PART FOUR

Chapter 7

The piles of goo they saw scattered were clearly what remained of vampires but yet, they didn't know the how or why of their demises. Unless, of course, they were expendable in the eyes of their masters. They cared not for who the remains belonged to, all they knew was they had to find the one they had come all this way for. And then they saw him, looking cool and collected, emerging from a closed room where they saw so briefly several other well dressed men and women. Some kind of meeting room, no doubt. Unfortunately it was not the "him" they sought. At least, not the one they wanted to save.

"I knew it would not be long before you caught up with us and found us. No doubt you find yourself some allies, some help. No matter. I am not worried about them any more than I am worried about the two of you." Jameson snapped his fingers and the whole of the rooms around them, everything, went pitch black and even with their excellent sight in the dark, in those few moments it took for their eyes to adjust, those moments were all that were needed for them to find themselves hopelessly outgunned by those who had come from the room. Not that the two women didn't take out several of them, regretfully, but it was either their lives of those of the bewitched vamps and it was not something they wanted to do. Fight as they did, it came down to the last two of the 8 that had come out into the darkness to ambush them. They had, of course taken these two out but it had come at a price as Jameson was clearly well prepared, clearly knowing full well what he was up against. Silver was a given and it was in a swift manner in which he had fired off a shot from a concealed object on his wrist. As she went down, trying to fight what turned out to be a dart of some kind filled with only the purest and strongest of silver, another figure came into the picture and swept the now prisoner away, leaving only Sookie there, wounded and her magic all but useless. She felt the wounds healing, but far slower than usual and it was then she felt the jab in her hip, another dart, this one appearing to be larger and she knew, filled with the one thing that would hinder her, being iron. That was one of the few drawbacks to her current incarnation, of being a hybrid that leaned favorably toward her faerie side-she was more vulnerable to a faerie's greatest weakness, iron. And she felt it coursing through her veins as she head footsteps coming toward her and it was a joyful looking Jameson who dragged her to a cell across the way from Pam, down deep into the bowels of the Authority building.

"Fortified especially for you, you should be honored. One of a kind design. And Don't worry, you will be given daily doses to keep those powers of yours at bay. I don't care what vamp powers you have, I am older than you by centuries and even with the bloodline you come from….well, I really see no threat. And Greta finds you…..comical, to be honest. Comical in the fact that you were able to attract him to you even when you were purely a fraction of a faerie." he was taking the time to gloat. "But I am not cruel, as you see, you've got some comforts of home here. A nice bed. A bathroom." soon, she felt herself being thrown out of the iron netting he had scooped her into and she was in a 20 by 20 room. Of course, there was no fancy bathroom but he hadn't lied totally. There was a reasonable looking if not plain bed and a small bathroom with a shower. As far as amenities went, that was it…..save for something she stumbled over to in her almost drugged like state, weak from the iron in her blood. There on the nightstand was a bunch of daisies, one of her favorite flowers. And they were tinged with red. Red that came from the contents of the clear vase, which was not water, but blood.

Chapter 8

He left her in the cell, the cold laughter emanating even through the thick walls and she was heartsick at scenting the blood she knew so well. Blood that had helped make her what she was today. Fearing for Pam, she had a hunch she was safe….for the time being and that they were being primed for some kind of sock and twisted joke. The trouble was, they had no idea how long there had been plans for them to remain and so the time dragged on and on. And so she was surprised, one day after a drugging, that she was told she and Pam had been held here for just over a month.

Greta entered her cell and had relayed this to her, looking smug and glowing. "It is the time for the official ceremony, we had to wait until he was…better compliant before we acted but I thought I could use a maid of honor."

"Where's Pam?" Sookie asked with clenched teeth, wanting badly to tear out the throat of this vixen vampire. There had been times long ago she had violent thoughts but it was since she had become a hybrid, with the new threats to her kin, that she had truly felt what bloodlust was like. And disturbingly, she almost liked it, relished it. Still, she was not going to lose her cool….not yet. Not so long as she had this toxin coursing through her body.

"She is fine, safe and sound in her cell. Good thing this place is so remote and unknown, otherwise I daresay there would have been a cavalry coming after you. So many people are probably worried sick about you…..but you also should have been smart and let him go. To be where he belongs. You did, after all, reject him not too terribly long ago. You do, of course remember that, don't you? You broke his heart, his spirit and so nearly sent him to his demise…..and yet you remained safe and happy with that werewolf you claimed to love and then what, you got him killed all in the name of helping you out. You are nothing more than an angel of death and destruction and at least with me, he is safe and will not want for anything. Or anyone, save for me. These past weeks, though, he has proven he is strong willed. hasn't eaten a thing and even being as old as he is, he can't go on like this forever." she had a idea cross her mind though she dared not to reveal it to her prisoner….not until the time was right. For now, she would merely bait the incapacitated girl. "Too bad you are going to miss it, us becoming official. Taking place in a hour, you know."

It took the blonde a moment to get her mind wrapped around what she had heard, what she had feared. "Official…..you haven't actually…."

"Oh, I am not sure what you've heard but we wanted to wait for you. I wanted you to see your face as he became mine….oh, your face is so sad! Did you really think I didn't think you would find your way here? That I would spare you further pain? You could have remained home and instead, you are going to bear witness to a new future. In which he and I take over not just the rest of the Authority, but usher in a new age for our kind. One that should have been brought in the moment we came out of the coffin. Humans are nothing but snacks and it is time we are respected and revered. Feared. What you have done to him is an abomination, making him into some softhearted lap dog-"

"There has always been decency in him, honor. Love. Even from before he was turned. You think you know our story, his story. You have no clue the character of him. None. You want only power and prestige and want him as nothing more than a trophy. You are just greedy."

"I deserve the best of everything." Greta shrugged. "And he happens to be the best of the best of our kind and so I get what I want. Even someone like you should be able to understand that much….."

"Magic…you've got some kind of magic being used here…or you have someone working for you who does." Sookie blurted out. "I can sense it so you can't fool me a bit."

"Well I did have a witch use magic to cast a mind control spell on some of the authority people who started questioning us…..but other than that, between dad and myself, it is merely our wit and minds that have allowed us to get to where we are. Besides, I want to keep him away from magic. Caused him nothing but trouble."

"And yet it is also magic that has given you a second life and keeps all you vamps alive." Sookie pointed out sarcastically.

The woman said nothing but went to leave the cell. "Days since you last saw him and I think I will let you see him once more. In a hour." and with a sadistic smirk, the woman left the room, leaving the faerie-vamp to ponder just how else she could be tortured. And then it fell into place, even in her current hazy mind.

Chapter 9

Bound and helpless in a plush leather chair in what was a meeting room dressed fancifully in what was clearly wedding décor, Sookie was barely able to move her fingers, let alone summon some magic to break the bindings that stifled her magic. She saw Pam had also been put in a seat, though it was across the room and her bindings were pure silver, her flesh burning on her bound ankles and wrists. Her breath was taken away as the door to the frilly, white flower covered room was opened and in contrast to the beauty and elegance of the decorations, a forlorn looking Viking entered the room, dressed in what appeared to be the clothes he had been taken from the bar in. black tank top and tight black jeans, though he had no shoes or socks on. And he looked drawn, as if he had not only not eaten but not slept and Sookie shared a troubled look with Pam. He barely looked around the room and when he saw two of the most important women in his life there, chained, he almost seemed resigned looking.

"I Haven't seen him like this since he was sick with hep v…he looks horrible." Pam said, incensed, her rage showing even though her weakened state.

Unable to say anything, a lump in her throat preventing her from doing so, all Sookie could do was watched as Jameson himself performed the ceremony and like a million knives stabbing her in the heart, she suffered as the two were bound. And it was then her sensed became less dulled for a moment as she sensed some kind of magic in the air. It was a shield, keeping her and Pam from being visible to him. He had no idea they were there, the bond she and him had closed off entirely. No doubt Greta had lied about not having any magic. The question was, just where did she pick it up from. As her sensed dulled again as her willpower was waning against whatever Greta had done, Sookie got a big clue as instinct allowed her to see the ancient object on the wrist of Greta, an object that she had thought was barely some piece of jewelry. But this was something more than that. What it was, what it was doing, was nothing less than a mystery to her.

TO BE CONTINUED