A/N: So, I hope all you readers in the US had a happy Thanksgiving holiday.
There was a quite a divide among my reviews this week – some of you feel sorry for Sookie's situation but some of you were as unforgiving as a fairy assassin with a dead sibling! Either way, I always love to hear your views, so thanks to all of you who left me some love. Right back at ya! I honestly cherish every review I get.
Charlaine Harris owns the rights to these characters. Jeaniene Frost also deserves a mention.
I didn't leave my room for the whole of the next day. I felt listless, drained, and I didn't want to see anyone. Jason came to check on me once or twice and left me something to eat, but I had no appetite.
I couldn't sleep either. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Eric's face.
"Afternoon, sleepyhead."
On the second day, Claudine's cheerful tone broke me out of my melancholic daze. I let out a sigh and pulled myself up in my bed, looking at her through red, swollen eyes. She placed a silver tray on the edge of my bed, and went over to the window and drew the curtains, letting the sunlight stream through the glass. I frowned, feeling that it should be raining to reflect my current mood.
Claudine stood in front of the window, looking fabulous and fresh, regarding me with her hand on her hip. She tutted, shaking her head.
"You look terrible."
"I've certainly been better..." I muttered bitterly.
"Well, you'll feel better once you have something in your stomach... Eat," she urged, gesturing towards the tray.
I reached first for the mug she'd provided and wrinkled my nose. Even the smell of coffee turned my stomach today. I tried to force down a sip. The scalding, bitter liquid burned my tongue, but it made me feel a little better. Claudine hovered nervously at the end of the bed.
"What is it, Claudine?" I asked impatiently.
She perched on my mattress, smoothing out her skirt as she did so, and turned to look at me, eyes glassy with tears. "Sookie, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. I know you're hurting; I know you think I betrayed you. But I honestly did what I thought was best."
I sighed, taking another sip of coffee. I couldn't stay mad at her forever. "I know you did Claudine, but if you'd just talked to me first—"
She shook her head. "I know, I know. I'm sorry. It was just such a shock, seeing you with him—"
"I swear I didn't know anything about Claudette," I whispered.
She nodded in acceptance. "Sookie, I know the night before last was horrible for you but, honestly, you have to trust Niall. He really does have your best interests at heart. All of our interests. He's a good man. He just has a lot of responsibility and sometimes—"
"He's wilfully ignoring what I want. Trying to marry me off and turn me into a breeding machine, Claudine. I'm not entirely sure how that constitutes my best interests," I snapped.
She let out a small sigh. "He just wants to see you happy, Sookie. Like I am with Colman. To have children, cousin – there's no greater happiness..." She looked sad for a second, her hand resting on her stomach.
"I didn't get a chance to congratulate you yesterday," I said, with a rueful smile. "You must be over the moon."
Claudine's face lit up. "I am," she beamed. "I have a really good feeling about this one, Sookie. I'm trying something new this time and the baby just feels so much healthier, stronger than in the past. I really think this could be it."
"I'm happy for you," I said, giving her a small smile. "You deserve this after all these years..."
She nodded sadly. "You're so lucky that you're part human."
I rolled my eyes at that. We both knew that, in the Fae world, my human blood was considered a disadvantage.
"I mean it," she emphasised. "Hopefully you'll never have to go through what I have... I know Niall's always looked at you as his big hope for the future."
"That's not true, Claudine," I said, shaking my head.
"Sure it is... I've lost so many pregnancies and Claude, well, we all know he's not going to be getting anyone pregnant any time soon..."
I let out a snort at that. God forbid.
"There's always Jason," I offered, with a half-smile. "He's probably got a few kids already, he just can't remember the names of any of their mothers..."
"Good point," she chuckled. After a moment she gave me a long look and tilted her head to one side. "It's good to see you smiling," she offered.
I gave her a resigned shrug.
Claudine got up from the bed and clapped her hands together. "Right," she said. "Now eat your sandwich and then get yourself in the shower. Niall wants us all to have dinner together. He's invited someone over to meet you..."
My stomach dropped and I shot her a look. "Claudine, you can't be serious—"
"It's just dinner, Sookie... Just be your usual charming self and make your great-grandfather happy. Please. For all our sakes."
"Claudine, I'm not ready for this..."
Her eyes flashed to mine. "Because of Northman?" she asked, incredulous.
I wanted to say yes, because I already missed him so much, I ached. But I didn't.
"Because of me Claudine," I sighed, rubbing my eyes. "I'm not ready."
She nodded, getting up off the bed. "Like I said Sookie, it's just dinner."
0-0-0-0-0
I showered and washed my hair, drying it straight. I stood in front of my wardrobe, at a loss at what to wear. In the end I opted for a black wrap-around dress. It was smart and sophisticated but also demure. I wasn't planning on sending out any encouraging signals to whoever it was Niall had coming to visit.
As I left my room, I noticed a foreign brain pattern downstairs. I tried to concentrate on the fuzzy mind and picked up snippets of thoughts and emotions. I frowned in bewilderment, fairly sure it was a werewolf. Cautiously, I made my way across the hall and down the staircase.
There was a huge man standing just at the bottom of the stairs. He turned around slowly as I made my way towards him, regarding me with cool, dark eyes.
"Um, hi?" I said, looking at him with curiosity. Why would Niall have a werewolf in the house?
"Ma'm," he said, tipping his head respectfully.
I frowned, confused. "Er, are you here for dinner?" Surely, this guy wasn't one of my great-grandfather's would-be suitors?
The corners of his mouth tucked up with amusement, irritating me. "No, ma'm, the Prince has hired me for your protection. My name is Harris." His tone was polite but cold.
I felt unease creep inside me like a cool mist. "Protection from what exactly?" I asked.
He gave me a condescending smile but didn't answer my question. If he wanted to make a good first impression, he was going about it the wrong way.
"Well, I guess it's nice to meet you Harris, although I'm not sure what I'm going to need you for," I replied, with a dismissive smile, walking past him and making my way to the front door.
He followed me.
Starting to get annoyed, I paused with my hand on the door knob, turning to address him. "Um, I'm just going out to my car to get my suitcase. I'm sure I'll be perfectly safe on the driveway—"
"I'm afraid I'm not allowed to let you leave the house m'am," he interrupted, tone impassive.
"What?" I asked, incredulous.
"The Prince is just trying to keep you safe, m'am."
"Harris, I'm going to retrieve my case from the driveway of a gated fairy compound, before sunset. I think even the Prince would agree that the chances of a vampire abduction are fairly remote..." I snarked.
"Nevertheless, those are my instructions. If you just give me your keys, I can—"
"This is utterly ridiculous," I snapped. "I'm going to my car. I need my purse, my phone—"
A large hand gripped my shoulder. "M'am, I am allowed to use force, if necessary."
My eyes widened in disbelief, my mind whirling in a frenzy of thoughts. He was a very big guy and a Were. I didn't have any weapons on me, but I still had a fair amount of vampire blood in my system. I sized him up, looking around for anything that could assist me; I would probably be able to take him. But what then?
With a frustrated sigh, I released my grip on the door. Harris gave me a triumphant smile as I pushed past him, thrusting my keys into his hand. I stalked off towards the kitchen, my whole body vibrating with anger.
I felt myself gasping for shallow breaths as realisation hit me.
I couldn't leave. I was effectively a prisoner here.
0-0-0-0-0
Claudine came and found me in the library about an hour later.
"Our guests are here," she enthused. "Let's go into the dining room."
I followed her silently, in a slight daze, through the kitchen and into the formal dining room. In the corner of my mind, I could sense Harris nearby. Niall was sitting at the head of the table, dressed fairly smartly in black pants and a black jacket with a mandarin collar, talking to Jason and two fairies I'd never seen before. He stopped abruptly when we entered the room and greeted us with a huge smile.
"Ahhh, here they are," he beamed. "Neave, Lochlan, you already know Claudine…" Claudine said hello, smile mirroring Niall's. "And this is my great-granddaughter Sookie. Sookie, this is Neave and Lochlan Byrne."
I gave them a nod and a small smile. Neave was petite and whippet-thin, with pale skin, dark cropped hair and piercing green eyes. Lochlan, almost her double in masculine form, was only a little taller than me, with a sinewy, muscled physique. They were both beautiful of course, they were Fae after all, but there was a sharpness to their features, a cruelty even, that was unattractive. Neave regarded me coolly, giving me a tight smile, while Lochlan's eyes raked over my body wolfishly. I shifted slightly, wholly uncomfortable under his gaze.
Following Claudine's direction, I approached the table to sit down and noticed that there were name cards setting our places at the table. I rolled my eyes inwardly as I noticed that I was situated between Lochlan and Niall. I half-expected Neave to be placed next to Jason but she sat down next to her brother and Jason was placed next to Claudine on the opposite side of the table. There were two spaces remaining; I looked out through the doorway, wondering where Claude and Colman were.
I attempted to make small talk with Niall and Lochlan as we tucked into our appetisers. Lochlan was as arrogant and humourless as he looked, bragging about how many vampires he had killed and the size of his family's estate in Ireland. Niall pretended not to notice that he stared incessantly at my cleavage while he spoke.
We were half way through the appetisers, when Claude and Colman entered the room in a commotion, looking bloody and dishevelled. Claudine let out a gasp, jumping out of he chair to embrace her husband. Claude slumped into the chair next to Neave, pouring himself a large glass of wine without a word.
"What happened to you?" Claudine asked, running her hands over Colman's cuts and bruises, checking if there was anything serious.
"We got into a skirmish with some vampires," Colman huffed as he sat in his chair. Claudine fussed about him, pouring him a drink and ladling him out some soup. "We're fine."
"Vampires?" I tried to keep my tone neutral, but my heart was thumping erratically.
"Oh don't worry," Colman replied, taking a sip of his wine. "They're dead."
I felt a chill go through me at his words, while there were muttering of congratulations from the others. Lochlan, in particular, got a fiendish look of pleasure in his eye. Niall's eyes flashed to Claude; my great-grandfather's face was neutral as he commended them but I thought I detected anger behind his eyes. Claude gave him a pointed look.
"We would have taken them… for questioning… but the male was too strong," he said, shrugging matter-of-factly.
I took a sharp intake of breath. My hands had begun to shake, so I put down my spoon and tried to have a sip of water. Claude watched me with an amused look on his face.
"Yes," Claude continued, his gaze unwavering as he took another glug of wine. "A male and a female. The female was fairly young, so we dispatched her quickly. The male put up a good fight but, in the end, he was no match for the two of us. Actually Sookie you might have known—"
"Claude, enough," Niall warned, his eyes darting to Lochlan and Neave.
In my head, I tried to reassure myself that it wasn't Eric they had killed. I knew Claude would have said if it were; he wouldn't have been able to stop himself crowing about it. Claude dished himself up some soup, face twisted with a self-satisfied smirk. He knew he'd got to me. I gave him an icy look but my stomach was churning. I picked nervously at my bread roll, feeling nauseous.
"Well now that the drama is over, let's eat, shall we?" Niall declared, clearing his throat. "Claude, you remember Lochlan Byrne, and his sister Neave."
Claude nodded dismissively, giving Neave a wary glance. She gave him a coy smile and a comforting thought spread through me, warming me to my toes. I looked up at Claude and grinned smugly; I wasn't the only one being set up here, it seemed.
We finished dessert, and I leapt up, offering to take the plates out to the kitchen, grateful for the reprieve from Lochlan's intrusive stare and thinly-veiled innuendo. I chucked the plates in the sink, and clung to the edge of the counter, hanging my head forward, still feeling a little queasy. I took a number of deep breaths, trying to centre myself. A moment later, I felt the approach of a fairy mind and spun around to see Lochlan behind me, regarding me with a lascivious grin.
"Well, you haven't been as friendly as I'd been led to believe..." he said with smirk.
I backed away, sliding along the counter back towards the sink. He followed me.
"But don't worry, I like a challenge," he murmured, coming closer.
"Look Lochlan, I'm not sure what you've been told but I'm not really looking to—" My words trailed off as he invaded my personal space, placing a hand either side of me.
"I have no interest in your airs and graces, princess," he said, mockingly, running a finger along my jaw. "But Niall and my father approve of this match..." He leaned into me, running his finger down my neck, dragging it across my chest in a way that made me shiver. I reached behind me into the sink, my hand frantically scrambling trying to find a weapon. Lochlan began to tug the neckline of my dress down as my fingers curled around the bread knife.
"Get your hands off me," I hissed, bringing the knife up, brandishing it near his neck.
He gave me a chilling smile, baring his teeth. "You wouldn't dare," he smirked. "This is what the Prince wants."
"Try me," I spat.
Cooly, he ran his hand down my side, grazing my breast. I flinched, shirking away from his touch, and, quick as lightening, he grabbed the knife, wrenching it from my hand and holding the blade towards my face. He grabbed my chin with his other hand, forcing me to look at him. His eyes were wild with excitement.
"I'm going to have fun breaking your spirit," he whispered into my ear. Holding me firm, he ran his tongue along my cheek, and I shuddered as he pressed his erection into my stomach.
My heart was thundering in my chest as I felt Harris' mind approach. He entered the kitchen, clearing his throat. "Is everything alright in here, m'am?" he asked. His voice was calm, but I could sense his concern.
With a sneer, Lochlan turned his head to see who had interrupted us. I seized the opportunity, using my arm to knock the knife out of his hand. With all my strength I rammed the palm of my hand into his nose, hearing a satisfying crunch as it broke. At the same time, I brought up my knee, driving it into his groin. He cried out in pain, slumping to the floor.
I looked over to Harris, just as Jason and Claudine ran into the kitchen, faces awash with disbelief. "As I said, I don't need protecting," I said, giving Harris a wry smile.
He flashed me a slight smirk, picking up a wash cloth and chucking it at Lochlan for the blood that had begun to pour from his nose.
"What the fuck—" Jason rasped.
"Get him out of here," I instructed Harris. He nodded.
I breezed past Jason and Claudine, ignoring their questions, and stormed into Niall's office, adrenaline still pumping around my system. He looked up from the book he was reading.
"What can I do for you, my dear?" He asked calmly. "Where's Lochlan?"
"How dare you?" I hissed.
He frowned at me, cocking his head to one side, questioning.
"Him?" I hissed. "I mean so little to you that you would marry me off to him?"
Niall's eyes narrowed at me, and I felt his anger rising to meet mine. "Lochlan is from a good bloodline. His father is a close ally. He's already fathered three children so—"
"He's a fucking psychopath," I spat. "That's it. I'm done. I tried to please you but I'm done with you trying to control my life. I will not be used to further your dynastic ambitions any more."
Niall came out from behind his desk. "You will not disobey me in this," he hissed. He grabbed my hand abruptly, noticing the blood from Lochlan's nose. "What did you do?" he snarled.
"Let's just say, he won't be making any unsolicited advances again any time soon," I snatched my hand back, rocking Niall off balance by the force of it.
"You're so strong..." he mused, looking at me curiously. I could see the wheels turning in his head as he thought through the possibilities. "You've ingested vampire blood," he guessed, face twisting with realisation.
"Yes," I sneered. "And lots of it too... Oh, I suppose no one will have me now? What a blow to your plans..."
Niall just threw his head back and laughed, his eyes dancing with delight. "Au contraire my dear. This is actually perfect," he chuckled.
I looked at him, wide-eyed with disbelief. I couldn't believe that I had ever trusted this man. That I had given up Eric to make him happy. I was nothing but property to him, part of some scheme. I backed away from him slowly, unshed tears stinging my eyes.
"Who are you?" I whispered, shaking my head. I was trembling with emotion; my body pulsing with shock, sorrow and revulsion. "I don't even know who you are..."
Niall looked at me, face utterly devoid of emotion. "I'm your great-grandfather, your family. We're all you have, my dear."
"No," I said, firmly, holding up my hands in protest. "That's not true any more," I insisted, walking towards the door.
I hoped it wasn't true, but, even if Eric no longer wanted me, I knew what I had to do. In a way, I was right before, when I last spoke to Eric. I had to choose. But now I knew that I had to choose myself.
And I had to escape.
0-0-0-0-0
I ran up to my room, grabbing a bag from the closet. My mind rifled through my options as I stuffed some essentials into it. There were muffled shouts coming from downstairs and I opened up my mind, feeling Harris' brain signal approach my bedroom door. I held my breath, expecting him to enter, but he just stilled, standing guard outside my door.
I cursed under my breath. If the door wasn't an option, it would have to be the window.
I paced over to the window, trying to open it as silently as possible, knowing Harris would be able to hear. With a stiff push, I opened it, letting in the warm night, the glow of the street lights illuminating the ground below. I hesitated; there was no one outside but it was a long way down.
Rallying myself, I hooked my bag over my shoulder and straddled the window sill. I felt my heartbeat escalate. If I jumped, I could break my leg or worse. There'd be no escaping then. My eyes scoured the outside of the house, looking desperately for something to help me climb down. I shuddered as a velvety voice came out of the dark, enveloping me like a forbidden caress.
"Going somewhere, lover?"
My head whipped around in the direction of his voice and I felt my whole body sag with relief. He was hovering by the side of the house, cobalt eyes alight with amusement.
"Oh thank God," I whispered to myself, taking a deep breath to steady my nerves. He was alive. He was ok. I looked at him, unable to control my huge grin. "Well I was coming to find you, of course..."
The corner of his mouth tucked up into a small smile. "And why would that be?"
I swung my other leg over the window sill, dangling them playfully over the ground below. I felt a wave of emotion flow through me as I realised that I was safe now. If I fell, Eric would catch me. If I got hurt, he'd heal me. I could trust him, rely on him, and that was everything.
"Because I wanted to say sorry... for being such an idiot, for choosing the wrong side..." I took a deep breath, for courage. "But mostly... because I love you."
I looked at him sheepishly, trying to gauge his reaction. His small smile transformed into a huge beaming grin and I felt my heart leap with happiness.
"Well," he mused, floating towards me, eyes never leaving mine. "I suppose we should get the fuck out of here then..."
I nodded emphatically, wrapping my arms around his neck and gripping his waist with my thighs. I looked into his eyes, giving him the eye contact that I know he craved. It also stopped me from looking down.
"I love you Eric," I whispered again. It was so easy to say now.
He leant into me, strong arms holding me tight. He planted a soft kiss on my lips, and I felt myself shiver with happiness.
"And I love you," he replied.
I deepened the kiss, closing my eyes, and letting the feel of him wash over me.
"Let's go home," he murmured into my skin.
When I opened my eyes, we were in the air, floating over the driveway.
"Eric," I whispered, looking around nervously. "Could we go to my car for a second? Um, I need my purse and stuff..."
He thought about for a moment and then nodded tightly, gently floating us down. We both looked around, warily, and I let down my shields. Quietly, I opened the car door, and reached into the back to retrieve my things.
All of a sudden I heard Eric snarl, and my mind caught two brain patterns. Grabbing my purse, I wheeled around to see Niall standing in the driveway. Harris was stood behind him, stake in hand.
"Where do you think you are going?" Niall seethed.
"I'm leaving," I replied, my tone more confident that I felt. "I'm not staying here a minute longer."
Niall's eyes flashed to Eric. His stare was full of hostility. "Northman," he snarled.
Eric gaze flitted between Niall and Harris, his body rigid with tension. His expression was wild, and I knew he was holding himself back.
I backed up towards Eric, putting my arm around his neck. I used my other hand to rub his chest, calming him. "Let's get out of here, Eric."
He nodded, never averting his eyes from the others.
"If you leave now, you'll never be welcome here again," Niall spat at me.
"I never want to come back," I whispered, my throat catching with emotion. "Not to this."
My great-grandfather regarded me; his fists were clenched, his expression rife with anger. "You treacherous little whore. I should have known better than to take you and your brother in. And this is the gratitude I get." He shook his head with disgust. "You're so weak, so very human... You don't even have the capacity to see the big picture. You're a useless excuse for a Fae, just like your father..."
I stumbled back, gripping Eric's shirt shakily to keep my balance. I felt my body chill as all the pieces began to arrange themsleves in my mind. "Oh God," I rasped. Suddenly it all made sense. "Oh God, it was you, wasn't it?"
Eric looked at me, face riddled with concern. "Sookie?" he asked. "What is it?"
I looked to Niall. A smile had crept over his face, his expression twisted with cruelty. He'd never looked more inhuman and I just knew.
"It was you," I repeated, forcing out the words. "You had Sophie-Anne kill my parents..."
A/N: Dun! Dun! Dun! Some of you were on to this a few chapters back – so gold star to you! And see, I didn't drag out the Viking-related angst for too long...
Wanna know what happens next? You know what to do...