Chapter Twenty:
Eric sat as still as stone on his throne inside the empty bar, his eyes glaring across the room. He was alone, the others having already left for their meeting with the mutts in Bon Temps. He couldn't muster the will to go. How could he? He didn't trust those foul beings. He would rather they all just meet a true death and never leave a stench in this world again. He wouldn't have been able to concentrate anyways. His mind was purely on Ellie and her well being. He fought with himself, fought with the damaged blood bond, searching for a way to know whether she was alright or not. He wanted nothing more than to go to her, to hold her in his arms and shield her from these witches. He had tried to warn her about the impending dangers, but it seemed it just wasn't enough. The witches knew now where she was, no thanks to the frustrating telepath who couldn't keep her mouth shut. Or that pathetic excuse for a human he wanted to track down and kill in a single moment for telling the witches of Ellie's location.
But he couldn't. All he could do was hope that Ellie would be alright, that she wound return their calls and put his mind at rest. Until then, he could do nothing but sit there, imagining what he would do to these witches when he had his hands on them. He would make them pay; make them suffer like he was. He would rip their limbs off, one by one, while making the others watch as he did so. He would draw out the pain and torture as long as he could before bringing upon death to them all. He would ensure that they felt every ounce of pain that they all had, that he had. he would make them wish they had never set their sights on his Phoenix, that they had chosen another to threaten other than the woman he wanted, needed by his side at all times.
Eric found himself drifting off into his thoughts, his eyes unfocused as he thought about the past. He still remembered the first time he had laid his eyes on Ellie. Back then, she had been nothing but a disgusting little human who he was forced to look after. He didn't want to deal with her, even after finding out she was a telekinetic. Though her blood was sweeter than any other he had ever tasted, he didn't want her around. He didn't want to babysit her. So he made her life miserable. He did everything he could to drive her away, to ensure that he would never have to see her again. However, somewhere along the way, he actually found himself...caring. He didn't want to. He never wanted to care about such a stupid little girl. She was reckless, emotional, and seemed to go out of her way to find trouble. He didn't need someone like her in her life, and he certainly didn't want her. But every single time her life was threatened, that she began slipping out of his grasp, he found himself fighting for her. He fought time and time again for her life, the one he had realized long ago was more important than any other. Even before he knew what she was, he understood that she was special, that she was rare and needed to be protected. He tried to hate her, tried to forget she was even there half of the time. But he never could. He could never escape from those green eyes, from that smile that even now, nearly forced a smile on his own lips.
"How did you do this to me, Ellie?" Eric grumbled, his hands clenching into fists.
He was a thousand year old vampire, a terrifying Viking in his former life. Humans and vampires feared him when they weren't fawning over him. But not her. Her fear for him never lasted longer than five minutes before she was back on her feet, challenging him. And then she had to go and fall in love with him. The simple thought of it made Eric want to hurl, something he hadn't done since he was human. How could someone fall in love with him? He wasn't to be loved. He didn't believe in the useless emotion.
But then there was the way that she made him feel. He never wanted to find himself feeling this way, but somehow Ellie had wormed her way into his heart and made him feel more alive than ever before. He detested it. He wanted to rip out his own dead heart only just to prove that it all wasn't real. But it was. The way he needed her, dreamed of her at night. The way he thought of only her, of only her melodic laugh and sweet intakes of breath. The way he only wanted her, and no other woman. He hadn't fed on a human since the day she was taken from him, since she had left and he had felt that horrendous pain that suddenly just vanished hours later. He couldn't bear the taste of any other blood but hers. She drove him crazy, both her blood and her personality. But he wouldn't trade her for the world. He wouldn't wish for to be gone, not any longer. He wouldn't wish for any harm to come to her. He would sacrifice his own life in order to save hers. And he would do so a hundred times over.
Was it possible, could it even be that he was...that he, Eric Northman was...
"No." Eric growled, shaking his head and slamming his fist down on the arm of the throne. He refused to believe it. He couldn't let himself. He needed to busy himself with a task. He couldn't be left with his thoughts any longer. It was too dangerous.
So he stood and stormed towards the back of the bar, ripping open the door to his office and slamming it shut behind him. He searched for some mindless paperwork and put all of himself into it. If any thought of Ellie entered his mind, he would kick at the ground, grab at his slicked back hair and growl in agony. This was too much. He couldn't have these thoughts, he couldn't have these feelings. He was a vampire, not a human. This wasn't supposed to be his life. He was supposed to drink from whomever he deemed worthy, bed whatever woman he pleased. But he couldn't. Not any longer.
"Damnit!" Eric slammed his fist down so hard on his desk that it groaned and cracked in half, all of his belongings falling to the ground. He glared at the destroyed furniture, kicking it in frustration. He wanted to rid his thoughts of Ellie, to concentrate on something else for the first time in two years. He needed a distraction, and a damn good one at that.
Grabbing for the phone that had been knocked off his desk, he pressed in the familiar numbers of his most prized dancer. He didn't care about consequences, he didn't care about anything but forgetting about the Phoenix he wanted so dearly.
"We're almost ready." Kyra's comforting voice spoke in my ear, a cool cloth dabbing at my heated face. "Just a little bit longer."
Time didn't matter to me any longer. Hours, days even, could have passed and I wouldn't have known. I hadn't moved more than was needed as the past phoenixes before even Kyra, billowed about the room, getting everything ready for this incantation. I didn't know what it would do, but I simply didn't care. Kyra promised it would send me to Eric and Godric, that they would be able to help me better than any of them could. I trusted that, I trusted every word that came out of her mouth. So I waited as patiently as I could, trying to drown out the pain by concentrating on those around me. I couldn't get a good view of the other phoenixes, but I did notice that the ages seemed to vary. Some were younger than I was, some older. When I had mumbled out a question as to why, Kyra only informed me that the age we transition into a Phoenix varies for each of us. Most tended to do so in their young adult lives, while others did so as young teens or their early thirties. It all depended on the person, on the experiences. I didn't even want to question why I had changed when I had, I didn't want to be told about another memory that I couldn't remember.
"We just need the blood now, Kyra." One spoke from across the room.
I was worried at the sound of that, not wanting to be in any more pain. Kyra's hand laid on my shoulder however, her head shaking in my view.
"Do not worry, Ellie. Our blood is the same, we'll use mine." She assured, accepting an ancient knife in her hand before drawing it over her arm quicker than I was expecting. She barely flinched at all as the blood began pouring down her arm. A small bowl collected every last drop before a new hand came out of nowhere and was pressed to Kyra's wound. My eyes widened as a yellow light surrounded the hand before it was removed and the cut was no longer.
"We all have our own unique gifts." Kyra explained, seeing the look of confusion on my face. "Yours is the gift of telekinesis, where as mine is the gift of sight. Lyndsey here has the gift of healing. It isn't as strong as a Phoenix's ability, but it's enough to heal a cut or two."
I blinked in understanding, not able to do much more than that. My attention was drawn back to what the others were doing, the lights around me beginning to dim as candles were lit. I had realized long ago that I was in some sort of bedroom, though Kyra hadn't told me whose. I couldn't see much, but the bed felt like the most comfortable thing I had ever lied on. Though it still did not help the fact that pain was ripping through me at such a consistent speed. I tried not to think about it, tried to think of anything but the agony I was in. But it was difficult. Even as I inhaled a gulp of air, my chest and lungs burned as if I were on fire.
"We're ready now." Kyra smiled down at me. "You'll be with them soon."
"Will I...see you..." I couldn't continue as a fit of coughs emitted from my lips. I cried out in pain as my body shook, a mixture of vile and blood in my throat.
"Hopefully once this is all over." Kyra nodded. "I pray that is soon."
I stared up at her, hoping she could see the thanks in my eyes. She must have as she caressed my cheek and laid a kiss on my forehead before standing and joining the other phoenixes. I glanced around me out the corner of my eye and watched as they circled the bed while holding hands. Their eyes were closed, all except Kyra's who held my gaze the entire time. One began chanting, though it was just as mysterious as my attacker had been saying when this all began. I didn't try and understand what was being said, and instead, found myself getting lost in those identical green eyes, feeling a sense of warmth and safety. I only hoped that this worked, that perhaps whenever I woke up and found myself where I was supposed to be, that this pain would be no longer.
"Good luck Ellie." Kyra whispered as the chanting began to grow louder.
And that's when it happened. A bright light began surrounding me before all of a sudden, it felt as if my body truly was on fire. The pain was magnified and a scream slipped out of my lips. My back was arched as my entire body shook in agony, the pain worst than it had been only moments ago. Black dots invaded my vision, and I knew I wouldn't be awake for the rest of what was occurring around me. I welcomed the darkness as it surrounded me, battling with the bright light that was only growing stronger and stronger. My body felt as if it was being torn apart, limb by limb. Not even I lost sight did the pain cease. It was still there, weighing heavily on me as the chanting became only a whisper. The screams continued to leave my body, only causing more stabbing pain to my chest. Unconsciousness swept me away slower than I would have liked, though not even then was I lucky enough to escape the pain.
It felt like days when I woke up next. Except this time, I wasn't lying on a soft comfortable bed, and instead, was curled up in a ball on a cold hard ground. I whimpered as the pain continued to rip through me, no ease in sight. I had to force my eyes open as a cool breeze hit my face, whipping my hair over my shoulder. There was only a dim flickering light attached to one of the buildings I was between. As I glanced around, trying to gain my bearings, I found I was lying in a dirty alley, two grimy walls on either side of me. I tried to move my head, to get a better look at my surroundings, but it was impossible. I let out a cry of pain as I laid my head back on the ground, whimpering to myself as I prayed that the incantation had at least worked. If it hadn't, than I was lost in an unfamiliar place, in the worst agony imaginable.
I wasn't sure what to do. I couldn't move. My eyes had fluttered back close, unable to take the light that was dimly shining down at me. It hurt my eyes, stung them and brought tears to my orbs. I wanted to fall back unconscious, if only to escape this world. But I knew that I couldn't. I didn't know where I was, I didn't know if those that wanted me were anywhere close by. I tried to remember everything Kyra had told me, but my mind was foggy, everything was in a haze.
"I'm going to send you to them Ellie. I'm going to send you to Eric and Godric. They will be able to help you."
Her voice, one that sounded exactly like mine, rang in my ears, reminding me of the purpose of this. Eric and Godric. She had sent me to them. But where were they? I was in an alley, alone as far as I could tell. What if the spell hadn't worked? What if I was somewhere else, somewhere more dangerous? But I couldn't give up hope. I wasn't sure how Eric and Godric would be able to help; I wasn't sure what they could do to ease this horrendous pain. But perhaps there was something. Perhaps they could help. I just needed to find them, either of them.
"Eric..." I found myself calling out in a whisper, barely audible to a mere human. I felt my own tears roll down my cheeks as the burning in my chest returned. I tried to call out Godric's name as well, but I couldn't. The vile was rising up in my throat, and before I could stop myself, I was vomiting on the ground beside me. The tears continued to fall as I just laid there, a heap on the cold ground, helpless and without a single prayer.
Eric tried his best to enjoy himself as he divulged in the blood of the exotic dancer on his lap. She ground her hips down into his, trying to earn a response that was impossible. He did not get off on this pathetic excuse of a woman. He did not find himself aroused, not like he may have years ago. She was only a source of blood, of distraction. Perhaps if he fed enough from this young foreign girl, he would start to forget all about Ellie, forget about her intoxicating blood, about her captivating smile.
But not even the blood was able to make him forget. He growled in frustration as he dug his nails into the hips of the woman, pulling her down harder on him to enlist an erection. But nothing occurred, no matter how hard he tried, no matter how much blood he sucked from the dancer. She wasn't what he wanted. But what he wanted, he couldn't have. What he wanted was thousands of miles away and in grave danger and he couldn't do a damn thing to help her.
"Eric."
Eric froze as he heard that voice. It was the same sweet voice from his dreams, the same voice he imagined hearing every day for the past two years. It had to be a figment of his imagination, a way for his still heart to drive him even more insane than he already felt. He shook off the odd feeling that was beginning to overtake him, and continued to drink from the dancer, his hands roaming over her body. As he was pulling the thin shirt off of her body, his fingers already attacking the clasp of her bra, he heard it again, only this time it was softer, and yet, more desperate. He shook his head as he pulled his fangs out of her neck, crashing his lips down on hers as she moaned in pleasure. The bra was flung to the floor as his fingers danced over her flawless skin. Except that it wasn't. It wasn't perfect. She wasn't perfect. Not like Ellie was. No one could compare to her, not one.
"Eric!"
The voice was more urgent this time, though it remained inside of his head. The voice wasn't real. How could it be? It could not belong to Ellie. She was not there; the dancer on his lap didn't hear another's voice. He was only being driven mad by his desires, by these feelings he never wished to have.
"ERIC."
With every fibre of his being, he could no longer ignore the voice inside his head. It was too real, to pronounced it be a simple hallucination.
"Oh baby..." the dancer squealed out, bringing his attention back to her.
Eric's eyes narrowed as he suddenly stood, dropping the dancer to the floor. She gazed up at him in shock as he crossed his arms and glared down at her.
"Leave. Now."
"But..." she tried to run a hand seductively up his leg.
He grabbed her wrist tightly and yanked her to her feet. He grabbed her by the throat and brought her barely within an inch of his still extended fangs.
"Unless you would like to die tonight, you will leave." He growled.
He released her and within seconds she had collected her things and left. The moment he heard the front door to the bar slam shut, he slumped back down onto the leather couch, a hand running down his face. He waited to hear the voice again, but it never returned. He frowned as he contemplated the possibilities. The voice could have just been his conscious reminding him that no one would ever take the place of Elizabeth Cole. Or it could have been real, it could have been Ellie tried to attract his attention through their bond. It had only occurred one other time when her simple cry out for help met his ears, even when she was blocks away. It was the first night she had been here all those years ago. He had thrown her out into the alleyway where he had once thought she belonged. Oh how wrong he had been. But he had been frustrated with his maker then. He didn't want to care for a girl. So he tossed her out there like the garbage he believed her to be, and never looked back. It wasn't until hours later when he had heard her voice, screaming for his help. It was just like tonight, all in his head. But for some reason, he had known it was real, he had known that she was out there, in need of help. He still remembered to this day the moment he had found himself in that doorway of the motel room, watching as the men touched her body like she belonged to them. Eric growled at the memory, his hands clenching tightly. If he hadn't already ripped their bodies apart, he would seek them out and do so for all the pain and anguish they forced upon her. She had been scarred after that night, and it took weeks before she didn't flinch away from a touch.
"I need you."
That was it. That was all Eric needed to hear. He left his memories at the door as he tore out of the room. He didn't know why his feet were pulling him towards the back door of his bar, but he never questioned it as he used his vampire speed to get there even quicker. He ripped the door open, nearly tearing it off of its hinges, and stepped out into the cool night. His eyes narrowed as he looked every which way, searching for something he wasn't even sure was there. Minutes passed as his eyes searched and searched. But he found nothing. He cursed to himself as he went to turn back towards the bar, only to hear the tiniest whimper in pain. He didn't need to question who the whimper belonged to, he knew already.
"Ellie." He muttered as his eyes tried to locate her. He walked around the building before reaching the side, and that was when he found her.
Eric's eyes widened as he took her in. She was paler and thinner than he had remembered, cuts and bruises littering her body. She shook violently as she lay crumpled on the gravel ground, vomit and blood surrounding her. He was at her side in a flash, his cool hand lying on her back as he attempted to raise her head up. A scream of pain emitted from her and Eric snapped his hands away. The sounds of her in pain tore right through him. It cut into him like a knife as he spied the tears staining her face, her eyes clamped shut and her fists curled so tightly together, she was drawing even more blood. He had no idea what had happened to her, but he could have cared less. All he cared about was pulling her into his arms and whisking her away from all the evils in the world.
"Ellie." His voice was a whisper as he slowly drew his hand out, brushing his finger against her wet cheeks.
She flinched, but didn't cry out at the touch. Instead, her eyes slowly began opening until her eyes were mere slits. Eric lowered himself down for her eyes to see that it was only him, that she was safe. His hand cupped her cheek as he leaned forward until his lips were next to her ear.
"Your safe, lover. I will never let you go." He lightly kissed her forehead.
"Eric..." her voice was hoarse, and if he hadn't of been a vampire, he never would have heard her.
"I'm here, my little one." He assured her, running a hand through her tangled hair. "I'm here."
That was all she needed to hear as her eyes once again closed and her body fell limp. The shaking had stopped, but he could tell by the clutched hands that she was still in pain, even as she lay there unconscious. He knew he would bring her more pain, but he needed to take her somewhere safe, away from prying eyes. He made his movements as sparse as possible as he slipped his arms under her and lifted her so quickly she never would have noticed. As he held her in his arms, her head lolled lifelessly onto his shoulder, her hair falling into her sunken in eyes. He cursed whoever had done this to her as he made his way back inside of his bar, determined that he would kill the poor soul who had hurt his Ellie.