Disclaimer: All characters in the Sookieverse belong to Charlaine Harris.
So I know this is getting tense and these are difficult times for our lovers, and that Dead in the Family will soon be here, but I hope you guys still enjoy it and continue to read and comment! *hides and continues frantically typing the rest of the story*
Oh, and I'll give a prize to anyone who can guess who I was picturing when I wrote Mr Webster.
Thanks to RubySun03 for putting up with my constant e-mails this week, reining me in with the commas, and for obsessing with me about the pure, sweet hotness that is Alexander Skarsgard : ) You're a top-drawer Beta.
Chapter 27
Eric seemed organized, and prepared. His practicality was giving me strength and hope for what might lay ahead. He said he was sure that I would have time to attend Felipe's meeting, but insisted that afterward I would leave straight away. He'd arranged for a car to pick me up to take me to the airport, and I would fly back to Shreveport. I was so scared at the thought of leaving him, alone, and of being alone, but he wouldn't let me argue with him any more. I finally gave up trying to persuade him. I didn't want to make things worse.
There was still no sign of Pam. The longer she was gone the more I knew Eric worried for her, but he tried not to let me see, or feel it. I was worried for her too.
I packed up the last of my things, and got ready for the evening. I put on my black sequined mini-dress, deciding that it bridged the gap between being appropriate for a meeting as well as for the ceremony. Felipe still needed to believe I was intending to party the night away. I pulled on some hose and slipped on my cute black peep-toe stiletto pumps.
As I emerged from the bathroom, putting my earrings in as I walked, I stopped mid-stride. Eric was dressed in a tux, and was carefully fixing his bow-tie in the mirror. I laughed to see him so elegantly and formally dressed, but then my smile turned to a growl. Eric turned when he heard me.
"Sookie, you look delicious. So sparkly. And why have I never had the pleasure of seeing those heels before?"
"Wow." I was staring at 6ft 4in of pure hot Viking sex, all wrapped up in a perfect, elegant package, complete with bow. What a gift. I realized my mouth was hanging open, and I was probably looking like an idiot, and maybe drooling a little. I composed myself, and stepped close to him, and brushed down the front of his jacket. "You look amazing. I don't want to leave you."
"Lover, we have been over this. I do not want to be parted from you either, but I will be fine, and I will be home with you soon. Then we can plan our wedding. I have a spectacular honeymoon in mind."
"What?" I smiled. I'd never even considered the possibility of a honeymoon. "Where?"
"It's a surprise."
I looked up into his eyes and reached to stroke his cheek.
"Come back to me," I whispered.
"You know I will."
On the way to Felipe's office, I was gripping on to Eric's hand for dear life, afraid to let go. Before we knocked on the door, Eric gently placed a finger beneath my chin and lightly kissed my lips. I closed my eyes and shuddered.
"Enter."
Felipe was sitting behind his desk. Victor was sitting opposite him, along with another vampire I knew to be Rudy, one of Felipe's underlings.
"Ah! Eric, Sookie. Perfect timing. My guest just arrived." Felipe was dressed in a smart dark blue suit, and was looking a little more stern than usual. Rudy got up to leave, and Felipe nodded at him.
"Rudy, I will see you shortly. Give me a few minutes and then send in our Mr. Webster. Eric, that will be all. Miss Stackhouse and I will need to be alone for the meeting, and she will be returned to you shortly. You are dismissed."
The panic began to rise within me. I looked up at Eric, and he gave me the slightest of nods and calmed my nerves through the bond. Good. It was still there. I fought back the urge to throw my arms around his neck and clamp myself to his body. By the way he was looking at me, I could swear he was trying to tell me something, trying to push his thoughts into my head. I lowered my shields completely, eager to hear him now, but it wasn't working. I was at once both elated and frustrated by the fact that I was still not consistently reading vampire minds.
"That will be all, Eric." The King's voice was a little deeper and more forceful this time. Eric bowed to Felipe and gave me one last quick glance before turning and heading out of the door with Rudy behind him.
Suddenly, I was alone with Felipe and Victor. Wonderful. I felt like a kid at the zoo who had unwittingly wandered into the lion enclosure, and it was feeding time.
"Sookie, won't you sit down?" He gestured to a seat next to him, behind his desk, and I slowly walked forward and sat. There was a pen and paper on the desk in front of me. Victor was still sitting opposite, and was staring at me, smiling. I quickly turned my attention to Felipe, whose face was turned in my direction, but his eyes were fixed on Victor. He leaned his elbows on the arm rests of his chair and pressed the pads of his fingertips together in front of him, and then stared at me.
"I am sure that this is uncomfortable for you," he said, finally.
I was just about as uncomfortable as I'd ever been, and boy, had I been in some uncomfortable situations.
"Reading the minds of your fellow humans for vampires," he continued. "I think it shows a great strength, and loyalty to our kind. It impresses me very much."
He thought that this was the source of my discomfort? "I don't think I have a lot of choice, your Highness."
Felipe smiled. "Well. Perhaps that is true, and it is also one of the negative aspects of being such a part of the vampire community. You must serve your King." His smile grew broader. I'd like to serve him a plate of my fist. "Eric was willing to have you do this. I wonder, do you do this for him, against your will?"
"No. I know my obligations. We were going to be here anyway."
"Yes, indeed. So perhaps you did have a choice. And I am sure that the payment for your work will be satisfactory."
"I'm sure it will be. But I don't care too much about the money, Sir."
Felipe raised his eyebrows. "Truly?" He glanced over at Victor, and I had a feeling they were acknowledging some sort of bet they had going on between themselves. "I would have thought that might be one of the attractions of being pledged to a powerful vampire such as Eric. The financial rewards."
I was taken aback, and insulted. My face must have betrayed it.
"Oh, please forgive me, Sookie. I did not mean to be rude. It is usual for humans to seek financial stability from our kind. For many humans it is not so easy, or enjoyable, to be so closely bonded with a vampire, in the long-term at least. There are many, ah, hurdles. Complications. The money and the power, well, they are attractions to soften the blow."
I was reminded of Tara, who had experienced the lifestyle perks of dating a vampire, only to be confronted by a whole heap of nasty hurdles. I looked down and wrung my hands in my lap.
"Well, I've found many things to love about Eric. He knows that I'm not interested in his money."
Victor snorted, and seemingly the noise was involuntary, because as soon as he'd done it he glanced at Felipe and his face turned serious, as the King glared at him.
"Well," Felipe turned his eyes away from Victor. "I have witnessed first-hand your bond to Eric, and your love for one another. I have to say, that your affection warms even my cold, still heart." He theatrically brought his hand across his chest and pressed.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Victor twitch.
"That fucking lying, dirty human whore. I should lock her in the basement with that slut Pam. They'd probably end up fucking each other down there. Northman's dirty bitches."
I struggled to maintain my composure. Hearing Victor's thoughts was like drowning in a deep, black well. I looked down at my hands, so that my emotions would not be so easily shown, and tried desperately to breathe. I felt the sting of bile rise in my throat, and fought back the urge to scream. They would surely pick up on my heart rate, although I was sure it had been running at a consistently high speed since I first entered the room.
"Here comes our guest. Sookie, take down notes, if you wish. I need to know this person's true intentions."
I nodded, and tried to force a smile. My head was spinning.
"Victor, that will be all." Thank God. I couldn't stand to be in the same room with him any longer, and it would certainly be difficult to read this human's mind with him here. I tried not to catch Victor's eye, and fought to compose myself. I needed to get to Eric. Surely he would be feeling my incredible fear right about now? Would he simply put it down to the fear I was already experiencing, being left alone with these two? Victor stood, bowed, and I caught his eye. He gave me a quick, cheerful smile, before leaving.
Felipe turned and simply looked at me, one eyebrow slightly raised in deep thought, like he was trying to figure something out. He seemed to want to say something too, but held back. I picked up the pad and pen, needing something to hold onto, just before there was a knock at the door.
"Yes."
Rudy entered, and held the door open. A man stepped inside, and Felipe gestured for him to sit down. The man bowed, and remembered to forgo the handshake, before sitting opposite us. He knew his vamp etiquette.
"Mr. Webster. How good to see you again. Thank you Rudy, that will be all." Rudy closed the door behind him.
"Water?" Felipe gestured towards a pitcher and tray of glasses on the corner of his desk. Mr. Webster held his hand up to decline. The King looked at me and gestured also, and I shook my head, even though I was in fact parched.
"Mr. Webster, this is my PA, Miss Stackhouse." Felipe's accent was more pronounced than normal, almost comically so, but I wasn't laughing. "She will be helping me today by taking some notes. Though I am of such an age and have lived in this wonderful country for many years, I still sometimes have difficulties with my English. I like to have something to, er..." he looked at me, seeking advice.
"Refer to?"
"Yes, thank you Miss Stackhouse. I like to have something to refer to after the meeting, and I know that tapes and such machinery are not always pleasant for people at meetings like this. I do not like them myself. Will this be acceptable to you?"
Mr. Webster smiled a broad, bright smile, full of charm.
"Oh, I have no problem with that at all, your Highness."
"Good. Well then, shall we begin?"
I let my shields down completely, and crossed my legs and placed the pen to the pad, which I had rested against my knee. I looked at the human before me. He was probably mid-40's, slim, but broad shouldered. His hair was short, with flecks of gray at the sides, and his gleaming smile was made whiter by his dark tan skin. He was clean-shaven, and had a strong jaw-line. Handsome, but not striking. Pre-Eric, I might have thought him to be fairly gorgeous. My standards had reached a whole new level.
He was wearing a light-gray suit, and his white shirt was open at the collar. I got an overall impression of understated elegance. This man had money, and power. He was certainly not intimidated or scared, and luckily for me, he was a clear thinker.
"She's cute." The smile he flashed at me was genuine, and perhaps a little flirty. I turned my attention back to the pad, pen poised.
Felipe and Mr. Webster talked business, and I found it difficult to keep up. I wasn't familiar with a lot of the terminology they used, and trying to listen with my mind as well as my ears proved a hard task. They were talking about buying land, bids, takeovers, multi-million and billion dollar business ventures. They were considering a partnership, one which would potentially make them both incredibly rich and powerful, even more so than they both quite obviously already were. I took notes, and was glad of it, as it helped me retain my focus and keep up. I found myself getting frustrated, not only because I couldn't understand a lot of what they were discussing, but because I was impatient for the meeting to be over, to see Eric, to speak with him about Victor and find Pam.
They kept on, and I kept scrawling notes on the pad, Felipe occasionally looking to me for assistance with a particular word.
"Well then, I will certainly be speaking with you again soon, Mr. Webster. This was a very revealing meeting, I think."
"Indeed. I look forward to hearing from you."
"I will be in touch. Rudy."
The door opened. Mr. Webster smiled, stood and bowed.
"Your Highness. Miss Stackhouse, it was a pleasure to meet you." I nodded my response, and he left. Rudy closed the door and saw Mr. Webster out. A couple of moments passed, before Felipe spoke.
"Were your powers working well today?" He looked down at the notes I was still holding in my hands. "You seemed to have much to write."
"Yes. Would you mind if I had a drink now?" I was so thirsty, I needed to drink before I would be able to speak properly and advise the King of what I'd learned. He nodded, and I stood and poured a glass, before sitting down in the other chair opposite the desk, and taking a long drink. Felipe was watching me, waiting patiently. The water and the sudden quiet of the room cleared my head a little. I took a moment to close my eyes and breathe.
"He didn't trust you before, but he does now. He's had people betray him in the past, and it's lost him money." I took another drink.
"What are his intentions?"
"He wants to do business with you, and he wants it to work. He knows that together you could make a huge amount of money. I think he's an honest person."
"Good." We talked like this for a while, going over specifics of the meeting, and I occasionally referred to my notes. Felipe seemed pleased.
"I think this went very well. Thank you, Miss Stackhouse. Now, I have a coronation ceremony to attend. I may already be a little late." He smiled, and stood. Rudy knocked once on the door before he entered, and Eric was with him. I felt my shoulders drop as the tension in them eased.
"Eric, Sookie did very well. She is truly a very special talent." We walked together towards the door. Eric was looking a little uptight. When I stood close beside him, he discreetly took my hand in his, and brushed his thumb across my palm.
"I hope that you enjoy the evening. Thank you once again, Miss Stackhouse." We stepped out and Rudy closed the door behind us. Eric dragged me down the corridor and through the lobby, and suddenly we were heading for the doors.
"Eric." He didn't respond. "Eric, stop. I need to talk to you."
"In a moment, lover." He didn't stop until we were outside, far from the entrance, at a spot on the sidewalk where there were fewer people passing by. Eric's eyes were darting around, constantly aware of his surroundings.
"Eric, I know where Pam is." His eyes suddenly focused on me.
"Where? How?"
"I heard Victor. I think he has her locked in the basement. I have no idea what he's up to. We have to get her out."
He shook his head. "There's no time. You have to go, now."
"No, we need to find Pam."
"Sookie," he took me by the shoulders and I flinched at his tight grip, which he loosened at once. "Appius is here. I feel him. It's time for you to go. I will call you as soon as I can." At that moment a car pulled up beside us.
"No."
"Your things are already in the car, and the driver will take you to the airport. Everything you need is in your purse on the back seat."
"No," I repeated, and I grabbed at his jacket, and looked up into his face, pleading.
"We have discussed this, Sookie, and there is no time to go over it again. You must go. I will be fine." I started to cry. "Be strong, lover. I will return to you." He glanced around once more before taking me by the arm and moving me closer to the vehicle. He opened the door.
"Please. I can't."
His lips were crushing mine before the words even left my mouth. Just as I began to relax a little into his kiss, he pulled away.
"I love you, Sookie. I will be with you soon. Please do not fear for me, I can handle this. Ron will be waiting for you in Shreveport. He can take you home. Go to Sam, or your brother." He gently pushed at me, coaxing me into the car. I slipped onto the back seat.
"Come with me."
"You know I can't."
I stared into his face, pleading. The pain was unbearable.
"I love you Eric." He nodded once, and then the door closed, and the car was speeding away.