Chapter 36: Protection
Sookie sat in the middle of her living room, Tara was seated beside her and glanced at her anxiously from time to time. Godric was seated on his other side while Eric paced the length of the room. As it only took him about three steps each way and he was moving very fast in his agitation, it was making her feel a bit queasy. Godric and Eric had shown up just after the sun went down. Jason was passed out, and snoring lightly, on the opposite couch and she'd finally kicked Sam out about an hour ago so he could go close up the bar.
At the hospital, sheriff Bud Dearborn and Andy Bellefleur had shown up to take her statement; officially she'd hit an animal of some kind. She'd gone along with their explanation because she couldn't remember anything that had happened once she'd left the house yesterday to go to work. Andy still couldn't look her in the eye and when Tara came in he found an excuse to leave the room, his mind tangled up in guilt and pity. She felt bad for him but she couldn't see how she could help him and so kept her mouth shut. Tara, herself, had acted as if Andy didn't exist.
The hospital had insisted on keeping her overnight because of a mild concussion. Eric hadn't left her side all night, and after a short reconnaissance mission to check out the scene of the accident, Godric hadn't either. The hospital staff had been too frightened of their expressions to tell them to leave.
"Are you sure you're alright?" It was about the thousandth time Tara'd asked since bringing Sookie home from the hospital. It was well after midnight now and Sookie was beginning to feel tired and a little loopy from the drugs.
"I'm fine," she assured her best friend. "Really." Tara still didn't look convinced.
"If only I'd been here!" Sookie had already tried to tell her it would have made no difference, except to possibly make things worse, Tara had found her hadn't she? But her best friend was bent on blaming herself for not being there when Sookie got hurt.
"If you'd been here we would have both been hurt, and then who would have driven to the emergency room?"
But the only response was Tara's lips thinning into a hard, straight line.
"And you don't remember anything?" Eric flung the question at her like an accusation.
"No. I remember Alcide bringing me home, getting ready for work, getting in the car and then...nothing." Eric went back to his pacing mumbling under his breath about the useless retention span of the human brain. Sookie was too tired to feel offended and laid her head on Godric's shoulder. He kissed the top of her head lightly.
"I'm glad you're okay." His voice was a little rough with concern. His hands had her braced hand between his own, and his cold hands felt nice.
"I just want to know what I hit. I mean what could have done that to the windshield and not been killed?" She sighed as she thought about how much it was going to cost to fix. "I hope, wherever it is, it's not hurt too badly."
One one side of her Tara snorted, and Eric paused in his pacing to throw her a hard look.
"You didn't hit an animal, Sookie."
She lifted her head from Godric's shoulder. "What do you mean?"
"What he means is that yours was the only blood we could find at the scene. There was also no evidence on your car that you hit something, but rather that something hit you." He paused to let that sink in. "There was a small indent on your front hood where it appears something dropped onto your car as you drove past. Whatever dropped on you must have smashed in your windshield."
Tara started to say something but Godric held up his hand indicating he had more to say and she fell silent.
"Your injuries also do not seem consistent with the damage. The concussion was received from a blow to the back of your head, but whatever came at you came from the front. Your blood was smeared across the front hood of your car," here Eric growled quietly and Jason shifted in his sleep. Everyone watched him until his snoring started up again. Godric met her eyes, his own carefully neutral. "If you were hurt and dazed from the accident why would you crawl out through the window instead of using the door? The glass was smashed into your vehicle not out, so you weren't thrown from the car. And you have injuries that show you were wearing your seatbelt. And your wrist, though the injury may have been caused by the accident...but if you remember nothing how did it get braced before Tara found you?" Sookie didn't have answers to any of his questions. And when he laid it all out like that, it certainly did seem very suspicious.
"Then who or what was it?"
The two vampires shared a loaded glance.
"We think it was a fairy or a witch."
Tara's thoughts were suddenly derisive, but Sookie, with a slight effort, tuned her out. Sookie had told her a lot of what had happened to her lately, but Tara was very skeptical of the supernatural world. She was one of those people who had to see things before she believed them. Sookie turned her full attention back to Godric.
"Do you think it was the same woman who found me in the apartment?"
"We've been wondering about that. If it was, why would she cloak her scent? And if she could do that why would she not have done it before?"
"I don't know. Maybe she didn't want you two tracking her? How would I know?"
Godric took her hands in his in a gesture obviously meant to try and clam her quickly escalating mood. Damn them for knowing exactly what I'm feeling all the gosh darn time!
"We think you were attacked."
"But why would my fairy or witch attacker stop and take the time to treat me?"
"Why don't you remember anything?" Eric asked quietly form the other side of the room. "Whoever it was must have used magic to wipe your memory to cover their tracks."
For a moment Sookie felt deeply violated. She'd always been very pleased to be immune to the vampire's ability to alter one's memory. She heaved a deep sigh and let her head fall onto the back of the couch. "I just don't get any of this. And to be honest I don't want to think about it anymore, at least for tonight." Godric frowned at her, but Eric nodded understanding.
"We'll let it go if you promise not to go anywhere alone." He looked uncompromising. "Someone with you at all times. I mean it. When we're not able to be here I'll have someone watching the house."
"What about during the day?"
"I could hire some body guards for you," he raised an eyebrow. She looked at him horrified. One corner of his mouth twitched. "Or you could stay at my house." Her jaw actually dropped. The twitch turned into a full blown smile. "It's your choice."
"But, but-"
"No, no buts. You need protection until we know exactly what we're dealing with. It's either a bodyguard or you take some time off work and stay at my place." He was smiling but his eyes were dark and serious. "Would you put your brother, Tara or Sam in danger? Fairies are both fierce and they control magic. Your friends are unequipped to deal with this kind of threat. Now choose."
Sookie looked to Godric for reprieve but she found the same uncompromising look that was in Eric's eyes. They were in total agreement.
"Would you leave me without my heart, my love? For I would not survive if I lost you."
Sookie felt the tears well up in her eyes for the pain she saw in the depths of those ancient black eyes.
"Sookie, I think you should listen to them," Tara squeezed her hand lightly. "We all just want you safe."
"Fine," Sookie didn't have any fight left in her tonight. "Hire your bodyguard." She closed her eyes in defeat. She felt Godric's cool lips press softly against her forehead.
"It will be alright. We won't let anything happen to you."
Instead of pointing out that she wasn't worried for herself but only agreeing to placate everyone else, she just nodded. "I know you won't." Her mouth opened in a jaw cracking yawn.
"I think it's time we put you to bed." Godric's voice was soft in her ear.
"I think you might be right." She tried to get to her feet but it was like her legs had lost the strength to support her and she swayed drunkenly. Sure hands lifted her gently and she snuggled into Godric's chest.
"I think it's time I got my ass to bed too." Tara got up from the couch and threw the afghan over Jason on her way out of the room.
Two pairs of eyes watched the homey scene through the windows from the trees. Cali growled quietly under her breath while Claudine watched her with wary eyes.
"I was sloppy, they suspect too much."
"Yes but while they use all their resources to protect her, they will leave themselves vulnerable." She laid a placating hand on Cali's arm.
"Let us hope so for that could be our only chance. My people are out asking about this Mathias, but they must do it without arousing suspicion or he will know and the amulet will be lost to us forever." Her shoulders squared. "Watch over the girl. If you can, make sure no harm comes to her."
"She's one of us isn't she?" Claudine was so curious about this girl she couldn't stop the question from slipping out. Her blood has elements of fairy, how else could she call so strongly? Most humans with our blood are more like her brother...
Flashback:
Claudine was working at the complaints desk in in a department store in Monroe, when, without warning, she heard the call. Instead of the usual slight tugging or whispered voice in her head it was a violent scream, ripping through her mind demanding her to give in. The pain of it brought her to her knees, tear welling up and falling down her face. Worriedly the woman she was working with today, Kathleen, took her face between her hands, trying to force her to focus.
"Are you okay? Claudine? What's wrong?"
She tried to smile reassuringly but all she managed was a grimace.
"Sorry, migraine." The woman's face cleared but she still looked worried.
"I think you should lie down in the back till it goes away some."
The call was only getting stronger, and more painful. "No I've had migraines like this before, it's only going to get worse. Can you call me a cab? I think I should go home and sleep it off."
"Oh, okay." Kathleen got up and grabbed the phone on the front desk.
Once in the cab she told him the direction of the call, he wasn't happy about not having a specific destination but she threw bills at him, she had no idea how many or how much, and he complied without further comment. She ignored his blatant admiring looks and his feeble attempts to draw her into conversation and just held her head, hoping the call would end soon. Just then her phone rang in her pocket, it sounded like a fire engine to her ears and she groaned but flipped it open when she saw it was her brother.
"Claude," she stopped to let him speak. "I know I feel it too. If you can, stay where you are I'm heading in that direction now. I'll call you when I find out what it is." She snapped her phone shut, put her head bock on the seat and closed her eyes. After what felt like an eternity, the call abruptly cut off. Sweet relief flooded her mind and she wiped the tears from her face with the sleeve of her shirt. When she opened her eyes the cab was moving fast along the city streets.
"Pull over here."
The cab driver looked back at her in his mirror, "But there isn't anything here."
She tried to keep her tone civil. "Nevertheless here is where I want to be, now pull over."
The cab driver shrugged and pulled over to the side of the road. He told her the fare and she threw another couple bills over the seat. She got out and waited for him to drive off. As soon as he was out of sight, she disappeared.
Though the urgency of the call, along with the pain, had ended, she could still feel the pull of magic. She didn't know the voice that had called, but it had been female, and she had been frightened. Moments later she stood looking at a scene of devastation. The plane lay on it's side, much of the buildings around it lay in ruin, and she could smell burnt flesh, so there must be a few casualties. She could still feel the power that had been unleashed her, it crawled over her skin giving her goosebumps. As she looked at the scene, she became aware that she was not alone. Many creatures of magic were hiding, prowling, or just standing taking in the devastation like she was. Some were fairy, like her, some were the lesser forms of fairy and elf, and some were creatures she had assumed had died out in this world. But whoever had called was no longer here. Claudine could no longer hear her but she could feel her faintly. Whoever she was, her smell had been wiped out by whatever had happened here. She couldn't remember the last time power like this had been released. Who among us with the power would be so careless? With that thought she closed her eyes again and followed the pull. She opened her eyes to the outside of a vampire bar and immediately she jumped for the nearest building to stay out of immediate smelling distance. The last thing she wanted tonight was to get in a fight with a vampire. So she sat down to wait.
It wasn't long before the door opened and a little woman was ushered in. The vamp who greeted her was lovely, tall and blond. Too bad cutie's a vamp. She sighed. About an hour had passed and the little woman came back out again. Dawn was coming. She flipped out her phone and called Claude.
"I'm still on the trail, apparently whoever she is is inside a vampire bar in Shreveport called Fangtasia. I'm going to stay and follow. Can you call into work for me and tell them I' taking a sick day - that I need to recover from my migraine yesterday? Thanks." With that out of the way she settled herself down to wait.
It was funny, though she was no longer calling, Claudine still felt the pull toward her yet no other of the magical creature that had been at the scene had followed her here. Curious.
She waited all that day and night had just fallen when she finally caught a glimpse of the girl in question. At first Claudine was sure she must be mistaken, the girl appeared human, and a rather normal human at that. Short, blond, tanned. She was too far away to tell eye color, but she bet they were blue.
How could this human have called with that kind of power? There must be some mistake. Maybe she's still inside in one of their dungeons? But as the car drove away she felt the pull go with it.
Well my, my, my, my. How very curious indeed. She followed the car to a neighborhood of apartment buildings. The two vampires, one small and dark, the other the lovely tall blond kept the human girl between them as they entered the building. I wonder what they're so tense about? There was a sense of grim expectation about the trio. Soon after the three of them entered, the two vampires came back out and stepped under the light of the street lamps. Curious she watched them, but when nothing seemed to be happening she thought to take a closer look at the girl.
When she opened her eyes again, she was standing in an apartment which quite obviously didn't belong to the girl. The girl herself was watching the vampires through the window that looked down at the street. Someone snored in the back room, she assumed it was the guy who owned the apartment, and startled the girl laughed. The aura around her was more apparent close up. She was definitely the one who had called, yet the girl was obviously still terrified. Claudine could hear the new arrival of vampires on the street arguing with one of the vampire who had left the girl here in the apartment. It didn't seem like they were in a very good situation.
"I'm glad you can laugh about all this," the girl gasped and spun around her face losing all it's color. "I'd be a wreck!"
Claudine wanted to laugh at the girl's expression but refrained. In a frightened voice the girl asked who she was.
"I think the who is second to the what." Claudine finally said unable to keep from laughing and stepped into the light cast by the street lamps. She watched the girls reaction to her closely. Does she know what I am? Does what I am mean something to her? But she was disappointed, her reaction was very human. She seemed dazed by her, an d though she usually preened under such obvious appreciation, tonight's mood was quite different.
"Hello. I'm sorry to pop out at you like this, I realize it isn't the best way to introduce myself but when I saw the opportunity I had to take it. My name is Claudine." She tried to keep her tone light, but the girl's face was still dark with mistrust and aggression and it sobered her.
"So Claudine, what are you and what are you doing here?"
Claudine pulled the hair back from her ear, "I'm a fairy, and I'm here because of you."
The girl began to look really frightened again. "What do you mean you're here for me? Are you here with Mathias?"
Claudine assumed that was one of the vampires on the street and her face wrinkled. This girl obviously had no idea how the supernatural world worked.
"No, I don't run with vampires. I came because of you. I heard your call yesterday. I'd never felt anything like it." She cocked her head to one side, assessing the girl again, "How did you do it?"
Just then a ripple of magic swept through the room distracting her from the girl. She moved quickly toward the window to see what was happening outside. A small, lithe vampire was settling a necklace around his neck. The thing was obviously endowed with powerful magic. Like yesterday, it was ancient and powerful and she felt a yearning toward it that was unexpected, but beside her the girl was fainting. She caught her before she could hit the floor and settled her on the couch. The girl and the necklace were bonded somehow.
She traced the lines of the girl's face softly. There was something here. She could feel something deep within herself bond to this girl-child. She wanted to protect her, though it was an odd urge. I'll have to examine this feeling closer later, when the vampires aren't around.
"Can you hear me?" Claudine asked softly.
"Yes." The answer was groggy and Claudine suspected that her mind was elsewhere.
"I am here to help you, child. I must go now but I will find you tomorrow and explain what I can. But know that I am a friend." It was all she could explain for now and she hoped it would be enough. The girl must trust her if she were to ever figure out the mystery of her.
"Okay." Claudine said a simple sleeping spell and the girl fell asleep with a smile on her face. Claudine leaned in and took a deep breath, breathing in her scent.
"Now I find out where you actually live. Surely you have some family and they may shed some light on who you really are." Claudine left the apartment. Once outside she closed her eyes and concentrated hard. Harder than she had ever concentrated in her
life. So faint, she wasn't sure she actually felt it, she thought she detected someone related to the girl.
When she opened her eyes again, she was surrounded by trees. "Well now where am I?" Wherever she was she could now smell the girl's scent strongly. She walked out of the trees and into the parking lot of another bar. "Well I guess she's more like a fairy than I thought." Fairies loved bars, they loved any social gathering where they could be admired. She straightened her sweater and leaned down to wipe a bit of mud off her designer boots, made sure her hair covered her ears and walked in through the front door.
It was just as she expected, a small town watering hole, filled with all the usual colourful small town people. She was satisfied with her entrance, conversation in the bar had dropped off as they all, men ad women turned to stare at her. Putting a little sway into her walk, she approached the bar. The man behind it was very cute. His scruffy look wasn't usually what she went for but she was always willing to make an exception.
"Hello." She spoke first because his mouth was hanging open a bit, and it was obvious he wasn't about to ask her for her drink order. "Can I have a beer?" She didn't particularly like beer but it was best if she tried to look like she belonged. His nostrils flared and a new look came into his eyes. Understanding? And she gave him as much scrutiny as he gave her. Absently he poured her the beer she had asked for and she thanked him as he pushed it across the bar.
He smells different, a shifter perhaps? She turned her attention from him and gave the bar patrons a once over. Though most were still throwing her frequent glances, they had gone back to their previous activities. She took a drink of the beer in her hand. It left a bad taste on her tongue but she forced herself to take another drink. Just when she'd come to the conclusion that the person she was looking for was not here, a young man walked out into the room on his way back from the bathroom. He greeted another young man at the pool table and picked up his own beer taking a long drink. There was the slightest of auras around him, nothing at all like the one around the girl, but he was also blond and tanned. He was also muscular and judging by the way most of the women watched him, he had a highly developed sexual appeal. This was far more like the humans who had fae blood than the girl. She had an unusually strong aura, her fairy blood was more apparent, but this boy also had some she was sure of it. He must be her brother, or cousin. Time to find out. She sauntered away from the bar after paying for her drink. She ignored the cat calls and hoots from around the bar and walked toward the pool table with single-minded purpose.
When the boy saw her his eyes widened and she could see the resemblance to the girl went deeper than just their colouring.
"Hi." She batted her eyes at him.
"Uh, hi." He seemed stunned.
She said a few quick words under her breath and the other young man went into a trance-like state. With another few words she had the boy, Jason Stackhouse he said his name was, spilling his proverbial guts over a game of pool. He had only one family member - his sister Sookie. He bit his tongue but with a little persuasion he cracked. His sister was able to read minds. Hmmm, how interesting. He himself had been bitten by a were-panther and so turned every full moon. But he had no natural talents except for being very good with women.
The bar tender was watching her suspiciously now, but she was finished with this one. It was his sister, Sookie, that was the interesting one in this family. She cast another quick spell to make him forget all but that he'd had a very pleasurable game of pool with a beautiful stranger and she left the bar. She whispered another spell as she walked out, wiping the memories of all the bar patrons that night. She didn't want to leave any loose ends.
"She's something interesting. So watch her closely. She may still be of use to us." Cali disappeared into the night, she wanted to check in with the coven. They needed to find this vampire Mathias, the Light of the Summerland called to her in her dreams.
Claudine melted into the shadows when Eric stepped out onto Sookie's porch. He growled under his breath and whipped something out into the trees. She heard the sound of smashing glass. His hands clenched and he hissed but retreated back inside and Claudine relaxed a bit.
"She's certainly chosen some odd companions...thought cute," she had to give her that.
She couldn't feel the girl behind the barrier but she was sure the vampires would keep her safe tonight, so she thought it safe to leave for a bit to get something to eat.
"Stay safe Sookie. I will be back in the morning."
Sookie, by everyone's insistence stayed in bed the whole of the next day. But by Wednesday she was puttering around the house doing any chore she could find, though there really wasn't much. She was doing a thorough cleaning of her room when she found the ring. She'd just put her bedding in the wash and was now dusting every surface she could reach when she felt the small crunch beneath her foot. Surprised she bent down and picked up what was left of the engagement ring Bill had given her the night he had been kidnapped. It was her last good memory of him. Her fingers tingled with the remembered pain of how that ring had been ruined. Looking at the mangled ring she felt tears well up in her eyes for the first man she'd ever loved, it seemed like so long ago.
"Oh Bill, I hope you've been reunited with your family. I miss you." With care she laid the ring in her grandmother's old jewelry box. As she closed the lid a single tear rolled down her cheek. She'd lost a lot but it had led her to where she was now and to two men she loved more than life itself. Sometimes life was funny, if someone had told her she would have fallen in love with Eric even six months ago she would have called him a liar and probably punched him just for good measure, and now here she was...in love with the damn guy. Stupid, pushy, know-it-all Viking.
She knew they just wanted to protect her but it made her feel helpless. Things always came at her that were so much stronger than her, even Alcide's shifter girlfriend was physically more powerful than her. It made her wish that she had more of a handle on her weird electricity power thing. But how was she supposed to get a hold on something she didn't understand?
It put her in a bad mood, so when Tara called home for the third time to check on her she was a little more terse than she meant to be. Tara hung up on her. Now she felt guilty as well as frustrated and crabby.
She hadn't met the bodyguard they'd hired yet, but she knew they were out in the woods surrounding her house. She caught a few stray thoughts throughout the day but she was too preoccupied with being miserable to look into them too much. She'd also made a large social faux pas that her grandmother would have given her a good tongue-lashing for...she hadn't invited them in for any meals. She'd just wanted to spend the day in her own misery and so she had. It only helped that she hated herself for being so rude. But now night was falling and she wasn't going to have a choice in the matter. As the last rays of light left the sky she knew it was time to stop sulking so she stomped upstairs, finally stripped out of her pajamas and jumped into the shower. The hot water went a long way toward calming her mood, so that when she got out and pulled on jeans and a t-shirt it was with far more acceptance of her situation and a lighter heart. After she brushed her teeth, she looked up into her reflection, examining her flawless skin (thank you Godric and Eric), her long blond, shining hair (sadly that was also in part due to the blood exchanges) and her determined eyes.
"I will learn to use whatever power I have, I won't be helpless anymore. I won't let everyone down." She thought of Bill again, and poor Jessica caught up in a world she knew as little about as Sookie, and her Gran. All dead, and all in one way or another, because of her. Before her resolve wavered she ran back downstairs just as Tara was opening the door. The two girls eyed each other for a moment then Sookie's eyes fell.
"I'm sorry." She sighed. "I guess I was just feeling sorry for myself."
"Well I hope you've gotten over it." Sookie was shocked at her harsh tone and her head snapped up in surprise and disbelief to meet smiling dark eyes and a mocking smile. Tara held out her arms and Sookie, laughing walked into them.
"I love you girl, so you're just going to have to accept my overbearing behavior. And I'm not the only one, so bear with us okay?"
"I'll try."
Sookie followed Tara into the kitchen where she put on a pot of coffee. They sat at the kitchen table while they waited, "So what happened at the bar today?" The girls sat at the table chatting until a soft knock came at the door. Sookie felt her heart start beating faster and she couldn't keep the smile off her face. At the door Godric waited he was dressed in a charcoal gray sweater and white pants. His dark eyes locked on her and she watched an answering smile spread across his face.
" Hi."
"Good evening, Sookie." He gestured to the man standing beside him who Sookie had completely overlooked till he was pointed out. She looked over and found she herself staring into a well-built and burly chest covered in a denim shirt. She was taken aback and quelled the urge to take a step back. From the feel of his mind he was a Were, so this must be my day guard. Her eyes traveled up his chest and finally made it up to his face.
He was huge! Slightly shorter than Eric, but still towering over Godric, his whole body seemed to be made of muscle. His dark hair was curly, with the first hints of gray showing at temples. He had a trimmed beard that obscured his expression, but his gray eyes were calm and expressive. He looked like a hard-working man.
"This is Tray Dawson."
"It's nice to meet you." Sookie extended her hand.
Tray's big, rough hand reached out and engulfed hers in a quick, very warm handshake.
"Come on in, would you like some coffee, tea, lemonade?" She opened the door wide and stepped out of his way so he could enter. He stepped past her and took a deep breath. As he looked around Sookie had the sense that his eyes, along with his nose didn't miss much. She was suddenly very, very glad she'd spent the day cleaning.
"Some coffee would be great, thanks." His voice was a very pleasing deep rumble.
"It's just in through there." She pointed when he turned his head to look at her. She was impressed that he was polite enough to wait for her direction rather than just following his nose. "Tara can show you where the mugs are."
He nodded and walked through to the kitchen. Sookie turned back to Godric who had also walked in and closed the door behind him. The night was a chilly one so Sookie was thankful to be out of the cold breeze that had been blowing through it.
"So he's my day guard?"
"One of them." He stepped close, brushed back her hair and laid a lingering kiss on her neck which sent shivers of heat right down to her toes. Her breath started coming faster. But by pure strength of will she held onto the conversation.
"Are there others?"
"Well Eric did ask Alcide but he said that you asked him to give you some space," he pulled back and lifted an eyebrow in silent inquiry but she made no move to explain so he continued. "So he recommended Tray to us, he has experience in this type of work. The others in the Shreveport pack are in a difficult place with the succession not being sure. So Tray will be the only Were but a witch will be showing up tonight. She is coming from New Orleans, her name is Octavia Fant. She'll be putting up some spells to ward off anything that comes with the intent to harm you."
"Sort of like how vampires can't come in unless you invite them?" Sookie still struggled with the concept of magic but she was far more determined to try and understand it and how it worked than she had been when she'd first met Bill. She had far more incentive now.
"That's more or less the idea."
"So she'll set up the magic and he'll be the muscle?"
He laughed at her simplification. "Yes, he will look after you during the day, and two vampires will be here every night. Myself, Eric or Pam will be with you here in the house and someone will be outside guarding the surrounding area."
"For how long?"
"As long as it takes." Tara had answered before Godric could. She was standing one hand on her hip, the other holding a mug of coffee, and she looked fiercely determined. Godric's mouth quirked up on one side as he looked at her. When he looked back at Sookie his eyes sparkled, "What she said."
With her earlier decision made she was able to grimace with a semblance of good humor.
"Well go on into the kitchen then," she said making a shooing gesture. "I'm going to make up the guest bedroom just in case someone needs it tonight."
She stepped reluctantly out of Godric's arms, "There's some True Blood in the fridge if you want some."
Godric didn't answer as the space between them lengthened but she could feel his dark eyes on her as she walked quickly down the hall. She grabbed some new sheets from the hall closet and walked in. She hadn't really been in the room since cleaning it after the whole thing with Mary-Anne. After putting new sheets on the small bed, she looked around to see if anything else was needed, but everything seemed in order so she closed the door behind her and walked back out to the kitchen.
In the kitchen conversation seemed to have fallen into a lull and everyone was looking off in a different direction. Godric was watching the front door, while Tray was looking around the kitchen seeming to be memorizing its layout and the position of windows and doors. Tara was sitting with a mug clutched in both hands and was switching her gaze bath and forth between the two men. Sookie repressed a smile.
Ignoring the table for the moment she grabbed her mug off the counter and rinsed it in the sink. When she turned she was ready for whatever else the night wanted to throw at her.
"So Tray, do you do this type of work often?" His gray eyes evaluated her for a moment, she had the feeling he knew she was trying to take control of the situation and gave her a quick flash of white teeth.
"I'm hired out from time to time, but I own and operate a motorcycle repair shop between Hotshot and Grainger." That didn't surprise Sookie in the least, you could always find Weres in construction or motorcycle jobs. She caught an impression from his mind which surprised her.
"But you're not a part of the Shreveport pack are you?" Tray looked at her a little more sharply. Godric seemed to be ignoring the whole conversation and Tara just looked lost.
"No. I never was a very good pack animal. I don't follow the chain of command very well."
"So then why are you helping me now?"
"First of all, Alcide asked me to protect someone who'd been named a friend of the pack. I find it is always best to keep relations cordial, especially if his father becomes the new packmaster. And secondly, your vampires are paying me quite a lot of money, which will go a long way in keeping my business running."
"And you don't like Patrick Furnan."
Tray's expression darkened. "And how would you know that?"
Sookie kept her expression clear of all emotion, but she felt Tara's level of anxiety rise.
"I'm a telepath. And though Were brains aren't very clear most of the time, your feelings about him just came through clear enough. Can I ask why you don't like him? I mean you don't have to tell me anything but the reason I'm a friend of the pack is to make sure he doesn't pull anything underhanded at the contest. So I was just hoping to get a better picture of him, you know, to know what to look for."
Tray considered that a moment, and though his eyes had narrowed suspiciously he shrugged his massive shoulders.
"Furnan is trying to put me out of business." Sookie was surprised.
"Why would he do that?"
"There aren't that many motorcycle repair shops in the area and he wants it all for himself. He sent some guys over when I was gone and they messed up the shop pretty bad. I can't prove it was him, but I know it was." His voice was becoming a growl.
"Do you think he'll try again?" That provoked a smile from Tray that quickly turned into a fierce baring of teeth.
"Oh I hope so. Next time they won't get off so easy." He was thinking about breaking bones, and tearing off limbs. The images made Sookie feel sick, but also, oddly, safer with this boulder of a man. She couldn't help but grin at him.
"Thank you for being so open with me."
He shrugged again and his muscles seemed about to burst out of the suddenly fragile seeming material that covered them. "I figured we'd be spending some time together so it's best to get this all out of the way now."
Just then, all heads turned as a beam of light flashed across the room and the sounds of a car pulled in behind the house.
"I guess she's here." Sookie stood and started walking toward the door, Godric was walking right behind her and the sudden anxiety she felt was dampened.
"Sookie what's wrong?" His hands rubbed her shoulders soothingly.
"Nothing, I'm good. Just a little anxious. She'll be the first witch I've ever met, let alone invited into my house. I guess I'm just a little nervous."
Godric chuckled and shook his head.
"So a witch scares you more than vampires and werewolves?"
"I wouldn't say scared, exactly. More apprehensive and wary." Sookie broke off trying to explain as she felt two people approach the door. "She's got someone with her."
"Well then you should let them in, Octavia has driven a long way tonight."
Sookie opened the door, and there stood an elderly black woman with a cap of white hair. Her light-skinned features were narrow and sharp. She was wearing a bright pink lipstick and a light gray pantsuit. The young man who stood beside her had the same skin tone and narrow features, though his were set in a welcoming smile despite the obvious fatigue in his eyes. He was only slightly taller than the old woman. He was dressed in a black shirt, black pants and black shoes.
"Hello, my name is Octavia Fant. This is my grandson, Bob. We are here to see Sookie Stackhouse. Would that be you young lady?"
Sookie's anxiety ratcheted up another couple notches as she read the witches mind.
"That is me, and this is Godric," Sookie gestured to Godric standing just behind her. The young man's smile faltered. "Please come in." Sookie then gestured to the couch, "Have a seat."
Once they were seated, Tara and Tray came out of the kitchen and joined them in the living room. "Can I get anybody anything?" Her grandmother would have at least demanded that she offer.
"No, thank you." Octavia spoke for them both, it had looked like Bob would have liked something but his mouth shut when Octavia declined. "We should get straight to business. There is something you should know."
"And what would that be?" Tara asked, her tone not very friendly. Octavia didn't even spare her a glance, her eyes were trained on Godric's.
"As we drove in, we passed through a protection spell. It is very strong. Were you aware of its existence before you called me?"
"What kind of protection spell?"
"The kind that keeps out creatures born of the ancient magic."
Everyone in the room, including Bob, sat stunned.