12. Which One is Worse?
April, May and June were quiet months for Carolyn and Bill and their family. Sookie and Eric seemed content too. There were no more terrorist incidents. Newlin and the FotS disappeared from public attention for a while. Niall left them alone. Still, Bill and Eric took precautions to protect their families; they had their security systems updated and checked out every newcomer in the area that they could.
One night as Sookie was visiting with her children, Bill learned a lot more about the fae and his own fae heritage from Claude and Delaney. For one thing, they were half brothers, both sons of Dillon with different mothers. Delaney was younger than Claude by at least fifty years. You could not tell by looking at them that the two fae men were related at all, but they both shared a growing hate for their grandfather, Niall Brigant. As they sat there they told an impossible sounding story.
It seemed that the fae loved to take sexual pleasure with humans much as vampires do. However, fae loved beauty and were attracted only to the most beautiful humans. In their natural form, fae looked like wonderful, glowing human-like beings. Some humans thought they were angels. Their magic also allowed them to take human forms without the glow. Either way they were beautiful and irresistible to humans.
Humans are very similar in physical form to the fae, but some fae consider the short-lived primitive beings to be barely sentient as humans consider apes and chimpanzees. Fae believe that their minds are infinitely more superior to humans. They believe humans are not capable of real emotions like love. But the humans that are native to this planet also attract the fae.
The circle of human life takes many thousands of years to complete, and each time, the humans struggle mightily to build a civilization. This fascinates the fae who never had to struggle themselves. Humans are so energetic and full of life that the many fae are fascinated by them too. Best of all fae are sexual beings and sex with a human is always so vigorous and intoxicating; it is so different from sex with their own kind. Many fae feel entitled to have their fun.
Crossbreeding between the two species is something that the fae usually don't have to worry about. Their genes are different enough that progeny resulting from one of these unions is extremely rare, but it does happen from time to time. Fae rarely stick around to find out; and if they do, they usually hide their human families from their own kind.
Fae have no concept of human morality. Fidelity and love between human and fae is frowned upon. To most fae, it would be similar to a human falling in love with a great ape. Half-breed human/fae children are outcasts to be looked down upon.
When fae birth rates began to decline, some fae blamed it on the fact that too many fae fornicated freely with humans. These fae felt that sex with humans diminished their magic somehow and that affected their fertility. Like Breandan, many thought that the progeny of a human/fae pairing should be destroyed as unclean.
Bill's great, great, great grandmother, Ael, was full blooded fae. She was from an old fae family that was almost as noble as Niall's own royal family. Like many young fae, the beautiful fae female was fascinated by Earth and its humans and lived for a time among them. From her time here, she concluded that humans were not the primitive beings incapable of intelligence or true love as most fae thought. In time, she met and fell in love with James Compton. They married and had a son that she left when she returned to Faery.
Ael did not want to return at all, but was ordered to so by Niall who was her regent. Niall had claimed to Amy that he never met Ael until after she returned, but that was a lie. He had known and wanted Ael for himself for a very long time; she was beautiful and he wanted her for his consort. Ael did as she was bidden only to protect her human husband and half-human son; rejecting Niall's suit would have meant certain death for them both.
Niall had been occasionally infatuated with human women himself in his youth, but he never loved any of them, not even Einin, Fintan and Dermott's mother. Einin was a simple girl; she thought Niall was an angel and was happy to bed him. The others he simply forgot.
Ael was one of the very few fae who actually loved a human, and she could never forget James or her son. She never truly loved Niall, although she accepted her role as his wife. Niall was besotted by Ael, and he was jealous of the human, James Compton. She did her best to hide her feelings, but Niall always knew he was not the one she wanted.
Once they were wed, Ael was a faithful and dutiful wife. She was a beautiful consort and died fighting at his side during the last great fae war. Niall always felt he had been cheated out of Ael's love because of James Compton and their son. He was never the same after she died, in fact, some fae thought he was quite insane. By that time, James Compton was in long in his grave, so Niall swore he would have his revenge on his descendants.
Now the fae were facing extinction of their species; even the lower forms of fae were dying off. Many fae were willing to accept their fate. They believed that it was time for their kind to go as all species do eventually. But Niall had a different destiny in mind for the fae. He was truly determined to ensure the fae bloodlines survived by crossbreeding with humans. Even though Faery would die, his fae race would live on with their human families on Earth. He didn't care a whit about goblins, demons and other such lower fae races; it was only his race of fae that he cared about.
He made his selection of fae males and females to mate with humans very carefully. How he knew whom to pick was a mystery to both Claude and Delaney. Niall had many resources including a scientific research company that made "medicines" for the fae; perhaps they did genetic research as well. If the old fae found out about his plans to mingle their bloodlines before Niall's army was ready to fight them, it would be the end of him and the human/fae children. Niall was determined not to let that happen.
It was easier to figure out how he selected the human mates: they all had some great talent or special ability; many had psychic or other paranormal abilities or had natural magic. As far as Delaney knew, only Carolyn and Ramona had the ancient human genes.
Even though Niall had to set aside his desire for revenge because of the impending fae decline, both Delaney and Claude firmly believed he was determined to destroy Bill and his children with Carolyn somehow.
All of them were aghast at the story they heard, especially Sookie. "I don't understand this at all! Niall said he wanted me to be with Bill. He said he loves me; he wouldn't want my children with Bill to be destroyed, would he?" she asked.
"Fae are not like other beings, Sookie. Despite our long lives, grudges and slights are rarely forgotten. Fae passions are deep, and the desire for revenge is usually stronger than love. Grandfather's need for revenge against James Compton may be stronger than his love for you, Sookie, if he even truly loves you at all. He knew that night how much Bill loved and wanted you. Bill was willing to die for you. Grandfather's revenge would be so much more fulfilling to him if he allowed Bill to have you for a short while then made him watch as he destroyed your child." Claude said simply, and Delaney nodded his head in agreement.
Sookie had sometimes felt savage emotions from Niall. She often wondered if she understood him at all, but what she heard tonight was beyond human comprehension. It made her feel sick. "Why did he send Claudine to me? Did she know?" Sookie asked.
"Claudine's task was to watch over you because grandfather had plans for you. He tried to mate you with a fae male, but it didn't take; don't you remember? Claudine came to love you as you know. Our father, Dillon, is certain that Claudine had no knowledge of grandfather's plans. Father does not like what Niall is doing, but he is loyal to him. Still he loves us and warned us to be careful." Claude said. Delaney nodded in agreement again. As he talked, Sookie could see the sadness Claude felt for his dead twin. Yes, she remembered Niall's Christmas present years ago. It was one of the most erotic nights of her life.
Claude arranged several meetings for Bill with other fae parents of human/fae children. Since multiple births were common for fae, there were at least two hundred of these children in Texas, Arkansas and Mississippi. Eric didn't attend these meetings; his vampire smell made the fae too nervous around him. They just didn't trust his vampire nature, and they had good reason.
Perhaps it was the knowledge of their eventual extinction that caused these particular fairies to accept human as mates. The need to procreate and survive as a species is a primal drive in all beings. But whatever it was, Bill was sure that these fae loved their human mates and children as much as any human could. They were all ready to fight Niall when the time came.
At home, both Will and Maggie were walking now; once she got started, Maggie was always on the go. Carolyn and Bill were concerned that the twins would be jealous of Mona, especially when they saw her nursing. They needn't have worried, Will and Maggie both loved their little sister. When Carolyn had her on the bed changing her diaper, Will and Maggie like to sit on either side watching. They often fell asleep on the bed facing her; two little brunettes surrounding a tiny blonde, each with one of their hands touching her. Carolyn filled her baby books and photo albums with pictures of her three children sleeping together.
Will wanted to play with Mona and tried to give her his toys; the little boy didn't seem to understand why his baby sister just stared at him with her wide green eyes. Maggie always wanted to hug Mona as if she were a favorite stuffed toy. Whenever Mona was fussy, Maggie's mere presence seemed to comfort her; just as Mel had comforted Carolyn when she was a little girl herself. Carolyn sometimes heard Maggie making baby talk and cooing in a sing song voice as if she were singing Mona a lullaby, just like Carolyn and Bill both sang to her and Will. Carolyn knew for sure Maggie could mentally connect with Mona.
Ramona spent much of her late pregnancy with Carolyn; she was due in July and couldn't wait for her son to be born. Summer was hotter and steamier than usual that year, and Ramona was uncomfortable in the last few weeks. On July 6th, at nine in the morning after a very short labor, Ramona gave birth to a baby boy named Sean David Brigant at Clarice General Hospital. Amy Ludwig was the attending doctor. He had big brown eyes and the few tufts of hair he had on his mostly bald head were butterscotch blonde. Both his parents fell in love with the big boy immediately. Carolyn was there to welcome her little brother into the world. Melanie arrived later that night with Justin, Mae and Max.
Sean was Delaney's first living child; his first two fae children had died shorty after birth years before. The old fairy male fairly was elated. He fairly floated with happiness and love for his son and his human wife. He kept popping in an out of her room all day, and he brought Claude with him in to show him his big, beautiful son. After Ramona nursed him, Delaney sat holding Sean for a long time while she slept. He wanted to hold his baby forever. He hated to even give him to the nurse who had to take him to the nursery.
The late July weather got even worse. Maybe it was all the hot air generated by the Newlin trial which started Amarillo, Texas on July 15th. Carolyn, Sookie and Ramona were glued to the tube. Bill, Eric and Delaney followed news reports of the trial at night. This wasn't their usual form of entertainment, but they all had a personal stake in the outcome.
It took more than three weeks and more than a hundred and fifty prospective jurors before the final jury was selected. From the first opening statements, it was clear that the whole trial was going to be nothing but a big show. The defense attorneys made the whole trial a joke with their outrageous antics, and the judge did little to stop them.
The prosecution had five remaining witnesses; the testimony they gave was compelling. One spoke of being in a dark van filled with other FotS members when they firebombed a day care center with children inside. That day, five children and four adults perished. Another had participated in a shooting at a mall in Amarillo; at least eight people died that day. They told other horrible stories too, some of them the public had never heard about. There was a lot of both direct and circumstantial evidence presented that Newlin had ordered these attacks. Fury consumed the public; most wanted Steve Newlin and his cronies dead, but that was only the prosecution's case.
When it came their turn, the defense attorneys questioned the chain of evidence, shredded the testimony of the prosecution witnesses and cast doubts on their credibility. It wasn't hard, most of them had been FotS members themselves, and were turning state's evidence as part of a plea bargain. Newlin's lead lawyer made the most of that fact.
Even if they were simply innocent bystanders, their whole lives were made public. Every thing they had ever done was questioned and made into something dirty. Motives for the most innocent acts were impugned. Everything these people did or even thought about in the past was dragged up to discredit them. By the time the defense was through with them, they all looked like major sleazebags themselves. The prosecution's rebuttal was pathetic, almost as if they were trying to lose.
The trial went on for three months. All the while supporters of Steve Newlin and FotS rallied outside the court carrying placards proclaiming his innocence. Newlin was smart; he kept his fanatics under control. The public held anti Newlin rallies. They were peaceful too except for a few occasions where some anti-Newlin protestors got violent and cops got hurt. Newlin's hired guns went on every TV channel and radio station they could to decry the terrorist tactics of the anti-FotS protestors. What wasn't known was that the protestors who caused trouble were actually sleepers hired by Newlin's lieutenants to create a scene.
Despite the fact that the prosecution had not presented enough evidence to sustain a guilty plea, the twelve jurors took less than four hours to find Newlin guilty. But before the verdict was announced, the judge overturned the verdict. It seems that some of the jurors had talked to their families and friends about the trial. Two had talked to lawyers about writing a book. They said everyone was determined to convict Steve Newlin no matter what the evidence said.
By then both the judge and the district attorney said that the public opinion was so tainted that Newlin would never get a fair trial. The next day, the defense asked the judge to dismiss the case entirely; the prosecution and the judge agreed. Later it was leaned that the D.A. had known Steve Newlin in college; he was secretly a FotS member himself.
At four o'clock the next day, a triumphant Steve Newlin stood on the courthouse steps and gave a press conference. Now he let his bigoted hate speech flow freely. He said "We must save this country from the abomination of vampires, werewolves and other unclean creatures. God is on our side!" Then he left with a coterie of his lieutenants and protesters. The millions of dollars that had been spent on the trial were all for nothing. The public was furious and afraid once more.
Newlin, his lieutenants, attorneys and about a hundred or so followers celebrated his victory at a big bash held at the FotS compound. The party went on until about dawn. Liquor flowed, drugs were everywhere and the hypocrites held an orgy the likes of which Texas had never seen before. By the time it was over, everyone was passed out or asleep somewhere. The whole thing had been filmed by a television crew that worked for an alternative, internet reality program website. After that Steve Newlin and his FotS cult disappeared underground for months.
On Christmas morning, an SUV filled with eight newly recruited FotS members drove into a Catholic Church in Laredo that had some supes as parishioners. The car was filled with explosives. When it detonated, the church was completely demolished. The two hundred people who were attending Christmas Mass were killed, including one hundred and fifty average everyday human beings.
Steve Newlin was back with a vengeance! He set a video tape to a local TV station; he swore he would bring God's justice to the country that accepted these abominations. This time, no law enforcement agency knew where Steve Newlin was.
Carolyn and Bill Compton did not know who they hated or feared more: Steve Newlin or Niall Brigant.
7
