THANKS TO: vilannh, . , detterbear, jkazzie, classicoldmama, Duckbutt, VAlady, Slayerskey, jewelpearl, mindy781, Londa1795, Millarca666, Ara-Souza-Salvatore-Ivashkov, mrscoleman2009, janjan2009, classicoldmama, kimmehkinzz
Chapter 10
"We had a visitor today," Eric states as he takes his place at the head of the table and sips some blood. I'm sure he'd rather have waited for Pam, Tara and Jessica, but he can fill them in later privately. This sense of dread that I have can only dissipate with knowledge. Once we know there's a plan to stop whatever it is, we'll all feel much better.
The babies have to feel that. We still feel the tension from the them and both Rachel and myself are glowing to them. It helps a little but they are scared and rightly so since they remember the previous attack. I want nothing more than to calm my sweethearts.
Morgan places a plate of food in front of me and my stomach growls, as do the babies. I smile softly and try thinking at them instead of speaking to them: are you hungry, my lovies? There is an overwhelming thirstiness that comes over me and I am grateful when Eric is immediately beside me handing me his blood which I gulp down. Two more glasses and the thirst dissipates enough so I can eat my breakfast and listen to Eric. I'm quite grateful the weres don't react at all to my appetite.
"The visitor is named Meeka and he's a demon-human hybrid in the service of Sookie's birth mother Liliana who is now a vampire of twenty-nine years. He was sent to place some protective charms around the house."
"But the babies sensed danger," I state. Would they have been scared if they could sense he was on our side? Maybe they are too little to distinguish? But when Eric's people are around they remain calm. "How do we know we can trust him?"
"We can't," Eric answers honestly. "Not yet but I believe the information to be sound. Eris was a Greek Goddess and he reports that the ones responsible for the kidnapping and attacks are worshippers."
A Goddess? People worshipping an ancient goddess for what? Why?
"He believes the end game is simply chaos. He also says Liliana believes Eris has risen or been reincarnated somehow."
"Like the maenad?" I ask, remembering how she wanted to summon Dionysus. Could that have worked? Do all the ancient gods exist? Does the Christian one? Or are they just created in human minds to make sense of the world? Or to control it? With all I've seen, it's hard to know what to believe. "Is that possible?"
Rachel smiles and pats my hand. "All the gods from Greece to Rome to Norway, the Incan and Mayan- all existed; all were supernatural. Humanity needed a way to explain the magical. The ability to seemingly control the sun, weather, emotions… all were supes in some form. Humanity began to fear the unusual and so began to worship them, to fit in, to survive."
"So Eris was real at one point?"
"Moses as well," she nods. "Some more supernatural than others. Some perished. Some vanished to other planes of existence. But all were entities on this earth."
"Can they come back?" I ask as I sip some more blood but put my glass down quickly.
"Sookie?" Eric asks.
"Something…" I say as my mind starts- it's like vibrating or swirling. I hear words repeating over and over but I don't know what they are. A shrieking takes over and I scream and grab my head in pain. The babies start freaking out as well. I feel them kicking and struggling to... I don't even know but they are flashing red and green and yellow and white. I feel their fear shooting through my system.
"Shh," I try and calm them as I cry out in pain from their violent movement and the screeching in my head. I struggle to close out the chaos in my mind. "Ba- ow!" I yelp and twist trying to stop them from twisting me up inside.
Suddenly I'm in bed with Rachel beside me trying to help soothe them. Eric is immediately next to me and my fangs come out when I feel his wrist at my lips. I gulp him down and things blur as I scream from the overwhelming pain.
Sookie is writhing in pain as she gulps my blood down. She's yanking at her hair and Rachel tries as best she can to hold her still. Doctor Ludwig pops in and immediately opens her bag.
"What set this off?" she asks.
"I have no idea! We were having breakfast, discussing a visitor we had," I explain as she pulls out a needle. "Sookie started screaming and the babies began freaking out. Can you stop it?"
"This will," she states and fills the needle with some liquid. "It's perfectly safe," she informs me as I hold Sookie's arm as she injects it. Everything almost immediately quiets and Sookie's consciousness disappears as she falls asleep.
I stroke her forehead gently and take her hands out of her hair. I place them beside her gently as I stare at her worried face. "Why wouldn't they respond to her light? Why- she was scared, screaming like she was possessed or something. What was that?"
"That's a very good question, Northman. Why don't you tell me more about the visitor?"
"He claimed his name was Meeka and-"
"Meeka?" she asks quickly. "Was here last night?"
"This morning."
"Impossible. His kind does not travel in daylight. Cannot. Their magic is lunar."
"Well he was here. Sort of brownish green? Horns? Scent of ammonia? Possible troll?"
"Meeka smells not of ammonia," she states quickly. "He's an earthbound lunar troll and smells metallic."
"He was not metallic at all," I insist. "He said he was here placing some protection charms for Sookie's mother. He-" Though the babies were afraid and they haven't been afraid of everyone, not even of the movers who have been here. "FUCK." Protective charms? I should have trusted the babies. "FIND THOSE CHARMS!" I scream and it echoes throughout the house.
Ludwig stays with Sookie as do the tigers. The rest of us start searching the house and bedroom for anything alarming or strange. I find a couple tiny satchels that smell of ammonia and it's easy for us to follow the scent. Four of the weres go outside to start searching as we place the things we find on the counter in the kitchen.
"Could she have been cursed?" Morgan asks as she looks at the items. "These are charms I haven't encountered but I'd imagine they are dark magic. I'd have to really examine them and determine their contents."
"How did he move all around the house without someone noticing? Even if he was invisible." Although he was able to just open the curtains or close them without much effort.
"Boss!" I hear someone yell from outside before he enters. He's holding his phone up with a picture of what appears to be a talisman. "They are all over outside the house. They appear to be glowing. Should we move them?"
"No," I state. "Don't touch them until we know it's safe. We have to get Sookie out of this house," I growl as I fly upstairs where the doctor is examining her. "Get her out. Teleport her out now."
"I've tried, Vampire," she says softly. "The magic is too strong, even for me. We can only try and break whatever holds her here."
"You said you know Meeka? Is he a friend to the fae?" I wonder as I rub Sookie's stomach, hoping our children are safe inside her. "Is it the curse or your medicine that keeps them asleep?"
"The meds," she states. "Those babies need to stay calm or they could kill her. I assume your witches are working on the magic but I'd call the fae as well. They will not take kindly to an attack against one of royal blood."
I text Rachel to contact anyone who might be able to help. I also text Pam to tell her to get here as soon as they wake. We are going to need as much help as we can because I am going to rip them apart, whoever it is. There will be no mercy for anyone who tries to hurt my family.
"Meeka... might he be able to help?" I wonder as I also text Agostino. If the goal is chaos, they will no doubt be going after all manner of supes, especially ones who seek peace for all races, including the WVA.
"If he hasn't been captured. I wonder why someone would appear to you using his name? The physical description is correct, just not the scent. I'll put some feelers out immediately but his clan is lunar and cannot travel until nightfall."
Right. So right now we are powerless. I am king and over a thousand years old yet I can do nothing for my children or mate. I growl and grab the lamp from the side of the bed and throw it at the door, satisfied when it shatters all over the floor.
"By destroying the talismans, do we stop whatever is harming them?" I know it can't be that easy but what else is there that I can do? Night is still several hours away.
"It wouldn't be that easy, Northman. And moving them before you know exactly what has been done is ill-advised. You should go to ground."
"While Sookie is unprotected-"
"She is not. I will stay as will her tigers. There is nothing more we can do today. Though I would like to take some of your blood for a transfusion; they need the strength."
"Take however much you need," I tell her and extend my arm to her. She already has a knife and jar ready. She opens my wrist three times before the jar is finally full.
"Relax," she states. "There are a great many creatures who do not want these children harmed."
"But it seems as though even more powerful ones disagree." I kneel beside the bed and caress her face gently. "Can I really protect her? Will these children ever truly be safe?"
"Eric," Emma says as she walks in with a glass of blood for me. "Drink. You need your strength." I take it from her gratefully. "Morgan is already working on some ideas to destroy the charms and break the magic the talismans have created. Rachel also contacted the-"
"Sookie!" Maurella cries as she pops into the room and my fangs pop at the scent of her.
"The fae," Emma finishes.
Maurella rushes to her side and immediately begins glowing. She places a hand over Sookie's forehead and one over her heart and glows teal. I drain the glass of blood and tell Emma I'll need more if fairies will be visiting.
"What do you see?" I ask her softly as I sit beside Sookie.
"Darkness" is her answer as she stops glowing and looks at me. "All I see is a void."
"Can you teleport her out of here?" I ask. "Take her to the club, or anywhere you think is safe."
She nods and takes Sookie's hands her in hers and she's gone, but Sookie remains. Maurella reappears where she was, disappointment in her features. "We must break the magic keeping her here before it harms her or the children. I need supplies."
"It's a talisman-made spell, I believe. There are glowing talismans around the house and we found little charm satchels inside."
"I'll look," she nods. "You keep her safe as best you can and I will return."
.
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AN: I'm so sorry for the gaps. The last month and a half has been drama-filled. I'm in the middle of a custody dispute and things have just taken over my life in a dramatic way. But thank you for your continued support. I hope to have more soon!