A/N - SVM Characters belong to Mrs. Harris, I am only redecorating. Again, many thanks for the awesome feed back and reviews. A bit of information about the time line of this story. Eric's take over was on October 2, 2014 and the last few chapters occur the first week of February, 2015.
UPDATE - Corrected the mangling I did of Eric's endearments - thank you ArnaKittyPet
Chapter 11 - Jingle Bells
Scene 1 - SPOV - 'Chère'
The acidic smell of chemicals pulled me from unconsciousness, though the pain of some broken bone almost pulled me back under. I took hold of the pain and walled it away. I needed to be awake and aware. I open my eyes and stare at the drop ceiling above me, then lower to the cinder block walls. I am in some sort of storage room; there are cleaning chemicals on steel shelving. I can feel a vibration start, and a cough of tired machinery followed by a roar, the smell of burning dust competes with the chemicals. I am near some sort of furnace room.
I am laying on a camping cot with a sheet thrown over me. I close my eyes and mentally catalog my injuries, bruised or broken ribs probably from the seat belt, I can taste blood in my mouth but I am breathing freely at the moment. I may have a broken shoulder or collar bone based on the pain. I try to sit up, it hurts like a bitch but I manage, and swing my legs and feet to the floor. My hair is falling around my face in tangles, and my clothes are gone, I am dressed in cotton scrubs. I can tell right away that I will not be able to push myself to my feet; something in my upper body is definitely broken. I rock my body forward and up, using momentum to gain my footing, the room dips and sways for a moment, my stomach threaten to rebel.
I walk my small cell once, and then seat myself again, I need to hoard my strength. There is nothing in the room that I can use as a weapon, the chemicals are locked away and the cot is bolted to the floor, it was time for me to identify my captors. I close my eyes and drop my shields, opening my mind and throwing a new out. I count twenty five humans and one void, five of the humans are moving toward me.
He says she is a pretty thing I hope I get a piece of her
I wonder if they will let me order take out I am starving
They shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils after whom they have gone a whoring
I sink into myself, coaxing my power to the surface, the response is sluggish but soon I have a wall of energy waiting for those that come through the cell door. Their minds had told me all I needed, I was being held by a branch of the Fellowship of the Sun. The first two men walk right into my trap, they are too busy looking at me, they are thrown back through the door in the hallway, I hear one scream and then a sickening crack, the other just collapses to the ground. Two more men come through the door way, they are furious, I call more power, and it ripples over me then slams into them. I only push them back to the doorway; the power is not as forceful, not good.
The men are back on me in seconds, grabbing at me, punching me; I try to call a skin of air around me to absorb some of the punishment, power sputters and refuses to answer.
The men pounding on me are dress in jeans and sweatshirts or work shirts, hardened by physical labor, and enjoying their current activities. I can see the last guy standing at the door, just watching, very tall; rail thin a bushy head of blonde hair and a scruffy beard. It is his mind that is spouting off about devils and whores. My head rings when one of the toughs gets a lucky shot, another and I am in the blackness again.
The sound of my own scream brings me back to the light; my arms are being stretched above my head, broken bone, torn muscle and sinew shriek. I am panting, fighting the pull to darkness again. The blurry body in front of me steps back after I hear the snick and feel of restraints around my wrists. I tug at my legs they are also restrained, slightly parted. The room I am in is some sort of class room; there are sketches on the walls done by little kids. My stomach churns in horror when I see the content, obviously vampires and shifters drawn in crayon, burning on a cross and other types of atrocities.
I am leaning against one of the walls, strapped to a couple of boards that are in a 'X' shape, weight hanging against broken bone. I try to read the minds of those milling around me, more of the same type of men from earlier, a couple of rough looking women, their minds are filled with filth. A set of double doors open in the back, and three new comers enter the skinny man from before, and the vampire Rene with Arlene? Arlene is carrying my stuff and places the pile of clothes and items on one of the desks in front of me.
I open my mouth and manage to croak, "Arlene what the hell you doing here?"
The skinny guy is the one who answers me, after he has the rest of the audience leave the room other than Rene and Arlene.
"Miss Stackhouse, a pleasure to finally meet you. My name is Tom Bradshaw, and I welcome you to the humble abode of my congregation. It is a distinct honor to be in the presence of a creature so highly regarded in the supernatural community. I am sure you know Ms. Fowler and our most valuable partner Mr. Lanier? I will leave them to explain your current situation, while I prepare for the evening's festivities. I will see you again shortly," he says, then takes his leave.
I turn my attention back to Arlene, who has seated herself at the desk, like a little school girl. I try to read her mind; all I pick up are recitations of nursery rhymes, and the fact that she has been heavily glamoured in the past. I catch Rene moving and watch as he comes to stand in front of me. He reaches out to lift my chin, tilting my head a bit to examine my face.
"Oh cher, that be one shiner you gonna have, let's see what else we got here shall we?" he asks, taking a knife from his belt he quickly cuts away the scrubs leaving me naked. His fangs have dropped and he lisps a bit.
"Awe so beautiful, but where be those scars you use'ta have, I wanted ta examine the work of a master myself." he chides.
"Why am I here," I ask, Rene is still tracing my body with his knife, but he hasn't cut me.
Arlene is the one to speak, her words a student's recitation to their teacher.
"You are here because you whore for the blonde devils spawn, you whore for his child, and you whore for his clan. You are a child of darkness, ripping the minds right out of good people. You had to come back didn't you, come back to tell secrets that you tore outta the minds, Rene's secret. You didn't know my secret though did you, you whore. You couldn't take it from me oh no," she is babbling.
"What secret Arlene," I whisper, Rene backhands me, my lip cracks and he ducks in to lick at my lips for the blood. I can see his eyes begin to dilate.
"Don't touch her!" Arlene screams, rushing up and trying to pull him away from me.
Arlene is the one to slap me this time, "You will not have him bitch, whore of Satan, and he is mine. You will not ruin my plans, such perfect plans, you will not ruin," she snarls.
"Yes a perfect plan, I have risen in the fellowship, I have power, all thanks to Rene. He feeds me you see, feeds me knowledge of the devils and the foul animals. He tells me where they live, where they feed, where they sleep, he tells me. He tells me who they are with, who they love, he tells me of their families. I tell the elders, they decide. If they like what I say, Rene stays free, and we stay free, if they like what I say. So they love me they do, the elders, for many have burned, many have died, many have been cleansed." she is swaying side to side, caught in her own insane litany.
Arlene reaches up and hugs me, "But you Sookie, you are the best, the strong one will come for you, the devil king, and he will die, and you will die and we will leave, Rene and I for a new life." She drops to the floor into a huddle rocking. She has been glamoured one time too many, her mind nothing but cheese.
Rene swears, walks over and pulls Arlene to her feet, sitting her back at the desk, while speaking to me.
"You know cher, if it not for you, I wouldna be vampire this day. I have you to thank for introducin' Mr. Compton," he says. "If not for my Maker, I woulda died in Jason's place."
"What the hell are you talking about?" I ask.
He laughs, standing in front of me arms crossed, still holding the knife.
"Cher, dem women that Jason was fuckin? I had dem last, watched as they breathed their last breath. Jason and I use'ta share, but those bitches, de let vampire bite dem, thought that made dem better den us. Jason he took the fall for me, though he didna know."
He waves the knife at me, "Oh, and yer gran, now that was one tasty female, she was my first meal ya know, when I rose," he smirks.
"I will kill you," I said.
I need to kill him, I need to rip and tear, but I cannot move, I can only snarl at him, so weak. On the desk behind him, poking out from my things, I see one of my ebony hair sticks.
"I donna think so Sook," he says, dropping the knife so that he can run his hands over me.
"I think you and I gonna have a good time afore the others come back, first I am gonna taste you," he bites my good shoulder hard and begins to drink.
I howl, it is Andre all over again, rage burns, hate and despair, magic tries to answer the beast. I can feel my power, sputter, flare, I try to find focus. The hair pin begins to shimmy and shake, a whirl of air tugging pulling at it. Rene still feeds from me, draining me, I need to distract him.
"You make a poor vampire Rene," I taunt, "too weak and pathetic."
He growls and pulls away, releasing my shoulder, dropping his hand to his belt, "I will show ya weak ya stupid bitch," he snarls, hands dropping to release himself, then latches back onto my shoulder, rubbing over me. I am thankful he cannot enter, the way I am bound; all he can do is hump. He draws harder at me, no more time I need to finish this.
I let myself go, dropping all shields, mind and body and soul. I dive down into the depths of my magic, gathering all that remains, as currents of air surround the hair pin, lifting it from the desk, pulling it toward Rene.
"Go to hell Rene", I whisper, and then I stake him.
He explodes into a bloody mess, covering me and Arlene. Arlene starts shrieking. My head drops, so weak, so tired. All of my shields are gone, minds pounding at me, voices screaming, and a battle cry? Arlene is in my face, she has the knife, and she is yelling that I killed her husband. I don't care. She stabs me, I can do nothing. She is gone.
There is a familiar voice speaking to me, demanding from me. I manage to lift my head and focus, large blonde and furious, Eric? He holds Arlene by the throat with one hand, the other lies soft along my cheek.
"Talaðu við mig ástvinur minn, tell me you live." he urges.
I lock my eyes with the sapphire blue of his own
"Bernard is dead?" I ask him.
He nods.
"Then kill her Eric, kill them all, and burn this place to the ground, for me, kill them for me," my command is a whisper.
Scene 2 - EPOV - 'Broke your Nail'
I am the first of us at the accident scene, Pam and the others right behind me. I tell her to call Alcide and Thalia, we need trackers. Sookie's car is crushed; the ambulance crews have cut Bernard free, his body draped to the side. The police are looking for witnesses, Felicia and the others spread out, glamouring as they go, digging for information. I send Pam over to the other vehicle, a large dump truck hauling sandstone. The traffic is blocked, people are complaining, I ignore everyone while I examine the passenger side of Sookie's car.
The door is open, hanging free the window broken. The webbing of her shoulder harness has been cut, part of it missing. I examine the seat, there is blood, and I can smell her. There is a glimmer on the floor; I reach to find a tiny brass bell and her clutch. I put the bell in my pocket, and open the clutch. Her phone, a silver chain and id are still inside, another way I cannot track her.
I test the bit of bond I have with her, a faint echo of pain is all I feel. I curse wishing for the illusion of our bond to be real. Pam returns to me, she has nothing but the scent of the driver and the name of the company the vehicle was registered to. The driver is long gone; no one appeared to know where. There are six of us here now and we circle outward flying and running, scouting for a body thrown free or a trace of who may have taken her. We return to the vehicle, most of the accident debris has been cleared away. Dawn is coming and we are still empty handed.
Alcide tells me that he will trace the truck during the day. There is no scent of vampire or shifter other than our own, only human, so trackers from the Longtooth clan will scout known Fellowship of the Sun and The Natural locations. I do not like feeling so helpless.
I rise before first dark, anxious to be on the move again. While waiting for the sun to fall, I check my phone. Alcide has found the owner of the company the truck came from. He is a known Fellowship sympathizer out of Bon Temps. Alcide had a tracker from the night before on their way; they had the truck driver's scent and Sookie's.
The sun set and I was making plans when Alcide called with confirmation. They had found the scent of both Sookie and the Driver at a Church that was ten miles out of Bon Temps.
We were on our way, my forces ready, Pam, Chow, Felicia, Clancy, Thalia and Alcide. Longshadow would manage Fangtasia and Indira was securing Gudrun from potential attack while we were otherwise occupied.
Thalia and I arrived first, the church rising before us an ancient symbol of light for the humans, now encouraging evil. The building is well lit, a dozen vehicles in the parking lot. I have Thalia go in first, her presence tiny and unassuming, easy to blend in while she searched out Sookie.
I run my hand over the hilt of the broadsword on my back; I itch to pull it free. Thalia returns to my side.
"I have found her my King," she reports, "she is bound in a large room, she has been beaten and drained, there is a dead vampire and one human female with her. The other humans have congregated at the back of the building, mostly men, a few women and no children, a little less than two dozen in total. They are all carrying some type of silver, a few have stakes, and they are expecting something like us."
I thank her and pull out my sword, we attack. There is not much of a battle, we kill many right away. I have Thalia and the others hold the remaining humans, Alcide kept an eye on the door while Pam and I head for Sookie.
My blood lust is already roused, but I have not felt such fury as that which over took me when I beheld the female stabbing Sookie. I rip her away by her throat and reach for Sookie, caressing her face, trying to rouse her.
"Talaðu við mig ástvinur minn, tell me you live." I urge her.
Her eyes raise to mine, filled with pain and a reflection of my own blood lust. Her first thought is of Bernard, she asks if he still lives, I shake my head no. She holds my gaze then my Littli stríðsmaðurgives me a command, the command to kill them all, for her.
It was my pleasure.
I flew her back to her farmhouse, leaving orders for the others to handle the arson and clean up.
She rouses while I begin to tend her; she is so weak, so fragile, drained. She needs blood, my blood, yet even now I do not wish to force her.
Sookie must have sensed my tension, the indecision in my touch as I ministered her minor wounds.
"Eric," she whispers, her hand reaches out to stop me, "give me your blood, I receive it freely, it is what I need, what we need." She stares at me fiercely, willing me to listen.
I hesitate no more, biting my wrist and holding it to her lips. Her hand holds me close while her lips wrap around me sucking hard. We both moan. I can see her getting stronger with every mouthful, Oh Goddess how I can feel her. I stop her, it is enough, and she licks the wound on my wrist as though vampire as it heals. She pulls on my arm bringing my body down over hers, when she can she touches my face, the back of my head, her hand lacing through my braid, tugging me to her. She guides me to her shoulder over the wounds from the other vampire.
"Taste me Eric," she commands, "a finish to the beginning."
I obey her, the bite as gentle as can be, the taste small and quick, but it is enough I can truly feel her now, she is a part of me as I am a part of her.
She closes her eyes and smiles, her breathing eases as she succumbs to her body's demands and sleeps.
I finish caring for the rest of her wounds, she is already healing from my ancient blood, her color is returning. I find a sleep shirt for her then dress her.
I carry her upstairs to the room I had created for us and laid her upon our bed. I strip to my shorts and lay next to her, curling around her carefully, pulling a sheet over us.
I watch over her until the coming dawn pulls me under.
A/N Talaðu við mig ástvinur minn - speak to me my beloved
Littli stríðsmaður - little warrior