I have to apologize for the lengthy delay, again. Life really rears its ugly head sometimes. Well, that and this story is now close to 300,000 words. SMH… that's a lot! I hope you're all not getting bored.
Thank you to all of you who have continued to follow this story. I know that it's been a long wait, but hopefully it's still as entertaining.
And… we find out some interesting things about Arabella…
Sooooo… on with the show!
…
While the walk with Dion thankfully turned quiet, giving me a break from all his questions that just led to more questions that led to me wanting to pull my hair out in frustration, it unfortunately ended all too quickly. To be perfectly honest, we could have walked the length of a marathon and it still would've been too short. I think he finally picked up on the fact that I needed a regrouping of sorts. While I did my best to not show it, his quasi interrogation had simultaneously made my head spin, my anger spike and my patience dissolve. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy discussing things that carried more weight than what today's special was at Merlotte's or gossiping about which unlucky fool Jane Bodehouse was screwing this week; it was just the timing of it all. Between what the Maenad had done not only to my town but to my home, me killing her outright and not in self-defense, somehow magically landing my ass on Mt. Olympus and having my mind being picked at by a god… Ahhhhhh…. All of this is making my brain want to explode. This whole situation was one big mind-fuck. And while I would still contend that Tara's mind-fuck was the epitome of mind fucks, this was up there, not as grotesque and sinister, but still, a complete and total mind fuck.
Dion backing off like he did made me wonder if he could read minds like I could, even though I couldn't read his. Not that I tried too hard to get into his. I really didn't want to find out how a god would react to someone trying to barge into his innermost thoughts. Something told me that it would not have gone well… for me that is.
And as we walked in silence, I didn't know if I was really ready for another round of 'quiz the human on life's mysteries' just yet. There was something going on here, something that Dion kept dancing around in all is questions and answers. And, to be totally honest, I wasn't sure that I really wanted to find out what mystery was unraveling here before me. Let's face it; most of the mysteries I've unraveled so far haven't bode well for me. Being in the dark sorta had a nice ring to it right about now. Hell, I still was really hoping this was all one big hallucination. You know, like I'd wake up and it's a Saturday with nothing to do but my nails and the wash and none of this bullshit ever happened, oh… and my house would be back in it's usual state. No… unfortunately my luck isn't that good. In fact, it downright sucks lately.
"Ahhh, here we are. My brother's humble abode." Dion said as he waved his hand in front of us to highlight the extremely large (and noticeably not modest), yet beautiful white marble building before us. 'What's with the gods and all this white marble? I mean it's beautiful and all, but I've seen some really nice dark granite in Ole Miss Caroline Bellfleur's house. And the size of things here… I wonder if someone's overcompensating for something. I'm just saying...' I thought to myself.
Before grabbing the massive iron door handle to let me in he added, bringing me out of my inner thoughts, "It was an honor and a privilege to meet you Arabella. It's sad to say, but you are really and truly one of the rare gems amongst a sea of inadequacy." He then kissed my hand gently before letting it go. It wasn't a romantic gesture, but rather one of respect.
"Ummm, this was…." I started to say through narrowed eyes, looking for the right words but in the end not coming up with a single one to describe meeting the god. "Darn it! Usually I'm not this choked up for words." My face scrunched up in disgust at myself after my inability to come up with more than that sorry excuse for a reply. Maybe my mind was really fried up right now. I wish I was a computer right now that could just reboot.
"I'm a god sweetheart. I understand. Trust me when I say that you aren't the first woman to get caught up in my utter handsomeness." Dion said while circling his face with his hand and wiggling his perfectly coifed eyebrows. Even though he was commenting on his attractiveness, I could tell he wasn't flirting with me. This was just his personality. He reminded me a lot of Lafayette in the way he was overconfident in himself; both were, but in a fun way. Although it was pretty clear that Dion liked the ladies by the way he kept eyeing the female servants when we were in the main hall. If Lafayette ever met him, I'm sure he'd be bummed about that, although Jesus and him seem to have hit it off pretty well.
And just like Lafayette's words could make the most sad person laugh, I found that I couldn't help but chuckle softly at Dion's boasting before saying, "Well, it has certainly been thought provoking and interesting meeting you. You definitely weren't what I would have expected, but I'm sure you have more important things to get on to than giving me a verbal SAT."
"Oh, this won't be the last time you see me sweetheart. No, no. We'll see each other sooner than later. But my brother will fill you in on the details. Onward then." Dion said as he opened the massive door and gestured for Arabella to enter.
I didn't say anything to his comment, but thought to myself, 'Oh great. I'm going to see more of him. Not that he wasn't nice or gracious or whatever, but honestly what the hell kind of trouble is that gonna bring my way?'
I found that I wasn't as scared to walk into the beautiful marble building, as I had been earlier in this strange experience, because it really didn't seem like anyone here wanted to harm me. Wouldn't they have done so already if that were the case? But… that wasn't to say that I wasn't a little apprehensive about what I was going to learn about here with Dion's brother. The way Dion kept on about me and my ability to do… more… or whatever he was insinuating, it gave me an uneasy feeling in my gut that I was about to find out something about myself that was going to change my life. Would that change be for the better or worse that was the million-dollar question now wasn't it?
The room I walked into was just as breathtakingly beautiful as the others that I had been in, but this one felt a bit homier. There was a gently roaring fire in the magnificent golden tiled fireplace that created a soft warm glow in the room. The smell of jasmine floated in the air and the tan and cream velvet covered furniture looked as inviting to sit on, as it was soft to the touch. You could tell by the placement of the furniture, the different types of art on the walls and the more eclectic styling of the room that this was someone's home as opposed to a common room like we were in before while Dion ate.
Dion noticed me taking in the room and said, "Yes, my brother definitely likes to decorate differently than the rest of us. He likes to have mementos from different times and places of his long life. You see that bust over there. That is the likeness of Marco Polo."
"He knew Marco Polo?" I asked, curious.
"Knew him? Hell, he travelled with the bloke for five years through China. We gods were the reason that trade began to flow between the east and west, inadvertently of course." Dion said with a smirk before adding while pointing at a figurine on the coffee table, "You see that horse over there?"
"Of course. It's beautiful." I replied truthfully as I picked up the gold and silver painted wooden figurine. 'These gods sure like their metallic colors as well as their marble.' I thought to myself.
"It's THE Trojan Horse." Dion replied, searching for the human's response. He loved this part, seeing the look of surprise or disbelief on a human's face. Priceless.
I scoffed at his words, just as Dion had expected, and said, "It's a little small don't you think. I mean I'm holding it in my hands. Are you going to tell me next that the Greeks who invaded Troy were the size of Smurfs?"
While Dion expected her disbelief, he didn't know what she was referencing. "What is a Smurf?" He asked, confusion on his handsome features.
I laughed at his lack of knowledge of current cartoons and replied, "Oh, so now the almighty god doesn't know something. Now you know how I feel. Anyway, a Smurf is a small blue fellow about yay tall who likes to wear white pants and a white hat, except for Papa Smurf, he wears red pants and uses magic."
Dion had no clue who these Smurf creatures were. "Where do these Smurfs reside? How powerful is this Papa Smurf's magic?
I started laughing now because honestly, I have a Greek god worried over a fictional little blue cartoon man.
"This isn't funny Arabella. I don't know how I could have missed such a creature on Earth. The consequences of an unknown magically entity in the mortal realm could be catastrophic!" Dion said, clearly upset that he didn't know about these Smurf creatures. Never in all his years had he heard of such a creature, and he had heard of them all.
I started laughing even harder now; actually needing to hold onto one of those wonderfully luscious velvet chairs to support myself from falling down into a heap of convulsions caused by my laughter. It wasn't that this was the funniest thing to laugh about; I mean it was funny, but just this whole situation I was in, both here in Mt. Olympus and back home in Bon Temps, was in a word… absurd. It was getting harder to not to just break down from the weight and ludicrousness of it all.
Dion forgot about his concern over his lack of knowledge of the little blue magic men for a moment as his concern switched over to the clearly losing it Arabella. He had wondered if this would happen. She had been through a lot lately. "Arabella, Arabella sweetheart, are you okay?"
Hearing his question and the concern in his voice brought me back from the hysterical laughter I was losing myself in. Thankfully too because if I was to continue any further I think the laughter could have easily slipped into hysterical crying.
As my laughter ceased I was able to respond, "Yeah…yeah… I'm good." And I did feel better. I think that I had bottled so much inside that I really needed to release… something. "That felt good." I felt slightly lighter, but knew that the dam would break, eventually.
Dion looked at me suspiciously before saying, "Oooookaaayyy. So these little blue magic men…"
"Are nothing to concern your pretty little head about. Really. They're just cartoon characters." I replied with a chuckle, while hoping that I didn't offend the god before me.
Dion closed his eyes and sighed before saying, "You got me good, you did. And it's hard to pull one over on me you know. Color me impressed!" He then laughed heartily and added, "But, even though you don't believe me, that is the Trojan Horse. You have seemed to forget that we gods are able to actually manipulate magic. You see, after the horse was used in during the Trojan war, my brother wanted to keep it as a memento, in honor of his great grandson Odysseus, who came up with the brilliant idea. So a simple shrinking spell was cast and the rest as they say is history, or in this case home décor."
Realizing what I still had in my hand was a priceless piece of history I quickly placed it gently back onto the coffee table, thanking everyone under the sun that I didn't drop it during my fit of laughter. "That's…that's…" I started to stammer before Dion cut in.
"Amazing, unbelievable, astounding? Yes, yes, it is all that and more. But it's nothing compared to the other things you will come to see and learn." Dion said as the other man from before entered the room, this time dressed more casually, yet still elegantly, in a pair of light crease-free khakis and a cream colored V-neck sweater. He looked like he just walked out of a Burberry catalog. Although the colors were still very neutral, at least they weren't white.
"I hope that my brother hasn't made you weary of this place or our kind. He can be quite off-putting at times, to say the least." Dion's brother said with a twinkle in his eye as he looked on at both of us. It was clear that he enjoyed ribbing his brother. And by the eye roll Dion gave him, I could tell this was a common occurrence between the two.
"Actually he was quite charming." I replied truthfully with a smile towards Dion, which he returned, before adding. "You obviously haven't been to a Southern redneck bar on a Saturday night during football season. You'd meet some real off-putting people then and hear some language that would make a two-dollar hooker blush. Maybe even get your bee-hind handed to you on a platter if you say something unflattering about the home team, even though you are a god."
Both gods laughed at my description of Merlotte's. "Sounds like our kind of place brother, don't you think? Maybe we should go sometime?" Dion said with a wink.
"But I thought you weren't allowed to interfere with us mortals because Daddy put ya'll on a time-out from us." I replied with more venom that I probably should have considering they had been nice enough to not hurt me so far. I really shouldn't be pressing my luck with these two, but knowing what I knew now, I couldn't help it.
"Oh, my mistake, see… you misunderstood me earlier. Zeus has forbidden us to clean up the mistakes that we have made, for reasons that will be made clearer to you soon enough. He hasn't, however, forbidden us from interacting with mortals, as you will also be made well aware of soon enough." Dion said cryptically before adding, "And with that, I bid my adieu. I know the two of you have plenty to discuss and I have a party to plan. Brother, good luck. You may actually need it. This one is extremely clever." Dion then winked at his brother, who chuckled, and nodded goodbye to me before taking his leave.
"He loves to stir the pot that one." The as of yet nameless brother said to me with another chuckle.
"So it would seem." I added before asking, "Pardon me here, I'm not trying to be rude and all, but who are you exactly?" After all, we hadn't been formally introduced yet and I kinda would like to know who's potentially going to be picking my brain moving forward.
"My brother didn't inform you?" He huffed incredulously. "No, of course he didn't, sly fellow. I am Hermes, god of travel, craftiness, messengers, athletes, speed, merchants and thieves." He bowed before adding, "At your service."
My eyebrow lifted at his bowing to me as I said, "I can't believe that a god just bowed to me. Is that normal?"
"It's only done in the presence of greatness." He said with a straight look on his face that belied honesty, but this was a god saying I was… well… great. Of course the look on my face conveyed my disbelief of his words and my thought that he was mocking me.
"You don't believe me, do you?" He asked while motioning his arm to indicate to me that he wanted me to take a seat on the settee behind me.
"I'm just me, a mere mortal. You're the one that can change THE Trojan Horse into My Little Pony and have lived up here in Cloud Cuckoo Land for eons. I don't think the two compare… at all." I replied while taking a seat on the super cushy settee. I really needed to ask if these were available in the mortal realm because I really wanted one in my house, that is once it was fumigated, sterilized, sanitized, flea dipped and whatever else needed to be done to get the nastiness of Maryann and her putrid party posse out.
"My Little Pony? Cloud Cuckoo Land?" He asked with his eyebrow raised.
"Yeah… ya'll really need to catch up on mortal entertainment up here." I said with a smirk.
"Perhaps," Was his only reply to that. Then an awkward silence ensued, as he seemed to be studying my face.
"Is there something on my face, because you've been staring at it an awfully long time?" I asked, uncomfortable with the length of his stare.
"My apologies. It's just… you look so much like her." He said as he finally looked away with a small sigh. "I didn't realize how much I missed her until just now."
"Like who?" I asked, obviously in the dark as to whom he was referring to.
"Your mother." He responded solemnly before adding in almost a whisper, "Michelle."
After the shock of this news dissipated a bit, I asked in a voice much quieter than usual, "You knew my mother? When? How?"
"As my brother had explained earlier, we gods are not allowed to interfere in certain aspects of mortal life, but we are allowed to visit and mingle…" He started to explain and then stopped.
"Mingle?" Like at a party?" I asked, trying to get him to continue his story even though it seemed to pain him to tell it. I needed to know though; needed to find out where this story would lead.
"Sorry, no, what I meant to say is that we are allowed to go to the mortal realm and interact with mortals." He continued before I asked another question.
"Why?" I asked abruptly.
"Sorry… why what?" He asked, seemingly confused by my question.
"Why do you need to go to the mortal realm? Ya'll seem to have everything you need right here and then some. And, if you can't fix your messes, why would you go back to possibly create new ones? Haven't ya'll done enough?" I responded defensively.
A remorseful smile crossed his face before he answered, "It is not our intention to cause any further trouble to mortals now. It's just, well, why yes we have everything we could ever hope or wish for here, that is true, but that, whether you choose to believe it or not, can become somewhat monotonous. We are immortal here. Time bears no consequence to us and so life here can become quite repetitive and unvaried. Mortals, due to their limited time, tend to lead much more exhilarating lives."
"So you're saying that you come to us for entertainment. Great. Just great." I replied with a roll of my eyes.
"It's not as simple as that, but yes, that is a portion of why some go. Others, such as myself go for more varied and profound reasons." He replied.
"Such as…" I asked, not sure I was buying what he was selling just yet.
"Being the god that I am, it is my duty to be a sort of benefactor to mortals." He replied vaguely.
"Like a guardian angel of sorts?" I asked, trying to figure out what he was trying to say.
"Sort of, but it's more complicated than that." He replied.
"Because of Zeus's mandate?" I asked, still trying to read between the lines.
"Yes and no." He replied, again vaguely.
"Are you trying on purpose to be vague?" I asked, frustrated.
"No, that is not my intention at all. It's just… it's difficult to put into words what my exact position is between the gods and mortals as it changes through the ages. Yes, I do interject my help, when it doesn't conflict with Zeus's mandate. Do I intercede with everything I can, no. I only intercede when there is a pull at my inner being and only when it doesn't go against what the Fates have seen." He replied.
"The Fates? Are they gods too?" I asked, thinking I need to add these to my ever-growing list of supernaturals that actually do exist.
"No, the Fates are not gods, but they are a power that works in conjunction with the gods. The Fates reveal the destinies of the powerful and great, but neither they nor us gods can change what has been predetermined, as much as we have tried to in the past. We had found out the hard way that our interference more often than not would result in some unfortunate consequences. Only the individual can really change their destiny. Needless to say it is a complicated symbiosis but it is true and unwavering." He answered solemnly.
"Okay, so in your limited capacity, you go to the mortal realm and what, wait to find a situation to get involved in?" I asked, still trying to pin him down.
"Sometimes yes. Sometimes I go at the behest of one of the gods here who ask for a favor. If I can, I help. Again, it's…" He began to say before I cut him off.
"It's complicated. I get that." Knowing that he was either unable or unwilling to explain himself better I decided to switch gears. "Anyway, so how exactly is it that you met my mother?"
"Ah yes, your mother. She was just as smart and persistent as you. It really is too bad you didn't have her in your life longer; that she had to leave." He replied.
"What do you mean 'had to leave'? It wasn't like she went to the store and didn't come back. She died. And how do you know that she wasn't in my life that long? Have you been watching my family?" I responded in disbelief. It disturbed me immensely to think that my family would be under anyone's scrutiny, let alone the scrutiny of a god.
"In a manner of speaking…" He replied cryptically.
"Okay mister, this here is my mother we're talking about. Out with it. NOW!" I commanded the god. I knew so little about my mother and here was someone not only with information, but someone who knew her. I had to know what he knew.
"And it seems you also inherited her impatience as well." He said with a glimmer of nostalgia in his eyes and a wistful smile. "She wasn't one to put up with me at times either."
"Honestly!" I yelled out in frustration to which he smiled sadly.
"You have to understand Arabella, this isn't easy for me to reminisce about. Your mother was… she was very important to me. You'll understand after I tell you the full story." He began, "I met your mother on a scouting mission for my sister Aphrodite or Dita as she goes by now. It seemed she had a lover go missing."
"Ya'll are gods. How does someone go missing on ya'll?" I asked seeing as they were able to do the unthinkable with their abilities. How hard should it be for them to track one mortal?
"Yes, well, that was the question on her mind. Needing to know what happened, bad or good, to her lover, she eventually asked the Fates as to whether her lover had gone elsewhere or possibly had even died yet somehow bypassed our brother Hades, because he was nowhere to be found. Even our father Zeus did not know where the young man went. They said that they didn't know, which was unheard of. So she came to me to go to the mortal realm and find out what I could about the situation. And that is how I met your mother. You see, my sister's lover resided in Bon Temps."
If this story didn't involve my mother, I would have thought that it was some real juicy gossip, I mean, a lover of Aphrodite that lived in Bon Temps! But my mother was somehow involved in this story. I needed to know the rest of the story, and not because I liked gossip, which I did because really who doesn't; no, I needed to know because it involved family, my family. "So who was her lover? And how was my mother involved in all of this?"
"My sister's lover was a man by the name of Carl Fortenberry." Hermes responded.
"Oh my goodness, Hoyt's daddy!" I exclaimed in shock. From what I had heard from many of the old gossipy biddies at Merlotte's, Hoyt's daddy was quite the looker and nobody could believe it when it was Maxine of all people who caught his eye, but for him to have attracted the goddess of love, that was just… ummmm….wow! I just hit the mother load of gossip for Merlotte's. If Arlene were in my place right now I think she would have exploded from finding out such gossip. It probably would be best not to tell her though (not that she or anyone else would believe me anyway); those kids of hers needed their momma in one piece.
"Yes, he had a son by that name, so we are thinking of the same person." Hermes said before continuing with his story. "But I digress. You see his disappearance wasn't just a shock to my sister, but to your community as well. When I showed up, I took on the persona of an investigator for the state police and interviewed most of the town. That's how I met your mother, Michelle, during my investigation. She was a breath of fresh air in a very stagnant town. She was a light in a sea of darkness, too special and unique to be held down by that town. You are like that in so many ways."
From the stories that Sookie, Jason and my Gran had told me about my mother, she was always the life of the party, always willing to help anyone in need, caring, strong, smart, and beyond beautiful. I just had no idea how attractive she and her qualities were until now, to have attracted the notice of a god. I felt humbled to have him compare me to her right now. But one thing nagged at me about why he needed my mother's help.
"You're a god though, shouldn't you have been able to just know or figure this stuff out on your own? Why did you need any help, let alone my mother's?" I asked, confusion clearly plastered on my face.
"Normally, yes. But the Fates would not allow us to interfere using our normal methods in regards to the situation saying it would interfere with someone's destiny." He explained.
"Whose destiny?" I asked.
"They would not say. You have to understand it is the duty of the Fates to divulge some things and not others, to allow some things and not others in order to preserve what has been predetermined. To veer off course often leads to disastrous outcomes for all involved." He said with a sigh. He had seen too many times through the ages where that was the case.
"I guess you really can't fight your own destiny then. It almost makes me sad knowing that." I replied.
"Why is that?" He asked curiously.
"Because… well, because knowing your whole life is already predetermined kinda makes you feel like what's the point in doing anything. Your life's already been decided for you." I replied with a shoulder shrug and a huff.
"That's not entirely true. You have your free will and your free will is what makes you and your life unique. Destinies have been known to change. That is another reason why the Fates don't like to share too much knowledge. If ones destiny is to change, it should be at the discretion of that person and not others." He replied.
"You mean not at your discretion. That's very noble of ya'll." I replied with a smile. It was nice to see that the gods, or at least this one, had passed the stage in their existence where we were just like dolls, to be played with, damn the consequences.
"It took us a while to get to this point, but yes, us gods have come to realize that playing with others fates does no one any good in the end." He said cryptically.
"Yes, but I'm sure ya'll get pretty frustrated by not being able to do more with all your neat bag of tricks." I replied with a smile.
"I would be lying to say that it is not a source of frustration, but… it is what it is. And it does break the monotony of things so…" He went on to say.
"So you don't mind it as much as you could." I finished his sentence.
"Exactly." He replied but then added, "Our normal tactics wouldn't have mattered anyway in this situation. You'll understand as I get more into the story."
"Okay then, let's get on with it." I said as story time continued.
"Yes, well, your mother, she offered to help me in my investigation, even though she had a life of her own to tend to; a husband and two small children. She said she couldn't bear the thought of Carl's son not knowing his father. You see Carl and your mother were cousins. So, she helped me organize my notes, adding her own knowledge here and there. Her insight and ability to analyze were beyond brilliant and definitely beyond the ability of most mortals. I knew there was something special about her. It was her cunning that brought us to the pond."
"Wait, Carl and my mother were cousins? Why didn't I know about this before? And the pond? What does a pond have to do with anything?" I asked, shocked to find out that the Hoyt and us Stackhouses were related and curious about this pond.
"I say pond because that's what it was to anyone not in the know, but what I really should say is that it was a portal." He added, adding to my curiosity.
"Portal? A portal to what?" I asked hoping that it'd be a portal to somewhere nice, like Tahiti. I could get into that; a fast track to a beautiful white sand beach, tropical drinks, tanned cabana boys with 6-pack abs and no drama. Yeah, I could totally get into that.
"A portal to the Fae dimension." He replied as if he just told me the sky was blue.
"The Fae dimension? What the heck is that? And of all the places it could be in the world it's in Bon Temps?" I asked, seriously disappointed it wasn't to Tahiti. Hadn't I earned something like that yet given my track record lately?
"You've heard of Fairies before, I'm sure. Angels? Sprites? Pixies?" He asked rather than answer my questions.
"I have, but I always thought they were just made-up because they're always in Disney movies, you know, like Tinkerbelle and such. I suppose you're going to tell me now that they are real." I replied thinking I really do need to write this stuff down to keep track of all the supernatural beings that are real. I'm not sure why, but I was surprised. Why does this stuff still surprise me? It really shouldn't at this point.
"Yes, they are, but you see we gods were under the impression that they had died out long ago, at least until Carl." He replied waiting to see my response.
"You thought they died out, but they didn't? I mean… ya'll have been around forever. How did you not know what happened to them? How could a whole group of people just poof and vanish?" I asked, because it didn't make sense.
"Indeed, it caused quite the ruckus here as you can imagine. The almighty gods didn't know the whereabouts of a lesser creature, or a supposed lesser creature." He said with an ironic chuckle. I chuckled as well thinking about how Dion reacted to the Smurfs.
After our brief laugh I stated the obvious, "So the fairies weren't so lesser then I take it."
"No. They aren't. The Fae had escaped our detection for so long due to the fact that they decided to spend most of their time on their own plane of existence… the Fae dimension." He replied and by the look on his face, he was clearly impressed with the ability of the Fae.
"So, did you think that this portal was where Carl disappeared to?" I asked, trying to put the pieces together.
"Just as smart as your mother." He said and then continued. "Your mother had done some digging into Carl's, and by extension her, family history. After quite a few arguments, threats and tears, you mother was able to finally find out that their grandmother, your great-grandmother Susan Burch Turner was Fae. And, it seems that Carl had inherited some of the fae genes as well."
"What about my mother, did she inherit some of those genes as well?" I asked, wondering if this could be why I had the abilities that I did. I was so close to the answers I needed that I could taste it.
"We'll get to that in a minute. Let's finish Carl's story first." Hermes replied as I crossed my arms across my chest and huffed in annoyance. He just smirked and continued on. "I feel like I must add here that the Fae are a beautiful race, beguiling to pretty much every other race, including us gods."
"That's what attracted Aphrodite then, his looks?" I asked, wondering if the goddess of love was really that shallow. But then again, most of the people I knew in Bon Temps were that shallow, so who am I to judge?
"Partly, yes, I will not lie. The Fae are very attractive, extremely striking and abundantly seductive at that, no doubt, but they are more than that. They have a deep love of nature, pleasure and dancing. Some can teleport, shapeshift, have the ability to speak telepathically, and even perform magic comparable to ours. They are stronger than normal humans, resist disease readily, heal quicker than normal, and above all else they are exceptionally clever, which makes them tremendously appealing companions."
"Appealing enough to gain the interest of the epitome of beauty and desire." I added.
"Exactly." Hermes replied with a nod of approval.
"Did Aphrodite know that he was part Fae? I asked.
"No. The thought hadn't occurred to her because we all had thought their race had long since passed on. None of our kind had interacted knowingly with a Fae in over a millennia." He replied.
"But didn't she suspect something was off about him?" I questioned further.
"Yes, there was no denying that he was… different, and while she questioned it, nothing seemed to answer the question at the time of what he was other than he was just an extremely attractive human. But honestly, she was so enamored with him that she didn't dwell on what he could be that hard. There were other things she'd rather do with him." He responded, thinking back to how his sister talked of Carl. To this day she still gets weepy-eyed at the mention of her lost love.
"Okay, so this portal… You said that my mother helped you find it?" I switched gears back to that topic, not wanting to think about what this god's sister wanted to do with Hoyt's daddy. That would be too weird.
"Yes. You see, you mother was a good friend with a witch by the name of Alma Darwin. Alma was able to do a spell which walked us through the last night Carl was on our plane." He replied.
"Our plane?" I asked, confused by his choice of words.
"Dimension, if you will." He answered as I said, "Oh… okay. Sorry, go ahead and continue."
And so he continued on, "His last steps ended at the entrance of the fishing pond behind your parent's house. When your mother stepped into the pond, or more precisely stepped in the exact same spot where Carl's steps ended, she disappeared as well, shocking myself and poor Alma."
"But she came back, right? Because I'm here. You said when you knew her she only had two children, but I'm here, so she came back, right?" I asked, scared for the answer.
"Yes she did, but she almost didn't." He replied solemnly. He was getting to the tricky part of the story, the messy part, the part he knew she needed to know but didn't know how she would take.
"Because she had fae blood too, right?" I asked almost in a whisper.
"Yes." Hermes replied simply. He waited for Arabella to absorb that bit of information. He knew she was a smart girl, very smart and it wouldn't really be a stretch for her to put two and two together that she had fae blood as well. However, there was a lot more to this story.
Answers were coming, answers that I had waited for so long to hear, but so were more questions. And as much as I wanted to know more about my connection to the fae through my mom, I knew that Hermes wasn't telling me this story just to kill time or whatever. This story was part of my mom's history and by connection mine. He was leading somewhere and I needed to follow this story through. "So my mom and Carl were able to go to this other dimension, and she came back. Why didn't Carl come back? He had a family here too." I asked because I knew from the stories around town that when Carl disappeared, no one ever saw or heard from him again. Poor Hoyt. He grew up without his daddy and unfortunately with Maxine, the domineering, nasty gossip, hateful fake biddy that she was, as a mother. It was miraculous that he turned out as sweet and nice as he did considering. Maxine was a real piece of work. But this story got me to thinking, was she always that way, or did her husband cheating on her and disappearing without a trace, leaving her with a young child to raise on her own turn her into the horrible person that she was now? Did she even know her husband was cheating on her, and with whom? No offense, but there was no way in hell Maxine could ever compare with the goddess of beauty, not even with the best set of beer goggles in the world, a vat of tequila, several pills of viagra and Fredericks of Hollywood smut-wear.
Hermes response broke me out of my thoughts, "According to your mother, he had already eaten the lumiere fruit. He could not return without turning to dust and dying."
"What's a lumiere fruit?" I asked, thinking it might be good to have the information, just in case. Given my recent history I couldn't be too careful.
"Again, according to your mother, it was round, about the size and color of an orange and glowed like the sun. It supposedly smells like happiness and ecstasy and is beyond enticing to one with Fae blood, but one bite will bind you to the Fae dimension. It was created by the Queen of the Fae, Queen Mab, as a way to round up as many Fae as she could into the Fae dimension. She felt that too many were slipping back into the human plane for her liking. She didn't want any other races to know the Fae were not extinct. So only a select few Fae knew the powers of the fruit and could still move between planes freely." He replied.
"But my momma came back, she returned. How did she know not to eat the fruit? This was her first time in the Fae dimension, right?" I asked, needing to know more.
"Yes, it was. However the lumiere fruit smells different to an Earth-born Fae with child; it's smells like death and destruction to them." He replied, knowing where this was leading.
"She was pregnant with me." It came out as a statement since we both knew the answer.
"Yes, and even though she was just barely pregnant, only about a week or two at the time, her body was already making the necessary changes to keep you safe. Instinct took over and she knew not to eat the fruit being offered to her." Hermes said solemnly.
"What else did she find out when she was in the Fae dimension?" I asked, curious about my heritage.
"Honestly, not a whole lot because once she figured out that they were trying to keep her there she bolted back through the portal without a second glance." He replied.
"Oh." I said softly. I wished there was more he could tell me about the Fae.
"But, her going through the portal attracted their attention, of course. And so, due to this, she met her fairy godmother Claudine." He added.
"My mother… had a fairy godmother… like Cinderella did?" I asked dumbfounded. I mean, was I supposed to think now that she talked to mice and had evil stepsisters or the such?
"Yes. Claudine was a lovely woman, full of light and laughter and love. She tried to keep your mother safe from the other fairies who wanted to take her back to the Fae dimension." He added, bracing himself for the questions that were to come next.
"Tried? What do you mean tried?" I asked hesitantly.
"Your mother had the Fae spark. She was obviously fertile, seeing as she had two children and one on the way. The Fae were dying out due to Queen Mab's insistence of keeping the Fae in the Fae dimension. She needed more breeders…" He replied.
"Oh God, that's why her body was never found in the flood, why you said she had to leave. She's in the Fae dimension." I said wide-eyed. "They took her from us!"
"Yes. The Fae caused the flood that took your parents away. They supercharged the portal behind your house and the ensuing flood took them both." He replied.
"Wait, took them both. Was my dad part Fae too?" I asked in shock.
"Yes, Corbett was half Fae." Hermes simply replied.
"How and why was all this kept from us kids? Didn't we have a right to know where we came from? What if the Fae came for us? Oh my God! I mean, we've been sitting ducks this entire time!" I yelled out. Who was looking out for us?
"It was to protect you all that you weren't given the knowledge. Claudine told the fairies in the Fae dimension that Michelle's children drowned in the flood because they did not have the spark. The lie was believed and the search for you and your siblings ceased. Thankfully you and your siblings were out of town visiting you cousin Hadley when the flood took place. While the heat was taken off of you all, Claudine felt that it would be best to never mention the Fae to you all or encourage your powers to manifest lest you be spotted inadvertently by a Mab spy." He replied.
"Well, we all know how that turned out." I replied with an eye roll.
"Some things are just meant to be." He said with a shrug.
"Or rather are fated." I added.
"Or fated." He concurred.
"So where is this Claudine character now and why hasn't she been there for us?" I asked slightly miffed. It would have been nice to have someone around to help with all the bad shit that's happened recently. But, then again, maybe she saw the shit coming and said, ah naw… they're screwed anyway. I'm outta here bitches. Smell ya later.
"She was reassigned to someone else in Dallas. Truth be told, I haven't spoken with her since she left to take that assignment." He replied. He truly had hoped that all was well with Claudine, but he really didn't know what happened with her after she left. The Fae had perfected many ways to go undetected by even the gods.
"And so she just left us alone and unguarded? What a great Fairy Godmother. Are you sure she wasn't an evil step-relative of some sort just pretending to be a Fairy Godmother?" I asked sarcastically.
Hermes chuckled before answering, "No. I'm quite sure there was nothing evil about Claudine. And while I understand how it may look to you, her leaving, but in all honesty if she stayed it would have looked suspicious to the Fae community. Her distance from your family helped solidify the lie that you and your siblings died. If you were truly dead, there'd be no reason for her to stay."
"Okay, I guess that makes sense. I don't like it, but it makes sense." I said with a sigh before continuing, "So I guess that's why my sister Sookie and I have the powers we do, because we're part Fae as well." It amazed me. Somewhere in this conversation with this god I learned that my family was part Fae; made the obvious connection that I was part Fae. And yet, the conversation had rolled on smooth as butter; like it was always a known concept, accepted, logical, believed. I always knew there was something different about me and Sookie, but this… this wasn't what I would have ever expected and yet it made perfect sense somehow and intuitively I knew it was a truth that there was no use denying. So knowing there was no other alternative but acceptance I just continued to roll with it. And as Scarlett would say, 'Tomorrow is another day.' I'll just have my breakdown then. You know, schedule it after a mani/pedi and massage.
But before Hermes could reply I added, "But why doesn't Jason seem to have any powers? Shouldn't he?" I couldn't help but think on how my brother didn't have any special talents besides getting laid, and often. Although I hate to admit this, most men would sell their mothers to have that talent. "Wait, unless sexual prowess is a Fae power? Oh sweet Jesus, is that the Fae power he got?"
Hermes laughed at my questions before replying. "Yes and no." He replied as I gave him a look that said, 'really you're going to do that again?' He sighed before continuing. "It explains your sister's powers. As for your brother, he inherited the Fae's exceptional beauty and obviously the art of seduction is second nature to that one, but the spark he did not inherit."
"How is that possible? Both our parents had it." I asked.
"They weren't full Faes so it was just the luck of the genetic roll of the dice that he didn't inherit the spark." He replied with a shrug.
"Okay, so Jason didn't inherit 'the spark' but Sookie and I did. Wait, you said that this all explained Sookie's powers. What about mine?" I asked worriedly. What was I missing?
This was the part he was excited about and yet dreading telling her. He wanted so badly for her to take the news well, but there was no guarantee that she would. There was no going back now though. The truth needed to come out. It was time. It was fated.
"You are a very special creature Arabella. As far as I know, there is no other out there like you." He began and then stopped, still hesitant to know her reaction.
"What does that mean? You can't just leave me hanging like that." I replied flustered and anxious.
"I think you know if you think about it. Maybe this will help… Telekinesis is not a Fae trait." He replied, eyes pleading for her to say what he was having a hard time trying to.
It felt like I had just gotten hit by a ton of bricks as the realization of what he was insinuating overwhelmed me. Thank God, the one up in heaven and not the one here in Cloud Cukoo Land, I was sitting because if I wasn't I think I would have fell over with the knowledge. "This can't be happening. It… it just can't. You have to be mistaken. My mother… no… my mother wouldn't…oh God…" I replied softly yet erratically, as disbelief and a huge lump in my throat were currently making it difficult to speak.
"You're a smart girl Arabella and you have instincts that have served you well and kept you alive. You know what the truth is." He said gingerly as he tried to put his hand on Arabella's shoulder for encouragement, knowing that she needed to be the one to say it first.
"No. It just can't be." I responded again in denial, swatting his hand away. "My mother loved my father!" I yelled back, but even as the words left my mouth I could feel the uncertainty in them. I was so small when my parents died. All I knew were the stories that my family told me through the years. My family wouldn't lie, but maybe their version of the truth was the version my parents portrayed to them. Maybe something else was really going on. There seemed to be so many truths lying under the surface of things lately that anything could seem possible… and though I hated to admit it, even this could be true.
Hermes stilled for a moment at my outburst and my rejection of his comfort, seemingly hurt by both, but he quickly recovered and said, "You're right, she did love Corbett… but she loved me as well. And contrary to what you may have going on in your mind right now, I did not set out to seduce your mother and she had no problems with your father. Our relationship, brief as it was, was as unexpected as it was beautiful and fulfilling and special. It was two people who in their interactions found a connection they needed at the moment; that filled a part of them they didn't even know they needed filling. And though it pained me greatly, your mother realized that even though she loved me, her place was with Corbett and you children. She returned to you all; her greatest loves." A look of great sadness befell Hermes face as he looked away. And, with that look, I knew that he missed my mother greatly and loved her even more.
"Did he know about the two of you? That I wasn't his?" I asked as tears ran down my face. The world that I knew before no longer existed. I didn't know what world I was in now and it scared me. How would my siblings handle the news? Could I tell them? Would they even believe me? Would I believe me? Shit, this just the cherry on top of the sprinkles on top of the frosting on top of the cupcake that was my fucked up life right now.
"No. Your mother and I felt it would be better to keep this secret until it was time to tell you. Besides, it would have only caused him needless pain. She chose to stay with him." Hermes replied sadly. He had hoped to reveal the truth to Arabella with Michelle.
"And what about me? I was just your dirty little secret. No wait, I bet I was even better than that… I was a mistake that according to Zeus's, or should I say grandpa's, rules you couldn't fix. Did you even care that you had a daughter? Did I mean nothing to you?" I cried out the words before raising my hands to my head as I sobbed. All those years of Gran having to hold down the fort by herself, raising three small children instead of getting to enjoy her retirement; all those years of sacrifice and pitiful looks from neighbors and for what? So that daddy dearest could party like it was 1999 up in Cloud Cukoo Land and play with his My Little Pony or some shit like that? My heart ached so hard right now that it physically hurt. In minutes I went from being in orphan to being abandoned.
Hermes tried to reach out to his daughter, to embrace her, let her know she couldn't be further from the truth, but Arabella wasn't having any of it and violently smacked his arms away.
"Don't you touch me! Don't you ever touch me! Why tell me this now? I've lived all these years without any knowledge of you, without you caring to show up in my life. Why now?" I shouted at him, needing to know the real reason behind this untimely reunion of sorts. If I've learned anything over the last few months, and I have learned a lot, it's that nothing is ever quite what it seems and nothing happens for no reason.
"You were not a mistake Arabella. You were very much wanted and loved by both your mother and myself." Hermes began before getting interrupted by Arabella.
"Yeah, I could tell by all the Hallmark cards you sent every birthday and you showing up at Christmas pageants and oh wait, you didn't do any of the shit. Nope, in fact you didn't exist until today in my world. So pardon me if I don't believe a lick of what you're saying right now." I blurted out, fierce with anger.
Hermes took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. "Look, I know you're angry. And you have every right to feel the way you do. But please, let me tell you my side of things before you pass judgment." He said, pleading for Arabella to hear him out. His heart was breaking from seeing his daughter in so much pain and turmoil due to his actions, or inactions as was the case here.
"Whatever. It's not like I have a choice here." I replied like an insolent child but I didn't care. Really, where was I going to go? I was stuck for the time being in Cloud Cukoo Land with a god who now turns out to be my absentee father. 'Yeah me!' I thought to myself with a sarcastic eye roll. Yeah, I was angry.
"You are a demi-god with Fae ancestry in you as well Arabella. You have no idea who and what is out there that would love to get their hands on you and your blood." Hermes started to say before Arabella interrupted him.
"And who's fault would that be that I have no idea what's out there, hmmmm?" I cried out in anger. I was so tired of being in the dark about pretty much everything until it just about bites my in the ass. Wait, hold the phone… I'm a… a… demi-god. Holy… Fucking… Shit… I wonder if Percy Jackson really exists or Hercules. Mmmmm Hercules… Kellan Lutz was pretty hot playing Hercules with his ripped abs… I wonder if he's somewhere here in Cloud Cukoo Land… whoa, completely getting off track here… Man, there must be something in the air here that makes your mind wonder to not so appropriate things…
"I know that it looks like I abandoned you, but I didn't. I always looked out for you; watched over you." He added, breaking my out of my meandering thoughts and bringing me back on track, that is being pissed as all get out at my dead beat dad.
"Are you kidding me? Where were you when Rene attacked me or when Longshadow knocked me out or when the crazy bomber guy showed up at the door because I sure as hell don't remember you being around and 'watching' me!" I yelled at him, channeling my inner Lafayette as I started pointing my finger in the air and wagged it around like he does when he's worked up about something.
"I was watching, watching you turn into the fine woman who stands before me now, unafraid, clever, resourceful and fierce." He replied, a proud look upon his face.
"You could just as easily be looking at my casket right now. I nearly died in those instances and you just what, sat back with a bag of popcorn and enjoyed the show? What kind of sick bastard are you?" I asked astounded and repulsed by his seeming lack of concern for my safety.
"You still don't see do you? Yes, you were in danger, but those dangers made you think, react, advance your powers and your mind. They made you stronger. Those dangers were just a taste of what you could face out there in the mortal realm. Because of your birthright and your blood you need to be able to protect yourself, rely on yourself, depend on yourself because there might not always be someone around to help you. So, did I sit back and watch your struggles, yes but not with popcorn and a happy heart as you so harshly stated before, but rather with worry and guilt but mostly with hope that you would overcome it all, which you did much to my joy and satisfaction. You are a child of a god and with that comes many challenges as well as many expectations…" He replied.
"Challenges? Expectations? How can I survive these challenges or live up to your expectations when I don't even know what they are?" I scoffed at his statement.
"But that's the thing though, isn't it. Life throws curveballs at us all the time without letting know in advance that they are coming. Yours are just a bit more… involved." He replied.
"Involved. Is that your fancy way of saying mine are a bit more fucked up? I mean, did you see what the Maenad did to my town?" I asked with a huff while I crossed my arms across my chest, shaking my head in disbelief and disgust.
"Yes, you have dealt with some very unusual and deadly situations, there's no denying that. But, you have to be prepared for what may come." Hermes stressed the later words.
"What are you not telling me here?" I asked, sensing that he knew more than he was saying.
"You are perceptive. That will be to your benefit you know." He replied with a sorrowful grin.
Switching gears because I felt like I wasn't going to get any more straight answers I asked, "Can I go home now? I need to burn down my house now or something because Dion's Maenad destroyed it in her failed attempt to seduce him or become god-like or some shit like that."
I look of hurt flashed across Hermes' face, as he understood the meaning behind her question. She no longer wanted to be in his presence. "You want to leave?"
"Yes. You obviously feel no parental duty towards me." I replied, tears forming in my eyes.
"That's not true; not at all." He replied strongly.
"Of course it is. You've not been in my life until today." I started to say before he interjected.
"I explained why I could not be there." He interrupted.
"Well, no, no you didn't, not really. And you know what, I don't even care right now. We've had this long drawn out conversation and I feel like the only information I've gotten is that you're the sperm donor that knocked up my half Faerie mother. Everything else has been utter horseshit, useless and stinking of rhetorical nonsense."
"There are things I can reveal and things I cannot." He replied. He hated that the Fates truly had his hands tied.
"Yeah, well, that's a choice you're making there isn't it? You know the information and you choose what to share and what not to share. You've said that there are things I need to be ready for out in my world, things that are probably scary as shit seeing as you've insinuated as such, but you refuse to tell me what they are let alone how to survive them. That doesn't really give me any warm fuzzies towards you, Daddy Dearest. So if it's alright with you I'd rather go home, or at least to what's left of it and try to forget ever meeting you." I said as I stood up, wanting so badly to leave this place.
"This hasn't gone the way I planned. Please, sit, let me try to explain this better…" Hermes tried to reason with his daughter, he still had more to tell her, but obviously had failed in his approach. He should have known that she would not have taken this information well. She was Michelle's daughter after all in every way; feisty, clever, intolerant of being kept in the dark. Her reaction had also hurt him deeply. He loved his daughter, no matter what it looked like, and he knew it didn't look good to her at the moment. He didn't want her to leave like this, not wanting to see him again. No, that wouldn't do.
"No, I think I'll just take my chances out there in the real world while you stay up here in Cloud Cukoo Land and make miniature Eiffel Towers or Starbucks or whatever. I'm done." I replied, and I really was. I just wanted to go home and deal with something I understood. The shitstorm that Maryann caused to my town, my house, now that I understood. The steps that needed to be taken like cleaning up the house, the yard, making sure everyone was alright and back to their normal selves, getting Arlene's kids back to her, those things I got. This nonsense here with Hermes (I still can't get used to the idea of calling him Dad), this shit I didn't get because I had nothing to go on. 'Beware and be prepared for what could come.' What the fuck did that do for me? Abso-fucking-lutely nothing. What was I supposed to do, sleep with one eye open the rest of my life? Throw me a bone here! But no, that wouldn't make me stronger. Fuck this shit!
Hermes wasn't ready to let her go yet, and especially not like this. "Look, I know we got off on the wrong foot here. Let's start over. I'll have a meal brought to us and we can talk of other things first, get to know one another." He started to say before he was stopped by Arabella's laughter.
"Are you kidding me?" I asked after laughing at his suggestion. Was he for real?
"No. I want to know you better and for you to know me better. I've missed so much and…" Hermes said, choking up a bit with emotion.
I noticed that he was getting choked up, but I was too mad and upset to care at this point. "You've missed twenty years of my life. I don't think that we'd have enough time over tea and crumpets to talk about everything we'd done during that time. So I say, why start now? And given your track record, it may be another twenty years before I see you again anyway. Why don't we just cut our losses here and pretend this meeting never occurred and you go on doing your god things up here and I go on dodging lord knows what back in the real world without any of your help because you don't plan on giving me any anyway because you obviously don't care."
"DO NOT PROCEDE TO MAKE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT MY FEELINGS TOWARDS YOU! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW STRONG MY FEELINGS ARE FOR YOU. YOU ARE MY DAUGHTER…" Hermes began to articulate his feelings towards his daughter, however due to his emotions getting the best of him, the words came out booming and oppressive, causing Arabella to shutter and cower in fear.
'Oh my God, and I don't mean the one yelling at me at the moment who claims to be my father, my mouth has finally done me in. I'm gonna die here in Cloud Cukoo Land.' I thought to myself, tears forming in my eyes, as the angry god before me began shouting at me about his feelings. I could've really used Oprah here to calm his ass down and help facilitate this father-daughter reunion that just went to hell in a hand basket. Yeah, she'd be much better at mediating than say Wendy Williams, who probably would cause World War III here while trying to get more gossip from the clearly pissed off god. As his words got louder I crouched down, placing my hands over my head as his voice pierced the room, threatening to blow my eardrums to high heaven.
"Oh, that wasn't my intention. I didn't mean to scare you. Please don't be scared." Hermes began to say as he reached for Arabella's head to stroke her hair, to let her know that he was sorry he scared her. Arabella drew back in obvious fear.
"I just want to go home now." I said with a sniffle. If I wasn't done before, I was most certainly now.
Hermes sighed. He blew this first encounter with his daughter. Instead of preparing her for what was to come next, he scared and alienated her. He would have to hope that Dion would do better than he did. "I am truly sorry that this first meeting has gone the way it has. This wasn't the way I expected it to go and I hope that in the future you will give me another chance to explain and be there in your life. However, I understand that you've had a lot on your plate and this hasn't helped matters. I will give you time to sort your feelings out. But, we will see each other again. I will not give up on having you in my life."
I rose up from my crouched position with the most impassive expression on my face. I was over all this and tired. I just wanted to go home. I said nothing to his decree of wanting to be in my life. Honestly I didn't know if I could believe him or not or if I even wanted to see him again. There were so many emotions swirling in my mind that I didn't know what was up or down. I just knew I wanted to be as far away from this situation as possible.
Hermes nodded in slight defeat, as his daughter remained silent. He had hoped that she would say something, agreeing to try again in the future, just anything to show that she was open to a father daughter relationship in the future, but he had to concur that he would have to earn that right by her, which he for sure had not here. "Well, I guess you do need to go home and meet up with your friends who are probably very worried about you right now. But, before I send you back I have a few things to give to you."
"I don't want anything from you." I replied quickly, just wanting to get home. I didn't want a goody bag or parting gift from this trip.
"I insist you take the items. They are your birthright." Hermes said with such authority that Arabella sighed and rolled her eyes as she acquiesced knowing there was no sense in fighting him on it. She wouldn't win.
"First is this necklace, it is called the Cluviel Dor." Hermes said as he produced the piece of jewelry out of nowhere. He then handed it to his daughter with affection. "It was your mother's."
"It's beautiful." I responded, catching a breath as I took it into my possession. This was my mother's. I couldn't explain it, but I could feel her love for me in the object, which made no sense, but yet there it was. I looked over the golden locket that hung at the end of the necklace. It was circular and contained a large green stone in the middle that seemed to glow on its own. I turned the locket over to look at the back and noticed some symbols. They were not any letters that I recognized, but they seemed to be words of some sort because there was no pattern to them.
"Does this say something? I'm assuming this is writing in another language." I asked, still looking over the locket.
Hermes smiled at her. "Yes. That is the ancient script of the Fae."
"Do you know what it says?" I asked, now opening the locket to find there was a mirror inside.
"You know, I've never been able to open that up, ever. Only one of Fae blood can open it." He replied as he looked to see what was inside. He would be lying to say he wasn't curious about what lay inside the magical object.
"So I guess that means you don't know what it says then." I stated, figuring that this would be added to my long list of things I'll have to figure out later, like the true meaning of life, how my sister makes the most mouthwatering desserts and what the hell was going on between me and a certain blonde old as shit vampire.
"No, I do not. I only know what your mother told me about it. She said that it was given to her by her Faerie grandfather, Niall when he visited her one night. She said that he was one of the few Faeries that could be trusted. He gave this to her telling her that it grants the owner one and only one wish; your hearts ultimate desire. You must not wear it out in public, but rather keep it in a safe place, one that no one would ever find but you and save it for a time that you really truly need it."
"But how would I know how to use it?" I asked dumbfounded. I was pretty sure that the Fae didn't have a website on all things Fae that I could just whip up on my computer. Or maybe they did and I was just out of the loop as usual.
"Your Fae side would lead you the way. It's in your blood." Hermes said as he handed Arabella another item, a pair of gorgeous muted golden sandals. "Please, put these on."
"These are beautiful and a great neutral, but I take it they are also more than they seem." I said as I took the shoes from him and replaced the ones that I currently was wearing.
"You are correct. These shoes will transform to go with any outfit you are wearing." He began to say.
"Wow. I'll admit that will cut down on my shopping I guess, but why would my footwear matter to you? Did you forget to mention you were also the God of Fabulousness?" I said with a snort. Maybe he should have been Lafayette's father instead?
"I wasn't finished telling you about the shoes." He said with a huff. "They also grant the wearer the ability to move faster than the speed of sound should the wearer need to get out of a sticky situation."
"Oooohhhhh." I replied, my mouth moving in slow motion as I drawed out the word. "That could possibly come in handy, I guess." I still wasn't ready to make nice with him just yet.
"Yes, well, it can. And lastly, I give you this." He said as he handed Arabella what looked to be a black credit card.
"Is this a Visa Black Card? Is this to make up for all the stuff you never bought me? Because let me tell you mister…" I started to ask incredulous. Did he think he was going to buy my love? What kind of person did he think I was?
"A what card? No. This isn't a card of any sort. This is the ultimate lock pick. This device will unlock any type of lock ever made." He said proudly. He couldn't help it. The device was of his own design and implementation.
I looked at the black rectangle in my hand and said the only thing that came to mind. "Huh." It really didn't look like much to be honest.
"I just gave you the ultimate lock picking tool in the world and you say huh? You could break out of or in to any place in the world. You could take literally anything you want." He said, slightly confused at her lack of enthusiasm over his gift.
"So what, do you want me to be a thief or something? That doesn't sound like a very fatherly thing to suggest." I said dubiously. Oh Lord, Gran's probably rolling over in her grave at the suggestion, by my supposed father at that, of thieving.
"Well, I am the god of thieves, but no, that's not what I'm suggesting, although I wouldn't hold it against you. I just… I just want you to be able to…" He said but then stopped. He already was doing too much as it was and was worried the Fates would think he overstepped his bounds.
He didn't need to say anything further. I understood what he said without actually saying anything. "Thank you… for these things. But, not to sound ungrateful, but I really need to get home. There are others who are probably wondering where I am." I was grateful for the items, but I was still an emotional wreck. Not only that, Sam and Godric are probably wondering what the hell happened to me. Not that I'd really be able to do justice in my explanation of… this.
"Yes, well, that they are." He replied before adding, "I trust that you understand the information given to you this night should only be shared with those who absolutely need to know or whom you trust beyond a shadow of a doubt. The more people who find out about you, the more in danger you will be in."
"I understand." I replied simply. I knew it would be hard to contain this information from everyone, as most secrets are hard to keep. But, I liked living and that had to be my foremost thought when it came to who I told and who I didn't tell. Although since I didn't have the ability to glamour, it appeared that I'd have to tell Sam and Godric at least a part of the truth. After all they saw me disappear.
Hermes knew his daughter was clever and she would make the best choices under whatever circumstances would arise, of that he had no doubt. "Well, then I guess this is it for now."
"I guess." I replied softly. I really didn't know if this would be the last time I saw him and I didn't know how I felt about that yet. He obviously didn't have a good track record though so I knew I wasn't going to get my hopes up that he'd actually try to reach out again.
"I know what you're thinking, but I promise you, I will return to your life." He said as he tried to embrace his daughter, only to have her stiffen at his touch. Sadly, he released his grip and added, "Remember what I have told you here today and use your gifts wisely. You are a child of Hermes. You are strong and clever and you are a survivor. But most of all, you are loved."
Arabella saw the sad look in his crystal clear blue eyes as she felt the pin pricks on her skin and saw the light begin to pour out of her pores like before when she was abducted here in the first place. She knew she was going home and the thought of that brought her as much relief as much as it terrified her. She wanted to go home and pick up the pieces, but what would be waiting there? Maybe she should have asked Hermes to send her to Disneyland instead, you know, the happiest place on earth. She could use a little happy right now.
…...
Arabella returned to the mortal realm in the same spot where she had left it, albeit cleaner and with more on her mind. As for Sam and Godric, they were still standing in their same spots, shock written clearly across their faces.
"You… you… you disappeared and now you're back. What happened?" Sam practically yelled out at Arabella. Evidently being in shock made him unable to control the loudness of his voice.
I ignored his question for the moment and instead asked, "How long was I gone for?" I couldn't help but wonder if time worked differently between here and in Cloud Cukoo Land, which was my chosen way to call Mt. Olympus from now on.
"A few seconds at most." Godric answered calmly, but it was clear that he also was shocked by my disappearing act. "Are you alright?" He asked, concerned.
"I'm fine, but thanks for asking." I replied with a small smile before being startled by a voice behind me.
"Hello mates." Dion said happily as he came from behind me.
"Arabella, do you know him?" Sam asked because he sure as hell had never seen this British guy around Merlotte's.
"Uhhhh, yeah. I just met him actually." I replied, not knowing exactly how much to tell Sam and Godric.
"It's okay to tell these two Arabella." Dion said as he looked at the ground at his dead Maenad. 'What a shame.' He thought to himself as he saw the nasty remnants of his previous devotee.
"Okay. Well, this may come to you both as a shock, but Maryann, while crazy as a loon, wasn't too far off in her beliefs here." I said trying to build up to the big shocker.
"No. You've got to be kidding me. That can't be…" Sam said as the realization of who this may be began to dawn on him.
"Yeah, just so you know, he prefers to be called Dion." I said as both Sam and Godric's eyes went wider than I thought was even possible.
…
Eric showed up at the Queen's estate ten minutes after he was supposed to due to an unexpected bar fight that broke out as he was getting ready to leave. In a normal bar fight situation he would have just left Pam in charge of cleaning up the mess. The fight tonight however involved half the bar, with many of the humans involved high on V. No, this situation had to be cleaned up quickly and discretely. He knew that this was unfortunately just a taste of the aftermath of all the V that had been sold in his jurisdiction lately. He was glad that the sale of it had stopped, not only because humans tended to act like assholes on it as demonstrated by tonight's antics, but also in the end, Eric had to concur with the Magister; the blood was sacred and should only be used on those who truly deserved its magical essence. There was a reason why vampires didn't just go willy-nilly turning people and giving their blood away. Most humans couldn't handle the effects or weren't worthy, not by a long shot.
He straightened up the lapel on his tight fitting grey suit, which had gotten messed up after flying to the Queen's estate, as he waited to be brought to the Queen's chambers by her bodyguards. While he didn't know what to expect in this meeting tonight, nothing could have prepared him for what he was about to find out.
"Ah, Mr. Northman, so good of you to finally join us. I would have waited to start the show, but you see I was too excited to begin. Please sit and let me explain as I know you are probably confused by all this." Said a vampire who Eric was unfamiliar with, but who no doubt was very old, very powerful and very much in control of the current situation. Eric knew by the sinister smile and the sheer power radiating off of this stylishly dressed male vampire that it would be unwise to do anything other than what this vampire wanted, at least for now.
To say that Eric was confused would be the understatement of the year. In front of him were the dead bodies of most of the other sheriffs in Louisiana. The only one not dead was Blackburn, who currently sat as still as stone and looked as dazed as someone who just came out of surgery as he sat on one of Sophie-Anne's antique chaises, covered in sprinkles of blood and bits of flesh of his former comrades in arms.
Eric slowly took a seat on the mid-century chair that was situated next to the chaise Blackburn was on. 'What the fuck was going on? And where the hell was the Queen?' These were the burning questions of his mind.
"A man with taste I see. I brought that chair with me. You see, my wife's choices in decor are so… old and ornate… don't you think? Speaking of my wife, Victor, have my men fetch my beautiful wife." The old vampire said with a smirk to his obvious second in command.
"Of course my liege." Victor replied with a smirk of his own. "Bring the Queen in." He yelled to the other lackeys in the room.
Eric's eyes widened when he saw the Queen being brought into the room in what amounted to an oversized golden birdcage. But what had them nearly bulged out of their sockets was the fact that her arms and legs had been chopped off, completely. It would take at least a year if not more for her limbs to regenerate, that is if she lived long enough for that to occur.
"Ah yes, there is my little dove. Her wings have been clipped as you can plainly see. Can't have my little dove fly away now can I?" The still yet nameless vampire said with the happiness of a schoolgirl before adding in a more menacing tone, "Mr. Northman, I know that you had pledged your loyalty to Sophie-Anne in the past and have been one of her most trusted and faithful underlings. I consider that quite admirable in this day and age. However, you must understand that now that she and I have been united by the Magister in revered matrimony, you must swear you loyalty to me now, just like Blackburn over there has." Eric understood the meaning of this vampire's words quite well. It was obvious that the vampires who met the true death here tonight vowed to go down defending their Queen. Commendable, but foolish in the end. What would happen to their areas? Rulers would come and go, he had seen enough of that in his long life. But, he needed to make sure that his area stayed safe, his child stayed safe, that Arabella stayed safe. What would happen if another sheriff took over his area and found out about her, tried to taste her, make her his? No! Even though she wasn't technically his anymore, but rather Godric's, Eric knew he would do whatever he had to in order to keep her safe, even if it meant switching allegiances to this asshole. Also, if given enough time, maybe he could help Sophie-Anne out with the mess she was in. At least this vampire didn't kill her yet. Why hadn't Sophie-Anne come to him earlier for help? None of this made sense.
"If you are her husband then I of course would pledge my loyalty to you as well. But you seem to have me at a loss here as you know who I am but I do not know who you are." Eric said strategically, his voice even and in control. Never let them see you sweat.
"You are right, my apologies of course. I usually have impeccable manners but you see tonight I have been… disappointed… by the lack of vision and faith of your previous comrades. Blackburn and yourself seem to be the only ones with intelligence in the group." He said before adding, "But, to answer your question, my name is Felipe de Castro, King of Nevada and now Louisiana."
Eric internally sighed as he found out who his new liege was. Felipe de Castro was indeed an old vampire if memory served correctly, as old or even older than Godric. Of course Sophie-Anne would have no luck in defeating his power play by herself; she was only a babe compared to him. Speaking of Godric though, Eric would need to keep Godric's presence in Area 5 a secret or Felipe may consider him a threat to his power play. Eric prayed that Godric had gone straight to the humans and that no vampires saw him in the area.
Looking straight into the sobbing red eyes of the Queen with an expressionless look upon his face Eric said, "I pledge my allegiance to you, King Felipe. What is your bidding?" Eric knew that Sophie-Anne was smart and that she had to know there was no other choice in the matter, especially if she was to get any help. Dead sheriffs can't exactly help you out of birdcages.
"Now that's what I like to hear. Go back to Area 5 Sheriff Northman and spread the word that there is a new regent. Blackburn, you go back to Area 4 and do the same. I want everyone to know that there is a new regime in place. I will let the two of you know what is expected moving forward within the week. That is all." Felipe said with a wave of his hand signaling for the two surviving sheriffs to leave.
Eric grabbed a hold of Blackburn's coat to stand him up. Blackburn nodded to Eric in reply, letting him know that he was back to his senses. The two then sped out of the Queen's, or rather the King's, estate and away from the eyes and ears of the new court. There was much to discuss and plan.