Thank you guys (again) for being soooo patient with me… summer is actually a very busy time for me. I know, bad excuse, but the truth nonetheless. I hope you enjoy!
…
The rest of the car ride involved me staring out the window wishing I'd never had those drinks and Eric texting at an insane pace on his cell phone. I honestly didn't know how the phone kept up with him. He didn't seem upset with me though, just busy. Thankfully, before long we had arrived at the Hotel Carmilla.
…
"Wow." I said almost breathlessly when we entered the lobby of the beautifully fashioned hotel. The outside of the building was amazing enough, what with its old and elaborate stone façade highlighted in the most beautiful way by an intricate array of lighting, but the inside was just mind-blowing. There was a huge Chihuly glass sculpture smack dab in the middle of the humongous lobby that looked like a burst of beautiful fire reaching ever higher towards the ceiling of the enormously tall domed entryway. I only knew it was probably a Chihuly because of the art book Jessalyn had given me for one of my birthdays. The glass sculpture was flanked on two sides by equally impressive waterfalls that were back-dropped with beautiful white and crystal stones that made the waterfalls seem to shine like the sun. There were famous paintings interspersed around the room that must have cost the annual income of a small country and a view of the Dallas skyline that looked like a real life postcard… picture perfect. The rest of the lobby was colored in shades of grey, red and black and was beautifully minimal, modern, graceful, sleek, stylish… basically everything that this backwoods Louisiana girl didn't feel at the moment. I had never stayed at such a posh looking place before and to say I felt out of place would be an understatement. I worked at Merlotte's after all… rednecks and all. I stood a little straighter as I took my eyes from the scenery and instead focused on the people.
Everyone in the lobby looked the part. The hotel personnel, with their perfectly done up hair and makeup, were all impeccably dressed in black, form fitting uniforms; each one better looking than the next. Glancing around at the guests, I couldn't help but take note how they all looked incredibly… confident; both the vampires and the humans. I noticed that it was kinda getting easier for me to tell the difference between vampires and humans now after spending as much time as I had with Eric, Bill, Pam, etc. It was easy to know why the vampires looked so confident here, they were tops on the food chain. Why the humans looked so confident though, that was a slight mystery to me especially because it seemed like many were parading themselves around like peacocks. I'd never seen so much strutting around in my life. Now, don't get me wrong, I enjoy the company of the vampires I know, but I don't think I would be stupid enough to court other vampire's attentions like these sorry sots here. They were just asking for trouble if you ask me. I haven't forgotten Longshadow. Not all vampires play nice.
Eric finally looked up from his cell phone to see me gawking at the interior of the hotel. "So, is it to your liking?" He said teasingly. He knew that this wasn't the lifestyle Arabella was accustomed to, but was glad to be able to share this with her. She deserved it so much more than many who were there.
Suddenly feeling a little sheepish, like everyone in the lobby would know that I didn't belong in a place like this; like I was a little girl playing dress up with her mother's pearls. I responded somewhat quietly, "Ummmm, this place is beyond what I expected. It's very nice; unbelievably nice."
Eric looked at Arabella and noticed she didn't seem like her usual confident, carefree self and was a little dismayed at that. He thought the hotel would be a great treat to her, despite the reasons why they were there, but she seemed to look nervous. "You don't have to worry here. I know there are a lot of vampires in the hotel, but you are mine. They cannot touch you." He said, thinking that was why she didn't look as happy as he thought she would be.
'Oh God, I didn't even think about that. How stupid have I gotten?' I thought to myself as I looked taken back. God those drinks really were a bad idea. "Thanks Eric, I wasn't worried about that until you just brought it up." I said annoyed that he had to remind me of yet another thing I probably should be worried about.
"Well, then why do you look like you're ready to run out of here?" He asked curiously.
"Eric, like I said, this place is amazing, incredibly amazing. I've never stayed at such a posh place before in my life. Everyone here looks so stylish and sophisticated. I'm just a little overwhelmed, that's all." I replied, honestly. There was no way for Eric to know, but standing here, in all this richness and grandeur, with all the regal and poised looking people, it took me back a little to junior high. It's tough enough… junior high, but especially more so when you don't have the right brand of jeans, or the right shoes, the right kind of house, the right kind of car, etc.. Kids can be very cruel and Sookie and I got teased on more than one occasion. It shouldn't have bothered us, we knew that. Normally we didn't let it get to us, you know, kept our heads in the air, not staring at the ground; but none the less it still could cut to the bone at times. Gran always made sure we were never without, but it didn't mean we had the best either. I normally wasn't an insecure person and really tried to usually put those old insecurities to bed. I didn't even have them pop up on the plane ride, as posh as that was, but that was probably because it was just me and Kelsey, and she was fun. I don't know, there was just something about the combination of the exclusivity of the hotel and the manner of the guests that was unfortunately bringing out the insecure thirteen year old I used to be.
Eric finally realized that she felt out of place. It absolutely floored him. She was by far the most beautiful woman in the room, and he didn't think that because he was biased, it was the truth. He noticed that most of the vampires in the lobby were starting to take notice of her with a hunger in their eyes that only another vampire would notice. And, being a vampire, he definitely noticed, and he didn't like it; not one bit. SHE WAS HIS. "You have to know that everyone in this room would kill to have you at their side. Right now YOU are by far the most amazing thing in the room." Eric said to her while cupping her face with one of his hands. He needed her confidence back because he needed her to find Godric and he needed her smile back to help him forget his maker was missing in the first place.
I couldn't contain the smile that slowly crept onto my face. With those simple words he made me feel so special, special enough to be here. "Thanks Eric, whether it's true or not, I definitely needed to hear it." I said smiling broadly at him.
Eric, flabbergasted that she didn't see herself as the perfection that she was, was about to chide her for her comments, but before he could, he got another text message from Isabel. He had to deal with it. After looking down and reading the message, he said to Arabella, "We are being summoned by the Dallas nest. They are requesting that we be there in 2 hours. We need to get checked in, freshen up and head over there as soon as possible."
"Okay, let's do this." I replied confidently as we walked to the reception desk.
…
"So we have an upgraded light-tight, double sound proofed suite available with a king-sized bed on the 18th floor, if that is acceptable to you Mr. Northman. " The very pretty and very accommodating reception desk clerk said to Eric, rather seductively as she bent over just right to give him (and unfortunately me as well) a good look at her tatas, while ignoring me altogether.
"That will be acceptable… Marie. Is it available right now? We are in a hurry to start our night." Eric said flirtatiously to the clerk, reading her nametag and hoping to get the show on the road. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the scene in front of me.
"Oh yes, it has been cleaned thoroughly and is ready for your… use… immediately. Shall I have the bellboy bring your bags up?" Marie the clerk asked.
"Yes, my pet will be accompanying the bags to the room. I have business I must attend to here in the lobby first. She will be safe with the bellboy, correct?" Eric asked, with a slight menace in his otherwise flirtatious manner.
"Oh yes, as you are fully aware of, our hotel does not condone any unwanted advances. As long as she is accompanied by you, or one of the hotel staff, her safety is guaranteed." Marie said with a huge fake smile at me.
"And if she is alone?" Eric said with his own fake smile.
"Well, Mr. Northman, we do our best here to maintain a safe environment for all our guests, but I would be remiss to not say that your guest should be properly accompanied, at least at night, to guarantee the safest of stays in our hotel. I think you understand my meaning. If she is alone, she should be fine; especially during the day. However, I cannot guarantee that 100% at night. And as you are well aware of, if any vampire does attempt to… make contact… with your pet, the appropriate tribunal will decide the appropriate reprimand." Marie said, still maintaining her fake smile.
"Yes, I understand. I appreciate your candor." Eric replied and then turned to me and said, "So Arabella, you know that means no roaming the halls looking for trouble."
I gave him a sickeningly sweet smile and said, "You know I always do whatever you say." I was so over this.
Eric smirked at me in response. He couldn't help but love her fire. He was glad it was back.
"Okay then, here are your keys and some information on what spa services we have available for your human and food choices, both for vampire and human. The bellboy will be here shortly to take your pet to the room Mr. Northman. It is a pleasure to serve you and we sincerely hope here at the Hotel Carmilla that your stay is killer. And, if I may add, there is anything, I mean anything, that you may need during your stay, please do not hesitate to contact me. Here is my card with all my contact information." Marie said enthusiastically while handing Eric a packet and motioning with her other hand where I should wait for the bellboy, almost as if she was shooing me away. Bitch!
Eric took the card with a seductive smirk on his face and nodded to Marie as he wrapped his arm around my waist, guiding me to where we were to wait for the bellboy. But before we got too far, I turned my head and blurted out over my shoulder to Marie, "Yeah, I don't think he'll be needing anything you have to offer; I've got it covered." Marie just smirked back in response. Bitch!
As Eric now lightly dragged me from the reception desk to wait, I thought to myself, 'Argggg! The nerve of that woman! I was standing right there and she so shamelessly flirted with my… my…. well… my Eric. I don't think I'll ever get used to being made to feel like I wasn't there. I'm not wallpaper, dammit!'
"If looks could kill, that clerk would be dead by now." Eric said with a smirk. There was his feisty pet.
"Uggggg! I hate how whenever I'm with a vampire I become furniture in the room." I said huffily.
"You shouldn't take it so personally Arabella. It's just the vampire way. And besides, do you really care what that human behind the counter thinks? She is nothing." Eric replied honestly.
"It's hard not to take it personally when it's happening to you. And no, I don't really care what that bimbo thinks. But I will say you certainly enjoyed her banter." I responded coldly.
Eric smirked. He knew she was jealous of his innocent flirting with the human clerk. He decided to have a bit of fun with that. "Well, she does come in an attractive package… I do believe that those breasts were real. Don't you think? I'm pretty confident you got as good of a look as I did."
My mouth dropped a bit from the blow of Eric admitting that he thought the clerk was attractive. It's one thing to think the guy your with finds someone else attractive, but it's an entirely different thing to have them admit it after actively flirting with the other person right in front of you. Not having any comeback for his remark that would do justice to the amount of anger I was feeling, I turned to the Monet painting hanging behind me and pretended it was the most interesting thing I had ever seen. Eric had to know I was pissed at him. I was staring at frickin' haystacks for petes sake! I couldn't look at him at the moment though. I was beyond livid. In fact, I think there was actual steam blowing out my ears.
Eric knew immediately that the comment went off much worse than he had expected. He thought that she would clearly see that he was just playing, but obviously she didn't take it that way. He should have considered that Arabella was hyperemotional now with everything going on. Humans… It's so easy to forget how sensitive they can be. So, he slid up behind Arabella, placing his arms around her and whispered in her ear, "Arabella, I am here with you. So what if I flirt with the help to get a better rate on the room or an upgrade. There is no one here that I would ever consider trading you for."
His embrace was making every part of me tingle while his cool breath in my ear was sending shivers down my spine. All the anger I had just felt was fading, and fading fast. As much as I was trying to fight it (I wasn't this easy, or was I… damn him!) I just couldn't stop myself from slowly melting into him. But, as good as this felt, as right as it felt, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was on the roller coaster, yet again, with him. One minute he makes me feel like there's no one in the world but us and we are meant to be. But, the next minute he leaves me cold. As much as my body would have liked to melt further into him; let him take me up to the room and have his way with me, make me forget why I was here; my mind would not let go of the questions I had about us. So, I moved forward a bit and turned to face him, used my hands to put a bit of space between us and said, "Eric, I think you more than know how I feel about you. I don't hide it; can't really. But, with you, I feel like I never know where I stand. One minute your hot, the next cold and sometimes I feel like I need off this ride. What are we doing? What is this? What do you want from me?"
Eric looked at Arabella, saw the ache in her eyes and knew that she was absolutely right about their situation. His own inability to distance himself from her was causing him to send mixed signals. When he first met her, he thought he'd just have fun with her; that he would keep it casual with her while exacting his revenge on Bill. The trouble was that it wasn't casual anymore, if it ever was. He wanted her, more than he should, but knew deep down that it was foolish to pursue it. So many things were put into place (by him at that) that could ultimately destroy anything that they could build together and in the end destroy her in the process. He had for so many hundreds of years successfully shielded himself from the type of pain that this relationship could bring. He didn't know if he could handle losing her. Was it too late anyway? Eric knew he had to say something, but what… he didn't know. Thankfully help arrived in an unexpected way. The bellboy showed up.
"Hello, Mr. Northman, I'm Barry, your bellboy. Marie said you needed your bags and your pet escorted to your room. Is now a good time for that?"
'Yes, now was an excellent time.' Eric thought to himself and praised Odin for his luck because he really didn't know what to say to Arabella. He was torn as to what his next move with her should be. It was completely unlike him and it unnerved him to the core. Thankfully he could postpone this conversation for the time being. And anyway, they really needed to center their thoughts on Godric and Jason now. Godric needed to be his primary concern at the moment.
"Yes Barry, you will escort my pet to the room, safely." Eric replied to Barry and then turned to Arabella and said, "This conversation is for another time. We have to be at the nest in 2 hours. Remember what we're here for. I have something I need to attend to. Why don't you refresh yourself in the room; get some room service and meet me here in the lobby in an hour and a half."
Arabella sighed dejectedly while she eyed him with an expression of extreme disappointment. She wanted an answer; needed one, but knew she wasn't going to get it tonight, and truthfully wondered if ever. He was right though. They weren't here on a fancy holiday like a pair of lovers on a splendid rendezvous. They were here to find Jason. But even though he was right and they needed to stay focused, it didn't mean that she could simply forget the fact that she was still upset about his lack of response. So, she just nodded to him, turned towards Barry and said, "I'm ready to go."
Eric watched as she walked away never turning once to look back at him. He wanted to go after her, hold her, tell her she had nothing to fear, but the fact of the matter was, she did have something to fear… because of him.
Eric was brought out of his daze by the reason why he couldn't go up to the room right away. "Eric Northman. Don't you know it's impolite to leave a lady waiting so long?" Said the beautiful raven haired woman standing before Eric in a flowing floor length red floral spaghetti strapped dress.
"Well, then you should be fine, Lorena, since we both know you're no lady." Eric said as he walked with authority towards a seating area in the lobby knowing that she would be pissed, but still follow none the less.
"Always the gentleman I see Eric." Lorena said sarcastically, following him just like he knew she would.
…
I was so wrapped up in my own thoughts while walking with Barry, that I barely made notice of him or the fact that we had reached the room.
"Here we are ma'am. Do you need me to turn down the bed?" Barry said after opening the door and bringing in the bags.
"Huh, ummm, oh no, I don't think so. We're going to be going out soon. Thanks though." I said while placing my purse on the desk near me. I just wanted a moment's peace to myself so that I didn't become a complete wreck at the Dallas nest. Weirdly though, Barry didn't seem to be leaving the room.
'Oh shoot! He's waiting for a tip. How could I be so stupid? I work as a waitress, duh!' I thought as I reached into my purse to get some cash out to tip the bellboy.
"That's okay ma'am, lots of people forget as I'm sure you know." Barry said, but then immediately realized his mistake.
"I didn't say anything about forgetting Barry. Did you just read my mind?" I asked enthusiastically. I didn't know any other telepaths existed besides Sookie and myself. This was exciting!
"No, I just… I just… I gathered from your body language… That's all. Let's just forget about all this. Don't worry about the tip." Barry said extremely nervously as he stated to back out of the room quickly.
'Barry, have you met any other telepaths?' I thought to Barry.
"No! Never! And don't talk about that. Don't say anything about this… to anyone!" Barry said outloud.
"I didn't say anything, Barry, at least not with my mouth." I said happily.
"Shoot. Look, I don't know what little backass town you come from or what candy-ass vampires you hang with, but this is Dallas baby and these vamps are scary as shit. They would kill us if they knew what we could do." Barry said angrily. He didn't want his secret known.
"Now look here mister, first off, I've had a really shitty day. Secondly, you are not the sole titleholder of knowing scary as shit vampires. Thirdly, since there aren't too many of us out there, don't you think we should stick together; swap stories?"
"No. No I don't. I want to forget ever meeting you. I don't want to know if there are others like us out there. This thing, being able to do what we do, it's been nothing but a curse to me. Working here has been the only way I've been able to not go crazy with all the voices in my head. Look, do me a favor and leave me be. Okay." Barry said as he finally bolted out of the room, leaving me standing there speechless.
…
"Eric, why did you summon me here?" Lorena asked as she crossed her legs and placed her perfectly manicured hands in her lap, looking the picture of grace and refinement; her inner barbarism neatly hidden away in the façade.
"Why because of a mutual acquaintance of ours, Bill Compton, your progeny, of course." Eric said coolly.
"I haven't seen Bill in over 70 years. What makes you think I would have any pull over him now?" Lorena asked, with a twinge of hurt in her voice. She could not hide the fact that she missed her most beloved progeny.
"Of course you do Lorena. I haven't seen my maker in many years, but am still loyal to him, fiercely loyal." Eric said emphasizing his words to have full effect.
"What makes you think that I even have any interest in him now?" Lorena asked, still wondering just what Eric was after here.
"Now let's not play games here Lorena, you didn't come all this way to see me." Eric responded, sitting back in his chair as he knew he had reeled her in.
"My, my, my Eric, what has Bill done to you to get your panties in a bunch?" Lorena asked with a smirk, proud that her progeny had gotten under Eric's skin.
"That is none of your concern. What I do think that you should be concerned about though is that your progeny has taken to a human." Eric said, regretting it had come to this, but what was done was done.
"So. Lots of vampires take on pets. In fact, didn't I see you with your own in the lobby?" Lorena asked slyly.
"Yes, I do have a pet, for now. But, what you don't seem to understand is that not only does Bill have a pet, he seems to believe he is in love with her." Eric said, knowing this would be the nail in the proverbial coffin to getting Lorena to cause trouble for Bill and Sookie.
"Well, that certainly is interesting and not how I raised him to be. Unfortunately I have business dealings in Mississippi that I must attend to first. Perhaps when they are finished I will call on my progeny; make sure he is alright." Lorena said as she stood up and then added, "If that is all Mr. Northman?"
"Yes, I believe we are done here Lorena." Eric said as he too stood up to walk to the restaurant area. He needed to feed and regroup before heading to the Dallas nest.
…
I couldn't really sit still in the room. The conversation with Barry upset me, the lack of conversation with Eric upset me, the fact that I was even here because my brother was missing upset me. .. I was a mess. Jason… I needed to focus on Jason. His life could depend on it. 'Think Arabella. Think. This Fellowship of the Sun business… How did they know about our coming?' I thought to myself. A few scenarios came to mind before I centered on a couple that seemed the most logical. I then walked over to the desk to see if there was any paper and pens. There were, so I wrote down some things on some paper and decided I would try to see if Eric was already in the lobby. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't the least bit curious about what 'business' he had down there. So, I placed the papers in my purse and headed down there right quick.
The lobby was in full swing now, bustling with excitement and a palpable undercurrent of danger. I tried not to gain anyone's attention, because honestly I didn't want to have to turn down a vampire and piss them off, but it was to no avail.
"Hey honey, don't you look sweet. Ohhh and you smell so sweet too. Are you looking for a date? I pay extra for pretty girls like yourself." A ginger-haired vampire said to me while I was trying to head into the hotel convenience store to pick up some lip balm.
'Oh my God! This guy thinks I'm a whore! I'm not dressed like a whore, am I?' I thought to myself as I looked over my outfit. "No, I'm here with my vampire." I finally responded, somewhat rudely, or at least more than I had intended. I knew it wasn't smart to try to piss off a vampire, but I couldn't help myself. It seemed like lately I was either being ignored by vampires or being hit on. It was annoying either way.
"Really. Well, I don't see them here now. Why don't you and I find a quiet corner and get acquainted." He said, clearly trying to glamour me into heading off with him.
'How do I get myself in these situations?' I thought again to myself before saying, "My vampire wouldn't really like that much; he's pretty possessive. Not to mention, I know he'll be pissed off if I'm late meeting him in the restaurant and he ends up having to look for me, his pet. He's a sheriff you know." I said, hoping this would get this guy off of my back and not believing I had to call myself a pet… ughk!
The ginger eyed me with a look of confusion before finally saying, "A sheriff you say. Hmmmm. Well, in that case, have a nice evening miss." He then bowed his head and sauntered off to find his next prey.
'Thank God that worked.' I thought as I turned and headed to the restaurant, hoping that would be a safer place to for the time being. What I wasn't prepared for though was finding that Eric was there already and having dinner none the less.
…
"Ohhhhhh, yeah baby. That feels soooo good. Mmmmmmm. Don't stop." The scantily clad female sitting on Eric's lap said as he was drinking her blood from her neck.
"Please don't talk. It's a turn off." Eric said coldly to the woman before he began to feed again. Her blood was okay, nothing to brag about, but it would satisfy his need to feed before dealing with the Dallas vamps. Going into a tense situation on an empty stomach for a vampire could ensure disaster.
"Oh… sorry. Mmmmmm. Ahhhhhhh." The woman responded. She couldn't help but moan. This vampire knew what he was doing.
"Looks like you're 'business' is keeping you busy. Mind if I order myself something off the menu? I was thinking a steak maybe. Hopefully it won't come out mooing like your dinner." I said as I sat down in the empty seat at the table Eric and his dinner was occupying.
"Who is this?" The woman asked incredulously as Eric withdrew his fangs quickly. He was angry, but he couldn't figure out exactly why. Arabella had to know that he fed this way. She had only seen him with a True Blood once. But why did it bother him so much that she saw this?
"She is none of your concern." Eric finally responded curtly to the woman as he took out his wallet and threw four hundred dollars at her. "Your services are no longer needed. If your boss asks, you were adequate."
The woman, once seeing the amount of money she just received, decided to ignore his rudeness. It was more than she usually made in an entire night. "It's been a pleasure. Please don't hesitate to contact me again if you need another blood donation." She finally said as she scooped up the money, placed it into her bra and walked away from the table quickly.
"You know, she really should have a label on her, maybe one that said True Whore. I can see the ad campaign now: True Whore, for those times when True Blood just won't do." I said spitefully to Eric.
Eric would've chuckled at the comment if she wasn't so pissed. And she looked pissed.
"Arabella, you know I have to feed and you know what I need to survive. Sure, I could drink True Blood, like Bill, but I'm going to be honest with you, it tastes like shit. And, don't think for a minute that Bill doesn't feed from your sister when he gets the chance. You can ask her if you don't believe me." Eric said, but then added, "And besides Arabella, she was just food, nothing more."
I didn't know what upset me more, that he considered the woman, no make that the human, who he just fed from nothing more than something to order off the menu, like a side of fries or a piece of cheesecake or that he never once asked me for my blood. Was mine not good enough for him? Was I not good enough for him? Was that tramp who he just paid a ton of money to better than me? I couldn't waste my energy on this situation any longer though. I was here for Jason. I had to keep my focus.
I closed my eyes and took a deep calming breath before saying, "Look, while I was in the room I thought about how the Fellowship of the Sun knew we were coming. I think that either someone is working with them in the Dallas nest, or maybe their nest was bugged? Maybe both? Anyway, they probably have cleaning staff and lawn staff and stuff… There has to be a leak somewhere, don't you think?"
Eric was grateful for the change of topic, though he knew they would probably revisit it later. He considered what Arabella had just said and replied, "You have some good theories there; disturbing, but definitely worth pursuing. We'll have to tread lightly when we get to the nest. They won't like hearing that they have possibly been compromised."
"Well, I thought about how to approach the subject and ended up making these. I'd hate for us to spill any more info to the Fellowship of the Sun." I said as I showed him the slips of papers that I had written up in the room. He smiled at me with approval.
"Those will do. Let's head over there now. Time is of the essence." Eric said as we got up and walked out of the restaurant and onto the rest of our night.
…
We arrived rather quickly at the Dallas nest since it wasn't that far from downtown Dallas. What floored me when we got there wasn't that it was such an amazingly beautiful home; majestic with an impeccably manicured lawn and a well-appointed interior. I was getting the picture that vampires liked the good life. No, it was that it was in the middle of a very upscale neighborhood. I wondered to myself if the neighbors knew who lived there, and, if they did, did they mind.
"Are you ready?" Eric asked me before ringing the doorbell.
I nodded in response, fanning myself with the papers I had written up in the hotel room.
So, Eric then proceeded to ring the doorbell.
"Ah, yes, come in. …" An exotic looking female vampire said as she opened the door for us. She had been stopped from saying anything further though by the first sheet I whipped in front of her.
Don't say our names. Will explain.
The female vampire gave Eric a puzzled look, but heeded my words.
I then whipped out my next sheet which said,
I was ambushed at the airport by someone sent by the Fellowship of the Sun. Please do not take this the wrong way, but your nest may be bugged. Should be checked out before talking further.
The female vampire looked pissed off beyond belief while first reading the sheet, but the logic of it sunk in and she nodded to Eric and I in agreement. She then summoned another vampire, a male who looked like he was about to go to a rodeo or line-dancing , to assist her in the search.
"Stan, can you help me find my earring?" The female vampire requested as she pointed to the sheet of paper in my hands.
Stan didn't look too thrilled; in fact, he rolled his eyes at the female vampire. He finally said, "Isabel, honestly, this is a load of bullshit."
"Stan, just help me look, okay. And if we don't find it, then you can call it bullshit." Isabel said to a clearly put out Stan.
I then watched in amazement as the two vampires flitted around the room at breakneck speed. It was amazing and frightening at the same time. Eventually they both stopped when Isabel found something under the coffee table in the living room… a bug.
Isabel held her hand up indicating that we should all remain quiet. She had a plan.
"Ah Stan, thank you for helping me find my earring. Oh, I don't know if you knew or not, but our friends from Shreveport could not make it here to help us find Godric and Farrell. Something came up I guess. Well, we'll have to make do without them. By the way Stan, I ordered new living room furniture. This set is so passé. Can you take it all out and destroy it? It's not worth trying to resell. Thanks." Isabel said as she crushed the listening devise in her fingers like it was a real bug.
"That was unexpected and disheartening. Our nest is incredibly close nit. I can't imagine how that bug got in here. I'm also worried about just how much the Fellowship knows about us now and if they have any damaging information on us. This is such a fucking mess." Isabel said as she then continued, "Oh, my manners… Eric, it is good to see you again. I wish it was under better circumstances, of course." Eric nodded to her in return. And then looking at me she said, "I am Isabel Beaumont, Godric's second in command. And you are?"
"Arabella Stackhouse. It's a pleasure to meet you." I responded politely. Gran always said to put your best foot forward when meeting someone.
Isabel smiled at me in response and said, "Any help you can provide will be greatly appreciated. Godric and Farrell are much beloved in our nest. And, you too are missing your brother." Isabel stated.
"Hey now, we don't have time for pleasantries with this human Isabel. Why the fuck are we even dealing with a human here. The fucking Fellowship of the Sun bugged our nest and probably has our nestmates. I say we go in, take what is ours whatever way we have to, and teach those motherfuckers a lesson of who's boss." Stan interjected in a huge Texas drawl.
"Gee Stan, a bunch of people are attacked at a vampire-hating church. Hmmmmmm… wonder who did it? What do you think our king would think about a fiasco like that?" Isabel yelled at Stan.
"I don't give a fuck about his political agenda Isabel. As far as I'm concerned the Great Revelation was a great big fucking mistake." Stan yelled back at Isabel.
"Don't use Godric and Farrell's abduction as an excuse for your own agenda Stan. If you had your way we'd be back in the Middle Ages." Isabel yelled back at Stan who just smirked at her in response.
"The Middle Ages would be a hell of a lot better than this kum-bay-ya bullshit with humans." Stan yelled back.
"This is INSANITY! Godric took you all under his wing, made you rich and your response to his disappearance is to act like children! This is FUCKING MADNESS!" Eric screamed at Isabel and Stan as he threw a very expensive looking vase across the room, breaking not only the vase, but also a bit of the wall it hit. He had been very good at hiding his emotions about Godric's disappearance, but the two vampires arguing in front of him made him feel like he would never find his maker if these nitwits were in charge.
"STOP!" I yelled. Being the only human in a room of angry vampires, I certainly didn't need their anger to rise any higher. Surprise fell on the vampire's faces. It wasn't everyday that a human would dare tell any vampire what to do. Not letting them say anything in return I quickly continued, "Arguing isn't going to do anything but give me a headache. Look, the Fellowship of the Sun doesn't know who I am or what I can do. Has Eric explained my unique talent?" I asked looking for Isabel and Stan's reactions. They nodded. "Good, then here's what I suggest. I will go to the Fellowship's main campus pretending that I want to join the church. Usually, when someone is looking to join a church, the church will give a tour. I'll take that as an opportunity to peek into the minds of those there and see where my brother and your vampires may be."
Eric thought about Arabella's plan for a moment. He didn't like that she would be there alone, unguarded, but he had to find Godric. He also knew that she was smart and resilient. She would be fine, she had to be. "I think this is a good plan; unless you two have anything better…" Eric finally said.
"I hate all this pussy-footing around. What has happened to us that we need to hide behind a human? A human, Goddamit! We should go in there fangs blazing and kill those sons-a-bitches." Stan said looking at me disdainfully.
"What you want to do isn't a plan Stan, it's a movie." Isabel said.
"No, it's a war Isabel. I want no part of this human's cockamamie plan. You come get me when it doesn't work out." Stan said as he adjusted his cowboy hat and moseyed out the room. 'What an asshole.' I thought to myself.
"Don't mind him. He's always been that way. As for your plan, I hate that you would be going in alone, but it does seem the best way to get the information we need without causing much ruckus." Isabel said reluctantly.
"Then it is settled. Arabella, you will go tomorrow and find out what you can about Godric, Farrell, and of course your brother." Eric said with authority. He had a lot riding on her now, but he knew that Arabella would come through. She had to.
"Since we don't know how the bug got into your home, this plan should probably just stay between us, don't you think guys?" I said apprehensively. I didn't want to offend Isabel, but I also didn't want to be ambushed at that church either.
"She is absolutely correct Isabel. Can we trust Stan?" Eric asked, worried that the hot-head would throw a wrench in the plan.
"Stan is a lot of things Eric, an asshole, a brute and a horrible dresser, but the one thing he is not is disloyal. Not to that degree at least. He will stay out of our hair. Even he can understand the need for discretion in this scenario and you can count on me to do likewise." Isabel said in a somewhat motherly way.
"Good. Then if that is all Isabel, I'd like to take Arabella back to the hotel so she can get a good night's sleep. She should be well-rested for tomorrow." Eric said.
"Yes, that is a good idea Eric. And thank you for bringing your pet to assist us. By the way, if you don't mind me asking, how goes your vampire/human relationship? I too am seeing a human, one whom I am very fond of. Do you find any difficulties in your situation?" Isabel asked, happy to have the chance to pick their brains on the topic. Most in her nest looked down on these types of relationships.
'Huh, well she picked a doozy of a day to ask that question.' I thought to myself as I looked at Eric who seemed a bit floored at first by Isabel's question. It wasn't commonplace for vampires to ask one another of such things. However, he quickly recovered his swagger and said, "Isabel, one of the easiest ways to ruin any type of relationship is to blab it's secrets to others. "
'Typical guy response… evade… evade… evade.' I thought to myself, but then said with a small smile to Isabel, "It's just like any other relationship really Isabel… complex."
Isabel seemed to understand my meaning and smiled back at me. "Well, I wish you luck tomorrow and sincerely hope that we are able to find our loved ones."
"Thank you Isabel. Goodbye." I said as Eric said goodbye as well and we headed back to the hotel.
…
"Eric…" I started to say in the car, but he shushed me and began texting at record pace again.
"Eric…" I tried again while he again shushed me, but then added, "I need to take care of some things first. We'll talk at the hotel."
I knew he had businesses to run and that by being Sherriff he had duties as well, but I was possibly putting my life on the line tomorrow. Certainly he could spare a few moments to hear me out? I crossed my arms across my chest and stared out the window the remainder of the ride. Complex indeed….
…
Eric didn't mean to be so rude to Arabella, but he had received several texts during their meeting that he needed to respond to. One from Lafayette concerned him greatly. It read:
Got some info on new merchandise from Dallas. Supposed to go live in a week.
Eric texted back to Lafayette:
What does this mean for the donors of the merchandise?
Lafayette texted back:
A sunny day, maybe congratulations with a silver necklace or a steak?
Eric then texted back:
Can you get more information on who has merchandise or where its located?
Lafayette texted back:
I'll try. This guy seems more nervous than usual.
Eric responded:
You will do more than try. YOU WILL GET MORE INFORMATION!
Lafayette texted:
Okay, but it'll probably take a little time. It's not like the library Eric, they ain't lending out info to just anybody
Eric responded:
I don't have time and I don't care how you get it, MAKE IT HAPPEN!
Lafayette texted:
Fine, but then stop texting me so I can do this damn thing.
'Shit!' Eric swore to himself as he thought on the news from Lafayette. They needed to find Godric fast.
Then Eric dealt with the texts from Queen Sophie-Anne.
Eric – I know you're busy with that business of Godric going missing and all, but I need to know how the business is going.
Eric texted back:
It's booming. Contact Pam. She has the numbers.
The Queen responded:
I don't care about the numbers, does she have the cash?
Eric texted back:
Yes, she has access to the cash.
The Queen responded:
Instruct Pam to send me all of it, immediately.
Eric texted back:
Of course, my Queen.
'Typical Sophie-Ann; self-centered as always.' Eric thought to himself. Here she was forcing him and Pam to illegally sell vampire blood and then she takes all the proceeds. Still, she wasn't the worst monarch he'd been aligned with. Damn vampire politics.
…
When we got back to the room, I felt pretty tired. As much as I would have liked to have talked to Eric about a multitude of things, I knew in the end my priority should just be to get a good night's sleep. I needed to find my brother. So I put my purse down on the desk, walked over to my suitcase, grabbed my night clothes and headed to the bathroom to take a much needed shower and get ready for bed, all the while ignoring Eric and the elephant that seemed to have joined us in the room.
Eric figured he'd let her have some time to herself and then have a small chat with her. He was surprised when there was a knock at the door. He walked over and answered it, leery, as they were not expecting company.
"Hello Eric. I hope that we are not bothering you, but I thought I may be able to lend some assistance to Arabella tomorrow." It was Isabel standing at the door with a handsome young man at her side.
Eric opened the door wider and motioned with a sweep of his arm for Isabel and the young man to come in. "Arabella is getting ready for bed and will be out shortly. You may take a seat over there." Eric said as he pointed to the sitting area in the suite.
"Thank you Eric." Isabel said as she and her human companion walked over and sat down.
Eric then walked over to the bathroom door and said loudly, "Arabella, we have visitors so if you can hurry up…"
"I just got out of the shower. Be out in a few." I yelled back through the door. I knew I had taken much longer in the bathroom than I had intended, but with good reason.
…
While in the bathroom, I knew I needed to practice my telekinesis. I hadn't in a while and knew it may come in handy tomorrow. I had no intention of being a victim tomorrow. No way; no how! Not again!
So, at first I just tried picking things up and then placing them back down, gently, without a sound. That went easy enough. I then tried to pick up my shampoo bottle and send it gently across the room, again without making a sound. That went fine too. Then, I decided to mentally throw something across the room and stop it before impact. I did that okay as well and couldn't help but be impressed with myself when the brush I used was hanging in midair, just waiting for my command. I did some other practicing techniques for another 15 minutes before finally feeling good about my ability and got in the shower. While in the shower I wondered what Eric would think about seeing me in the shower with all my stuff floating around my head, but then thought I'd still hope that he'd notice my naked body instead…
…
'Who the hell was here at this hour?' I thought to myself as I quickly finished brushing my teeth and headed out of the bathroom.
"Oh, hi Isabel. What brings you by?" I said seeing Isabel sitting in our suite, with a guy; glad that I had a decent pair of pajamas on.
"Well, I didn't like the thought of you going alone, when it's our nestmates that are missing. So, I thought I would offer my human, Hugo, to go with you." Isabel said as she lovingly looked at her pet. It was obvious she was completely smitten with him.
"Are you okay with going Hugo?" I asked him, not wanting to drag someone unwilling with me on my quest.
"Oh yes. I would do anything to help out Isabel." Hugo said, looking lovingly back at Isabel.
I needed to know if this guy was on the up and up or not, so I did what I could, I read his mind.
'I would do anything for her, but will she for me. No. She won't turn me. She doesn't love me like I love her. She wants to watch me get old and die like I'm some damn science experiment. And then, to top it all off, she can go and find another to warm her bed. I left my wife for her, my children, my family my job. I've given my entirety over to her. Hopefully the church will help me get over her like they said they could.'
"Uhhhh Isabel, we have a problem." I said as Eric whooshed to my side in an instant.
"What? What are you talking about?" Isabel said, clearly worried.
"I think Hugo is the one who bugged your nest." I said moving slightly closer to Eric because I didn't know how this vampire was going to respond.
"No. You are mistaken. Not my Hugo." Isabel said with confidence and then added menacingly, "How dare you insult me and my pet."
Eric dropped fang and hissed at Isabel. He was not going to let anything happen to Arabella. Not now, not ever.
"Eric! Calm down. Listen to me Isabel. I read his thoughts. He is extremely in love with you, that's true. But, you won't turn him and it's destroying him. He is hoping the church will help him forget you." I said to a visibly shaken Isabel.
"Hugo, is this true?" Isabel asked a clearly surprised Hugo.
"How did you know that? How did you know what I was thinking? It's not possible." Hugo said astounded by my knowledge.
"Hugo, my God, it is true. How could you?" Isabel said flabbergasted that he had defiled their relationship in such a manner.
"How could I? How could I? How could you Isabel? You say you love me; but then you won't turn me. I want to love you forever, but you don't. You want to watch me grow old and die and then find yourself another lover. I can't handle this anymore. I can't be with you or without you and it's killing me." Hugo said, weeping.
Isabel was clearly traumatized by the admission Hugo just made, but she collected herself and said, "Well, I certainly cannot send Hugo with you now. You should know that he has not had any time to contact anyone about our plan so you should still be safe to go in as scheduled. I apologize for this… scene… and must thank you for bringing this out into the open. I need to take my leave now and deal with Hugo at the nest. They need to know what has happened. When we find Godric, he will of course need to make the final decision on punishment for Hugo."
I felt bad for Hugo, but in the end he made his bed and had to lie in it now. I didn't want to know what punishment he was going to get, but I doubted it would just be a fine or a slap on the wrist. As bad as I felt about his situation, his betrayal could have gotten me hurt or cost me precious info on finding my brother, so this was a good thing to get out in the open. Not to mention, who knows what else he may have done in his desperation. But, I felt the need to say something to the obviously pained female vampire in front of me. "Isabel, I am truly sorry to have had to tell you this. You have my sincerest apologies and sympathy. You seem very nice and don't deserve this type of betrayal. Hugo should have shared his feelings more vehemently with you and not tried to hurt you in retaliation."
Isabel looked at Arabella with warmth and said, "You are too kind my child. Thank you." She then grabbed the mess of Hugo and headed out the door, saying "I have every confidence that you will be fine tomorrow Arabella. And if anything were to happen to you, we'll send Stan in with his troops."
After the door shut I turned to Eric and said, "She's kidding, right?"
"I don't think so. You should take that as a compliment though Arabella. She meant that if anything should happen to you, you would be avenged. That type of proclamation is not said for just any human. It truly is an honor." Eric said as he looked proudly at Arabella. She never ceased to amaze him.
"Huh! Well, I guess I'll take that as a compliment, but I'd rather nothing happen to me tomorrow." I said contemplatively.
"Yes, well I hope the same as well. Speaking of which, you should get to bed now. You'll need to be extra sharp tomorrow." Eric said as he headed to the sofa intending to make arrangements for her for the morning and catch up on the news.
"You know Eric, I don't know what we're doing with each other, but I think, or at least I hope, that I can count on one thing. I don't ever see you betraying me like Hugo betrayed Isabel. He put her life in danger on purpose and that of her nest by allying himself with that crazy church. I felt so bad for her. She seems so in love with him, even with his betrayal. You could see it in her eyes. She must be in so much pain." I said as I turned down the bed and got in. 'My God this bed feels good.' I thought as I easily started to relax and surrender to sleep. This just seemed to be one of the longest days ever.
Eric sat there in silence for a moment. If she knew just some of the things he had done, will do, she would never look at him the same way again. But, he felt he needed to say what he truly felt, "Arabella, you have to believe me when I say that I never want to see you in that kind of pain."
"I know Eric. Goodnight. Wish me luck for tomorrow." I said before rolling over and falling fast asleep.