Nearly a week later, things are calm as far as we can tell, and we've not heard a word from the queen. Sam has also not showed his face, while Lafayette hasn't left for more than a few hours at a time, and I'm just getting ready to go shopping with Eric gives me a quick kiss and shows me to the back door of the bar.
Jason had been busy lately, working all over trying to make lots of money because he needed to fix something or replace something, he didn't really say what though. He's surprised when I tell him everything, including about Niall, but he's supportive and offers kind words when I tell him about the marriage thing. I'd left him a long message after we returned, not going into specifics but impressing upon him how my life was mine to do with as I pleased and all I asked from him was support and a phone call when he got a chance. It seemed he had taken the message to heart, at least for now, and I hoped it was a sign that he was growing up more.
I think of the few times that Niall has visited us, and the books he's left as well as what he's taught me in person. I've got a good handle on my light, and the workings of my telepathy, as well as I am very precise with my teleporting. I've been reading at every chance I get, stacks of books in our bedroom for when I wake too early before Eric. My schedule has mostly changed to night time though, and I consider bringing some of my books to the bar to read when I'm not scanning the people coming in.
A bright neon sign catches my sign, and I look through the windows of the shop to see that it is a new clothing store. Its sign claims that it is only closed for restocking the first few hours after sunset, and I start to wonder back to something that I had thought on before. Just how many vampires were in Shreveport?
It seemed to be a fair amount, since vampire targeted businesses were starting to open all over, and I do notice a couple of voids browsing racks of clothes by the window as I walk by and round the corner.
My mind is focused on something else, and I don't feel it until it is too late as a vampire approaches me. The rag is across my mouth, and I feel Eric's aggression filling the as I'm being dragged down an alley. Falling to the pavement in an alcove, I see a man looking down at me even as my vision blurs. The bond feels like it's far away, whatever drug he used slowly taking effect as I can only sense that Eric is getting closer. Even that is becoming distant to me though, and it feels like I'm being forced asleep.
A sound catches my attention, and I glance over to see that the man is picking up a shiny chain from the ground which I assume is silver. Don't! It's a trap! I try to impress into the bond, but he doesn't seem to care as I hear a familiar snarling entering the alley a short ways away. My vision goes black, a roar hitting my ears a minute later as silver hits him, and I almost feel his pain through the bond before I go unconscious.
I only wake once, trying to send something to Eric before they somehow know what I'm doing, and I'm put back under.
When I finally come to, I feel a stinging on my wrist that grows worse as I try to move around. Opening my eyes, I find that I am in pitch black darkness, and I feel that my wrists are bound with iron manacles. The chain connecting them to the cold rough floor is short, and I can barely sit up on my knees as I try to reach for the bond. Gasping, I fall to the floor as trying to do anything like that vacuums my strength as though it is too much for me.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." I hear a voice belonging to a woman, and I can suddenly see as light enters the… cave. Looking around, I glance down to see that my chain is bound by a bolt in the floor, and I look back at her.
"Where am I?"
"This is an abandoned iron mine. It's not been used for a while since it's considered empty, but the primitive mining technique of humans has actually left iron everywhere. Particles are in the stone all around us, and dust is on the floor and walls, so along with the shackles you shouldn't last long."
She grins, a creepy shadow cast over her face as she lowers her hand slightly. "What are you talking about?"
"You can feel it, can't you? The iron sapping all your strength into the very air around you, and after long enough your spark will die from simple weakness. When that happens, you also die, since you are too fae to survive as a plain human. You went and bonded yourself to that vampire, and you can only bond once, therefore you are useless to us now." She starts walking away, and I struggle against my binds as I try to reach into myself, to find Eric and our bond. "You cannot do that, as I already said. The iron has made you too weak to feel it, at least not without killing yourself from the energy required. Oh and say hello to your vampire, because when he finds you, he's going to be so blood starved he will not even hesitate to drain you. We've been playing with him all chained up for almost a day while we kept you asleep. Your bond is shut down, since all this iron is making it impossible for you to support it on your end, and he won't recognize you without a bond." Her light disappears, and she's suddenly gone.
I don't move, trying to retain as much energy as possible as I try to think. There's no use in panicking, and I put a lid on my more frantic feelings.
Her last words spook me, but I try to remember that Eric would never turn on me.
Tears occasionally stream down my face as I feel my strength being sucked out slowly and steadily like its water near a sponge, and I cry in frustration as I can't do anything.
I don't know how long I am there, too long, as I occasionally hear strange sounds echoing from far away in the caverns.
"Eric!" My voice is piercing in my own ears, echoing strongly.
I fall to my side on the floor, my eyes closed as I pant harder, my breath shallow as it feels like I can't get enough. There's a sound not far, some sort of echoed rumbling, and I try to lift my head but find that I can't so much as shift.
My body feels… empty.
This is it, I think to myself. My energy is gone, and I feel numb as I lay in the dark, nothing but pain present as iron chains are around my wrist and against my hands. Eric is too late.
A muffled sound a moment later nearby seems to be resonating in my head as the iron is suddenly gone. It's been broken, and I feel someone holding me. I can't see him, but I can at the same time, and I try to smile although I'm not sure if I actually do it. There's a deep rumble in his chest, and it seems to absorb into my body as I try my best to return the sound. My fangs won't even drop, no matter how much I will them to, and he snarls louder as he roughly pushes my head to the side. His nose runs along my skin, his jaw tense when it brushes me as he breathes in my scent.
"Eric…" I hear myself whisper, and the air feels cold as I feel his hand on my chin, tilting my head so that he can see my face. He growls, words seeming to elude him as I feel that he is holding me to him gently. I strain for breath a little more and it feels like I don't have the energy to make my chest rise and fall completely. It's as if my own body is turning to lead, getting heavier and heavier and harder to move.
"Mine." He whispers the word against my skin with a voice of gravel, and suddenly kisses me persistently, which I try to respond to but I can't tell if I manage to or not. His lips are at my neck the next second, and he is holding me fully off the floor as he bites down. I try to send it to him, all of the love and trust I feel, and before I know it the loss of energy gets to me.
It feels as though I'm on an icy surface, slipping no matter how hard I try to get a grip, and I feel a slight pressure followed by a moment of nothing when he bites me. His arms clench around me almost painfully, but he seemingly feels it when I'm uncomfortable, and his hold softens an instant later.
The growl coming from his chest changes to a deep purr, and I feel it as his fangs disengage from my skin slowly while he keeps pulling. Something about the sensation is just right, and my own fangs drop, but unlike usual they click loudly as they lock into place. He seems to hesitate for a second as the sound seems loud in the silent black cave, and his pull is harsher for a second. He repositions me as he breaks free, his mouth healing the marks he made an instant after he stopped. "I'm not letting you go." The sound of him speaking makes me want to weep, and I think I feel more tears slipping over my skin.
One of his hands holds the back of my head, and he holds me up against him, pressing my face into the junction of his neck and shoulder. "Let me heal you, love." His voice is in my ear, quiet and calm sounding, despite the emotions I feel coming off of him in waves and I bite down quickly.
Mouthful after mouthful of his blood pours down my throat, and I can feel it energizing me, but a painful ache starts in my chest. "My spark is dying." I gasp, pulling from his throat as I hold myself to him. Burning starts in my head, and I can see it, the crippled light that was previously extremely bright, it's source right next to where I could find the bond. It wants to heal, but the stress is too much, iron still physically surrounding me within the stone all around us. "Too much iron, darlin'. It's everywhere." He takes a deep breath, and for some reason I wonder if he can smell the metal.
"You are mine." He says fiercely, holding me flush against his chest, and I slowly move my hands into his hair. I wonder if he can feel my resolve as it solidifies a few seconds later.
"Do you think you can bare me being around forever? You're going to have to turn me if you want me to survive this." His nose falls into my hair, and he seems to be mourning me as he holds me.
"I know… but I think you can feel that I'm not leaving this alive." He shifts me back into his arms bridal style, sitting to hold me against him as he keeps me from touching anything but him. There's a soft brush against my cheek, and I realize it's his hair as he's curling over me and dropping his fangs to scrape against my neck.
"Inte lämna mig." I whisper, and he rumbles as his incisors tear into my neck. This is different than him just drinking from me. It hurts only slightly, but I can feel that my blood is spilling faster than ever before. His mouth seals over my flesh, and he's simply swallowing as it pours down his throat, a purr and a snarl mixed together emanating from his chest.
It feels like I'm grounded suddenly, but floating, held by a tether of pure Eric. He drinks for a long time, a pins and needles feeling entering my limbs as I gradually go limp against his chest. There's a feeling that my vision is failing me, and I feel one of his hands petting over my hair to comfort me as he doesn't stop.
My fingers have wound through his hair as things progressed, and they slip as I brush my digits over his cheek. "I love you." His growl changes, becoming softer. My hands are curling against my own chest a second later as I can't even hold them up the few inches to touch him anymore, and he must have cut his tongue deeply as the large marks on my neck are instantly healed.
"I will never leave you." He vows, pressing a soft kiss to my lips, and I sigh his name one more time before his dripping wrist is placed in my mouth. "Just keep drinking…" He whispers, and I listen, his voice the only other thing I know besides his blood as everything else has fallen away.
)()()(POV Switch to Eric)()()(
Just before she loses consciousness, it seems like she kisses me through the bond, and I hold her carefully as I massage her throat to drink more. The iron in this place will continue to affect her, and I grumble absentmindedly as I hold her and feel that is daytime. We will not be able to leave for several more hours, and I am at least grateful that I have time to figure out an exit, since that fae had teleported us both in when she deposited us here. I recall the blood thirsty rage I'd felt, having been drained repeatedly and suddenly being brought and dropped here half-conscious before my captor fled. Anyone to cross my path would have been annihilated, but the mine was empty, and I heard it as that woman started speaking. I move through the dark, seeing perfectly fine as I slowly inspect each possible area. My movement ceased and I stood stone still when I heard her call my name loudly, moving quickly the next instant as I get close enough to smell her out. I growled loudly when I first caught her scent, and it was enough to give me pause in my unpredictable state as all I could smell was weakness and near death overpowering a somehow familiar and mouthwatering aroma. Despite myself, I held the girl carefully as I pulled her against me, having snapped away the metal binding her wrists and pushing her head to the side to run my nose over her throat. Looking back I realize that I was trying to find out what was wrong with her, but I had been unable to find any injury, her body seeming to want to just wither away as she seemed almost lifeless.
After a minute I found I wanted to bite, but then felt that I couldn't do so, and my chin just brushing her skin was sending a twist into my gut. Then she'd whispered my name, and I'd come back to myself enough to lean up and look at her, really look at her as I growled. Realization crashed over my being, my anger and rage dissipating as I held onto my mate.
"Mine." I murmur before impulsively kissing her, my mouth interacting with hers as she responds minutely. Hunger raged through me, recognizing that this was my bonded in my arms, and I sank my fangs into her throat a moment later as I held up within the security of my arms.
My hold tightened on the bond, my arms tightened around her on reflex when I did so, and then loosened when I finally feel her through the bond. I have to work to keep both ends open from just mine, and I shamelessly purred like a cat when I'd felt what she was sending me.
Then it had felt like she was somehow gone for a second, and I had growled loudly as I'd mentally demanded she stay. It felt like it worked a few seconds later, and I rumbled lovingly against her as I healed her neck. My hunger for the moment had been sated, and I was able to fully think as I shifted thoughts of killing to the back of mind and really focused on her, especially as I heard the click of her fangs. I was still getting myself under control as I pulled her up, resting her head on my shoulder and putting her right against my neck. "Let me heal you, love."
Having to turn her, while sudden and making me feel extremely saddened, is not a bad thing. Taking her blood to do so seems to be plenty and more than enough for me to be replenished fully. Perhaps her being fae makes it more portent, and I then wonder if she will retain anything fae after she is fully turned.
She drinks consciously for longer than Pam managed, but then again she was entirely drained of energy and I assist her to swallow as she keeps drinking even after no longer being conscious. I hear her heart, beating slowly as it stutters a few times, and finally gives out to go silent. When she's taken more than enough and then some, I pull my wrist away to heal, and she curls against my chest which surprises me. Once given the blood, a human should be technically dead until the turning is complete, and I'm even more surprised when I check the bond.
It feels as though she's only sleeping, and I check more into her physical state as I evaluate her body through the connection. It feels as though there is a sort of energy void left behind inside of her, where I think her light and human life force once were, and I can almost sense it as my blood fills the void to heal her. I can't leave her, focusing on the bond and holding her comfortably as I walk through the stone passages. There's a hallway to the left up ahead, and I jump back carefully, hissing as a small ray of sun hits me and I check Sookie to make sure she is undamaged. Carefully looking around the rough corner, I see that it is just a small ray coming through a pile of rubble which seems to be blocking the exit, and I relax with her resting in my lap, not touching the stone herself as I lean back against the wall.
She hasn't moved any more, her side of the bond quiet as though she were deeply asleep, instead of muted like it should be. Perhaps it has something to do with her being fae, and it just occurs to me to check my pocket. I grin like a mad man when I find that I still have my phone, and I send a silent prayer to any gods who will listen that it's not dead. The screen is bright as it tells me it still has a fifth of a charge, and I send out several text messages before going through my contacts to find a phone number. "Yes? Who is this?" Niall answers, and I chuckle, agreeing with my luck at the moment.
"I've had to turn Sookie. Some crazy ass fae showed up, just like you said they might, and used a vampire to get Sookie and then me. We're in a fucking iron mine of all places. I can still feel her in the bond, and I shouldn't be able to do that, so what the hell is going on?" He's silent for a long moment as he processes and finally sighs before speaking.
"The secret, once you must keep if you wish not to have all fae hunted to full extinction this time, is that when a fae turns they don't just lose everything like a human usually does. Fae are creatures of magic, and we do not fall to such trivial things, our magic will adapt."
"Adapt?" I say, testing the word as I think it over. "You mean she will remain fae?"
"Yes and no." He says, and finally chuckles as he can hear how annoyed I am. The growl coming from my chest is something most people shy away from. "She will retain the abilities she had when she was turned, and it would take a lot of work, but she could develop more as they won't just come naturally now. Her blood should benefit you, as though she were still human, and you should be able to drink as much as you want without fear of hurting her. Your blood will also nourish her although I still recommend real food, since she can still consume it, and she should rise more controlled."
"And?" I know there must be more.
"What I am about to tell you is the secret to day walking, vampire. Let me apologize if I'm not as forthcoming with it as you'd like." He takes a loud deep breath, and I swallow, staring down at Sookie as I wonder if he's serious. "Because you turned her, and she is fae as well as she was willing, you will both be day walking vampires."
I almost drop the phone, my other hand petting down Sookie's hair absently as I am not sure how to handle this. Then I think over what he said about it being a secret, and I ponder over why as it strikes me. If this were to become public knowledge, all a vampire would have to do is trick a fae into believing a lie of intense love, and he would be able to day walk once he arranged for an 'accident'. It would be the end of the fae in the course of just a few decades.
"It will remain my knowledge alone. Now about the fae woman who did this, do you have any idea who she could be. Long dark hair, stuck up air about her, piss poor attitude."
Niall chuckles for a second, "That could describe quite a few I know who are against the mingling of the human and fae. Some believe that it will weaken us, despite part fae individuals proving themselves to be stronger many times over. If a part fae bonds a full fae, then the part fae becomes fully fae, and that's why they would kill Sookie. Fae can create a bond in light in order to choose a mate, but they can only take any sort of bond once in their lifetime, whether it be blood or light. She was no longer possible to use as a breeder for them, so they had no reason to leave her alive. They probably underestimated the power of the bond you have with her, am I right?"
"Yes. That woman was certain that she was going to get me to kill Sookie for her, and kept repeating it while she drained me. She did not realize that hurting Sookie only would make me more careful when I found her."
"Very good. I will leave you to get yourselves sorted then, and I will come to check on her in a few nights. You should also be immune to the sun by the tomorrow morning, since she will be far enough along at that point." He hangs up, stopping me from asking anything else, and I finally dial Godric when its two hours until sunset.
Picking up on the first ring, his voice sounds slightly more strained than normal. "Eric?"
I tell him that I am trapped in a cave with Sookie before hanging up, noticing as he grabs subtly onto the maker child bond. He feels it, the slight change in my connection with Sookie, but I shield her before he gets a good look and he focuses on my location as I don't let him feel anything else from me.
When there is only half an hour left until sunset, I am sitting in down time as I cradle Sookie to me, my frame bent slightly over hers when I hear a loud engine. It seems to come right up to the blocked entrance, and it disappears as I hear and smell were outside. "Northman! You in there?"
I blink, surprised to hear that voice, but growl lightly as I hold Sookie securely. "What are you doing here, Herveaux?"
"I just so happened to be working on a site an hour away and I got a call from some ancient vampire that my debt holder was trapped in a cave. Thought this might be worth some of my balance." His voice is muffled by the stone but I can hear a laugh, and I retreat as I hear some machine going to work on the rock pile and soft light starts spilling into the cave next to us. A minute later it stops, and I watch as he appears down the corridor from us, coming closer as I twist to hold Sookie away from him. "What the hell?" He asks, eyeing my chest as he must have caught a glimpse of her.
"She will wake tomorrow night as my youngest child. You will not touch her." I growl, and he takes an unnecessary step back as a thickness seems to fill the air, hinting at danger to the supe's senses.
"No worries, damn, what's with the evil eye?" He walks away, shaking his head as I realize just how overbearing I'm being considering that Alcide has never been disloyal, but I can't help the automatic growl as he walks back into sight with arm full of things. "This is a cooler of bagged blood, and I just so happened to have a blanket if you want it for the girl. Should I leave it half way and then back off?" He asks, taking a hesitant step forward, and I nod. There's a slight warmth on my skin from the barest amount of indirect light reaching us, but it's nothing to worry about, and I watch closely as Alcide's shadow creeps closer to us on the floor.
He stops further than half way, but I don't complain as he quickly retreats and sits with his back to us at the end of the cave as though standing guard. I skillfully wrap Sookie in the blanket before carrying her and the small cooler back to the end of the tunnel, opening it next to us as she lays in my lap. I finish several bags quickly, securing the lid when I'm done and looking towards the were. "Where are we?"
"Tennessee, south of Memphis and almost on the border to Mississippi." Frowning, I think for a minute before grabbing my phone and dialing the AVL directory.
"Mississippi, tell him it is Eric Northman." I tell the operator, and twenty seconds later I hear several clicks as I seem to be transferred.
"This is the home of Russell Edgington, how may I direct your call?" A woman asks, and I growl.
"Get Russell, now!" The line goes quiet after my roared words, soft piano waiting music starting to play, and then it's picked up again a second later.
"Well?" His voice comes over the line, and I recognize it.
"Russell, this is Northman. My bonded was hurt, and I was forced to turn her, in a fucking cave of all places South of Memphis. Would I be able to receive sanctuary, as I have reason to think she will not be safe in Louisiana? I do believe that your Talbot took a liking to her when he met her a week ago."
"Talbot!" He calls, and I hear the other vampire a moment later. "Did you meet Northman's bonded when you were in that area last week?"
"Yes, and she was quite the doll. Why do you ask?"
"Hmm… well it would seem that he was forced to turn her. He doesn't think Louisiana is safe for her anymore. Would you like to have guests?"
"That would be perfect, I will make up the guest rooms." He sounds cheerful, and footsteps sound as he leaves the room.
"You heard my husband." Russel says, and I look at Alcide as he stands, seeming to be looking at something outside. "I will send some wolves to escort you. Do you know where you are exactly?"
"That will not be necessary, I will get us there. It will not be long after dark." I say, and after a second the phone goes dead on his end. "What is it Alcide?" I ask, and he looks down the tunnel to us.
"There have been rumors of a pack of V addicted wolves running around this area." He says in a low voice, and I realize what he's saying. I growl, and he looks surprised as the sound seems to shake the walls, my face scrunching as I bare my fangs at no one. There's a series of howls a few moments later. "They seem to realize that you're kind of old." He mutters, coming a third of the way down the tunnel and sitting sideways so that he can look either direction.
He glances my way multiple times, before giving me a fully questioning look. "What's your deal?"
I study him for a moment, and realize he was watching me look repeatedly at the entrance to the cave while otherwise looking down at the petite woman in my arms. "We are protective of the children we've just turned, but… Sookie is already my bonded. The urge to keep her safe is out of my control as all I want to do right now is get to the Mississippi vampire kings estate. As soon as the sun sets I will be gone, and you should do the same." I tell him, and he nods. It's only a few more minutes, and he's aware of it as he goes back to look out of the cave, where almost no light is coming inside.
My senses tell me when it is safe to go out, and I stand, holding myself under control as I remind myself that he is an ally and walk past him with Sookie. "This will settle half your debt." I tell him, and he looks shocked as he stares at me. Turning slightly, I let him see her face against my chest and framed in the blanket, and he gives her a long look before staring up at me. "Should you ever be around and find her in need of protection, it would settle any debts you have, and then some." I tell him, and he nods, taking another look at her face before I turn away and continue towards the exit. Seeing his beaten down work truck makes me frown, and I make note to find a suitable couple of replacements as a gift for the were.
The area seems clear, and I don't sense anything amiss before I step up into the air, holding Sookie to my chest and shifting the cloth to cover her face from the wind.
Our flight doesn't take long, her body fitting perfectly into my hold, and I land at the front door to Russell's mansion soon enough. A single knock is all it takes before the doors are opened, and a man in a suit eyes me uncertainly before giving Sookie an interested glance. "She is mine." My growl makes his eyes jump back up, and I feel that he is even younger than Bill, making me smirk as he hesitates under my gaze. "I am Eric Northman, Russell is expecting me."
He looks indifferent, but I can see it behind his eyes, the feeling of understanding that I could kill him without even sitting Sookie down. "Right this way." I take everything in instantly, not missing a single detail as I inspect every aspect of each room as we are led to Russell's office. The young vampire knocks once, then opens the door and stands aside for me.
"Eric Northman! Long time no see, and the lovely Miss Stackhouse too." He says, looking down at her, and I growl silently as I manage to keep the sound from coming forth.
"I am sorry to be short, but I have had a trying day. May we be shown to our room?"
Giving Sookie a long look, he nods understandingly, and Talbot appears behind us at the door.
His mouth doesn't stop as he leads me to an elevator, and tells me the pin number for our room. Punching it in, I am patient as it moves downward, the sliding door opens to a small foyer type space with a steel door up ahead. "The password to get in gets set by you, so just put it in right the first time. Russell recently had the whole estate fitted with these underground rooms for guests. If you need anything, use the phone by the door to call for it, and it will be delivered to the door here. Your elevator pin is your room number. I spoke to that child of yours, and have clothes provided in both of your sizes in the closet." He explains quickly, and I nod, instantly typing in today's date as Sookie's new birthday and pushing the door open. Automatic lights come on smoothly, and the door clicks shut, locking behind me as Talbot gets back in the elevator. The room looks like a honey moon suite, a large open room with lounge couches and two mini fridges, with doors going into different rooms. I am quick to order a phone charger, and send a text to Pam to have my laptop and some other items personally delivered by Thalia. She confirms that it will be a few hours before she arrives, and in the mean time I hold Sookie before drawing a warm bath in the large tub in our private bathroom, and I undress her before lowering her gently.
I don't think about it as I clean her slowly, whispering my ramblings thoughts to her in Swedish as I once did to Godric in tense situations. I've soon patted her dry with a towel and dressed her in a soft pajama set before depositing her on the center of the bed, and take my own shower in just a few minutes. My mind is constantly divided, part of it locked onto the bond and keeping a close tab on my bonded and newest child. She's getting stronger, something I've noticed since the instant we left the old mine, and I close my eyes once I join her in bed and hold her in my arms. Burying my nose in her hair, I inhale deeply, and get a light feeling in my chest as I smile and purr against her. She smells like vampire and pure fae, combined into one perfect thing that is also Sookie times ten. I wonder what affect it would have on me if I were not her maker, or bonded.
Not moving from her side, I answer a few emails on my phone, being sure to notify Sophie Anne that I've taken a vacation with Pam in my place. I'm gently teasing a braid into her hair when I hear a knock at our suite door.