Chapter Four: Never let you go
The moon shone brightly through my open window and casted it's glow across my body that was starfished across my bed. Beside me on the bedside table was my cell phone and I was very unaware that it would be the one to wake me up. When it did ring my head jerked to the side giving me whiplash and a groaned into my pillow, my hand patting its way to the table where it finally closed around the plastic square that was omitting the dreadful sound. I slid it open and mumbled into the speaking piece.
"Hello?" I poke, stifling a yawn.
Sincere apologies came from the other end and I shook my head, "Sook, its fine."
"Shae, I'm really sorry, I completely forgot that it was dark outside, I didn't even think you'd be sleeping and-."
"Sook, I told you to call me, don't worry about it. What's going on?"
"We found Godric, we're heading back to the hotel now."
With those words I jumped out of bed and rushed to get dressed, the phone still plastered to my ear, "you did? That's great! I'm glad he's back. So it was the Fellowship?" I spoke quickly, dragging a pair of jeans on.
"Yeah, but he said they didn't harm him," Sookie said.
"Really? How surprising, bunch of meddling idiots they are. They don't know the first thing about Vampires," I muttered into the phone, struggling to pull a t-shirt over my bra clad chest.
"Yeah, well…you are still coming right?" Sookie asked me just as I tripped over my bag.
"Ouch, yeah. Bag's been packed since you left."
I heard her laugh and tell Bill what I had said, "always prepared aren't you?"
"Naw, not really, only for special occasions."
"Sure, okay. How long do you think you'll be?"
"Not entirely sure, if I can get a flight out tonight, I'll be there in the same night…" I trailed off, locking the door behind me and carrying my bag to my car, "I'll call you to let you know what's happening if I can't get out tonight."
"Sure thing, talk to you later then."
"Bye, Sook."
I hung up just as I turned the ignition on and then tore out of the driveway in the direction of Fangtasia.
Ugh, I thought, sitting in the back of the taxi with my bag. It had been quite a hectic two hours and I had never felt so exhausted in my life. The moon still hung high up in the sky, and the stars were like tiny pin pricks dusted all around the giant glowing orb. The yellow cab pulled up in front of the gorgeous building and I hastily threw a few bills at the driver and jumped out of the car, slamming the door behind me. The car pulled away as I stood there, staring up at the modern building with the tall windows.
The only thought that came to mind was, he's rich.
Pushing open the front doors I made my way to the blonde Vampire sitting at the front desk. She was speaking on the phone and held up a finger for me to wait. I dropped my bag to the floor and looked around, slightly nervous, and even more excited that this could be where my sister was.
"May I help you?" The blonde's voice was clear and crisp, like the autumn wind.
I shook myself, startled out of my thoughts and managed a small smile, "yes…um I was wondering if you could tell me where Sookie Stackhouse and Bill Compton's room is?"
The blonde gave me a suspicious look.
"See, I'm a friend of theirs. Sookie called me earlier tonight asking when I was going to fly out…here, she texted me an hour ago." I spoke quickly handing over my phone so the blonde could read the text.
After reading the text, she handed the phone back to me and studied me for a moment, her lips then lifted into a small smile of her own, "Sure, The pair are staying in… room 315. I'll give you another key."
As she placed the key in my hand I thanked her graciously, "thank you very much. This means a lot."
"You're welcome, but will you be staying 'cause I can open up another connecting room for you."
"Oh, um thanks but I'm not sure how long I will be staying, is it okay if I let you know when I find out?"
"No problem."
"Thanks a million." I smiled again and then headed towards the elevator.
Inside, I pressed the floor three button and pulled out my cell, opening up a text box to send to Sookie.
I just arrived, heading up 2 yur Rm now, where R U? I punched in quickly before sending it, when the text was approved I slipped it back into my pocket just as the doors opened to my floor. I stepped out and quickly headed to the room where I unlocked it and immediately stepped in, shutting the door behind me, I placed my bag onto one of the chairs and then sunk down on the bed, my head in my hands.
I hadn't been sitting there for more than five seconds when the door opened and in walked a flustered Sookie.
I lifted my head up and looked at her and she gave me a small smile, "you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm…fine. I'm just tired."
She came to sit beside me and grinned at me, "you got here fast. I didn't think you'd be able to get a flight out tonight."
"I asked if Pam could pull a few strings for me, she didn't have a problem."
"Oh, she seems to like you."
I chuckled, "yeah, it's probably because I don't ask too many questions."
The both of us shared a laugh about that, remembering why Eric never minded my company.
"Are you ready to come downstairs?" Sookie asked me after she stopped laughing, "But I hope not looking like that…"
"Oh no, I came prepared." I gave her a cheeky grin before grabbing my bag and heading into the bathroom.
After I had changed I stood there staring at the mirror, studying my appearance, and because I hadn't straightened my hair, it fell in dark red curls down to my chest and my pale gold eyes popped back at me, because of the lighting, they sparkled hints of topaz. I spread a dark line of eyeliner across my eyes and a light layer of mascara and came out of the bathroom.
"Nice dress," Sookie commented as I stepped out, trying not to trip over the carpet in my stilettos.
I looked down at the black knee length dress and grinned, "Shall we head down?"
"Yeah."
When we got downstairs, we found Bill and Eric standing between two stone walls watching a trio of people conversing, one who looked severely beaten up was on his knees another was a tall Hispanic woman dressed in black, streaks of blood graced her cheeks and the third was a young man, who couldn't have been any older than sixteen and he was sitting in a chair, before the two and the crowd surrounding them.
When we came to stand with them, Bill hugged Sookie to his side and he smiled at me, Eric turned his head and gave me a nod, then turned back to the situation. I focused my attention on them just as the man on the chair spoke.
"Do you love him?" His voice was soft and gentle.
There was a pause where the Hispanic woman cried, I was not sure why but I had a feeling she had the same feelings for the man on his knees as Bill had for Sookie.
"I-I thought I did."
There was another pause where her crying continued and as the man looked between them, then he spoke in his soft voice again, "It appears you love him still."
I watched the exchange in silence and as the tears from the woman slowly ceased, "I do. I'm sorry, but you are my Sheriff. Do with him as you please."
Oh, so this must be Godric.
"You are free to go," he spoke, his eyebrows rising slightly. Not once did he sound hostile, not once did he raise his voice.
Another Vampire spoke his disagreement and Godric made himself clear, "the human is free to go." He pulled the corner of his lips back, but not in a smile, "and do not return," he spoke, shaking his head a little; "I fear it is not safe for you here."
"This is a travesty," the other male Vampire spoke, but Godric quickly over ruled him.
"This is my verdict," this time, his gentle tone was laced with authority, and no one seemed ready to oppose against him.
Godric called Eric over and asked him to see the man named Hugo out, once the two had left the room, the crowd dispersed. Sookie and I looked at each other and I gave her a look of confusion and she shook her head slightly, I knew she'd explain it to me later.
When Eric disappeared, he did not return to us so Bill, Sookie and I stood talking slightly when I figured I'd give them some time to be alone, "hey, I'm going to go wander around a little."
"Are you sure? Did you want to talk to Godric about your sister, he might know her," Sookie asked.
I shook my head, "no, it's fine. I don't think now's the right time to speak with him, maybe in a little while I'll ask Eric. Besides," I smiled at the two, "it seems that you two haven't had any time with each other, I'll leave you two lovebirds alone."
With that I walked away from them and towards the bar where I ordered a coke and then roamed around the hotel, occasionally having conversations with some of the other people present. As much as I accepted Vampires, I was still nervous around them sometimes, I wasn't always positive on their nature.
Leaning against the wall, my glass in hand, I looked around at everyone in the room, watching and studying their every movement and facial feature. There seemed to be more humans here than I would have expected, but then again, having a Vampire as your significant other was becoming more and more popular by the day.
As I leaned there, a young blonde boy came up to me, well he looked young, but Vampire ages can be deceiving.
"Hey," he spoke, leaning his back against the wall beside me. He was short for a guy, about my height, and he didn't look any older than fourteen.
"Hi," I gave him a small smile, sipping at my drink.
"Are you new here, I haven't seen you around before."
"I flew in from Louisiana; I'm friends with Sookie and Bill."
"Oh," He seemed thoughtful for a moment, "I know them." After a slight pause he spoke again, lifting his hand up to me, "My name's Dan."
I shook it warmly, "I'm Shaelynn."
His head tilted to the side slightly, his eyes widening a little, "Shaelynn Keston?"
I gave him a look, surprised that he knew my name, "Yeah, why?"
"You wouldn't happen to have a sister by the way?"
I turned my body to him, a little more enthusiastic about the conversation, "I do actually, her name is Clara. Do you know her?"
He chuckled, "I do, she's a good friend of mine."
My mouth dropped open in surprise, was this it? Was Dan the outlet I've been looking for?
"Do you know where she is?"
He stood on his tip toes, looking above all the heads in the crowd and landed upon an area over by the windows where two girls were talking animatedly.
"Yeah…she's right over there, by the windows."
I didn't see her at first until he took me by the shoulders and moved me in front of him, and that's when I could see her. Her black hair caught my attention first, once it had been long by now it was cut short and messy, her bangs cut across her forehead diagonally in jagged sections and you could see every individual layer from where I was standing, her shining grey eyes were just as striking as they ever had been.
I stepped away from the wall, my heels clacking against the floor.
My facial expression turned to one of longing, "Clara?" I whispered.
It was as if she had heard me, her head swivelled around looking for the source, her friend looked aghast as she was completely ignored. Then, she saw me, her eyes stopped on me and her whole body turned to face me. The people around her had started to watch and this slowly gained everyone else's attention, if I wasn't so caught up in what was happening, I would have blushed like crazy.
She stepped into the opening of people to look at me better, her face analysing me as she looked me up and down, from here I could see her eyes flicking all around my face.
I had walked a maybe five feet in her direction when she was suddenly in front of me. I gasped at her speed but I couldn't tear my eyes from hers, she was taller than I was even in these heels she had a good three inches on me and it had always been like that. Her hand reached down and touched my face and then moved the soft red curls from my face to behind my ear.
"Is it really you, Shae?"
My lip quivered and I opened my mouth, a lump formed in the back of my throat, "Yeah, it's me Clara."
Before I could even react she had me in a hug, one arm wrapped around my waist, the other pressing my head to her chest and my arms snaked around her waist, holding her tight.
"I missed you," I mumbled.
I heard Clara sniff, "I'm sorry, so sorry."
Moving away, I stared at her, pools of blood were under her eyes and one streak fell down her cheek.
"It's okay," I smiled at her placing my hands on her cheeks and rubbing the tears away.
Her hands covered my own and her voice was all choked up, "I wanted to come find you, I did, but I just…"
I shook my head at her blabber, "Its okay, Clara. I'm not mad."
"I knew you would understand, you always do."
I watched her face, tears of my own falling down my cheeks, "Clara, its okay. You're here right now, with me."
I hugged her to me again and she held me to her, and it was at that time that I knew everything was going to be alright. One year I spent looking for her, being miserable and slowly losing hope, but now Clara was back in my life, and I would never let her go.
Author's note: Wow everyone, I'm so surprised at the feedback I'm getting. None of my other stories have had eleven reviews for just three chapters, and I'm so happy about it. Every review I get just gives me more motivation to write, and I absolutely love this story.
Thank all, very much for the wonderful feedback.
