wards.”

“Amelia might be able to do something about that.”

He snorted inelegantly. “You should not allow your fondness for the witch to blind you to her capabilities. She couldn’t even turn her own boyfriend human again. No, she won’t be able to help you. And even if she could, the demon is guarded by vampires. How would you take them out?”

“You could take out any number of vampire guards – I know you could.”

“Well, admittedly that’s a more realistic assessment than your view of Amelia, but even if I did kill the guards, you forget – tomorrow night is the coup. I can’t be distracted from that. I have to put all my attention where it’s needed most.”

“Couldn’t you get Stan to let you have some of his men?”

He shook his head. “I can’t risk splitting our forces for something like this.”

I couldn’t believe his single-minded focus. To him, the coup was the only thing that mattered and he practically had tunnel vision until it was over. I tried a different angle. “But what if Freyda forces Mr C to fight against you? Wouldn’t it be better to have him on our side? If Bertine was free he could help us instead of her.”

“He’s only a half-demon – his offensive powers are limited. You remember you told me about the struggle he had with those hellhounds? No, I’m sorry Sookie, but we’ll just have to leave it. Once we’ve succeeded in the attack, then we’ll see about freeing her. Until then, there’s nothing I can do.”

“But what if you don’t succeed?”

“Then she will be the least of our worries. We’ll be lucky if we don’t end up in the cells along with her.”

“But …”

“I said no. There’s too much at stake. One more night in captivity won’t hurt her.”

I wanted to continue arguing, but his eyelids were drooping and I could see he was starting to crash for the day. I knew there was not a lot of point in arguing with him – in a few minutes he wouldn’t be able to answer me anyway. Damn, he always had to have the last word …

But I wasn’t giving up. I couldn’t bear the thought of Mr C’s misery – I had to do something. I waited until Eric was unconscious and then I slipped out of bed and padded to Amelia’s door. She was back from her date with Cal and let me in. We sat on her bed together and when I told her what Eric had said she was as indignant as I was, but mostly because he’d disparaged her powers. “What does he know? I’m much better now – I’ve learned a lot more. Octavia says I’m really coming into my strength. And I could always go to the local coven for help – they told me I could call on them if I needed anything.”

“So, you’re up for this?”

“Hell yeah. The way I see it, tomorrow night we’re probably going to be in the way. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think we should just sit around here like a couple of bits of luggage ‘not wanted on the voyage’, waiting for someone to come pick us up. Why not try to do something useful?”

“That’s pretty much what I was thinking. I don’t like the thought of Mr C worrying all the time. He’s been pretty good to me – this is something we can do for him.”

“Agreed.”

“So, it seems to me we have three jobs. One, take out the Were guard at the front desk. Two, take out the vampire guards by the cells and three, undo the Vlakas wards. I’m sure once we get Bertine out of the cell she’ll be able to take care of herself.”

Amelia looked doubtful. “Hmm. I’m beginning to see what Eric means; it does sound pretty complicated when you put it like that. I can go get some help with the Vlakas wards from the locals – the witches who installed them belong to this coven and they’ll have an antidote they might be willing to let me have. Do you have any ideas about the other bits?”

I smiled. “I might have one or two. Did I ever tell you the story of how useful it is sometimes to be blonde…?”

Happy Ever After Chapter 11

Chapter 11

SPOV

While I finished my breakfast Eric went to change; he had to go formal tonight. It didn’t take him long, and when he came back he posed like a GQ model in the doorway of the bedroom, knowing he looked like sin on a stick. What is it about formal wear? It can make even average men look distinguished, but when someone with Eric’s height and looks wears it, it makes him droolworthy.

He seemed to think my fork-frozen-in-midair-staring-like-a-slackjawed-mo ron act was sufficient tribute to his appearance, and he broke the pose and joined me at the table. He picked up my left hand and examined it carefully, looking to see that it had healed properly, I suppose.

There wasn’t a trace of the cut left, and he smiled in satisfaction, then glanced at his watch and said, “I need to go in a few minutes. Are you sure you’ll be alright here? Do you want me to call Amelia to come back now? I told her to keep her cellphone on in case we needed her.”

“No, that’s okay. I’m not going anywhere, and no-one can get in without permission. I’m sure she’ll be back soon.” I paused for a second, my brow furrowing. “I’m kind of surprised she went at all, to be honest.”

“I understand the head of the Oklahoma coven called and invited her to come to a gathering, where she could meet the local witches. She seemed to think it was quite an honour.”

“Oh. Well, that’s lucky; she really wanted to stay and watch the divorce ritual, for professional reasons, she said. I thought I was going to have a problem getting rid of her without hurting her feelings.” A smug look came over Eric’s face and I felt his satisfaction through the bond. I was instantly suspicious. “Or was it luck? Eric, did you have anything to do with that call?”

“No.” I took a leaf from his book and arched an eyebrow sceptically. He grinned unrepentantly. “Maybe. Truthfully, lover, she was annoyed when I refused her permission to observe, but it was painful enough for you … us … without it being turned into a three-ring circus. I didn’t trust her to stay in her room without peeking, so I made sure she couldn’t. I happen to know a few witches in this kingdom, and I called in a favour. She’ll be quite safe, but I wanted her out of the way and it never does harm to strengthen connections with the locals; we may need their goodwill at some point.” He stood up and said, “before I go, do you have any more questions about what we have done? I don’t want you brooding over anything while I’m gone.”

“Yeah, actually, I do. What do you think was wrong with Mr Cataliades? He looked terrible.”

He grimaced. “I know. He looked like that when I saw him in his office, almost as if he was sick, but demons don’t get sick. At least, not from anything I know of. I’ve been wondering if Freyda has had him cursed – it was another reason I wanted Amelia to connect with the local Wiccans – they’d probably be involved in something like that. I told her to keep her eyes and ears open.”

“Ah.” So it wasn’t only to spare my feelings. Once again, Eric was demonstrating that he always had an eye for the main chance.

“Anything else you want to know?”

“Something kind of surprised me. You didn’t want to read through the contract before we signed it. Weren’t you worried Freyda would try to sneak something into it?”

He shook his head. “Why would she? She wanted the divorce to go through smoothly – if she’d tried any tricks, it would have given us an excuse to delay while we queried it. And you remember Cataliades suggested we read it, but he didn’t argue when I said no. Had there been anything dubious, he’d have been much more insistent.” He draped an arm round my shoulders and hugged me. “No, I could feel your sadness, and I wanted to get it finished as soon as possible. It had to be done, but it’s over, and now we can forget it.” He got to his feet and leaned down to kiss me. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Remember, don’t leave this room and use the surveillance detector whenever you have anything of importance to say.”

I nodded and reached for the pot to pour myself another cup of coffee. He pretended to make a move for it again, but I growled and swatted his hand away. “Did no-one ever tell you not to come between a woman and her coffee? You’re just asking for me to hurt you.”

“In what way, lover?” He glanced round, smirking. “I don’t see anything you could use, unless you’re planning on staking me with that strip of bacon. It seems fairly crispy – you could probably nibble it to a point if you tried.”

I pointed at him with the last remaining piece. “I’m warning you, Captain Smartass, I have character flaws, and I know how to use them.”

He stepped back, raising his hands in mock fear, and then said, “I’ll be back soon. Stay in touch.” Then he was gone and I finished my breakfast in peace.

About ten minutes later there was a knock and I assumed it was someone to clear away the dishes. But I wasn’t stupid, so I checked, and was surprised to feel a vampire mind outside. I seriously doubted the vampires here did anything as menial as clearing plates, and when I opened the door I stayed well back so I was protected by Amelia’s wards.

I was truly surprised (and none too pleased ) to see Bill Compton, smiling at me. Why was he here? I quickly sent a message to Eric, letting him know who was at our door. I registered his annoyance through the bond, and he said, I will be with you as soon as I can. Don’t let him in.

Not a chance.

Bill was in a tux too, and appeared to be expecting me to let him in, or at least greet him. I didn’t say a word and just stared at him enquiringly. After a few seconds of awkward silence he said, “good evening Sookie.” I wondered how I had once thought that voice sexy. Now it just seemed creepy.

“Bill. What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be at the banquet.”

“It hasn’t started yet – people are still socialising. I stopped by to see if you needed anything. May I come in?”

“No. This is Eric’s suite and I don’t need anything, thanks.”

“Are you sure? I thought you might need some company or some … comfort.”

What the fuck? “Why would I need comfort?” And more importantly, if I did, why the hell would I turn to him for it?

He looked at me sympathetically. “Sookie, you don’t have to pretend with me. We’ve known each other for a long time now, and I can read you like a book. You’re hurting, aren’t you?”

I shrugged. “Not so’s you’d notice. What are you talking about?”

“Are you sure you want to discuss this where others can hear?” He glanced at the footmen standing a little way away. They were stationed at intervals along the hallway, and although they looked like statues I just knew their ears were elongating with every word spoken.

“Discuss what?” I was starting to get annoyed.

“Why don’t you let me in and we can be private?”

“You can be as private as you please on the other side of this door, Bill Compton; you’re not coming in here.” I began to close the door, and he reached out to stop me.

Big mistake. There was a sizzle, a blue flash and something lifted him off his feet and hurled him across the hallway, where he hit the far wall, dislodging a painting which fell on his head and disintegrated, the canvas tearing as he struggled to get free.

The servants gaped, but didn’t move from their posts; it wasn’t their job to help strange vampires. Bill got to his feet, frowning and shaking his fingers as though they stung.

“Did you have your suite warded?” Well, duh.

I shrugged again. “Eric thought it would be sensible. You never know what sort of lowlife might try to force their way in.”

“Did Amelia do it? Who is allowed through them?”

Ah oh. I didn’t want him carrying that info to Freyda. “That’s on a need to know basis, and you don’t need to know.”

He tried to see over my shoulder into the suite, but I pulled the door mostly closed, staying carefully out of his reach. He said, “is Amelia in there with you?”

I sighed. “That’s none of your business either. Now either tell me what you want or go away.”

He glanced at the footmen again, and lowered his voice. “I just wanted to see how you were coping with the divorce. It must hurt you to know that everybody is talking about Eric discarding you like a used tissue.”

Lovely image, Bill. “Why are you so interested in my feelings?”

“I hate to say I told you so, Sookie, but I did try to warn you that Eric would leave you for Freyda. I wanted to protect you from this, but now you’ve lost your status as his wife, he won’t see you as anything more than a convenient blood source with a useful skill that he can exploit for his own gain.”

I had to smile at yet another example of his trying to undermine my confidence. Now that Eric had shown me the truth I could see Bill’s attempts for what they were, and I wasn’t going to be taken in by them again.

“I think you’re confusing Eric’s view of me with your own.”

It was his turn to sigh. “Sookie, why do you have to be like this? I know I’ve made some mistakes in the past, but I’ve apologised for them, and what’s done is done. Can’t you look past that and see the genuine affection I have for you? I sincerely want what’s best for you, and I always have.”

I sincerely doubted that – he wanted what was best for him. But I didn’t say it out loud, I simply raised an eyebrow and waited to see if he was going to dig his hole any deeper.

He must have realised that line of attack wasn’t going to get him anywhere, so he shifted his ground. “Why didn’t you tell me you and Eric had renewed your bond?”

I wasn’t sure how Eric would want me to play this – I knew he was on his way, but wasn’t sure how quickly he could excuse himself from whoever he was talking to. As the guest of honour, it would be little tricky for him to leave, but I knew he’d find an excuse. I tried to delay, saying “I don’t see how it’s any of your business what Eric and I do. And how come you know that, anyway? It’s not like we advertised the fact.” I decided to rattle his cage a bit and narrowed my eyes accusingly. “Have you been spying on me, Bill Compton? You know what’ll happen if Eric finds out.”

Now he looked uncomfortable and alarmed. I knew he could only have got the information from Freyda, but was interested to see how he’d explain it. He tried to bluff, saying, “It was obvious, seeing you together. I am the Area Five Investigator – it’s my job to know things like that. I think you’ll find I don’t miss much, Sookie.”

Arrogant pig. His self-satisfied expression was just a bit too much for me to handle. “Oh yeah? So how come you missed Kym Rowe’s dead body in the middle of Eric’s lawn?”

He frowned at my sudden change of tactics. “I was occupied elsewhere.”

“And what about Jannalynn Hopper’s scent on the jacket I showed you after the murder?”

His eyes widened. “What? What are you talking about? I told you at the time …”

“I’m not stupid, Bill. If Jannalynn killed Kym, there’s no way her scent wouldn’t be on the body, and the lawn, which you examined. Yet when I gave you Jannalynn’s jacket after the death, you said you didn’t recognise the scent. So either you were lying to me, or you missed the scent of the killer on the body. So, which is it? Are you a liar or an incompetent?”

Of course, I suspected that the real reason was that Jannalynn hadn’t killed Kym at all, but I wasn’t going to share that little theory with Bill. I wanted him rattled, not suspicious. I added a little more fuel to the fire. “Of course, if you’re lying, I shouldn’t really be surprised; it’s not like it’s the first time you’ve lied to me. But if you genuinely didn’t notice her scent that would be one hell of a mistake for the great Area Five Investigator to make, wouldn’t it? I reckon that would be something that might make the people who appointed you think again, if they knew.”

He clenched his fists and stepped forward threateningly. He really valued the status he got from his post, and the thought that it could be taken away from him truly burned his britches.

Even though I knew he couldn’t get at me, I took a step back, but just then I heard a welcome voice.

“There you are, Bill! I wondered where you had got to. Come along, we’re waiting to start the banquet.” It was Eric, striding along the hallway as though he owned it. He wrapped an arm round Bill’s shoulder and kept walking, sweeping the smaller vampire along with him. He nodded casually to me in passing but didn’t stop, and Bill was helpless against Eric’s grip. As they disappeared round the corner Bill looked back at me, and there was something in his dark gaze that I did not like the look of …

I asked the nearest footman to come in and clear the breakfast things and while he was doing it I mind-spoke Eric and told him exactly what had happened with Bill. He thanked me, but he didn’t seem alarmed – more thoughtful.

Once the footman had left, I closed and locked the door. I ran a surveillance sweep, and then looked around for something to do, and was relieved to find a DVD player and a selection of DVDs in an armoire against one wall. I settled down with Toy Story 3, but didn’t really focus on it; Eric was keeping up a running mental commentary on what was happening at the banquet …

If idiots could fly, this room would be an airport …

Bill’s droning on about the benefits of mainstreaming … the only thing keeping me from snapping him in half is I don’t want to have to deal with two of him …

One of Freyda’s courtiers is trying to impress me … it’s almost painful watching him try to fit his entire vocabulary into one sentence …

I was so glad it was a funny film; it gave me an excuse to laugh so hard.

About half way through the film there was another knock on the door. A quick check and I knew it was Amelia. I hurried to let her in and gaped at her as she entered. Her hair was wild and her coat was dark with rain.

“Hey Sookie. Damn, it’s a wild night out there.” She took the coat off and went to hang it in the bathroom.

“I can tell – your hair looks like you’ve been riding a broomstick.” Being inside a building with no windows, you tended to forget there was still a world outside with real weather and all.

She looked scornful. “Nobody does that any more. We fly Anubis – you get in-flight movies, free drinks and no drafts in unnecessary places. Nope – there’s a bad storm brewing up north. The local ladies said it’s out beyond Wichita, but we’re just getting the edge of it here.” She looked around. “So, Eric gone to his meeting?”

“It’s a welcome banquet.”

“And you’re not invited?” She was ready to get all indignant on my behalf, but I shook my head.

“It’s vampires only. No humans allowed – except for the donors.”

“Oh, right. Well, what do you feel like doing?”

“I promised Eric I’d stay here ’till he got back, but you don’t have to. He thought you might like to go back to the Security level and see if you can find Cal again.”

Amelia looked thoughtful. “Well, he was kind of cute.” Her mind confirmed that opinion. In fact, way more than cute. Hmm, that was interesting … “Do you think I should go see if he’s on duty?”

I glanced at the bug-sweeper. Green light. “Up to you. But I don’t think we should waste any chance to find out information and I’m stuck in here.”

She nodded briskly. “You’re right. It’s clearly my duty to go and make nice to a cute guy in a very sexy uniform. I’ll just get changed and then I’ll head on out.”

“Do you need to change? Apart from the insane French poodle hair, you look fine.”

She snorted in a vulgar way. “I do not look fine. These are coven-appropriate clothes, not cute-guy-appropriate clothes. Give me five minutes.”

It was nearer fifteen, but when she came back out, I had to admit she was right. Her mint-green top was cut low, her blue jeans were cut lower and her cute cowboy boots (a concession to the Sooner State) were liberally sprinkled with rhinestones. She was looking good, and I told her so. She grinned saucily, made sure she had her AAA pass and left.

Back to Woody and Buzz …

Eric was back before Amelia was; he had to change clothes again. He’d called ahead to let me know what was next on the agenda – a photocall with Freyda, and he wanted me dressed smart but accessible. I knew by that he meant I needed a low neckline and my hair up. No problem. I was in the bedroom brushing through my ponytail when he arrived, shedding his tux and bow tie as he walked through the door.

He nodded his approval of my outfit – black pants, pale lilac top, lilac heels – and kissed me long and hard before heading for his closets. I sat on the bed and watched as he made his selection – his third outfit of the night. This one was black dress pants and a royal blue dress shirt which made his eyes look even brighter.

“Are you sure you want me for this bit? Won’t it piss Freyda off?”

“You will be with me at all events except for vampire-only functions.” His tone was apologetic as he said, “as my ‘pet’ it would be normal for you to be close by in case I felt like feeding.”

“Are you going to drink from me in public?” I didn’t like the sound of that. The only time I could remember him feeding in the presence of others was in an emergency, like when Mickey had cold-cocked him with a rock, or that terrible night at Fangtasia when we’d assassinated Victor.

“No. I’ve already had a TrueBlood this evening, but people would be surprised if I didn’t have you nearby. Think of Felipe and Victor, how they always had humans on hand.”

“Okay. But I don’t want to be near Freyda.”

“Not a problem. You just need to be in the room, where I can call on you if necessary. Pam and the others will look after you while I’m busy.”

Then he checked his watch, sighed, and took my hand before heading to the main audience chamber, where he handed me over to his followers, who surrounded me, and then joined Freyda on the red carpet for the photographs and interviews.

Pam was really tight-lipped while Eric smiled and answered questions for the reporters – I could tell she would have loved to make some barbed comment, but it was too risky in a room full of other vampires with their enhanced hearing. Bill had a perma-smile fixed to his face, as though he thought the cameras might be pointed his way. It slipped slightly when he saw me, and he glared for an instant before turning away and resuming his best human-friendly expression. Pam saw the look and couldn’t resist muttering, “Bill has more faces than Mount Rushmore.” I saw him stiffen as some of the other vamps snickered, but he couldn’t do anything about it.

The rest of the night was more of the same. Eric and Freyda moved from one photo-opportunity to the next while I stayed corralled carefully in the midst of the Louisiana vamps. If this was a taste of what Eric’s future life would be like, I wasn’t surprised he had fought so hard to escape it, even if I hadn’t been in the equation.

By the time we were finished and dawn approached I was tired and my feet hurt like I’d worked a double shift at Merlotte’s. But at least I’d have been able to wear sneakers at the bar – these heels were like medieval torture devices. If it hadn’t been for my link with him I’d have bored to the back teeth as well as tired, and I was truly grateful to finally follow him back to the Royal apartments.

Pam and the others had gone back to their own rooms and Eric was walking ahead of me with Freyda, but as we drew near the door to our suite she invited him to her rooms for a ‘daycap’. He smiled and accepted, but mentally told me to wait for him in our bedroom. I was happy to do so – all night I’d been conscious of Freyda, and although her glance hadn’t fallen on me often, each time I’d felt the temperature drop a little as I met that inhuman gaze.

Amelia was back, and was humming happily in her room, but came out when she heard the door close. She hadn’t learned a great deal more from Cal, but she felt the Vampire guards and the other Weres were starting to accept her presence. She’d had coffee in their break room and had entertained them with stories about the witching world. They’d relaxed around her, which had to be good, and she’d made another date with Cal for tomorrow night.

When I heard Eric come back I said goodnight and left her – he hadn’t been long, but I hadn’t heard from him while he was with Freyda. This was probably just as well; while I didn’t have a problem tuning him out while someone else was talking – after all, I’d been doing that for a lot of my life – it was different trying to maintain two conversations at once and Amelia didn’t know about our new mental link.

Eric was already stripped off when I got to our room, and was standing in front of the full-length mirror undoing his braid. His arms were raised, throwing his chest and biceps into gorgeous relief and I took a second to appreciate the view. It didn’t matter how often I saw my Viking naked, my mind still filled with thoughts of pillage, and when he saw me in the mirror his fangs dropped and I could tell his thoughts weren’t that different from mine …

He turned and held out his arms, and I moved forward into the comfort and security they had come to represent.

“Are you okay?” he whispered as he held me close and his lips brushed the top of my head.

I nodded, but didn’t speak out loud. I just wanted to touch him and reassure myself that he was still with me. Watching Freyda’s smug triumph, and the possessive way she’d held on to his arm all night had been galling, to say the least. I needed to know in the worst way that he was mine and he picked up on that, because he lifted me into his arms, carried me to the bed and began to reassure me with everything he had – hands, mouth, body and mind. He filled my thoughts with words of love and praise while he filled my body with his own, and images of Freyda flew far away…

When we had recovered and he was finally composing himself to sleep, he reminded me that the next night would see the arrival of Stan, Joseph and their people, including Barry. I hadn’t seen the other telepath in ages, and I was looking forward to seeing him again. He was a little wary of me, but he couldn’t deny the connection we had. A sudden thought occurred to me …

“Eric, what if he can tell that you and I are linked now?”

“What about it?” His voice was sleepy.

“Don’t you mind?”

He shrugged a little. “It’s not as if I can do anything about it. And it’s hardly likely to scare him – he works for vampires.” He had a point. Barry had probably seen stuff that would freak regular humans out. Eric continued, “it might be a good idea to see if he can join our link – it would be useful if the three of us can connect; it would give me a way of talking discreetly to Stan.” He had a point – I hadn’t thought of that, but he was still thinking strategically even though he was on the verge of shutdown.

Before I could do more than agree, he was gone for the day and I yawned and snuggled up to him, my own eyelids heavy with sleep.

o

I woke early afternoon, and found Amelia was already up and about and ruthlessly tidying her bedroom. It didn’t really need it, but she still flitted about moving ornaments and running her finger along the top of picture-frames and tsking at the result. Sometimes, she seemed to be channelling my Gran.

We decided to go out into Oklahoma City to see the sights, in spite of the weather. She wanted to go to the Racing Casino and I wanted to visit the Softball Hall of Fame – I’d always enjoyed softball at school – and we both wanted to try a steak at Mickey Mantle’s. It didn’t open until five, so we had time, but we weren’t sure we could get reservations. Amelia had the bright idea of getting someone from the palace to phone up for us and pull strings, so we went in search of Ramon and he had no difficulty in getting us a table for two. I was relieved to see that he was as respectful as ever; in spite of my scorn for Bill’s opinions, there was a slight niggle in my mind that, now I wasn’t Eric’s wife, people might treat me differently somehow.

By the time we got back, soaking wet, several pounds heavier and (in Amelia’s case) several hundred dollars lighter it was gone seven, but I was surprised to find the Texas party had already arrived. I’d thought they’d travel after sunset, but it seemed they didn’t want to waste the hours of darkness, and their travel coffins were already being transferred to their rooms. This was real handy, as I needed to find Barry and get him down to the security levels with me to see if we could get a read on the Were guards in the maximum security area. I’d thought I’d have to wait until tomorrow, but the sun was still more than an hour off setting and the Weres didn’t go off duty until the Vamps were ready to take over. Plenty of time.

As a fellow-monarch Stan was in the same wing as Freyda and Eric, and as we went back to our rooms I saw a large Were in a Stetson standing guard outside a nearby suite. While I was drying off and changing I reached out with my mind, and sure enough Barry was there. He seemed quite pleased to hear from me, and when I asked if I could come see him he agreed. I didn’t know if Stan had filled him in on what would be going down, but I hoped he had. If he didn’t know anything, Eric’s extra-special glamour would prevent me from saying a word and he wouldn’t be able to get it out of my head either.

I walked along and spoke to the Were. “Hi, I’m Sookie Stackhouse, can I see Barry, please? He’s expecting me.” The Were looked me over and I smiled politely. His mind was suspicious, but no more so than you would expect from a security guard in a strange place. He knocked on the door and muttered something to the even larger Were who opened it.

After a minute he stood aside and let me in. Barry was standing by a desk in a suite very similar to Eric’s and mine, but a bit smaller. He was wearing a very sharp suit with a white shirt and a red tie, and his hair was a little longer than when I’d last seen him. He smiled and said, “hello Sookie, you’re looking good.”

“Thanks, Barry, and right back at you. How’s life with Stan?”

He glanced around. “Pretty good. How about you?”

I shrugged. “I’m doing okay. Just thought I’d come and welcome you and show you round some. Do you feel like going for a stroll?” I need to speak with you.

“Uh, sure. I’ll just grab my pass.” I knew Eric had warned Stan to insist on Barry having an AAA pass like me.

The Were said, “you can’t go wandering round unescorted. Bruno will go with you.” Barry sighed but didn’t argue – he knew he was a valuable asset and must have gotten used to having babysitters by now. I was thankful that everyone here knew I still belonged to Eric; Ramon had assured me that, even if I wasn’t married to him, I was still ‘his’ and no-one who wanted to keep their fingers would so much as touch me. The Were continued, “when will you be back? You know King Stan likes you here when he rises.”

Barry glanced at his watch. “Sunset’s eight-thirty, right? I’ll be back before then.” He looked at me and I nodded.

“No problem. I’m just going to give him the fifty-cent tour. C’mon.”

We set off through the hallways, trailed silently by Bruno, who turned out to be the big guy in the Stetson, and I pointed out what I could remember of Eric’s explanations when we’d arrived. I didn’t want to head straight for the security area, as it would have looked too obvious, so I showed him everything Amelia and I had explored and he was suitably impressed. Although Stan was King of Texas, Eric had told me he still lived in the same house I’d visited before – nothing too fancy. He didn’t like to draw attention to himself and his nestmates. Freyda could have learned a thing or two from Stan.

We made polite conversation as we walked, but there were long gaps of silence. This was when we were communicating telepathically, and it didn’t take me long to find out that Barry knew pretty much nothing of what was going on. Stan didn’t have access to Eric’s techniques, and obviously didn’t want Barry giving anything away. This made things difficult, to say the least.

We stopped in front of a huge painting and pretended to admire it for a time, while I was frantically trying to explain what I needed him to do, but couldn’t tell him why. In the end I had to swear to him that Eric or Stan would tell him everything he needed to know but that for the moment he would just have to trust me. Please. I opened my mind as much as I could, and he could at least see my sincerity and my desperation, and at last he agreed, provided someone explained later.

I hastily agreed, and then told him what we were going to attempt downstairs. As long as I didn’t have to explain why, it was easy enough to tell him I needed to access the minds of the security guards in the Maximum Security block. He understood this, and suggested we held hands as we walked, so that it seemed natural to the guards around us.

I agreed and we linked hands. Instantly the minds of the Weres round us became a lot more transparent. We glanced at each other as we both registered Bruno’s thoughts. Before we joined hands there had just been a vague impression of hunger, but now I knew that it was the smell of the steak I’d recently eaten that was tormenting him. I mentally shrugged and picked up Barry’s amusement – there was nothing we could do about it right then.

I checked the time on a huge gilt clock in the main foyer, which had golden sunrays coming out from the central dial, almost dazzling where the light caught it. Eight o’clock – time to make our move.

“C’mon downstairs – Amelia gave me a message for a guy she’s met.”

I tugged Barry’s hand but he didn’t move. Do we have to? I get kind of claustrophobic when I’m underground. I got trapped in my grandma’s cellar once and there were rats and … he shuddered.

Oh crap. I really needed him to be able to do this. Can you stand it for a little while? It’s all light and open down there – no dark holes or rats or anything, I promise. I let him see a memory of the area from the other night when I’d been down there with Amelia, and he reluctantly started walking again. “Okay. What’s down there?”

“Apart from some really cute guys in uniform? It’s the security block. They do some totally cool martial arts. Wanna see?”

“Sure.”

We made our way down the stairs, and this time the Weres seemed much more relaxed when they saw me. No-one had yelled at them because of our last visit so they didn’t stress this time, but they still checked Barry’s pass carefully. I didn’t even have to do the ‘I belong to the Chosen of the Queen’ routine, which was just as well – it felt pretty old by now.

We stopped off in the training area and watched the combat training. It was quite spectacular – Weres are hugely strong and tough, and one or two had dropped into wolf form and were sparring with others still in human shape. It looked fast and bloody and the room echoed with growls and shouts as they clashed. I hoped that Eric knew what he was doing – these guys looked good and from their thoughts they seemed pretty ready for action.

We didn’t stay long in there – it was very warm with all those energetic bodies and I’d had to undo a couple of buttons on my top. We wandered past a lot of other cells – some occupied, some empty – and at last our wanderings brought us near the entrance to the Maximum Security block, and I stopped at the desk where there was a guard sitting in front of a computer monitor. I couldn’t see the screen, even though I leaned over the front of the desk a little, giving him a good view of my girls.

His eyes zeroed in on the cleavage, which was more than usually noticeable since I’d undone those buttons, and I forced back the temptation to smirk triumphantly at Barry. We’d had a bit of a mental spat about this on the way down here. He’d felt that I should focus on reading the minds of the Were guards while he talked to any other guards around. His reasoning? I knew more about what we were looking for while the guards were more likely to talk to him as he was a guy.

I was surprised my mental snort hadn’t been audible in Kansas when I’d picked that up from him. His point about my knowledge was valid, but as for the guards preferring to talk to a man? Just because I didn’t go out of my way to seek male attention, did he really think I didn’t know how to do it? Hell, I’d worked with Arlene for five years and I knew the moves even if I didn’t use them.

There was also the point that I was actually better than Barry at maintaining a simple conversation while focussing my mind elsewhere. He was relatively new to it, having been in denial about his gift for most of his life. So, he reluctantly agreed that he would focus on the guards in the restricted area beyond the desk while I chatted to the guard with part of my mind and boosted Barry’s efforts with the rest.

“Hi there. Is Cal around please?” I gave the guard my best smile, and watched as he dragged his gaze away from my assets to check his clipboard.

“Why do you want to speak with him?”

“Were you on duty last night? Did you meet my friend Amelia who was down here for a while?”

“Oh, the little witch?”

“Uh-huh. That’s the one. She asked me to give him a message.”

“Okay. He’s in the other wing right now. I’ll see if he can come over.” He picked up a phone and spoke into it while I glanced at Barry. His eyes were half closed as he concentrated. I gripped his hand as hard as I could, lending him as much support as I dared. He blinked as he registered the boost in power, and I kept a bland facial expression and turned my eyes back to the Were.

He’d finished speaking and put the phone down. “He can’t come right now. Can I pass the message on?”

“Sure. Could you let him know Amelia may be a little late tonight, please? She didn’t want him to think she was standing him up.” I could fill Amelia in on this when I got back to the suite. She was often late for dates anyway – she didn’t want guys to think she was too eager.

“Okay, I’ll let him know. Anything else I can do for you?”

I wasn’t sure how much more time Barry needed and was just about to start asking inane questions about whether the Were liked his job when Barry squeezed my hand. I looked at him and he was very pale. “Barry? Are you okay?”

“Feeling faint … need to go.” He wasn’t faking it – his mind said he was struggling right now.

“Hey, is he alright?” said the guard. Bruno stepped forward, putting a hand the size of a ham under Barry’s arm.

“I’m not sure. He gets a bit claustrophic sometimes. I guess we’d better go. Thanks for your help. C’mon Barry.” I turned away, tugging at his hand, and he followed me back towards the stairs, Bruno following close behind.

He was very slow as we made our way up to ground level and then I steered him out of the big doors for some fresh air. The rain had stopped but the wind was still gusting and we sat on the wide steps, sheltering against a pillar, and he pulled in deep draughts of fresh air, staring up at the darkening sky.

It was only eight-twenty but the clouds had made it seem gloomier than usual. We only had a few minutes before we were due back inside. I waited until he had a little more colour in his cheeks and then I said Anything?

Yeah, but I don’t understand it.

Tell me what you got – maybe I’ll be able to make some sense of it.

There were a lot of guards down there, but most of them were just thinking about the end of the shift – they’ve been on duty all day.

Okay, anything else?

One was thinking about his wife and a sick pup, and one was worrying about a gambling debt, but two of them were just plain weird.

I contained my impatience. He was doing his best, and clearly still wasn’t a hundred per cent recovered. What was weird about it?

I’m not sure, but they were thinking about … well, it looked like a cross between a museum and a church sale.

What? Are you sure?

Yes, I was getting the same from both of them. Shelves and tables loaded with old books and bits of jewellery and pictures and clothes, and a little old lady in a tweed suit sitting in the middle of it all, drinking tea, like she was waiting for the preacher’s wife to come open the sale.

This was beyond strange. It must have been … I don’t know … a film they’ve both seen recently or something.

Don’t think so. I was seeing bars across the front, just like on all the other cells, and I don’t see why a memory of a film would have made them feel like that.

So he’d been getting some sort of emotion off them, to go with the images.

Made them feel like what?

Fucking terrified.

Happy Ever After Chapter 10

Chapter 10

SPOV

“You know that maximum security section? That’s where the Vlakas wards have been placed. And they’re real strong.”

Eric stiffened, and so did I. “You’ve found them? How?” he said.

Amelia shrugged. “I could feel ’em. Witches are sensitive to that sort of thing, and I could tell there was something there as soon as I went near the maximum security section.”

“How do you know they were the Vlakas wards – there are many types, aren’t there?”

“A few. But the research you’ve had me doing on them got me interested and I tried one to see how it worked. Just a little one – the ingredients are really expensive – but it felt just like this. They all feel slightly different.”

“So what does that tell us?” I asked.

Eric frowned. “It tells us that there is something down there which cannot be held by ordinary means – silver chains and so on. So it’s not a vampire.”

“The guards were vampires, though,” I said. “I could feel the holes where their minds should be.”

“I know. Weres during the day and Vampires at night; what you would expect in any maximum security area.”

I shrugged. “Well, I could try to see what I can read from the Weres, but I doubt we’ve got much of a shot – you know I don’t get a lot from them.”

Eric nodded. “Why not wait until Barry arrives on Thursday, and then try together?” he said. “You know you’re readings are stronger when you work together.”

“Are you sure he’s coming? I thought Stan might be a bit wary of bringing him, seeing as he knows Freyda wants a telepath.”

“He was reluctant at first, but I pointed out that Freyda thinks she’s gaining you as part of my entourage, so she won’t be interested in Barry. Stan promised to bring him; he knows an extra telepath could be very useful over the next few days.”

I nodded, and Amelia yawned. “Well, if there’s nothing else tonight, I’m gonna head back to my matchbox; I have a cat I want to try swinging in there,” she said, looking pointedly round the acres of space that made up our living-room. Then she frowned, as though noticing for the first time that the room wasn’t completely pristine. Although someone had cleared up the remains of Eric’s little re-decorating spree, there were still holes in the walls and there was a huge blank space over the fireplace, showing where a painting had hung.

“Eric, do you have mice in here?”

He smirked. “Not that I’m aware of. Just a few bugs.”

“What, like termites? Giant woodworm?”

I snorted with laughter. “No, not that sort of bug – the electronic sort.” I waved my hand at the damage. “Eric was just … uh … letting Freyda know his views. I’m surprised you didn’t hear her screeching from the West Wing.”

She looked at Eric, her gaze a mixture of incredulity and respect. “Electronic bugs, huh? So you just ripped ’em clean out of the walls?”

He nodded smugly. “It seemed the best way to get her to see my … er … point of view. I told her that if she didn’t trust me, there was no point in making me her second, and she agreed. Eventually.”

“What about the other rooms? Are they clear too?”

“The bugs are still there, but she promised me they would be turned off.”

I was surprised he would trust her. “And you believe her?”

He nodded again. “She knows if she leaves them on, I’ll destroy them too. But I’ve checked all the rooms.” He pointed to a table, where there was a small grey box with two stubby antennas on it and a small screen with a needle. “Parker came up and swept the place for me with this – it’s a high-end surveillance device detector. Really, he’s been very useful to me these last few days. I’ll have to reward him. See that green light?” He pointed to the side of the box. “That means there’s nothing active in here. If the light goes red, it means something has been activated, so you press this button here and it emits a jamming signal.”

“That’s useful. Have you got another one for Amelia’s room?”

He shook his head. “That won’t be necessary. I’ve moved her up here. Her things are already in one of the spare bedrooms.” He nodded to a door on the far side of the suite. I was pleased to note that it was as far as possible from our room. Although they were all soundproofed, I still liked my privacy. I didn’t want Amelia getting even the faintest hint of whatever we might be doing.

She looked surprised but pleased at Eric’s thoughtfulness. “Oh, thanks. That’s very considerate of you. My room’s really too small to do anything but sleep in it.”

“I was thinking more of the fact that while you’re here you can keep Sookie company, and also ward the suite so no-one can enter without permission. Then I’ll know that she’s safe and not left on her own during the day.”

She should have known better than to think Eric gave a rat’s ass about any human’s comfort or convenience except mine. She blinked twice, registering Eric’s fait accompli, and then said, “oh. Okay then. But I’ll have to find the ingredients for the wards from somewhere.”

He gestured towards a small box on the floor by the wall. “I brought them all with me from Louisiana. I think you’ll find everything you need in there. Set it so that it accepts only the three of us.” He picked up the bug detector and turned away towards our room, saying, “come, Sookie.”

Amelia’s thoughts told me she was interested to see if I was simply going to follow meekly behind my Viking. She should have known me better than that. “I’ll be along soon, honey. I just want to make sure Amelia’s got everything she needs.”

Eric turned back and looked at us for a second, and when he realised I wasn’t going to heel, he said, “don’t be too long, it’ll be dawn in an hour.” Then he stretched in a leisurely fashion. Not because he needed to, but because he knew it made his muscles do interesting things. His shirt nearly popped its seams under the strain, but it was good quality, and survived. Kind of a shame, really… He grinned at me and went into the master bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Having suitably established my independence I picked up the carton with the warding ingredients in it and went with Amelia to inspect her room. She was more than happy to move out of her tiny accommodation, and her new space was beautiful, decorated in cream and blue, with a large bathroom.

By the time I’d helped her unpack, I was yawning my head off and was ready for bed – it had been a very long night. I could feel Eric’s impatience, and he was starting to send very suggestive messages through our mind-link, but I stayed with Amelia while she set the wards on all the entrances to the suite. In a small display of spirit she also fixed a ward on her own room which would exclude Eric. I protested briefly but she said, “what? We don’t want him horning in if we have girly stuff to talk about.”

I couldn’t argue – there were times when you didn’t want an ancient vampire listening to your conversations. Then I said goodnight and joined Eric in the master bedroom – an opulent apartment with a giant four-poster bed dominating the centre of the space. It was piled with pillows and hung with green silk swags, which must have been terrible dust-traps.

But I wasn’t that interested in the décor, to tell the truth. Eric was lying on the bed, waiting for me. His beautiful smile was an invitation, and his beautiful naked body was another one. I happily left a trail of my own clothes on the floor behind me and took a flying leap onto the bed. It was really high, and I tumbled into his arms as he caught me and rolled until I was underneath him.

He supported his weight on arms so strong he could have held the position for ever. Then he tossed his head so that his golden hair cascaded round us in a satin curtain. I let a handful of it flow through my fingers. His hair was so soft, but all the rest of him was so hard (and I do mean all the rest …)

o

A while later we were lying in a tangle of sheets and I was catching my breath, truly thankful he’d checked this room for bugs. I hated the thought that any of Freyda’s minions had been listening in to our activities. Not that it would have stopped me, but even so …

Eric was lying on his side, apparently fascinated with the way my breasts rose and fell as my breathing slowed and my pulse returned to normal. His fingers drifted gently across my stomach. I used to think they were just random swirls when he did this, but he’d told me he was replicating some of the tattoo designs he’d seen on other Vikings in his youth. I’d asked him if he’d had any tattoos, and he’d said the Scandinavian Vikings didn’t normally do that, but that the Rus Vikings from further East did, using wood-ash instead of ink.

Once I was fully recovered, he said, “now, dear one, we need to talk.”

“What about?”

“About tomorrow night.” His face and voice were equally solemn.

“What about … oh. Right.” I remembered Freyda’s parting words. She’d insisted the divorce had to take place tomorrow night, first thing.

“I’m truly sorry, but there’s no way round this. You know it’s not what I want, yes?”

“I know.” I could feel his regret and his pain through the bond, matching my own, and I reached out and laid my hand over his where it rested on my stomach. “What will it involve?”

“It’s not complicated, but it’s not … pleasant. Cataliades will have prepared two deeds of dissolution, on special parchment, and we have to sign both of them in his presence.”

“That doesn’t sound too bad.”

He sighed a little. “I’m afraid we have to sign it in blood. Each other’s blood.”

“Oh. That’s … horrible.” And messy.

“Vampires don’t think so, and the ritual was created by and for vampires. Blood makes things binding as far as we’re concerned.”

“Won’t it just make the paper mushy?”

“That’s why we use parchment. It’s made from animal hide and is much stronger than paper. It doesn’t absorb the blood in the same way. Cataliades will bring the ceremonial knife that we used when we were first pledged, and you will need to cut my left palm with it, and then I will need to cut yours.”

Damn, that sounded painful. “And is that all?”

“Not quite. After you’ve signed the documents using my blood, I have to hold my hand over them and allow the blood from the wound to fall on the parchment below your signatures. Then you have to do the same.”

“You’ll heal me straight after, though, won’t you?”

To my horror, he shook his head. “I can’t. Not immediately. To make it binding, the blood has to flow until the wound closes. That’s not normally a problem as we heal so quickly, but it won’t be like that for you, I’m afraid. We will have to allow the cut to stop bleeding naturally. I will make it as shallow as I can, I promise.”

“Okay … and it’ll just be a little nick, right? You don’t need a lot of blood.”

Again he shook his head. “I’m sorry, lover, the ritual specifies the cut must be made from the base of the left thumb to the base of the little finger.”

“What? Why?” I was horrified at the thought of a long cut clean across my palm. Apart from hurting like a bitch, it would take forever to heal.

“It comes from the ancient days when people believed the hand and fingers represented certain things. They thought there was a vein running from the left hand straight to the heart – the vena amoris – which is why humans place a ring on the left hand when they get married. The thumb was seen as being concerned with decision-making and the little finger represented communication and sex. So the cut running from one to the other is symbolic of making a decision to sever communication and sexual relations with the other person.”

“We won’t though, will we? Sever our connection? Or our … um … sexual relations?”

He hugged me. “Never. You know it’s only to appease Freyda. It has no meaning for me.”

“So I can still stay with you afterwards?”

“Of course. You are my lover, my dear one, and you always will be. It’s purely a legal requirement. And our bond will be as strong as ever.”

“But you can’t heal my hand for me?”

“I will give you my blood before Cataliades arrives, and that will speed the healing, but that’s as much as I can do. As soon as he’s satisfied and leaves, I’ll deal with it properly, I promise. You won’t suffer an instant more pain than necessary”

I sighed. “It’s not going to be a good way to start the evening, is it?”

“No. But once it’s over, we’ll carry on as though it had never happened. I told you, it has no meaning for me.” He was starting to slur his words a little, and I knew he was feeling the dawn. He hit the bedside light switch as I reached down and straightened the covers over us, and snuggled into his arms. With everything he’d just told me, I didn’t expect to sleep, but it had been such a long and difficult night I barely had time to say ‘G’night, Eric,” before someone switched out the lights in my head and I was gone.

* * *

“Sookie. Wake up.”

I could feel someone shaking my shoulder, but I was way too comfortable to want to wake up. The mattress was the softest I’d ever slept on and I grumbled and tried to turn over, but whoever was shaking me wouldn’t stop. Then a voice in my head said, you must rise, lover.

That had to be Eric. The mists of sleep that curled through my brain faded enough for me to focus a little. If it was Eric then he must be awake, so …

Crap. I’d slept the entire day away. I yawned and sat up, rubbing my eyes and looking round. Eric was standing by the bed, already dressed. He was in a black silk shirt, open to just above his navel, and black pants. His hair was in a ponytail and he looked delicious, but his expression was as sombre as his outfit.

“I let you sleep as long as I could, but Cataliades will be here shortly and you need to feed before he arrives.”

“Can’t I have breakfast first?” I wanted to start my night with coffee, not blood.

He shook his head. “The blood works quicker on an empty stomach. I’ve ordered you breakfast in forty minutes – you’ll need to eat well to help replace the blood you lose during the ritual.”

“Don’t remind me. Where’s Amelia?”

“She ate a little earlier and went out to meet with some of the local witches. She’ll be back soon.”

“Oh, so she gets to eat while I have to starve, huh?” I was in a bad mood – I didn’t want to wake up, I didn’t want to be in Oklahoma, I didn’t want to do this stupid divorce ritual and I didn’t want to be nice to anyone, including Eric.

He sighed and sat on the bed, rolling up his cuff. “You will feel better once you’ve drunk from me. Come.”

I shook my head. “If we’re going to do this, I want you to hold me properly.”

He smiled. “With pleasure. I would have offered, but in your present mood I thought you might have preferred a little distance.”

My grumps evaporated in the face of his consideration. “Oh hell, I’m sorry I snarled. I should have remembered this is just as bad for you as it is for me. Hold me the way you always do?” I pushed back the covers and wriggled down the bed a bit and he positioned himself behind me, resting on the pillows piled against the headboard. Then I leaned back against his chest and his arms wrapped round me, the cool silk of his shirt sliding delightfully over my bare skin.

“Ready?” I nodded and one of his arms disappeared for a second and then came back in front of my face with two red holes dripping blood from the wrist. I leaned forward and lapped at them delicately, and he brought his arm closer so that I could snuggle back against him comfortably. Then my lips made a seal round the punctures and I started some serious suction.

I moaned a little as the thick, sweet fluid hit the back of my throat, and I heard an answering moan from Eric as his hips shifted beneath me. As I drank I felt our bond strengthening, and our mental connection growing until he gasped and pulled his wrist away. “No more …”

“Why not?” I was disappointed – I was just getting started.

“Because if you drink any more I won’t be able to resist taking you thoroughly and at great length, and Cataliades will be here soon. I’m sorry, lover, this is just too arousing for me.”

I knew what he meant. His erection was hard as nails behind me and my own temperature was skyrocketing. I deliberately wriggled against him to see if I could provoke him, but he gently lifted me to the side and slid off the bed. Curse you, centuries of self-control!

“Shower and get dressed and then come join me in the living room.”

“You’re no fun, you know that, right?” I pretended to sulk and he smiled, rolling down his sleeve. The marks were already almost invisible.

“Yes I am. But only when it’s appropriate. We will have a lot of fun later, but right now we have important business to attend to.” He glanced at his Rolex. “You have ten minutes.” Then he turned and exited the bedroom. Probably just as well – without his presence to distract me I focussed on getting ready, and by the time I left the bedroom Mr Cataliades was already there and waiting.

I was shocked at how he looked. Normally tall and robust, he seemed to have shrunk since I last saw him. He was slightly stooped and I was sure he’d lost weight – his suit hung on him, and as he hauled himself to his feet it looked like an effort for him.

Eric held out his hand to me, and I joined him on the couch where he sat. Mr C greeted me politely, and then seated himself again and coughed as though a little embarrassed.

“Miss Stackhouse. Sheriff Northman.” He hesitated. “That is correct, is it not? You are still the Sheriff of Area Five? I’ve included that title in the deeds of dissolution.”

Eric grimaced and said, “technically, I suppose I am. Sandy has been badgering me for my formal letter of resignation, and she’ll insist on it before the wedding, but for the moment, yes, I am still the Sheriff. ”

“Very well. Shall we proceed?”

“Are you ready, lover?”

I glanced at Eric and sighed. “Ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.” I was getting very strange feelings from him through the bond. I was reading regret, sure, but nothing like what I’d expected. I mind-spoke him while Mr C opened the case he’d brought with him and started setting things out on the coffee-table between us.

Eric, this is going to sound odd, but I’m not sure what I’m receiving from you at the moment. I thought you’d hate this as much as I do, but you don’t seem too concerned. You don’t want to do this, do you?

Of course not. But it’s something we can’t avoid, so there’s no point weeping and wailing about it. I will explain my thoughts later, but my main regret is the pain it will cause you. I’m truly sorry for that.

Me too. My mental tone was dry, but I was trying to keep a lid on my emotions. Even though I hadn’t wanted to be pledged to him at first, recently I’d come to accept it and now I didn’t want to lose it. Not that I had any choice in the matter; it seemed that I’d been originally forced into the pledging and now we were both being forced into the divorce.

I watched Mr C lay out two large documents on the coffee table, all hand-lettered, and place an old-fashioned fountain-pen next to them. Then he carefully placed a bundle of black velvet between them and unfolded the fabric.

I held my breath as I saw the ceremonial knife he uncovered. It looked ancient and evil as it lay there, light winking coldly off the jewelled hilt. I wondered how many ceremonies it had witnessed, how much blood it had drunk. And now it was thirsty for more …

I suppressed a shudder, but Eric knew what I was feeling, and squeezed my hand a little. Don’t forget, this is only a formality. It has no significance to you or to me.

I nearly nodded, but caught myself in time and contented myself with squeezing his hand in return. Mr C looked at us both. “Do you wish to read the document before you sign it?”

I looked at Eric, and he shook his head. “We know what it means, we don’t need to read the small print. Let’s get on with it.”

“Very well.” Mr C held the knife out to me, hilt first. I wiped a suddenly sweaty palm on my skirt and gingerly took it from him. It felt light, and strangely warm, almost as though it was alive. “You know what you have to do, Miss Stackhouse?” I nodded, swallowing.

I looked at Eric and he held his left hand out to me, palm up, pale and huge and steady as a rock. Oh God, I didn’t want to do this. Eric sensed my reluctance and his voice sounded comfortingly in my head. Be strong, Sookie, you can do this. Out loud he said, “the blade is very sharp, be careful you don’t cut yourself.”

No, because he was going to do that. I stifled my inappropriate and slightly hysterical laughter and took a firmer grip on the handle. I carefully placed the wicked point on the swelling just below the base of his thumb and hesitated for a long moment. “Do it now, Sookie,” said Eric.

I looked up at him, and he nodded reassuringly. I pressed in the tiniest amount and struggled to control my nausea as his skin parted and the blood oozed out round the blade point. It wasn’t like I hadn’t seen my share of blood, but this was different. This was horrible. “Good. Now cut across to the little finger.” There wasn’t so much as a tremor in his voice. I didn’t know whether it would hurt him more if I did it slowly or quickly, and in the end I decided slow and controlled was probably better – I didn’t want to risk going too far or too deep.

Holding my breath so that I didn’t have to inhale the sharp, coppery-sweet scent I carefully drew a line across his palm, and watched in horrified fascination as the shallow channel filled with scarlet. Eric’s blood. He didn’t flinch in the least, but took the knife from my shaking hand and calmly said, “now take the pen and place the point of the nib on the cut. It will draw the blood up and then you can sign both documents. Don’t delay or I’ll heal and we’ll have to start over.”

At that thought I quickly grasped the pen Mr C was holding out to me and put it at what looked like the deepest point of the groove, watching as it drew up the red fluid. Mr C showed me where to sign on both deeds, and I scrawled something. I had to go back and take more blood twice, but Eric didn’t move a muscle as I did so. Then I dropped the pen on the table and sat back on the couch, breathing deeply and turning my head away. Eric had been right not to let me eat before we did this; I would infallibly have hurled had there been anything solid in my stomach just then. I felt the cushion shift slightly and knew he was leaning forward to hold his hand over the parchment, allowing the crimson drops to spatter the creamy white surface. I couldn’t bring myself to watch.

After a few seconds, he said, “done. Look, dear one. It’s healed.”

I turned back to him, not wanting to see what lay on the coffee-table, and he was wiping his hand with his handkerchief. He held his hand out to me, and I took it and inspected it. I knew it would have healed, but I still had to see it with my own eyes. There was a faint reddish smear, but that was all. I pressed my lips to the centre of his palm and closed my eyes. “I’m so sorry, Eric. Did it hurt very much?” I whispered.

“Not really. The sharper the blade the less painful the wound, and this knife is very sharp.” I didn’t know if he was just trying to comfort me, but I was about to find out for myself.

Then Eric was drawing his hand out of my clasp. I thought for a minute that he was going to reach for my hand, but no, he waited patiently for me to gather my courage. He wasn’t going to pressure me.

Okay, Sookie, you can do this. It’s only a cut, Eric’ll heal it for you as soon as he can and there won’t even be a scar. Two minutes and it’s all over. Eric’s voice joined with my own inside my head, bolstering my courage. Be brave, dear one. It will be easier if you don’t look. I could do this. I wouldn’t embarrass him in front of Mr Cataliades.

I took a deep breath, turned my head away, shut my eyes, and stuck my left hand out, palm up. He didn’t prolong the agony; he took my hand in a cool clasp and a second later I felt a stinging slash across the palm. I gasped and tried to yank my hand back, but Eric had anticipated my reaction and held it firmly. I felt the pen pressed to my burning flesh, then I heard the scratching as he signed his name swiftly.

My arm was gently extended over the coffee-table and he held it steady. I still didn’t open my eyes, but in the silence I could hear the slow splat, splat, as drops of my blood hit the parchment. I visualised the scarlet spreading, mingling with Eric’s …

It hurts …

His voice in my mind was reassuring, soothing my distress. You’re doing so well, Sookie. It’s nearly over, I promise. Breathe deeply, count to a hundred and then it’ll be done. I’m so proud of you, lover. He continued murmuring words of comfort and praise as I took his advice, dragging air into my lungs, focussing on the numbers and his voice, trying to ignore the burning in my palm and the tears prickling behind my eyelids.

My mind flashed back to an old story by Rudyard Kipling, in which someone had mentioned that the hand had so many nerve-endings it was almost impossible to take an injury there and not cry. I hadn’t seen any tears in Eric’s eyes, and I wondered if there was something about vampire flesh that made it less sensitive. Of course, as a warrior, he had probably received so many injuries over the years that this was nothing to him. I hoped so, I didn’t like the thought that he was hurting as much as I was.

Ninety-four … ninety-five …

“Done. Are you satisfied?” That was Eric speaking to Mr Cataliades, as he relaxed his hold on my arm and moved it back away from the table. I opened my eyes to see his fangs were out and his eyes were bright, but he was cradling my hand carefully in his own, as though it was a wounded bird.

“Yes, that will be more than adequate.” The lawyer took out his own fountain-pen and signed in the space for the witness on each parchment (in ink!). I gulped at the amount of blood I saw there but Mr C sprinkled some sort of powder across it from a shaker and it dried almost instantly. He rolled both deeds up before placing them back in his briefcase along with the pen and the knife, now wrapped again in its velvet swaddling. I shuddered as I looked at it. I hoped I never saw it again as long as I lived.

Mr C looked at Eric and me very solemnly. “I am truly sorry to have had to do this,” he said.

“Better you than Freyda,” said Eric. “At least I know you weren’t gloating.”

“Hardly. I cannot recall ever witnessing a document with more regret than I have this one. I’ll leave you in peace now, and take this straight to the Queen.”

“Will you be at the banquet later?”

The lawyer shook his head and sighed. “No. I’m really not in the mood for festivities at the moment. I’ll perform my legal duties but anything more than that … I think I’ll just retire to my rooms. I have some upcoming cases to look over.”

In spite of my sore hand, I felt sorry for him, he seemed so defeated. “Mr Cataliades, are you sure there’s nothing we can do to help you? You really don’t look good at the moment.”

“Thank you my dear, I appreciate the sentiment, but I think you have enough troubles of your own for now. I must get these documents to the Queen, she’s waiting for them.” He nodded to each of us, and let himself out of the suite.

The instant the door closed behind him, Eric raised my hand to his lips and ran his tongue the length of the cut. I sighed with relief at the coolness that followed, and relaxed back against the couch. He didn’t stop licking until he’d removed every last hint of blood from my skin, and even then he kept nuzzling at my palm. I felt the faint scratch of his fangs, but he was very careful not to hurt me in any way.

At last he raised his head, and kissed each of my fingers before letting my hand rest in his lap. “There. It’s done, and we can forget about it.”

“Seriously?”

He nodded. “Yes. You didn’t really think that some blood on a document would change how I felt about you, did you? Why would it? My feelings for you don’t depend on legalities.”

I sighed again, but this time with happiness as I felt his emotions through our bond. He was all about love and comfort at the moment, and I snuggled into his side. My hand wasn’t even tender any more.

“Do you want breakfast now?”

I nodded. The nausea had passed and I was conscious of how hungry I was.

“It will be here in a few minutes. And after that we must get ready for the banquet.”

“Do we have to go?” I knew I sounded whiny, but after the little scene that had just passed I felt in need of some ‘us’ time.

“I’m afraid I do – it’s a banquet to welcome the Louisiana vampires to Oklahoma, so we all have to attend, but if you’d rather not go I won’t insist. Would you rather stay in the suite? I can understand your reluctance to be in Freyda’s presence right now.”

I thought for a minute, then said. “I don’t want to watch you having to make nice with her. When Amelia gets back, we may do a little more exploring; see if we can get any more out of that Were guard if he’s on duty – he seemed quite taken with her.”

He wasn’t too happy about that. “I’d rather you didn’t go wandering round the palace without me.”

“But we did that last night and didn’t have any problems. You’ve no idea how useful it is belonging to the ‘Chosen of the Queen.'” My tone was slightly sarcastic, but he got that stubborn look about him.

“Tonight is different. Freyda will have made it widely known that I have divorced you, and people’s attitude toward you may be less accommodating. My wife would be treated very differently from my pet. Amelia can go on her own if she wants, but I’d prefer you to stay in here, where I know you’ll be safe.”

I rolled my eyes. “What a choice – have Freyda rubbing the divorce in my face or deal with terminal boredom.”

“Please, dear one. It will not be for long – I will excuse myself as soon as possible and then we will have the rest of the night together, I promise.”

There was a knock on the door at that point, heralding the arrival of breakfast, which was a welcome distraction. Eric opened the door and let the staff in to set up my breakfast on a nearby table. It smelled fabulous and I seated myself eagerly as the servants left. I reached for the coffee-pot, but he was ahead of me. He lifted it out of my reach and said, “I need an answer. The banquet or the suite?”

I swear I growled a little, and his eyebrow arched. “Be reasonable, lover, you know I only want you to be safe. It’s only for a few hours and when I come back I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.”

“I can’t be reasonable without coffee!”

“Make your choice and you may have as much coffee as you wish.”

“Damn you, Eric, do you ever give in?”

“Of course I do. When I’ve gained what I want. Now, which is it to be?”

“I’ll stay in the suite – as long as you promise to mind-speak me.”

“Of course – it will be my pleasure.” Satisfied that he’d won his point, he poured me out a generous cup of coffee and passed the sugarbowl.

I snarled briefly and then buried my face in the cup, inhaling the aroma greedily. Jeez, it was going to be a long night…

Happy Ever After Chapter 09

Chapter 9

A/N Hi, I’m back. Had a great vacation, well rested, raring to get on with the story. ‘Nuff said, let’s do this.

EPOV

Stay behind me.

My message to Sookie as I left the vehicle wasn’t acknowledged out loud, but the fact that she slipped back a pace as we mounted the steps told me she’d heard and understood me. I had briefed Pam earlier to ensure that Bill would be in the last car in the convoy and would be allowed nowhere near Sookie. She must have spoken to the others, because both girls were instantly surrounded by my vampires and Bill was gently manoeuvred towards the back of the group.

Freyda was waiting for me at the top of the steps, looking regal in deep green silk, her hair swept up with sparkling emerald clips. She had called me every night since I left, but I had kept the conversations as brief as possible, pleading the pressure of work as I tied up all the loose ends before leaving Louisiana. She had wanted to discuss all the wedding arrangements, but beyond settling the date and time of the ceremony I had told her to make all the decisions herself. I found it almost impossible to disguise my indifference, but managed to summon up the appearance of enthusiasm. After my initial reluctance, she was happy to believe that my visit to her had changed my mind.

I stopped one step below her and she extended her hand, smiling. I bowed over it, hearing the faint rustle as my people followed my example, except for Sookie who remained stubbornly vertical. Then I straightened and looked Freyda in the eye.

“Eric. At last. Welcome to my palace and your new home.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty. May I introduce those members of my retinue that you haven’t met before?”

She nodded and turned to acknowledge my followers’ bows as I named each of them. Naturally, her gaze passed over Compton without pausing and when I came to Sookie, looking sulky in the midst of the group, her expression didn’t alter at all but I noticed that her pupils dilated slightly.

She spoke clearly, her words intended to reach the press and members of the public who had stopped to watch the impressive motorcade arrive. “You are all as welcome as my consort-to-be. I know you’ve given up your homes and livelihoods to follow your Sheriff here, and I appreciate your loyalty, as I’m sure he does. I hope your time here will be a long and pleasant one. My people will do everything in their power to help you settle in and find roles for yourselves as you spread out across Oklahoma. There are many areas where vampires are few and far between, and a lot of wonderful opportunities to set up businesses in new locations. For example, I have just opened a new casino in Tulsa and I’m sure we can find places for anyone who would like to join the team there.”

My vampires looked at one another silently and then glanced at me for a lead. I had told them they would function as my inner circle in one capacity or another for as long as we were here, but it was apparent from Freyda’s words that she was planning to detach them from me as soon as possible and disperse them across her kingdom.

Then an oily voice spoke up from the back. “Your Majesty is most kind. I think I speak for all of us when I say we are honoured to be here and look forward to enjoying your hospitality …” Bill broke off with an angry hiss as Maxwell Lee started digging in the bag holding his laptop, ‘accidentally’ catching Bill square in the back with it and making him stagger. He turned round, annoyed at having his speech interrupted, but Maxwell Lee raised an eyebrow and looked at him steadily, and the younger vampire backed down. Freyda ignored the minor incident, smiling graciously for the flashing cameras. She could afford to be gracious – she had gained everything she wanted. Or so she thought.

She turned and led us into the palace, past her grey-uniformed guards lining the steps, until everyone was inside and the doors were closed. Then she turned and said, “the servants will distribute security passes and show your people to their quarters. They’ll be housed in the Annexe for the time being, and your humans …” she paused for a moment. “We’re very short of space with all the visitors we’re expecting, but I’ve had two small rooms prepared for them.”

“That was thoughtful of you. How did you guess that Sookie would change her mind about coming? She only made her final decision yesterday, and Amelia only agreed to accompany her this afternoon.”

Freyda froze for a second and then the graciousness returned. “I took a chance. I have every faith in your powers of persuasion, and I was sure she wouldn’t want to be here alone during the day so I guessed she’d bring a friend. And I was right, wasn’t I?”

I bowed ironically. “As ever.” This was clear evidence to me that Compton had been in touch with her recently. “And one single room will be all that we need. Sookie will share my quarters.” They were certainly big enough …

“But they’re not set up to accommodate a human.”

“I imagine that can be rectified – it’s only for a few days, after all. And if you’re as short of space as you say, I imagine freeing up Sookie’s room will only be helpful.”

Although I could feel faint amusement coming from my lover as I outmanoeuvred Freyda, I was grateful for the control she had over her expression. She was extraordinarily (and sometimes inconveniently) good at hiding what she was really thinking, and I hoped she could maintain her fake reluctance for the next few days. She looked wonderfully petulant at the moment – just what I wanted.

Freyda looked doubtful, but I had known this would be an issue, and had already decided I was not going to give way. This was not only because I wanted Sookie safe, but because Freyda would ultimately appreciate my standing up to her. All vampires respected strength, and she would be pleased to see that she had paid for someone who was not afraid to challenge her – a good second was not simply a doormat.

I could almost see her calculating her response. I knew she would be reluctant to be too heavy-handed in front of my people. She was aware that many of them were unhappy about the alliance, and she would need to make a good impression if they were to accept her rule. After all, introducing twenty new vampires into her kingdom, whose loyalty was very firmly behind someone else, could be either a blessing or a curse.

She finally decided it was in her best interests to be accommodating at the moment.

“Very well. Who is the other, anyway?” She glanced at Amelia, who was looking around her at the marble pillars and the gilding. Sookie didn’t take her eyes off me, although her expression was not friendly.

There was no possibility that Freyda didn’t know exactly who the witch was, but I played the game. “Her name’s Amelia Broadway, and she’s a friend of Sookie’s, come for the wedding as you guessed. They’ll both be returning to Louisiana on Sunday.”

Sookie muttered, “can’t come soon enough for me.” Freyda’s expression didn’t so much as flicker, but I knew she was planning on keeping Sookie for a lot longer than that. All the more reason for her to be flexible now – once I had signed on the dotted line she believed she could control me and my telepath. It would be a pleasure to disabuse her of that notion …

“Of course. Security will need her picture if she’s to stay here.” I had emailed across the names and photographs of everyone else in my retinue several days earlier, so that their security passes would be ready for them. Freyda continued. “Her room is in the West Wing.”

Interesting. I knew from my previous visit that the West Wing of the mansion was occupied almost exclusively by Freyda’s staff. With my own people housed in a separate building behind the main palace and the private royal apartments in the East Wing, Sookie and Amelia would have been completely cut off from everyone they knew, including me, had they been based there. Not satisfactory. I felt I was unlikely to get a change of room for Amelia, but knew she had ways of protecting herself if necessary. Having gained my point, I was not going to jeopardise my victory by fighting and losing on another front.

Now Freyda turned towards the grand staircase, saying, “tell your people to go with Bruno – he’ll attend to everything.” Then she vanished at vampire speed, clearly expecting me to follow her. However, I lingered to see that my followers were properly cared for. Freyda’s major-domo stepped forward and said, “If your retinue will follow me, sir, I will show them to their quarters. I have their security passes here, and the bags from the airplane have already been taken to the Annexe.”

My followers were looking a little twitchy at being separated from me so soon, but I endorsed Freyda’s arrangements and instructed them to meet me here in the entrance hall in one hour. Amelia looked faintly anxious, but Sookie whispered to her and she nodded and followed the servant who approached her. My people began to move away, eagerly led by Compton, who pushed his way to the fore. That is, until he reached Pam, who stepped in front of him at the last minute, her stiletto heel burying itself deep in his instep. I smiled and left them to it, following Freyda at human speed with Sookie.

I didn’t hurry, pointing out interesting paintings and features as I mounted the stairs to the top floor, even though I hated the place. I was clearly not alone in this; Sookie mind-spoke me, “Jeez, why would anyone want to live in a place like this? Seriously, it would give me a rash.”

I had to agree. Personally I’d have preferred to sleep in the back of my Corvette if it had been an option.

Freyda was waiting impatiently outside the suite I had stayed in two weeks earlier. She glanced at Sookie, and said, “you needn’t have waited – the staff would have brought her.”

“I wanted to show her some of the artwork myself.”

“Oh, very well.” She looked mildly annoyed but nodded to the footman and he opened the door for us. She entered and sat down on one of the couches and I sent Sookie through to the daychamber to start unpacking her bags which were already waiting for us. Staying in character, Sookie looked rebellious but did as she was told, almost – but not quite – slamming the door behind her as she left.

It was not entirely an act; she was not happy that Freyda was apparently intent on a tête-à-tête in my suite, and I could feel her concern. I picked up a mental message asking me to be careful and I acknowledged it, at the same time warning her to be discreet because of the surveillance. And that reminded me … I sent Sookie another message, telling her what I planned to do, then spoke to the Queen.

“Freyda, I recall you said I can make any alterations I choose to this suite. Did you mean it?”

“Certainly. It’s yours for as long as you are here – you can do anything you like with it.”

“Excellent. There are one or two pieces here that offend my eye.”

“Then I’ll have them removed.”

“No, please don’t bother. I’ll take care of it myself.”

She watched in puzzlement as I walked past the couch where she sat, and studied a pair of ornate brass wall-sconces. “I’m afraid I don’t like these at all.” I smiled apologetically at her, and then her mouth fell open as I ripped both fittings from the wall, leaving a gaping hole in the plaster.

“What are you doing? You’re …”

I ignored her. “And this isn’t to my taste, either. Much too fussy.” I picked up the ivory house phone from the end-table and crushed the handset, dropping the pieces to the carpet. Next an original oil-painting caught my eye. I heard her intake of breath as I crossed the room and paused before it, studying it thoughtfully.

“Eric, please, that’s a Caravaggio!”

I said, “I know. I met him once and disliked him intensely. He was a drunken thug. No, it’s got to go.” I ignored Freyda’s shriek of outrage as I shredded the giant canvas and moved on at vampire speed to destroy selected items throughout the entire room.

I could feel Sookie’s amusement through the bond as I worked and by the time I paused before the large antique mirror of Venetian glass, Freyda was quivering with fury. Her fangs were out, but so were mine, and she was quite unable to stop me; I was both faster and stronger than her. The look on her face told me she’d realised exactly what I was doing; We both knew I had systematically destroyed every object in the room which concealed a bug.

Now I looked at her sternly, and said, “I will not be spied upon.”

She jumped as my fist shot out and shattered the mirror, which I knew hid a camera.

“I will not be watched.”

I dragged the device out, ignoring the shards of glass which gouged my wrists, and brought it over to the couch where I tossed it into her lap. I stood looking down at her and she shrank back slightly. “Do you understand me?”

“Yes.” Her voice was a whisper but her eyes met mine steadily. I reluctantly acknowledged her courage. Her spine stiffened and her voice grew stronger as she continued, “but it’s a perfectly normal precaution …”

“It’s a pointless one when the person under surveillance knows they’re being watched.” Then I retracted my fangs and seated myself next to her, taking her hand. “Think about it – I didn’t have to let you know I had found all your bugs. If I intended to deceive you I could just as easily have left them all in place and fooled you into thinking I was unaware of your … precautions. But if I am to be your consort and your second, you must trust me absolutely. If you do not, then our alliance can serve no purpose.”

I let her consider this for a moment, then I said, “Now, must I go through the rest of my suite, or will you order all such devices disabled?”

She made up her mind. “I’ll speak to my Head of Security.”

“Tonight?”

“Tonight. But there was really no need for such a dramatic display – you could have spoken to me without destroying all these things.”

“Yes, I could have, but I wanted to make my point. And I really don’t like Caravaggio.” I gave her my most charming smile, and reluctantly she smiled back.

“Oh, very well. But next time you want something, just ask.”

“I will.” Then I glanced at my watch. “Did you need to speak to me about anything special, or can it wait? I want to take a quick bath and get unpacked before I meet my staff.”

“I thought your telepath was unpacking.” I noted a reluctance to use Sookie’s name. Freyda was disposed to be jealous of her, even though she thought she’d won the battle for my loyalty.

“Only her own things – she wouldn’t have had time to deal with mine. After all, I have a lot more with me now that I’m here to stay.” I smiled warmly and she relaxed as she remembered that she owned me now. But she was still looking for a way to take back the initiative, and it was obvious where she would go.

“Speaking of the telepath, have you divorced her yet?”

I had wanted to postpone this moment for as long as possible. Even though it wouldn’t be for any length of time, the divorce would hurt Sookie and myself, both literally and figuratively.

I hoped that when the next few days were over, Sookie would consent to be my wife again, but this time voluntarily and in the full knowledge of what it involved. She had never really accepted our pledging, probably because I’d tricked her into it. I’d done so in order to protect her, but I had come to see that this might not have been the best move; for a long time it had only made her more resistant to me, and it continued to be a source of grievance to her. That was something I intended to put right. With our newly-established relationship I had every hope she would accept my suggestion. I already had plans in mind …

Meanwhile, I had to answer Freyda. “Not yet. I’ve asked Cataliades to draw up the deed of dissolution and to witness it, but he’s been here in Oklahoma, so I decided to wait until we arrived.”

She frowned. “I’ll send him to you tonight.”

“I’m afraid I’ll be occupied for the rest of the night – I’ve promised to take my staff on a tour of the palace and see them settled in.”

“Can’t your child do that?”

“She doesn’t know it any better than they do. No, I said I’d do it, and I always keep my promises. You should know that.”

She nodded. “Then I expect it to be done at first dark tomorrow. I’ll be waiting for the deed – don’t leave it any later.”

“I’d rather …”

“Tomorrow night. Either the deed is in my hand within an hour of first dark or I will insist on witnessing it myself.” Damn her. She knew I would want to spare Sookie that, and I seethed inwardly as I nodded my agreement. There was nothing else I could do; I had to give her what she demanded.

Freyda must have sensed my mood, and clearly decided she had yanked the invisible chain around my neck enough for one night. She stood and said, “then I’ll leave you in peace. If you want servants, just ring the bell over there – oh wait, you’ve ripped it from the wall. What a pity.” She glanced at the wreckage that surrounded her and smiled sweetly as she moved toward the door. I held it open for her as she passed through.

“I’ll use the bell in the daychamber. Sookie will need someone to show her where Amelia’s room is – she’ll want to spend time with her while I’m with my staff.”

Freyda arched an elegantly-shaped eyebrow. “Are you sure you trust her to go wandering around the palace without you? What if she gets into trouble? Her reputation suggests that she might well do so.”

Now was my chance to gain a little revenge for her forcing the divorce on us. It would also give her food for thought. “Oh that won’t be a problem. If she feels like killing anyone, I’ll know immediately through our blood-bond. I may not be in time to prevent the deaths, but at least I’ll know where to look for the bodies.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Your blood-bond?”

I smiled politely. “Oh yes. The divorce won’t affect that.” I bowed. “Goodnight, your Majesty.” I caught a glimpse of her expression as I closed the door, and knew that she would be having words with dear Bill before the night was out …

* * *

SPOV

Amelia’s room was small. Very small. Just about enough room for a bed and a dresser, not even a private bathroom. No window, of course. I looked round in dismay, and resolved to ask Eric if she could move in with us – we had plenty of rooms, they were all sound-proofed and I wouldn’t have to cross half the state to reach her. But before I could suggest it, Amelia shrugged and said, “You should have seen the other one they offered me. This one’s like the Ritz-Carlton compared to that.”

“There’s a smaller one? ?”

“Yup. I think this was the one meant for you. They gave me the choice but in the other one you had to stand on the bed to open the door. What’s your room like?”

“Uh … it’s a bit bigger than this one. I’m sharing with Eric.”

“So, best of everything?” She looked at me accusingly and I nodded guiltily. I felt really bad for having dragged her into this situation in the first place and now she was sleeping in a closet.

“Pretty much. He’s supposed to be the new consort, you know? Like second to the Queen? So naturally …” I broke off as she laughed.

“No problem, sister, I was just messing with your head. Seriously, I don’t care – it’s not like I’m here for a holiday. Now, let’s get out and take a look at this place while we’re here. It’s weird – more like a museum than a home.”

“Oh, hush.” We had to be discreet – there wasn’t the remotest chance that we weren’t bugged – but she was right. There were statues and works of art everywhere, and our feet echoed on the marble floors as we began to look round. After Freyda left, Eric had inspected my security pass and then called a servant and insisted it was immediately upgraded to AAA, together with Amelia’s. It seemed that, on top of five-star accommodation, there were other advantages to being ‘the chosen of the Queen’ as he called it. The servant seemed reluctant, but Eric fanged up and by the time I’d finished unpacking, the new ones had arrived by breathless messenger.

He’d sent me off to Amelia with a strong mental warning to stay in touch with him and relay anything interesting I saw or heard. I kept my eyes peeled but the West Wing, where we started, didn’t seem very out of the ordinary. Apart from the fancy décor, it was mostly bedrooms on some floors and offices on others.

We passed a number of humans, and I lowered my shields each time to see what I could get. They were mostly pets, but there were some admin staff, usually fairly low-level from what I could pick up. They were usually in a hurry, and often glamored. This did not feel like a good place to be human. One guy smiled a little as we passed, and when I read him I could see the same sort of glamor that Eric had done on Amelia – this must be Ramon! I stopped him and asked if he could direct us to the state apartments, and he politely offered to show us the quickest route. I could tell he was almost desperate to help us, as he hoped we’d put in a good word for him with Eric.

As we walked through the hallways he pointed out one or two places we hadn’t seen yet, and I didn’t get the faintest trace of a sneer from him. This was a pleasant change – Eric’s last two day guys hadn’t approved of our relationship, and Bobby could barely bring himself to look at me. When we parted I smiled at him and said, “thank you. I’ll be sure to tell Eric how helpful you’ve been.” His answering smile lit his whole face up, and he gave a little bow and then walked away with a spring in his step.

The state rooms, where public events were held, were all in the main block and were much more what I expected from a palace. There was a massive ballroom with a dark blue floor and a curtained-off stage at one end. The dining-room held a long, polished table that looked like it could seat a hundred people. There were uniformed staff in there, mostly human, dusting all the chairs and lowering a giant chandelier so they could wash the crystals. It was all systems go for the royal wedding, and no-one paid us very much attention apart from a glance at the passes which hung round our necks on lanyards. Once they’d checked that we were allowed to be there, they were way too busy to waste time on random visitors.

The audience room was on the second floor, and when we peeped in the big double doors it looked like this was where the wedding was going to be held. There was a raised dais with a throne, and a long red carpet was being laid up the middle of the room, until it formed a T with another, shorter strip just below the dais. A fancy desk covered with scrollwork was standing at the junction of the two pieces, and I guessed this was where the ceremony would be held. There were stacks of gilt chairs at the sides of the room, ready to placed in time for Saturday night. I didn’t linger in here; I didn’t like to think too far ahead just at the moment.

Amelia picked up on my feelings and tugged at my arm. “C’mon, let’s check out the dungeons!”

She meant the levels below ground. “Don’t you want to see the private apartments? They’re even fancier than here.”

She shook her head. “Nuh-uh. How would you feel if you opened a door and the Queen was in there feeding or something? Can you imagine the embarrassment? To say nothing of the pain?”

“She’d never hurt us – at least, not before the wedding. She needs to keep Eric sweet.”

“D’you really wanna risk it?”

“Maybe you’re right. Okay, let’s check out downstairs.”

Below ground there were a lot more guards, and our passes were carefully checked whenever we went through a door or round a corner. Every time, the photographs were studied and compared with our faces, and we were questioned as to why we were there. We tried a number of different explanations, and found the most successful was “we’re with the Louisiana party. The Queen’s chosen said we could look around.” Nearly everyone accepted that, grudgingly or otherwise, and eventually we started saying it before we were even stopped.

It got us through all sorts of doors, and we must have walked for miles underground. At one point we ran across Eric and the Louisiana Vamps. He was leading them out of a room we hadn’t been in yet – we could hear shouts and the echoing sounds of combat through the open door, so we figured there was fighting of some sort going on.

Eric stopped and inspected the guard standing to the left of the door. He’d changed clothes, and was wearing an outfit I’d never seen before; camo trousers and jacket, with a black singlet underneath. I decided that uniform really suited him, particularly the singlet – it left a good deal of his chest on display. Hmm. If he was in a military mood, maybe later I could get him to play a little game of interrogate-the-prisoner. I was sure he had ways of making me talk…

However, currently I was still supposed to be in a huff with him, so we didn’t stop. As we passed I picked up a message from him. See if you can talk your way onto the next level down – it’s the cell block.

Okay. Nothing interesting so far. They’re setting up for the wedding in the audience chamber, and I met Ramon, but that’s about it.

Stay vigilant, lover.

The elevator needed a key and so we turned to the stairs. There was a Were guard at the top and we waved our AAA passes and pulled the “Queen’s chosen” routine again. His mind said he didn’t think there was much danger from two human females, and we looked as innocent as we possibly could, so he radio’d downstairs and got permission.

We were met at the foot of the stairs by another guard, another Were, and he searched us and asked us the same questions. We were hard put to it to explain why we wanted to see the cell-block, but Amelia pulled a great idea out of her hat. She said she was studying the penal system of Louisiana, and was interested to see how it might differ from Oklahoma. I remembered to keep my jaw from hitting the floor and nodded seriously as she started describing how the late Queen Sophie-Anne had done things. I couldn’t imagine how she knew the sort of details that she clearly did, but I would ask her that later. Meanwhile, it was working on the big guy in front of us, and he not only allowed us into the cell block, he insisted on accompanying us.

Amelia was fantastic. She kept up a stream of conversation and intelligent questions, with just a hint of flirtation, while I just went along with it and nodded in what looked like appropriate places. The Were, who gave his name as Cal, was unbending more and more towards her, and I decided that if I hadn’t already forgiven her for the whole Alcide debacle, this performance would have definitely got her into my good graces again. As I listened, I resolved to make Eric delete the photographs of her chicken impersonation that he’d taken back in the airport lounge in Shreveport. He’d planned on threatening to post them on some of the Wiccan forums if Amelia ever stepped out of line again, but I felt once I’d told him how helpful she’d been he would sacrifice them.

We saw most of the cell-block, and a grim place it was, but there was one area we weren’t allowed in. “Sorry, that’s maximum security. You need special clearance for that,” said Cal, and he wouldn’t budge no matter how prettily Amelia pouted. I nudged her when I felt him getting a little impatient, and she took the hint and backed off. No point getting him all suspicious. She asked him when he got off duty, and managed to look very disappointed when he said he’d only just come on shift. She said maybe she’d see him tomorrow some time, and he looked pretty pleased at the idea, but before she got to the point of twining a finger through his buttonhole I looked at my watch and said Eric was expecting us back upstairs.

Cal couldn’t leave the cell block, but he used his key to open the elevator and activate the button for the private apartments before saying goodbye. Aware of possible surveillance, Amelia continued to wax lyrical about what she’d seen downstairs all the way up to the third floor and all along the hallway to Eric’s suite where he was waiting for us.

Once inside I mentally asked him if he was sure we were not being overheard and when he nodded, I said, “Okay, Ames, you can stop now.”

She heaved a sigh of relief and flopped into a squashy wingchair. “Thank God for that. I nearly ran out of steam.”

“Where the hell did you learn all that about the Louisiana penal system?”

She waved a hand. “Oh, Octavia did a lot for Sophie-Anne, setting wards all through her palace. That included the cell block, and I went with her a few times. Of course, I made a lot of it up, but some of it was true.” She sat up. “But speaking of wards, there’s something I can tell you for definite.”

“What?”

She looked seriously at Eric and me. “You know that maximum security section? That’s where the Vlakas wards have been placed. And they’re real strong.”

*Chapter 10*: Chapter 10

A/N

Hi there.

I’m so sorry I’ve been absent for the last few weeks. As some of you may have picked up from my profile, I’ve had a bit of an RL crisis, with my son being seriously ill. He’s now on the mend, and so I can take my mom hat off (like I ever could) and put my fanfic hat back on. Thanks so much for all your patience and for the messages of support and goodwill you’ve sent me. I truly appreciate it. Let’s hope we can get back to (what passes for) normal.

Hope you enjoy this chapter, but it’s probable that you won’t – it’s quite sad.

AAE

* * *

Happy Ever After Chapter 08

Chapter 8

A/N

So sorry this is a little late – I’ve been all caught up with packing to go on vacation tomorrow (yes, I know, again – but this is a family vacation. Last time it was just me and a friend). This means I won’t be posting for the next two weeks 😦 but I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Also, I know I said it would be mostly Oklahoma, but I got this idea in my head and had to run with it. I hope you don’t mind.

Anyway, enjoy, and see you at the end of August.

AAE

* * *

When I’d finished explaining, I waited for Eric’s reaction. He’d given me his word not to pass on or use the information, and I had no worries that he would say anything, but it was possible his interpretation of ‘use’ might be a little different from mine …

He nodded slowly and I held my breath. It was no good searching his face, because he didn’t show much expression and the bond didn’t give me any insight yet. After tomorrow, it would be different, but right now I didn’t know what to expect.

When he spoke, it certainly wasn’t anything I could have expected. “I thought he might be.”

I was completely startled. “You thought … really? But I never said anything, I’m sure of it!”

“No you didn’t, but the night he stayed with you, he woke up when I entered the room and said ‘what are you?’ He didn’t say ‘who are you?’ which would have been a more reasonable question under the circumstances. There was nothing about me to suggest I wasn’t human, but he still picked up that something was different. Once you told me he was Hadley’s child, I put two and two together. She had the same heritage as you; it wouldn’t be surprising for her son to have the same ability.”

“Oh.” I wasn’t quite sure where to go next. My big revelation, and it seemed he already knew, or at least suspected it. “So, why have you never said anything to me, or tried to contact him?” A sudden horrible though. “Or have you?”

He shook his head. “He’s too young to be of much use – he couldn’t do anything for me that you can’t. And my enemies would ask questions if I showed interest in a human child. The minute I went near him, people would have his life under a microscope, the connection to you would be made, and then he’d be fair game. No, he’s much better off staying under the radar. I take it you’ve been teaching him when he visits?”

“I’ve been trying. He struggles with it, but I’m hoping he’ll have a better shot at living a normal life than I did – I’m explaining about what not to say in public and I think he gets it. Well, some of it.”

“Good. How long have you known about him?”

“I’ve known he existed since Hadley died, but I didn’t know he was a telepath until Niall found him for me and I went and visited with him.” I hesitated. “Are you sure you’re okay with this, honey?”

“Absolutely. As long as he doesn’t bring you into danger, then I’ll simply keep an eye on him and make sure no-one else finds out about him. Does anyone else know what he can do?”

“His Dad, and probably his girlfriend, but at least they’re not scared of him. Agent Lattesta thinks he knows, but he can’t prove it and he’s been told to lay off the family. Just as well really, I don’t want his bosses get their hooks into him, he’d never see the light of day again. That would be a horrible thing to do to a child – being kidnapped by the FBI.”

“Being kidnapped by vampires would be worse.” Eric was under no illusions about his own kind and what they’d be likely to do if they found out about Hunter. I shuddered at the thought, and he wrapped his arms round me.

“If there are no more secrets between us, let’s go to bed. I’ll have to stay here tonight – it’ll be dawn soon.”

I smiled. “I don’t have a problem with that. The hidey-hole’s ready whenever you want it.”

“Right now, I think your bed is calling us. You’ve been trying to hide your yawns for the last ten minutes, and I want to hold you.”

“I don’t have a problem with that either…”

0o0o0o0o0o

The next night Eric was out of the hidey-hole in my spare room the instant the sun set. I was in the kitchen at the time, cooking, and I heard the bedroom door close and then he was with me, sniffing the air appreciatively.

“Something smells good.”

“Probably the chicken and bacon pot pie. The smell always makes me hungry.”

Next thing I knew a pair of arms like cold steel bands went round me and he was nuzzling at my neck, inhaling deeply. I could feel the scrape of two needle-sharp points on my skin.

“No. It’s not a pie – it’s you. This is what I missed while I was away. The scent of Sookie. And this smell always makes me hungry.”

Well alright! Yay blood-bond! I turned in the circle of his arms (being careful with the fangs) and said “screw the pie – let’s do this.”

He scooped me up in his arms and carried me through to my bedroom, where he laid me carefully on the bed, and began peeling my clothes off, slowly. The man was an artist – he always varied his approach for maximum erotic effect. Sometimes he tore through my clothing like it wasn’t even there; sometimes, like now, he tortured me with a slow, teasing touch that had my core temperature soaring and I couldn’t keep still …

Once he had me naked and gasping he stood back and studied me, his eyes glowing with a blue flame, before removing his own garments equally slowly. The careful, deliberate revealing of his beautiful body was a joy to watch. His eyes never left me as his hands slid from one button to the next, his expression a study in erotic anticipation. The breathtaking musculature of his arms and torso never failed to bring an awed smile to my lips and as he removed his pants his erect flesh had me tingling all over.

He slid onto the bed and stretched out next to me. His cool hand began a gentle sweep up and down the curves of my body, lingering tantalisingly in certain areas.

“Lover, would you allow me to try something?”

I was inclined to say, “hell yes, anything!” but a tiny voice said ask the question first. “What did you have in mind?”

“I want you to let me glamor you again.”

Startled, I half sat up, propping myself up on my elbows. “What, now? Why?”

“I know you want to be more involved in my world, and I’m very pleased, but I’m concerned about the possibility of our enemies trying to use you for the knowledge in your head as well as the blood in your veins. I don’t like the idea, but it has to be considered and if they kidnap you, they could force information on the takeover from you. If I can glamor you into being unable to reveal what you know, it would protect us all.”

“But wouldn’t they be able to tell that I’d been glamored? Surely if they saw I was hiding something, it would just put them on their guard.”

“Do you remember when you read Ginger for me? You found that Long Shadow had glamored her, but neither Pam nor I could detect it. That intrigued me, and I researched it. It’s a Native American vampire skill, and I paid one of them to teach me, so I believe I can do it. But only if you let me in.”

“I don’t know.” I didn’t like the idea of him messing with my mind – I’d seen what had happened to Re-Bar.

His fingers smoothed their way across my belly, comforting and caressing me. “Don’t you trust me?” Damn, I hated it when he played the trust card, which he’d been doing a lot lately …

“What makes you think I’d be able to let you into my head anyway? You know what my shields are like – I don’t even know how you got in there last time.”

“You were badly injured, and frightened. You were clinging to me as the only familiar face in a strange place. I think the pain distracted you and that made it easier for me.”

“But none of that’s happening at the moment.”

His grin was half mischievous, half predatory and all Eric. “Oh, I think I can find a way to distract you …” his fingers drifted lower and I caught my breath.

“Well, you can try, but I warn you, I’ll probably take a lot of distracting.” My voice was breathless and I was having a hard time focussing on complicated tasks like … stringing a simple declarative sentence together.

“Then we’ll just have to keep trying, won’t we?” His deep voice hummed with promise and I felt a flutter in my pulse.

“If … if you say so …” at the moment he could have told me the moon was a giant Oreo and I’d have just looked for a giant glass of milk to dunk it in.

His mouth found mine and his tongue began the slow, intimate dance that would take me to a place where nothing existed but Eric and his touch. Ribbons of pleasure were uncurling, feathering through my veins and I moved against his hand, like a cat seeking a caress. He gave me what I wanted, his fingers fluttering and stroking as he eased me toward something that my body and mind craved with a building urgency that was little short of desperation.

Under his skilled touch it wasn’t long before I was making little sounds of need; a song of desire that seemed to urge him on, and he moved so that his body was cradled between my thighs and his erection nudged at my centre, which was now swollen and eager for him.

He flexed his hips a little, sliding inside with a smooth surge that left me gasping as I felt his cool length contrasting with my heated flesh. “So soft, so warm …” he murmured, and paused, allowing my body to adjust to his, before beginning a slow rocking motion, carefully stroking his way across my sensitive nerve-endings, arousing them more with each tiny movement.

I wrapped my legs round him, pressing against him, desperate for more contact, more stimulation, and he lifted his head to smile at me – a smile of pure satisfaction. Then he began to kiss his way across my cheeks, round my jawline, down my neck to the vulnerable point where my life flowed close to the surface. He lowered his mouth and nipped a little – not a real bite, just a tiny, sharp twinge – and then I felt his cool tongue soothing the spot.

He was taking most of his weight on one forearm, the hand buried in my hair, holding my head at the perfect angle for his mouth. The other hand was stroking my breast lightly, teasingly, sending arrows of pleasure darting round my system. The multiple sensations were too much; My brain stopped trying to process them and I became a creature of pure feeling, overloaded with ecstasy.

When his wrist appeared in front of my mouth, blood oozing from twin punctures, I didn’t hesitate; it was an automatic reflex to latch on and start drinking the sweet, thick fluid. Eric groaned, a deep sound of pleasure, and said “more. Take more.” I obliged, sucking at the wound until it healed and he re-opened it. As I drank I could feel him swelling even more inside me, then he found the sensitive spot that he’d been seeking and my body shuddered. He smiled with satisfaction, and brushed across it again, back and forth, at the same time angling his hips so his pelvis pressed directly against my clit with every thrust.

My gasp at the almost unbearable pleasure was muffled by his wrist against my lips, and I arched beneath him, every muscle in my body tensing as a tingling wave of warmth washed over me in a gentle tide. As I fell back against the pillow, eyes closed, boneless and blissful, I barely felt his fangs slide through my skin as his lips sealed round the wound and then I was inside him just as he was inside me…

As the tide of pleasure slowly receded, I heard him say hoarsely, “look at me, lover.” My muscles were paralysed with post-sex lethargy and I didn’t want to make the effort, but he repeated his words and I wearily dragged my eyelids open, to find he was gazing intently into my eyes, his own burning brightly.

He said, “let go, Sookie. Let me inside you.” I raised a tiny chuckle at the thought that there was any way he could be deeper inside me than he already was, but then he smiled and said, “relax, lover. I have you,” and I lost myself in the deep blue of his eyes …

* * *

“Sookie, come back to me.”

Eric’s face was a pale blur as it hovered above mine and I blinked a couple of times, waiting for my eyes – and brain – to regain focus. I was on my back and he was lying next to me under the covers, propped up on one elbow, smiling gently. His fingers were slowly tracing circles on my stomach – something he liked to do after sex.

I smiled back at him and, as I did so, I felt something in my mind. Something familiar, something that I’d missed … then a much broader smile crossed my face. We had our bond back. A gentle mental hum that was completely different from the mental pressure I faced from the minds of other humans – this was pure Eric, and his current emotion was … happy. Very happy. I was wrapped in warmth and security and contentment and I basked in the glow of his mental presence.

I said, “I’m back. Did it work? Did you glamor me?”

He looked a little smug. “Yes. Your mind is very strong, even when … distracted, but I got through your shields. I’ve placed a block, which means you won’t be able to speak of our plans to anyone except myself, Pam, Stan or Joe. Can you still remember them?”

I thought for a moment; Joe and Stan – Oklahoma – coup – take down Freyda and Felipe. “Yup, it’s all there.”

His smugness increased. “I thought it would be.” I closed my eyes and relaxed again, enjoying the echoes of his mood. He wouldn’t be Eric if he didn’t feel a little self-satisfied.

“My lover. So fragile. So sexy.”

“Well, I’m not that fragile, but thanks for the compliment. I think you’re pretty sexy too.” His hand stopped its movement.

“What?”

“I’m not that fragile, but I’m glad you think I’m sexy.” The mattress moved, and I opened my eyes. He was sitting up and staring at me, frowning. I stared right back at him, my expression probably identical to his. “What? why are you looking at me like that?”

“Did you just hear me?”

“Well, yeah, I’m not deaf.”

“But I didn’t say those words.”

“Yeah, you did. I heard them.”

“I didn’t say them, but I did think them.”

Now it was my turn to sit up. “You mean … oh crap. It happened again.”

“You heard my thoughts?”

I groaned. “I must have. Damn it. I’m sorry, honey – I didn’t mean to intrude.”

Now he looked thoughtful. “You didn’t do it deliberately, but there must be something that triggers it. I need to think about this … you said that the only previous times have been when you came to read Bruce, when you heard Henrik in Rhodes and when you heard Stan in Dallas?”

“Yup. Oh, and the very first time I … uh …” my voice tailed off.

“What?”

“I’d rather not say.” Damn, this was embarrassing.

“This might be important, lover. Tell me what you were thinking. Was there another time you heard something?”

“Not quite heard. More … saw.”

His eyebrows climbed into his hairline. “You saw something in a vampire’s mind?”

“Uh … yeah.”

“Tell me.”

I sighed. “Do I have to?”

“Yes, you do.”

I sighed. He wasn’t going to let this go.

“No, I’m not.”

“What?” Now we were both sitting bolt upright in bed, and I clutched his arm. “Did you just hear me?”

“Yes. What the fuck is going on?”

His reaction shook me even more – Eric hardly ever cursed. “What did you just hear? Tell me exactly.”

“I just heard you say ‘He’s not going to let this go.'”

“Damn, that’s right. Oh crap, does this mean I can hear you and you can hear me?”

“I’m not sure. Shall we try it again?”

“Maybe we’d better. But why? We’ve never heard each other before.”

“I don’t know, but we’ll figure it out presently. Now, I’m going to think at you, see if you can tell me what I’m thinking.”

“If she can hear me, we can’t tell anyone.”

“You said we couldn’t tell anyone if I could hear you.”

“That’s right. Now you think something at me.”

“Does this mean I’m in danger?”

“Not from me, lover. But we must keep it to ourselves. Now, let’s see if we can hold a conversation. You first.”

Of course, my mind went blank as soon as I was told to pick a topic. At last I thought “is this like when you and Pam talk to each other?”

And back it came, with a side-dish of surprise through the bond. “You knew about that?”

“Well, duh, it was pretty obvious. There were times you stared at each other, and I just knew you were communicating somehow.”

“Yes, Pam and I can communicate if we’re in the same room. All makers can communicate with their children over short distances; Stan can do so at a much greater range, but I don’t know anyone else who can.”

“I’m not your child.”

“No, but we are bonded.”

“We were bonded before.”

“True.” I felt a mental disconnect and he was back in his own head.

Now he spoke out loud. “The only difference I can think of is that I glamored you as we bonded. Somehow that’s connected us mentally as well as emotionally.”

“But I’m sure other vampires must have done that in the past – glamored the humans they bonded with. What’s so different this time?”

“I think that might be it – humans. You’re not fully human and you’re a telepath. Maybe that makes you more sensitive. Now, let me think about this for a moment.” I sat quietly (but not particularly patiently) as he considered the events of the last few minutes. I had my own line of thought to pursue. What was the common factor between all the times I’d heard vampire thoughts? If there even was one.

I ran over each occasion in my head, thinking about stuff that had happened before, or about the same time. Henrik … Rhodes … my strongest memory of Rhodes was the bombing of course, but that had been after I’d heard Henrik. Next strongest memory, being forced to bond with Eric. I shuddered at the memory of Andre watching as I’d reluctantly taken Eric’s blood.

Gradually a thought began to form in my mind. “Eric?”

“What?” There was definite impatience in his tone at being interrupted.

“You remember when I had the transfusion, after the maenad attack?”

He arched an eyebrow. “What about it?”

“I know I asked for human blood, but did I drink from any of the vampires?”

“Where are you going with this?”

“Just bear with me. Did any of you give me blood?”

He grinned. “I offered, but Bill wouldn’t let me. He gave you some, though – quite a lot as I recall. Why?”

Bastard. He would do anything to get his blood inside me. I put my indignation on one side for the moment – I’d be re-visiting it, though – you could bet on it. “I was just thinking. All the times I’ve heard vampires in the past, it’s been just after I’ve taken a good dose of blood. Do you think that could have anything to do with this?”

He looked thoughtful. “It’s possible. But you’ve fed from me often enough in the past and it’s never happened.”

“So maybe it’s a combination of all those things -, glamoring me, renewing the bond with quite a lot of your blood and me being a telepath. It’s weird, I know, but I can’t think of anything else.”

“Maybe you’re right, lover. I can’t think of anything else that would explain it. But, what about the other occasion – you started to tell me you saw something once. Does that fit the pattern?”

Damn, I’d hoped he’d forgotten about that. No such luck. Curse you, vampire memory…

“Uh, yes it does. It was the first time Bill and I … the first time we …” I didn’t want to complete the sentence. I hated to think back to the time I gave Bill my virginity and my trust and he trampled it into the dust, along with my heart. Eric hated it too – he stiffened as I mentioned Bill’s name. I squeezed his hand and he relaxed. Bill was in the past, and was going to stay there.

Eric sighed and said, “you mean, the first time you had sex?”

I nodded, grateful that I didn’t have to say it out loud. “Yeah. I bit him and got all these weird visions of things, vampires, crawling out of the earth and hunting. It was freaky and it never happened again. I’d forgotten about it, sorry.”

He waved it aside. “It doesn’t matter now. Except that it does seem to strengthen your theory. I think we’ll have to assume that’s what’s happened, until we find another explanation.”

“So, where does this leave us?”

He smiled. “It leaves us with a potentially useful skill, but we’re going to need to test it, find out its range.”

“It might not last.”

“True; but there may be ways to … strengthen the connection. We clearly need to experiment.” He grinned wickedly and pulled me back down into the bed, making it quite clear what sort of experiment he had in mind. “But we should definitely practise using it. We can’t afford to blurt out a verbal reply to a mental comment. That could be very dangerous.”

“fuck.” He had a point.

“Thank you. That sounds delightful…”

* * *

Ten nights later, I was on a plane with Eric and his entourage. He’d brought every vampire in Area 5, including the rat-fink Bill Compton. I’d wanted to leave him behind, but Eric said it would be too suspicious. He promised he wouldn’t let him be a nuisance on the flight; he’d make sure he was seated well away from us. Freyda had sent her plane for us, but I’d hoped it would be a daytime trip. I’d had dreams of arranging for Bill’s coffin to accidentally get loaded onto a non-stop flight for Hong Kong …

Although Eric and I were seated together, we didn’t speak or touch on the journey. Eric wanted to foster the impression that we were on the outs, and that he’d had to force me into coming. I didn’t mind playing the part, as the bond told me something very different and our new mental link had been humming as we boarded, although it was quiet at the moment.

Once we’d got over the initial shock, Eric seemed excited at this new game, and we’d spent a lot of time practising to increase the range and the strength. I’d been worried at first that he’d freak at my seeing inside his head, but it didn’t seem to work like that; it was more like a phone connection. I couldn’t ‘hear’ what was happening with him unless he picked up, and he said it was the same from his end.

He’d let me have the window seat and I gazed out into the blackness, only broken by occasional splashes of light as we passed over towns and cities. I didn’t want to think too much about the wedding we were headed to, so instead I focussed on the wedding I’d just been to.

Jason and Michele’s wedding had been a pleasantly incident-free occasion. Michele had looked lovely and Jason had looked happy; my bridesmaid’s dress had suited me for once (I had half a closet full of unwearable puffed-sleeve, sashed monstrosities from previous weddings, in colors ranging from apple green to baby pink); my maple syrup and apple glazed ribs were very popular at the bring and share wedding breakfast; Casey and Sam were practically joined at the hip; and best of all, no-one had threatened anyone with having their hands broken. So different from Jason’s last wedding.

The happy couple had both managed to get some time off work, Michele from the auto dealership and Jason from the roadcrew, and they’d gone to New Orleans for two weeks. I knew by the time they got back, whatever was going to happen would have happened, and there was nothing I could do about it. So I’d put my best happy face on, and had smiled and eaten and danced, and had as good a time as I could without Eric being there.

He’d been very busy at Fangtasia, but he’d called or texted me every night he hadn’t been able to come over – our link wouldn’t reach as far as Shreveport – and I’d felt his satisfaction when he told me that Joe had been granted permission for his takeover. This was really our best option – it covered all our bases. If we’d had to go down the divorce-me-marry-Freyda-divorce-Freyda-marry-me route, we’d still have had some very pissed-off vampires to deal with, and we’d have had to relocate, no question. As it was, Joe planned to take down Freyda and Felipe at the same time, which would deal with both our main problems.

I didn’t ask for all the details but I knew that we were arriving on the Tuesday night, most of the visitors intended to arrive on Thursday night and the wedding was scheduled for Saturday. The attack would take place on Friday night. Although Eric had supplied the Texas vamps with a lot of information, including floor plans and passwords, they wanted a little time to do some recon first.

Another reason I didn’t want to know too much about the plans was that I’d been getting a little schizophrenic, with two completely separate agendas going on. There was the face we presented to the world and there was what was going on behind the scenes.

For example, although privately he had every intention of coming back to Shreveport, Eric had put his beloved Fangtasia up for sale. Since the rival vampire club had closed down the customers had all come back, the bar was flourishing and there had been quite a lot of interest in the vampire community. I was surprised when Eric told me Sandy Sechrest had been in touch about it on behalf of creepy Felipe, and even more surprised when he’d said he would probably sell to him.

I would have thought the last person he wanted getting his hands on Fangtasia was Felipe, and I’d said as much.

He’d laughed. “Don’t worry, lover, he won’t have it while I walk the earth. The advantage of selling to him is that he’s reassured that I’m serious about the alliance with Oklahoma – he knows I’d never let Fangtasia go if I was still in Louisiana – so he’ll ease up on the threats. I’ll draw out the negotiations until after the wedding, and when I kill him, the deal will fall through. It would complicate matters if I sold to another vampire and then demanded it back after the coup. I prefer to keep things simple when possible – the situation will be complicated enough as it is, with so many kingdoms changing hands.”

“Will you be involved in that?”

“Not if I can help it – I’ll be satisfied once Freyda and Felipe are dead and I can come back and re-open Fangtasia. We’re closing while I’m away. The fake sale is a good opportunity to get the cleaning crews in and for the staff to take their vacation time and we won’t lose revenue.”

“What happens to it if we lose?” I didn’t like to think it, much less say it, but it had to be considered.

“If we lose, then Fangtasia will be the least of our worries. As I said, Pam will take you to Mississippi and after that …” he shrugged. “I don’t know where she’ll go. She’ll probably want to travel again once she’s seen you safe with Russell.”

Although Pam was coming to the wedding, she had already made it clear she wouldn’t be staying in Oklahoma. She didn’t want to be around Freyda long term, and Eric had agreed. And if her maker died, I could imagine she’d want to try somewhere new to help come to terms with her loss.

How I was going to come to terms with mine, was a whole other ball game …

I’d probably be glad of a change of air too – the old farmhouse would be full of way too many memories. I wondered if I’d ever see it again and thought of the rows of packing cartons, filled, labelled and waiting discreetly in the attic space on the top floor. I’d packed up all the clothes and books and mementos I might want to have sent on to me if I had to leave. I knew if I went to Jackson I could always contact Sam or Tara and ask them to forward things to me. As my gran used to say, hope for the best, prepare for the worst. As long as I could remember who I’d told what.

Just then Amelia leaned forward from the seat behind mine and nudged my shoulder. “Is there any drinks service on this flight?”

“Only True Blood, I think.” We were the only two humans on board, and Freyda clearly didn’t think it necessary to cater to our comfort. I was glad of Amelia’s company; I’d contacted her about the Vlakas wards, and she’d apologised for the whole Alcide thing and she’d been almost pathetically eager to help. She’d discovered that, unlike most wards, they were intended to keep someone or something in a given space, rather than out of it. But they were real specific – usually tied to one person or object. It sounded potentially ominous – who or what was Freyda planning on using them on? Ames hadn’t been able to figure out why they were called ‘stupid’ wards but promised to keep trying.

In spite of that having kind of made up, I didn’t feel I could trust her fully, which had given me a dilemma. I really wanted her to come to Oklahoma with me – I hated the thought of being the only member of the Louisiana party who was conscious during the day – but didn’t dare risk it. She had a mouth as big as the Mississippi at times, and Eric would not be happy about me telling her anything – I hadn’t told her the wards query was connected to him. She was not his favorite person, partly because of the Alcide thing but mostly because she had encouraged and helped me dissolve our bond.

He resented the hell out of that, and at first he was adamant that she was not to be invited, but he could feel how unhappy I was, and he really didn’t like the idea of my being alone in the palace either. So we were at a stalemate for a few days, until Eric finally came up with a solution. He offered to apply his new mental block skills to her too, and although she wasn’t happy she knew how important this was to me and agreed as the price of her full acceptance back into our favor.

She’d met us at the airport, and Eric had taken us both into a private lounge and glamored her so she couldn’t reveal anything she was told. Admittedly he wasn’t above taking a little revenge while she was under, ordering her to act like a chicken, and then pretend to ride a broomstick while cackling evilly, but I’d stopped him before his imagination really got to work. Who knew where that could have led?

Now she said, “well, there’d damn well better be room service at this palace,” and sat back in a huff.

I was pretty certain that, from what Eric had told me, there would be everything you could possibly want in the palace, and when we got to the airport the six gleaming limos waiting on the tarmac seemed to confirm this – Freyda was pulling out all the stops to impress us with her wealth and power.

Eric, Amelia and I travelled in the first car, but it was a pretty silent journey. Eric had warned us that everywhere would be bugged, including all the cars, so there was no conversation beyond him pointing out occasional sights of interest.

In keeping with my role as reluctant guest, I’d just huffed, or shrugged, and Amelia didn’t say a thing. At last we rolled up a sweeping semi-circular drive and I saw the floodlit palace, with a whole army of uniformed servants waiting on the steps.

They descended on the car, and Eric squeezed my hand just before the car door was opened. I put my best game face on and followed him out of the limo.

Showtime.

Happy Ever After Chapter 07

Chapter 7

A/N Hi there. Thanks for being patient. Hope you enjoy the next chapter.

* * *

“I need to you come to Oklahoma for my wedding.”

Oh fuck. I stared into those blue, blue eyes, wondering what was going on behind them, and wondering how I was expected to handle a punch in the guts like that.

Well, I figured I had a number of options here. I’d had a lot of lonely, sleepless nights in the last two weeks, I’d spent a good chunk of them thinking about my life and loves, and I’d realised some important things.

One of the things I’d come to realise was that I was real pissy with Eric sometimes without a good reason; I didn’t know why, exactly. Well, I did know why some of the time – his arrogance and outrageous demands kind of brought it out in me – but I had to be honest with myself and admit that he didn’t always deserve it.

Sometimes I was real hard on him, and I felt kind of bad that I’d probably made this whole Freyda thing worse for him by my stubborn attitude. I’d blamed him for not telling me sooner, but maybe if I’d treated him nicer, he would have told me sooner …

So, in the light of those two-in-the-morning self-examination sessions, what was I going to do with this latest outrageous request? Well, I could go with my default position of rejecting outright / walking away from / refusing to talk about it. I knew I was comfortable with that, because I’d done it a lot, but to paraphrase the movie Fight Club, how had that worked out for me? Mmm …

Alternatively, I could try asking some questions, being sarcastic and then rejecting outright / walking away from / refusing to talk about it. Hmm. A definite possibility. Perhaps keep that one in reserve…

Maybe I could ask advice from, or listen to suggestions from, everyone except Eric? Always a popular choice, but I’d been there, done that, not doing it again.

So how about something new? Something radical? How about … actually considering his request like a reasonable adult and judging its merits based on a discussion with him? Not tried that one before, so maybe it was time to give it a whirl. So …

“Can you tell me why you need me to do this?”

“I would rather not – I’d prefer you just to trust me.”

Nope. Openness went both ways. “I do trust you, but that doesn’t mean I don’t need to know stuff that affects me. Remember, we discussed this before you went to Oklahoma. If you want me to make good choices, you’re going to have to give me the information to base ’em on. Now, why would you rather not tell me?”

“Because you’re human.”

What? In spite of all my good intentions, I felt stubborn Sookie starting to bubble to the surface. “And that somehow makes me untrustworthy?”

“No, it makes you vulnerable. If I tell you, and you get picked up by our enemies, they could force you to give away my plans. I’ve lost count of the number of times you’ve been abducted, attacked or imprisoned by fairies, shifters, fanatics, vampires, Weres…”

“Yeah, well, have you also lost count of the number of times I’ve gotten away from those same fairies, shifters, fanatics, vampires and Weres?”

“You’ve been fortunate, but I need to know you are safe. I worry about you.”

Okay, so he wanted to protect me. I could handle that, as long as he wasn’t implying he couldn’t trust me. Time for a little more logic. “And isn’t that why you’ve had someone on duty in my woods this last week? To protect me? You want me to trust you, honey – well, I do. I trust you to look after me, but it seems to me you don’t trust yourself.”

There was a slightly startled look on his face, as I pushed my advantage. I reckoned a little nudge to his pride wouldn’t do any harm.

“Surely you’re not saying you don’t think you and your people are up to the job?”

He stiffened with outrage. “Of course not – I can protect what is mine.”

“Then security can’t be the only reason you don’t want to tell me. So, what are the other reasons?”

He still hesitated. “You won’t like it. I don’t want to distress or anger you.”

I smiled wryly. “Yeah, because you’re so scared of me when I’m mad. Well, it’s your choice, but I’m not making a decision until we’ve talked about this. Mind now, I’m not saying no – I’m saying I need more details.”

I could see him struggling with this, but if he was out of his comfort zone, then so was I. I wasn’t used to having to ask these sorts of questions … and then I sat back, the breath almost leaving my body as a kind of epiphany hit me.

I suddenly realised that maybe the reason I got so snippy with Eric was because I wasn’t used to having to ask for information, and I didn’t like it! All my life I’d known everything I needed to, and a lot more besides, because I could just pluck it out of people’s heads.

Even though I didn’t like what I heard a lot of the time, maybe I had to admit that it had given me a kind of superior attitude in some respects – knowing stuff other folks didn’t. This very afternoon at the shower, hadn’t I been sitting there feeling all kinds of judgmental because I knew the truths behind some of the things that were being said (or not said)?

Shit, that was no way to carry on.

But if I’d just been going through a mental revolution, so had Eric. A look of resignation came over his face. “Very well, if you insist. But I warn you now, you won’t like it.” He took my hands, looking down at them and drawing slow circles over the pulse-points with his thumbs. He seemed to take comfort from this, and after a few seconds said, “I think it’s time to face the facts – unless the takeover succeeds, I’m going to have to marry Freyda.”

He felt me stiffen and tightened his grip when I would have pulled my hands away. Even though I’d suspected this might be coming, it was the last thing I wanted to hear. “I haven’t been able to find anything in the contract or the deal with Ocella that would give me an out, and believe me, I’ve tried.” I did believe him.

“I’ve been basing most of my arguments on the fact that Ocella died before receiving his commission for arranging the wedding, hoping that would render the agreement invalid, but it didn’t work. Even Cataliades said that contracts don’t fall through just because one party dies after completion. And it was completed and signed in blood, which makes it legally binding in our world.”

I nodded. Though I didn’t like it, I could see the logic. So, I wanted to know what Plan B was. I knew he had one. He always had one. He had to have one …

He continued. “So, I think the best thing to do is arrange for a very large and elaborate ceremony. Freyda will want to display her wealth and power to the entire vampire community, but it will give us an excuse for inviting large numbers of vampires from other kingdoms to attend the wedding.”

“Is that normal?” The only vampire wedding I’d been to (apart from my own) had taken place during a Clan Summit, and it had been witnessed mostly by the members of Amun Clan.

“Royal weddings can be as elaborate or as simple as the participants want, but it would be expected that vampires from our own Clans would be invited; Amun for me and Zeus for Freyda. So …”

I could see where he was going with this. “Freyda’s guests would naturally include Texas?”

He nodded, pleased that I’d picked up on his intentions. “Naturally. And mine would include all of Louisiana. That’s one of the reasons why I want you to come. If all my vampires are with me, there will be no-one left to guard you. I can’t risk Freyda or Felipe trying to snatch you. You will be safer with me.”

“Will Freyda allow me come with you?”

“Yes. She’s actively encouraging me to bring you.”

Now that was a surprise, considering she’d actually taken the trouble to visit me and warn me off Eric. “That sounds kind of suspicious. What’s she planning?”

He sighed. “I’m afraid she wants access to your skills, lover. She tried to bargain with Stan for Barry’s services, but he turned her down, so you are the only telepath within reach. It’s another reason for her choice of me as a consort. If I swear fealty to her, which I will have to do, then she will have access to all of my assets, including you. She is hoping she’ll be able to use you because of our bond … what?”

I’d sat up straight at his last words. I suddenly remembered what I needed to say to him about my conversation with Bill. Oh hell. He was going to be mad but I had to tell him. No matter what his reaction, after demanding openness from him, I couldn’t keep give him anything less. “Uh … I think you might be mistaken about that.”

“What do you mean?”

“I think Freyda probably knows our bond is broken.”

“What?” He looked shocked. “Why do you think that? How could she know? I’ve told no-one except Pam.”

I cringed inwardly. “I’m really sorry, honey – it’s my fault. Just now, in the shower, I was thinking about a conversation I had with Bill a while ago, and I remembered that I’d told him that we … I … broke the bond. And that means he’s got to have told Freyda.”

I was worried about his reaction, but he didn’t go postal on me – he was silent for a few moments, thinking. “Hmm. That might explain why she’s been so unable to accept my reluctance to leave you – as far as she knows, there is no bond between us and I should be completely free to leave Louisiana. And that must be why she invited me to bring you to Oklahoma now, when initially she made it quite clear you weren’t welcome. If you aren’t bonded to me, you’re free to be bonded to another vampire – by force, if necessary.”

“Oh crap, not again.” Instant flashback to Rhodes, when Andre had tried to force a bond on me, and had only been stopped by Eric volunteering instead. “Do you think she’d want to do it herself?”

“Probably. The only other possibility is Bill, and I doubt if she’d let him have you, even if that’s what he wants.”

“Eeww.” I shuddered at the thought of being fully bonded to Bill – I was well out of that. “So that settles it. We are definitely completing our bond as soon as we can.”

“Agreed. By this time tomorrow, there will be no evidence that it was ever broken. Have you told anyone else?”

I thought hard. “Obviously Amelia and Bob know, and Alcide Herveaux…”

“What? ? You told the dog our private business?” Now he did look seriously annoyed.

I sighed and said, “no, of course not; Amelia did. You remember I mentioned she’d encouraged him to park himself in my bed? Well, I kicked him and Amelia out of the house for that little stunt. And Claude too, because he helped them, so he probably knew. Jannalynn definitely did but she and Claude aren’t a problem any more, and I’m sure Alcide will keep his mouth shut. He owes me.”

“He owes me too.” There was a distinct touch of fanginess about Eric now, and his grip on my hands tightened as he said, “I shall be having a conversation with him about the consequences of trespassing on my territory.”

I rolled my eyes as the last words were practically growled. Considering how much vampires despised Weres, their behaviour was real similar on occasions, particularly when it came to alpha males and possessive instincts. I suppose I was lucky Eric chose to mark his territory with bite-marks; the mood he was in right now, he’d probably pee on my shoes if he thought it would keep Alcide away.

“No need. It was a while ago, and I made it real clear to him that I was with you, bond or no. He was very embarrassed, so I don’t think he’ll be spreading it any further. He barely even looked at me out at his farm the other week, remember? And anyway, no vampire’s going to believe anything a Were says, are they?”

He relaxed a little. “True. Still, you will call him in the morning, and inform him that our bond is restored, and that unless he keeps his mouth shut I will personally gut him and nail his mangy hide to the wall at Fangtasia.”

Well, I probably wouldn’t phrase it quite like that, but I was sure he’d understand the need to be discreet. “Okay, honey, I’ll call him first thing, and Amelia too. I don’t think I told Sam, so it’s just Bill we have to worry about. But that’s bad enough, isn’t it?”

“It’s not ideal, but I might be able to use it in our favor. For the moment I want Freyda to trust Bill, so that we can feed her false information, but the time may come when I need to shake her faith in him. We can undermine his credibility with this, if necessary. She’ll think at best he is unreliable and at worst that he lied to her. It won’t even occur to her that our bond was broken and renewed.”

“Doesn’t that ever happen?”

“I’ve never known it – I told you there was a ritual for dissolving a bond, but it’s only ever the vampire who chooses to do so, and it would usually be because they grew tired of their human. Why would they renew it, if that were the case? And even supposing a human discovered how it was done, how many vampires would swallow the humiliation of being rejected like that and seek to restore the bond with a human who clearly didn’t want them?”

He looked at me significantly, and I felt myself blushing. I hadn’t realised just how much of a blow it had been to his pride and his prestige when I’d severed our bond. Once again, Eric was showing what an unusual vampire he was in being big enough to accept the insult and put it behind him. Maybe I could learn a thing or two from him.

I opened my mouth to apologise yet again, but he interrupted me and said, “Freyda’s having the information is potentially a problem, but the main thing is that you trusted me enough to tell me of it, even though you were scared.”

He had to have picked that up through the bond, but I nodded anyway. “I wasn’t sure how you’d react, but I couldn’t have you making plans without all the facts.”

“That’s all I ask. And in return, I will give you the facts that you’ve asked for.”

“Okay, so back to our original subject – is keeping me safe the only reason you want me to go with you?”

He hesitated, but said, “no. You need to be there so that our … divorce can be witnessed.”

Oh God. This was what he meant about not wanting to distress or anger me. “What … what does that involve?”

“Nothing much. It’s as simple as the pledging ritual with the knife, but it has to be done in front of a witness.” He pulled me onto his lap and held me. “You know I would spare you this if I could. I wanted to do it privately, with just Pam present, but Cataliades has pointed out that Freyda is unlikely to accept my child’s testimony. He’s offered to be our witness, but he’s on his way to Oklahoma to meet with Freyda’s lawyers, so we’ll have to see him there. I swear to you it will be just you, me and him. No-one else.”

I swallowed, with difficulty, and said, “how late can we leave it?”

“Until the night before the wedding, if that’s what you want.”

I nodded. “I want to be yours for as long as possible.”

“You will always be mine. And remember, it may never come to that. It depends on whether the Clan governing body grant permission for Joe’s coup. If they do, would you have any problem joining forces with Barry if we needed you to do that?”

“I wouldn’t, but I don’t know about him. He’s been kind of wary of me since Rhodes.”

“Leave that to Stan. You may be able to help by using your gifts – you did say you were stronger combined than individually, didn’t you? Freyda has a lot of human servants who know everything about the palace and how it functions, and you and Barry will be able to access that information for us.”

Well, I’d done that before for Sophie-Anne, so I knew I could handle it. I nodded, but I was still troubled. I said, “but what will happen if you don’t get permission for the coup? Or if you do, and then it fails?”

“It won’t fail.” I wish I had even a tenth of his confidence.

“But what if you’re captured … or killed?” I hated to even think about it, but I knew he must have considered the possibility. He never left things to chance.

I won’t be captured. If Freyda and Felipe survive, they will want revenge. I won’t submit to their tender mercies, so I will fight to the death. If I fall, Pam is under orders to get you out of the palace and to seek refuge with Russell Edgington in Mississippi. You’d be safe there; we know he would love to have a telepath so he’d value you, he won’t be interested in you physically because you’re female, and he’s strong enough to defy Felipe and Freyda.”

I didn’t want to dwell on the possibility of Eric finally dying, so I asked, “what if Joe doesn’t get permission to try it?”

“Unlikely, but if that should happen then I will go through with the wedding, and then divorce the bitch.”

“Huh? Can you divorce her?”

“Under certain circumstances.”

I shook my head. “No, sorry, you’re gonna have to be clearer than that. How can you divorce her if you’ve only just married her? What about the contract?”

“It’s something I looked into while I was trying to find a way out of the alliance. If the worst comes to the worst, I will marry her, find a way to avoid consummating the marriage and then divorce her three nights later.”

“But how would you get her to agree to that?”

“I wouldn’t need her agreement. I wouldn’t even need her to be present. There is an ancient and somewhat obscure edict which I have seen applied a long time ago, but which Freyda is probably unaware of, because of her youth. I checked it out with Cataliades and he says it’s still in force. It states that if a vampire marriage is not consummated within three nights then the marriage can be annulled, at the request of either party, by a priest.”

“But where in Oklahoma would you find a priest willing to risk what Freyda would do to him?”

He looked slightly smug. “That will not be a problem. Remember the wedding in Rhodes?”

I thought back to the night the Kings of Mississippi and Indiana had tied the knot and a dim light-bulb slowly brightened in my head.

“You’re …”

He nodded, slightly smugly, I thought. “Yes. I am a priest in the Church of the Loving Spirit, and as such I am licensed to perform and annul marriages.”

“Even your own?”

“There is no law saying I can’t annul my own marriage – I checked that very carefully, too.”

“Oh wow, Freyda would be so pissed!”

“That would be one way of putting it. I hope it won’t have to come to that, but I would then have fulfilled my maker’s plans for me by marrying her. Nowhere did he state that I can’t divorce her.”

“Sounds good to me, honey. But what would happen to me?”

“Don’t forget, this is only a contingency plan in the event that the coup fails to materialise. Freyda has said I can keep you as a pet, so you would stay in my quarters before the wedding. You wouldn’t be required to attend the ceremony, and afterwards, the festivities will last for at least a week, so I can arrange for my people to be scattered across the city. At a given signal, they would all leave separately for Mississippi along with you and Pam, I would enact the divorce, leave the papers for Freyda to find, and then fly out to join you in Jackson.”

“Would Russell allow you to stay?”

He nodded. “I’ve been in secret negotiations with him for some time, to be honest. I was tired of Felipe and his tyranny, and the only thing really holding me in Louisiana was you. I didn’t think you’d want to leave your home. Russell’s already said he’d welcome a vampire of my experience and he’s offered me the post of Sheriff of Area 2, which includes Gulfport. He lost a lot of subjects in that area during Katrina, so he’s happy to welcome as many of my people as want to come with me. So, if things went badly wrong in Oklahoma, would you be willing to leave with me and start afresh in Gulfport?”

Oh wow. What a question to ask. It reminded me of his offer to me on the night of the Witch War, when he’d said we could run away together … I’d said no then, because he wasn’t in his right mind, but he certainly was now. So, would I be willing to leave not just my home but my whole life, and take a chance with the vampires of Mississippi? I shook my head. “I really want to say yes, honey, but could you give me some time to think about it? About what it would involve for me? I know vampires are used to moving around, but I’ve lived my whole life right here…”

He looked disappointed, but said, “of course. I understand. I wouldn’t have burdened you with this decision until it was truly necessary, but you insisted. And I couldn’t have you thinking that my not telling you was because I didn’t trust you. I have trusted you as I trust no other human. Do you believe me?”

“I think so.”

An eyebrow rose. “You think so? Well think a little more. I never permitted Bobby or Mustapha access to my sleeping quarters, yet you were welcome to share it with me even if you preferred not to. I have never trusted a human to know my resting place before, yet I stay in the cubby in your spare room without even a lock between me and potential enemies. I have never told another being about the circumstances of my turning – not even Pam – yet I told you. This is because I trust you not to use the information against me.”

Oh God. He was right. I looked back over the last couple of years, and remembered all the instances of Eric offering to share his life and his home with me, and even though he sometimes struggled with openness after a thousand years of secrecy, he had made huge efforts. And had I reciprocated? Guilt washed over me as I remembered the secrets I still kept from him. Before I could over-think it, I said the fatal words.

“Uh, can I tell you some stuff please?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Of course. Will I like it?”

“I don’t think so. But you need to know.”

He sat back on the couch. “Very well. Tell me what you think I need to know.”

“Promise you won’t get mad?”

He eyed me cautiously. That was never a good start to a conversation, and he knew it.

“Very well.”

I had to believe him. He’d taken the revelation about Bill and the bond pretty well, but that was small potatoes compared with what I was about to lay on him …

“There’s a couple of bits of information that I’ve not shared with you, and I think it’s about time I did.”

“Go on.”

“Um … you know I can’t hear vampires’ thoughts?”

“Yes.” Now his eyes were boring into me, unblinking, and making me very uncomfortable. I shifted slightly on his lap, and his arms tightened, as though he thought I might want to get off. He wasn’t about to let that happen, and I went still again.

“Well, very occasionally – very occasionally, I get a little glimpse. Into a vampire’s mind, that is.” He stiffened and I hurried to give him all the information. “It’s only just a second or two, and I’ve never told anyone, I swear. But I wanted you to know.”

He was silent, the seconds ticking away as he processed the information. I wondered if I’d done right trusting him with this, but it was too late now…

At last he said, “have you ever heard me?”

“Just once, that first time at Fangtasia when you wanted me to read Bruce’s mind. You remember?” What was I saying? Of course he remembered. I hurried on. “I got an idea that you were considering forcing me to do what you wanted by threatening my family, but you were reluctant because you wanted to be seen as human-friendly, and that’s all I got. I swear that’s all. Never again.” Oh God, I hoped he’d believe me.

“Who else have you heard?”

“In Rhodes, at Sophie-Anne’s trial, when I said I was getting the info about Henrik from his lawyer’s mind, that wasn’t true – I was getting it straight from Henrik, but I didn’t realise it straightaway. I also heard that Stan’s real name was Stanislaus, but those are the only times. It’s not something I can control, and it sure as hell isn’t something I want to do. I know how dangerous it is, believe me.”

“Why haven’t you told me this before?”

“I don’t know. I thought you might use it against me, somehow – hold it over my head.”

He sighed. “You do this too often, Sookie. Misjudge me.”

“No I don’t!”

“Yes you do, and it makes it difficult to protect you sometimes. Do you remember when you refused to tell me what had happened between us while I was cursed? You were concerned then that I would hold the death of Debbie Pelt over your head in some way. Yet, when you did tell me, did I use it against you?”

I hung my head. “No.”

“You didn’t tell me about the cluviel dor because you thought I would use the information against you. Did I?”

I was squirming now, and my face felt as red as fire. “No. But we already talked about that.”

“I know, and I’m sorry to bring it up again, but you have to see the pattern here. I understand how hard you find it to trust someone not to hurt you if they have the ability, but if we are to get through the next few weeks, I need you to trust me. Do you understand?”

I was nearly crying. “Yes, I do trust you – I do. Otherwise I wouldn’t have told you at all. I never told Bill, honest.”

“I’m very glad about that, I hate to think what he would have done with the information. I don’t think there’s anything useful I can do with it, but I appreciate your telling me. If it happens again, will you let me know?”

I nodded, truly grateful that he’d been so calm about it. “I’m glad you’re taking it so well”

He hugged me close. “There would be no point in getting mad after the fact. It’s happened, and I’m just relieved that you feel able to tell me. And in return, I shall tell you something that I have concealed from you.”

Ah oh. What now? What secrets would a thousand-year-old vampire have that he was prepared to share with me? Did I want to know? Would it put me in more danger?

“Um, you don’t have to, honey. Not if you don’t want to.”

“I do want to. And this is something that affects you. Will you listen to me?”

I nodded silently.

“Good. You just told me that, although you can’t normally hear vampires, there are occasions when you can, yes?” I nodded again. “Well, I have discovered that although you can’t usually be glamoured, there are occasions when you can be.”

“What?” I pulled back, staring at him. “But I’ve never been glamoured – Bill tried, you’ve tried, I’ve lost count of the number of vamps who’ve tried! Are you saying I’ve been glamoured and not known it? How? When?”

“Calm down, Sookie. It’s not as bad as you fear – you are still in control, I promise. Do you remember when you were staked in Jackson? The pain of removing it was too great for you, and I held you and told you to let go, and you did so. You allowed me to glamour you and take the pain away. The other vampires saw nothing unusual – they didn’t know that you are normally resistant – but you allowed me into your mind on that occasion, and on that occasion only. It took great strength to break through your barriers, and I don’t think a younger vampire could have done it, even with your co-operation, but I didn’t take advantage of you then, and I never have since.

Now, is there anything else you need to get off your chest? Anything else that you fear I will use against you in some way? If so, this would be a good time to clear the air.”

Did I dare mention it? Could I seriously show him that level of trust? Because it wasn’t just my secret – it affected other lives too. I looked into his eyes, and saw a sincerity there that almost took my breath away.

I’d never seen this level of openness in Eric before. I had to honour it.

“Yes. There’s one more thing. But you have to promise me you won’t take advantage of the information in any way. Or tell anyone else. Ever. I’m only telling you because I don’t want you to feel I’m keeping anything from you, but this isn’t just about me – it’s about someone else.”

“Someone I know?”

“You’ve met them, yes.”

“And if I know this, I could use it against them?”

“Yes. But you mustn’t.”

“Will it be harmful to me or mine if I know the facts but can’t use them?”

“No, I don’t think so. I can’t see how it would harm you.”

“Then I swear I won’t use or pass on the information that you now give me.” He looked suitably serious as he said the words, and I knew I had to trust him. Here goes.

“Do you remember you stayed over one night a while ago, and met my nephew Hunter …?”

* * *

So, no more secrets. Next week, Oklahoma…

Happy Ever After Chapter 06

Chapter 6

A/N.

I’m so sorry I didn’t post last week – I’m afraid I picked up a bug while I was in hospital, and was as sick as a dog for some days and couldn’t write. I’m better now, though, so on with Chapter 6.

Enjoy the lemonette.

AAE

* * *

Chapter 6

SPOV

I had every intention of waiting up for Eric the next night, tiring though I expected the day to be. I made an early start, and was on the road by eight, my little car packed to the gills with decorations and edible delights courtesy of Holly and Casey. Sam had been right – the little church worker was a great cook, and she seemed to just flow round my kitchen, chatting happily, finding what she needed with minimum fuss. And I was pleased to see she wasn’t above pot washing either!

I pulled up outside Belle Rive, the Bellefleur family mansion, thinking how glad I was that Halleigh and Andy had it now. Old Mrs Caroline Bellefleur had left it to Andy’s sister and her husband, but when Glen had been offered a senior partnership they’d moved to Baton Rouge. They didn’t want the house to leave the family, and Halleigh and Andy were quite happy to take it over and raise their children there. They had inherited enough money to maintain it the way it should be kept, and the cool, white-painted rooms and graceful furniture shone with love, care and beeswax.

Although Portia wouldn’t have let me cross the threshold, Halleigh was different, and she owed me a favour for stepping in at her wedding, when one of her bridesmaids was taken ill. She was happy to let me borrow her home for Michele’s shower. I thought I’d been real smart to think of it, until I was confronted with the need to decorate it and found the ceilings were all fourteen feet high at a minimum. Suddenly, my bright idea didn’t look so stellar after all…

Halleigh was there, and did what she could, but there was no way a pregnant lady could be running up and down stepladders so it was mostly down to me, and by the time I stopped at two o’clock I was sweating like a turkey the day before Thanksgiving and I felt like a piece of chewed string.

The guests were due for two-thirty, so I didn’t have time to go back home again, and Halleigh had very kindly said I could shower and change there, so after we grabbed a drink she showed me upstairs to the second bedroom on the left – the same room I’d changed in when I’d been on bridesmaid duty – and left me in peace.

I stepped into the bathroom to rinse off the dust and stickiness and then slipped into the pretty lilac skirt and cream sleeveless blouse I’d brought. As I put on the matching cream sandals, I couldn’t help remembering that the last time I’d been in this bedroom, Bill Compton had had the nerve to proposition me, even though he had a girlfriend and he knew she was listening to him do it! What a lowlife.

I shook my head, wondering how I’d ever fallen for his lines. But Eric was right -he wouldn’t be fooling me again. There was no way I could ever forget what he’d done and was still doing by the sound of it. Everything in me wanted to go over to Bill’s house and stake him as he slept, but I knew anything I could do, Eric could (and would) top it. I couldn’t wish dear Bill a worse fate than being left to Eric’s tender mercies; my honey didn’t go a whole bundle on Christian charity…

xxxxxxxx

The shower was the usual mix of innuendo and hilarity, and Michele was genuinely touched at people’s thoughtfulness. A divorcee herself, and already living with Jason, she had most things you’d need for starting married life, so folks had concentrated on smaller, more personal gifts. Halleigh had given her a recipe for applesauce bread (I think Michele had hoped for the recipe for old Mrs Bellefleur’s chocolate cake, but that had gone to the grave with her) and I’d given her a silver photo frame with a picture of Jason in one side and space for a picture of her in the other.

It had been hot and humid all day and, by the time the last guest left, the skies were darkening, huge thunderheads building up in the west. As I cleared up the leftovers and the torn wrapping paper I was grateful for the gusts of cool air that fluttered the net drapes when the heavens finally unleashed the rain and the parched lawns gratefully began soaking it up.

The first cloudburst had passed by the time I’d finished tidying up and headed for home, but I knew there was more just waiting in the wings; as I drove I could see the storm following me on black wings. I was only just ahead of it; by the time I turned into my driveway the trees were starting to thrash and bend in the wind, and as I locked the car the rain was starting to spatter the windshield.

I made a dash for the porch and was in just before the deluge, but the earlier shower had just been the overture – Act one settled in with a vengeance, and I secured the screen door firmly before hurrying round the house, making sure all the windows and doors were closed and all the drapes were pulled. I hadn’t forgotten this ritual once since Eric had left – even though Bill was occupied at Fangtasia, there was always the possibility of other beings looking in. You never knew what was in the woods round my house.

As I went upstairs the noise became almost deafening; it always sounded worse on the second floor because of the tin roof. A glance out of the window showed me it was pretty impressive, the rain coming down in lumps, and the trees round the clearing almost invisible through the murk. Unloading my car would have to wait a while.

I went down to the kitchen for some food – I’d been too busy to eat that much at the shower – and I got a couple of bottles of True Blood out of the fridge and put them out on the back stoop. I’d been doing this every night, for whoever was out in my woods, following Eric’s orders. I never saw them, but the bottles were always empty come the morning.

The wind tugged hard at the screen-door as I opened it, and tore at my clothes and hair. The lightning was flickering, revealing the woods in staccato images of black and white that stayed on my retinas long after the flash had faded. I felt sorry for whoever had drawn guard duty tonight.

I locked up again, then took a shower and put on a nightdress – pale blue, edged with lace and a matching wrap. It was pretty but not new, as I suspected (and hoped) Eric would be in a mood for a little garment shredding when he arrived. And sex. Shredding, then sex. That sounded good.

I went back to the living room and settled down with a book while I waited, but I was pretty tired and before long the lines of print were blurring in front of my eyes. I set the book down, and the leaned my head back against the old afghan on the couch, thinking I’d rest my eyes for a few minutes, and the next thing I knew I was startling awake to a loud crashing sound.

Still dazed from sleep, at first I thought it was the thunder, but then I realised it was someone hammering on my door. Eric! I rubbed my eyes and looked at the clock. just gone two in the morning – he was right on time. I dashed for the front door, but froze with my hand on the top bolt. Ah oh. Been caught like that before. “Who is it?”

“Who do you expect to be hammering on your door at this time of night? Let me in.” Eric’s deep voice sounded impatient.

“Well, given that this house is Supe Central most of the time, it could be almost anyone from a witch to a Were,” I muttered as I threw the bolts. The sound of the rain grew louder as I opened the door. The security light was on, and threw the huge shape filling my doorway into silhouette. My vampire.

In the back of my mind I registered that he must have pulled the catch clean off the screen-door, but right then I didn’t care. I hurled myself at him, and he didn’t give an inch, just folded me in his muscular arms, and our lips met as he carried me inside the house, kicking the door shut behind him.

He walked forward until my calves hit the arm of the couch and I went over backwards, landing on the cushions with him above me, but we didn’t so much as break stride. His mouth was ravenous on mine, and his fangs were already down, telling me he was hungry or horny (or probably both).

I met his urgency with my own, holding him to me, devouring his lips, enjoying the feel of his cool body against my own. I broke off the kiss just for a second to say, “God, I’ve missed you!” and then dived right back into the emergency meeting of the Viking Sex God Appreciation Society which my hormones had just convened.

First item on the agenda – get him naked. Second item – get me naked. Third item – but my Viking was focussed on items one and two at the moment, as his hands moved to all the right places. Ah, the sweet sound of tearing fabric on a summer’s night …

Five seconds later we were skin to skin and every cell in my body was lighting up from the inside. I don’t know how he did what he did, but I was sure as hell glad he was doing it. He didn’t waste any time on words – he was all about actions right then – and his touch got me from nought to nymphomaniac in under five seconds.

Now I could feel his hard length pressing against me, and I shifted slightly to give him better access. He hooked a hand beneath my thigh, drawing my leg up round his slim hips and I clutched him to me as he slid home with a sigh. My breath caught in my throat just for a second as my body adjusted to the sweet pressure and then he was moving and … Oh God, this was what I’d been missing for the last week.

Much as we both enjoyed slow and sweet, neither of us had time for it right then, and his hips were relentless as they plunged and rolled, seeking maximum sensation for both of us. I felt the first throbs of orgasm teasing deep in my pelvis, and they quickly built to an indescribable electric buzz as he pushed me towards pleasure.

Eric’s mouth and hands and body worked their way beyond my flesh and deep into my core, pulling indescribably wonderful sensations to the surface, and his growls were mingled with the little cries and moans which he forced from me.

We were racing towards the cliff-edge, reaching frantically, my own heartbeat thudding loud in my ears, and his weight pressed me into the cushions as he lifted his head briefly. “Bite me,” he whispered, and I was happy to oblige. I sank my teeth into the thick muscle of his shoulder, tasting the sweet coppery flavor of his blood and he hissed, “Yesss!” as I swallowed the cool fluid.

He shuddered with pleasure, and when I pulled back I saw his eyes glowing blue for a second before he growled deep in his chest. His fangs slashed down and lightning ripped up my spine, crackling along my nerves as he penetrated my neck and drank deeply.

My scream was echoed by a crash of thunder from outside as we both hurtled over the edge and free-fell towards oblivion …

xxxx

My breathing was beginning to return to normal by the time Eric raised his head with a satisfied groan, and licked the scarlet stain from his lips. Then he ran his tongue across my bite-marks, soothing and healing them.

“Thank you, lover; I needed that.”

“Which, the blood or the sex?”

“Both. I was hungry for you in all ways.” I’d certainly got that impression. He continued. “I have neither fed nor fucked since I left you. Virtually every human in Freyda’s palace made themselves available to me, but none of them compared to you. I wasn’t even tempted.”

Even though the bond wasn’t fully operational yet, I could feel his sincerity. My heart warmed at the look in his eyes, and I knew he’d learned a lesson from the whole Kym Rowe fiasco. It was good to know he was working at our relationship too.

He carefully got to his feet, smiling his warm, sated smile. I watched him as he stretched luxuriously, fully aware of my attention, and my pulse picked up again. Seriously, that vampire should have a warning tattoo-ed on his chest – “Do Not Attempt This Ride Unless You Have A Strong Heart!”

My gaze dropped lower. His gracious plenty was still at full attention, and I licked my lips, assuming he would be up for another round, but when I reached for him he shook his head.

“Much as I would love to, dear one, Cataliades said he would ring at three, and I need to prepare for his call.”

I pouted. “No you don’t – you need to have hot sex with me.”

“I can’t right now.”

“Well, maybe you can’t but I sure as hell can.”

He snorted with laughter and stepped out of reach, before picking up what was left of his pants and inspecting them ruefully. They were split down both side seams, and were fit only for the rag-bag. He said, “I won’t be wearing these again.”

“Never, mind, they died in a good cause.”

He smirked and emptied the pockets, saying, “have you got anything here I can wear?”

“I think Claude and Dermot left a few items behind upstairs – you can go and look if you want. They’ll probably smell of fairy, though.”

“Not a problem. I won’t be going anywhere it might cause issues.” He sauntered out of the room, giving me a splendid view of his butt (which was of course exactly what he intended), and then I heard footsteps overhead and closets opening. It gave me a few seconds to compose myself and get my pulse back to normal before he came back down in a pair of jeans. They were too short, but about right round the waist.

The prospect of more sex receded further into the distance, but he smiled and said, “lover, you know I want to, but we need to talk before Cataliades rings. I would have been here sooner, but I had to stop at Fangtasia.”

“To kill Bill?” I was hopeful, but he shook his head.

“Not yet. We know he is a spy, but he doesn’t know he’s been spotted. I think he’s more useful feeding Freyda misinformation for us. I needed to debrief Pam and collect the data stick.”

Oh, now that sounded interesting. I swallowed my disappointment. Vengeance deferred was not vengeance denied. “Was there anything good on it? Anything we can use?”

“I haven’t looked at it yet. I wasn’t going to check it out in my office – not with Bill hanging around, making the place look untidy. His tech skills are too good and I don’t trust him not to go snooping on my computer, so I waited until I could use yours.”

“Oh sure – go right ahead. I’ll just go and get dressed.”

“Don’t cover up on my account.” He eyed my naked body with interest, reaching out and caressing my skin where the flush of exertion still showed. “I love the way your blood moves around your body like this, sometimes showing, sometimes not – as though it’s playing hide and seek with me, teasing me…”

I’d always known Eric liked to try and make me blush, but I hadn’t realised it was because he thought my blood was flirting with him. It seemed that vampires were fascinated by the scarlet stuff, even when they weren’t drinking it.

“The rain’s cooled things off some – I’m getting a tad chilly, I need to put something on.” I got up and went along the hallway to my bedroom. This time I risked putting on my best night-dress and wrap, as Eric’s hamster impulses seemed to have passed for the moment.

By the time I got back to the living room he had my computer booted up and was just plugging in the data stick. I took a seat and watched him while he worked. It was a good opportunity, as his focus was totally on the screen, and I got to stare at him as much as I wanted. He was worth staring at – bare-chested, the shadow and light making valleys between each rib and every plane of muscle. His long hair was tousled after our session, and I wanted to reach out and smooth it, but didn’t want to disturb his concentration.

At first glance there seemed to be thousands of documents, and I despaired of looking at all of them, but it didn’t seem to faze Eric – he just sorted them into date order and selected the last month’s worth. There were still hundreds, but his speed-reading came in handy, and he discarded most without more than a single glance, moving those he thought might prove interesting into another folder.

He was a lot more tech-savvy than he used to be – I guessed Parker, one of his new followers from Minden, had been getting him up to speed. At any rate, he seemed to know exactly what he was doing, except he couldn’t handle the slow speed my PC worked at. He kept clicking the mouse faster than the software could handle and tsked with frustration when the computer got its electronic panties in a bunch and locked up on him.

“It’s about time you upgraded your hardware, Sookie,” he said as it happened for the third time. “This is so slow it would be quicker to use quill and parchment.”

“It’s called human speed, Eric, and it works just fine for me.”

He was about to retort when the little egg-timer on the screen disappeared and he grunted with satisfaction. He opened the folder with the documents he’d selected. “These four look like the most promising.”

I leaned closer. “Why did you pick them?”

Two of them are hand-written, which suggests that either the writer was in a hurry or they didn’t want a record of this on a computer, where it might be found. Haven’t you heard of Wikileaks? Rumour has it that even the Kremlin is ordering typewriters for its most confidential work – you can’t hack into a piece of paper.”

He opened the first document, and studied the image on the screen. It was a short scrawl with a signature at the bottom of it. “The hand-writing is appalling, but it looks like a copy of a note from Freyda authorising one of her chamberlains to remove the contents …” his eyebrows rose. “The entire contents of her private vault in the treasury and take it all to a secure location in the basement. Hmm. That’s very odd.”

“Why?”

“Well, firstly, I thought she had shown me everything in her treasury – she certainly seemed eager to dazzle me with her wealth – but I didn’t pick up so much as a hint of any secret treasure. So, what is so valuable that she keeps it in a private vault, yet wouldn’t use it to impress me? Secondly, why would she want it relocated? Look at the date – just three days ago. This one bears thinking about.”

“Why would anyone photocopy that?”

“When I visited the treasury with Freyda, I met the vampire in charge of it. He’s so anal he makes Maxwell Lee look like a stoned hippy; every time Freyda picked something up to show me, he winced, as though it caused him personal pain. I can’t see him letting anything out of his grasp without the proper paperwork, so I’m guessing he wanted documentary evidence to cover his ass just in case anything went wrong. He probably took half a dozen copies. Thank God for bureaucracy.”

He opened a new document. I looked and said, “that’s just an invoice. What makes it special?”

“Take a closer look.”

It was an invoice from someone called the Arden Group, and it was for attending an address somewhere called Escondido Drive in Oklahoma City and placing something called Vlakas wards at unspecified locations. I shook my head. “Nope. Not seeing it.”

“How much is it for?”

I took a closer look, and whistled softly. “Twelve thousand dollars? Why would anyone pay that much for wards? Amelia did mine for free.”

“Exactly. Escondido Drive is Freyda’s palace, so she’s having some very special work done there if it’s worth that sort of money.”

“What are they? Vlakas wards?”

“I don’t know. Vlakas is Greek for stupid, but stupid wards? It doesn’t make sense. It must be a code of some sort. Either way, it’s an anomaly that might be worth investigating. You could try asking Amelia if she knows. Let’s see what else we’ve got.”

The next document was hand-written, and seemed to be a proposal of some sort. Eric read a lot faster than I did, hitting the page down button too fast for me to follow, so I gave up and waited for him to finish. It didn’t take long before he said, “I’m not sure there’s anything here that I didn’t already know – or at least suspect – but it could still be useful. It’s the proposal to the governing boards of Zeus and Narayana for Freyda and Felipe’s attack on Texas.”

He’d explained to me a while ago that possible takeovers had to be cleared with the heads of the home Clans. Nevada was in Narayana, Texas and Oklahoma were in Zeus, we were in Amun. “It’s pretty much what I expected, but I think I’ll send a copy to Stan. It’ll give him proof of Freyda’s intentions, just in case he needed an incentive to encourage Joe to make a move. There’s enough detail here to be helpful, and it’ll mean he owes me a favor.”

“Oh, so that’s good. What’s the last one?”

“I picked this one because it’s a photograph.” He clicked on the icon and an image opened up. It was too small to see clearly, but it looked like a copy of a driving licence. The tiny picture was of an elderly lady, who seemed to have that startled maiden-aunt-caught-in-the-bath look that so many of us get when our photos are taken. I didn’t know her, and Eric enlarged the image to read the details just as the house phone rang.

I glanced at my watch – if it was Mr C, he was fifteen minutes early. I went to answer it, raising my eyebrows and nodding at the screen in a silent ‘do you recognise her?’ kind of way, and Eric scrolled down the remaining pages, scanning the information before shaking his head and closing down the computer, as I said, “Hello?”

“Miss Stackhouse, this is Desmond Cataliades. Is Sheriff Northman with you? I tried his cell phone but it went to voicemail.”

“Yes, he’s right here.”

I beckoned Eric over, and he winked at me as he whispered, “I turned my phone off because I didn’t want us to be disturbed …” Then he was all business as he took the phone and we both sat on the couch.

“I am here.”

Not having vamp hearing, I couldn’t hear the other end of the conversation, and Eric was doing more listening than talking. He made occasional noises of assent, but at last he finished the call and said, “very well. I’ll think carefully about everything you’ve said.” And then he hung up.

I didn’t say anything for a while, as he was clearly processing whatever it was he’d just learned. Then he said, “we have decisions to make, my Sookie.”

“So tell me.”

“Cataliades said Freyda’s lawyer called him twice tonight, expecting him to have read the contract and to be ready to start proceedings. He demanded a meeting in three days’ time, and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Apparently, he grew quite threatening, so Cataliades had to agree.” Eric sighed heavily. “I still don’t know what they’re threatening him with, and he won’t give me any hints, but something is scaring him badly.”

“What do they want?”

“Freyda’s lawyers have given him an ultimatum. Two weeks. He tried to push for more, but they wouldn’t move.” He put his arm around me. “I’m sorry, lover. We’re going to have to move our timetable up. I’m going to call Stan again, and see how things are progressing at his end. It may be a long call.”

That was Ericspeak for, ‘you will probably find this boring,’ so I nodded and stood up and left the room. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to hear it, it was that I didn’t want him to hear me. I shut myself in my bathroom and had another shower – the third today – but this wasn’t for hygiene. It was because the sound of the water would cover my sobs.

I kept them as quiet as I could, but as I leaned against the tiles I had to face the possibility that, just as my relationship with Eric seemed to be getting solid after some seriously rocky times, he was about to be torn away from me.

He didn’t want to go – I knew that for sure. He would fight to the bitter end. But would it be enough? For the first time, I wondered if the forces ranged against us would be too much even for Eric and his thousand years of cunning and experience. I hated the thought that he might be forced to leave me, and then I had to consider what my options would be if he did have to go through with this marriage.

Would he ask me to go with him? And if so, as what? Bill had said he’d have to put me aside – that he could have a human pet, but not a wife. I wondered how vampires did divorces and then it hit me, what I’d just been doing …

Bill said. Fucking Bill Compton – even though he couldn’t get into my house, it seemed he could still get into my head! Why was I listening to that creep yet again? Bill had spent whole conversations trying to persuade me that Eric would leave me for Freyda, but if I knew anything about my Viking, it was that he’d find a way out of this or die trying. He was in the living-room right now, coming up with a plan of some sort – I was sure of it.

And then I remembered something else about that conversation with Bill, and knew I had to tell Eric. If I said I was going to trust him, I had to do more than say it. And that meant telling him some things which I should probably have mentioned before.

I got out of the shower and dried myself, a new determination burning in me. I pulled on my wrap again and headed to the kitchen, where I warmed up a True Blood for him. If he hadn’t fed for a week, he was probably still hungry, and even though he’d fed from me he was still unusually pale. I knew he wouldn’t want to take any more from me tonight – anaemia was something I had to watch out for and he hated it when I took iron supplements, as the taste got into my blood.

I came back into the living-room and slid the bottle onto a coaster on the coffee-table, and he made a sign for pen and paper. I rooted in a drawer and passed him what he wanted. He scribbled down an email address before saying, “I’m just sending it over to you now. It’ll be with you in a couple of minutes,” and then he handed the paper to me, nodding at the computer. I wrote ‘Send the proposal to Stan?’ just to make sure I wasn’t about to do something monumentally stupid, and he nodded, reaching for the True Blood.

I found the file and attached it to an email. Then I carefully typed in the address on the paper, Eric still talking but watching me like a hawk as I did so. With his eyesight, he could see the screen quite clearly from the couch, and I looked at him questioningly before hitting Send. He nodded his approval, I clicked the mouse, and it was on its way.

Eric smiled briefly at me and I smiled back before curling up next to him on the couch. He was still talking to Stan. “So, when does Joe meet with the board?”

Pause.

“Okay, that’s good. And if they give the go-ahead, what timetable is he proposing? How soon can you and he be ready?”

Another pause.

“Really? That soon? Are you sure? I don’t want to fail because we jumped the gun. Well, yes, I understand that. The risk of discovery … Very well. I’ll wait to hear from you. Take a look at Freyda’s proposal, and call me if there are any problems.”

Then he disconnected and pulled me onto his lap. He’d finished the True Blood, and a hint of colour was creeping into his cheeks. I stroked his face – his skin was always startlingly smooth – and then leaned in for a kiss.

He returned it with interest, but wasn’t about to get distracted.

“So, do you want the good news or the bad news?”

“Both.”

“The good news is that Joe is up for the take-over. He is meeting with the governing board of Zeus Clan tomorrow night, and with all the information I’ve just provided, he thinks he can make a convincing case. The fact that he now has a copy of Freyda’s proposal makes her look weak, which will help him. If the board approve, Stan thinks they can be ready within the two weeks.”

“Oh, that’s really good. So, what’s the bad news?”

Now his face was very serious. “Sookie do you really trust me?”

“Yes?”

“Enough to do what I ask, even if it isn’t what you want to hear?”

Ah oh. “Yes.”

He sighed. “Then I need to you come to Oklahoma for my wedding.”

* * *

Eric has his reasons, I promise, even if they’re not immediately obvious.

*chants* trust the Viking, trust the Viking…

I’m afraid I won’t be posting next week – I’m going on vacation for a few days, but I’ll have a chapter ready for you the first week in August. We should start getting to the action soon. You know me, I’m all about the build-up…

Thanks for reading.

AAE

Happy Ever After Chapter 05

Chapter 5

EPOV

W. C.

William fucking Compton.

I might have guessed. No wonder I hadn’t been able to find anything suspicious about the new vampires entering my Area – the spy was already in place! I had to admire Freyda’s cunning.

I gestured to Ramon to wipe away his handiwork and he did so thoroughly – there would be no trace left. Meanwhile I provided appropriate sound effects, and then dismissed him and went through to my bedchamber, where I texted Pam. I had to warn her not to let Compton anywhere near my computer at Fangtasia until I got home. I also instructed her to make sure his cell phone had an accident; I needed to minimise any damage he could cause.

Then I packed my belongings, ready for an early departure the next night. I went to bed and lay turning over the new information in my head as dawn approached. It appeared that dear Bill was still happily doing dirty work for a Queen, and I wondered what she had offered him to betray his Sheriff and what other information he had passed to her.

At least last time he had been able to plead his oath of fealty to Sophie-Anne – he could not refuse to obey her. This time he had no such excuse – Freyda wasn’t his Queen, so he could only be doing it for personal gain, and what he hoped to gain was obvious: she had told him that with me out of the way, he could go after Sookie. I doubted that Freyda had mentioned her own interest in my little Fairy’s skills to him …

It was ironic, really; Bill thought my being safe in Oklahoma would improve his chances with Sookie, but I knew the news of his latest treachery would be the final nail in the coffin of her trust in him, if one was even needed. I had been very pleased with my lover’s behaviour the last time we’d seen him, and had enjoyed his reaction to her charmingly dishevelled appearance as she pressed against me on the couch.

It had always been a source of huge frustration to me that Compton had found it so easy to seduce Sookie. She had been innocent, trusting and in need of a sympathetic ear, and she had fallen into his hands like a piece of ripe fruit, with no effort at all on his part. Then his betrayal had wounded her so deeply that she had locked herself away inside her emotional armour, and I had been left trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered trust. I didn’t blame her, but I did blame him for a lot of the problems I was having to deal with. Had I been her first lover, she would never have been damaged so deeply …

XxXxXxXx

The next night I summoned a servant as soon as I was dressed, and ordered my bags taken to my car, then I presented myself at the Queen’s chambers. She was still feeding from a handsome blond when I was admitted, but she left him as soon I was announced, patting her mouth with a linen napkin. He bowed his head respectfully to me, but didn’t get up from where he lay sprawled on her couch. She hadn’t sealed his vein – evidently she hadn’t finished with him yet – and a whiff of his blood drifted across to me. It was pleasantly fresh and tangy and reminded me how very hungry I was.

I put it out of my thoughts and greeted Freyda politely.

She said, “Eric – I didn’t expect you this early. What can I do for you? Or is something wrong?”

Her dark-brown eyes were piercing, but I smiled pleasantly and said, “Nothing is wrong here, but I’m afraid I have come to take my leave. I need to return to Louisiana a little sooner than I’d anticipated. A minor crisis, but Pam has requested my presence.”

“Can’t she handle it on her own?”

“I’m afraid not. She’s a bit insecure without her maker around – she likes to have me nearby for moral support. She’s a very good fighter, but doesn’t have much in the way of initiative and she’s inclined to panic unnecessarily.” I cringed inwardly at the thought of what Pam would say if she knew how I was describing her, but I had to hope she would never find out.

I knew Freyda had seen Pam in Louisiana, but my child had been grieving for the death of Miriam, and couldn’t be bothered to object when Freyda treated her as a lackey. She had simply run her errands, answered her questions and then withdrawn into herself. This was ideal for my purposes, as it gave colour to my description of her. Freyda nodded, and said, “I must admit, she struck me as a bit weak when we met. I was surprised that you would choose someone like that for a child, Eric. No spirit at all; she’s nothing like you.”

I shrugged and threw my child further under the bus. “She’s very biddable. And loyal, of course. And she runs my business competently, which is mostly what I use her for.”

“So what’s this crisis?”

“An unknown vampire has been sighted in Shreveport. I don’t like strangers in my Area – I always check them out very thoroughly and Pam knows that her instincts for spotting a spy aren’t as well developed as mine. She’ll do her best, but doesn’t like the thought that she might miss something. She knows you can never be too careful.”

“I agree. I always treat any new vampires as potential spies. The only vampires I trust are those who have been in my service for some time.” I had to admit she was very good; there wasn’t a trace of smugness in her voice and her expression seemed completely sincere as she gently directed my attention away from her mole …

“Same here. But you can see why I need to go. And I was always planning on leaving tonight, this has only brought it forward by a few hours.”

“Oh, very well. It seems a pity, when I still had plans for us. There’s so much you haven’t seen yet.”

I smiled pleasantly. “I think I’ve seen enough. Your hospitality has been … overwhelming.”

She preened. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. We’re very lucky here in Oklahoma, with the oil wealth, the casinos and such a large vampire population. So many opportunities.” Her implication was that I was very lucky to have this particular opportunity. I knew there were a lot of vampires interested in her, but as far as I was concerned, they could have her. “Once we’re married you will have far more subjects than you currently do – I haven’t shown you even half of what you will enjoy when the contract is signed. Speaking of which…” she rang a bell and when a chamberlain entered she said, “fetch me the green despatch box from my study.”

While we waited she offered me a drink from her pet, but I declined. She pouted. “I don’t believe you’ve fed at all this week.”

“I’m very old – I don’t need to take much to maintain my strength.”

“We’ll have to make some sort of arrangement for when you’re living here permanently. Or do you plan on bringing anyone with you?” She was clearly fishing to see if I had any plans to keep Sookie as a pet, even when we were divorced.

I decided to test the waters a little, just to see how she would react. Bill knew Sookie and I had been fighting recently, and I was certain he had reported as much to Freyda. He would have played up the rift between us to her, to minimise her concerns over my attachment to Sookie. I doubted if our show of unity at my house had convinced him that our relationship was secure; he was a self-deceiver of astonishing talent, only believing what suited his version of reality.

Witness the fact that he still pursued Sookie even though she had made it abundantly clear that he had no chance with her ever again. Because he wanted me to go to Oklahoma and Sookie to stay in Bon Temps, available to him, he had probably convinced himself that this is what would happen. No doubt he thought as soon as I was out of the picture she would fall into his arms…

I said, “I shall only bring my agreed vampire retinue. There will be no need to bring any humans; from what I’ve seen, I’ll have plenty of choice when it comes to suitable donors.” I nodded at her current meal, and she smiled, but her next words were very revealing.

“I wouldn’t mind if you wanted to bring a pet. Your ex, for example. I hear she’s quite tasty.” Although she kept her tone casual I was far from convinced.

I hid a smile. For a woman who had initially made it quite clear I would have to separate from Sookie, even going so far as to visit her and warn her away from me, it seemed odd that she was prepared to tolerate her presence now. Maybe once she realised that Stan was not going to give up Barry, she had been forced to reconsider Sookie’s value.

She no doubt believed that, once she had us both in Oklahoma, it would be simple to keep us apart while controlling each of us for her own purposes. She didn’t know either of us very well; I was not in the habit of giving up control to anyone except my late maker, and as for Sookie – I smiled inwardly as I thought of my lover. She would co-operate if she felt like it, but I had yet to meet anyone who could control her against her will, vampire or human.

I ignored Freyda’s premature description of Sookie as my ex and my tone was cold as I said, “Sookie will not be joining me. She has made it clear she has her own life and she doesn’t plan on disrupting it for my sake.”

I could see Freyda didn’t know what to make of that. After a minute she said, “of course, she will have to come here for the wedding – the divorce will need to be public so there can be no doubt as to the legitimacy of our contract.”

Hmm. As far as I was aware, there was no legal requirement for the divorce to be any more public than the original marriage had been, but I played along to see where Freyda’s mind was heading.

“We can divorce quietly in Shreveport.”

“It would be better to do it here. Get it all out of the way at once, with all our lawyers present.” Mm, she was very keen to have Sookie in Oklahoma. No doubt her stay would be extended by force if necessary…

Just then there was a knock at her door and the chamberlain came in carrying a box. Freyda nodded for him to give it to me. It was very heavy, and I flipped open the lid. Inside there was a four-inch high stack of closely-printed paper.

The draft marriage contract.

This was not the document signed in blood, by both Freyda and my maker, which committed me to the marriage; this was the full contract, setting out the details of my life for the next one hundred years. Ocella had negotiated a rough draft, which I had seen, but sections of it were open to discussion; as I had told Sookie, I had some wriggle-room, and I was going to make the most of that.

Meanwhile, we both had to sign the preliminary agreement listing the lawyers who would be conducting negotiations on our behalf. I flipped the top page, found the section listing the names, and checked it carefully. When I was satisfied, I signed both copies and passed them to Freyda who did the same. She looked strangely triumphant as the chamberlain witnessed the signatures and I put one copy back in the box, handing the other to her. I closed the lid and said, “We can begin formal negotiations as soon as I have given this to my attorney.”

“Of course. Desmond Cataliades.” Freyda had not been happy that I had chosen the demon lawyer to represent me. She had been trying to persuade me to change my mind, but I had stuck to my guns and now that his name was set down it could not be changed except by his death. As he was immortal, that was an unlikely contingency.

“He’s agreed to represent me, yes, but he’s a little difficult to get hold of at the moment.” I was confident that he would remain so; his extended absence was an integral part of my delaying tactics.

Freyda smiled. “Why don’t you give him a ring now, while you’re here? You never know, you might be lucky – he keeps odd hours.”

I shrugged and reached for my phone. I had already briefed Cataliades not to accept my calls. I hit the speed-dial and it was answered on the third ring.

“Yes?” I recognised the voice of Diantha, Cataliades’ niece, but only just. She sounded as though she had a cold, but demons didn’t get ill so I put it down to a bad line.

“Mr Cataliades, please. This is Eric Northman.”

“HoldonI’llseeifhe’saround.” I appreciated her playing along; she had been part of my conference with Cataliades when we’d discussed what we could do to hinder the wedding, but she knew any other vampires with me would be able to hear both halves of the conversation.

There was a brief pause while I waited for her to come back and say he was unavailable, and then to my astonishment I heard the demon lawyer’s voice. “Sheriff Northman, how nice to hear from you. How can I help you tonight?”

What the hell? I didn’t believe for a moment he’d forgotten our agreement – he had chuckled heartily when I had told him what I was planning. He’d not only agreed to be unavailable for at least a month, but he’d guaranteed to find as many reasons as he possibly could for tying up Freyda’s lawyers in legal red tape. He had sworn he would keep them busy for a year if necessary, and now here he was answering his phone!

“I … Mr Cataliades! I didn’t think I’d … I hope I’m not interrupting you.”

“Not at all, I’m always happy to speak to you.”

What was going on? I tried again. “Are you sure? I know how busy you are.”

But he replied, “As it happens I have a little free time at the moment. What can I do for you? Something in connection with your marriage contract, perhaps?”

Fuck! I glanced at Freyda and she was smiling gently as she listened in. I pulled myself together; I had to continue the charade now I had started it. “Yes … yes, that’s exactly it. As you know, I’m in negotiation with Freyda of Oklahoma and I have the contract now for you to look over.” My hopes were fading as I made one final attempt. “I know it’s quite a big job …”

He said, “That’s no problem at all, Sheriff, I’ve given you my word and it will be a privilege to assist you in this matter. I understand completely, it’s something you’d want dealt with as soon as possible, and I’ll be happy to give it my fullest attention. When can you get it to me? I’m not in Louisiana at the moment, I’m at my Memphis office for the next few days but I can send Diantha to pick it up so that I can get started straight away if you like.”

My mind was working fast, trying to process this new turn of events, but I snatched at this opportunity. “No, I’m not in Louisiana either. I’m in Oklahoma, but I was just about to set out for home. I’ll bring it to you myself, if you don’t mind, I can easily make a detour. The sooner you can get started on it, the better.” That would sound good for Freyda, and if I saw him face to face, I would be able to find out what was going on.

“Of course – will you make it tonight, do you think?”

“I will if I leave immediately. Give me your address, and I’ll see you in about eight hours.” I was glad I had already made preparations to leave, and at least this would prevent Freyda from detaining me any longer. It would also prevent me from visiting Texas again on my way home, but this was suddenly much more important.

“I’ll look forward to it.”

He disconnected and I put away my phone, before looking at Freyda. She was still smiling, but now there was a faint hint of triumph as she said, “That was lucky – he’s usually so busy. You must be a favoured client for him to drop whatever else he’s working on.” She stood up and glided towards me. “We’ll be celebrating our wedding before you know it.”

“Let us hope so. But you’ll have heard that, if I’m to make Memphis before dawn I must leave immediately.”

“Of course. Safe journey, Eric, and I will expect to see you here again very soon.”

I bent over her hand, glad to be spared any elaborate farewell ceremonies she might have had planned, and then made my escape, my mind racing at what had just happened.

XxXxXxXxXxXx

As soon as I left Oklahoma City on the 40 I pulled over to the side of the road and checked my Corvette thoroughly for bugs. There was one under the seat, two inside the air conditioning vents and one behind the logo at the centre of the steering wheel. I took a childish pleasure in reversing the car over them before driving on and calling Sookie for the first time in a week.

“Hello?”

“Good evening, my lover. Are you well?”

“Eric! Are you on your way home?”

“Not quite yet.” I explained my detour to Memphis, and she was very disappointed that I would not be returning to her tonight, but she was as much at a loss as I was to explain Cataliades’ strange behaviour. We had been relying on him to give us some breathing space, but I was beginning to think we might not be able to depend on him for that.

Her fear was audible as we discussed it, but so was her belief in me as she said, “I’m sure you’ll find a way out, honey. Freyda’s not going to win – you won’t allow it.” Her faith warmed me, and I changed the subject, asking her what she had been doing this week.

“I took Michele for her final fitting for her wedding dress and I’ve been getting ready for her bridal shower.”

I grunted non-commitally. Pam had described the concept to me, and I was glad it appeared to be a women-only event. “Is this shower taking place after dark?”

“No, it’s tomorrow afternoon. I haven’t been out at night since you left – I promise. The wards haven’t been triggered, and I haven’t seen anything of Bill either.”

“Good. Stay inside tonight, and tomorrow I’ll be home. And speaking of Compton …” I told Sookie what I had discovered. As I had suspected, she was outraged at his treachery.

“W. C! That should stand for whiny coward, not William Compton. That two-faced son of a bitch. Well, if he ever comes round here again I’ll stake his treacherous ass my own self…” her voice trailed off for a minute as a thought struck her. Then she said, “if he’s working for Freyda, that explains how he knew so much about her and what she wanted when she was here. I thought maybe he knew all that stuff because of his database, but that doesn’t explain why what he was saying sounded awfully like what she was saying.”

“What exactly did he say to you?”

She was reluctant to tell me, but eventually she did so. I grew more and more angry as I realised how Bill had used the opportunity to rub salt into Sookie’s wounds over Freyda’s desirability as a mate and her supposed compatibility with me. He had subtly drawn a contrast between Freyda and Sookie that would make Sookie question why I wanted to be with her …

I knew her insecurities, and I also knew Bill’s tendency to undermine her whenever he could. He claimed to love her, yet he didn’t hesitate to put her down. I, on the other hand, was going to do everything I could to show her how proud of her I was, and how much I trusted and loved her.

We talked a little while longer, and over the next twenty miles or so I encouraged her to vent her anger against Bill. Every time I thought she had finished, she said, “and another thing …”

Most of what she was saying I already knew, but then she startled me by saying, “and another thing – I want to see that report on Kym’s death. I’ll just bet there’s more to that than we realise.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, some of the stuff Bill told me never did tie up. I mean, if Jannalynn Hopper killed Kym, did you never stop to wonder why Bill didn’t pick up her scent on the lawn? And I know he knew her scent because I gave him her jacket.”

“You did what?” The steering-wheel jerked in my hands and I hastily straightened the car before it drifted over the line.

Now she sounded guilty. “I guess I never told you, huh? I …um … borrowed Jannalynn’s jacket and gave it to Bill to see if the scent was familiar to him. He denied it, which doesn’t make sense if she was the killer. I mean, I can understand missing her scent in the backyard, so many people came and went that way, but people weren’t treading all over your lawn until the body was found, so whoever did it must have left a good fresh scent. And why didn’t he see her? He said Jannalynn broke her neck – he even …” she gasped. “Jesus Christ Shepherd of Judea!”

“What? Sookie, what’s wrong?”

I could hear her breathing speed up as she clearly processed some information. When she finally spoke, her voice was little more than a whisper. “Eric, what if Bill killed Kym Rowe and glamored Jannalynn into admitting it? I mean, when he told me she’d had her neck broken, he even demonstrated how it was done. I remember being icked out at the time. And if he killed her, that’s why no-one noticed Jannalynn’s scent near the body – because it wasn’t there!”

“Sookie, calm down. We must think clearly about this. Are you saying that you gave Bill some of Jannalyn’s clothing after he and Heidi had checked for scents round my house, and that he didn’t recognise it?”

“Yup, that’s what I’m saying.”

“And what did Heidi say?”

“Um … when Bill told me he didn’t recognise the scent I didn’t bother Heidi with it. I just took the jacket back before it was missed.”

“So Heidi never had an opportunity to associate anything she scented with Jannalynn?”

“I guess not.”

I was silent for a moment, thinking about this. “So, why would Bill want Kym Rowe dead?”

“Maybe he wanted to cause even more trouble between you and me? I know he tried to persuade me that you killed her so there’d be nothing to remind us of you feeding from her.”

I hadn’t known that, but I wasn’t surprised. It was fortunate that traffic was light and the road was straight, as I was driving largely by instinct, focussed on what Sookie was suggesting. “It’s possible. Even probable. And he was the only person at the front of the house, so he certainly had the opportunity.”

“Surely there must be more to it than that? I mean, I know he’s jealous of us, but killing someone just to make us fight seems extreme, even for Bill. Don’t you think?”

“It may have been on orders from Freyda. If she could drive a wedge between us, it would loosen my ties to Louisiana, make it less tempting for me to stay. And do you remember Fangtasia was attacked – someone threw white paint over the outside? Maybe that was another attempt to persuade me it was time to move on …”

“Jeez, you could be right. But can we prove any of it?”

“I don’t know – we’ll have to wait and see what is on the datastick. Pam will keep it safe at Fangtasia for me.”

“As long as she doesn’t let Bill anywhere near the mail before you get home.”

“A good point. I think I’ll call her and warn her about that. Incidentally, have you rescinded Bill’s invitation?”

“Yup, did it first thing after you left. He’s not coming in my house again.”

“I’m glad to hear it, lover. I’m the only person who should be coming in your house.”

She groaned and I could almost see her rolling her eyes at the innuendo. Just then I heard the doorbell “Are you expecting anyone?”

“It’s just Holly – she promised she’d bring Casey over to help finish getting ready for the shower.”

“Casey? Who is that?” I didn’t like the idea of new people showing up at Sookie’s house just now.

“She’s just moved into town and doesn’t know many people yet, so we invited her to the shower. Sam says she’s a fantastic cook and she wants to help out with the food, and I’m never one to turn down offers of help.” I could hear her moving through the house to the front hall.

“The shifter? How does he know her? Is she trustworthy?”

“Yup – she’s a church worker in Clarice and I checked her mind. She’s exactly what she says she is. She’s renting one of Sam’s apartments, and he’s really taken with her. I mean really taken with her.”

Hmm. Someone to distract the shifter’s attention from Sookie could only be good, in my opinion. Still, it was important not to relax her vigilance.

“Check that it is really your friend before you open the door.”

“Of course, I can see her through the window. And don’t worry – everything’ll be cleared away before you get here. What time do you expect to get in tomorrow night?” I could hear the bolts being drawn back from the front door as she spoke. I was glad she was being sensible.

“Expect me around two.”

“I’ll see you then, honey. ‘Bye.” Feminine voices were audible in the background as Sookie disconnected, and I focussed on the highway again. She had given me a great deal to think about during the rest of the drive.

XxXxXxXx

I made it to Memphis with forty minutes to spare, calling ahead to reserve a room at the Starlight Hotel. Then I called Cataliades again to ask him to meet me there as I wouldn’t be able to get to his office and then reach the hotel before dawn.

This time he didn’t come to the phone, but Diantha said she would pass the message on and make sure he kept the appointment.

He arrived shortly after I had checked in, and I had the green box waiting on the coffee table. When his knock came, I barely took the time to check his identity through the peephole before opening the door and allowing him in.

I had intended to tear into him for breaking our deal so spectacularly, but he pre-empted me by apologising almost before the door was closed.

“Mr Northman, I’m so sorry. I truly am.” At the hopeless tone in his voice, I stopped short and took a good look at him. He looked ghastly – his skin pale and somehow sagging from his large frame, his eyes sunken, his shoulders drooping in his wrinkled jacket. Something was clearly wrong, beyond my own concerns.

I sat down and waved him to a seat opposite me.

“Tell me.”

He sighed. “Please don’t think that was easy for me – I hated having to go back on our arrangement, but I’m afraid I had no choice.”

I waited. He would tell me the rest of it without prompting.

“I know I said I would do everything in my power to delay the signing of your marriage contract, but I’m afraid circumstances have changed. Pressure has been brought to bear upon me, and I’m not in any position to refuse.”

Pressure? My mind boggled at the idea of anyone being able to pressure Desmond Cataliades. The lawyer was one of the most influential and well-known beings in the Supernatural community, famous amongst other things for being incorruptible. This was one of the reasons his services were so in demand; once he committed, he followed through. The thought that there was something – or someone – powerful enough to make him go back on his word made me go cold.

“Can any pressure be applied in the opposite direction? Is it something I can help with? I’m happy to call in any favours necessary – you know how important this is to me.”

He shook his head wearily. “No. There is nothing you – anyone – can do. Even telling you what I have is dangerous, but I couldn’t let you think I had let you down under anything less than intolerable coercion. This goes against everything I have devoted my legal career to, but I have no choice – none.”

His eyes were haunted as he continued. “I’ll do my job, and represent your interests to the best of my ability, but any delays which might be considered unreasonable by interested parties … I don’t dare. I’m sorry.”

Fuck! And now his name had been approved and witnessed, I couldn’t even replace him. I remembered Freyda’s expression as we signed the preliminaries, and knew in my soul that she was behind this, somehow.

“What has she done? Tell me and I’ll deal with it. She won’t get away with tampering with the legal process like this.”

He replied, “please, I beg you – don’t do anything. Don’t try to help, don’t say anything to anyone – even Ms Stackhouse. I know it’s a lot to ask but I can’t risk word getting back. I shouldn’t have said as much as this.” He glanced round. “Give me the contract. I’ll do my best to make sure the contract is absolutely fair and doesn’t impose unreasonable restrictions on you, but beyond that my hands are tied.”

For the first time I felt my fate closing in on me, and wondered how much time I had left with Sookie … “How long can you give me?”

“Two, maybe three weeks – that wouldn’t be unreasonable, given the complexity of the contract, but no more. I’m sorry.” He stood up and reached for the green box. “I’ll be in touch tomorrow night. Will you be back in Louisiana by then?”

“Yes, I’ll be home about three in the morning. I’ll talk to you then.” I wanted time with Sookie before I spoke to him again. I barely heard his repeated apologies as he left and I closed and locked the door behind him. I needed to think, but the dawn was tugging at me, and I had never so regretted my inability to function after sunrise. I fell into bed and tried to force my tired mind to process what I had learned, but all I could see as the blackness sucked me under was Freyda’s face, smiling triumphantly…

Happy Ever After Chapter 04

Chapter 4

I’m really sorry I didn’t post a chapter last week – I was having surgery and I was just too tired to complete it. It all happened a bit fast, so I didn’t have a chance to let you know in advance, and I hate people who post just to let you know they’re not posting …

Anyway, I’m feeling better now, so I hope you enjoy it.

(Aaaarrgghh! Just heard that Charlaine Harris is going to be in Waterstone’s bookshop in a city near me in three weeks time, discussing DEA. She is charging £5 a head for admission. If I didn’t have a rooted objection to giving the damn woman a single penny more than I already have, I’d be tempted to go over there and pay my fiver just for the opportunity to ask her what the f*** she thought she was doing. Somebody stop me …)

Sorry, rant over *takes deep breath, counts to ten*.

Enjoy.

AAE

* * *

Chapter 4

SPOV

The next few days were pretty miserable for me. Even though our new bond was not supposed to be affecting me yet, I missed Eric more than I’d thought I would. It was soon clear that he was being kept too busy to phone me, but at least he texted me several times a night.

I always replied as soon as I could, even though I knew he couldn’t always read it right then. But sooner or later back would come an answer and it was usually pretty hot. It made me kind of glad he couldn’t call me direct – he’d told me his suite was bugged – as he was outrageous enough in print without hearing his sexy voice trying to seduce me into all sorts of things.

Anyway, that was only at night; during the days I made sure I kept busy at Merlotte’s. Trade was picking up again now that Vic’s Redneck Roadhouse had gone of out business, and Sam was beginning to think about taking on more waitresses, even though it would mean more paperwork. I knew how he hated filling in forms, so I wasn’t surprised when I arrived for the lunchtime shift one day and found him hunched over his desk, fists buried in his hair, glaring at his bank statements as though they’d personally offended him.

“Problems?” I asked, and he looked up at me.

“No more’n usual. Just trying to balance my checkbook. I’m nearly four hundred dollars out somewhere.”

“Up or down?” That was the most important thing to me.

“Up, but that’s not the point. I can’t just assume it’s right; if I go ahead and spend that four hundred dollars it’ll come back and bite me in the ass, surest thing you know. I’ve been through the entries and added ’em up four times and every time I get a different answer.” He sighed gustily. “I dunno, cher, sometimes I wonder if I’m cut out to be a businessman.”

“You’re a great bar-owner though – people don’t come here for the quality of your paperwork.”

He smiled slightly and looked back down at the litter on his desk, but the sight only discouraged him, and he grabbed at his hair again. “Try telling that to the IRS.”

“Have you considered hiring an accountant for a few hours a week, just to keep you on track?”

“An accountant? I never really thought about it. Probably real expensive, though – those guys charge by the minute.”

I’m sure the cost would be worth it to save the wear and tear on your nerves. And your hair. I swear, I think you’re losing more hair right now than when you’re a collie in shedding season.”

“Hmm. I don’t know that it would it be worth someone’s while coming out here just for that. And do those guys even make house calls?”

“Sure they do. Eric has one for Fangtasia, he comes in three nights a week. You wouldn’t need that many hours, but if you like I can ask him for the name of the firm. I know they’re trustworthy.” I knew that because I’d checked Bruce’s replacement out a long time ago. But now Sam was frowning.

“Don’t you do that on my account. I don’t need any help from him.”

I sighed. “Sam, when are you going to get over the fact that Eric and I are a couple and we’re gonna stay that way?” I caught a burst from his shifter brain, and it was clear enough for me to know what he was thinking. “Oh, please tell me you don’t really hope that he goes to Oklahoma when you know what that’ll do to me.”

He had the grace to look guilty, and said, “Sorry, Sookie. I don’t really, I was just thinking … ah hell, I don’t know.” He pushed back from the desk some. “It’s not just you and him, although I still think he’s not good enough for you. I always hoped you … well … that you wouldn’t get involved in all the Supe shit that’s out there, and he just sucks you in every time.”

I kept my temper. Really, I did. There wasn’t the faintest trace of snark in my voice as I said, “you mean, you’d rather I hadn’t been at that Pack meeting at Alcide’s farm?”

He knew exactly what I meant – if I hadn’t been there, he wouldn’t be here. But I couldn’t be too hard on him; it was only in the last few days I’d started to come to terms with it myself. I remembered what Eric had said the night he left, and my voice softened as I put my hand on Sam’s sleeve and tried to put it into my own words.

“I was involved from the day I was born, you know that. I’ve spent a lifetime either denying or hiding what I am, and I’m just not going to do it any more. I know you’re happy not to get involved most of the time, but I’ve got too many links to the Supe world now; friends, family… I can’t just pretend it’ll go away, because we both know that’s not going to happen.”

“I know. It just seems wrong for you, somehow.”

“Not really. I never exactly fitted in with the human world, and at least Supes don’t treat me like I’m crazy.”

“That’s because most of us are crazier than you ever were …” He muttered this, but he was smiling slightly, as if he knew I wouldn’t be offended. “Anyhow, I’m gonna try this damn checkbook one more time. Oh yeah, I meant to ask you, would you be okay if I headed into Bon Temps later this afternoon? I’ve found a new tenant.”

“Oh, that’s great – do you think this one’ll stay?” Sam hadn’t had much luck renting out the duplex on Berry Street since Dawn Green got murdered in one half and JB got married and moved out of the other – he’d only found short-term lets.

“Should do. He’s the new church worker from the Living Gospel Church in Clarice, where I go. He’s due to start work next week and the pastor said on Sunday he hadn’t found a place to live yet, so I offered. It’s only about a twenty-minute drive so it should suit him.”

“Church worker, huh? Sounds like he’d be a good tenant – no wild parties.”

“Hope so. He’s coming here this afternoon and I’m gonna drive him in, seal the deal, maybe show him around some. If I’m still in here when he turns up, call me would you?”

“Sure. What’s he look like?”

“Don’t know – never met him. He was appointed before I started attending, but he had to work his notice and he’s only just starting now. His name’s Casey Dupont.”

“Okay. I’ll let Kennedy and India know in case I miss him.”

“Thanks, cher.” He turned back to his paperwork and I headed to the front of the bar to start prepping my tables.

The lunch rush had died down and there were just a few guys still lingering in India’s section by the time I next took a breath. They were trying to flirt with her, and having no luck. I was wiping down the last of my tables when the door opened and a sweet voice said, “excuse me. Is Mr Merlotte here, please?”

I turned round to be faced with a tiny, strawberry-blonde woman who had the biggest, warmest hazel eyes I’d ever seen. She was tanned and trim, about thirty, and wearing a pretty floral skirt and a white short-sleeved blouse that wouldn’t have lasted five minutes without a stain if I’d had it on. In spite of having just come in out of the sweltering heat, she managed to look cool and fresh, and her smile was as pleasant-looking as the rest of her.

“Sam’s out back. Did you want to speak with him?”

“Yes, if it’s no trouble. He’s expecting me.”

“Really? Are you sure? He only had one appointment this afternoon that I know of, and I know he’ll be leaving as soon as the guy gets here.”

Her face fell. “Oh. Maybe I mistook, but I thought the pastor said today. He was going to show me round an apartment but perhaps I got it wrong.”

“New apartment?” Light dawned. “Are you with Mr Dupont? I know Sam was expecting him, is he outside? He should come on in – it’s way too warm to be sitting in a car.”

She shook her head, the curls bouncing. “No, there’s just me.” She held out her hand. “I’m Casey Dupont.”

I stared before remembering my manners and shaking hands. Instantly I got a read on her, and the fuzzy nature of her thoughts told me she was a twoey of some sort. I wondered if the Living Gospel Church knew who they’d hired, but doubted it. Although Sam was making friends there now, I remembered the demonstrators outside the bar after the Great Reveal. “Oh, I’m sorry – I didn’t mean to be rude. It’s just Sam said you … well, to be honest, he was expecting a man.”

She smiled. “Oh, don’t you worry about that, I get it all the time. My name’s Katarina Charlotte, but that was such a mouthful I’ve been called by my initials pretty much all my life. K. C. get it? Much easier.” She suddenly looked worried. “It won’t make a difference will it? My being a woman? I really need a place to stay, and pastor Jermyn didn’t say it was men-only.”

“No, no – Sam won’t have any issues with that, I promise you. Anyway, I’m Sookie Stackhouse, and I’m Sam’s partner – business partner,” I added hastily. I didn’t want her getting the wrong idea. “Would you like a cold drink while I go get him for you?”

“Thank you, Sookie, that’d be real nice.”

I didn’t need to look round to know that the late lunchers were checking her out, and I made a quick decision. I showed her to a table I’d already cleared, well away from the other customers. Then I got her a soda and called to Sam through the open doorway. I didn’t want to leave such an innocent lamb within range of some of those predators, but I also didn’t warn him that his new tenant might not be quite what he was expecting. I dropped my shields, wanting to get his reaction…

After the initial surprise, it was favorable. Real favorable on both sides. Although I couldn’t get the details I heard enough from them to think that maybe here was something that would distract Sam from his memories of Jannalyn …

He didn’t take off straight into town with her, but got himself a beer and joined her at the table. The other guys finished their food and headed out, one or two casting longing looks in Casey’s direction, but she didn’t appear to even notice them – she was focussed entirely on whatever Sam was saying.

I winked at India and we busied ourselves well away from their table for the next twenty minutes until they left. Casey smiled a goodbye and said thanks for the soda, and then Kennedy joined us and we all three pressed our noses to the windows, watching as Sam escorted her to the little white van she’d arrived in. Our eyes widened as he held the door open for Casey before hurrying to his own truck to lead the way into Bon Temps.

“Did I just see Sam Merlotte being gallant?” said Kennedy. “That makes a change.”

“Hey, Sam has good manners – it’s just some women don’t appreciate it.”

“That’s true enough. Jannalyn would probably have smacked him upside the head if he’d tried to do that for her.” India was right of course, but I figured Casey was the sort of woman who would bring the gentleman out in a guy.

We went back to prepping our tables for the evening shift, but I was smiling. Somehow I thought Sam wouldn’t be thinking of his checkbook again any time soon …

EPOV

The first thing I did when alone was search my suite very thoroughly. I found no fewer than fifteen surveillance devices, of which five were in my bedroom and three in the bathroom. I left them all in place – I was not stupid enough to let Freyda think I had anything to hide – except for the tiny camera hidden in the shower; that one I winked at as I hung a towel over the lens…

I took my time showering and changing, and when I finally opened the door to my suite I found two footmen loitering outside, waiting to show me to the Queen’s chambers. It hardly seemed necessary to escort me the twenty yards that lay between her door and mine, but I got the feeling that this was simply a taste of my future life if I became her consort.

The major-domo was outside Freyda’s suite and he bowed me in, saying, “Her Majesty is waiting for you, sir.”

He led me across the ante-chamber, before opening a door and announcing, “Sheriff Northman, Your Majesty.” Freyda was seated on a French Empire couch at the far end of a large, high-ceilinged room, which was hung in gold and grey silk. My footsteps echoed on the mosaic floor as I approached her, taking in the opulence and wondering if this was her personal taste. Late Neo-classical seemed to predominate, with statuary and pillars everywhere.

As I drew near she rose gracefully and came to meet me. She was very tall, approaching six feet, and she moved like a dancer, inhabiting her dress of bronze silk like a second skin. I wondered briefly what her history was.

“Eric! At last.” I bowed slightly and followed her back to the couch, allowing her to sit down before taking a seat next to her. “I was beginning to think you’d never get here.”

“I’m sorry for the delay – I wanted to clean up a little first from my trip.”

“You should have travelled with me – you would have been much more at ease and would have been here sooner.” I didn’t see any need to comment. After a brief pause she continued, “Well, you’re here now. Is your suite comfortable?”

“Very, thank you.”

“Good. Those are the official consort’s rooms. When we’re married you can have them decorated or arranged to reflect your own taste.” She indicated our surroundings with a wave of her hand and said, “I hope you don’t mind meeting in here rather than in one of the public reception rooms. This is much more intimate.”

Intimate? It was about as intimate as a morgue, but I wasn’t going to say so; my job here was to placate her and gain time. “This is fine.”

She smiled. “It’s good to see you alone at last – there always seemed to be people around when we met in Louisiana, and phone-calls are never satisfactory.”

“True.” I carefully refrained from glancing round the room at the half a dozen human servants standing motionless against the walls, awaiting orders. I made myself put my hand on hers. “Personal contact is always better.”

Her eyes glowed slightly. “Now, let me tell you what I’ve got arranged for your visit. We’re going to have such fun …”

Looking over her plans, I was glad that I had packed plenty of formal clothing; it quickly became obvious that I was going to be put on display whether I liked it or not. The list of events included balls, parties, parades and torchlight rodeos and, as if that were not enough, there were public and private audiences, council meetings, press conferences and civic receptions.

It was beyond galling to me that, having escaped Ocella so many centuries ago, I should now find myself bound by his will even after his death. It was an added insult that he had sold me to a much younger vampire. But there was no help for it; until my plans came to fruition I would have to grin and bear it.

o

For the next few nights I escorted Freyda everywhere, stood at her side to receive distinguished visitors and made myself pleasant to everyone I met, keeping my opinions to myself.

She made it clear that nothing was too good for the consort-elect; my life was clearly going to be drowned in luxury if I chose to ally myself with her. I was gracefully consulted on almost everything, my tastes were considered, my opinion was sought and all my questions were answered, but amid the glitter and the deference, I wasn’t allowed to actually do anything. It was all “when we’re married …” She was dangling a glittering prospect before me, and I allowed myself to appear dazzled by it.

Everywhere I went with my guard of honor – oh yes, I was very carefully guarded – the Queen’s subjects gathered to see me, to welcome me and (in many cases) to offer themselves to me. Apparently every human in the palace had been ordered to make themselves available for my use, but they gave the impression that they were quite happy at the prospect; I met languishing looks and breathless come-ons whichever way I turned; it seemed almost fashionable to declare yourself to be in love with the Queen’s chosen.

Freyda didn’t mind – she had no interest in me sexually beyond the annual conjugal requirement and she had her own pets – but her pride dictated that her consort had to be a match for her in looks and charisma, which was one of the reasons she had chosen me. She offered me my choice of her pets, but I politely declined; they were all lovely, but Sookie was lovelier to me, and I had decided I would not live-feed while I was here. I had promised her I would not betray her.

I remembered how hurt she had been when I had fed from Kym Rowe; she had refused to accept that the scent of Claude’s blood had made the fangbanger completely irresistible to me. I didn’t understand why she found this so hard to believe – she had seen what happened when we encountered Fae blood – but I was not going to hurt her that way again; I would rather go hungry.

For five nights Freyda barely let me out of her sight and I smiled and waved to the crowds, admired and complimented everything I saw, and kept my eyes and ears open.

My only relief was my contact with Sookie. I derived a perverse pleasure from texting her several times every night, right under Freyda’s nose. I had observed one or two discreet sneers from some of the other vampires when they saw the cell phone I had brought with me – it was a slightly older model, with buttons rather than a touchscreen – but I didn’t care. It was useful for texting ‘blind’. I had memorised the alpha-numerical keys and could send a text perfectly easily while the phone was still in my pocket.

I couldn’t conceal that I was reading her replies, but I explained to Freyda that I still had an Area to run, and that I needed to be in touch with my people even when absent. Pam was instructed to report to me nightly, and I showed Freyda one or two of her messages as proof. She was pleased to think that I was so dedicated and she hoped that I would be equally diligent in her service …

For the same reason, she was pleased when I asked questions about her kingdom. It gave her the opportunity to demonstrate exactly what I would be gaining, and it gave me the opportunity to look for weaknesses. There had to be weaknesses. Freyda had killed her predecessor, but had retained most of his advisors; that amount of experience was far too valuable to waste when you were new to ruling a kingdom. Someone had to be unhappy about the takeover.

The most productive part of the week for me had been watching the drilling of her guards in the huge training and security areas below her palace. These vampires would be my responsibility if I came to Oklahoma, and I studied them with close attention. She chose to interpret my interest in a positive light, but I was simply studying their tactics and skills for my own purposes. Anything I could pass on to Texas might be useful.

I studied the servants too – discontent always showed up there first. Every night there were at least a dozen waiting outside my suite as I retired, and every night I chose a different one to attend to me and lay out my clothes for the next night. That made it much less suspicious when I picked Ramon on the night before I was due to leave. Ramon was a slender, dark young man who was discreet, unobtrusive, efficient and, most importantly, already on my payroll.

I had mentioned to Sookie that I had spies in Oklahoma, just as Freyda had spies in Louisiana, but I doubted Freyda knew I had inserted one into her palace as soon as I detected her operative, Felicia.

Felicia would not have been my first choice for the job of spy – she was attractive, but not overburdened in the intellect department, and she made some very elementary mistakes. Her most significant error had been dating Bobby Burnham, my late dayman, in a somewhat obvious attempt to find out some of my secrets. It was a bad mistake, partly because she had clearly forgotten that she’d already told Sookie she wasn’t interested in men, but mainly because her association with Bobby cost her her life.

What she had failed to realise was that I didn’t trust Bobby with anything vital (in fact I didn’t trust anyone other than Pam and Sookie), and any new vampire who came into my Area was considered a spy until they proved otherwise. Palomino and her nest-mates had been suspect when they first arrived, claiming to be refugees from Katrina, but their stories checked out at every level. Even so, I deliberately involved them heavily in the plot to kill Victor, thus tying them to me with tighter bonds than mere gratitude. They knew that if I suffered for his death, so would they…

One of the reasons I had chosen Ramon as my mole was his humanity; suspicion was less likely to fall on him because of it. Most vampires wouldn’t use humans for their espionage work, believing them to be too breakable to survive, and too vulnerable to being glamored. However, Long Shadow had taught me it was perfectly possible to implant a command in a human mind to prevent them from revealing information.

Pam and I had both questioned Ginger about the money missing from my bar, but neither of us had picked up a hint that she was already glamored. The mental block which Long Shadow had put in place had been subtle – nothing like the butchery that Godric had inflicted on Re-Bar – and only Sookie’s unique skills had revealed it, so I knew it was undetectable if done properly. I thought it might be a useful skill, did some research and discovered that the technique was something the original Native American vampires had developed. I found a vampire online, called Two Feathers, who was willing to teach me , and I had practised on random humans at Fangtasia until Pam assured me that she couldn’t detect what I had done. Then, when Ramon had presented himself to me, begging to be allowed to replace Bobby as my dayman, it was an opportunity too good to be wasted. I promised the human that he could have the job if he proved himself worthy. The test of his loyalty, initiative and discretion was spying for me in Oklahoma for six months without getting caught, and I had carefully glamored him to plausibly deny all prior knowledge of me.

That night when the servants lined up for me to make my choice I apparently hesitated between two or three of them before pointing at Ramon and saying, “you will do. The rest of you can go.” He bowed and remained behind while the others dispersed, casting him looks of envy.

I unlocked my suite and Ramon entered behind me. I said, “run me a bath, and make sure it’s hot.” He immediately headed for the bathroom – another place where marble reigned supreme. It was the last word in luxury, with a steam shower, a vast sunken tub and an entire wall of mirrors. I took my time undressing and pulling on a robe, listening to the water running, and when I finally opened the door, the steam billowed out to meet me. The human was just a blur in the warm, damp haze. It was like a sauna in there – just what I wanted…

I shed my robe and climbed into the tub, making quite a splash as I did so, ordering Ramon to attend me, as I had done each of the servants for the previous few nights. For the next few minutes I made appropriate bathing noises, issuing occasional commands, which he acknowledged with deferential murmurs. Anyone listening would have heard exactly what they would expect to hear.

If they had been watching they would have seen something quite different …

I had thought for some time about the best method of communicating with my spy without leaving any trace, and in the end I had decided the simplest approach was the best. I climbed silently out of the bath and moved to the mirrored wall.

Quickly I wrote on the steamed-up surface with my finger. What do you have to report?

Then I stepped back and looked at him enquiringly.

He smiled broadly as he realised what I wanted. Then he thought for a few seconds before his own finger began moving swiftly and silently across the glass. I watched and read, issuing occasional random commands and splashing my hand in the bath to keep up the pretence. All vampires enjoyed bathing, so no-one would be the least surprised if I chose to linger in the warmth and luxury.

Gradually his words filled up the mirrored surface and I committed them to memory as the rising steam obliterated them. As a domestic servant in the palace, he had access to a great many areas, and was largely unnoticed. Freyda’s attitude towards the human staff in her suite was typical of most vampires – she treated them like extensions to the furniture and was remarkably indiscreet in their presence. This meant that, like all servants throughout history, Ramon knew far more than his employers ever guessed. I had encouraged him to gossip constantly with his fellows, and he had used his opportunities well.

Security codes, passwords, guard shift patterns, numbers of employees, discontented humans who could be bought, vampires with dirty secrets or debts who could be blackmailed or threatened – all these and more were laid out in neat lines for me to study and use.

I wrote occasional questions, and in answer he sketched out the layout of the areas under the palace. Although I had visited some of them, I hadn’t given away my interest by lingering and some sections had been off-limits. Naturally, those were the ones that interested me the most.

The prison-block data had been the hardest to obtain, and it was incomplete. Freyda had a number of detention cells below ground and Ramon had found the names of most of the prisoners, plus the reasons for their captivity, but there was one cell which was separate from the others, and was much more heavily guarded; vampires at night, Weres during the day. Ramon hadn’t been able to get any information on that one at all, and hadn’t wanted to make the guards suspicious, so he’d had to leave it.

There was one piece of information I was particularly interested in. After Felicia had finally died, I had kept a careful watch for whatever replacement Freyda sent; there was no doubt that she would send one, but there had been no suspicious activity in or around Fangtasia or my home. I was frustrated at my lack of success, and had ordered Ramon to concentrate his efforts on solving this puzzle. I knew it would not be easy, as Freyda kept all her documentation locked up beyond reach, but I had a trick up my sleeve that I had learned from Parker, one of Palomino’s nest-mates. Once I was sure of their loyalty, I had commissioned him to upgrade Fangtasia’s computer systems. Pam had also taken his advice when buying new office equipment, and I had overheard part of a conversation which made me prick up my ears.

Although I had zero interest in technology for its own sake, it seemed as though the new generation of photocopiers had a little-known but potentially very useful feature; They contained a hard drive, which kept a digital copy of everything that was copied on them. This could be accessed and downloaded by someone who knew what they were doing, and I had passed that information on to Ramon, hoping that Freyda might have ordered something incriminating copied.

Now he wrote that he had been able to swap shifts with another member of the domestic staff, who had been assigned to clean Freyda’s office, and he had downloaded the entire contents of the photocopier onto a datastick. He hadn’t been able to bring it tonight – there was too much risk – but he’d skimmed it briefly before mailing it to Fangtasia where I could examine it in safety and at leisure when I returned.

This was what I had hoped for. I wrote Anything of immediate interest?

I found a report on the death of someone called Kym Rowe. The pathetic fangbanger who had been killed outside my home. That was very odd; as far as I knew, she had no connection with Oklahoma.

Who was the report for?

Freyda. Why would Freyda want that? I remembered she had shown a complete lack of interest while I had been mired to the neck in trouble, asking no questions either during or after the events. I had been surprised at the time, as I had hoped that if my reputation was damaged it might reduce her interest in me as a potential consort, but she hadn’t even mentioned it. I frowned a little. Maybe she didn’t need to ask questions because she’d already received all the information she wanted. But from what source? I wrote again

Who sent the report?

There was no name – just initials

I raised an eyebrow in query, and followed Ramon’s finger eagerly as it traced out the incriminating letters.

They were

W. C.

Happy Ever After Chapter 03

Chapter 3

EPOV

A flat tire and a road accident on 20 near Longview having delayed me, I made it to Dallas with only minutes to spare before the sun rose. The rim of the eastern sky was turning a pale peach and the stars were fading as I pulled up at the Silent Shore Hotel, and I was thankful for the cover the porte-cochere provided.

I checked in under my own name and took the keycard and the case containing my blue pinstripe suit from the bellboy. Although he used the elevator I took the stairs, knowing my vampire speed would beat him by a good margin; there was not much time and I was glad that I had already called ahead and asked for an appointment to see Stan the following night.

I texted Sookie to let her know I had arrived safely, and had unpacked by the time the bellboy arrived. I handed him my suit with instructions to see that it was clean and pressed ready for when I rose, then hustled him out of the room with a tip. I could feel the darkness curling at the edges of my mind as I double-locked the door behind him; I did not choose to allow strange humans in my room while I slept. I checked the blinds on the windows, then stripped and fell into bed, allowing death to take me.

The next evening I rose and checked my phone. There was a message from Sookie wishing me good luck for this evening, and one from a member of Stan’s day staff, telling me I had been granted an early appointment, so I hurried through my preparations. The last time I had been in Dallas Stan had only been a Sheriff, but now he was the King. He still lived on Green Valley Road but the security and protocols surrounding him were significantly tighter.

As I drove through the suburbs, I thought very carefully about the coming interview. I wasn’t asking permission to hunt, as I wasn’t remaining in Texas, and I wasn’t directly seeking a favor, but I did need his goodwill for what I had in mind. How I approached it was very important; I couldn’t speak of it directly, as it was dangerous at best and treasonous at worst, so I had to find a subtle way of letting him know what I meant.

I felt a thrill of anticipation run through me – this was the sort of thing I truly enjoyed, matching wits with my equals in a risky enterprise. I knew Stan was a very astute vampire, and I looked forward to seeing how quickly he would pick up a hint and what his reaction would be.

I pulled up outside the mansion and scanned the quiet exterior. The last time I’d seen it the walls had been pocked with bullet-holes and the windows had been destroyed from the Fellowship attack. There was no sign of that memorable night in the smooth façade now; it looked no different from its neighbors, except for being in complete darkness.

I smiled reminiscently as I recalled Sookie’s body beneath mine for the first time as mayhem exploded around us; her warmth as she squirmed against me, the shock in her blue eyes, quickly changing to outrage as she realised who was lying on top of her, and then the feel of her mouth on my body as she sucked out the bullet I had taken for her sake…

I shook off the memory and re-focussed as I exited the car. There was nothing to show that anyone was home, but as I strode up the path four vampires stepped from their hiding places and moved smoothly to intercept me. They wore swords and wary expressions. I gave them my name and allowed two of them to frisk me while another checked his guest list, before they rang the doorbell and I was admitted.

A short, dark vampire met me in the main room. This was Joseph Velasquez, Stan’s second and former sergeant at arms, now his head of security. His body language had changed since I saw him last – he carried himself more confidently, as though sure of himself and his abilities. That was all to the good for my purposes this evening. He searched me again, more thoroughly than the guards, and took my cellphone to ensure no record existed of my conversation with his king. I wasn’t worried – it was encrypted so thoroughly there was nothing he could do with it even if he wanted to.

The guards returned to their duties outside, and Joe paused for a few seconds with his head cocked on one side as though listening to distant music, before escorting me to the dining-room – Stan’s usual place of business. Sookie had mentioned Stan’s ability to communicate mentally with his nestmates, but this was the first instance of it that I’d seen for myself.

The King of Texas was seated at one end of a long table next to a green-eyed female vampire I remembered from my last visit. Her expression was hostile, but his was neutral. His pale eyes studied me from behind his glasses as I nodded deeply, remaining standing until he gestured to a chair.

“Sheriff Northman, you remember Isabel.” It was a statement, not a question.

“Of course.” I nodded politely to his nestmate as I sat, forcing from my mind a vivid picture of her chained naked in a room upstairs as punishment for introducing a traitor to the nest. I returned my attention to Stan, trying hard to strike the right note with my words and body language. I needed to show him the respect due to his rank while not appearing subservient – he was not my king.

“A drink?”

“Please.” After feeding from Sookie last night I didn’t need it, but there was no point offending him if there was nothing to gain from it.

He gave no instructions, but a few minutes later a human came through the door with three glasses of LifeFlow. He was smiling vacantly, with every appearance of being heavily glamored.

“Hey, Mr Stan. Got your drinks here.” I was startled at the familiar way he addressed a vampire, but even more startled that Stan didn’t appear to find it odd.

“Thank you Re-Bar. Put the tray carefully on this table and then go back to the kitchen.” He spoke carefully and clearly, and as soon as I heard the name I remembered Sookie telling me of the human whose brain had been fried by Godric, the renouncer. I observed him carefully; he was obviously still useful for some things, and seemed happy enough. I would tell Sookie about him – although it didn’t matter to me, it would to her.

We sipped our warm drinks carefully – Stan was clearly one of those who believed that the flavour was improved by serving it at slightly above body temperature. Since the introduction of synthetic blood, entire mythologies and rituals had grown up around it, similar to the human obsession with tea and coffee.

I had seen a lot of magazine articles and television programs devoted to discussing the different brands and the best ways of storing and serving it, but at least vampires only had the basic ingredient to work with, and didn’t have to worry about whether to add milk before or after the hot water.

The door closed behind Re-Bar and I waited for Stan to speak; as king, protocol dictated that he picked the topic of conversation, so it was going to take considerable diplomacy for me to bring it round to the reason for my visit.

At last he spoke.

“So, how are things in the golden state these days?” his tone was dry as he chose this method of reminding me that the last time I’d been under his roof I’d claimed to be a Californian vampire called Leif. It had been Sookie’s first contract outside my area, and I’d wanted to keep a discreet eye on her. Bill had informed me, with a certain glee, that Stan had threatened me for daring to insist on payment for Sookie’s services, but nothing had come of it.

I had no way of knowing whether Stan had been fooled by my masquerade at the time, but of course as soon as he’d seen me in Rhodes the game had been up. He’d not commented, and neither had I, but there had been a certain look in his eye and we both knew…

“It’s a while since I was last there. I live in Louisiana now.”

He nodded, conceding that I wasn’t going to admit to anything out loud. “Why did you leave?”

I said, “Mostly the weather; it’s very hot in California at this time of year.” He didn’t react, but Isabel looked puzzled. The weather was an irrelevance to vampires, so they didn’t usually discuss it unless they were British – it had taken me decades to break Pam of the habit. My mentioning it was clearly a prelude to something else and I waited to see if Stan would pick up on the opening move.

He said, “Texas hasn’t been too bad but I’ve heard it’s been quite rough in Louisiana recently.” He was definitely not talking about the weather now. I felt a tingle of exhilaration as the delicate manoeuvring began.

I thought carefully before replying, “things are beginning to stabilise. We’re all hoping it’s going to cool off soon.”

“It’s been an unsettled outlook for too long – not good for anyone. Probably going to get hotter, too, with those storms coming in from the Northwest.” I’d known that the rumors about my projected alliance with Freyda had spread far and wide – Felipe had made sure of that, thinking it would bring added pressure to bear on me – so I was not surprised at Stan’s oblique reference to Oklahoma.

“Yes, I really don’t enjoy that sort of climate. My Viking nature, I suppose.”

He looked intrigued. “I thought you were heading there tonight.”

“Just for a few days. What’s the human saying – it’s alright for a vacation, but I wouldn’t want to live there?”

“I can understand that. Tornadoes and … other destructive forces.”

I nodded. “I prefer a more settled environment. Of course, the problem with storms is that they’re no respecters of boundaries. Major destruction in Louisiana can so easily spill over the border and devastate neighboring kingdoms as well.” His eyes narrowed as he grasped the warning in what I was saying. “But if we spot the danger signals in time, we can take sensible precautions, warn others, and no-one need be caught out. In my experience, neighbours who help each other usually end up helping themselves ultimately. Favors are always repaid, in one way or another.”

He was thoughtful for a moment and I shifted the tone of the conversation slightly. “But how have things been going for you? I’m pleased to see you’re fully recovered from the Rhodes bombing.”

“I was lucky in my choice of second. Joseph held Texas together for me while I recuperated, and we’re flourishing.”

“He must have worked very hard. He clearly has what it takes to be a ruler.” I planted a tiny seed in his mind, and then proceeded to water it gently. “Have you considered giving him a reward now that you’re back in command here? Perhaps a vacation? There are a great many places where he could amuse himself, given the opportunity to spread his wings a little.”

He leaned forward at that. “I hadn’t considered it, but maybe you’re right. However, something like that is very expensive – so many preparations to make, and unexpected costs always arise.”

I had been right in my assessment of his shrewdness – he clearly understood exactly what I was saying. “True. But I’m sure any number of people would be willing to help such a deserving vampire if he needed it.”

“Hmm. He is deserving, as you said. But I’m not sure I could let him go at this time. He is needed here.”

I glanced at Isabel, who had remained silent throughout the conversation, although I had no doubt she was following it closely. “You clearly have other vampires who would be more than competent to take over while he was away.” her eyes widened just a fraction at my words, acknowledging the compliment, and Stan appeared to consider the suggestion carefully.

After a moment he said, “I know how widely travelled you are; have you got any suggestions for a possible vacation destination? Personal recommendations are always helpful.”

I pretended to think. “Hmm. Well, if you like I could keep an eye out on my current trip, and let you know if I see anything he might take advantage of. Although the Oklahoma climate may not suit me, I suspect a younger vampire could enjoy himself very much there. Not too far from home, interesting people to meet, plenty of opportunities to do the sort of thing he likes. Maybe he could even go with friends …”

At that point Joseph entered the room. I knew Stan must have summoned him, but I didn’t know how much of our talk he’d communicated. I had no doubt that he, Isabel and Joseph would be having some interesting conversations as a result of my visit.

Stan finished his glass and stood up. Isabel and I rose with him, and Joseph handed me my cell phone as his king said, “I’m sure we’d all be interested to hear anything you have to say, and I appreciate your concern for my second’s wellbeing. On your way home you must call in and give us your impressions. And now I won’t keep you any longer, I know you still have a way to travel. Please give my greetings to your human when you see her again.”

I was being dismissed, but I didn’t mind – I had done what I came here to do. There was just one more thing I needed. “You’ve been very kind, Your Majesty. One last favor – I wonder if Barry Bellboy is around? I promised Sookie I’d pass on her best wishes to him.”

His expression didn’t change as he said, “Barry’s gone down to Houston – my sheriff in Area 2 needed him. You can see him on your return trip; he’ll be back in a couple of days.”

“Thank you. It wasn’t important, but Sookie would be glad to hear how he is. They have some sort of connection which I don’t claim to understand.”

“Yes, there’s a certain rarity value attached to our telepaths, isn’t there? I know other monarchs are very envious of us. In fact, Oklahoma made an approach to me quite recently to see if I’d be interested in letting Barry leave my service.”

“I take it you said no.”

“Of course, but she was very insistent; almost desperate. Increased her offer several times before she accepted my decision. She was quite annoyed at my refusal …”

* * *

I was very thoughtful as I drove back to the hotel. I had conveyed my message very clearly, and it had been received positively, but I had received some interesting information in return. So Freyda had been putting out feelers to acquire a telepath, had she?

I couldn’t wait any longer – I had to speak to Sookie. The bond had been quiet, but at this distance I could not be sure I would pick up anything. I followed signs to nearby Ridgewood Park, where I exited the car and reached for my phone. I hesitated with my finger over the speed-dial, and then changed my mind and called Pam. I needed to check in with her before calling Sookie, in case there was anything I needed to know first.

“Anything to report?” She knew I was asking about Sookie’s safety, but pretended to think I was concerned about Fangtasia.

“Crowd’s a little thin – it always is when you’re not here. I’ve got Bill on the door – he was useless behind the bar last night. A sour face just puts people off their drinks, but it’s quite helpful on security. Hold on …” there was a brief pause and she said, “I’m just sending you a picture through. His new look’s quite interesting.”

“Never mind Bill’s new look – is there anything happening in Bon Temps?”

She sniffed. “There’s never anything happening in Bon Temps. I’d call it a one-horse town but the horse died of boredom.”

“Pam!”

“Oh all right.” Reluctantly she gave me the information I wanted. “Nothing to report. Heidi called in when she got there. No strange scents in the woods, just the dog who was on guard today.” I’d called in some favours from the Longtooth Pack and they were watching Sookie’s house and woods while the sun was up.

“Bill’s scent?”

A snicker. “He wouldn’t have had time – I kept him here all night checking stock and cleaning the restrooms after we closed. I gave him barely enough time to get home before dawn. He even asked if he could sleep here instead but I said no and threw him out. I don’t care if he crisps to a cinder.”

I agreed – he would be no loss to my people. “Good. See that you keep him busy.”

“It’ll be a pleasure.” She practically purred at the prospect and I rang off. I knew I could rely on her to keep Bill so busy he’d have no time to even think of Sookie, let alone harass her.

My cell beeped as a picture came through, and I laughed out loud at the sight of Bill in fetwear. The leather chaps framed a smallish black PVC pouch (which didn’t surprise me) and the studded harness revealed broad shoulders and well-muscled arms (which did). His human life as a farmer probably accounted for the muscles, and bad genes would explain the contents of the thong. His expression was that of a Victorian clergyman forced to visit a brothel and … I looked a little more closely. Was that eye-liner?

A couple out walking their dog quickened their steps at the sight of my shaking shoulders, not wanting to find out what could amuse a vampire so much he had to lean against the nearest tree …

I pulled myself together and called Sookie. She picked up on the first ring.

“Eric?”

“Who else? Where are you, lover?”

“I’m at home having dinner, where are you?” I was glad to hear that she was safe behind her wards.

“I’m in Dallas, on my way back from visiting Stan. I’ll be heading for Oklahoma soon, but I wanted to speak with you. I didn’t see Barry – he was troubleshooting elsewhere. I’ll try and pass your message on when I come back this way.”

“Oh, well never mind. Did Stan have anything useful to say?”

I chuckled. “It’s not so much what he said as what I said.”

There was silence for a few seconds and I realised she was waiting for the details. I hadn’t been intending to say any more, but realised that this was probably a good opportunity to try out our new policy of mutual glasnost.

I looked around, but there was no-one near me. “Is there anyone with you?”

“Nope, I’m alone. Spill it.”

“I have suggested to Stan that his second-in-command Joe Velasquez – you remember him? – is ready to take over a kingdom of his own. I also suggested that Oklahoma would be a good target, for a number of reasons, and offered to spy out its weaknesses for him while I was there.”

“Jesus Christ Shepherd of Judea, Eric – that was pretty risky wasn’t it? Putting it all out there like that? How did you know Stan wouldn’t run to Freyda or Felipe with that?”

I tsked. “I wasn’t stupid enough to put it that bluntly – I just made a few random comments about the weather and vacation plans, and he was sharp enough to join the dots.”

“The weather?” Even without our bond being complete I could hear her puzzlement, and grinned as I pictured her expression.

“I’ll explain when I come home. But the point is, I sowed doubts in his mind about how long he would be able to keep a vampire like Joe under his control. After running Texas while Stan was injured he probably won’t be content as a second for ever.”

“Isn’t he loyal to Stan? I mean, he must have sworn fealty to him.”

“Yes, but he’s had a taste of power now, and Stan will not want to have to constantly watch his back. If he tries to keep him in Texas Joe may come to resent it, and turn on him. Much better to assist him to the crown of Oklahoma, and have a friend on his northern border who is tied to him by obligation and gratitude as well as friendship.”

“Aren’t you ever worried about Pam turning on you?”

“No, she’s my child; it couldn’t happen. Joe is not tied by blood or marriage, but he’s served Stan for a long time, and they know each other well. It will also strengthen them both against Felipe.”

“What do you mean? Why would they need that?”

“Are you sure you want to discuss this now?” I knew her interest in vampire politics was minimal, but I very much hoped she would remember our conversation of the previous night, and would be open to learning more.

“Well …” I could hear reluctance in her voice and suppressed a small sigh. Perhaps it was too much to expect her to change overnight. But I was pleasantly surprised when she said, ” yeah. Tell me what you think I need to know. Probably better now than while you’re in Oklahoma – I’m not sure who’d be listening there.”

That was more positive than I had hoped for, and I quickly put my thoughts in order. “I’ll explain in detail when I come home, but I believe Felipe has plans to take Texas the way he took Louisiana.”

I heard a gasp. “But why? Doesn’t he have enough?”

“I don’t think the word ‘enough’ is in his vocabulary – his greed is without limits. But he’s discovering that Arkansas and Louisiana have not added much to his power – they are both poor, and they’re too far from his home base in Nevada for him to rule effectively. He tried a regent but we know how that worked out, so I think he’s turning his attention to greener pastures.”

“But I thought he was pretty thinly stretched right now. How could he take down somewhere the size of Texas? Didn’t you tell me he only got Louisiana because we were vulnerable with Sophie-Anne being wounded and Andre being dead?” So she had been listening when I’d explained this to her before. I was very pleased that she had been paying attention.

“He couldn’t do it on his own – he needs help, and I think he’s looking to Freyda. She’s on Texas’ northern border and is perfectly placed to support him. Louisiana and Arkansas don’t have many vampires, but we’ve given Felipe a lot of trouble recently. Unfortunately, that’s given him the perfect excuse to bring a large number of his Nevada people in to control the situation. Stan knows about the death of Victor, and won’t be at all surprised at so much vampire activity in Shreveport, even though it’s just across his eastern border.”

She understood very quickly. “So Felipe’s going to launch an attack from Shreveport?”

Probably. It’s what I’d do if I were him. I’d order all my vampires to make a concerted attack on Texas from the east while Oklahoma attacked from the north and Stan would have to split his forces. Texas has a lot of vampires, and once Felipe has their fealty, he’ll launch them all at Arizona and that will give him what he wants – a strip almost clean across the south of the country.”

“What about New Mexico?”

“It’s part of the vampire kingdom of Arizona – our boundaries don’t follow present state lines.”

“Shit.” I could tell she was thinking hard. “So, why would Freyda help him? What does she get out of it?”

A good question. “Freyda is ambitious and intelligent, but very young – barely 150. She needs all the powerful allies she can get. It’s possible she feels that if she doesn’t help Felipe, he’ll simply take her out too, but with him on her side she could expand northwards if she wanted.”

“Do you think they’ll want to push further east?”

“I doubt it – you remember Mississippi’s marriage with Indiana at the Rhodes summit? While they were there, they negotiated mutual support treaties with Tennessee and Isaiah of Kentucky which essentially linked their kingdoms. If they are attacked they will help each other. There’s now a north-south line of allied kingdoms which should halt Felipe’s expansionist ambitions in that direction.”

“Well that’s a relief. So, she gets security if she helps him. What else?”

I sighed. “I think you know what else, lover – she wants me. She needs a strong second to protect her back; she killed her own king, and the problem with doing that is you set an example for the next ambitious vampire. As her consort she believes my loyalty would be assured – I wouldn’t be eligible for the throne and if she went down, so would I, so I would have every incentive to protect her. In return for her help Felipe is throwing his weight behind the marriage deal. Once I’m bound by the contract she will probably order me to lead her vampires in the attack on Texas. That’s another of the things she wants me for; she doesn’t have a competent warleader. And of course, Felipe would rather I was safely in Oklahoma directing the attack. I suspect he thinks if I’m in Louisiana I might be sabotaging him from the rear.”

“He’s right, isn’t he?”

“Absolutely.” I chuckled.

She was thoughtful. “So they’d both gain an ally, Freyda’d have a strong second, and Felipe’d get rid of a pain in his ass. Is that about it?”

“That seems a reasonable summary.”

“Is that everything?”

“Probably not.” I was not going to tell her of Stan’s warning yet – I wanted to be with her when I shared that little nugget of information. “Of course, you understand this is mostly conjecture, but it’s based on a number of reports from my spies in Nevada and Oklahoma. Each not much in itself, but put them together and there are definite straws in the wind.” She appeared to accept the existence of my spy network without question.

“And you told Stan all of this while talking about the weather?”

I smiled at the incredulity in her voice. “I didn’t go into detail – I simply warned him that Felipe may be turning his attention to Texas next, while making my own lack of interest in kingship abundantly clear and offering him discreet support from my vampires if he needs it. He will be suitably grateful for the warning and the chance to direct his second’s attention to someone else’s kingdom.”

“Well, I hope he is suitably grateful. You were taking one hell of a risk telling him all this.”

“Sometimes you need to be willing to take risks if you want to reap the rewards.”

“My Gran used to say something like that.”

“Really? Was she much of a risk-taker?” I had never met Sookie’s grandmother, but I could tell how fond she had been of the old woman.

“Yeah, she used to say something like ‘cast your bread on the waters and after many days you will find it again.’ I think it’s from the Bible.”

I chuckled. “It seems an odd thing to do with bread. You may find it again, but surely it would be a lot harder to slice …”

* * *

The nearer I got to my destination the more I prayed for another flat tire or a Fae attack or even a sudden outbreak of Sino-AIDS; anything to delay my arrival. But the journey came to its inevitable end and by two-thirty my Corvette was pulling into the large semi-circular drive that fronted the mansion where Freyda lived.

It was a large, spotlit, wedding-cake of a building; three stories high, white and excessively ornamented, with lavish grounds from what I could see. As I came to a halt, uniformed flunkies hurried to surround the car. One opened my door, three dived for the cases in the trunk and two more bowed me up the steps and in through the entrance.

Freyda’s major-domo was a stately human, who was waiting at the foot of the sweeping staircase. He bowed and said, “welcome sir. I trust you had a good journey? Her Majesty has been most anxious to see you – I believe she expected you some hours ago.” His voice was reproachful but I saw no need to justify myself to servants.

“I need to freshen up before I see Her Majesty. Show me to my room.”

He bowed again and said, “Of course, sir. Your suite is this way, next to Her Majesty’s private chambers.” He gestured to a footman to lead the way and I followed him up the stairs and along a gallery, taking note of entrance and exit points as I went. The guards seemed alert and well-disciplined at first sight. There were also a great many of them on this floor, and I hadn’t missed the bulges under the porters’ uniforms. It seemed that Freyda took no chances.

We reached a pair of double-doors and the footman swung them open and stood back. I was not surprised; the dazzle of the ante-chamber was so bright my eyes watered as I entered. It seemed that every surface reflected the light pouring from enormous overhead chandeliers. There was polished marble and gilding everywhere I looked, and I felt as though I was either in a mausoleum or on a stage. I supposed ruefully that this was appropriate; after all, I was here to play a part.

The porters carrying my bags passed me and filed through a door, presumably leading into the bedroom, but I turned when the major-domo coughed significantly. He was ushering four young women into the room. The were all scantily clad, all beautiful and all blonde. “Her Majesty sends you some refreshment, sir,” he said. “This is Tanya, Gretchen, Susanna and Petra and they would be honored to supply all your needs.” Each girl smiled at me charmingly as she was introduced and I would have had to be blind to miss their resemblance to my Sookie. Apparently Freyda didn’t want me to miss anything about Louisiana at all. How little she knew me…

“I fed before I set out from Dallas.” I waved the girls away and turned back to the major-domo. He looked startled at my cavalier dismissal of his queen’s gift – the girls were all prime specimens after all – but I simply asked to be shown where the bathroom was and then left in peace. He recovered himself, opened the relevant doors and then took himself off. I showed a little fang to get rid of the porters who were unpacking my belongings, and then took a careful survey of my home for the next few days. Did I say home? I meant prison.