The flight was short, Sookie didn't debate that, but the night was long. After dinner, with Alcide and then with Eric... Especially after with Eric. She knew she shouldn't have kissed him, or at least not given in to his kissing her, but she couldn't help it. There was an instinctual attraction between them she couldn't deny, but she could ignore for as long as possible. She knew she had to stay away from him, for her own sanity; after everything with Bill, the last thing she wanted was another vampire in her life, especially one whom she didn't trust any more than the last one.
Once they had got off the plane, they rented a car and, due to lack of directions on Sookie's part, Alcide had been driving around fairly aimlessly, looking over at her ever once and a while waiting for her to say something.
Alcide sighed, and after 20 minutes of driving, said, "Sookie, I'm gonna need directions at some point."
Sookie looked over to him, "I know Alcide, I'm sorry, I'm just trying to figure out our next move."
"Sookie, you haven't even told me what my first move was." Alcide pointed out, gripping the steering wheel in frustration. She returned to silence and he pulled over, hoping that stopping would let them start again with some direction. "Sookie, I have been patient, I have stayed quiet, but I think I have the right to know where I'm going."
"I know you do, I'm sorry." Sookie said sincerely.
"Well then stop apologising, dammit, and tell me what's happening. What are we doing here?" Alcide said, finding it hard to keep his temper. The wolf in him meant he ran hot-blooded, he didn't like being taken for a ride. She shifted uncomfortably, which made him place a reassuring hand on hers. "Sookie, you can trust me."
She smiled, searching his thoughts to allay any doubts. "I know that." The road beside them lay silent from cars, and the tall trees lining it made her feel like they were more in the forest than on the side of a road. "I'm just not entirely sure where to begin. And it's a long story and I don't really wanna be losing time."
"How about this then: I will drive you wherever you want to go, whilst you explain why we're here?" Alcide suggested. This was met by a nod from Sookie, so he proceeded to turn the ignition and continue on down the road, with Sookie guiding the way.
"Before I left, all those months ago, I found out that I wasn't entirely... human." This peaked Alcide's interest enough to raise an eyebrow. "You know I can hear people's thoughts, I also have this power..." She looked at her hands, fiddling with her fingers. "As it turns out, I'm part Fae." She waited for a reaction that never came, instead she got a questioning look from him. "The Fae. Faeries?" She repeated, surprised that he hadn't come across those phrases before.
"You're a fairy?" Alcide repeated, a laugh began to appear on his face, which Sookie smiled at and playfully hit him on his arm. "No, no, that's really... cool?" He laughed again, prompting Sookie to do the same.
"That was pretty much my reaction when I found out." Sookie smiled; she loved that in the midst of a serious conversation Alcide could still make her laugh. It was refreshing, and it made the day seem a little brighter, the sun shone through the greying clouds just a little more.
"So we're in Massachusetts, heading for Salem, so that you can what? Reconnect with nature?" Alcide guessed, shrugging.
"Not exactly." Sookie inhaled. "Alcide, what I'm about to tell you, no one knows this yet."
"Ok." Alcide braced himself.
"I didn't go away three months ago. I went away two nights ago." Sookie admitted, looking at his face to gauge a reaction.
Alcide blinked, and looked to her. "But... that doesn't make sense..."
"You're telling me." Sookie exhaled and sat back in her seat, looking to the outside world. "Imagine my surprise when instead of coming back a few hours after I left, finding out it was three months later."
"But that's not possible." Alcide said, exasperated. "How... Did you... what?"
"Those were my questions. And then having to find out about it from Eric..." Sookie shook her head.
"So he knows?" Alcide asked her.
"No, I lied to him. I just, no one can know about this ok?" Sookie told him seriously.
"Know about what? Sookie, I may not be the smartest wolf in the pack, but you're not really making any sense right now." Alcide pointed out, smiling feebly.
"Right." She nodded. "Time works differently in different... realms, or something. Where I was, it wasn't – "
"And you were...?" Alcide attempted leading questions, her narrative confused him and to be honest, he thought she was confusing herself.
"The land of the Faeries." Sookie answered; there was a pause while Alcide processed this, and then he let out a short laugh. "Stop it." Sookie hit him again, making him force his face to be neutral again. "I'm being serious."
"I hope you are. It's kinda funnier this way." Alcide let out a rough chuckle.
Sookie smiled sadly. "I kinda wish it was funnier. Truth is... you weren't entirely wrong when you said that this trip would be dangerous – for me, anyway." Sookie hastily added.
Alcide's look turned serious. "What have you got yourself into, Sookie?"
Sookie nodded. "A war." She didn't look at him, but she felt his disbelieving eyes on her.
"Oh yeah," He replied sarcastically, his tone angry. "I can see why that wouldn't be dangerous."
"Alcide, it's not such a big deal, it's not a war war, but my people are facing extinction if I don't help them now. What was I supposed to do, turn them down, let them die?" Sookie pleaded desperately.
Sookie could see the fury in Alcide's eyes. "Tell me one reason why I shouldn't turn this car around right now? My god, Sookie, I thought it was bad enough when the vampires were dragging you into danger, but now you're actively seeking it out for yourself?"
"It's not like that, Alcide. They came to me, for help, there's no one else." Sookie replied; to Alcide the car went silent while she processed what she had just told him. To Sookie, all she could her was his concerns, his anger at being manipulated to come and protect her in a war she had no business being a part of – "This is my business, Alcide, they are my people."
"Dammit Sookie, keep out of my head." Alcide gripped the steering wheel again, so much so he almost feared it would detach from the car. She went silent again. "They've been your people for what, five minutes? And now you want to help them in a war?"
"The threat has been there for centuries; they live in this beautiful place in between worlds, Alcide, that's how they stay safe. But now they're under threat from vampires and they're closing in. If I don't help them, I might well be one of the last faeries in existence, and even then once they knew about me, it wouldn't be long until a bunch of vampires came for me." Sookie finished, her words pleaded with him to listen to her.
Alcide sighed with frustration, and once again pulled over the car to stop. Sookie remained silent, waiting to hear what he had to say. "I think you better start from the beginning."
"We don't have time to – " Sookie began, her tone desperate.
"Sookie!" He raised his voice to her. "I seriously think you better make some time, because I want to know exactly what it is we're doing here if I'm to risk my life taking you on this... whatever it is." Alcide shook his head.
Sookie nodded. "Ok, but Alcide, I promise you, you will not get killed by your involvement in this."
Alcide raised his eyebrows. "It's not that I'm worried about. Once Eric or Bill or even Jason find out I let you come here, they're the ones who will kill me."
Sookie smiled light-heartedly. "Which is precisely why I asked you to come with me."
Alcide nodded, "Ok, I'm all ears."
"War? What war?" Sookie asked, her heart sinking in her chest as she felt rather than heard the words come out of Claudine's mouth.
"The war between the Fae and the vampires." Sookie shook her head, not entirely sure she understood what Claudine just said. "I'm sorry to spring this on you Sookie, but we are all facing certain death if you don't help us."
"Certain death? From vampires?" Sookie repeated, wrapping her mind around the key words this conversation was actually based on: vampires, faeries, war, help.
"You know they drink our blood, you know they would take us if they could." Claudine said, following Sookie's eyes as they fell to the floor. "Now they're closer than ever to finding us, and when they do Sookie, it would mean the end for all of us."
Sookie met her eyes again. "And you think I can help you?"
"You can walk both worlds in the way full Fae can't; we need help from both sides, but thus far have not had the combined power to bring anyone here, not until recently." Claudine explained.
Sookie smiled. "I'm just a waitress, Claudine. What could I do?"
Claudine smiled proudly. "You are so much more than that. You're one of us."
Sookie smiled, somewhat reassured, but still completely freaked out. After the last episode of her life, all Sookie really wanted was to be free of the supernatural world, to take the time to mourn for her relationship with Bill, and rebuild her life the way she wanted to. Now college seemed like a far-flung dream; but what could she do? She couldn't let the Fae face death if there was something she could do to help them. She couldn't deny what she was, and she couldn't refuse Claudine's plea to her; the only conclusion was that she would have to help them, she had no choice.
"Ok." Sookie nodded with as much certainty as she could muster. "Tell me about this war."
Claudine smiled, a look of relief swept over her face. "Thank you, Sookie."
Over the next few hours, Claudine went on to tell Sookie of the origins, not only of the war, but of the Fae history itself. She began to say how every myth has some founding in truth.
"It is true that Salem, Massachusetts was the witch hub of the new world, it was also the hub for every other supernatural. When the new world was discovered, many branches of the supernatural world, much like the humans, fled to the new world with the hope that it could bring them a new beginning. Europe, in particular Celtic Ireland, Scotland and England, had begun to be a dangerous place for them to breed, and vampires knew they resided in the countryside, and despite their best efforts, they were being picked off one by one. With the temptation of Fae blood unable for them to refuse, the vampires were closing in."
"This left many, although not all, of the Fae moving with the pilgrims to New England. This is where we resided; the landscape wasn't too dissimilar and faeries, as a rule, need the open countryside to thrive and be happy, much like the design of the Summerlands. As you will know, 1692 was the year of the Salem witch trials. This was a dark era for humanity, and it was difficult to watch, I should know."
"You were there?" Sookie asked, astonished, breaking her story.
"Yes, my dear, I was part of the Fae that originally came over from Ireland." Claudine nodded, and despite Sookie being able to understand how old she was, it was still strange when she heard first person accounts of events that happened hundreds of years ago.
Claudine continued with her story as Sookie walked with her through the forests of the Fae world. "However, what is left out of human history is that the human men behind the Salem Witch Trials were glamoured by a vampire."
"Shut. Up." Sookie's mouth dropped open, as she paused to a standstill.
Claudine continued. "Back then, the witches and the Fae coexisted peacefully, they were our neighbours and friends, helping each other when we could. This particular vampire, Christophe, was evil; he set the Salem Witch Trials in motion in attempt to hunt out and terrorise all the witches who lived in harmony with the Fae. Rumour was that Christophe had a faerie lover who betrayed him, which left him scorned and so mounted his revenge on all the Fae folk." Claudine tried to disguise it, but Sookie just picked up on a quiver of anxiety that disappeared from radar just as quickly as it had appeared. Sookie felt for Claudine; it must be terrible watching one vampire inflict so much death and pain to others. "The witches protected the Fae while they walked this world; it was them who showed us how to mask our appeal and suppress our essence to vampires. Christophe needed to scare witches enough to withdraw their helping the faeries until we were on our own – alone, we are no match for vampires. Once Christophe spread the word to other vampires that drinking faerie blood could make them walk in the sun, they joined him in his murderous quest to find all the Fae." Claudine spoke this last part with such angry passion, it made Sookie put a calming hand on her friend's should.
Claudine inhaled shakily. "The tragedy is that the witch trials were a cover for a more pressing war – a war between vampires and the Fae folk. Were it not for Christophe, there would be many more Fae and witches around today. The Fae thought it would be safer to split up and cross to all points all over the country and breed with humans to further mask their scent, protecting our legacy but still carrying it on."
"My god," Sookie breathed once she felt the story come to an end. "Claudine, what happened to this vampire?"
Claudine shrugged, holding the tears back from her eyes. "Many believe he put the true death upon himself – without the love of his Fae, he did not want to live. Others believe he's still around today, waiting for the last of the Fae's return." Claudine sniffled, pulling herself back from the emotional brink. "The vampires he included in his rampage were part of an order to keep going with this mission which has spread worldwide; some think that Christophe is still running it, others believed the legend was like the search for El Dorado and the search would just not stop, despite his death. Either way, I fear they are getting close."
"How do you know?" Sookie enquired, her tone of voice soft.
"I can feel it." Claudine answered, looking her in the eye. "We all can." She looked around to her kinfolk, who laughed and danced and sang as if there were no care in the world, but even Sookie could feel the hum of anticipation, anxiety and in some, fear, that they were all emanating. "There are three portals between this world and your world, Sookie, three doors to go in and out. No one but us know about these doors, but somehow, the vampires seem to be getting unnervingly close." Claudine lowered her voice to a whisper. "It seems unlikely that they found them on their own. There is talk that their locations have been betrayed, though no one knows how."
"That's awful." Sookie exclaimed.
"We need a defence, and you might just be the key to our very salvation." Claudine told her. "In Salem, there is a cave, unnoticeable and unfound by man, that only a Fae can detect, set up before the witch trials by our witch friends. Whereas once the witch and Fae were united against vampires, the trials left them sore, scattered and bruised. They came to fear the vampires and relinquished their alliance with the Fae, but promised to stay neutral, helping neither the Fae nor the vampires, and as a final act of friendship, they cursed themselves should they ever reveal the cave's location to a vampire. This cave is but one of three worldwide, it is booby trapped in several ways, the entrance filled with dust of dead Fae that came before them; protectors of the entrance. In this cave, there is one of the entrances to the Fae world, but before that it is said there is a chest with something inside it, something that no one but the Fae know about, and not even we know what is inside. The cave and chest predate the Fae's arrival in the new world; legend says the chest holds something that could save the Fae race, something that would ensure our survival, but something so tempestuous and unpredictable that it was split into three and told that it should not be used lightly, but only as a last resort." Sookie nodded, entranced by the story. "You must go to this place, grab the chest and meet me here with the other two half-Fae, Daemon and Nissa, doing the same job for the other two portals."
"There are others?" Sookie asked, feeling immediately reassured. "Can I meet them?"
Claudine nodded, with a smile on her face. "Once you've crossed the entrance back here with the chest, we will all meet up here and discuss how to proceed."
"And that's all that was said before I saw a blinding light and returned back to the cemetery I'd left only a few hours before. Or so I thought." Sookie shrugged, still not quite able to grasp the time that elapsed.
She looked over to Alcide, his eyes were almost out of his head. He opened his mouth to form words, but as Sookie knew, his thoughts were too jumbled to make sentences. "Well, that's..." He winced, exhaling having not realised he held his breath so long. "The witch trials were set up by a vampire?" Sookie nodded, appreciating that he was having as much difficulty with this as she did. "And now you're gonna be a part of a war that may or may not get you killed by crazy-ass vampires so that you can save your people?"
Again, Sookie nodded. "Yep, that's about it in a nutshell." Alcide nodded, his mind making sense of it all. Then he turned to Sookie with a thought that surprised her. "No!" Sookie replied to the thought before he had a chance to verbalise it.
"Sookie, I'm just saying if you're going up against vampires anyway, wouldn't it make sense?" Alcide reasoned with her. "Vampires are stronger than werewolves, even I admit that."
"Vampires are the problem here, Alcide, not the solution. How do you think Claudine and the Fae would feel about me bringing a vampire here?" Sookie asked, immediately flustered.
"I'm just saying, as much as I hate the guy, if Eric or even Bill knew where you were and what you were doing – " Alcide began with a warning tone in his voice.
"They would not have let me come, and they will continue not knowing. Ok?" Sookie said firmly. "And now that you know, I understand if you want to leave."
Alcide sighed and started the car up again; the sun now high in the sky. "Well if you're gonna be emotionally blackmailing me like that, how can I leave? You'll get dead out here without me, Sookie, fairy powers or no."
Sookie smiled appreciatively. "Thanks, Alcide."
"Uh huh." Alcide smiled as he kicked the car into gear, and pulled back onto the road. "So on to this cave. Any ideas where it is?"
Sookie nodded enthusiastically; entirely glad that it was Alcide who came with her on this trip and no one else. He was kind, patient, understanding and exactly what she needed; telling him felt like the weight she had been carrying since she got back had been lifted, and for the first time in a while, she actually felt happy.
