Chapter 2

XXXXXXX

It was only about an hour drive from Lleida to the Queen's villa on the Northwest outskirts of the city of Zaragoza. The limo came to a stop in a circular driveway on a heavily wooded hillside, overlooking a public park.

"It doesn't look as big as I imagined it would be," Sookie said, looking past Eric to the six front steps leading to the double front doors of the villa. "From the look of the invitation I assumed we were going to a party for several hundred people."

Eric looked at the house and back at Sookie. "What you can see of the villa is likely little more than an entry with a few rooms to house servants and receive deliveries. Notice how the walls meet the hillside. I would guess the majority of the residence is not visible from the outside. Queen Ermessen is of a time when it was stylish to be wealthy, but dangerous to be excessive in the demonstration of your wealth. You would be amazed at some of the things hidden within mountains and hillsides."

"Would I really?" she giggled, turning to look him in the eye to acknowledge his reference to the secret he'd shared with her only yesterday. "I'll have to keep that in mind."

The driver came around and opened the rear door. Eric stepped out and offered Sookie his hand. "How many is Her Majesty receiving tonight?" he asked the driver.

"The final number had not been confirmed before I left, Your Grace, but my understanding was it would be between one hundred seventy and one hundred eighty."

Something in the left part of the house caught Sookie's attention. Or at least it came from where the left part of the house would be if it were visible. It is there. Just behind those trees. There were dozens of people in there. People? "Humans?" she said aloud.

"Yes, Your Grace. The Queen has a wide variety of volunteers available for guests." The driver explained, believing he was addressing Sookie's question, as he opened the opposite door for Oliver and Mina to exit. "Unless of course you prefer your own private stock."

"Mina is not for feeding," Sookie told him, very pleased with herself that she managed not to sound overly offended.

"As you say," he said with a nod.

"Is there an entrance this way?" Sookie asked, glancing over her shoulder to the left, then back at the driver. "Or will we be entering through the main doors?"

Something flashed across the driver's face, but he recovered instantly. Was it fear or simple curiosity? It was difficult to say for certain. "For the sake of Her Majesty's security, there is but one entrance. If you would all please follow me."

He trotted up the steps and opened the double doors, propping one open with a flip-down doorstopper while holding the other. He smiled broadly, and as Sookie passed he said, "The villa is an engineering marvel. It is quite vast, and occupies exclusively the northern face of the hill."

Why did he lie? The Northern face would be to the right of the entrance and there were people to the left, a lot of people. Instinctively she stepped closer to Eric's side and slipped an arm around his waist. She wasn't really afraid; it just seemed like the thing to do. The brief look that came over the driver's face hadn't been threatening in any way. It was more a case of momentary surprise.

Someone was hiding something here. What, she wondered, and from whom? She heard a rhythmic, yet lurching, sound coming from somewhere behind her, somewhere south of her. It sounded like someone in a rocking chair with a flat spot, in a different position, on the bottom of each of the rockers. She was about to ask what it could be when she realized she wasn't actually hearing it at all. It was something in her head. Someone else was actually hearing it … and it was growing fainter as they continued north down a long brightly lit passage.

XXXXXXX

What appeared from the outside to be a very nice, but relatively modest villa, was indeed a massive structure once you were inside.

When they reached the end of an undecorated white-walled hallway, there was an elevator. The driver pushed a green button on the wall and within only a few seconds the doors slid open, revealing a large paneled compartment. The driver reached inside and pressed the button marked three.

"When the doors open on three, step out and to your right you will see the grand staircase. Your arrival will be announced from there. When you get to the bottom of the stairs, you will be escorted to The Queen.

If you will excuse me, I have another pickup to make." He nodded and turned.

They watched him walking back up the white hall as the elevator doors closed.

The staircase was indeed grand. They couldn't possibly have missed it. It was gleaming white marble streaked with veins of glittering gold, about fifteen feet wide and probably forty steps down. The banisters were black marble, also with veins of gold.

"Imagine that with some polished mahogany panels," Sookie whispered as they approached a human attendant in black tie and tails at, the top stair.

Eric looked at her with mock surprise. "What a terrifying prospect, Dearest." He leaned down and spoke in her ear. "Never use wood for stair rails or chair legs. In a fight, they are stakes waiting to happen. Decorating with stone and tile is much safer."

The attendant found Eric and Sookie on his list, took Oliver's name and announced them as they descended the stairs, Sookie on Eric's arm, followed two steps behind by Mina on Oliver's.

"From North America, Their Majesties, The King and Queen of Louisiana, Nevada and Arkansas. Oliver Mayer, esquire, of Louisiana and partner."

As a non-vampire, Mina would not be formally announced at a State reception. Vampire-human unions were accepted in practice here, yet not formally recognized in the social strata.

As promised, another human attendant, in black tie attire, collected them when they reached the foot of the stairs. He led them toward a large oval table with a woman, who must be The Queen, sitting at the far end.

Clearly either The Queen, or her decorator, was fond of white. Almost everything was white, though few things were solid. It was fascinating to see how color was used to define the spaces in the room, a sort of subliminal messaging system your brain would understand even if you didn't consciously stop to think about it.

Like the stairs, the floor was an ocean of white marble, a huge swathe in the center, set apart by the bright pink veins in the marble, was the dance floor. It was circled by seating areas arranged to accommodate from about eight to fifteen guests at a time; the veins of the flooring here were sea green with upholstered furniture to match. Each of the seating areas appeared identical at first glance, but upon closer inspection you cloud see the differences in the upholstery. White with a sea green design, but the pattern varied from one area to the next.

The corners were split by a white, stepped wall about six feet high at the corner and coming down in eight inch steps until it disappeared into the floor. Each step held a planter of ivy with delicate leafy vines flowing down each side of the wall. Red was the accent color in these tight intimate spaces; clearly designed for two. Maroon marble cherubs, the color of dried blood, stood sentinel at the base of each stepped wall and appeared to be bleeding rivulets of gold speckled maroon into the floor.

A single piece of art, heavily featuring the appropriate accent color, adorned the wall behind each distinct area.

A wide circle of royal purple was beneath half of the oval table and the woman seated at its head, a mosaic rendition of her coat of arms on the wall behind her. She was angled to the right in her seat and was receiving her guests on that side. A chair neatly pushed up to the table to her left, sat empty.

The Queen herself had been older than Sookie when she was turned, not a lot, but a few years at least. She was pretty, but not so much you would notice her in a crowd. She had ordinary, medium brown hair with eyes to match the color. She did have one bold streak of very dark brown hair framing the right side of her face. Sookie wondered to herself if it had always been there.

Other than the streak in her hair, nothing about her features really stood out or set her apart. Both her eyes and lips were perhaps a bit too narrow, but not enough to really count as a flaw.

What Sookie noticed about her was her manner, the way she moved. She displayed none of the exuberance of youth. She looked as though each smile, every gesture, no matter how small, was the result of very careful thought and deliberation. Sookie imagined her as a ballerina, dancing en pointe along the edge of a razor blade, waiting for the inevitable moment when she would slip and be sliced in half.

Eric looked back over his shoulder and said, "Mina, you should take advantage of the opportunity to sample Queen Ermessen's buffet of local human cuisine. She is famous for it. She always has sufficient cooks on staff to feed any human in her vicinity. Even when the only ones who will partake are her servants, the offerings are no less extravagant. Oliver, perhaps you would escort her."

"Thank you," Sookie said to him once Oliver and Mina were on their way across the room and out of earshot.

"For what?"

She smiled up at him. He knew perfectly well what for, he just wanted to hear her tell him she noticed what a good boy he was. "For not just telling Mina to stay out of the receiving line because The Queen doesn't want to be bothered with meeting pets."

"She would have felt the same about you before your making. Revelations or no, it is still a very insular world we are part of. Those who have a place in it, thrive best when they know that place and keep to it. The world is trying to expand to allow for the accommodation of some additions, but deeply ingrained traditions and prejudices make it difficult to erase lines that have dictated what is or is not acceptable since before the pyramids were ever dreamt of."

"Well, thank you, just the same."

"It is always a pleasure to see you pleased," he said with a smirk, lifting her hand briefly to his lips.

"I thought it a rumor when I heard, but I see it is true. The lion is tamed."

Sookie shifted her attention from Eric to The Queen.

"I am as delighted as always to see you again, Ermessen," she heard Eric say.

The Queen scoffed and stood. Apparently this was a surprise move on her part. Four human servants passed confused looks amongst themselves and scurried to straighten her skirts and move her chair further back so she didn't bump the table if she stepped away.

"I can recall a time when you were not so delighted as you now claim," she said before turning to examine Sookie. When her eyes finally came to rest on Sookie's she gave a smile and said approvingly, "So this is the beast master, come to flaunt her prize before all those who tried and failed where she has conquered."

Was she kidding? Sookie wasn't sure what to think or how to respond.

"Playing the viper does not suit you, Ermessen," Eric said, his tone exuding nothing but calm.

Even so, the spines of two vampire guards stiffened and they each took a step closer.

Ermessen glanced over her shoulder and let out a joyous laugh. "If your intent is to protect me from The Norseman, the time for you to move was before he entered the villa. Considering you did not, might I suggest you focus on trying to avoid antagonizing him? He has been known to relieve people of their limbs with relatively little provocation."

"It was one incident," Eric responded evenly, "and the provocation was great."

"He insulted me."

"Our memories differ on the finer points of the matter. May I present my chosen?" Eric placed a hand at Sookie's back and pushed her forward. "Sookie, meet Queen Ermessen of Catalonia and Spain. She is known to be affable company, despite her penchant for taking pleasure in fomenting petty jealousies."

Ermessen looked at Sookie and offered her a broad and seemingly genuine smile. "We girls must take our amusements where we find them, they are jewels most rare. I am happy to meet you at last."

Sookie had an almost uncontrollable urge to curtsey, but Eric had specifically instructed her not to do it. She was a Queen as well and a Queen did not bow, even to another Queen.

"I'm pleased to meet you too," Sookie managed, plastering a smile on her own face and wishing she'd questioned Eric further when he said he knew Ermessen. "I'm enjoying my visit to your country very much so far."

Ermessen returned her stare to Eric. "She's shy! How charming. I never envisioned you with a wallflower."

Eric was about to speak when Sookie interjected.

"I'm not shy," she blurted. She wasn't sure if she was defending herself or simply offering information, but in either case, it needed to be said. "I just don't know you, and this is your house and I didn't want to be rude."

"Eric! She's marvelous!"

Ermessen hooked an arm around Sookie's waist and almost dragged her off for a walk around the room. "I knew a blushing mouse could never have captured The Norseman. Too many of those threw themselves at his feet over the centuries."

"And did he step on them?" Sookie asked with a giggle.

"You know, I believe he did a time or two. Men can be such brutes."

Sookie looked back at Eric who was following them as if he thought one of them might fall at any minute and need someone at the ready to catch them. "You might have made a mistake. You've introduced me to someone who can tell me your secrets," she taunted.

"As you see, Ermessen, her charms are not the result of a demure nature."

Ermessen laughed out loud again. Sookie had a feeling it was something she didn't have occasion to do very often.

"And Sookie, my love, I have no secrets here. There is nothing to discover."

Ermessen stopped spun to face Eric. "Perhaps you have a secret, even you do not yet know," she said. She was no longer being coy. Her playful tone was gone, replaced by the somber timbre of a Queen. "As you know, my province has long been host to one of the ancients, Don Perdigo Rog. A week ago, his most recent progeny disappeared. He still feels their bond, but when he summons her, she does not come.

He will be here tomorrow night for an audience with the Maker of another progeny who vanished two nights ago. Also still living but unresponsive to summoning. The audience is with Appius Livius.

It was one of the few times Sookie had seen Eric actually look shocked. He recovered quickly and there was no trace of surprise in his voice when he spoke, only bored curiosity.

"Ocella is coming here?"

"Yes. I assume he wants to compare his situation with Don Perdigo's; to determine if they are related."

"And he'll want to pool resources if possible," Eric said. "No matter how much he may want the return of his progeny, he will defray the costs if he can. You will tell him we are here as well, of course."

"He will know you are near regardless of whether I speak of you. Just as you would know if he had already arrived." Ermessen looked down at her hands and back up at Eric. "You have been in the Americas for a long time. Had you met his newest?"

"I was told of him, but we have not met."

"He always did enjoy Russian things," Ermessen said, glancing at Sookie's necklace.

Sookie's hand went to her throat. She was wearing the Alexandrite necklace Eric had given her. She remembered he told her his Maker gave it to him and the stones originally came from Russia.

"You have a brother," Sookie said.

"He was made ninety-two years ago Dearest. The material point is young vampires are being taken from their Makers and are unable to be tracked or summoned."

Ermessen let go of Sookie and stepped toward Eric. The moment she did, Sookie noticed something she hadn't before. The rocking sound she'd been hearing had been clearer when Ermessen was touching her. It faded instantly when their contact was broken. Sookie directed her attention back to Eric and Ermessen. Eric was promising any assistance he could offer his Maker or this Don Perdigo, ancient, person, vampire.

To be certain she was right, she placed a hand on Ermessen's arm and squeezed lightly. "Of course, we'll all help any way we can to find Eric's brother. After all, he's family and family is always the most important thing." The rocking sound was closer.

Ermessen's eyes met Sookie's for less than a second, but it was long enough for Sookie to see what was in them. It was the same look people would get back in high school when they realized she was seeing their thoughts. It was fear. Fear that she would see something they didn't want seen.

"Yes. I couldn't agree more," Ermessen replied. "Now excuse me and I will get a message to Don Perdigo. He will want to know you have offered your assistance. I am certain he will be pleased to see you again. It was a pleasure to meet you, Sookie. It was good to laugh again."

She motioned to her guards and ascended the grand staircase, still graceful, though the blade she danced along seemed to have just gotten even narrower.

It wasn't coming from her, but somehow Ermessen was connected to the rocking chair.

Eric extended a hand to Sookie. "Will you dance with me?"

It was lovely to be in Eric's arms, being twirled around the floor. She didn't have to think about anything but keeping time to the music. Everything else in her head could drift in and out without having to be orderly or make any sense.

The odd rocker with the flat spots was rocking softly, someplace far away. She could see it now. It was white, naturally, with blue swirls painted all over it. It was in the middle of a child's room. There were stuffed animals of every description lining the wall along the floor and on a shelf about three feet above the floor. He must be fond of giraffes. There were more of those than anything else.

Someone stepped in front of her, partially blocking her view of the rocking chair. She started to try and look around them when she noticed the chair wasn't moving … yet she could still hear it rocking. But it couldn't be the chair. The sound was coming from behind her. In her mind, she turned and saw it. It wasn't a rocker she'd been hearing.

"It's a door!" Sookie whispered suddenly, her eyes growing wide as she whipped her head around to face the direction of the outside part of the villa.

Eric gave her a slight shake to redirect her attention to him, his own eyes darting around the room to see if she had garnered the notice of anyone else. No one appeared to be giving either of them any particular concern. "Sookie, what are you talking about?"

"The sound I've been hearing all night," she answered excitedly. "I thought it was a rocking chair, but it isn't. It's a door. You know what that means. It means-"

Yes. He knew what it meant. Trouble. He smiled at a female vampire with bright red hair, who was looking at them now. He took Sookie by the arm and guided her toward the side door where someone had said the donors were kept. "I believe the donors are this way, my love."

Sookie looked up at him and partially opened her mouth as if to speak, but finally realized he didn't want to hear what she was going to say, at least not until they were less likely to be overheard. "I should have fed before we left, but I was so anxious to meet Queen Ermessen," she said, allowing herself to be led away.

Through the door was a large sitting room with half a dozen or so sofas scattered about, and a number of extra wide cushioned chairs big enough for two occupants lining the walls. There were about twenty humans in the room. They all looked up as Sookie and Eric entered and fully half of them made to get up to come and offer themselves.

Eric stopped them with a raised hand. "In a moment," was all he said to them and they obediently retook their seats and looked away.

He took Sookie to the corner furthest from the humans and whispered to her low enough to not be overheard. "Sookie, we are not on an international psychiatric mercy mission. There are probably thousands of insane vampires in the world and I know you want to help everyone you meet, but Lover, we cannot expose you to the scrutiny and jealousy of others every time you detect a vampire whose coffin isn't nailed together quite right."

"But, Eric, this one's different," she countered, accenting her words by squeezing his forearms.

"They will all be different. No two of us are alike. Different does not outweigh the risk."

She looked him square in the eye and said emphatically, "I think it's a child."

Eric paused for a single second before plunging ahead with his argument. "Even worse. If Ermessen had made, and is hiding, an insane child vampire in a secret section of her underground compound, do you honestly think she will be inclined to chat with you on the subject? Think, Sookie. Leave it alone."

She didn't say anything; she just gave him a half-hearted nod. He smiled as if they were in full agreement and motioned for the nearest donor to come to them.

Eric instructed the young man with strong broad features and dark brown eyes to sit in one of the wide chairs; he then took Sookie's hand and led her to sit beside. She was not meeting his eye. He took the man's wrist and placed in her hands. She leaned her face over it and bit.

She didn't drink for long. It was all for show anyway. She didn't really need to feed. She took enough to make the man feel a bit light headed, and then dropped his wrist in his lap.

"Would you like to return to the dance now? We will leave soon, if you wish." Eric extended his hand to her. She didn't take it. She looked up just as a lone tear began to roll down her cheek, with another pooling in her eye behind it.

He felt his teeth lock together as he reached for a box of tissue on a nearby table. He grabbed the box and handed it to her with one hand as he raised the other and began rubbing his temple, more from habit than due to any real ache.

"I'm sorry," she said softly as she dabbed at her eyes, trying to sop up the blood droplets without mussing her makeup.

Eric had closed his eyes and was pinching the bridge of his nose now. "Does it appear the child is being abused?" he asked, making no attempt to camouflage his frustration.

"Not as far as I can tell," she answered.

"Mistreated?"

"No."

"Neglected? Unattended?"

"I think he's fine physically. He's surrounded by a lot of humans. I think they take good care of him."

He opened his eyes now and stared at her in utter confusion. He didn't scream at her, but the low snarl in his tone couldn't have conveyed more rage if he'd been yelling into a megaphone. "Is he a danger to himself? To others? Has he lost his fucking teddy bear? What is it, precisely, about this child which necessitates us gambling all in an effort to arrange an introduction to him?"

"I don't know," she said firmly, finally looking up to meet his glare. "I only know I need to see him. I need to talk to him, but I'm not sure if he'd understand me. I need to touch him, so I can see what's in his head better."

Eric clamped a hand over his mouth, for fear if any sound slipped out now, it might be heard in France.

He was angry, but he was restraining himself well. Sookie chose this moment to push further. She stood and took the hand dangling at his side in hers. She rightly decided the hand over his mouth would be best left where it was.

"There's something he needs to tell me, only he doesn't know it's me he needs to tell. And whatever it is, it's something I need to know; it's something we need to know. I don't know how I know it, but it's true. I know it is."

As he was considering how he could respond without attracting the attention of everyone in the building, a scent wafted into the room. He suddenly became acutely aware of more than Sookie and himself. The music was still playing on the other side of the door, but from the sound of things, most of the dancing had stopped and people were moving toward the other end of the ballroom.

Sookie noticed as well. "What's happening?"

"I don't know," he answered. All thoughts of their previous conversation were temporarily shelved as he opened the door, and saw that people were indeed heading toward something down a hallway on the opposite side of the room. He stepped through the door and turned to Sookie. "Stay here," he said before closing the door and heading after the crowd.

He passed Oliver, who had escorted Mina from the dance floor and installed her in a seat next to the grand staircase. Oliver was instructing her to remain seated until he returned for her.

What is that scent?

Eric passed from the ballroom into the packed hallway. People were moving slower now, being so close together restricted their movements. No, not people, there are only vampires in this hall.

What is that smell?

He stepped further into the hall despite his increasing certainty something was not right. The scent was blood, not human. Sweet … different. Sookie said the child vampire she kept hearing was different. Had someone killed the baby vamp?

Wrong.

Was he some sort of sacrifice?

This is wrong. The thought kept playing on a loop in Eric's head. Yet he continued following the crowd. Some of them quickened their pace and were bumping into others without apology as they hastened past. This is wrong! The warning was getting louder as he progressed, but still he could not heed it.

"Give it to me!" someone screamed.

He didn't know who it was, but a vague recognition of something else clicked almost into place. Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! He stopped where he was. Those behind him pushed by. He noticed Oliver and grabbed him by the shoulder as he started to pass.

Oliver tried to twist away. "It smells better than my mistress," he muttered, not realizing who had hold of him.

"Oliver!" Eric shouted. Wrong! This is wrong! Better than Sookie? His head snapped up and he stared up the hallway. "Faeries," he said aloud as the realization hit him.

Someone at the end of the hall upended a tall thin vase and held it to his mouth. Blood flowed into his mouth. WRONG! At least a dozen arms tore at the vase until it was knocked away and crashed to the floor. Two others were tilting similar vases into their mouths and still others were reaching for those.

Worse than faeries.

Eric's grip on Oliver's shoulder tightened until a bone cracked. He barely noticed. His mind had other thoughts to organize. "Not faeries. Faerie blood. A diversion."

Oliver doubled over and let out a pained groan, but it was his midsection, not his shoulder, he was holding.

"Come," Eric ordered. "We must find Sookie." He moved his hand to the back of Oliver's shirt and pulled, eliciting another groan as the bones in Oliver's shoulder ground together in an unnatural manner.

"Not, the mistress," Oliver grunted as he struggled to stand upright. "Mina. Mina is in distress."

"To hell with Mina!" Eric bellowed, his eyes wild with fury. "Find your mistress before your pet!" He turned and half threw Oliver toward the ballroom before zipping past him to mount his own search.

XXXXXXX

All the human donors in the room were staring at Sookie as if they expected her to do something amazing. "What?" she almost screamed at them.

They all looked away from her immediately, but no one spoke. A girl in the corner started crying quietly. Sookie couldn't bear to be in here another second. She had to find the boy.

The door she was hearing was in his head. It was like a double saloon door; the kind you push your way through the middle and the two sides swing back and forth, usually at the same pace, slowing with each swing until they stop and wait for someone to push through them again. The two halves of this door were swinging out of sync, accounting for the odd sound it made.

She opened the donor room door a crack and looked toward the grand staircase. It appeared strangely lonely with no one going up or down and the ornately button upholstered chairs sitting empty on either side.

She flitted up the stairs and to the elevator. As she pushed the green button, there was a sudden burst of angry shouts. Great, a fight. Maybe it would keep Eric occupied for a while. He enjoyed a good fight.

She had a child to find.