Chapter 10

Casey sat in the corvette quietly waiting for the ride to be over. After about 10 minutes Eric had pulled into a driveway and was guiding the car into a garage. "Your stuff is in the trunk." He said in a bored tone as he climbed out and popped the trunk. She quietly got out and got her bags, looking around herself. She squared her shoulders as she stepped in behind him to follow him inside the house.

Casey quietly took in her surroundings as she followed Eric through the house. He stopped in front of a door so suddenly she ran into him. Her eyes opened wide and she started muttering apologies as he smirked at her and chuckled. "This is where you can keep your extra stuff little chica," he drawled then winked at her, "But you will sleep in my quarters."

Casey stared him down before slipping past him and dropping most her bags. "I think I will be fine sleeping in here, thank you." she carefully said.

"No I can make sure you don't leave if you stay in my quarters. You said you are proficient with card," Eric said, not really asking a questions but stating a fact.

"Yes, when the spirits are inclined to guide me," Casey glanced up at Eric. She clutched her purse and started looking around, to see if there was an area adequate for her to lay out a spread. "But I will need space and I am out of white candles. You wouldn't happen to have any would you?"

"Yes I do. Are you offering a reading little chica?" Eric smirked.

"I would be willing to give you one. But if you ask for more then one I shall charge for any after the first," Casey gave him a hard look.

"Very well. I will get a few candles if you will get your things together and make space in the living room." Eric pointed in the direction of the living as Casey dug her cards and incense out of her bags.

Casey quickly went to the living room and cleared the coffee table out of the way and set her stuff down. She then returned to her bags for her throw. It was a silky purple cloth with delicate moons and stars embroidered on it in random places. She spread out the cloth and set to setting up her incense and set her cards in front of her as she sat on one edge and crossed her legs.

Eric paused in the living room doorway watching the tiny witch set her area up with care. He glided across the room and put on some music that had an almost Celtic sound to it, with old Norse lyrics. As he stood by the stereo, he was surprised to see Casey close her eyes, start swaying, then quietly sing the old Norse lyrics with a tiny little voice. She sang the song perfectly on key with a voice that sounded like tiny bells.

As the song came to a close Casey opened her eyes and noticed Eric staring intently at her. She cleared her throat and glanced away rechecking her little cloth. "If you will have a seat, but I must warn you, I have not done a reading for a vampire before I do not know how well it will work. All I ask is that you do not give me any details about you opening during the reading unless I ask. Then you will know I am not using information you have already supplied."

"Makes sense. I think I can handle that." Eric watched her from his spot across the room.

"I will need you to sit down here across from me." Casey said as she started absently shuffling her cards. She watched as Eric gracefully folded up his long body and legs to sit across from her tiny form. She almost laughed when she noticed she still couldn't look him in the eye due to his height.

"OK what I need you to do is cut my cards into 3 piles. Lay the 3 piles from left to right. After doing so I need you to stack the 3 piles back up in a different order. Then we can begin," Casey smiled nervously. She quietly watched Eric cut the cards and re-stack them before she reached for them.

As Casey dealt out the cards she was not surprised to find death in the mix. She was, however, very surprised to see love in the mix. After she got the simple cross layout done she blinked at Eric then at the cards. He watched her expression and stared at the cards, not sure what she was seeing. "I think I am correct in assuming you don't take pets, and you have never had a bonded?" she asked quietly.

"If they are an asset I keep them close by. As far as bonding goes, I have not given my blood since I turned Pamela. Why do you ask?" Eric watched her for an reaction.

"Well that might change in the future. I can clearly see you have never found love with a human or even an attachment really." Casey studied her cards once again. "She will be great trouble too. I am guessing this why Hlin and Frigga have taken an interest in you after so many years." She chanced a glance up at him and noticed a slightly annoyed look on his face.

"That is highly unlikely little chica. I don't consort with humans other then for food and a fuck," Eric gave her a smug look that dripped with his high and mighty attitude. Casey snorted at him. He glared and waved his hand telling her to go on.

"I only know what the cards tell me. I see a lot of emotional turmoil in your future. Of course, when you do a reading things can often change." Casey reached into her purse for her runes quietly as she still looked at her cards. She deftly slipped the bag open and tossed her runes on the cloth and gasped softly.

"What is it now," Eric asked, while looking at the tiny stones.

"She is shrouded. All I know is she will come but nothing more. I can not even give you a time frame." Casey frowned and closed her eyes as she touched the runes. "But making her yours will not be easy. She will be immune to your talents and charms. She will also be surrounded by death." She opened her eyes and stared into Eric's ice cold eyes. "I can tell you no more."

What Casey chose to keep o herself is that this girl would be mighty powerful. Her will and charms would be like no other and she would be in the very middle of the supe community. She figured it would be best to let Eric find that out on his own.

Casey quickly scooped her cards up and began shuffling them again with her eyes closed. She planned on doing one more reading for her own purposes. While keeping her eyes closed, she began to softly murmur to her Gods. She was asking for guidance. She deftly cut her cards and re-stacked them, then dealt them out. She did not open her eyes till she placed the last card. Then she gathered her runes back into their bag and set them to the side.

Eric sat across from her watching her intently as she murmured, but not bothering to hear what she was saying. He was impressed as he watched her agile fingers work the cards with the patience of years worth of experience. He was curious about she was doing since he was told he only got one reading.

Without looking up Casey started rambling things off. "You were the son of a chieftain. You were married to your older brothers wife? Oh yes, that does make sense since he died. Altho the number of children is fuzzy. You were going to remarry weren't you? But you never made it back to your kids," Casey's eyes filled with tears as she looked up at Eric.

"That is enough of your parlor tricks," Eric spat. He neither denied or confirmed what she said.

Casey tossed her runes and stared wide eyed but did not say a word. He was turned without consent. His maker turned him for his skill with a sword, and his zeal on the battle field. He was not honor3ed or loved, like some were with their makers. She quickly scooped up her cards and runes and stood abruptly and asked for the direction to the bathroom and ran quickly out of the room when he pointed.

When she locked herself in the bathroom she sat down on the floor and cried. The knowledge from her last reading and the events of the night finally caught up to her. After allowing herself a few moments to cry and cleanse her soul, she took care of her needs. As she stood in front of the mirror she caught sight of herself. Her face was splotchy and her eyes were puffy. She quickly ran cold water over her face, hoping it would hide her crying and stepped out of the bathroom.

Casey let out a shriek as she stepped into a solid black roadblock. Taking a step back and looking up she glared into Eric's smirking face. "Why are you right out side the bathroom door?!?! Don't you know that's rude?" She tossed her arms in the air for effect.

Eric laughed at her. He all out laughed. Casey felt her temper start to rise as she wrapped her arms over her chest and turned to go back into the bathroom and lock the door. He grabbed her easily and tossed her over his shoulder. "It is almost dawn. The room you will be in will have a bathroom that you can get to, a mini fridge that has some food in it, and I have put one of your bags in it that had clothes in it. There is an inner chamber in it as well that I will be staying in. You will not be able to get into either the inner chamber or get out so I suggest not playing with the number pads." As he stopped his speech she noticed that he had stopped walking and she started struggling knowing he was opening the door.

Casey franticly started kicking screaming and hitting his back. "Please just put me down! You cant lock me in there all day! I promise I wont leave the house! Please don't lock me in there!" She was now sobbing as she pounded on his back. Eric calmly ignored her as if she was a fly repeatedly landing on his back.

Eric stepped into the room, closed the door and entered a number into the number pad. He easily glided across the room and tossed Casey on the bed in the middle of the room. "I will be retiring now because I need to make some phone calls. I shall see you at sundown. We have much to discuss so I suggest you get some rest." He glided across the room to a vault door, punched in a number and disappeared into the room, as she curls into the pillows and cried herself to sleep.