Disclaimer: Disclaimer: I own nothing from the Sookie Stackhouse Universe. All characters mentioned in the books belong to Charlaine Harris.
Thank you all for the reviews! I revised Chapter 27 along with publishing this new one. I just finished exams so hopefully I will get out more chapters over the summer sooner rather than later. Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 28
The first sensation he felt came from stepping on a cockle burr. Bo flinched. The pain was sharp and immediate, catching him off guard. He swiped it off, taking in the scenery around him along the way.
Wind brushed past his form, caressing him with its cool fingers. It shifted and flowed like water, leaves carried amidst the dense woods. Stars shone bright and alluring above, as if they were only for Bo to see. A white celestial body smiled down on him; he laughed in reaction. He'd never seen the sky so clear. He wished all his dreams were like this.
How long had he been dreaming? For eternity? A blink of an eye? He couldn't recall. Something in the back of his mind told him remembering would only bring him back to reality, a subject he was not inclined to join at the moment.
A winding road lay ahead of him, the pavement cool under his naked feet. What was he doing here again? Bo surveyed the area, confusion settling in. Black vans followed slowly behind, showering him with their high-beams.
Ahead of the group, two men walked cautiously, as though they were approaching a dangerous animal. Dressed in the colors of the night, they would have blended in well if not for their almost glowing complexions. The shorter of the two wore a bandage around his neck. The faces were familiar, their names on the cusp of his awakening conscious.
"How much longer do you think he'll go?", one asked.
"It's hard to say. At least he's not attacking people anymore."
"Only the ones that don't provoke him."
"What are you insinuating, Eric?"
"I'm saying that perhaps it wasn't the brightest idea to go in with a pistol when you couldn't even shoot it correctly. No wonder your side lost the war."
"I would not have been in there had a certain king not lost the boy. How hard is it to lose your own son in your own territory in the space of 10 minutes?"
"I told him to stay in the car."
"And you believed he would stay there?", the man said.
"Yes, I ordered him to. Why wouldn't he?"
"He's not one of your vampire children like Pam is. The boy is volatile and impulsive. You should have known better than to leave him out there in the open like that."
"How the hell was I supposed to know she would strike so suddenly? She's an elusive bitch, that's for sure."
"The king of Louisiana, with all the vampire forces and technology he could ever hope for, couldn't find a little witch and her pack of weres?"
"How rich. It's not like you can do any better, Mr. President of useless data. Who was it that found their hideout? Oh, yes. That was me. Not you, the computer whiz."
"How dare you discredit what I have done in this search, Eric."
"King Eric."
"The only kingly thing about you is your pompous ass."
"Staring at my ass, Bill? I didn't know you swung that way. Is that why you are so invested in Bo? Wanting to get a bit of Sookie through another manner? Never thought you were that twisted."
"How dare you, you—"
"Jesus, will you two ever stop bickering!" Bo yelled, ready to tear out his own hair. Their voices were like sledgehammers to his brain. His fangs ran out, emotions flaring up. "Just, please. Stop yelling."
He covered his ears, a headache starting to form. Sounds from all over began to close in; as if someone turned up his hearing capacity tenfold.
Dizziness overwhelmed him. Crouching low, he tried to focus on his spot. Everything was too bright, too loud—too much. He heard quick footsteps approach, pausing a few feet away. Suddenly, a large hand grasped his shoulder, pulling him up. His stomach sloshed around from the movement.
"Are you . . .with us again?" Eric said, keeping a firm hold on the boy.
Eric bent down to his son's eyelevel. Black pupils nearly overtook the irises so similar to the Viking's own. The color looked even more haunting in the dark. He should have stopped this, prevented all of this from happening. He never should have allowed the young man—no, not a man, just a boy really. To be taken from him so quickly and brought to a state such like this? The thought of it drew white fire from the pit of his stomach. That bitch would pay. The king struggled to keep his face neutral, the anger rising.
"I don't feel so good." Bo said, and emptied his stomach contents soon after the statement.
The king of Louisiana shifted around swiftly, holding his child by his stomach. Bo lurched again, his body rejecting whatever could be found.
"Ew," Eric said.
Bo snorted. Vomit and vampires were natural enemies it seemed. He wiped his mouth. Disorientated and giddy, he leaned against Eric for support.
"Where are we?" His focus went in and out, unable to fully process all the enhanced details around him. The muscles in his calves felt tingly and worn-out, like he just ran a marathon.
"You don't remember?" Mr. Compton moved forward, careful to avoid the mess he made.
"No, not really. I was in the witch's shack and then nothing." The teenager tried to grasp the bits and pieces of his memories, but they were too far away for him to catch. "Suddenly I'm walking down a road. Why am I walking on a road? Where is this place?"
He looked down again and giggled. This dream was just getting sillier and sillier. "Hey look, Eric. I'm naked."
"I think we've all noticed that, Bo." His father observed with a small smirk, expression closer to the Eric that Bo knew. "Looks like we share other things too."
The boy squinted, taking in the now reddish hue of his body. The color was everywhere, leaving no part unmarked. Curious and less inhibited than normal, he licked the front of his hand. It tasted good. Really good. He continued tasting himself, reveling in the flavor.
Eric slapped his hand away, using his other hand to steer his head away. "Stop that."
"But it tastes good." The dhampir tried to taste his hand again, only to be yanked away by his hair.
"Of course it tastes good. It's blood."
"Oh…" He glanced at the limb again. He couldn't think straight, emotions coming and going like a subway train. "Fuck me. Is it human?"
"No, just dog."
"What kind of dog?" The delirious boy questioned, "Fuckstick. Did I eat someone's pet?"
"Not necessarily." Eric said.
"I'll go get a blanket," Bill said, walking back to the vans closing in on them. The Civil War veteran gestured something with his hand, a signal that seemed to ease the tension in the air.
Bo rolled his head from side to side, a dreamy smile planted on. He used some of the wet blood on his face and smeared it across Eric' forehead. Surprise and soon displeasure were his father's reactions. Bo laughed.
"I pronounce you Simba, king of the lions, elephants, penguins, and whatever else lives in the goddamn savanna."
"I'm going to remind you of this day for the rest of your life. I can assure you of that." Eric sighed, exasperation dissipating. "No, no I won't. Damn it. You're lucky you're my son. I thought I'd lost you for a moment there."
A dozen or so vampires got out of the vans, each moving with a purpose. The bright low beams of the cars were distracting, almost painful to his eyes. He groaned, wanting to shrink away from everything around him. Eric's hold was as hard as steel however.
"Is this a dream?" Bo gazed at his father, eyes dilated and unfocused. He noticed a certain shoe queen talking with another vampire. "Why isn't Pam in a hot red bikini serving me smoothies?"
She turned sideways and rolled her eyes at him. Maybe he should have whispered that comment.
The king raised an eyebrow. "I thought you didn't like Pam."
"Of course I don't. Doesn't mean she isn't hot though."
"So you do have a libido. Thank god. I was starting to get worried." He loosened his hold on Bo's wrist, the man's other hand making sure his son didn't fall over. "Unfortunately, this isn't a dream."
He visually deflated. "That sucks."
"I agree. This was not how I wanted to spend my Friday night."
"It's Friday? That means I've been gone for two days then. Christ."
"Yes. Your mother's family is very distraught. I'll call them for you later if you'd like."
He nodded his head, shoulders drooping slightly. "Yeah. That would probably be good." Guilt flooded through his mind like a river, sharpening his awareness.
"Would you like to sit down for a bit?"
"Only for a little while. My feet are getting sore." He broke away from the older male, positioning himself on the curb. His soles were caked in dry blood and mud. "Dang. Okay, bad idea. My muscles are killing me now."
"That's not unexpected."
"How far did I walk?"
"Far enough. You were running for most of the way."
Two vampires washed away his footsteps with a hose while a third got out cleaning supplies. The rest were either on their phones or stood guard around the vicinity. Some dressed in head to toe black armor. The rest were more or less in dark casual. Like Eric and Bill, many were not in their cleanest state. Every moment or two they switched their attention to take a peak at him. There was a sense of apprehension from them, as though he might snap at any second. What had he done to cause such a reaction?
"What happened to me, Eric? Why am I covered in blood?" He asked, "Please, tell me. I'm sick of not knowing what's going on. Why is everyone so uneasy? Did I do something wrong?"
"We need to get him stabilized." Bill stepped in, throwing a dark blanket over the young male's shoulders. Mr. Compton lowered to the boy's level, taking notes on his eyes and overall mental stability. "There does not appear to be too much damage at this point in time. His eyes are still partially unfocused but he appears to be more in control than earlier. Get him to the car soon. We have two hours until sunrise."
"Why can't I concentrate? Why is everything so loud and bright? Why—"
Eric wrapped the blanket tighter around the boy's body. "I'll explain everything in the car."
"I don't think I can get up." He tried moving his legs. They protested back, hot flashes of pain echoing up and down the appendages. He pulled his limbs in, trying to push all the strange sounds and smells out. Bo strengthened his hold on the sheet covering him. All he wanted to do was go home.
Without warning, the vampire lord picked him up. He struggled to get out of the man's grip.
"What the hell? Put me down! I'm not a girl, damn it."
"So you can crawl your way to our van?"
"Yes, if I have to." Bo declared, embarrassment starting to worm its way back into his consciousness. He was a man, darn it. Even if he wasn't exactly right in the head just yet. "You are jeopardizing my manliness. Put me down. Now."
"You know, as hilarious as that would be to watch, I'm going to have to pass." He cast the boy a weary glance, eyes burning bright in the night. "I'm not sure whether to be furious at you for disobeying me that evening, or relieved that you're alive."
"Can I go home after this?" Bo slumped, too tired to continue his battle of masculinity.
"In time, maybe."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"We will speak of it later. For now, sleep."
"At least answer one of my questions. I hate being so out of the loop here."
"What was your last clear memory?"
"I was in the shack chained up. They did a lot of shit to me." His breath hitched. "I was having hallucinations. I saw mom again."
Eric stopped for a moment mid-stride, his features rock hard and impossible to read. Only his eyes whispered any sort of sentiment. "And after that?"
"Not much more. The last thing I remember was one of the weres coming closer and then . . . Nothing. I've got nothing."
"How many mutts were there when you captive? About 7 or 8?"
"Yeah, I think. How did you know?"
"That's what we found from the bodies, or what was left of them. When we arrived the last was still struggling in your grip."
A burning sensation erupted in the middle of his chest. His only law, the one that he lived by religiously, broken. "I killed human beings?"
Eric tightened his hold, jaw set in stone. "You killed rabid dogs. You should be glad they're gone."
Dismay rushed to the surface. Clarity was sneaking back into his body at an alarming pace. "I murdered people, with my own hands. "
"You did what was best for you."
He let out a weak laugh, shaking slightly. "I'm a fucking monster."
"You are not a monster, Bo. I've killed many people. I even regret some of them. But I never regret living afterwards. You were being tortured. Do not take pity on creatures such as them."
"How the hell is that supposed to make me feel better?" He slid his head into his hands, shock rattling his system.
"It wasn't. Your hunger got the best of you, as it has all of us at one point. You can't avoid death in our world."
He shook his head, refusing to listen. He never should have left New York, never should have met any of these people. All he could think about was his lose of control. How could he have lost control? Why did he have to lose the one thing that set him apart from them? "I don't want to be apart of your stupid world anymore. I don't have to be."
"You've always been apart of my world from the moment you're born. There's no escaping what you are, Bernard." He opened one of the side doors to a car. "This is evidence of that."
The blood-splattered teen slumped against the car seat after he was placed down. Shame ate at his insides like vultures to a carcass. "How could I lose myself like that?"
"The thirst has never been a kind master."
"I just killed a group of people. I'm a murderer. God, what's going to happen to me?"
"Nothing at all. Everything is fine now."
"Everything is not fine right now! Have you not heard anything I've said?" He looked down at his skin, horrified realization dawning. "Oh god. This is their blood, isn't it? I'm covered in their blood. Oh god, oh god . . ."
Eric stared on, his vampire mask on fully. "I have taken care of everything. Do not feel guilty about killing the dogs. You did what any vampire would have done in a situation like that."
"What? Killed and feasted on them?"
"Yes."
"But I'm not a vampire, Eric. I'm not."
The ruler pulled himself into the car, moving Bo's legs. "No human would have done something like that, Bernard. Keep denying what you are, and this will happen again. Do you want to kill another person out of mad-thirst?"
"No, never. I don't want to be a murderer," he said.
"Then stop trying to run away from what you are. It will only get harder if you keep trying to."
He let out a deep breath, the night's events left him feeling disgusting inside and out. "I hate this so much."
Eric brushed the boy's bangs to the side with his index finger, coating it with blood. He licked the digit clean casually, eyes half-lidded. "I know, son. I know."
Curling inwardly, Bo tried to block everything out, hoping to restore some of his psyche. His body felt weird, transformed inside and out. He was not the awkward city boy with dietary issues anymore. The darker feelings of his heart were stronger and closer to the surface than ever before. And the worst part? He didn't feel nearly as guilty as he said, which only made him feel a different kind of guilt.
Bo pocked his head out of the blanket, getting Eric's attention. Under the fluorescent lighting, the older man appeared haggard, the dark crescents of sleepless nights hanging under his concerned gaze.
For a moment in time, a vulnerability passed between the two, the raw emotions of the evening riding their faces like waves on a stormy day.
"I'm scared, dad." Bo admitted, voice shaky. "I don't know what to do."
The king froze, then broke out into a genuine smile, the wariness easing a little from his large shoulders. "I'll take care of everything."
Bo lay against the car door, vision blurring as he slipped into a dreamless sleep. The words were comforting, he thought, but comfort would only get you so far in a world full of monsters. Of course, when your father is a king of monsters that sort of logic might not apply. And now he was one too, a monster. His own worst nightmare come true. He was no longer the Bo of months before and that terrified him.
