Claude and I were napping leaned against each other on the sofa when Eric woke up.

I had come back, taken a nice long shower and dolled myself up in the icy blue dress I'd worn the night Bubba sang. Claude popped somewhere and came back stunning in a black suit, white dress shirt and a skinny black tie. He had me pull his hair back into a slick low ponytail.

I woke up to the blonde vampire looming over me. "Lover, I see we have a guest." Eric had strolled out just in his pants and was now touching my cheek.

"Yep, he's going to dinner with us. Viviane said she's coming at 7." Claude and I had a plan, and we were ready for them.

"So she is going. I should get dressed." He went back into the bedroom while I shook Claude awake.

"What?" Claude whined.

"Eric's up."

"Did I miss him shirtless?" I groaned and hit Claude.

Viviane arrived right on time. She looked smashing in a sapphire dress and silver-toned accessories.

"Sookie, that blue looks better on you every time I see you in it. It's such a fabulous dress for the theater." She swept in, finally openly noticing Claude. "Your cousin remains."

"Yes, I invited him to dinner."

"Fine. It is good that I cannot smell him. Will you attend the show?"

"If you wish it Viviane." Claude bowed his head slightly.

Eric returned just then. His shirt matched Viviane's, and it just angered me. Claude squeezed my hand and smiled down at me.

"Let us go. John is bringing my car around." She spun on her heel and we followed.

I only allowed Eric to take my arm for appearances.

He whispered in my ear as we reached that elevator, "Lover, you are a vision."

The bond was in full swing with him pushing warm fuzzies at me and me sending cool, angry vibes.

Quinn leaned against the dark blue sedan in front of Malaga when we got outside. He opened the passenger doors before going around to the driver's door. When Viviane got behind the wheel, I was shocked. Claude climbed in, and I rode in back with him. Eric made sure all of my full skirt was in before shutting the door.

"All right, I'm going to take you to the little dinner-and-jazz joint I own near Freemont. It's a quiet little place where we can get this interrogation under way."

"Viv, I hardly think this is something you will be very involved in." Eric glared at her from the passenger's seat as she drove down the Strip.

"Oh yes, it is. There are two of them now. You need reinforcements. And I will make sure you don't leave anything important out. I can't deal with another night with you acting like you did last night and having to worry about your woman."

OK, she just got a half-point back for not calling me a human. Woman was more like girlfriend – I wasn't too fond of it, but it was a step up.

"So Claude, Sookie, how was your day of plotting? I hope you did something fun like lay by the pool or go out to eat."

"I took Sookie to In-N-Out while we caught up on what's been going on with us. Then we went to the pool across the road." Claude was smooth.

"That was smart." Viviane turned and smiled at me.

"I really liked it. I'm going to try the sauce on some of our sandwiches when I get home." I really was. It was delicious.

"How did you like the Palms? I find the suites to be sufficient, but of course, Malaga is my home these days." She turned onto the street I'd gone down last night with the taxi driver.

Please do not be the same place I was last night. I didn't see anyone eating, but it was the middle of the late night for those beings who eat food. I decided to keep her talking.

"I mostly just slept while I was there. Have you stayed there?"

"Once or twice. My child owns a suite there, so I have visited with him there during his travels here. Perhaps you can meet Idris – he is here bringing my surprise. You missed him last night when he came over." By surprise, she meant Tupac. And surprise, I already met him – he was the reason I was at the Palms.

I shot Claude a panicked look when we stopped in front of the bar I'd visited last night. Eric got out and was at my door and helping me out.

"Dear one, I know you are nervous about this talk. I will be honest with you."

"You better." I didn't take the arm he offered me and walked toward the door. Maybe it would be a different crowd earlier in the evening. Maybe it would be a different bartender.

Tonight, a vampire bouncer manned the door and opened it when Viviane approached. I saw the valet drive away in the car.

The large dark-haired vampire bowed slightly. "Good evening, Ms. Riga. Your section is ready."

"Excellent, Mark. How busy?"

"Not so much just yet. It's still early." She nodded and led us in.

Yep, it was the same bar all right.

"Let us place our drink orders before we sit. Save my server a trip." She waved the bartender over. It was the same guy as last night. Shoot. "Two Royalty Blendeds." She looked at me.

I started to order a champagne cocktail to change it up when the bartender piped up.

"Gin and tonic, right?"

Viviane's eyes got really big. "Why, Sookie, now we know where you were last night before securing lodging."

I nodded while Claude ordered some red wine I'd never heard of. Now I just hoped we sat in a booth far away from the one I'd been in last night. I needed to tell Eric what happened first, although I was going to have to hurry that up. It was only a matter of time before Viviane put two and Idris together.

Finally, my luck turned around – the booth was on the opposite side of the club. It was one of those curved one-sided ones. Viviane pushed Eric in from one side while Claude just waited for me to get in and scoot over – easy escape routes for both of them.

The waiter appeared with our drinks and menus for the eating side of the table. It wasn't extensive, but what was on it sounded delicious.

"They tell me the salmon is the best in town. And no worries – my menus are lemon free." Viviane played with the rim of her flute. Their blood had come in a warming carafe of sorts, and the waiter had poured some for each of them the way I'd seen wine treated at nicer restaurants.

Claude and I both opted for the salmon just to get to the main event faster.

"All right, start talking, Viking." Viviane poked him, and he winced. He hated being poked. I knew – it was the ultimate insult for him when I did it once or twice.

The bartender appeared at the table. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but Ms. Riga, the office manager wonders whether he might ask you a few questions while you are here." He kept his eyes down on her the whole time.

Viviane smiled. "Don't go anywhere. And you talk." She got up and flitted away with the bartender on her heels.

"Sookie, perhaps you would ask me questions unless you'd like me to start at the beginning." He grasped the hand I'd rested idly on the table near my drink. I pulled it away and looked at him.

"When were you going to tell me I was related to a vampire?" His eyebrows practically hit his hairline. I felt the shock reverberate through the bond.

"You aren't. I would have told you that."

"Bullshit, Eric. Claude did some research." I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Claude, explain." Eric tried to intimidate him.

"All signs point to her being the missing Brigant princess that caused the centuries of strife between sky and water fae." Claude looked pleased with himself. He enjoyed sticking it to Eric. "Everything aligns, and it explains Niall being upset."

Eric frowned. "She is not of your line."

"And how do you know for sure, Eric? Because she said so?" I took a swig of the cocktail.

"Well, yes. But Niall is well aware of my association with Viv. Were she his sister, he would have likely killed me for my marriage and bond to you. Or told you himself in an attempt to keep you away from me."

I wasn't sure what was true or not anymore. Claude was quietly sipping his wine while we thought it over. I looked at Claude to see if I could get a read. He sat the glass down at last.

"Sookie, the vampire does have a point. But there is the chance she has lied even to him, despite her professions to the contrary."

Viviane returned at that moment. "What do you accuse me of lying about?"

"Whether you are the missing Brigant princess." I watched for any flicker before she burst into laughter.

Viviane slid into the booth. "What did you tell them about this ridiculousness?"

Eric repeated himself. She laughed again.

"I am not seeing the humor in this," I told her.

"Trust me, I am. That you would think I was the Brigant princess? That's rich. I have never truly been missing. I've never denied my fae lineage." More laughter. "Eric is perfectly correct in his assessment of Niall. He is a shrewd fairy, but I've always liked that about him."

"Well?" Claude's trademark rude had finally landed in Vegas.

"Yes, the missing Brigant princess is most definitely a vampire. But she isn't me." Viviane eyed Claude carefully. "You are aware more than one sky clan exists?" He nodded. "I am of Riga, second house of the sky."

Claude's mouth popped into an "O."

Then it was Eric's turn to jump on the question bandwagon. "How can you be sure she is one of us?"

"I had Erin turned myself." She took a nice, long drink of her blood.

"Erin?" he asked.

Viviane smacked her lips in satisfaction. "Yes. Erin Gant."