Chapter 34
GPOV
As I sit in the palace library, I am plagued by thoughts of losing my only child. I know this line of thinking is counter-productive, however, the thoughts continue. It is made worse by the fact that my blood line has now grown to include others – Pamela, Sookie and the unborn miracles – all because of Eric. He has given me so much and is the only soul I have ever shared my heart with. Losing him would be the end of me as I would want to meet the sun once I unleashed oblivion on those responsible. Yet I know that Sookie, most of all, would do anything to keep me alive. She tried her hardest to do so as a human, being at my side as I sought peace. And what about their children? If he were not here, would not it be my duty to teach them their vampire heritage? If I am honest, I know that it is.
I stand, exhaling an unnecessary breath, and walk over to the windows. Sunrise is four hours away and I need to know what has happened so far. Before heading to the Master Suite, I check in on the nest.
I leave the library and head to the kitchen. The young Cullens are seated at the table, playing some sort of real estate game that was getting very boisterous.
"I'll give you Paris for Los Angeles" Emmett says to Jasper.
"Why would I want that smog-induced monstrosity when I have New York and Chicago?" he replies.
"C'mon, man! You already have Hollywood and San Diego. The value on the set almost equals the European set!"
"Don't worry about how I manage my assets!" They both stand and bare fangs at each other. One can tell that it is all in good fun, which is rare for a nest. Then again, this nest is unlike anything I have ever seen.
I continue on to the refrigerator, retrieving a bag of donor blood for myself and Sookie. She doesn't know that Eric told me some of the new habits she has begun to exhibit due to the pregnancy. I put the first bag in the microwave and wait.
As it warms, Sinclair enters the room with the same purpose. The only difference is that he also pulls out the ingredients for a strawberry milkshake. The curiosity is too much to bear.
"If I may, who are to making that human drink for?" I ask him.
He smiles and says, "Elizabeth. Although she cannot eat human food, their beverages give her comfort as well as sustenance."
"That is amazing. I cannot imagine all the ways she is different and I am closer to 3,000 years of age than I would like to admit." I tell him.
He laughs and continues his task. I walk out of the kitchen and head to the backyard doors. The smell of meat cooked over an open flame hits me as I open it. This group most comprised humans. Vayl, Jasmine, Raoul, David, Cassandra and their children were enjoying the warm night air that is partial to the south compare to their northern homestead.
"Godric. How are you this fine evening?" Raoul comes to stand by my side, his hands full with a plate of steaming meat and various other side dishes.
"I am well for the most part. Just worried about my child."
He nods as if he can relate to how I am feeling. "I know what you mean. Although I don't let them see it, I always worry about Jazz, Dave and Cole. They are my best soldiers and have become the closest thing to family I have had in many years."
Jasmine (who I cannot bring myself to call Jazz) joins us. "Hi Godric. Have you heard anything from Eric? Is Sookie ok? I've been worried about her since we talked earlier today about her grandfather."
"Fintan?" I ask.
"No, Niall and his dealings with Breandan." This piques both our attentions.
"Breandan?" we ask in unison.
"Oh, shit!" she says and then tries to escape. "Vayl, I have diarrhea of the mouth again."
"Jasmine!" Raoul calls and she stops dead in the tracks. Vayl is on his way to her, yet she doesn't turn around. "Explain."
"No offense to you guys, but it isn't my place to tell that story. I only said what I did because I thought you both already knew." She finally faced us and is now fidgeting with ruby ring on her finger. As I look at it, I feel its power and vaguely remember encountering something like it in the past.
"You have talked with Sookie about this, yes?"
She only nods as she turns into Vayl chest. "What's going on?" he ask as he knows that she is upset.
"Jasmine. There is no need for you to be upset. I was already on my way to check in on Sookie. I will speak with her." Hoping that this consoles her, I give Raoul a knowing look before I head back in.
With the status of the rest of the nest forgotten, I vamp to my child and his mate's bedchamber. The guards know not to stop me, so I knock and wait for an answer.
"One second" she calls from behind the door. Her voice is sweet and innocent. It reminds me of my maker's voice in the early years. Her voice is now raspier because of years of screaming in agony from her many visions.
The door cracks open and I see two beautiful brown eyes looking at me. "Godric!" she says happily, but nervously. Why is she nervous?
The door opens wide enough for me to enter, but she stays hidden, using it as a shield from my eyes. She closes it behind me, but she remains facing door.
"What is going on, child? You know me. Why are you hiding from me?"
"I…I…I don't want you to freak out!" she is almost in tears.
I grab her by the arms and slowly turn her to face me. Tears streak her rosy cheeks and then I see it. Her stomach has almost tripled in size, protruding through her oversized t-shirt.
"Oh, my." I gasp.
"I know. I was fine like four hours ago and I wake up like this! I am trying my damnedest to stay calm with Eric gone and now this shit!" she begins to glow in a purplish white light that is beyond amazing.
"Shhh, lugna dig min dotter. Du måste komma ihåg att du är inte längre människa så det kanske är normalt för Fae födslar. Är du i smärta?" I send Eric my gratitude for telling me that his native language calms her. I pull her to my chest and feel her tears soaking into my tunic.
"Det finns ingen smärta. Jag saknar honom så mycket. Han behöver komma hem imorgon. Jag faller avsides om han inte gör." She is gripping me tightly, almost desperately as she sobs.
"Nej." I tell her sternly. "Du inte 'faller avsides'. Vi går att få din kamrat, mitt barn och att ta med honom hem oss. Du tvivlar dig. Jag är gammal och har inte mött någon lika stark som du, förutom Eric." I pull back and look into her eyes, which have returned to their normal color. I give her my most charming smile and get a giggle in return. This is good.
"Come. Let us sit and talk. I heard that you may have learned some new information about your Fae heritage today." She looks at me surprised, but then she already knows what took place not 10 minutes ago.
"Boy did I." She proceeds to tell me what Cassandra and Alice revealed to her. To say that I am shocked by this betrayal on Niall's part would be an understatement. Although I know first-hand the treachery that the Fae are capable of, I believed that time of mistrust had past with Eric and Sookie's union.
"I need to see AP, like yesterday. Is it possible that she hadn't seen this?" she asks me.
"That would have to be the case. Some sort of magic has to behind hiding this particular event from her sight." I tell her. I know my maker and this is of too much importance to not speak upon at this juncture. Then, her relationship with Niall must also be considered. He would have direct access to her in order to allow such magic to take hold.
"It is day where she is. FUCK! We have to wait!" she stomps her foot angrily. This makes me wonder how her emotions could be affecting Eric right now.
"You must calm down. Eric will be upset if he feels your anger."
"I already dulled the bond so that he doesn't. That is the last thing I would want and my hormones are crazy right now, if you can't tell." I nod and take an unnecessary breath.
"Alright. And don't worry about my maker being in day rest. Much like the Cullens, she does not sleep." Her brown eyes widen at this revelation. "Let us go see my maker." She walks into my arms again and then we 'pop'.
EPOV
Not very long after my shower and mental rendezvous with my wife, the door of my room/cell opens. The blonde from my meeting with Carloman walks in with two humans, one male and one female, tagging behind her.
"Good evening, King Northman. I have to say I'm more than impressed now that I've seen you in person." She is wearing a short, black dress with heels that are the same color as her hair.
"I tend to do that to most people. Who are you?" I give her the same bored look that I give to the fangbangers when I am on throne duty.
"My name is Salome Herod. And I must apologize that I didn't formally introduce myself" she purrs. She walks over to the wing-backed chair in the far corner of the room. She sits, trying to be seductive and failing miserably. "I want to show you more hospitality and thought I'd bring your dinner." She nods towards the two humans who haven't moved or spoken this entire time.
"Much appreciated. And the Tru-Blood I requested?" I see from her mind that both of these donors have SinoAIDS and this lousy attempt to poison me pisses me off.
"Forgive me. I thought that you'd prefer your meals squirming."
"That's the problem with assumptions, is it not?" I ask rhetorically. She raises an eyebrow. Looking at the humans, she orders, "Both of you go retrieve a case of Tru-Blood for our guest." They scurry out of the room.
"While we wait, is there anything else you are in need of to feel more at ease." These vampires are so pathetic, it is almost baffling.
"Let me think." I slowly pace around the room, stalling of course. As soon as I sense the return of the humans, I say, "No. I think that will be all. You can leave the Tru-Blood and the donors. I will make sure they are returned alive." Her anger at being dismissed could be sensed even if I could not read her mind. "WHAT?!...This will NOT be the second man to refuse me!" I have to use all of my years of practice to keep from laughing.
She stands and vamps in front of me. "Are you sure you don't need more entertainment than your dinner?" She is getting desperate now, her self-esteem beginning to crack.
"I am more than sure. Besides, I can get all the entertainment, as you call it, I need from these bloodbags. I have a wife for anything else." She does not like me mentioning Sookie in the least bit.
"Ah, I forgot about your fascination with your human pet. Although I'm sure she wouldn't be able to do the things I can." If only she knew that my wife could crush her like a roach while fucking me into submission.
"There you go assuming again." Her face crumbles and I enjoy it immensely.
"I will leave you to it. If you do kill them, just press the button by the door and the guards will remove them." She walks to the door slowly, swaying her hips as she moves. She takes one more look before leaving. "Have a great evening, King Northman." She thinks that I will get what I deserve once I taste the humans. I give her a curt nod and then the door closes behind her.
"Sit the case on the desk" I instruct the donors. Their minds are just like the servants, meaning that me glamouring them will not be detected as suspicious.
Once they complete the task I gave them, I catch them both by the throats and glamour them to not move or speak until I tell them otherwise. Then, I examine the Tru-Blood for any tampering. The entire case is unopened and I thank the Gods for their stupidity. I drink four bottles in rapid succession. Now that I have eaten, I turn to the humans. I know that they will probably be examined to make sure I took the bait. Gaining control of their addle minds once more; I put the false memory of me feeding and fucking them before healing their wounds. It is important that they be able to report that I healed them to explain the absence of fang marks.
After I feel enough time has passed, I press the button by the door. The guards enter, ready to carry bodies and are surprised that the humans are alive and well. Each one grabs a human and pulls them out of the room, securing the door behind them.
I am happy that sunrise is just about an hour away. I want to go home and never come back to this place. These fucking wastes of blood are not fit to have the gift of immortality. I return to the bed and go into downtime. Sookie needs to get as much rest as possible because when I see her, I will make good on my promise to fuck her on sight.
SPOV
"I do not believe I will ever get used to traveling in such a way, little one." Godric is a little shaken from us teleporting outside of AP's chamber in Egypt.
"You're going to have to get use to it. I plan to assign a fairy guard to you for this reason." He smiles and nods at me. He releases me from his embrace before walking to the door. He knocks and opens it. Holding it for me to enter first, we go in and he closes it behind him.
AP's room is more like a tomb than a bedroom. The walls are covered in hieroglyphics and drawings. Gold trinkets fill most of the empty space surrounding the large heap of animal pelts that serve as her bed. She was sitting on the side of the bed, dressed in a cream linen gown.
"Hello, my child. And you brought my favorite little one with you. Come closer, young one." AP reaches out and I take her hand.
"We have something to discuss but we must ask for you to listen to what we have to say first" Godric says to his maker. The smile that she had when we arrived fades to a look of concern and dread.
"Proceed" she says sternly. She turns her unseeing gaze on me and I release a breath I know I was holding. Then, it suddenly occurred to me how Niall could have use magic to hide something for the ancient seer.
"Ancient One, has my great-grandfather given you any gifts?" As if she could see like Godric and I she looks at me with wide eyes.
"Why, yes." She holds up the hand that I'm not holding and shows us a gold ring with a large onyx stone surrounded by diamonds. I release her other hand and move to touch the stone. My hand is thrown back by the magic omitting from it. I give Godric a look and a nod.
"Maker, we have come to believe that Niall has given you a magic item to hide certain visions pertaining to his dealings with Breandan in their knowledge of Sookie's future. We implore you to remove that ring." She turns to look at him as she removes the ring and throws it into the fire across the room. The magic of the ring cause the fire to turn green and his with black smoke.
"I'm so sorry that because of me you were subjected to such treachery." I bow my head, but she uses a finger to raise it so we are at eye level.
"Never apologize for things that are not of your doing. It is only for you that I do not declare war on Faery for this act of dishonesty. Now, tell me what I should have already seen."
She listens intently as I retell the story for the second time. She closes her eyes and grimaces once I'm done.
"This explains a lot. There were gaps that left me perplexed. I could not figure out why, but now that I know…we will act accordingly. I will continue to play along, but now that his ring has been destroyed, he will sure notice that it is missing from my hand." I had thought about that too and immediately conjured an exact duplicate. I even copied the signature of the magic so if Niall was near, he wouldn't suspect anything was afoot (ha, I loved saying that).
"You are a magnificent wonder and I look forward to your rule." I can help the big smile that spreads across my face and I envelope her in a bear hug.
"You are family and although we have had our differences, you have protected us. Even in the past, you always helped us when you could. I love you for that." Her grip tightens and I am now struggling for breathe. Godric lays a hand on her shoulder, which she registers and releases me.
"It is time for you both to go. The Viking is ready to come home." I kiss her on the cheek and run into Godric's outstretched arms, wasting no time to pop us home.
Author's Notes:
Niall…a traitor…Gods forbid. Day Two is now over. Let's see if the rescue mission goes as plan.
What are your thoughts on how Niall should be handled? Review and let me hear your thoughts.
Here are the translations for this chapter:
lugna dig min dotter. Du måste komma ihåg att du är inte längre människa så det kanske är normalt för Fae födslar. Är du i smärta? = calm my daughter. You must remember that you are no longer human so this may be normal for Fae births. Are you in pain?
Det finns ingen smärta. Jag saknar honom så mycket. Han behöver komma hem imorgon. Jag faller avsides om han inte gör. = There's no pain. I miss him so much. He has to come home tomorrow. I will fall apart if he doesn't.
Nej = No
Du inte 'faller avsides'. Vi går att få din kamrat, mitt barn och att ta med honom hem oss. Du tvivlar dig. Jag är gammal och har inte mött någon lika stark som du, förutom Eric. = You will not 'fall apart'. We will go get your mate, my child and bring him home ourselves. You are doubting yourself. I am old and have not met anyone as strong as you, besides Eric.
*The characters in this chapter belong to their respective authors.
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