Wow! Thank you everyone for the overwhelming response and holding the fruit! Y'all made my day and since I couldn't wait to see what came next either, here is your next update! I stayed up pretty late to finish this so please forgive any minor grammatical errors.

*There are some darker aspects to this chapter and you know I hate going there. But, to do this story justice, it had to be done.*

*Not mine but I wish they were.*

Chapter 14

Matokeo's bulging arms lowered to help me up. "Come," she said urgently. "We must get you to the sanctuary." She began pulling me towards the border while I tried not to panic.

"Where is Eric?" I asked, taking two steps for every one of hers. "He should have been here by now."

"His maker has come."

I stopped short and a horrible pain shot through me. I knew immediately, it was my viking's. "I'm going back," I said pulling my arm away.

Matokeo shook her head. "I must keep you safe. You will go to the protected zone." She grabbed me again and began dragging me but I dug in my heels.

"No! I won't leave him. He needs me." I yanked myself free and began running in the opposite direction when Matokeo stopped me again.

"Sookie. If you go, you will go alone. I am forbidden from interfering where maker and child are concerned."

"What about Ukweli?"

"She is under the same command but has gone to fetch someone who can help. I do not know when they will return and can not guarantee your safety."

"I don't care!" I cried. "You do what you have to, but I'm going. My husband has never left me and I won't leave him now."

I spun around, knowing the danger that awaited me but determined to save my viking. I figured my best bet would be the element of surprise so I tip-toed between the trees, the pain growing more intense with each step I took. Finally, I found him and the scene before me made me want to vomit.

Eric was on his knees, naked with his maker's thing in his mouth and I realized the pain I'd been feeling was humiliation. Putting aside my revulsion, I sized up the monster in front of me. Appius was short, shorter than me but muscular and dark. He had dark hair and his profile resembled the Jezuit priest's from The Exorcist. I couldn't believe this little man had tormented Eric for centuries and instinctively sent my viking some bonded comfort. The moment he felt it, he stopped and they both turned and eyed me.

"I see you have summoned my dinner," Appius leered and my skin crawled.

"You should have stayed with Matokeo Sookie," Eric said, sadness and regret pouring out of him as he faced his maker once more and begged. "Master, she is my bonded. We are pledged."

"Have you learned nothing?" Appius spat. "Our kind cares for no one. That thing is but a feed and a fuck."

Ok, now I was pissed. It was bad enough seeing a great vampire like Eric cower before his worthless maker but unwarranted insults? Well that was just rude. I marched over to the two vamps, consequences be damned!

"Hey!" I shouted and the Roman had the nerve to look surprised. "Didn't your mama teach you any manners? I have a name! Sookie Northman! And if that's a problem, you can take it up with The Pythoness and The Council."

"Sookie don't!" Eric said. His turmoil continued to crash into me but my growing rage consumed it. My light stayed hidden just below the surface but was dangerously close to unleashing its full wrath.

"You would be wise to listen to my child Vermin," Appius said menacingly.

Though I should have been terrified, I was not backing down. "And you would be wise to turn around and go back to whatever hole you crawled out of. I'll bet in life you were nothing more than one of Caesar's mindless minions that no one missed once you were gone. Contrary to your belief, you were then and are now, nothing but a selfish little man with a Napoleon Complex. Now I'll warn you one more time. Leave. Us. Alone!"

Appius' eyes narrowed and my temples pounded. That S.O.B. was attempting to glamour me. "YOU DARE WARN ME? I WILL FEAST ON YOUR BONES FOR YOUR OUTBURST!"

"Master."

"As you maker, I command you. BE SILENT!"

Eric began to choke and gag as if he was gasping for air and his body crumpled to the ground as blood began flowing from his ears and nose. Appius was pulling some kind of Lord Voldemorte mental torture which seemed to intensify the more Eric struggled. I tried to cast the shield but some invisible force held me back. Oh this shit was sooooo on!

"You know, you really are a crappy maker!" I snarled, hoping he'd let Eric go and focus his attention on me. "Your child has done everything you've ever required of him and for reasons beyond me, he genuinely respects you. You got a problem with me? Well I'm right here and I aint runnin'. So come on, Appius Old Boy. Take your best shot!"

"INSOLENT PEST!" the ancient vampire seethed as his fangs elongated enough to outgrow his mouth. "I WAS GOING TO GRANT YOU A QUICK DEATH BUT NOW, I WILL RELISH YOUR SUFFERING!" He released Eric from his mystical grip and looked down on the shell of a viking. Sneering evilly, he hissed. "You have forgotten your final lesson, Boy. Therefore, I command you to watch while I mount your blood bag. However, her female form repulses me so I will have her backside while I slowly drain her."

"LIKE HELL YOU WILL!" I snapped and my body was instantly covered in a thin sheen of light.

Appius merely looked on with distain. "Parlor tricks do not frighten me, Hybrid." My eyebrows lifted almost completely off my face as the vampire smiled coldly. "You think I did not know? Neither fairy nor human will accept you in their worlds. You are a defect, a deformity and I suspect you have used your fairy tinted blood to ensnare my child. You will pay."

He was behind me before my mind could register he'd moved and he whispered hoarsely. "I'm going to enjoy this far more than that Roman peasant he once pined for." In what felt like slow motion, my pants were torn off and jagged fangs tore into my neck at the same moment I exploded.

"FUCK YOU!" I screamed as my light engulfed us. Appius shrieked and stumbled backwards, holding his mouth. Though I hadn't killed him, his fangs had melted off and the open gum holes were violently spewing blood. His face and body were a cornucopia of blisters and hanging skin and the smell of burnt flesh hung in the air.

I remembered the light couldn't kill Pam because she was a part of Eric and quickly deduced the same magical law held true for Eric's pathetic maker. While he writhed and screamed in agony, I pulled my sword from its holster and heard him cry out. "Kill her Eric! As your maker, I comm…"

But it was too late. My survival instincts took over and with one swift stroke, I lopped off his head. It dropped into the snow, rolled before my feet and disintegrated into a bloody puddle.

I stood over what was left of Appius Livius Ocella, my body trembling, then dropped the sword and crouched down next to my viking. He just sat there, staring into the darkness. The bond had grown still, more so than it did when he was dead for the day. My adrenaline was still pumping so I grabbed his arms and violently shook.

"Eric!" I yelled. "Eric talk to me!" My viking remained frozen while hot tears streamed down my cold cheeks and the realization of what I'd just done hit me. I wrapped my arms around him and rested his head over my heart as I rocked, pleading in Old Norse. "Please Husband. Come back to me. I love you."

Time seemed to stand still. My mind had gone numb as had my lower body and I warmed myself to keep my skin from turning blue. I didn't care that I was half naked. I didn't care about anything except bringing my viking back from whatever mental Hell he still resided.

I heard a pop and The Oracle appeared with the B's behind her and in between them, The Pythoness. "Help him!" I sobbed as the two deities came to stand before me. The Pythoness sniffed the air and fixed her blind gaze on me.

"You have killed the last of my children," she said pointedly.

Images of Felipe De Castro's mutilated body flashed before my eyes and I meekly bowed my head, praying for mercy. "He attacked me." The A.P.'s spindly hand lifted and I cringed. "Oh, God! This is it!"

To my relief, the bony fingers landed on my head and patted. "Do not fear," she said. "Appius was a disappointment and unworthy of my gift. He disregarded the blood covenant and by extension, my direct order. You were within your rights and there will be no retribution."

Although I was grateful I wouldn't suffer the same fate as our former king, right now nothing was more important to me than my viking. "What about Eric?" I asked. "Why is he like this?"

"Your light put him in this state to spare him the pain of his maker's death," The Oracle answered softly. "He is quite comfortable and will wake soon."

"But Appius was horrible to Eric," I said perplexed. "If you saw how I found them…"

"He was still his maker," The A.P. replied. "He gave your viking life. He taught him to survive. Their blood was entwined and when that tie was forever broken, your bonded would have felt pain like none he'd ever known. You have spared him."

When I realized what she was saying, I felt both tremendous relief and guilt. Though I'd spared Eric, I'd killed her child, broken their connection and hurt her. "I'm sorry Ma'am." It was the only thing I could say.

The A.P. slowly cast her head towards the sky. "I have known this day was coming for a long time Child," she said resolutely. "But thank you for your humanity. We will speak of this no more."

"Come," The Oracle said, lifting me into a comforting embrace. "We will move the viking to your sanctuary." Eric's body floated off the ground and followed us as we trudged back through the snow.

I glanced behind me once more and saw the A.P. still standing by the remains of her child, now flaking away in the wind. Her head turned, gave me a slight nod, then she and the B's sort of rolled up into themselves like window shades and vanished.

The Oracle's presence soothed my rattled nerves as we crossed the border and made our way to the cottage. I didn't know how to feel but hoped Eric would forgive me when he learned I'd offed his dad. A shitty dad, but still. Only after I'd draped a blanket over my viking's catatonic body, did my teacher speak.

"You have done well Sookie, just as I knew you would," she praised.

"Wait a minute," I said sharply. "Appius was my test?"

"Yes Child and you passed with flying colors." I couldn't believe she was smiling and my anger bubbled up all over again.

"You knew!" I accused. "You knew all along Appius was coming and what would happen once he found us. You never said a word. Why the hell did you do that?"

The Oracle eyed me wisely. "Sookie, life is not a multiple choice exam. There will be great conflicts in your future and you must be prepared ALWAYS! The magic kept Appius confused, but once you crossed the border, he began tracking Eric's blood. It took him this long because the minute you reentered, the connection was lost. Since you didn't stray often, it gave you the time you needed to be ready." She paused and looked me strait in the eye. "If you think I would have allowed him to violate you, you are wrong. I was prepared to intervene if you couldn't or wouldn't fight back. I know you are angry with me now but in time, you will understand my reasons."

"The B's," I asked directly. "Did they know?"

"No. They were only aware of Appius once he'd entered the area." While I wrapped my head around what she'd shared, she took my hands in hers.

"Our work here is done. My gifts to you are this sanctuary, which you and your viking can utilize whenever you need shelter from life's storms, and this." She placed what looked like a small snuff box in my palm and my body instantly warmed and relaxed. "It is a cluviel dor," she explained. "A love token. I made it myself. It took me many years to finish."

I'd never heard of a cluviel dor but this one was solid gold with mother of pearl inlay. It was beautiful even if I had no idea what it was. I looked at The Oracle with questioning eyes and she answered.

"It will grant a single wish but not for anything general like world peace." She glanced at Eric. "You must use it for someone you love. Something personal, and know this. The magic held within it is very powerful." She placed a gentle kiss upon my forehead. "My time has ended and I am returning to The Great Void. My sister will arrange your passage home."

"Wait! Will I ever see you again?" I asked, my eyes welling up. Even if I didn't agree with her testing philosophy, she'd been my mentor and friend and I didn't want to say goodbye. I'd said far to many already.

"I'll always be with you Sookie," she said, reaching out and touching my cheek to catch a tear. "And one day, our paths will cross again. I promise."

"Thank you," I squeaked. "For everything."

"It has been my privilege." And with that, she disappeared.

"Sookie?"

I spun around to see Eric reaching for me.

"I'm here," I said, crawling into his arms and he covered my face with kisses. A tidal wave of relief, surprise, joy but most of all, love touched every part of my body and Eric's embrace tightened.

Suddenly, he stopped and pulled back. "Appius. He didn't…harm you?" he asked, eyeing me intently.

"No. I am fine," I reassured.

"But he bit you," Eric countered, pointing to the marks on my neck.

"He didn't get much," I replied softly.

Eric was quiet but the bond told me he understood. I gave him his time to process what this meant and when he did, his happiness consumed me.

"I. Am. Free!" he said gleefully, gripping my head and planting an earth shattering kiss.

"So, you're not mad at all?" I asked, when I finally caught a breath. I figured there had to be some part of him that mourned Appius. As the Pythoness had said, he was still Eric's maker.

"Angry that you have ended a millennia of slavery?" Eric said, practically giddy. "Not a chance! You have made me my true master and I intend to thank you RIGHT NOW!"

He pushed himself inside me just to prove his point and kissed me with a passion so wild, both sets of my lips quivered. "My Lover," he whispered, thrusting deeply and I couldn't hold back the moan that escaped me.

Eric thanked me thoroughly for the next several hours and by the time he finished, my bones had turned to jelly. Bliss didn't even come near to describing how I felt. My viking had healed the last of my wounds and was standing to lift my sated body off the floor, when something caught his attention.

"What is this Lover?" he asked, pointing to the cluviel dor and I smiled.

"It's a love token."

Could anyone tell there was no love lost for Appius? Seriously, I really don't like brutal gore but I just had to give it to the little shit.

We're in the home stretch now. The next update will be the final chapter. We'll find out what Eric experienced while he was out of it and yes, the cluviel dor will be used. Care to make any speculations?

*REVIEWS ARE LIKE HALLMARK CARDS. YOU CARE ENOUGH TO SEND THE VERY BEST*

Peace!

Hippy