A/N—As always, thank you for the reviews and adding this story to all the alert lists! I made a terrible oversight in not thanking my amazing beta, Lady Anne. She keeps me going when nothing else does, despite many challenges of her own. Enjoy!
Pam, Eric Northman's progeny and second-in-command, waited for him when he entered his office at Fangtasia just as dusk fell on Saturday. Eric absently probed the blood bond with Sookie. It seemed rather distant, as if she were in a deep sleep beyond dreams. He puzzled over it a moment, but sent a swell of tenderness through the bond, hoping she was resting so they could be together tonight. Damn, just thinking of her soft, silky skin and full, perfect breasts made him hard. Then he saw the look of irritation on Pam's face and wondered what crisis would prevent him from seeing his lover now.
"There's a message from His Pomposity, King Bill." Pam sneered, immediately sharing the cause of her annoyance. "He wants you to track down a wayward vampire who had the nerve not to come and kiss the royal backside as soon as he stepped foot in the state."
"Now Pam, if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." Eric scolded mockingly. As Pam's maker, such a statement effectively rendered her mute. He spent several amusing moments seating himself comfortably at his desk and checking his waiting reports, but he saw Pam's eyes flash angrily and relented. "Who is this villain who earned His Majesty's ire? If he really is running around without having checked with me or Bill, he doesn't sound too intelligent. Perhaps you can have a talk with him."
"Oh, no." Pam said with glee. "The e-mail said "Personally". Underlined. In bold and italics. That means you O Mighty One!"
"Well, it means that the King found the fonts tab in Microsoft Office, at least," Eric muttered as he read the e-mail in question. "This says the vamp came into Merlotte's last night and talked to Sookie. I wonder why she didn't mention it," he mused. "Although she may have had other things on her mind." He gave a smug grin. Pam rolled her eyes. Eric's obsession with the little blond breather she regarded as an irritating and by definition, temporary mental aberration.
"Anton Sejour." Eric considered the long catalog of vampires he had encountered in the last millennium. "I don't know him. Either he is someone quite new or he's deliberately kept a very low profile, perhaps not even been in this country in the last 150 years or so. Which makes me even more interested in speaking to him," Eric decided. "I'll call Sookie in a little bit to find out if she knows where he went. But first, the werewolf Herveaux left an overexcited voice mail demanding an urgent call back at my earliest convenience." Eric glanced at his watch. "Well, now it's convenient."
"Funny you should say that," Pam drawled. "The dog has been waiting, not too patiently, outside for the last hour or so. I hope he's house trained." Just then there was a knock on the office door. Pam opened it, saying "And look who's come at the sound of his master's voice."
Alcide filled the doorway and growled his irritation at Pam's snarkiness. Pam extended her fangs. Eric said, "Pam, go get the evening underway. That's a good girl." It might have been hard for anyone else to flounce out while wearing a black leather boostier and matching hobble skirt, but Pam managed it, shutting the door behind her.
Eric, sitting relaxed but alert in his office chair, turned toward Alcide. "Werewolf." Eric nodded toward his visitor.
"Vampire." Alcide acknowledged tensely.
Pleasantries out of the way, Eric said, "What's the emergency, Herveaux? I didn't think I'd hear from you again so soon."
Alcide barely suppressed a snarl. "I didn't want to get mixed up in your fucking mess again, Northman." Alcide saw Eric's eyes narrow and knew he should get to the point. "But I've got a responsibility here and there may be a threat to Sookie, too. You'll know that better than me."
"I'm still waiting to be enlightened," said Eric dangerously.
Alcide realized he was actually a little afraid and cursed himself for stalling. He took a deep breath and said, "Without my knowledge, my dad sold the property where you buried Russell Edgington."
Ice practically dripping from his words, Eric said "You swore you would keep control of the site. Therefore, you will buy it back. At your own expense, werewolf."
"No, damn it. You don't get it!" Alcide snapped. "The EPA found hazardous waste there and the new owner had to demolish the buildings and dig up the foundations. I went by today and there's nothing left but holes in the ground. Edgington's gone!"
There was a blur of motion. The Were dodged far more quickly than a human but the vampire managed to pin him to the wall with his arm across Alcide's throat. Alcide growled viciously and felt himself begin to shift.
"Change and die, wolf!" Eric snarled, his fangs just inches from Alcide's throat, who saw his death in the Viking's eyes. "If Edgington is gone, who took him? Tell me, you fucking dog!" Eric pressed harder on Alcide's windpipe.
"Some shell company called SJR Properties bought the place," Alcide choked out. "I tried to trace the owners but got bounced all around the Caribbean and South America." He struggled against Eric but didn't get far. "Let me go, you goddamn fanger!"
"SJR Properties..." Eric muttered, still pinning his prisoner to the wall. "SJR...Sejour, Anton Sejour! Pam!" Eric roared. "Get in here, now!"
In seconds, the door burst open and Pam blurred in, followed by a smaller brunette female vampire. Both were in full battle mode, fangs out, hands formed into claws. Eric released Alcide but the wolf knew that to move would be to court death.
Pam smiled evilly. "You bellowed, Master? I thought it might be wise to bring a little back up to the party." She gestured to the brunette. "Lucy was on tourist duty tonight."
Eric looked from Lucy, a fairly young vamp turned in England just after World War II, to the werewolf. "Watch him," Eric ordered briskly. "He's not to leave this room or contact anyone." Lucy nodded and took up a guard position near the door.
"Goddammit, Northman," Alcide yelled. "I came here to warn you."
Eric eyed Herveaux with his thousand-year-stare. "That's the only reason you're still alive. So keep your mouth shut!" He gestured to Pam. "Outside. I have news."
They stepped into the hallway and shut the office door on Alcide's outraged expression. Eric didn't want any other vampires to know about this. He'd only defeated Russell Edgington before with a great deal of luck and a stratagem that would never work more than once. He couldn't begin to imagine how he would beat the vampire, who was three times his age and far more powerful, a second time.
"Someone dug up Russell Edgington." Eric announced bluntly in a low voice.
"Fuck me," Pam whispered, shocked.
"Yes," Eric agreed. "The stupid wolf let the property get sold to someone else. He went by today and there are just holes in the ground where the foundations were. We don't know when that happened. but the company involved is SJR Properties."
Pam immediately saw the connection. "Anton Sejour, our mystery vampire," she concluded. "That's too much of a coincidence."
Eric nodded. "Finding Sejour is the first step to finding Russell Edgington. Put the word out to all our people I want him and I want him now. And able to talk; his condition doesn't matter to me otherwise," he said coldly. "I'll call the King and bring him up to date. All possible resources need to be on this, but nobody else can know about Edgington."
"Eric, the AVL isn't going to like this. If Russell shows up they'll blame you." Pam said worriedly. "They might even sign off on a warrant for your final death. Again."
"They'll have to get in line," Eric snapped as he started down the hall toward the back door of the club. He turned back to his progeny. "Pam, you need to be careful, too. If Edgington really is back he'll be crazier than ever and hell-bent on revenge-on all of us. That's why I've got to go see what Sookie knows, and warn her." Eric didn't usually second guess himself but he wondered if he should have listened to Godric and sent Russell to his final death after all, instead of trying to prolong his suffering by wrapping him in silver and burying him in concrete.
They were now standing in the employee parking lot of Fangtasia. Suddenly Eric staggered, his face full of pain-and fear. Pam grabbed his shoulder when it seemed he might fall to his knees. "Eric, what is it?" She cried. "What's wrong?"
Bloody tears tracked down the Viking's cheeks. "Sookie!" He moaned and launched himself into the night sky.