-1My eyes locked onto his in sheer panic, because, damn, she looked fucking fuming. Eric, on the other hand, didn't look at all phased. He gave me one last look, conveying something with his eyes that I didn't know what, before rolling over and climbing off the couch, completely comfortable in his nakedness in front of his Queen. Then again, he had nothing to be ashamed of. He reached for his jeans in a cavalier way, shaking them out as he replied, "Of course, Your Majesty," in his usual impassive tone of voice. Meanwhile I was freaking out, following his lead and looking around wildly for my clothes. I shoved my nice underwear on - obviously foregoing the torn bra since it would do no good - and the top, but I couldn't see my jeans. They weren't where they were taken off. I crouched down on the floor seeing if they were under Eric's desk. Sure enough they were, and I reached out to grab them. I'd just got a hold and was pulling when a Louboutin heeled foot stepped on them.
"You can leave them off," the Queen's condescending voice said, making me almost groan in frustration. Why didn't she realize that I wasn't comfortable with her coming on to me? I sighed and walked over to the door that Sophie-Anne was now holding open impatiently. I looked up at Eric who was smirking in my direction but not exactly at me… he was looking at my neck where he'd bitten. Blood was dried up all around it - I could feel it - and yet I couldn't bring myself to find it disgusting. It meant I was his. That thought send thrills down my spine, as well as to… other places.
I wondered what would happen now. Would we go back to playing our silly little cat and mouse game that made us both desperate for something to snap? Surely not. I worried about his attraction to me. Would it wane now that he'd gotten what he surely wanted? Eric didn't strike me as the sort of person to be monogamous. I didn't really expect him to be - I just didn't want to be cast aside like some used up human. In all honesty, I didn't know what I wanted to happen next. I would just go along with it and see how it played out, because that was all I could do.
As soon as I walked through the door, I heard it slam shut behind me and I heard hissing coming from it and a loud clatter. I didn't know who was hissing at who and I didn't really want to. I walked a little further up the corridor towards the music to give the vampires some privacy, but I didn't dare venture out into the bar with no pants on. Not that I'd exactly stand out from the fangbangers who wore next-to-nothing, but I still had scruples. I sighed, walking around the corridor, bored and barefoot. What the fuck was I going to do until they were finished, which could be all night?
I felt a wind behind me and I quickly turned around, terrified, but relaxed when I saw Godric standing there with a small smile on his face that didn't reach his eyes. I looked down suddenly self-conscious about the fact that I was wearing nothing on the bottom half of me. I opened my mouth to apologize, but I thought again when I realized he'd probably heard the encounter between the Queen and his child. I bent over a little trying to pull my t-shirt down a little, but it would only go so far.
I swallowed. "Hey," I said shakily.
He bowed his head slightly in greeting before looking down the corridor where Eric's office was. "She's not happy with him."
I nodded, shuffling uneasily. "Do you know why?" I looked down the corridor too, and when I looked back Godric was staring intensely at the crusted blood on my neck. I self consciously raised my hand and began to wipe at it, wincing a little when my fingers skimmed over the tender holes.
He nodded towards the fang bites. "That's the reason."
I frowned, confused. All this fuss was because of me? Because he bit me when she wanted me?
Godric laughed a little at my perplexity. "They are both quite fond of you, Evelyn. Eric more so, I think."
I continued to frown because it was strange thinking of Eric to be "fond" of anything, let alone me.
"Right," I lamely replied, to which he didn't say anything. He just continued to look at me and listen to things I couldn't hear and didn't want to.
"She wants you to join her court," Godric murmured after a moment. My facial expression turned to one of worry.
"She said I was welcome to visit, but I thought it was optional." I wondered what Eric was saying back. Sure, he was a lot older and far more cunning that I believed Sophie-Anne to be, but she was above him in the hierarchy, and vampire laws were very strict. I didn't know what his reaction would be. He'd said that being 'his' would make it forbidden for her to touch me, but I was sure that, because she was Queen, certain rules and regulations didn't matter. I tried to remain outwardly calm like Godric appeared to be all the time.
"Sophie-Anne is very lonely. Other Kings and Queens around America have partners, usually vampire ones. She, on the other hand, has no vampire lovers nor any special human ones. She is restricted to New Orleans mainly because she has to deal with state issues. She is in need of new company, which is where you fit in."
I listened to Godric intently, knowing he wasn't one to say what he didn't mean. I somehow felt a lot of sympathy for the Queen at that moment, wondering how she managed to deal with a whole state without any one person to lay her troubles off on. I, at least, had Sookie now. I thought about what he'd said - "special ones". Special like Sookie? Surely she'd rather have her than I - I was definitely nothing special.
I voiced my concerns to Godric who in turn thought about it from a vampire perspective, and from one who knew Sophie-Anne.
"She can appreciate defiance when in the mood. She must've overheard Eric telling me of your's. She likes anyone who can deny Eric anything. She is a little jealous of his age and his power." His voice grew slightly quieter towards the end, not wanting her to hear his opinion. I supposed she was very engaged in her ferocity to listen to anything beyond the office. I tried to picture it, but all I could envision was Eric sat behind his desk looking bored as the Queen ranted. I knew it wouldn't be, as that would be rude. Sophie-Anne didn't look like the sort of person to overlook rudeness - that had been clear with her display towards Sookie earlier on.
I nodded at Godric, wondering what the hell I should do.
He seemed to read my thoughts. "I shall see if I can calm Sophie-Anne down, as well as my child. You should return to your friends, they were slightly worried."
I nodded again, thanking Godric for his advice and information, to which he smiled a little in reply. He walked down the corridor and into the office, and I briefly heard Eric's voice say, "She's mine, now," and I couldn't help but smile.
I walked off into the crowd, momentarily forgetting I was half naked. When some vampire grabbed my butt, I whirled around, completely mortified and kind of pissed off.
A balding vampire who must've been turned sometime in his fifties smiled a fanged smile at me. His attire suggested that he'd been turned sometime in the 20's, as he looked the part. It may have just been his favorite era, but I could make my assumptions.
"You're what all the fuss is about down there?" He had a very English accent, warm and inviting like most vampire's voices were. It was part of their charm, I supposed. He gestured down the corridor I'd just come from, and I considered lying before thinking again and nodding a little. He continued to smile, and my stomach grew queasy with anxiety. I surreptitiously (or so I thought) began to look around for Sookie, Bill and Jess, but when I looked over to where they were previously sat, the table was empty, only their drinks remaining.
The vampire noticed where I was looking. He placed a large hand on my hip, walking a little closer to me. I tried to pull back a little, but his grip was so strong I couldn't move very far. He smirked again. "The blonde got a phone call from her brother. They left pretty quickly about ten minutes ago. Bill Compton told Pam to let you know where they went, but Pam's lazy." He paused, looking to his right quickly then looking back. "And very occupied with a new toy." I looked to my left to see that he was, indeed, right. Pam was getting very hot and heavy with a young blonde boy, her fangs extended and gazing at his neck hungrily. I looked away, my stomach growing even more knotted. It felt like my heart was going to beat out of my chest but I tried to regulate my breathing so he didn't know. I'd stood up to Eric plenty - this guy was nothing in comparison. Plus, I had Eric's mark on my neck. He'd marked his territory, as annoyed as that phrase made me.
"Right. Thanks for letting me know. I'll just sit and wait for Eric to finish up." I shrugged and went t turn around, only for his grip to increase further. I looked back at him and frowned. "Care to let go?"
His smirk faded and he focused in on my eyes very closely. "Come with me outside and I'll show you what you've been missing…"
I felt a tugging on my mind, like on Harry Potter when Dumbledore draws out a memory with his wand, and I didn't know what to do. I felt light-headed, as though I was going to pass out, and then…nothing.
People were hissing. The constant hissing that being associated with vampires became almost normal. I could hear things being splattered everywhere, and I felt a flick of something land on my cheek. This continued for a few more seconds before I heard a muted thud, as though something heavy had been dropped on the floor. The next thing I registered was that I felt cold, and there was a throbbing, yet excruciating, pain in my wrist. It was as though I'd broken it, and then it'd been stamped on several times. It didn't really matter how it happened - the problem was that it did. A crackling, throaty sound escaped my lips without my mind's consent, and I felt a bubbling sensation in the back of my throat. It felt like I was drowning. I coughed and spluttered, trying to get rid of the feeling, and it eventually subsided.
No sounds were being made now apart from my coughing. It was as though that noise was the only sound in the whole world. Everyone else was just…quiet. Peaceful.
The soothing silence was broken abruptly when I heard the clattering of heels and quiet thuds walking towards me, followed by various other footsteps. I vaguely wondered what was happening, who these people were, where I was, but all I could remember was the pain in my wrist and the now-gone silence. When I heard something that sounded like hisses begin, something popped into my head, a familiarity. I knew that sound. Yet, for the life of me, I couldn't place it. It brought the image of blonde and red hair to the forefront of my head, as well as black and red. Blood red.
My eyes felt lighter, then. Things were rushing back, like the fact that I could remember the hissing noise from before. I associated it with my mangled wrist. A voice in my head was telling me to open my goddamn eyes, and before I knew what was happening, small patches of light crept into my eyesight, surrounded by darkness.
I was laying down, looking up at the sky that held no stars. We were too close to the city to see any stars, and the lights from the building beside me were preventing me from seeing them, anyhow. My view was obstructed, however, by two faces that I could now place: Eric, and the Queen. Both of them had their fangs extended, a sign with made me slightly nervous, but neither of them looked particularly angry. If I had to place emotions, I'd say Eric was slightly concerned and Sophie-Anne was curious.
Out of nowhere, the Queen sighed. "Even when she's splattered in blood and broken, she still manages to be attractive. For a human, that is." She rolled her eyes at me, as though she couldn't believe my gall.
I switched my eyes to Eric when he made a non-committal grunt. His eyes were roaming over my body checking to see where I was injured.
"My wrist," I tried to get out. It was hiding beneath my leg at the moment, so he wouldn't have been able to see it. His eyes locked onto mine and I saw a little irritation in them. He clearly hadn't heard.
"Wrist," I said again, a little more clear this time. I tried to move it so he had an idea which one, and he looked at it.
There we go.
His face remained impassive but I saw his eyes tighten a little and only because I was looking at them.
"What?" I croaked, not really knowing what was wrong with it. I only knew that it hurt like hell.
He didn't reply and inside I panicked a little more. Eric not having a smart remark was never good. I shut my eyes again and I felt the pull of sleep taking over, when I heard two voices snap, "Evelyn," and my eyes opened again.
"You might have a concussion. You need to stay awake," Eric told me, before nodding to Sophie-Anne. She nodded back with her arms folded delicately and she walked off into the club again. Suddenly, I was being picked up by Eric at vampire speed, him taking care to mind my wrist and the other places he'd valued as "injured". The next thing I knew, we were passing through the bar, which was now void of people. I heard two familiar voices shout my name, but I was pretty much out of it. The voices became names when they appeared in my line of sight: Sookie and Jessica. Both of them looked panicked and Jess had remnants of blood tears around her face. She looked pretty upset about something.
I registered being placed down on a long flat surface that wasn't Eric's couch in his office and for that I was thankful. I might've been a bit hazy right then, but I could still remember what had happened on that couch not long ago. I didn't know the specifics - I didn't know how long I'd been out in the parking lot.
"Sweetie," I heard and saw Sookie say, her voice cracking a little, "can you tell us what happened?"
Everyone stopped talking around me and I tried to clear my throat. I still had that drowning sensation going on which threw me off. "Some guy came up to me…he asked me to come outside and I remember thinking 'no' and I told him some smart-ass comment at first… but then somehow, I ended up doing just that." My voice was unbelievably hoarse as I spoke, not knowing how anyone could understand that, but clearly they did because Eric spoke up next.
"We dealt with him."
I looked over at him to find he was looking off into space, deep in thought. I wondered what he was thinking about, but then decided that ignorance is bliss and I probably didn't want to.
"He made a bit of a mess of you, however," Sophie-Anne said, sounding a little ticked off. Her fangs were still out and I knew she wasn't turned on - clearly I was bleeding.
"What do you mean?" I asked, since the only thing that hurt was my wrist. I concentrated on the other parts of my body and sure, I felt a little bumped and bruised, but nothing drastically hurt.
"He fed from you," Eric murmured, clearly not happy about this. "Violently."
The final word he said made me stomach lurch. He fed from me violently? What did that mean? I voiced my question to the group and everyone hesitated for a moment. Tired of the melodramatics, Queen Sophie-Anne sighed.
"A chunk of your wrist got bitten off, dear," she told me, annoyance in her voice. Evidently, she was still a little pissed off with Eric from before. That, or something else had wound her up when I was out.
I froze with what she said. A chunk had been bitten out of my wrist? Seriously? The thought turned my stomach around even more, and I thought I was going to throw up. I gagged, and Sookie and Jess took a step forward, as though they were going to do something, but I quelled it, not wanting to add to my list of pathetic-ness. I spluttered a little, before dying my dramatics to heavy breathing.
"My wrist's been bitten off?" My voice box protested against talking so loudly, making my words become muffled and cracked. I sounded like an old woman, and I didn't like it.
"Not completely," Jess said sympathetically. "Just a section."
I wasn't listening to her, though, as Eric had started talking to Sophie-Anne at the same time. "She's losing a lot of blood. We need to do something." He sounded pretty angry, and I wondered why.
The reason appeared when the Queen spoke after scoffing. "I'm not letting you give her your blood. You're not forming a bond."
"But Your Majesty-" he protested calmly but with a hint of anger.
She lunged for him, taking me by surprise, and slammed him up against the nearest wall. She started saying things to him that I couldn't hear, but it made me fear a little for Eric. I couldn't understand why they were talking about giving me blood… I didn't need their blood, I just needed a transfer. And a hospital.
I looked to Sookie. "Can't I just go to hospital, please?"
Sookie looked at me sympathetically and moved to wipe a piece of hair from my face. She opened her mouth to speak when we heard Godric's voice from across the bar.
"He was from Mississippi. All is cleared with Russell. He sends his regards," he announced, looking pointedly at Sophie-Anne. She nodded gratefully at him and he returned it, but frowned when he saw that she was holding his child prisoner in her hands. He quickly moved from the other side of the bar to where they were stood, and he placed his hand on Sophie-Anne's shoulder, whispering words I couldn't hear. She eventually let go of Eric, who slicked back his hair smoothly and shook out his jacket a little. I would've smiled if I wasn't slightly worried for my life.
I looked back at Sookie who answered my previous question. "We'd have to get the police involved… the vampire who did this is dead, Evie. It'd look bad on this area. A lot of bad things could happen to Eric." She looked up at him apprehensively, making sure she explained it properly. I looked over at him since he was now closer. He nodded at us, showing Sookie to be correct. As much pain as I was in, I didn't want Eric to lose his area.
"What can we do, then? I-" I coughed a little, trying to get rid of the scratchy voice, but it only made my throat burn even more. "-my wrist hurts like hell. I need to see someone." I paused, fear striking me as these words entered my thought process. "I don't want to die."
The words made me panic even more, considering the fact that while Eric and Sophie-Anne argued, I might die of blood loss. The thought wasn't encouraging.
"You won't die," Eric said, entirely sure of himself. He looked utterly torn, and I noticed that his wrist kept on going to his mouth as though he was going to bite it, only to do another thing, like slick his hair back or rub his chin. It seemed everyone was waiting for the Queen to decide what to do. Godric was still talking to her, and I wished I could hear. She was nodding every so often, then she would abruptly give him a look that clearly said, "as if." This happened a few times in the time I watched them.
The rest of us remained silent as they deliberated, apart from the odd cough every now and them from me. The pain in my wrist was getting worse, and I was beginning to feel other pains too, like in my ribs. It felt like one of them had been fractured or worse: broken. I stared at Eric the entire time Sophie-Anne and Godric chatted. He was very…pretty to look at. It was a plus, as it distracted me from thinking, "Holy shit, I'm going to die." Instead, my thoughts were filled with, "Huh; I just had sex with this man," then having a victory dance in my head. Yes, it distracted me plenty.
Finally, just as I'd started drifting back off to sleep - or what felt like sleep - Sophie-Anne and Godric sprung to life (well…sort of), and walked back over to where we stood. Sophie-Anne had her arms crossed and looked like a petulant child who'd just lost an argument. Godric smiled at his child, and spoke.
"Eric, you may give her your blood if you so choose."
Eric's eyes widened slightly in disbelief, before he appeared in front of me with blood oozing out of two holes in his wrist. I considered the idea that that disgusting, but then decided to stop being picky and drink.
So I did.
I wrapped my lips around it and began to suck. At first it tasted like blood does - coppery, metallic, just generally revolting - but after a while it began to taste relatively nice, rich and smooth. I noticed Eric's eyes fluttering closed after a while, in contentment, relief or arousal, but he eventually pulled away, murmuring something about "over-cooking me", but I wasn't listening. Instead, I was marveling at the sensation running around my body, electrical sparks setting off from the top of my head to my toes, focusing on the areas that hurt the most. My throat stopped feeling like I was drowning, and my wrist actually felt like it was being pulled back together. It was strange and … brilliant. Wonderful. I felt…alive.
I closed my eyes as this sensation took over, relishing in it, completely content. When I reopened them, everyone had moved away from my eyesight. I frowned, as Eric had just been crouching there, and sat up. I got a slight head-rush from being laid down for so long, which threw me off slightly. I looked around to find everyone where they were before and Eric sat on a chair by my side. He looked bored, yet relieved. Clearly, the drama for the evening was over.
I heard Sophie-Anne sigh, "What a waste. You're lucky I respect Godric far more than you, Mr. Northman." She grumbled again, walking towards the exit. "Evelyn, even though you have the Viking's blood in you, do feel free to visit me. New Orleans. I've put my cell number in your's. Call me." And with that, she walked out the door into the night, her loyal minions following her.
I whispered a, "thank you" to her, as she had saved my life as well as Eric, and she whipped around to give me a soft smile that quickly turned into a seductive one. I found it highly odd that she, a Queen and an old vampire, had a cell. It didn't seem right. Then again, I knew Eric had one. Maybe it was how they regained their youth.
"How-" I started, frowning. I rethought my question. "Why did Sophie-Ann change her mind?" I asked anyone who would answer. I initially looked to Eric who threw a look at Godric. I trained my eyes on him as he shrugged.
"Sophie-Anne and I go back several centuries. She acts rashly most of the time, but I managed to make her see sense. If she did not let Eric give you his blood, she would have to assign somebody else to. She didn't want to give you her blood, as it is rare for Kings and Queens to do so, and she knew Bill's or Jessica's blood may not work as well. I offered to give you mine, but she knew it was similar to Eric's. In the end, she conceded."
I listened with the frown that always made an appearance when Godric spoke. His words were slow yet fast, and they always held meaning. I also frowned because I didn't understand why Sophie-Anne so easily went back on her words. She didn't seem like the sort of vampire to do so. I supposed Godric scared her a little with his age, and I assumed he had a large fan-base. He could've overruled her, perhaps, so she tried to appease him.
So I did what I usually did - I dumbly nodded my head, looking at Eric again. I thanked him, to which he nodded, and I also asked what had happened to me. It was Sookie who answered in his place.
"You were glamored, Evie. You know, the mind control thing that vampires can do? It doesn't work on me, but the vampire who attacked you glamored you into going outside with him." She looked at me sympathetically. I wondered why she couldn't be glamored but I could. Sookie seemed to have everything going for her.
Eric picked up where she left off. "When I realized you were gone, I found you being…mauled by him in the parking lot. I instructed Pam to clear everyone out and call your cousin, and attacked him. He claimed he only did what he was doing because you smelt so delicious." His face turned murderous, but my face twisted into one of complete disgust. How un-evolved could you get? It sounded like he was a child - doing what he wants, only focusing on his id. It was repulsive. I swallowed, wondering what might've happened to me if Eric and Sophie-Anne hadn't have intervened.
Don't. It's over. Don't think about it.
I exhaled deeply and nodded my head once. "It's over now. I'm okay, you're all okay. It's good." I nodded again to punctuate my words and to make myself believe them.
Sookie came closer to me and wrapped her arms around me, which spurred Jessica on too. The three of us had a special moment where everything was perfect, and then they pulled away, smiling.
"I'm so glad you're all right. I nearly shit myself when Sookie told me what happened!" Jessica exclaimed, her eyes wide.
"Jessica!" Bill reprimanded. I'd forgotten he was there, but then I supposed he didn't have much to say in the situation before. We weren't that close, but I thought we probably should get to know each other better for Sookie's sake.
Jess rolled her eyes at her maker, mumbling, "You suck," under her breath as she walked away to slump on a chair opposite Eric.
Silence penetrated the congregation momentarily, before Godric spoke up.
"Its almost dawn. I should take my leave. I'm staying in a nearby hotel for now, Eric," he said, premeditating his child's questioning. "Thank you for your offering of accommodation. I shall return tomorrow night, before leaving for Dallas. It was nice to meet all of you." He smiled a little and nodded to Eric, saying something in the foreign language he'd used before. He walked by us to the door, stopping as he got to me.
"I very much enjoyed meeting you, Evelyn. I hope we will do so again." He inclined his head, and I reciprocated, telling him it was great to meet him too. Godric then walked out of the bar and into the night.
We all watched him until the door shut, and even then we all stared at the door for a moment before Eric spoke again.
"I will rest here for the day. Evie, you will stay with me."
I snapped my head the other way to look at him. "Why?" I demanded, slightly offended that he'd just ordered me around.
He looked at me meaningfully. "Because I said so."
I thought about arguing with him just for the sake of it, but I eventually sighed and climbed off the makeshift table.
"I'll see you tomorrow," I said to Sookie, Jess and Bill. They said their goodbyes to me - Sookie's and Jess's punctuated with hugs - and they walked out the same door so many others had walked out of tonight.
Before I could even turn back around, I felt Eric whiz behind me, slithering his hands over my hips and to my stomach, pulling me close against his body.
"Now, my lover," he murmured, dragging his nose along my neck where my jugular vein was, inhaling me, "where were we?"
Ta-da! A new chapter without having to wait months for it. It's a miracle. Really. Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed it. And I hope Evie doesn't seem too pathetic. I'm not too sure of my writing style here (it seems a bit off) but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless. It's not as long as last time, but it's still 5000 words long. Pretty decent, no?
Thank you to all those who reviewed last chapter. I think I got back to those of you who I could, but those who hadn't signed in so I couldn't reply, thank you very much. :D
Thank you to all those who are still reading. I'm sad to say this story is drawing to a close soon, but I have been writing another one simultaneously for anyone who's interested. I've not wrote much, but it's got Godric and Eric in it. A lot. Although Eric doesn't come in for a while. Heh.
I apologise for any spelling errors/grammar errors, etc. I think I need a beta for my next story. Hm.
Anyway, thanks for reading, and please review, as they make my exam-filled life a lot better. Assuage my stress. :')
