"Tell Me."
Pam paused a moment, looking uncertain, an emotion I had never really seen on her face. As Eric's second in command she was always certain, always knew her duty. But this uncertain Pam made me tense, as if I was about to find out something really unpleasant. But her face suddenly hardened into a grim smile, as she nodded once to herself, almost to reassure herself.
"You remember the fairy wars? When you were captured then fought, and how Eric never came to rescue you?"
Oh boy. I could feel that sick unpleasant feeling in my stomach.
"Yes, he said that he was being held by minions of Felipe de Castro, the King of Nevada and Louisiana." I said cautiously, almost phrasing it as a question.
"Yes, I suppose that is true, in a way." Pam said, fiddling with the sleeve of what I recognized to be my pink velour tracksuit. She noticed my gaze and gave me an apologetic smile. "As soon as you were out I went across the cemetery to pick up some clothes for both you, and me. I hope you don't mind."
"No of course not. I wouldn't expect you to wear that bloody shredded mess." I was about to continue on that train of thought, when I remembered what we were supposed to be talking about. I gave Pam a narrow little glance while she feigned innocence.
"Didn't mean to get off subject there."
"It's okay, just tell me what happened."
Pam took a deep breath.
"Okay since the hostile takeover of Louisiana, you know Eric has been…unhappy with the arrangement. He admired the late queen, and because of his loyalty to her, and his relationship with…you, he has come under the suspicions of Victor Madden and the King's other servants still here."
I nodded briefly.
"A few days before you were kidnapped by the fae, Eric was approached by old friends. Very old, powerful friends. Were you aware Sookie, my master is one of the oldest vampires in the South? And has many powerful connections?"
This was news to me. I knew Eric was old, and very powerful, but he never seemed concerned with that much power.
"So what does all this mean, and what does this have to do with what is happening now?" I asked, my tone becoming frosty.
"Eric's influence and power has not gone un-noticed Sookie. Why do you think he is always under suspicion from the new king? Felipe de Castro knows that Eric has many friends, many allies, from all over the world. He is too dangerous from some. Sophie-Anne Leclerq would never have allowed him to be her sheriff if it weren't for their special relationship ages ago."
"Eric knew that though the new King kept him on as a sheriff, it wouldn't be too long before charges were trumped up against him and he would be killed. So with the help of Eric's old and powerful connections, he has been secretly swaying Felipe de Castro's minions to his side, with promises and of course, money. The night you were taken captive, he was being watched by two of the King's men who suspected his plans. If he had left to your aid, he risked everything. He risked the entire plan."
This had taken me aback. Whatever I had been expecting her to say, had most certainly not been this. But there was one point I was unclear on.
"When you say he was swaying Felipe de Castro's minions to his side, do you mean he intends to be…?
Pam stared levelly at me, her eyes never flinching.
"He means to be King of Nevada, Lousiana, and Arkansas. And if everything goes according to plan tonight, it will happen."
At my request Pam had left me to my own toughts. My headache had lessened thanks to the tylenol Pam had grabbed from my house, but I still felt as if I had been run over a train. But after a long hot shower, I felt I no longer looked like death.
After dressing in a pair of black yoga pants and a simple white tee shirt Pam had brought for me, I walked downstairs to find Bill (former lover) sitting on the couch waiting for me.
"Sookie. How do you feel?" He asked, standing up in that gentlemanly way. Stubborn to the last, I flopped down unceremoniously on a chair some distance from the couch and from him.
"I'm fine. Thanks." I sighed wearily. I examined Bill. He was wearing his standard button down and khakis, but his face looked almost sad. He in turn was also examining me as if I might fall apart at any second.
"Pam is in the kitchen heating up some TrueBlood." He said quietly. I nodded before a thought occurred to me.
"Bill…can I ask you a question?"
"Anything." I had to lok away from the intensity in his eyes.
"Did you know about this plan of Eric's? To be the King…of..everywhere?!" I asked, getting angried with each word. I could feel the tears of anger well up in my eyes, but I refused to cry.
Bill looked at me in an almost pitying way.
"Yes, I did. He approached me and convinced me that his claim is well supported and I would do better under his rule. Plus I value my life, and yours Sookie." I hugged my knees up to my chest boring a hole in the ground with my eyes, as Gran would say.
"So everyone knew but me?" I asked, the bitterness creeping in my voice. In a flash Bill was on his knees before me, his hands holding mine. He look me earnestly in the face,
"Sookie I never wanted to keep this from you. I never wanted to keep anything from you. I had no choice. And you know I love you still. You can leave Eric, he will never care for you as much as I do." He pleaded with me. I felt my ire rise.
"Bill, I am angry with Eric, how he kept me in the dark about so many things. But I'm not just going to give up and go running in your arms. And I don't want to hear about how everyone thinks Eric can't love me. Why is it so impossible to believe?" I was crying now. Damn.
"Take your pity and go to hell Bill Compton. At least Eric wasn't sent to seduce me." I added maliciously.
His face spasmed with pain. He dropped my hands and went to stand in front of the window, his back to me. I bit my lip. That was a low blow, I shouldn't have gotten so angry. Eric in truth is the one I should be angry at. I sighed and stood up, prepared to go back to my makeshift room upstairs. I paused by Bill on my way out.
"Look, I'm sorry Bill. That was mean. Right now I'm just angry with Eric and with myself, but more than anything I'm worried sick about him. I love him Bill. And we haven't had the strikes against our relationship like you and I have. I've got to give him a chance, if he is even alive. And that's something I really can't think about right now."
With that I swept out of the room and past Pam who had just come out of the Kitchen holding two TrueBloods.
I was too resltess to lay down so instead I sat in a recliner by the window trying to read a copy of Gone With The Wind that Bill had on a shelf. But I couldn't focus with dawn approaching. I looked again at the clock and sighed with frustration. Only thirty more minutes to go.
Reading proved to be as distracting as watching paint dry. In frustration I threw myself on the bed staring at the ceiling. I wondered if he was alive. So many thoughts were going through my mind. Why didn't he tell me? When we had talked of power before, he claimed he was interested. Why did he lie to me? So much of it just didn't make sense.
With only fifteen more minutes before the Vampires needed to sleep, I wasn't sure if I'd ever really find out the answers. With each ticking of Bill's seemingly loud clock I grew more and more resolved to the fact that Eric was eternally dead.
I closed my eyes as tear trickled from my eye and collected on my upper lip. Before I could wipe it away, I felt a strong and familiar mouth enclose mine in a deep and passionate kiss.
My eyes flew open to see my Viking Vampire. In my elation I threw my arms around his neck and wrapped myself as tightly as possible around him, never breaking our kiss. When I finally had to come up for air, Eric never looked away from my eyes, as his hands entangled in my hair and stroked my face as if memorizing it.
"You're alive." I said breathlessly, my tone amazed.
"Yes, I am." He said huskily before re-claiming my mouth in another pulse racing kiss. I enthusiastically responded until suddenly I remembered the flood of emotions this night had caused me. I broke away from him and shoved his chest until he realized I was trying to make him sit up.
He looked at me with a bemused expression while I returned his with a glare.
"So why did you lie to me?"
