At this point I'm not sure where I'm going with this story, so it's sort of going to be my plaything which I'll use to muster up some creativity for my other stories. Please excuse any mistakes!
We don't leave the hotel room, browsing television shows and getting to know each other. Our discussion jumps from topic to topic as he guides the conversation, and we end up watching movie after movie from the TV's digital library provided by the hotel until at some point I fall asleep, and Eric arranges us in bed. When I wake the next day, I feel that it's nearly three in the afternoon and I find myself lying partially across the chest of a dead Viking. His arms are around me in a steel grip, and it takes several moments before I can disengage myself from his hold. The shower is a welcome respite as I let the water melt away my apprehensions and uncertainties.
When I emerge I quickly find Eric's cell phone, and dial Niall's office number. He doesn't answer, and I relax back on the bed next to my vampire, studying him as I leave a nearly half an hour long message filling him in on everything that's happened and giving him my thoughts. I know that as soon as he hears it all he will be calling, or at least sending someone to check on me. I leave a message at the farmhouse, and one for Sam as well, all the while pondering what everyone I know in Faerie is up to since I've not returned. I smile as I can't help but wonder how Peterson will react when he learns that I am most profoundly unavailable.
Later that night, we are seated in the hotel restaurant as we wait for Godric to appear, and Eric is watching me intently as I slowly start to eat my dinner. The waiter makes his rounds, staring at me for a second too long as he's filling my glass of water and quickly scurries away at Eric's glare. A salad is left for me to start my meal with, and I regret ordering a full sized salad when I'm almost full as a result.
I notice that Isabel and Stan are nowhere to be seen, and I wonder if they will be coming with Godric. Just then I notice that a large radius of tables around us is empty, and I am grateful, given the conversation that could ensue. The feeling of Godric coming closer seeps through our bond as we make small talk several minutes later, and Eric's excitement bubbles up even as he doesn't show it outwardly. We're talking when he leans in quickly for a chaste kiss, and then pulls back to look past me. Turning my head, I see Stan enter first, followed by Isabel as both of them are scanning the entire room. They part, and a boy who can't be any older than sixteen walks in between them. His eyes meet Eric's as they immerse in each other's emotions, and I close my end of the bond as it feels like I'm intruding on something personal. As I study his face, something comes together in my mind and I realize that this is the famed two thousand year old Gaul. Through my muted reception it looks like Godric is examining the mind of his child, and I hope that he doesn't find anything to make him unhappy. Isabel and Stan sit at the tables in the two corners of the room unoccupied by the bar or us, and start watching over the area. As he sits down across from us in our corner booth, I steel my shoulders and smile at him before Eric can say or do anything. "I am Sookie."
"I am Godric." He says with the same inflection, and I open the bond fractionally to feel secondhand that he is amused. I'm not sure what Eric expected, but he is happy with our exchange.
We fall into silence as we examine each other hesitantly through the bond with Eric, and he seems curious about the bond itself. I suppose that since I am the one who initiated and created it, that it would feel slightly different than the standard vampire's mate bond. Finally I open my end back up, and he appreciates that I am not afraid to let him look. Even still, I am not prepared for when he suddenly takes a hold of my bond with Eric, and wrenches it closer to himself as though to try and take control of it. My light reacts, scorching him mentally, and he looks stunned as he's forced to release the connection. Eric growls at him, causing him further surprise as I feel that his loyalty toward Godric is forever unwavering. "I'm sorry, I can't help that." He nods, accepting it, and gives the bond a gentle brush. It takes me a moment to realize that this is his blessing, and I don't even have a second after that before Eric's mouth is claiming me. Taking his hands into mine, I give his palms a gentle rub before pulling away and returning my attention to Godric. I can't help but wonder if Eric hadn't previously hoped to achieve Godric's blessing with our visit.
"How did you find him?" I retell how I came to find Eric, and he seems fascinated by the description of how I use my telepathy.
We go quiet as the main course of my meal arrives, and Godric refuses when asked if he would like to order something. The lasagna is piping hot straight from the oven, and despite the restaurants claim of all 'Fresh Ingredients', I can still taste a hint of artificiality to the whole dish. I eat small bites at a time, and I feel that Eric gets a sense of satisfaction in watching me eat, so I continue even though I am almost full just from the salad. I can tell from his emotions that even though he's not in his right mind, he is still worried over what I need as a living being to survive, and I make a note of the fact that he is so attentive.
He and Godric slip into what I recognize as modern Swedish, and I find myself amused that Eric hadn't, in all of our recent games of twenty questions, asked if I spoke any other languages. I follow along silently as they have a meaningful conversation, with Eric telling Godric how much I mean to him and causing my heart to flutter with some of his words. I block those emotions to keep from letting the cat out of the bag. Eric then starts telling him everything that he knows about me. They keep on this subject for several minutes, and just as I've gotten to the point of being unable to swallow another bite, Godric asks Eric the question that I knew was coming at some point.
"What will you do when she grows old? Will you change her?" There's an inflection of concern, and I'm happy to see that it's not just Eric he is worried for, it's also me.
I decide then that they should know, and pipe up in equally fluent Swedish. "That will not be a problem for a very long, long time. I am fae." They are both surprised at my use of the language, and I feel pride begin to ooze from Eric as well as arousal as apparently my use of Swedish is a turn on. Godric on the other hand looks more than unsure, but even as I watch I can practically see the stones falling in place as he puts it all together.
"The light that you used on him when you first met?" He asks in a low calculating voice, and I smile.
"I am sky fae, and that was my bonding light. He is my soulmate, and even if I had intended to hurt him, it wouldn't be possible. The calm he is experiencing is a temporary side effect of the bonding. It helps with the transition, and should wear off by tomorrow or the next night."
"How do you know he's your mate?"
"The light of his soul matches my own, and were he not my mate, my light would have killed him rather than being absorbed. We can tell when we've found our other half, no matter what. Our spark tells us the moment we find them." He nods, seeming to understand, and he looks at Eric.
"When will you hold an announcement ceremony, and the pledging?"
Eric thinks this through for several minutes, and I can almost feel a plan coming together in his head. "By the time we return to Shreveport, the repairs on Fangtasia should be done, and we will close for a night to hold a private party."
"Repairs?" I ask, not having noticed anything wrong through Ginger's mind other than the broken furniture.
"When you came to me, you were injured. Your blood sent the vampires of the club into a frenzy, and I had to secure you in my office while Pam and Longshadow brought the bar under control. I told Pam to get rid of all of the old stuff, and just to order all new tables, chairs and booths. Those things should be taken care of by the end of tonight." Godric doesn't appear to change, but through our shared bond with Eric, I can tell he is puzzled. I have an urge to get him alone, and quickly grab Eric's attention. "Would you mind getting your cell phone from our room? I left some messages for people earlier, and I'm wondering if they returned my call." It's not really a lie, so without so much as a single word, he gives me a chaste kiss then leaves me with Godric to go to the elevators. Godric watches him go, his eyebrows slightly raised.
"I can see why Pamela suspected you were a witch." Godric comments, and I feel a souring in my mood at hearing that word directed at myself again. He seems to sense my agitation, and examines my face for a moment.
"What has you so curious?" I ask, and he doesn't miss a beat.
"I raised my child to the mantra that emotion is weakness, and that vampires are above the humans and other races. He is usually quite domineering, demanding, and especially high handed. With time, I found that teaching him this was wrong, but by that time he was already on his own, and I could not change him now if I tried. I am curious if once this calm wears off, whether or not you will regret binding yourself to one such as him? He will not let you go now or ever. Even without being here long, I can feel how much he endeavors to keep you as his."
I give him my brightest smile, and truly mean it. "I would not want for him to let me go, and do not worry, our bond would not allow him to hurt me."
He stiffens slightly, "Does it control him?"
My laugh breaks his control, and he can't seem to help but smile slightly at the sound. "No. It is an absolute bond, unbreakable, and while we can block most emotions we however can never block pain or similar feelings. For him to hurt me, he would be hurting himself. But do not worry. Fae bonding magic is such that it has never chosen wrong. No bonded fae has ever had their relationship self-destruct in the way that a normal partnership could. You wonder if I will regret, but please do not think to take this bond so lightly. A vampire can bond with their chosen partner at any time they choose, however my kind do not have such a luxury. Many fae can only dream of finding their mate, as our light can only be accepted by a single person. That person is our other half, and there will come a time when we are so entwined in each other's feelings and lives that the thought alone of harm coming to the other is simply appalling." He pulls in an unnecessary breath as I stop mid statement, held by the thought of revealing the next piece of information. From what I've heard, Godric is someone I should never cross in the regards to his children, and I feel that if anyone will help me keep something so dangerous a secret it will be him. "There is something that I do not yet want to tell Eric." I say it, and immediately he frowns. "It's nothing bad, just, in the wrong hands the knowledge could cause trouble. You see if I had bonded to a water fae, I could never drown. Those sort of effects are very common amongst the few bonded couples there are out there and I can't help but wonder, if given enough time, Eric will become immune to the sun."
He blinks several times, and sighs as he leans back into his chair. "That indeed could be dangerous to both of you. Especially to other sky fae, should vampires discover this and think they can force a bond. You will be sure to tell me if this comes to fruition?"
"Yes, but do not worry about a bond being forced upon any of us. It is not possible. To try and force a blood bond upon a fae would cause the fae's blood to turn to poison within the vampire consuming it."
He cocks an eyebrow, and smiles, "Should you be telling me any of this?"
"No, but I do not believe you would harm your child, and subsequently me. Your age means usually one of two things for any vampire, either wisdom or insanity, and I believe I see which side you ended up on. I think his sense to trust you is rubbing off on me."
We both feel that Eric has returned to the ground floor in the elevator, and Godric switches to telling me about how a pledging ceremony plays out. When he hands me the cell phone I see a missed call from Sam, as well as a missed call from Niall with a voicemail, and put the phone to my ear to listen. "Sookie, I'm sorry but Peterson was in the room when I started listening to your message. He knows you are bonded, but I cut it off as soon as you said that, so he didn't hear anything else. I fear that he may decide to come see for himself, so please be careful if he finds you. Also, congratulations are in order! I assume you will have some sort of vampire or human ceremony, so please let me know when it is and I will attend. Let me know if there is anything you want, and you need to find yourself a house. You know the tradition. Just draw up the papers and give me a price. Have fun with your vampire!" I can tell he is excited, and relief floods me since he doesn't seem to dislike Eric as my bonded.
"Who was that speaking?" Godric asks, beating Eric as I can see that he wants to ask something. He's feeling jealous and I can just imagine what he wants to know.
"That was my grandfather, Niall." I say it as though it's common knowledge, and only a second later do I realize that Niall hadn't been noticed in the human realm for several thousand years. "He is the ruler of the sky fae, and his only child was my mother."
Eric's face splits in a grin, "So, I have myself a princess?"
I swat his shoulder playfully, "Technically yes, and for a long time I've helped Niall from the sidelines. But now I'm not sure if I ever want to take over. Our people trust me completely though, so it wouldn't be too hard to get them to accept you." I notice that Godric is quiet, and sense that he is deep in thought.
"Who is Peterson?" Eric asks, and that hint of jealousy is undeniable.
"He is the eldest unwed son of the earth fae, and his father had, at his insistence, been asking Niall for my hand. Actually he's asked several times, but Niall keeps turning him down. Oh well, it's too bad for him because it's against our laws to interfere in a bonded pair, especially this pair." I say with a smile, and I stroke his ego through the bond as I give him a peck on the lips.
In the corner of my eye, I see something in all white enter the restaurant, which stands out against the dark earthy tones making up the decor. It's a man in a white suit, and he doesn't hesitate to approach Isabel. I dip into his mind, and quickly discern that he is her human, and they are in a relationship together. It all seems flowers and blood candies until I delve deeper into his thoughts, and neither Eric nor Godric say anything as they feel me leave myself. I throw myself into this human, Hugo's, memories.
He walks down into the basement, and when the man, Steve Newlin, opens the doors he sees a cage of shining silver bars in the center of the room. It sits on a plate of silver, with a ceiling to match. "We're going to use this to keep that beast contained!" He announces it as though he's a sports commentator, and the look on his face is utterly joyful. "You get his second and third in command away from him, and while he's walking we'll nab him with the silver nets."
"Be careful. His child showed up in the area last night out of nowhere, and now he's the second oldest thing in this state." Hugo tells him, and thinks of how bad it will be if Eric is near when his maker is taken. It could end very badly for the attempted kidnappers.
"That's even better! If I'm not mistaken, makers are very protective of their children, so he can watch as we chain and torture his evil little spawn." In his madness he seems almost giddy, and Hugo isn't sure whether or not he should follow this crazy man anymore, but he's already made up his mind. He had to get his revenge for her lies and betrayal.
Eric isn't pleased to feel me angry, and I place my hand on his arm as I concentrate on what I do next. "Please, both of you, stay very still." They both freeze in place, and I go to work quickly invading the minds of the humans in the restaurant one at a time before I have each one of them under my control all at once. I make sure that I avoid the only people I want to stay. The single command I push into them all is straightforward, GET OUT, and it works just as it should. The vampires all watch with fascination and confusion as every human, even the bartender, begins to rise and leave the restaurant. As they file out, Stan rises and Godric and Eric are on my heels with Stan flanking us as I start to cross the room. As soon as the last human walks out, I call to the wind, and with a wave of my hand a gust of air slams the restaurant doors closed. A blast of light from my hand seals the doors shut.
A very distinct, "What the fuck?" comes from Stan and his reaction amuses me.
Hugo jumps at the sound of the slamming doors, and looks much more nervous than he would like. I keep his mind wide open for my viewing pleasure.
"It's too bad Hugo, you had everything, did you know that?" I say, and he looks at me with confusion and then malice, assuming that I am Eric's current 'plaything'. "Isabel loves you, and yet you don't even have enough compassion to try and understand why she is not ready to turn you. Forever is a long time after all."
His mouth falls open, and Isabel is looking at him with surprise. "How did you do that with the people and the doors? How do you know that?" His thoughts are running away from him only to crash and burn as he tries to comprehend what I'm doing.
"I know everything. I've seen everything you've said and done during the day." He doesn't believe me, and I smile wickedly. " 'You get his second and third in command away from him, and while he's walking we'll nab him with the silver nets', isn't that right? Isn't that what Steve Newlin said as he showed you the silver cage he was to keep Godric in?" Four sets of fangs click into place around me, and I see hurt, anger and betrayal swimming in Isabel's eyes.
"That was just this morning, while Isabel rested in the bed you share, and you had snuck out to go to the church. He showed you that cage, and you even had the gall to warn him about Eric. 'If I'm not mistaken, makers are very protective of their children, so he can watch as we chain and torture his evil little spawn.' That's what Steve said to your warning. But you shouldn't have been warning him about Eric." I stalk closer as I speak, and finally I am right in his face. I see a bloody tear traveling down Isabel's face, and feel bad that she has had the misfortune of being with this man. I motion for Isabel to move away, and she goes to stand by Godric without question, seeming to sense that something is about to happen.
"You should have warned Steve about Eric's new mate. Perhaps he would have laughed, but I will certainly give him something to laugh about before this night is through." My anger bubbles over as I continue to examine his memories and find a previous visit where he was shown a room with a silver table and chains, and a multitude of weapons nearby. This plan had been in motion for a long time, and Hugo wanted to be the one to start the torture on Godric. He felt that it was Godric's fault that Isabel wouldn't turn him, and decided long ago that he must have told her not to do it. I then find a new memory, one of the oldest he has of the church, and it's something that Steve Newlin didn't even realize Hugo was aware of. Something he had caught a glimpse of, and never said anything because he knew what would happen if he did. He had done his best to forget that memory, but that was easier said than done. A new form of fury burns through me, boiling hatred for what those so called 'holy people' are doing, and right then I decide that there will be no more. A plan opens in my mind before I even realize I've created it, and I know what I'm going to do.
My hand glows bright white, and as I reach and grab Hugo's arm, he goes rigid with paralysis. Examining the church from his memories, I pick where I want to end up. Turning towards the bar, I wave my free hand and the TV jumps to life, going straight to another channel. This channel is in the beginning of its one hour live local news show, and I turn to the others as I continue to hold Hugo still. "Godric, you need to call and arrange for the hotel to have lots of donors in this room as soon as possible, and lots of vampire supervision. Tell the hotel to clear the bottom floor of all humans. All vampires nearby need to get here to help, you'll understand why soon, trust me on this." He nods and out comes his cell phone as he starts dialing numbers. He can feel through Eric that I am furious and determined. I reach for Eric, and he comes closer and takes my outstretched hand, coming willingly as I pull him closer. "Now I'll show you what we can really do." I whisper in his ear, and the second I let him go I blast the restaurant doors open, and myself and Hugo are teleported straight into the parking lot of the Fellowship of the Sun church. Eric's emotions explode, but I quickly soothe him in the bond and ask for him to be patient and ready.
Shooting Hugo with my light, he falls to the ground in an unconscious heap as I pull out Eric's cell phone which I still have. I look up the news studio that I left broadcasting in the restaurant at the hotel, and call the phone number for the news tips hotline. "If you want to get the most exclusive story you've ever had, then you'll get a crew to the Fellowship of the Sun right now. Newlin's evil is going to be shown. Trust me, you won't want to miss this." It takes me no time at all to find and identify the minds of the innocent, lied to people within the church, and within minutes they are in their cars driving away without even knowing what they're doing. Using the cell phone once more, I call a number I had hoped to never have to call, and it picks up on the second ring. "Sookie! What's happening?" Niall's voice comes through, and I can hear his panic at having his emergency phone ring.
"I need you at the Fellowship of the Sun church in Dallas, Texas right now. I need your help, and I think it's time for us to return to the world like you talked about." I hang the phone up, and light a beacon above where I am. I know that Niall had wanted to do this a different way, but decide that we may as well take care of several things at once.
He is standing next to me several seconds later, and I smile warmly at me. "I wondered when you would catch wind of this place."
"You know what they are doing here?"
"I caught wind of it from some from some of the gossip that Claude brought back. An intensely anti-vampire church sort of peaked my interest."
"Alright then. There's a human news crew on the way. Eric and Godric will be waiting with donors for the injured, just follow my teleport after we tell the reporters everything. Can you seal the entire church? I already got the innocent out. All that's left is the scum."
He nods, and immediately puts up a glowing barrier that forms to the building like a skin. It holds everything in place, not allowing the movement of any doors or windows, and allowing nothing to pass beyond it. "You have got to teach me that." I say as I watch it shimmer like water, before solidifying in place. Moving quickly, we identify the building sitting to the left of the church as the one we want, and stand in front of it as we wait.
We only have to pace for a few minutes before a news van shows up, and given the glowing barrier on the church, the cameras are immediately rolling. A reporter runs up to us as they see we are the only ones here. "What is this? Can you tell us what's happening?"
"I want you to put this immediately into the live news broadcast." I say it as well as force the command into her mind, and after a minute of her arguing with someone in her ear piece, she starts to give us a countdown to going live. Niall throws a wave of magic over me, and instead of what I had been wearing, I am now in a beautiful sparkling cream colored dress, and he is wearing his finest pin striped suit. His golden pocket watch chain gleams in the light as we set our shoulders, and both start flowing power into our words. Slipping into each other's minds, we alternate speaking the lines, and improvise together as we have to veer away from our previously prepared speech. "We are here tonight to introduce you to a new type of supernatural creature. We have long been in the shadows, hiding and rebuilding ourselves after a great war with the vampires nearly killed us all long ago. Today we return to the world. I am Niall, head of the royal sky fae, and king of all fae. I am Sookie, princess to the crown, and sole heir. We come before you today as we have uncovered a crime so heinous that it is unforgivable. What you see behind us is the church of the Fellowship of the Sun. We have sealed those inside who have committed the crimes you will be witness of. Steve Newlin, who preaches that he is a man of love, and that vampires are evil, should himself be the one called evil. He has trapped and tortured vampires for as long as he has been able, and we are here tonight to put an end to his tyranny. For several months now, he has been kidnapping innocent vampires from the streets of this city, and nothing he can say will excuse him from what you are about to see."
Niall moves to the side of the building we are standing before, and with a wave of his hand the entire wall is blown away. As the dust settles, the practical dungeon makes itself visible. Dozens of vampires are chained to the floors with silver, many of them injured and actively bleeding out. It's an effort to ignore the questions being fired off by the reporter with the microphone. We mask our scents, and as the camera crew broadcasts, we run in and I lay my hand on the shoulder of the first vampire I see. I teleport him straight into the waiting company of the hotel, and am pleased to see a crowd of vampires and humans dressed in robes crowded around the TV in the restaurant. More than one set of fangs drops as I appear from thin air with one of their injured comrades, and as Niall follows me in, we let go of the injured and start teleporting back and forth as fast as we can. As we move, more news vans start to appear, and soon the place is swarming with reporters and police as they try to take control of the situation. Helicopters are soon coming to view from above, and we smile at each other when police arrive and raid another side building to find weapons specialized for killing vampires.
Eric's emotions are the most helpful thing for me, as he remains in a calm determined mindset, and I find that he is now the one soothing my anger at the things I am seeing. As word spreads through the city, more vampires and donors appear on scene at the hotel, and news crews are soon watching through the windows as everything unfolds there as well. When I teleport the final vampire to the hotel, I quickly find Eric in the chaos, avoiding the vampires and people who try to talk with me as I walk by. "I need you for this last part." He nods, taking my hand, and we are teleported back to the church. Niall drops the barrier and police swarm the place, taking every person into custody. It doesn't take long for all of the criminals to be rounded up, and I leave Eric for a moment to make sure the church is cleared out and seal it. I then once again stand with Niall as the cameras and reporters crowd around us asking multitudes of questions. Niall takes the lead, and I smile beside him. "We are here with a purpose. No longer will people like Steve Newlin be allowed to rain terror on anyone. It does not matter what race you are of. As a people, we do not stand for needless violence, and we are not afraid to stand against those who wish to attack others for no reason. Let it be known that the fae have returned to this realm." With that Niall vanishes, and I know that he has taken himself to the hotel. I give Eric a look, and he takes me into his arms bridal style as he flies us up into the air. When we reach a good height, I hold my hands out, and he looks away from the blinding light I emanate from my palms. A ball of fire materializes and swirls in front of us, growing until finally I am satisfied, and blast it through the roof of the church.
Steve Newlin sits on the ground, handcuffed and watched along with his wife and several others. He howls as the building is consumed with flames. I smile at Eric, and my anger begins to dissipate as my fae blood sings with victory. "You can consider this you're wedding present from me." I say, and he chuckles, "I have no idea how I'm going to top this."
We have our moment together, floating through the sky, drifting higher as Eric takes us away from the smoke and fire. The satisfaction I feel at having destroyed that place shows on my face I'm sure, and I decide that I don't care if I look smug as we take ten minutes to simply be together, before I teleport us back into the lobby of the hotel. Godric finds us immediately, and hands me a note that he says is from Niall, and that he had to leave as he knew that I could handle it from there.
We work the rest of the night ensuring the health of the tortured vampires, and eventually we manage to get them all into their own private rooms all stocked with bagged blood. By the end of the night, I can barely keep my eyes open as Godric thanks me for the service I've done for his area, and I collapse into bed as soon as we get to our hotel room.