A/N: So this is the penultimate chapter of Lifting the Veil. Sorry for the longer than usual wait but it was quite a difficult chapter to write and took me FOR-EVER. The final one will be up sooner, a short epilogue for those of you who, like me, like everything wrapped up in a shiny bow.
I just want to say a massive thank you to all of you for reading and supporting this story. My first foray into fanfic has been an amazing experience and it's primarily because of the response I've received from you guys. So thank you.
As always, Charlaine Harris owns the rights to these characters. Patrick and Devon are mine but she can have them too if she wants…
Steve Newlin and I dug into our breakfasts. We sat for a while in comfortable silence, until he leaned back in his chair, taking a sip of his coffee, and finally broke it.
"So Sookie, what brings you to Las Vegas?" he asked.
"Oh, um, I'm here visiting some associates of my, uh, boyfriend," I replied, trying to keep things as vague as possible. He continued to look at me, as if expecting me to elaborate.
"How 'bout you Steve?" I asked, deflecting. If I was honest, I didn't really care about what he was doing in Vegas. I was still in a bad mood from last night and I just wanted to finish my breakfast and get to the pool. But I wasn't about to discuss Eric's business with a complete stranger and Gran had taught me nothing, if not manners.
"I'm here with my wife," he replied with a neutral smile.
"Your wife?" I asked, slightly surprised for some strange reason, and my eyes flicked to the wedding ring on his left hand. A plain silver band, or white gold maybe? "You're married to a vam…"
"Good Lord, no," Steve chuckled exaggeratedly. I don't know why he found that so funny; it was a fair assumption to make given that we were in a vampire hotel with a wedding chapel. "My wife's very human. In fact she tends to faint at the sight of blood, even those fountains had her all woozy…"
I gave him a tight smile and tucked into my eggs, keeping my eyes on my plate and hoping our foray into small talk was now over. I was grateful for the place to sit but I didn't want the accompanying chitchat; I wanted to wallow in peace.
"What is it that you do Sookie?" Clearly eating in peace was no longer an option.
"Uh, I'm a waitress in a bar in the small town where I live in Louisiana."
"Good Southern cookin'?" Steve inquired with smirk.
"Sure. I guess. The menu sure isn't fancy. Burgers, fried chicken, that sort of thing. But what it does, it does well. Um, the locals seem to like it anyway."
"I bet a girl as pretty as you makes great tips, huh?" I shifted in my seat, suddenly slightly uncomfortable. He still had his friendly smile fixed in place but that had come across as a bit creepy. Not knowing what to say, I smiled politely and went back to my eggs.
"So you said you were here to visit your boyfriend's associates, was it? Sounds ominous. Is that for business or pleasure?" What was it with the twenty questions? I was beginning to think there was something a little off about Steve. Or was it just me? No - he seemed pushy, rather than friendly, and there was a slight undertone to his questions.
"Definitely business," I replied warily. "And you?" I asked politely, faking a smile, trying to get the conversation off of the reason for my trip. "In Las Vegas for business or pleasure?"
He took the time to chew the final bite of his breakfast and then used his napkin to slowly wipe the sides of his mouth. He smiled at me, but it was a cold smile. He was faking this as much as I was and it made me uneasy. I lowered my shields, concentrating on him, trying to keep out the others in the room. He was thinking about what a whore I was, having sex with a dead man. His thoughts were vile and explicit and I immediately put my shields back up, dropping my fork in disgust, no doubt looking a little crazy in the process.
"Business or pleasure?" he repeated. "A little of both, Sookie. A little of both."
Fixing my fake grin in place, I looked behind me out into the lobby and gave Devon a look that told him I needed rescuing. Fast. Immediately taking the hint, he strode into the room and I made my excuses, garbling a quick goodbye to Steve.
"It really was a pleasure meeting you Sookie Stackhouse," he called out behind me as I hurried off, voice heavy with suggestion. I chill ran up my spine as I clung to Devon, making my way towards the pool, feeling slightly nauseous after my breakfast encounter.
0-0-0-0-0
Try as I might I couldn't relax by the pool, my thoughts kept reverting to my issues with Eric. In the end, I went back to my room, took a bath and waited for him to rise.
I was sat on the couch in the sitting area watching television when I felt him come in. He wandered over to me and kissed me on my forehead and then silently made his way over to the little microwave by the bar to warm himself a TruBlood. A little part of me was relieved; if he was hungry that probably meant that he didn't snack on any of the donors last night. I didn't really think he would, but then until last night I never thought he'd abandon me at a vampire summit either. I turned off the television, so we wouldn't be distracted and noticed that I wasn't getting anything from him through the bond. He'd blocked it off.
Eric immediately turned the television back on and turned the volume right up. I shouted at him in confusion over the din and he put a finger to his lips, and then pointed to his ear. Taking my hand he led me over to the balcony, having a quick look around before closing the glass doors behind us.
"Shit Eric," I asked astounded. "Are we being bugged?"
"I should imagine so," he said grimly. "It's what I would do if I were them."
I was incensed; putting people under surveillance was not normal behaviour and why hadn't he mentioned the possibility before? I knew this wasn't the time to bring up new issues though. We needed to discuss last night.
I looked at him, expectantly. I wasn't anticipating an apology as such, that wasn't very Eric after all. But an explanation? Hell yes.
"You are unhappy with me," he said softly. It wasn't a question.
"Can you blame me Eric?" I asked. "What were you thinking last night? You think I'm at such risk here in Vegas that you have Weres following me to breakfast and then we're in the middle of a goddamn vampire party and you desert me."
He frowned as if concentrating on something difficult, a confusing puzzle. "There was no way anyone would have tried anything against you in that room," he stated, evenly. "Not only would it have shamed De Castro for one of his guests to be harmed in his presence, it would have been a public declaration of war against Louisiana by the perpetrator because you are mine. In any case, Thalia, Rasul and Maxwell Lee were instructed to watch you at any time I could not. I was always in the same room as you, I could always feel your emotions. There was never any danger. Surely, by now you know that your safety is my primary concern?"
"Fine, I wasn't in that much danger," I conceded. "But that's not really what upset me and you know it. You treated me like a fangbanger last night. Embarrassment at being ditched aside, by running off with Giselle and her cronies you acted like I was nothing to you but a blood bag that you'd bought to the party." I sighed. "Look I know that in your world that I'm a mere human." I gave him some finger quotes for emphasis and immediately felt a little silly. "I know that you can't be seen to be too soft around me or it somehow makes you less regal or some shit like that… but it hurts Eric. You hurt me last night more than you'll know. I think we can get past this but after all we've been through together, I think I deserve better from you than I got last night."
He sighed, moving next to me and running his hand through his hair. Feelings started to trickle back through the bond, I could feel his anxiety but also, strangely, relief.
"You're relieved?" I asked, puzzled.
"You said we could get past this," he admitted, sheepishly. "You were so angry last night, so upset. I wasn't sure that you would think that today. If you'd even still be here when I got up."
I had to stifle a smile. He was older than dirt and he still knew less about relationships than I did. "Eric, I'm in this for the long haul. I'm not going to leave you every time we have a fight. But at the same time, you have to make this better. We need to work through this."
"I guess I panicked," he acknowledged with a sigh. "It's got nothing to do with you being a mere human." He copied my quotes and we both smiled, easing the tension. "You know I couldn't give a fuck about that. I couldn't care less whether it makes me less regal or not. Like I said to Victor, I do not follow precedent and I bonded with you because I wanted to."
"Then why?" I asked.
"When Giselle came over I knew that if I didn't act like my old self, the whole room would see what you meant to me. See how much I love you…"
"And that's a problem because…?" I stepped away from him, suddenly irate again.
"Don't you see Sookie, I've lived a thousand years because I've had no weaknesses that anyone could exploit. The only person I've ever really cared about in that time is Pam and she's strong enough to protect herself. Then you come along and finally I have a chink in my armour. If my enemies know how much you mean to me, they have a weapon against me. That means threats to your safety or worse every time someone wants to challenge me. Look at what happened with Sophie-Anne." He groaned with frustration. "Like I said, I panicked. I should have had a better plan when I brought you here. You should never even be on Victor's radar in the first place…"
I put my arms around him, rubbing my hands on his back to soothe him. "Well I am on his radar, so we'll just have to deal with Victor together. I understand your reasoning Eric, I really do. I guess the only thing to say is next time we need to think a bit more about how we play things and you have to talk to me." I smiled cheekily. "I'm not a mindreader, you know."
He grinned at that and drew me in for a hug. "I'm sorry I hurt you," he replied sincerely.
"Okay then," I said, nuzzling into his chest.
"Okay then," he agreed. "So are we friends again?"
"We are."
"Just friends? Or friends with benefits?" he asked suggestively, grabbing my thighs and lifting me up so my legs straddled his waist. I could feel my body respond as he held me tight against him. God, this man could make me go from angry to aroused in seconds. It was frightening and exhilarating all at the same time.
"Oh I think being your friend definitely has a certain upside…" I giggled, leaning in for a kiss as he carried me into the bedroom.
0-0-0-0-0
Eric stepped out of the bathroom as I was finishing off my make-up. I'd needed very little, just a touch of mascara and some lip gloss, as I'd taken some of Eric's blood again and my skin and hair looked radiant. Eric had pulled on a a pair of black pants and was buttoning up a scarlet shirt. He looked scrumptious. Good enough to eat.
He caught me looking at him and smiled smugly. "I can feel your lust through the bond, Lover."
"That bond works both ways, buddy," I smiled, standing up to check out my reflection for the last time in the long mirror. My dress was pale grey silk with barely there straps and a low-cut back. I'd piled my hair up high on my head, so as to expose my neck and back and I could sense, and see, the effect it was having on Eric. I turned to face him and put one hand on his chest, smoothing it down his shirt until it rested lightly on the waistband of his pants. "I don't think I'm the only one..." I murmured suggestively.
"You're right," he agreed, voice full of sex, ghosting his long fingers along my shoulders and down my exposed back. "And if we didn't have to go to this damn reception, I would spend the rest of the night showing you just how right you are."
A delicious shiver ran over me as I contemplated the promise in his words. I grabbed his hand. "Right then," I sighed, leading him to the door. "The quicker we get downstairs, the quicker we can get back to the room."
0-0-0-0-0
Felipe de Castro had arranged a private reception for his summit guests in the casino. Waitresses in super-short red dresses stalked around offering champagne and red berries for the humans and a vein on demand for the vampires. We were all given a little red bucket of $1000 chips with which to bet and Eric and I headed over to the roulette table with Rasul, with Thalia following us a short distance behind.
After an hour or so, Eric excused himself to attend a meeting of the vampire monarchs in Felipe's suite. Thalia went with him and Rasul stayed to keep me company. Despite myself, I actually found I was having fun. Rasul was filling me in on all the casino tricks of the trade and I found myself winning at the roulette wheel, guzzling back the fizz with every lucky roll.
Rasul crooked a finger and beckoned over a blonde waitress. She sidled over seductively offering him her wrist and neck. I rolled my eyes at him. "Do you have to do that here?" I asked, only half joking. "You'll ruin my champagne buzz."
Rasul smiled, in no way offended, and led the blonde over to one of the casino pillars a few yards from the roulette table. I went back to focussing on my winning streak when I felt cold fingers stroke up my bare back. I shuddered as I turned around to see Victor standing behind me. "Delicious," he hissed with a wintry smile.
I jutted out my chin, indignantly. He had gone too far this time. "You're overstepping your boundaries Victor," I asserted, sounding more confident than I felt. As his gaze turned glacial, I was a few pumps of adrenaline away from collapsing on the casino floor. "You know full well I am bonded to the King of Louisiana. Don't touch me again. You may find me delicious but frankly all I feel for you is repulsion."
A few vampires around us snickered at my put down. The muscles in Victor's neck flexed with anger and he narrowed his eyes at me. I could feel his mind attempt to influence mine, like thousands of tiny tentacles creeping over my consciousness. I shook my head at his gaul. "Don't even think about it," I said firmly, turning to walk away from him.
Victor let out a bitter growl. He grabbed my arm roughly and began to pull me away from the table, trying to force me to a less public area of the casino floor. I struggled against him, pushing against his hard chest with my free arm. I heard him then; his thoughts repugnant and dark searing through me like a red hot poker.
"I'll fucking show you, you little bitch! Once I've killed Northman, Louisiana will be mine and so will you. I'll fuck you till you bleed and beg for me to let you die..."
I let out a small scream and Rasul was immediately by my side, flashing fang at Victor. I clung to Rasul's arm, knees beginning to give way from under me. "Rasul," I asked, trying to stop my voice from cracking, "would you please take me to find my bonded."
"Of course, Miss Stackhouse," Rasul replied, never taking his eyes off Victor, and lead me off to find Eric.
0-0-0-0-0
The next day, Devon and I made it to the pool for eleven. I let out a huge sigh of happiness as I stretched out on the sun lounger. Knowing that the hotel was bugged, I hadn't had a proper chance to tell Eric last night about Victor's thoughts. All he knew was that Victor had tried to glamour me and that had made him furious enough. But now I felt the sun warming my skin, I was in my favourite bikini and, for a blessed few hours at least, I'd be free of all the vampire shit that constantly plagued my life. I rooted through my purse and pulled out the ipod that Pam had bought for me before I left for Vegas, trying to clear my mind, basking in the rays of the sun.
I opened my eyes a while later and saw Devon looming over me. He'd been sat at a table a few feet away, even though I had tried to insist that he get himself a lounger too. He was in the shade but he'd taken his shirt off in the heat. I'd seen his body before, of course. All of it in fact, the night we killed Hallow. But these circumstances were a little less traumatic and I could really appreciate it now. Alcide was certainly not the only Were that was packing.
"You fell asleep," he said gently, brushing his dark brown hair out of his face. "I left you for a while but I didn't want you to burn."
I blinked rapidly a couple of times, getting the sleep out of my eyes. There was a barrage of thoughts as my senses adjusted. I wasn't used to waking up with so many people in close proximity and in my sleepy state it took me a second before I thought to put up my shields. At the corner of mind, I caught the fragment of someone's thoughts and I sat up with a jolt, suddenly terrified.
"I know that humans who run with vamps are just as bad as the vamps themselves but what about the people who work here? They aren't all fangbangers are they? They could just be trying to scratch out a living like the rest of us. But they're gonna die too. Doesn't seem right whatever Steve says."
I leapt off the lounger and looked around me frantically trying to see where the thoughts were coming from but there were hundreds of people outside by the pool. Guests by the pool, by the bar, waiters whirling in and out. It could have been anyone.
"What is it, Sookie?" Devon asked, noticing my alarm. I held a finger to lips as I endeavoured to locate the voice again and attempted to focus.
I found him again seconds later; his thoughts were getting fainter. He was walking away from me.
I let out a small whimper. Oh my God. No.
"Sookie, you're starting to worry me," Devon said, grabbing my arm. "What's going on?"
I looked at him, panic blazing through me, adrenaline starting to burn through my body. I felt sick with fear as I tried to speak. At first the words wouldn't come out, my mouth was dry, my throat completely hoarse. Devon shook me gently.
"Sookie?" he urged.
"Bomb," I managed to say. "There's a bomb in the hotel."
0-0-0-0-0
Devon and I ran into the lobby of the casino. There were people queuing to check in but the concierge desk was free so I made a beeline for it. We needed to get everyone out.
I needed to get Eric out. He was a sitting duck.
"You've got to evacuate the hotel," I yelled breathlessly at the young guy behind the desk. He looked at me with a frown, like I was crazy woman. I looked from me, hair dishevelled and sundress pulled on crookedly, to Devon, still shirtless and panting. It was no wonder really. "There's a bomb," I rasped. "You need to get everyone out!"
"Ma'm, if I could just ask you to calm down..." He held his hands out in front of him as if trying to calm a rabid animal.
"I don't need to calm down," I hissed. People were starting to turn and look at me. Good. "Let me repeat myself..." I looked at his nametag. "Bradley..." I spoke slowly, enunciating every word. "There is a bomb in this hotel. If you do not evacuate the hotel, hundreds of people will die."
"Okay ma'm, can you tell me where the bomb is exactly?" he said looking around him nervously. I thought for a moment that I might be getting through to him but checking his thoughts, I realised he thought I was a loon and that he wanted his manager to come help deal with me.
"I, I don't know exactly where it is. I just know there is one," I admitted. Shit. This really wasn't going very well.
Bradley looked at me sceptically. "I see. And so how do you know there is one?"
Because I'm a telepath, you fucking idiot! That wasn't going to convince him I was any saner. "Bradley," I tried to calm my voice. "We're in a lot of danger and we don't have much time. Are you going to help or not?"
He smiled at me condescendingly. "Of course ma'm, if you'll just take a seat over there, I'll call my manager and she..." Devon sighed beside me, clearly irritated, and jogged off towards the elevators. I looked around me, panic flooding my brain. There just wasn't time for this but I didn't know what to do. I felt a frustrated tear escape down my cheek and I wiped it away with the back of my hand. That wasn't going to help to convince Bradley that I wasn't a lunatic.
"I'm not insane Bradley," I interrupted. "And I don't have time to wait for your manager. You need to call the emergency services and you need to evacuate the hotel and you need to do it now," I said firmly, calmly as I could but there was still a hint of alarm in my voice.
I looked around for Devon, hoping for some moral support, but I couldn't see him. All of a sudden a shrill noise began to blare through the casino and for an instant everyone in the lobby, including Bradley and me, stopped what they were doing trying to fathom out what was going on. Seconds later the hotel sprinklers erupted, cold water spraying all over the casino floor.
Fire alarm.
People began to shriek and run for the doors of the hotel to escape the water. I felt someone tug on my arm and spun round to find Devon with a victorious look on his face. "Plan B," he asserted grimly. I nodded and he pulled me by the hand towards the elevators. I pushed the buttons frantically but they had all stopped working, clearly linked somehow to the fire alarm.
"Shit," I muttered under my breath. I had to get to Eric. We didn't have much time.
"Stairs," Devon growled, grabbing my hand again and leading me towards the fire escape where scores of people were filing out towards the exit. We were the only ones going up, pushing frantically against the throng.
Our suite was on the seventeenth floor. By floor six I was gasping for breath. By twelve my legs were freezing up, acid flooding my muscles. I thanked God that I had so much vampire blood in me, otherwise I doubted I would have made it to the top. We reached seventeen, sweating and heaving for air, and hauled ourselves along the corridor.
There was plenty of activity on the penthouse floor as the human and Were employees of the vampire royals buzzed around dramatically although there was little move to evacuate. Clearly those of us who spent all their time in the company of vampires had a slightly less well-developed sense of self-preservation.
"There's a bomb in the casino," I screamed as loud as I could, drawing their attention. "We need to get everyone out. Now."
Before I could prepare myself for more sceptical looks, the corridor shook as the deep rolling roar of an explosion sounded floors below us. The sound of the bomb was quickly obscured by screams as those around us began to acknowledge the situation.
"The elevators are down," Devon shouted into the now terrified din, "you need to use the fire escapes." If people heard him, they didn't acknowledge it, as they scrambled down the corridor. We didn't have time to explain again. Patrick had pushed through the crowd and made his way towards us, looking anxious but calm enough.
"Devon, we need to get Eric," I shouted frantically. Adrenaline was pumping hard through my veins; the only thing louder than the panicked screams around me was my heartbeat pulsing thunderously in my head. "Patrick, can you get Rasul and meet us at the stairwell?"
He nodded and ran off towards Rasul's room as a second explosion rocked through the building, knocking him sideways into the wall as Devon and I clung to each other to keep steady. We staggered our way into the suite as I slipped in the key, opening up into a room full of silent darkness. I tried to switch on the light to no avail and stumbled into the bedroom, Devon right behind me. Another ripple tore through the building and I was thrown towards Eric at the foot of the bed, falling awkwardly on my knees with a cry. As I made my way towards him, my subconscious registered that there was more than one bomb and the second one had been higher up, closer to us.
We were running out of time.
I tried shaking Eric, screaming at him to wake up but he didn't stir. I hit him, hard, across the face and he groaned but didn't move. "Daylight," he moaned softly, as I hit him again begging him to wake up, tears streaming down my cheeks.
Devon was dragging Eric's travel coffin in from the sitting area. "We need to get him in this and then we need to get the fuck out of here," he yelled breathlessly. He'd been fairly composed up to now but I could tell from his thoughts that he was starting to lose it too. For the first time, I considered the fact that we might not get out of the hotel alive.
Devon grabbed Eric's legs roughly and I reached under his body and grabbed him under the arms. He was a dead weight, literally. There was no way I would have been able to do this on my own, vampire blood or not. The sheets slipped off Eric's naked torso as we staggered towards the box and shoved him crudely in, slamming down the lid with force.
"Let's go," Devon yelled and we began shuffling the coffin along the carpeted floor, one of us at either end as if we were moving a couch into a new house. "Faster Sookie," Devon urged as another tremor swept through the building, making me stumble.
I looked up to see Patrick pushing a similar box towards us. He'd got Rasul. My mind flitted briefly to Thalia and Maxwell Lee but there was nothing we could do. There wasn't enough time.
"How are we going to get them down the stairs?" I asked, voice high with panic.
"We'll just have to push them down," Patrick replied, shoving Rasul's box through the door of the emergency stairwell and pausing at the top of the concrete stairs. He pivoted Rasul's coffin on the top step and then let go. With a clatter it hurtled down the steps, smashing into the wall at the next floor but remaining closed and in tact. Devon and I lined up Eric and did the same. I let out a huge sigh of relief when the coffin slammed into the back of Rasul's, again remaining on one piece.
We ran down after the coffins and repeated the process down each flight until we got to the second floor. There was dust and debris everywhere around us, making it hard to breathe, coating us and the coffins in a muddy film. The sprinklers had stopped in this area of the building but I could still hear the faint sound of the alarm. I ran down the stairwell, stepping gingerly over the wreckage, to see if we could get through, screaming with frustration when I saw that the ceiling had caved in. Our exit was blocked.
"What now?" I yelled frantically, as we pushed the battered coffins out into the second floor corridor.
"We need to leave the vamps here," Patrick advised sternly, looking me directly in the eye. "Find another way out. We tried our best but this building is going to collapse any minute and they're slowing us down."
"No," I screamed hysterically. "I'm not leaving Eric. And neither are you. You're being paid to protect his life, so fucking protect him."
He glowered at me for a second, the wolf in him becoming more and more apparent. "Fine," he snapped. "But you're going to get us all fucking killed."
"Window," Devon interrupted, panting. "It's our best bet. We'll push them out the window and then jump. Patrick and I can shift, we'll probably land okay but Sookie, you could..."
"Let's do it," I said firmly. It was the only plan we had. I'd take the chance.
The next few minutes went by in a blur. We approached the window where the glass had been blown out from an explosion and pushed the coffins out into the gardens below. Patrick and Devon stripped and shifted immediately, leaping through the window into the unknown. I looked down to see that they had both made it okay and one of them was nudging Rasul back into his coffin, his limp body was splayed across the grass and was starting to smoulder in the sunlight. I noted with relief that Eric's box was still closed tight. All that was left to do was for me to jump.
I hit the grass with a yelp. I managed to roll a little when I made contact with the ground like they did on television but I landed awkwardly on my ankle and I heard it crunch. Paramedics were already at the scene and a couple of them ran over towards me to help. I looked around for my Weres and saw them appear discretely from behind one of the fountains, in human form again, shirtless and barefoot but in jeans. They ran over to me and crouched down to check I was ok. I enveloped them both in an awkward hug, tears streaming down my face.
A thunderous crash broke up our celebrations. I looked up to see the entire east wing of the Incubus, battered and smouldering, collapse in on itself in a torrent of dust and rubble. People screamed as they viewed the destruction and I closed my eyes, feeling the sting of my exhausted tears.
My ankle was broken and I had a number of cuts and bruises, mainly from the glass. The paramedics wanted to take me off to the hospital but I refused, telling them to strap up my ankle. There would be people and vampires trapped in the rubble. I had a skill no one else had; I could help find survivors. I knew that I had to try.
Devon and I made sure that Eric and Rasul were taken off to a safe, light-tight place, while Patrick wandered off to talk to the emergency services. He came back with three yellow jackets and three hard hats.
"Plenty of Weres on the police force," he explained with a thin smile. "They're grateful for the extra noses and, well, whatever it is you've got."
I nodded and, using Devon, for support, hobbled over to the wreckage. The barrage of minds was overwhelming; the panic and fear of those trapped and in pain assailing my mind. Devon gripped my hand tightly, sensing my discomfort, and I began to breathe deeply and tried to focus. We worked for hours; me identifying areas where people were trapped and assessing what kind of state they were in, Devon and Patrick leading the rescue workers in the right direction.
It took the emergency services a little while to work out how to deal with the vampires that were exposed to daylight, so some of them were charred beyond recognition before they were covered with blankets and evacuated to the light-tight compound. If truth be told, the focus was on getting the human survivors out first. I couldn't disagree with that, I suppose. At the end of the day, humans were more fragile, less likely to survive, but part of me felt aggrieved on behalf of the undead. Vampires hadn't done this. Humans had.
A couple of hours in I traced some voids that turned out to be Thalia and Maxwell Lee, trapped under some debris but, to all intents and purposes, still in one piece. Part of Maxwell Lee's body had been exposed to the sun so his left foot and arm were badly burned but I was sure he would make it.
So many hours had passed and soon the sun was beginning to set and exhaustion was beginning to sweep through my body. My ankle was stiff and swollen, a permanent dull throb despite the heavy-duty painkillers the paramedics had given me. Human corpses were lined up along the grass, covered by thin blue sheets, the blood fountains of the Incubus gardens still flowing and creating a chilling background behind them. I let out a sigh when I saw Bradley being covered by a paramedic. He hadn't made it but nothing in me felt good about that.
"The vampires will be waking up soon," I said to Devon with a grimace. "And they'll be hungry." Devon nodded at me, catching my meaning, and went off to warn the emergency services.
I relaxed my mind again and felt the brain pattern of another vampire, a void. It was faint but I could still make it out. "There," I pointed, showing Patrick where I meant.
"Vampire?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, eyeing the horizon.
"Yes," I confirmed. "Sun's not down yet."
I looked around for some rescue workers but they were all occupied around us. Patrick shrugged and helped me over to the pile of debris I had identified and we started to claw at the rubble, lifting it away.
I gasped when I saw him, bloody and grimy, so unlike his usual immaculate self. His arm was trapped, crushed, under a pile of concrete, and there was a shaft of wood protruding from his stomach.
Victor.
"You know him?" Patrick asked, giving me a look that was both curious and concerned.
"Yes," I nodded, staring blankly at the vampire in question. "He wants to kill Eric." I felt nauseous and numb at the same time. "He plans to take Louisiana and to make me his." I could barely get the words out, they were bitter on my tongue. Of all people who had died today, Victor had made it through. The Fates really did have a wicked sense of humour.
Victor began to groan as the sun sunk down into the horizon. I couldn't move. I just stared at him as he stirred, unable to help him, unable to call for help. I knew exactly when he was fully awake; he hissed with the pain and began to struggle against his restraints. Suddenly his eyes shot open and he looked at me standing over him, cold black eyes blazing with hunger and fear.
Beside me Patrick reached over, yanking the wood from Victor's belly. Victor screamed in anguish as the debris was removed, blood pooling in his abdomen. His scream seemed to knock me from my daze. I went to make my way toward the wreckage trapping his arm; I looked around me for extra help, not sure if we'd be able to shift it without help. Before I could move, Patrick brought down his arm with a grunt, violently plunging the wooden shaft into Victor's chest. Victor let out a curdled cry before disintegrating into a pool of bloody ooze, seeping into the concrete around him.
"Oh my God," I wheezed, holding my chest, trying to catch my breath. "You, you killed him." Deep down I knew I was glad, or at least I was relieved, but I was also shocked by the pre-meditated brutality of it. Victor had been evil but he had also been injured and defenceless.
"It's like you said," Patrick growled, tossing the stake onto Victor's bloody remains. "I'm being paid to protect Eric's life. That's what I did."
He walked away, leaving me to sink down into the rubble, reeling. I sat there filthy and exhausted, sobbing dirty tears for all that had been lost today.
0-0-0-0-0
The darkness was illuminated by makeshift floodlights and the coloured lights of the emergency vehicles. I don't know how long I sat there in the debris motionless, hypnotised by the lights, listening to the yells of the rescue workers as they found more survivors.
Suddenly I felt feelings of happiness and relief thunder through the bond, warming me to my toes, and I looked around knowing Eric was near. He stalked towards me, eyes boring into mine, and then he smiled. In that moment I felt safe and loved, the events of the last twelve hours washing away. I pulled myself up from the ground, wincing slightly at the increased pain in my ankle, and Eric scooped me up in his arms, pulling me tightly into him, feathering kisses over my face and finally settling on my lips for a soft but intense kiss that made my stomach clench with joy.
He carried me over to an area away from the commotion, sitting himself down on the grass and cradling me in his lap.
"You're hurt?" he asked, gesturing to my ankle.
"I broke it," I informed him grimly. "Jumping out of a second floor window. That flying shit's not as easy as it looks, you know," I joked.
He smiled, stroking my cheek with his thumb. "Let me heal you."
I ran my hand through his hair, which was not tied back, and briefly wondered where he had managed to get clean clothes that fit so well in such short notice. He looked so good, and smelt wonderful. I felt filthy in comparison but knew it didn't matter. "That would be great," I agreed with a smile. "The drugs have worn off and it hurts like a sum'bitch."
Eric undid the cuff on his shirt and bit into his wrist, placing it at my mouth as blood began to drip along his arm. I latched on to the wound, taking in all he had to offer until the wound closed up. I felt a surge of lust roll through the bond as Eric groaned underneath me and I rolled my eyes with a bloody smile. My ankle began to tingle immediately and I could almost feel the bone knitting itself back together. After a second I tried to flex it, doing little circles with my foot. There was no pain.
"Thank you," I said with a soft kiss to his lips. I made to get out of his lap. I wanted to go somewhere, anywhere away from here, but he pulled me back to him.
"You could have died," he whispered urgently, pain evident on his beautiful face. "Again… You shouldn't have come back for me. You could have been killed…"
I shifted around in his lap and grabbed him firmly by both shoulders. "Listen to me Eric Northman," I said resolutely. "I love you. You are the most important thing in my world and I would risk my life every day for you, rather than contemplate a world without you in it. I know you would do exactly the same for me, so stop being so goddamn high-handed for once and just say thank you Sookie."
"Thank you Sookie," he replied softly, mouth curving up into a slight smile as he planted a tender kiss on my forehead. "I love you too. More than anything in world. You are both the bane and the light of my undead existence."
"That's more like it," I said with a grin, nuzzling into his chest. After a while, I pulled away, hopping up off the ground and testing out my new ankle.
"So what's next, your majesty?" I asked. I needed a bath, that was for sure, and some clean clothes. And I realised for the first time today that I was absolutely starving.
He looked at me with a wry grin. "Well, we are in Vegas…" he suggested, eyebrow raised.
What? Did he want to go gambling? I looked at him, my brow knitted in confusion. After the events of today, all I wanted to do was find a new hotel, wash my face and order room service.
"And the VRA has just passed…" he continued.
I tilted my head to one side, chewing my lip, still puzzled and requiring clarification.
"And we both agree that we love each other and can't imagine a world without the other…"
He looked at me, earnestly, his smile was gone and his eyes were imploring me to understand. I felt a trickle of anxiousness seep through the bond as a sudden rush of comprehension washed over me.
Holy shit.
"Eric?" I asked, suddenly feeling a little light-headed. "Did you just ask me to marry you?"
A/N: So there you have it, the final chapter but one. I'd love to hear your thoughts so please review. Those of you who leave me some review love will get a sneaky preview of the final instalment…