Chapter 7
The characters of the Southern Vampire Mysteries belong to Miss Charlaine Harris. No infringement on my part is intended. The characters on True Blood belong to Mr. Alan Ball. No infringement on my part is intended.
I have no BETA, editor, or other such charming person. All mistakes are my own. This Story is rated M.
Chapter 7
Sookie was doing her best to maintain. Tears, laughter, hysteria, rune magic, it all paled to what was going on at the moment!
There was Eric, chained to the wall with just a flimsy silver cord. The-never ending Viking war machine was captured with just some delicate ribbon, it looked like to her. Of course, there was the smell of burning flesh from time-to-time so it must have the desired effect on him.
There was Bill Compton, the low life piece of Were shit that had killed her brother…or…where ever Lafayette was now…down on his knees and giving Eric a blow job!
Nora was screaming at the top of her lungs for Bill to hurry up and for Eric to hurry up and why did she have to bear the burden of the family’s good name!
And on top of all of that, Eric was in her head doing an imitation of a Southern Gentleman with a heavy Georgia drawl discussing the proper way to give a blow job and Compton must have never received one or given one in his human or undead life.
“Stop it,” she hissed back at him. “I am gonna’ bust a gut over here to keep from laughin’ out loud.”
“Why Miss Stackhouse…I am shocked that you find watching two guys well you know….” he gasped, “do things that happen in porn movies, funny!
Believe me, this is not funny. Very sad. And very un-porn like. Compton has no-o-o-o-o skills.”
“I mean it,” she threw back at him. “DO NOT!” and then she had a coughing fit to cover the laughter that had to escape.
“Odd just continues to happen,” Eric chuckled when the door opened and Sookie, against her better judgment, just had to look. There stood…well…that would have to be a Spanish Senorita in full 18th century regalia. To include black lace fan and a black lace mantilla, draped over a diamond studded peineta that was about a foot tall resting in her upswept, overdone, dyed black hair. “This,” Eric chuckled in her head, “is the Countess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed.”
“Darling,” she cooed to Nora as she approached her. “Why so angry? Why so loud? Why so un-lady like? I had no idea you knew such foul words. And…how many times did you utter Were shit? Why darling one, what you said from your mouth, I would not hold in my hand,” she tisked under her breath and looked forlorn.
“I am so sorry, Elizabeth,” she reached for her. “So sorry for all the ugliness. I know how much you dislike that. I am just trying to finish up this wretched business before I sent Compton up to you.”
“Yes,” she laughed, “I can see he has his mouth full. But dearest, you have no need to sorrow. The Viking is actually here! You have accomplished what I thought would never be possible. You are my lovely one,” she sighed as she pulled Nora in for a kiss.
Then it just all went to hell as she staked Nora with her fan.
“But, but you love me,” the dying vampire gasped out.
“I know,” the Countess kissed her again. “I do. But I love to be dressed in your blood even more,” she smiled gently at Nora as she pushed her tongue into Nora’s mouth.
“Bitch,” she managed to moan and Elizabeth bit her tongue and felt the blood flow and fill her mouth.
“Yes I am, dearest,” she patted her face with her other hand.
“No,” Nora was now sobbing. “Please, no. I am begging you. I gave you Eric…”
“Yes you did my sweet child,” as she licked the bloody tears from Nora’s face and then pushed the fan through Nora’s heart.
There was one final sob of “Bitch!” before Nora exploded and Nora goo went everywhere.
“Nicely done,” Eric commented to the countess with a bow of his head. “All though, I was looking forward to ending her myself.”
“Eric,” she walked toward him and pushed Compton down onto the floor out-of-the-way. “We could have saved all this trouble if only,” she sighed, “if only you would just have returned my calls,” she grinned at him as she admired his crotch.
“Bethie,” he sadly shook his head. “You realize you are covered in Nora goo. And frankly, that is just not your best look and is not at all appealing.”
“Oh Eric really,” she huffed. “Of course it is. I am the Blood Queen. And did you do her hair?” she asked pointing to Sookie.
“Yes,” he nodded.
“Exquisite,” she said clasping her hands to her breast. “You have such a gift.”
“I was a sailor,” he responded. “Knots were my specialty.”
“I have heard you have many specialties,” her voice was low and soft.
“I am not fucking you Bethie,” he stated, his voice and face set.
“Oh Eric,” she sighed. “Why would you say such a thing? You know,” she grinned, “I could just fall on that staff you have sticking out.”
“I do not associate with mass murderers,” he smiled at her.
“Seriously,” she laughed out loud and then frowned. The staff had disappeared.
“Do you want me to rephrase that?” he arched an eyebrow at her. “I was being polite. After all, we do have company. Would you want Druid House to know you have drained thousand of innocents just so you could bathe in their blood?”
“Well,” she tapped Eric with her fan, “when you put it that way that is not who I would want for a next door neighbor, either.”
“Point made,” Eric replied.
“Well pox upon it all, Eric,” she pouted. “I wanted to be your last.”
“My last what?” he queried.
“Sexual partner. I need you drained of your seed, your essence, you know, your man stuff. We have about ten minutes before the horizon event and then we have tomorrow night and then…well. You are out of time.”
“Man stuff,” he chuckled. “Just what is this about?”
“The solar eclipse. I need you for the sacrifice. And apparently I now have a virgin to offer up as well. Although not called for in the prophecy, I don’t see how it could hurt.”
“Prophecy?” Eric rolled his eyes. “You spent entirely too much time with the whoring priestess Nora.”
“No, not Nora…” she rolled her eyes. “The Were shit that child believed. No,” she placed her hand on Eric’s chest and let it linger there.
When Eric shook his head, she sadly withdrew it.
“In the Cordillera Cantabrian,” she said trilling all the r’s, “a cave was found.”
“In the Pyrenees,” Eric said looking at Sookie.
“This is my story, Eric, and I should have your complete and undivided attention,” she lightly tapped his face with her fan to bring him back to her.
“Sadly I am running out of dark, so I will just cut to the chase. The scrolls said that if you sacrifice a vampire magicker during the total eclipse, then his essence, I just want to stress that…the scroll said his. I am not just picking on you. I could have gone with a female if that was what the prophecy called for.
Anyway, the male shall go from human form to that of a dragon and he shall be mine to command. And the virgin just makes this perfect. She shall be chained and you shall have her as your first meal as dragon. I would think that would endear you to me even more and as a dragon you would want nothing more than to please me.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Eric rolled his eyes, again.
“No, and stop with the eye rolling. You are completely discounting everything I am saying with such an act.
Now, Nora told me that you have some type of beyond the norm vampire magic. She did not know what it was but she heard you and Godric talking about it one time.”
“What?” Eric sputtered.
“Well, maybe she was eavesdropping, she was not real clear about where she was when she heard it.”
“You mean because I can fly and she could not! Is that what this is about? She was jealous of me and my child because we could both fly and she could not!” Eric rolled his eyes again. “Fucking Were shit,” he hissed.
“I don’t know why she did not like Pamela,” Elizabeth was shaking her head, questions in her voice. “I find her to be most delightful. Very smart and very sexual. And up for anything. Literally. And enjoys everything.
And…” she hemmed and hawed…. “not that you would know,” she frowned at him, “But, I am an animal in bed and earlier tonight Pam and I were sharing an intimate moment afterwards and even she said you had something that at times would just about scare the human back into her.”
“What!” he yelled. “She did what?”
“Did she also tell you that we do not fuck skanks?”
The room stopped breathing. That would be Sookie.
Bethie and Bill both took a breath and stared in disbelief at Eric’s crotch.
“Was…was that your penis?” Elisabeth asked, her voice trembling.
“It was,” Bill said nodding his head. “It was, I swear. I saw the mouth move and everything. I swear,” he said crawling a bit closer. “My gawd,” he giggled, “I sucked a penis that can talk!”
“Eric…” Elisabeth leaned in for a closer look. “Does your penis talk?”
Before Eric could response, King Eric stepped up!
“Of course I do. I am King Eric and I have talked since we dug out the first night of being vampire.” Hissing, King Eric dropped his fangs and lunged at Compton who yelped and scrambled back out-of-the-way.
“You suck at giving blow jobs!” he snarled at Bill and then turned to the Countess. “And I don’t do skanks. I have done the world a favor and from time to time I have gutted my fair share.”
“What?” Elisabeth took a step back.
“No one suspects me. Eric had a knife made especially for me. If I had not left it at home, oh woe is me, we would not be here at this moment.”
“I think that nicely makes my point,” Elisabeth laughed out loud but to be on the safe side took another step back. “Now, I have three hundred Weres guarding this place and Eric, I know your child ratted you out but in bed, But please keep in mind I am a powerful force of nature. She could not help talking about you. Especially when I plied her with my special ops training interrogation. I led her gently down the path of telling me everything I wanted to know. Indeed, you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. And in our undead heart, you would not want her to be tortured.”
“Don’t count on that,” he made a scary vampire face to enforce his words.
“Oh come on!” she said stamping her foot. “You really are no fun. I have no idea what all your hype is about. The Viking, this; The Viking that! Straddle him and you have bragging rights forever!”
She was back to staring at his crotch. “Just as dead down there as your unbeating heart. Well this just sucks,” she pouted.
“Bill, release the human from her restraints. No reason she should not be able to rest and be comfortable before she becomes Eric’s first meal as dragon.”
“I am beginning to think Bethie, that you are just bat-shit crazy. Does Sophie-Anne know she is going to be without a sheriff?” his voice was pointed and dripped displeasure.
“I chatted with her briefly this new dark. Of course she does. Bill is going to take your place.”
“What?” Bill gasped and froze in place. “No,” he said shaking his head, his hands trembling as he untied Sookie. “No, not area Five and not me,” he said sobbing. “Please, I have served you well. No, please…I am begging.”
Elisabeth was staring at Bill, then shifted her gaze to Eric, then back at Bill. “What is up with that, Bill? I thought you would be pleased. It is a step up for you. Out of the residence and out into the world where you can make a name for yourself.”
Eric was now laughing. “Oh, the name he wants for himself is King. Billy Boy thinks he can poison HRM’s bloodbags with silver and then take over.
Poor Bill,” Eric made a sad face and winked at him. “Area Five. You will be finally dead before the first week ends. The Lower Californias have been skulking around. And I saw New Mexico in New Orleans the other night. He was in a disguise so he had not checked in with HRM. Just a friendly heads up. You will be fighting a two front war.”
“Well,” Elisabeth regarded the New Orleans ass kisser. “That certainly changes things, Bill. Looks like you will be standing tall on your way out of this life. If you are going to meet the true death, this must be the will of the dragon gods and I am not one to interfere with the will of the gods. Now sunrise is knocking at the door.
Eric, give some thought to what you wish to do your last night.”
There was something that sounded like and felt like thunder that rocked through the house.
“Storm tonight?” the Countess asked looking around.
“No,” Eric shook his head and grinned. “Someone tried to open my cell phone. It blew up, along with anyone who was standing within twenty feet.”
“Bad boy,” she grinned at him. “But I like it! I am so going to miss you, Eric.
Now, bedtime has arrived. When we rise with the new dark, how about an evening of charades?” she smiled nodding her head. “We shall do nothing but movies. We all love the movies!” she said happily and clapped her hands.
Mr. Hayes appeared at the door. “Madame, Compton. It is time to retire,” he said holding the door open wide and bowed as they passed by.
“Awww,” the tall, thin, gentleman smiled as he watched them depart. “There goes Thing 1 and Thing 2.
Druid House,” his attention was back on the two in the room. “I have been instructed that you are to have the run of the mansion. I would, however not venture outside. There are Weres. Hundreds of them. Especially since you are dressed…well, not conservatively.
Mr. Eric, sadly, I am going to inject you with this silver which will slow you down and cause you to be a bit pukish. On the bright side,” he said withdrawing the syringe, “you are to be left unchained as well,” he said undoing the silver cording. “With the silver in your blood stream, if you stay awake chances are good you will bleed out. Do you really want that? Such an unholy and cowardly way to greet the true death. You strike me as one who greets death with both eyes open and fighting to the very end to do damage.
There,” he smiled as he walked over to the glass wall and pushed buttons. “This room will be light tight in a manner of moments. Rest well this day.
Miss Druid House, if you would come with me. I will escort you back to your rooms. I would suggest that you rest. With the new dark will come a never-ending game of charades. It is wearisome but not a bad way to spend your last night alive.”
Sookie slept off and on and would mind flash Eric when she was awake. He seemed to be in a never, never land of dark dreams and views of the fjords that would quiet him when his body would react to the silver.
Getting up, Sookie pulled on her robe and roamed the house until she finally found Mr. Hayes in the kitchen.
“May I see him?” she asked. “Eric, may I see him?”
“You are very kind,” he smiled at her and patted her on the hand. “You would have made a lovely mom.”
“Yes well,” Sookie said wiping at the tears that were falling, “I though I had more time.”
“Please don’t cry,” he sighed. “I am a sucker for women who cry.”
“I am doing my best not too,” she replied. “This is not my style, to cry in front of people I do not know.”
“That tuff shell business persona must be maintained at all costs,” he said nodding in understanding. “I get that.”
“Yes,” she sighed. “It must. As odd as it sounds, Eric is the last person I have had any type of real contact with…you know made a connection. I know he is charming and beguiling and all that. But once you get past the vampire, he has some real life skills. Being a Viking was very good for him.”
“I know what you mean,” he nodded. “Miss Nora, she talked about her brother all the time. And not all of it was snark. She had a real deep and abiding respect for him when she was not raving and swearing about Miss Pamela.”
“What are you gonna’ do now that she is gone?” Sookie asked as he offered her his arm and escorted her out of the kitchen and towards the back of the house.
“I have no idea. The Countess, she has her own way of doing things and her own staff who knows her likes and dislikes. Miss Nora kept me around because she thought she had to have a servant as well.”
“Well you are up during the day, that has to be useful,” Sookie replied.
“It is, but I come with conditions. I am a home-dwelling spirit. I don’t mean like a ghost. Maybe more like a genie,” he gave that some thought and nodded in agreement with his words. “But I have to have a house to dwell in. So I can’t run errands. I am stuck here until my person, who was Miss Nora, says it is time to move on or my contract runs out. Since she is dead, I will be here until someone pays me in gold coin to work for them and then I shall be off to whatever their destination happens to be.”
“Wow,” Sookie regarded him. “So, are you like the lucky horseshoe that hangs over the door?”
“Something like that,” he smiled and blushed.
“And you don’t think the Countess wants a lucky horseshoe?”
“She would never part with her gold. So when they move on I shall be here,” he said as he stood up taller and squared his shoulders. “Believe me, I would rather be here by myself than be with her. She is a true abomination.”
“All by yourself…?” her voice faltered.
“Yes,” he patted her arm. “I still have a hundred years on my contract to Miss Nora. But do not worry for me. I shall weather this storm, just like I have others.”
“Have you really?” Sookie asked, stopping and looking in his eyes. “Been left alone like this before?”
“No,” he blinked back the tears as he opened the door into the hallway that was now light tight as well. Closing that door, he opened the door to the pool room and as they walked, the lights came on.
“I will leave you to sit with him,” he smiled at her and bowed his head.
Sookie pulled up a chair and taking Eric’s hand, she felt him squeeze hers. “This place is probably wired,” he said inside her head.
“How are you doin’”, she softly stroked his hand.
“Good question. I can feel something more moving around inside of me. But it does not feel like when I have been wrapped in silver. This is not desperate or deadly. At least I don’t think so.”
“Do you think Hayes watered down the silver?” she asked. “Or maybe did not use any at all?”
“Is that possible?” Eric responded.
“Maybe,” raising his hand she brought it to her lips and kissed it. “And I have been thinkin’ about what you said. My magic. I can tell there are no type of ley lines around this house. None. This is like an empty tomb. Everything is dead and decaying.
However, I have been constructing my own ley line inside my head, using the runes.”
“No fooling,” his laughter inside her head filled her with joy.
“No foolin’,” she responded and kissed his hand again. “If I can construct a crossroads, why we just might be able to beat the devil at his own game. Figuratively speakin’ of course.”
“Oh no,” Eric’s voice full of humor. “Bethie is, if not the devil, a devil. Make no mistake. She is evil.
So what else did you learn today?”
“Mr. Hayes, he is for sale. I am not for real sure exactly what he is, but he sells himself to a person for gold and he is bound to whatever house they are livin’ in for a period of time. That must be negotiated. Now that Nora is dead, he is still bound to this house because his contract with her is up. For him to be able to leave earlier than that, he can sell his butler services to someone for gold. But he has said that he won’t be leavin’ here with the Countess. She won’t part with her gold and I am of the opinion he thinks she is an evil slut.”
“Well, he would be correct, she is. And that is interesting. So he what? Remains here? By himself?”
“Yes,” Sookie replied. “I have been thinkin’. I could use a helper around the house. If…if Lafayette and I,” she sobbed but for only a second, “if we are gonna’ be givin’ out low-interest loans to small businesses, then I am gonna’ need someone to take care of the house.”
“Well. When the eclipse rolls around tomorrow, afterwards, we shall approach Mr. Hayes about employment.”
“That’s great,” Sookie replied in her head. “I hate the idea of leaving anyone behind. And speaking of which, any idea where Pam is?” she asked.
“Yes, there is a tunnel running from the kitchen to the tool shed, over by the barn. She is in the tunnel. Silvered, but nothing she stresses she cannot handle. And she says she never ratted me out to Bethie. I knew she had not but all must be believable. “
“But she and the Countess, they are lovers?”
Eric chuckled. “Lover denotes some type of relationship.” Then in a very serious voice he continued. “They are sex partners. They have a physical, in the moment, no kiss, just finish and get the fuck out rapport.” Eric grinned at her and opened his eyes and then promptly closed them. “The Countess has been dosed with silver. Pamela is no fool and extremely devious.”
“You run with a tough crowd,” she patted his hand. “I like it.”
There was a knock at the door and Mr. Hayes let himself in, the flashlight giving Sookie a beacon to follow. “Lunch is ready. If you would please follow me.”
Lunch was medium rare prime rib with a twice-baked potato and a strawberry spinach salad.
And a melody of squashes. Sookie did not think that she liked squash. These squash had been deep-fried with a tempura batter and placed on top of a heavy cream, cream cheese and ricotta cheese mixture that had been baked. Back before cholesterol, Gran used to make a wilted salad. Over the salad, Gran would pour a hot mixture that was, vinegar, a little sugar, bacon grease and crumbled up bacon. Something very similar to what had been doused liberally on her slice. For a vegetable cheese cake, she thought it was not so very bad and managed to eat all of it.
“Would you like an aperitif?” Mr. Hayes asked as he pulled out her chair and offering her his arm, escorted her to the fireplace.
Sookie settled in and looked at him. “Offering a girl her final meal?”
“We have a lemon cream cake for dessert,” he said with a bow of his head. “I would suggest the Limón cello to go with it. And coffee. I will brew a fresh pot.”
“You did not answer my question,” Sookie regarded him. “And yes to the dessert and nice things that go with it.”
“Madame,” he smiled at her. “Last meal? I have no idea. Will Mr. Northman turn to dragon? I have no idea. If he does turn to dragon, will he eat you? I have no idea.”
At that time a Were stepped in and wolf whistled. “So this is why we were told to stay out of the house,” he grinned as his eyes went to Were orange and he approached Sookie.
There was the poof of a silencer and the Were died instantly. Mr. Hayes slipped the gun back into the holster inside his jacket.
“I am so sorry,” he said with a sigh and a bow of his head to Sookie. “One in the back of the head and it leaves no blood spatter. Just let me remove him and I will get you dessert.”
“Thank you Mr. Hayes,” she said as he grabbed the Were by the feet and pulled him from the room.
“Dam-m-m-m-m-m-n,” blew out of Sookie’s mouth before she had a chance to react. Looking around, sure enough, there was nothing to indicate that the Were had been shot and killed in this room. Or in front of her.
Taking a deep breath she tried to relax. Counting to ten and taking a calming breath, when she opened her eyes she heard the tea trolley coming her way. Mr. Hayes pushed in through the door with something that looked like more than lemon cream cake! And not just the Limón cello. There were several decanters that looked like they held whiskeys. “Okay, I can roll with that,” she said to herself when the cart stopped in front of her and Mr. Hayes began dishing up her dessert.
“Madame, I would suggest you rest after you have finished. It will do you a world of good and you will need to be at your finest tonight. For all her pandering, the Countess does not like humans unless she is bathing in their blood. She has been using only soap and water since she arrived here. And she believes no one has more money than she does,” he said with a wise nod of his head, pouring her a glass of what looked like purple fairy dust. “So you are of no value to her.”
“Good to know,” she sighed. “And that’s lovely,” she smiled when he handed her the glass. “What a lovely shade of….purple…?”
“Yes, thank you,” he said looking very pleased. “A little something I decanted, myself. It is a vodka based with purple grapes settled in the bottom. And that really is silver floating in it, giving it that sparkle. You should be safe enough around the Countess. She will smell the silver if she decides to open one of your veins and then drop you.”
“Thanks,” Sookie was wide-eyed as he handed her a full wine glass.
“When she tosses you aside, just let her huff and puff and say nothing while she vents about humans and their trickster ways. She will move on and remember that she wants to play charades. She won’t invite you to play at that point so just sit quietly, read a book, and don’t fall asleep until she retires and takes Compton with her. I don’t trust him.”
“Thank you for being so good to me,” her voice was sincere. “I appreciate that. I just want you to know.”
“Just drink up, there’s a lovely lady,” he said as he blushed. “And you just might all survive this.”
Sookie woke up when there was a knock on her door.
“Vampires are rising,” Mr. Hayes said sticking his head in. “It is almost ten. Come down to the kitchen and get something to eat. Around midnight, the games shall begin.”
When Sookie entered the library, the vamps were already present. Saying good evening, she started to walk past when the Countess’ hand snaked out and grabbed her by the throat. Baring her fangs and pulling Sookie in close, she smiled at her and said, “You don’t mind, do you?” Taking a whiff along her neck she threw her to the floor.
“Bitch!” she screeched, “you reek of silver!”
“Yes,” was all Sookie said as she stood and made her way to the chair by the fire.
“Bring in Northman,” she said with disgust in her voice. “We will let him feed from her. A little more silver will do him a world of good.”
“Okay Sookie,” she fixed the rune crossroads in her mind, “neutralize the silver in your blood stream. Pull it all to my toenails and pass out of me and let it collect in my shoes.”
When Eric shuffled in, he looked haggard and worn. “I’m fine,” he flashed Sookie. “Really. Just a bit of acting.”
“I am draining the silver out of my body,” she replied. “So I am not gonna be chatty now. I am at the rune crossroads.”
“Got it,” he replied.
“Eric,” the Countess stood and approached him. “We have a meal for you. I think it best we whet your appetite with Druid House. That way, when you morph to dragon, you will already have had a taste and will want more. “
“I can smell her silvered blood from here,” he smirked as he stopped and stood in front of the Countess.
“Well yes,” she grinned. “We cannot very well have you rescuing your child and leaving me here with no dragon to command, now can we. And how is King Eric? And your man-ness wetness. You need to tell King Eric to spit that stuff out so that I can have my dragon.”
With a growl, Eric pushed Elisabeth out-of-the-way. “Miss House,” he said extending his hand. “If you would allow me,” he said turning the chair toward the fire with the back of it to the group.
“Oh come on,” the Countess stomped her foot. “We want the show.”
“Fuck you,” Eric replied flipping her the finger. Picking Sookie up he sat her down on his lap.
“If I might?” they all heard him ask with a low, sexy drawl.
“Yes,” Sookie was heard to mumble, “of course.”
Repeatedly licking her wrist in a slow, easy fashion, he prolonged the bite until she gave him the go-ahead the silver was now gone.
“Excellent,” he sighed as he bit. “Now, do we want to leave here tonight or tomorrow during the eclipse?”
“Won’t they have you chained in silver?” she asked. “And me tied up?”
“Yes, that is possible,” he was chuckling. “But the Countess loves the show. I am now silvered nicely through out. Just think on it as basting a slow roasting pig. She will have me stretched out on the table and you in the room. For those mere moments, she wants me to chase you around the room and maybe outside and provide some entrainment. Just like in the movies.
If I do not morph to dragon, I am so poisoned that I will not be able to escape the sun and she will have her spectacle with me burning and her having bragging rights about how she brought the true death to The Viking. She is that predictable. I am willing to bet the odds.”
“Well, alright then,” Sookie sighed. “I stand with you.”
“Most excellent,” Eric replied as he took one last mouthful of Sookie goodness and then healed the wounds.
They both sat in front of the fire as Elisabeth tried to shame folks into playing charades. You could hear her cussing and complaining. A constant stream of chatter as she prodded those vampires into playing her favorite game.
“Eric,” she finally stood up and walked over to them. “Stop playing with the human…” she stopped when she stepped in front of the chair. Sookie was still in his lap, but she was asleep. Eric was looking like death. There were dark circles under his eyes and his eyes were no longer the lustrous blue. His hands trembled a bit, his lips were dark, almost black.
“I need you to be alive come the eclipse,” she said kneeling down in front of him.
“You should have thought of that before you poisoned me,” he hissed back.
“Give me the human,” she said reaching for her. “I can get you…”
“No,” he spit at her. “She is warm and I have reached a new depth of cold! You leave her the fuck alone,” he said as his head fell back against the chair. “I am retiring for the rest of this dark and taking her with me.”
Standing, he wobbled a bit and then shifting her in his arms, with one foot placed slowly but surely in front of the other, they left the room.
“Well fuck,” she said to no one as she kicked out at an ottoman. “Mr. Hayes,” she yelled.
“Yes Countess,” he appeared at the door.
“Do nothing special. Just lock them in. Northman cannot take any more silver. I do need him to be alive. Feed the human tomorrow and dress her in something more revealing for the eclipse. I want her to be as alluring as possible.”
Bowing his head he stepped out of the room and closed the doors.
Bill was pissed off! He wanted the human for his own. He did not mind nasty leftovers and this one came with literally a boat load of money! Compton was starting to growl, rumble deep in his chest. He thought that was impressive and everyone would pay attention to him and stand back and let him take what he wanted. After all, he was somebody!
Ducking just in time, the wooden stake missed his heart and hit his upper arm.
“Get the fuck out!” Elisabeth hissed and vamp speed, Bill was gone.
“Now,” she said turning to the rest of the group, “I believe charades is on board and we decided on movies.”
All heads turned when they heard the voices over the speakers.
“You doin’ okay?” the female asked.
“Cold,” and they could hear the shivering in his voice. “Mortally poisoned…,” and the word faded away.
“Mr. Hayes,” the Countess stuck her head out the door this time when she bellowed. “Take some blankets into the pool room.” Turning back around she sighed and turned off the crackle that was coming over the speakers. “No entertainment value there,” she rolled her eyes. “Fuck…!” she kicked the ottoman again and made the sign for movies. “First letter…” she began.
Bill was roaming the streets of Shreveport. “All this is mine,” he moaned as he looked around. “Area Five. Just how did I fuck up and end up here? I would cry if it would do me any good. That fucking Countess and her fucked up way of doing business. That fucking Sophie-Anne and her greed and my great misfortune.
Momma always said look on the bright side of things. So hope springs eternal. This job change has not yet been announced over the net. As long as I am not proclaimed Sheriff of Area Five I am still William T. Compton, Procurer for the Queen. I am not letting go of that title, no matter what she tells me,” he said with fierce determination. “I have found my mission for my undead life and being the at-war, protector of the Northern Frontier, finally dead sheriff of Area Five is not on my mission statement!”
Eric was stretched out on the couch with Sookie tucked in beside him. They were covered in blankets and Sookie had finally warmed up. Eric had assured her that his cold body temp was normal but he could do little to provide warmth for her. A couple of blankets were tucked around her so that she had no skin contact with Eric.
They spent the rest of the dark inside each other’s head. Sookie was showing him how to conjugate ruin magic and Eric was trying to build the crossroads in his head. His women’s magic was something Sookie was familiar with. She had just not seen so much of it in one place.
“Morning is coming,” she head Eric whisper as he pulled her in closer. “You need to sleep. Maybe myself as well. We won’t sleep through the main event,” he chuckled. “Believe me, there shall be much fanfare when the hour approaches. It shall be noisy but we shall be well rested.”
Mr. Hayes woke Sookie at lunch time. “Come and eat,” he whispered. “And bathe. There are sacrificial robes for you to wear,” he rolled his eyes. “Nothing I can do about that for the time being.
How is Mr. Northman?” he asked.
“Still holding his own,” she replied.
“I am so sorry,” he said as he offered her his arm. “I thought to protect your from the Countess but perhaps I have doomed him.”
“You are very kind,” was all Sookie said as he led her to the kitchen.
There were trumpet blasts that sounded through the speakers with the countdown announcements. The latest one was “The eclipse starts in five minutes! Be prepared to say good-by to the world as you know it!
Rise, o’ Dragon of the spilled and licked blood! Rise and serve me! Your Queen, Elisabeth!”
Sookie gagged. “Really?” she snorted as Eric chuckled in her ear.
“Vamps will rise early and are tuned into this room. Oh, here come the lights. We are on camera. Smile,” Eric grinned as the roof pulled back.
“Beautiful eclipse,” Eric said. “I know you cannot see it with you human eyes. But I will take you to see the next one, wherever in the world it happens to be.”
“Thanks,” she replied. “And…and…” she said looking up into the darkness. “Is that two dragons headed this way?”
“Well, I do believe it is,” Eric chuckled. “And they both have purple eyes. So one of them must be O.I. The other, well just maybe that is Lafayette…!”
The vampires were gathered outside on a balcony. They were just a step away from a room full of total darkness and safety just in case something went wrong!
Elisabeth was screaming and jumping up and down and clapping her hands in joy! “Dragons! They are both dragons! Yes, I have an army of dragons at my command!”
“Countess,” the Vampire Mayor of Brisbane was watching the screen that had been set up outside showing the pool room. “Northman and the human are still…you know,” he said pointing to the screen. “Northman and human. Who the fuck are they?” he asked pointing to the sky.
“What?” she said as she glanced at the monitor and then back into the sky. “Look,” she smiled. “The eclipse. It is the diamond ring. How beautiful…
And dragons…” terror struck her, for the first time, she was speechless.
“Mo’ fo’n right,” O.I. called out into the darkness of the eclipse. “Flame on, my big mans!” he laughed in joy.
The night sky, along with the balcony, was lit up with more than just the light of the now reappearing sun. There were the flames of two very mightly pissed off dragons. And they were gunning for all the bad guys!
“Looks to be to the good of about seventy-five vamps gone,” Lafayette said, as he turned his head to observe the grounds. “And about three hundred Weres scatterin’ to the celestial night of day winds. Can’t be havin’ that!”
The hunt was on and it was glorious!
“Members me?” lafayette asked as he chased down one Were. “I do believes you were the one drivin’ the truck that struck me down. Any last words?”
“Were shit,” he screeched as it ran down his pant legs.
“Not very elegant but great truths to that,” O.I. said as he pulled up and sniffed. Together their flames made a great whirling whirlpool of flame and within seconds, there was seared Were, than charred Were, then with a flap of their wings, there was only the dust of Were.
Eric and Sookie stood and watched from the comfort of pool side as the dragons cleaned up the surrounding area. When they landed, Sookie was up and running, her arms outstretched as Lafayette morphed into human and grabbed her and swung her around.
“You knows you ain’t dressed in much,” Lafayette smiled at her.
“I know,” she said through her tears. “But I was to be the meal time sacrifice to the dragon,” she said pointing to Eric. “And I had to entice him to want to eat me.”
“Really,” Lafayette was laughing. “Don’t thinks Northman needs much enticin’. Now go find some clothes and lets haul ass out of here. I could use some food of the earthly, out of the kitchens, sort.”
“Well,” she was thoughtful. “Let me check with Mr. Hayes. Whoever does the cooking here is just the best. Man, I had something Mr. Hayes called squash, yesterday. Not even close,” she said patting her tummy. “We could sit out by the pool and maybe have an afternoon snack if the kitchen staff is willin’.”
“Please excuse me,” Eric smiled. “I am going to go unsilver Pamela and be right back.”
The kitchen staff was more than willing to prepare a snack. The kitchen staff was Mr. Hayes.
Sookie invited him to sit down. “Let us Parlay,” she said as she dipped her twice fried, lightly herbed French fries into mayo. “Now, explain to the group how you came to be here. I don’t have any gold, but I think maybe Mr. Northman could hook me up with some if you would like to come and work for me.”
The interview went very well. He could cook, clean, and did laundry to include ironing. He even ironed sheets!
“I won’t kill for you,” he ended up saying. “I will kill to protect you, but I am not a hit man. I am a butler with a special skill set. And I can keep secrets,” he said eyeing Eric who was sitting with his face pointed at the sun.
“Mo’ fo’n,” O.I. sighed as he patted his tummy. “Best BLT I have had, ever! And I dids not even know what that was! But that Sammy done stole my heart away. Could have dones with more bacon and less lettuce pray greens, but, Miss Sooks, this could work. I can sniff out gold. How much do we needs?”
“I will call Samuel,” Eric said without moving his mouth. He was throwing his voice. It sounded like it was coming from Sookie’s glass. “Tell us in grams or pounds how much is required….and where you want it. We can make this happen.”
The afternoon passed pleasantly into a lovely evening. When Pam appeared, she excused herself.
“There are bagged bloods in the kitchen,” Mr. Hayes said. “If I might interest you.”
“Those have been silvered,” she replied as she flashed her fangs in a grin. “I’ll be fine. I am not going far.” With a bow to her maker she was gone.
“You really want to set fire to this place?” Sookie asked Eric.
“Yes,” he nodded. “Nora has defiled it. When I went to release Pam I checked the other tunnels. She turned them over to the Weres who just shit wherever they would. Let me cave in a couple of places and Lafayette, if you and O.I. would do me the honors. Turn it all to ash.”
Dear Readers,
Compton’s demise is the next chapter.
Until then!
All our love and prayers go out to those folks in the hurricane’s path.
Be blessed and be the blessing.
CES
