That night I wore the backless gown that he'd made from his mind and the troll had crafted. My back was akin to a sea shell or milk so white and creamy it looked in my reflection.
I wore my hair piled high in a riot of curls with a tiny string of pearls woven through it and around it and across my forehead in what was truthfully a very date antiquated look but one of which I was fond. Since the air outside was still brisk at times I wore a cloak of white lined with scarlet dyed fur.
I met Eric downstairs alone since he'd forbidden Minnie to come. His eyes widened just slightly at the sight of me. His breath came in a hiss and I smiled.
When I reached the last few steps he reached up and wrapped his massive hands about my waist and lifted me into the air twirling before setting me down. Matilda had already taken her own coach to her performance to prepare. The sky above was a strange chartreuse and part of me that wasn't consumed with my husband worried that it bespoke of a coming storm.
Nature isn't terribly exciting to me unless it is passionate with rain or thunder or raging winds. Sunny days are incredibly dull to me. Their boring radiance and the subsequent heat was irritating. That I lived in the south had always been something of an irony. It's humid air which clung to the body like a second skin was at times romantic but mostly it just felt suffocating. But this time of year though it was warm wasn't so bad.
We got into a carriage that I'd never seen before made of white birch if I wasn't mistaken and painted with trees on the side. "I made this you know," Eric said quietly as he caressed the soft cotton interior.
"It's quite lovely and very unusual," I murmured. I was overtaken with the urge to kiss his cheek and then after a moment's debate I did just that. A look of extreme pleasure crossed his gentian eyes. I realized that I had for so long been crippled by the pain of my jaws that it had been two days since I ate more than a bite or two.
Eric's eyes narrowed "You've grown thinner, I don't like that," it was as if he'd heard my thoughts.
I said nothing and gazed out the narrow carriage window unto the world of cobbled streets and cast iron street lights that were being lit by men in black clothing who wore happy smiles as the yellow light grew at their touch.
We parked in a long line of coaches and got out. "Eric why couldn't Minnie come?"
My husband smirked "Do you realize that you only call me by my name when you're upset with me?"
I tapped one delicately shod foot "Never mind about that, why?"
He sighed deeply "Because I hate her, I'm trying to be nicer to her but it's a struggle."
The blood drained from me and I nearly fainted "Why would you ever hate someone as dear as she?"
Eric's lip curled "Because every fucking thing you do is guided or done for her and not for me."
His hand reached out and engulfed my wrist and squeezed painfully "If she did not mean much to you I would kill her, than your heart would belong to me," he fell silent "Of course then I would never receive anything but hate from you."
I tried to pull away and he wrenched me closer and I became aware of people's eyes on us. "My lord they are staring," I said softly.
His lush mouth struck mine and he kissed me as if there was no one else in all of the city. They became ghosts, shades, wraiths with moving lips and hollow watching eyes. Only he and I were alive.
A cold voice spoke then "Eric who is this beauty you crush to you?" I looked up as Eric stepped back and I saw a gorgeous man with a shock of silver hair. But the odd thing was that he was young as young as my husband. His eyes were a piercing intense shade of green with flecks of blue and his lashes were as long as Eric's. His lips were made to be kissed, and he was nearly as tall as my love. Eric's face was proud as he presented me "The Lily of the South, my wife Sookie Stackhouse," he said with a grand flourish to me.
The man seemed to be drinking me as a parched man would in a desert. His hand trailed to my naked back and went down it. Eric's fingers wrapped around his wrist with great force. "Not this one old friend," he said with a killing light in his eyes.
His gimlet gaze turned thoughtful and petulant "Why not? We have shared so many," it was like the complaining of spoiled prince. His gaze was on Eric's mouth with a look of hunger and he licked his lower lip "Indeed we have shared so much," he said softly. I got chills as the meaning of this occurred to me.
Eric's eyes cut to me laden with warning "Shut your face Seth," he snarled. "That was long ago," he added grabbing my arm and turning from the man. "Oh it wasn't so long ago, "Seth called.
His face when I looked up was drawn tight with fury "Forgive the vulgarness of that," he whispered drawing me close to the stage near the center of the square. Matilda was almost beautiful under the forgiving light of the street lamps. In the trees were globes of paper lit from within by caged candles.
The crowd wore looks of great anticipation and furious passion. It was I was to discover the power that Matilda wielded over nearly all who heard her voice. The first song was "Ava Maria" sung in German. And though I don't speak the language I was familiar with the melody.
My husband grasped me close as the music swelled over us, we were beneath the lovely reach of a willow tree. Cole and their Grandfather spotted us and wove through the crowd to speak with us.
I noted that the Grandfather wore a look of acute emotion. When he came close he leaned in and kissed my cheek. I repressed a shudder as he smiled down at me. "How radiant she is Eric," he murmured. "This was my wife's favorite song, I played it at her funeral," his eyes went to his fair haired grandson. "You recall that don't you Eric?"
A look of deep sorrow passed my husband's face. "Yes I can still feel the shroud that covered her," he said most mournfully.
"Where is Felicia?" I asked spitefully.
Cole smirked and looked as though he longed to touch me "She's in chains, recovering," he said blandly.
I shivered and Eric glanced my way "I will get your cloak, stay here."
I nodded and watched him go and Eric's two relatives gathered around me until I was pinned against the tree. Cole's hand so large and pale drifted to my cheek with surpassing gentleness. His grandfather was merely there I sensed to drink in my discomfort. Cole's dark head bent to my ear "I want you to have an affair with me," he said softly.
I gasped and tried to shrink from him but the bark was hard and unyielding against my naked flesh. Thunder crashed into the air making me shake with excitement and confusment "Cole please I couldn't," I protested.
Cole's cruelly beautiful face became cold with lust and a terrible anger "Because you love him," he snarled. His hand rose and he ran it through his hair angrily.
"Always they love him and I am simply a proxy of him for them," I looked beyond Cole's broad shoulder and saw no sign of Eric. My heart constricted and great fluttering filled my stomach.
I pushed my diminutive hands to his chest but he wouldn't budge. "You will either agree to be my mistress or I will tell Eric that you are madly in love with him," came Cole's next words.
I stared up at him with horror "You wouldn't," I cried softly.
His gray eyes gleamed like polished steel and his hand closed over my throat "I would."
