I continued to stare at the mirror in the restaurant bathroom, twirling the ring around on my finger. It was a beautiful ring. Simple. I smiled at myself, Bill knew me well enough not to buy me something too fancy.
Why couldn't he have proposed earlier? Before my dreams of him were replaced by confusing ones of Eric? Before Maryann forced that light, that power, from me? When I still knew who I was and whom I wanted. Would Eric have backed off if I were already engaged to Bill? Maybe. Then again, he never paid any attention to that "She is mine" nonsense. So maybe not.
I thought of saying no, of having to look Bill in the eye after breaking his still heart. Would that be it for us? We could not very well carry on as normal, that much was clear. It was only a week or so ago I was ready to give myself to him completely, to make that commitment.
The large part of me that still desired that pulled the rest away from the mirror, with only one face it wanted to see.
But he was not there.
Alone, I stood in the empty restaurant, staring at the upturned chair. The spilled wine. The fallen tablecloth. Taking in the scene around me, I did not need to mentally check for hotspots to know the staff had perished. Anyone able to capture a vampire would not think twice about stopping any human that crossed their path… whoa. What was I still doing alive? I knew enough about the supernatural world to know my smell alone would have drawn any creature to the bathroom.
I may not have had a college education, but I was still smart, and quick with it. Quietly searching under all the tables, I found what I was looking for. Someone had been listening in, waiting for the opportune moment when I was out of the room. Why? I'm hardly a great threat.
What had Bill gotten himself into? I did not want to think about my maybe-fiancé's fate, but the thoughts came flooding in nonetheless. Was he still alive? (Or undead?) Would he be in a few hours? Who wanted him, and what for? I knew I would not get the answers standing around, just more questions. I headed towards the car.
I stopped short. The keys were in Bill's pocket. Luckily I knew the area and my destination was two short blocks away. It was a risk, walking the streets alone at night, considering the scene I had just left but what else was there to do? I had no cell phone with me, and the people I needed to see hardly came out in the day. I was still dazed when I arrived at Fangtasia, I was welcome enough to go through the employees' entrance, but had been following the buzzing sound of the customers rather than looking where I was going.
Shuffling my feet along the slow procession towards the door, I could hear the familiar bored tones of the vampire on the door.
"Welcome to Fang… Oh, Sookie," Pam smiled. "Alone tonight?"
Tonight? Tomorrow? Every night after that? I could not think about that. "Eric here?"
"Entertaining the Fangbangers. He enjoys it really," She smirked. "Business or pleasure? Although, I cannot think what business would require you to wear that dress. Or that ring." She held up my hand, as if I needed any more hints as to which ring she meant. "Bill?"
I nodded.
"Oh Eric will just love this, can I come?"
It was not really a question, I knew she would come whether I agreed or not. Pam summoned one of the other vampires; one I did not recognise, to cover the door while she escorted me inside.
I did not register the people around me and guided by Pam, I walked through the blur. Each punter dressed in black blended into the next, so much so that I hardly noticed when the black started creeping in from all sides.
Stackhouses do not faint. So what was that?
I opened my eyes to different surroundings. It took me a few seconds to realise I was in Eric's office, and that my head felt cold. Ice pack? The cold shifted as I stirred and I suddenly realised it was Eric's hand pressed against the rising bump on my forehead.
Carefully, I sat up on the couch so I could see the room better. Pam was leaning against the desk with a strange smirk on her face, and Eric was looking deep into my eyes, concerned. An expression that surprisingly did not look too out of place on him.
"I know it's supposed to be an emotional moment for humans," Pam teased, looking again at the ring. "But isn't passing out in the middle of the club an overreaction?"
I had not thought it might have seemed that way. Then again, Pam loved to tease. Any opportunity to get the ring to Eric's attention, she would take it. Not that he could have missed it. Damn vampire senses. Eric glanced at the ring for a split second before returning his gaze to my face.
"Yes, a clever move on his part," Eric sighed, not taking his eyes off me while addressing Pam. It was unnerving. "But now is not the time for that particular conversation. That is not why Sookie is here. You are forgetting she has tasted my blood."
Ugh. As if I needed reminding of that right now. Eric tricking me into drinking his blood resulted in some of my reservations with regards to Bill. Reservations that caused me to leave Bill for a few minutes. The opportune moment. At least if Eric already knew how I felt it might make what happened at the restaurant easier to explain.
Pam looked surprised, evidently Eric did not give his blood out to just anyone. I didn't know how I felt about that. "She has?"
"In Texas. Sucked silver out of my chest, it was…" Eric's eyes were distant, remembering. Suddenly he snapped to. "What's troubling you, Sookie? These are unusual emotions for one newly engaged." He scoffed at the word.
I breathed in deeply. As I said the words out loud for the first time, the blackness began to swallow me again.
