AN: I have no excuse for the long wait... Please enjoy.
Toska: A dull ache of the soul, a sick pining, spiritual anguish.
"So you did what again?" Jess asked, for about the dozenth time. I sighed, setting down the bucket of water now tinged maroon.
"It's a really long story, and I'm not quite sure about the details…" I admitted lowly. I sat back on my heels, scanning the emporium. Once Jessica had gotten here, the cleaning had gone a lot faster. Most of the blood had been cleaned up, but even with the speediness of the cleaning, the blood had managed to soak into the light flooring, leaving a very obvious stain.
"Maybe we should talk to Bill...or even Eric. He's supposed to look out for you ain't he?" She asked slowly. I winced, shaking my head quickly.
"Eric already gave me shit for even just reading a book about witchcraft. Imagine if he found out I practiced actual magic, and against vampires no less." I huffed, standing up from the ground and shaking my head at the ground. Soap and water weren't going to fix this. I turned to the clock on the wall, biting my lip nervously. Marnie isn't supposed to come in tonight, but she occasionally came into the shop after hours to pick things up or something.
If she saw this mess, my job here would certainly be short-lived, no matter how much she liked me.
I sighed, rubbing the skin under my eyes and then turning to Jessica. "I just…" I hesitated before finishing my thought. Could I trust Jessica to keep this a secret? She technically had to tell Bill if he asked right? Still, though, I need to confide in someone or I'm gonna go crazy…
"I keep having these dreams...something is reaching out for me, trying to grab me and pull me with it. They only started after Godric brought me back from the dead the second time." I murmured, shaking my head. Jess paused, turning a piercing look at me.
"You...you weren't actually dead though. Unless a vampire is turning you, they can't just bring you back from the dead. Vamp blood ain't that powerful, no matter how old it is." She said with a shake of her head. I watched her for a moment, feeling that same rise of annoyance every time someone told me I didn't know what I was talking about.
"I was dead," I told her firmly. "And maybe it was Godric's blood that brought me back, or maybe it wasn't. What I do know is that practicing magic has come way too easy for me, even by my standards, and that tonight my fingers started to turn black after casting." I told her seriously. Her jaw dropped, blue eyes widening in surprise.
"Ew, like gangrene?" She asked, her surprised expression quickly turning to disgust. I shook my head.
"No, not quite? It's hard to explain. It wasn't like I was decaying, and it didn't hurt, it….it…" I growled in frustration, looking away. How do I explain what happened, when I didn't even know myself?
Jessica was quiet for a while before speaking. "You should really talk to Eric about it. He's got a lot more information on the supernatural than I do."
I sighed again, shaking my head, and returning to my work.
…
Eric was one of the last people I wanted to see, Pam even more so. Unfortunately, I couldn't just let go of what had happened two nights ago at the emporium. Every logical, scientific part of me was screaming in my head telling me that your fingernails are not supposed to just randomly turn black, magic involved or not.
I had dressed in normal Fangtasia attire, a pair of black high waisted jeans and a maroon crop top that allowed not even a centimeter of my midsection to show. I hadn't bothered to tame my hair, letting the half curls hang around me haphazardly. Like every weekend, a line of wannabe vamps and goths had lined up outside, waiting to gain entrance into the club, some of them I even vaguely recognized.
Chow stood outside again as a bouncer, his eyes narrowing when he saw me.
"You know the rules-"
I was so far beyond playing by the rules. I pointed a finger into Chow's chest, scowling openly at him.
"I got attacked by three vampers last night." That shut down his protests real fast. His eyes widened, his head turning to look inside. A whoosh of air and a blur of color later, and Pam stood in front of me in all her gothic dominatrix terror.
"Let's go, shrimpy." She placed a hand on my arm, and a second later we were moving across the club at super speed, not stopping until we found ourselves in Eric's dreaded office, the door slamming shut behind us. Eric sat at his desk, feet propped up on the edge, his attention focused solely on his phone. "The human can't stay out of trouble." Eric's eyes looked up at that, now focused on me.
"What'd you do?" He asked boredly. I scoffed, crossing my arms.
"I didn't do anything!" He stared at me, brow raised. I huffed. "Well, I didn't start it. They came after me." He shot to his feet at that, in front of me in a millisecond, hands on my shoulders as he looked me over for injuries.
"Who? Vampires? Godric didn't feel your fear." He asked, right after the other. I shoved at his hands in annoyance.
"Yeah, no, I took care of the vamps. I told you I happen to be self-sufficient. The problem is what happened when I got rid of them." Eric's eyes narrowed, taking a step back to get a bigger gauge on me. It was the first time I'd ever seen a confused look on his face, and I couldn't help but bask in it a bit before I got myself in serious trouble by fessing up.
I glanced between Pam and Eric, and then took a step back, plopping myself in the seat in front of his desk. "First of all you should know, this is all your fault." I accused, glaring at Eric. His confusion became mixed with instantaneous disdain, a glare of his own settling over his features. He opened his mouth to speak, but I beat him to the punch. "If you hadn't made me feel inferior and incapable, I wouldn't have felt it necessary to get stronger."
"What did you do?" I winced. Yep, there was the anger I wasn't looking forward to.
I tried to open my mouth to answer him but found no words coming out. I sighed; it seems I would just have to show him. I glanced around the room before focusing on the lamp on his desk. I raised my hand palm up, taking a deep breath and focusing my attention on it. "Et conlidam," I said, and instantly the bulb shattered into tiny little pieces, scattering across the desk and floor.
The room was filled with silence. I bit my lip, chewing it nervously as I looked over the blank expressions on both Pam and Eric's faces. Deciding I wasn't going to be able to get myself into any more trouble than that, I waved a hand, muttering a quick, "fixus," and the shattered pieces of the bulb flew up, rearranging themselves back into their previous placement on the lamp.
More silence.
And then more silence.
I couldn't tell if Eric was so pissed he was unable to talk just to make sure he didn't actually murder me, or if he was just that surprised.
I licked my lips. "I'm a quick study, but I don't think I should be able to light Sookie's flooring on fire on my first try. And those vamps that attacked me at my job the other day, well...I kind of made them bleed...from every orifice. And then my fingers started turning black, and I was so angry I thought I was going to kill them and I had the power to do it. And I was going to, but then my fingers started to turn black and it freaked me out and it stopped, it disappeared, but now I'm really, really scared, and I just need you to call Dr. Ludwig." The words started out slow as they left my mouth, before quickly transforming into a long string of words that you could hardly make out from the last one. By the time I'd finished my long-winded rant, I was panting, tears stinging my eyes.
More silence. Eric's left eye started to twitch ever so slightly. He didn't blink, didn't move his eyes from my face. He just stared, some indiscernible thoughts racing through his mind. I peaked a glance at Pam. She seemed less stoic and frozen, with more emotion showing on her face. Her eyes were narrowed into slits, her mouth turned downward into a scowl, but Pam almost always looked like that, so it was hard to tell what she was feeling or thinking.
I fidgeted but didn't make any moves to run. I had a feeling that however frozen Eric was right now, I wouldn't make it two steps before I found myself restrained or otherwise stopped from getting out the door.
I needed Eric to speak before I started actually sobbing. "Please help," I whispered. That seemed to pull Eric back out into the real world; his eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched tightly, and he looked to Pam, muttering something swift and curt in Swedish. I'd spent enough time around Eric to pick out little words, but he spoke so fast I could pick out was 'Ludwig', which I hoped meant he was calling the ornery little doctor.
Eric all but snarled at me. "Sit. Down." He ordered. My body reacted before my brain did, and I was sitting before I'd even consciously registered his words. Eric turned his head from me, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a cell phone, dialing inhumanly fast and pressing the phone to his ear. It was only a few seconds before Eric started speaking in that same hurried tone in Swedish.
I had a good idea who he was talking to, but I dared not even speak a word. I was really regretting letting Jessica talk me into this. Eric was never someone to ask for help when you've fucked up. I was hoping perhaps Godric would want to speak to me, to ask for my recounts of the incident personally, but I was disappointed when Eric snapped his phone shut two minutes later, whirling around to face me.
"You told me that book wasn't a grimoire," Eric said coldly. I shrugged timidly.
"It wasn't, it was all theories. I did buy a spellbook when I was at the mall the other day though." I admitted, all too meekly. I winced, my pride was really taking a hit tonight. If there was one thing I hated more than anything, it was being weak in the eyes of others.
"And what, inspired you to buy a spellbook?" He asked, suspiciously calm. Every instinct my body was telling me to run, and it was only the knowledge that I'd never be able to outrun Eric that kept me rooted in my place.
"You-" He snarled, cutting me off. I shrunk back into my seat, curling into myself. I glanced up at him, waiting for some of his anger to resolve before speaking again. "You called me little warrior once, in Swedish. But then we get here, and all you and Pam talk about is how I cling to Godric, or how annoying I am, or how I can't take care of myself. And...Godric leaves. He just leaves, after telling me that I needed to be safe and human! He doesn't think I'm a warrior, and neither do you. You all think I can't take care of myself, and it sucks because it's true. When up against vampires, I have no survival skills. Magic changes that." I explained quietly, trying to keep my voice level despite the rampaging emotions tearing up inside my head. I just couldn't seem to decide if I was angry, hurt, sad, or terrified.
"You have me." Eric hissed, his anger at me not assuaged with my explanation. "Godric has put me in charge of protecting you, and I have no intention of breaking my promise-"
"But you weren't there!" I interrupted, standing from my seat as I couldn't help but retort. "Those vamps came after me, and you weren't there! And you can't always be there! What if someone comes after me in the day? What if my brother tries to kill me again? What if there's another car accident, or, or-" Oh god, it was happening again. My breath started to leave my lungs too quickly, the oxygen entering my lungs sounding like little squeaking noises as I couldn't catch my rhythm.
The anger dissolved from Eric's eyes, quickly being overtaken by his own version of panic. Before he could reach out the door to the office flew open, the Dwarf doctor walking in with her big bag. She stopped when she noticed the scene, narrowed eyes taking in my panicked state. She rolled her eyes.
"Take a deep breath in, hold it, now release it through your mouth. There ya go, do it again. Breath in, hold, release. Again, until your heart rate calms. Don't stand there like a fucking dolt, Northman, walk her through." Eric narrowed his eyes on the woman but did as she ordered, gently placing a hand on my shoulder and pushing me back into my seat, murmuring the repeated words Dr. Ludwig had told me.
I followed the simple steps, forcing my mind to stop racing and focus entirely on my breathing. A gasp or choke occasionally managed to slip through and ruin the cycle, but it was simple to return to the process right after.
It took several minutes, but my mind had calmed, my heart beating smoothly and rhythmically in my chest. I looked up, my attention returning to the room now that I had full control over myself. Ludwig stood by the couch, pulling several things out of her large medical bag. That thing had to be spelled to hold more than it seemed.
"You can leave now, Mr. Northman, I'll meet with Ms. Newlin alone." Again, Eric seemed ready to object to Dr. Ludwig's words, but then seemed to think better of it. He begrudgingly left the room without another word.
"Got any Magical ancestors?" Dr. Ludwig asked flatly, not even looking up from her bag. I gaped at the abrupt question but then shook my head.
"Don't think so. My family's as normal as they come." I answered uncertainly. Ludwig snorted.
"Well every human has usually got a bit of magical blood somewhere in their history, but last time I tested you I didn't find any traces of anything significant. Whatever's wrong with you, I doubt it has to do with your family tree."
"Then what do you think it is?" I asked curiously. Dr. Ludwig cast me a quick glance before returning to her bag.
"Don't know. It's probably a mixture of things but most likely? It's the Gaul's blood in your system doing all kinds of strange things." She muttered. I blinked in surprise.
"Godric? But...his blood has been in my system for a long time now…"
"Exactly. You told me before you weren't sure how much of it you've consumed, but definitely more than any other human. To be honest, no one has any information on what happens when a vampire as old as the Gaul gives a human his blood. The oldest I've ever recorded is Mr. Northman, and none of my associates have any knowledge on the effects of the blood of a vampire over 1500 years on a human."
"So...i'm a science experiment?" I asked unsurely. Ludwig let out an unattractive grunt.
"Hardly. More like the victim of unknown side effects." She muttered, shaking her head and finally turning from her bag to look at me. "Vampers have never really been very open about the powers of their blood, even to other supernaturals. All we know is what we see patterns in. And Godric the Gaul breaks plenty of those patterns." She sighed, muttering something to herself and then meeting my eyes. "There's only one vampire I can think of that is older, and has killed more innocents than the Gaul, and he doesn't give his blood to humans or dwarves."
"Would that help you find out what's wrong with me?" I asked eagerly. She sniffed.
"What would help is if you stopped getting into trouble. Stop doing magic, avoid getting drawn into vampire business, and keep the blasted fucking shadow beings warded away."
If only Dr. Ludwig knew just how impossible that was.
…
I stood under a familiar willow tree, the hanging leaves swaying gently by the summer breeze. Light filtered in through the thin rope-like branches and shining patterns down onto the grass below. I wore a light and airy dress similar to the last one, but the color was pure white, so light that the color of my skin peeked through. My flower basket was nowhere to be seen, but in my hands, I held a large ornate gold key. The key was heavy and chipped away at, looking like it had seen it's fair use over the years. It was so cold it nearly stung, but I felt unwilling to part with it despite that. It was important, even if I didn't know why.
"It's dangerous," I whirled around, holding the key up in front of me as some form of makeshift weapons. Godric stood a few feet away, the sun glinting off his skin and sending those little blue sparks off of him every few seconds. He wore the same white clothes that day up on the roof of Hotel Carmella. Despite this, I didn't fear he would burn up. The thing that did scare me was his eyes. They were the same raging storm I'd seen the first time under the willow. He blinked, and suddenly they were mercury, but the unease I felt didn't shift.
"What is? The key?" I asked inquisitively, glancing down at the key, and then looking back up at Godric in question. He gave no affirmation or denial. Instead, he watched me for a moment, expression blank. He walked closer until he stood a mere foot in front of me. His eyes softened kindly, and he placed a gentle hand on my cheek. I leaned into his touch.
"There's too many doorways open. Too many cracks to slip through." He murmured, his hand trailing down from my cheek, tracing my arm, and then pulling me into him, clutching me by the waist. I sighed, resting my head on his shoulder. His cheek lined up with mine, his lips nearly pressing against my ear, and I shivered as he spoke. "I miss you," He sighed softly, his arms tightening around me with his words.
I wrapped my arms around him, huddling closer into him. "Why did you leave?" I whispered, my voice breaking. His other hand came up to rest against my head, stroking my hair.
"Some doors can't be closed once they're open."
…
I was never very good at listening to people. Whether I was five, twelve, or now, at seventeen, I just had a bad habit of ignoring the advice of others. I don't really know why. I'm not sure if it's just because I think myself smarter or more superior, or if I'm just too stubborn for my own good. The silly part is I know when I'm doing it when I'm refusing to listen to others, but I just can't help myself.
I think I just hate being told what to do.
Marnie didn't fire me when she saw the red stain on the floor at the Emporium, but she did dock my check to pay for repairs, and then she forced me to do all kinds of protection rituals against vampires around the emporium my entire next shift.
I considered asking Marnie about the blackness that had been moving up my fingers that night at the store but decided against it. Marnie was flighty enough, and I was already amazed and relieved she let me keep my job. It was best not to involve her, or let her think I was going to bring more trouble to the Emporium.
Things at school calmed down some after a couple of weeks. I'd generally been ostracised by the entire student body, but at least I wasn't being crowded or insulted between every class period. Lunch was pretty calm, usually sitting by myself and working on school work. My counselor was convinced if I keep at the pace I was going, I could have half of my college generals done by the time I finished up my senior year.
I missed Godric. More than anything. I was so angry at him for leaving, so furious I just wanted to stand outside in the dark of night and scream until my voice was hoarse. I also wanted to cry.
But I've cried enough for a lifetime. And, I'm too strong to cry. I don't fall apart, I figure it out. I didn't want to go back to that dark place I'd been in after the accident, and before Godric came into my life. That place that was worse than death, that felt like a never-ending staircase of spiraling darkness. A place where I couldn't care about anything and the only pain I felt was the remnants of long healed injuries from the accident.
But I couldn't help but wonder why I was even trying if Godric wasn't going to be here? Who was I living for? What was I living for? Why was I even trying? Even though I was furious with Godric the night he pulled me from the water, I hadn't tried it again. I suppose I didn't want to disrespect the compassion, the care he'd shown for me. It wasn't every day an ancient being like him jumped into a freezing lake to save you from yourself. And really, a part of me had wanted to live after that. I don't think Godric suddenly gave me the ability to love life again, or feel hope, but I think just the knowledge that he cared was enough to make me give it another try.
And really, if a being like Godric saw my life as having value, well, I should at least take another look at what I was disregarding, right?
That feeling had disappeared now. I knew it wasn't healthy. I knew that I couldn't base my desire to live off of another person. It wasn't fair to either of us. But the truth was, whenever I thought about living for myself, I just saw that spiraling dark staircase. Living for him was safer, more pleasant. Or at least, it had been.
I wonder if he felt the same.
Despite what Pam and Eric thought, my ego wasn't so inflated that I believed I was the only thing keeping Godric alive. I'd just been the tipping point. I'd been able to bring a little more balance to the scales, put a little more worth in living. But what did it matter now when we weren't together? How could I keep myself safe? How could I keep him safe? How could we keep each other safe?
We couldn't. And honestly, what the fuck did I care?
I was tired of caring. Caring had caused so many problems, and it had solved so little.
"When was the last time you saw a therapist?" Sookie asked, trying to sound nonchalant. She stood before the stove, flipping an egg in the frying pan. I scowled at her, crossing my arms.
"Seriously, Sook? We've talked about this."
She winced but didn't look back at me. "I can't help it, your thoughts are loud today." She retorted stubbornly, but the worried tone hadn't left her voice. "I didn't know that you'd…" She trailed off, but I knew what she is referring to.
I sighed. "Tried to kill myself?" She winced again. "Well, I did. And I haven't tried it again or put any thought into it, so you don't need to worry." I had hoped that would be the end of the conversation, but Sookie didn't seem willing to grant me her silence just yet. She placed the eggs on two plates that already had bacon and toast on them. She turned off the stove and approached the table, taking a seat opposite me and handing over one of the plates. I muttered a thank you, picking up a fork and beginning to eat.
"You know, therapists aren't bad. They can actually be super helpful if you just give it a shot-"
"I don't want a therapist," I interrupted her flatly, refusing to look up to meet her peering gaze.
"Dani, those thoughts aren't normal-" I stood up, cramming a few final bites into my mouth and then leaving the plate in the sink.
"Well neither is reading minds, but here we are." I snapped, wiping off my hands on my jeans and shooting her a dirty look. I grabbed my backpack, moving to storm out of the house.
"Dani-wait!" Sookie said helplessly, reaching across the table to grip my arm in her hold. I scowled, turning back to look at her. Sookie gave a frustrated sigh. "Believe it or not, I do understand a bit of what you're going through. I've been ostracized practically my entire life, I know what it's like to feel like maybe nothing matters, but your life has value."
"To who?" I retorted, wrenching my arm away from her grip and standing. "My brother tried to have me killed, and my sister-in-law-who may have been a bit wacko, but I thought still loved me-didn't do anything to stop him. My parents are gone, my sister is gone, Godric was the only fam-" I cut off, eyes stinging and I looked away to calm down. I wouldn't cry, I wouldn't. I'm stronger than anyone thinks, I'm resilient, and I was not going to cry.
"It's okay to be vulnerable," Sookie whispered softly, after several moments of uncomfortable silence. "That love you feel, the pain, the betrayal-it may all make you feel like you're going to break, but it's real, Dani. It's part of who you are, whether you like it or not." Treacherous tears ran down my cheeks, and I furiously wiped at them. I knew Sookie saw them anyway though. There were several more moments of silence, and then, "I'm gonna call in to take a day off. I think we need a girl's trip."
I stood waiting in the same spot for ten minutes as Sookie ran around the house, getting changed into casual attire, and calling into let Sam know she was taking the day off. I honestly didn't know how she pulled that off with how much work she's missed lately, but I imagine it had something to do with Sam being sweet on her.
"He is not sweet on me!" Sookie called from the top of the stairs, her footsteps heavy as she walked back down into the kitchen. "He's just a good friend and an understanding boss." She retorted.
I snorted, "Who happens to be sweet on you." Sookie shot me an amused glare. She reached towards the counter and grabbed her keys.
"How do you feel about a trip to New Orleans?" Sookie asked as she shuffled me out of the door. I sent her an incredulous look.
"That's three hours away!" I protested. She shrugged, waving off my concerns.
"We'll get a hotel for the night if we have to, I don't work tomorrow morning anyway. Besides, you haven't seen the Crescent city yet, have you?" She challenged.
"I take it you're driving?" I sighed in resignation. Sookie grinned.
...
I hadn't given Sookie enough credit. The drive down to New Orleans wasn't bad. In fact, it was kind of fun. Sookie was old school with a whole binder of CDs situated behind the driver's seat, filled to the brim with all sorts of country albums. I immediately put in my favorite, turned the radio up, and the two of us jammed out, windows down and singing at the top of our lungs. The three hours passed by quickly with loud country music and crappy gas station food. It was the most fun I'd had in a while.
We arrived in New Orleans nearing noon. The sun was heavy and hot above, a heavy sheen of sweat immediately building on my brow and back. I pulled the rubber band from my wrist and pulled my hair up, glancing around the popular city I'd never been to. Despite the time of day, the place was bustling with people. You could hear muffled music playing not far off, and the old buildings were lively and well cared for.
"Where should we start?" Sookie asked excitedly.
"Magic shop?" I asked hopefully. Sookie frowned, eyeing me disapprovingly.
"I don't want my flooring catching on fire again," She said sternly. I shrugged.
"I don't practice at the house anymore. Please?" I begged. She rolled her eyes and nodded, motioning for me to lead the way. I allowed my gut to tell me where to turn, not at all sure of where we were headed, but not particularly concerned. We'd find a magic shop eventually, and I'd get to see the sights of the city too. After walking three blocks and stopping in two clothing stores, we found a small, run-down building called 'Voodoo and hoodoo and things.' I smiled excitedly and entered the store, the bell chiming above.
My smile immediately dropped from my face. This place felt...strange. Not evil per se, but it reminded me far too much of the dreams, of walking through that darkness, of the monsters calling me back to death and their anger when I evaded them. I took a step back to leave but didn't get out of the door. A man appears behind a curtain of beads, his dark eyes immediately zeroing in on me.
"Ms. Newlin, I was hoping you'd make your way into my shop today," He acknowledged, sending a jolt of fear through me. He glanced behind me just as the bell chimed above the door again. "Ms. Stackhouse," He said pleasantly. Sookie and I shared an unsettled look.
"How do you know our names?" Sookie demanded, crossing her arms protectively. The man, a tall and dark-skinned gentleman wearing a casual white shirt but a pair of fancy pin-striped pants, smiled indulgently and walked around the counter to come closer. I kept myself in front of Sookie, ready to cast whatever spell came to mind and run.
"Well, you positively riled the spirits in town the minute you arrived."
I glanced at him suspiciously. "Right, well, I think we'll be going-"
He advanced a step. "Please, stay. I'd like to give you a reading, free of charge." He offered. When he noticed I still didn't seem convinced, he continued on, "You're surrounded by shadows, as I'm sure you're aware?" He asked. Hesitantly, I nodded once. "I work with a special type of magic that may be able to help. Let me give you a reading, and I'll help." I chewed my lip, glancing up at Sookie. Her eyes were nervous, but she shrugged.
"Alright," I agreed, taking a step further into the shop. "But try anything and your shop will go up in flames," I warned. He didn't seem deterred. He motioned me towards a round wooden table with matching chairs. I took a seat in the uncomfortable chair, and he sat down opposite me and produced a stack of cards. Tarot cards. I'd seen Marnie work with them on occasion, but I'd never had a reading of my own.
I was too scared to.
He shuffled the cards expertly, and then laid them out on the table. "Pick 3," He instructed. I pulled three cards out of the stack, keeping them face down. He picked the one furthest left, flipping it over.
"Death," He murmured, glancing over the skeletal figure riding a white horse. My face visibly paled at the sight of the card, hands gripping the edges of the table. He seemed to sense my distress and shook his head. "It's not literal," He soothed. "Death is a card of transformation. There are great changes taking place in your life. They will change not only who you are, but the path your life takes," His eyes then screwed up in confusion. "There is something else. Death takes the shape of a person in your life. You know who it refers to?" He asked, glancing up at me.
I nodded stiffly, and give no other indication.
"The companion of death." He muttered, seemingly to himself. He went on lost in thought for several long moments before his head suddenly snapped up and met my eyes. "Do not eat the seeds."
A shiver went down my spine. I knew exactly what he was referring to, and it terrified me beyond words. I gulped, taking a heavy breath to calm myself. "Next card?" I asked. He nodded. I flipped the next card and froze.
Death.
I heard the shopkeeper gasp and utter confusion, but I didn't listen to him. There was a ringing building in my ears, growing louder and louder. With trembling fingers, I turned the next card.
Death. I reached for the rest of the deck, dread building up in my throat, and I turned over the entire deck. Death. All death. My chair clattered back and fell, my entire body shaking as I moved towards the exit. Sookie was speaking to me, but her voice was muffled like my head was underwater and I couldn't make out the words. She turned and shouted something at the shopkeep, who was staring down at the deck in shock.
"Get me out," I muttered. "get me out, get me out, get me out," I repeated frantically, reaching for the door Sookie stood in front of. Sookie grabbed hold of my arms, her eyes searching mine, her lips moving. I shook my head, repeating the words again. Why wouldn't she let me leave? Didn't she see I needed to get out?
And then, something heavy rested on my wrist, and suddenly everything was back to normal. The ringing subsided, the shaking slowly calming down. I glanced down at the right hand, where a strange new bracelet rested. It was nothing special; a black leather band, but woven through it was a symbol; I didn't know what it meant I was certain I'd seen it before, but couldn't place it, only that it was a Viking symbol, and I only knew that due to Erik.
"The helm of awe," The shopkeeper spoke up, eyeing the bracelet. "I apologize for what happened. I did not realize the spirits had a purpose for leading you here. They had seemed merely curious in nature," He shook his head. "That is an ancient Viking symbol. I've spelled it to protect the wearer from the powers of the other side." I stared down at the bracelet, feeling the gentle hum of its power against my skin. I could feel it protecting me, and for the first time in a long time, I felt some of the darkness that seemed to have surrounded me since the car crash dissipate. I was...lighter, like some great weight that had been bearing me down and smothering me had finally lessened.
Sookie and I left the fortune-tellers. We spent some time walking the quarter, eating beignets, walking through art galleries, but avoiding any further fortune-telling. I'd had enough for one day, and Sookie seemed intent to avoid any threatening readings of her own. It was getting close to evening, the sun beginning to fall over the Quarter when Sookie and I stopped at a restaurant for dinner.
The building was barely outside of the Quarter, a small place that was somehow bigger on the inside. The interior walls were baby blue, the floor a dark grey linoleum. At the back of the restaurant was a small platform, raised about a foot off the ground. On the platform was a microphone and speakers, and a man wearing a brown cowboy hat currently stood before the mic. He was strumming on a guitar, his voice a low country timbre.
The hostess smiled and greeted us, and lead us to a table in the middle.
"Gran took Jason and me here for a bit of vacation several years ago," Sookie explained happily. She picked up the laminated menu, scanning the options half-heartedly. She seemed more focused on chatting away. The food was apparently amazing, but the place didn't get as much attention because it wasn't in the Quarter. Our waiter was nice and friendly, recommending the gumbo to us.
"Have you heard from Godric lately?" Ah, the golden question. This was what had been on Sookie's mind the whole day, I didn't need to be a mind reader to know that. I lifted my soda and took a long swig of it, wishing it was alcohol.
"I haven't heard from him since he left," I drew a frowny face on the fog of my glass, and then x'd it out in annoyance. "I know he communicates with Eric." I tried not to sound petulant or bitter, but it was hard to keep the bite out of my voice. Sookie reached out, placing a hand over the top of mine and giving me a soft smile.
"I'm sure he has his reasons, Dan. Just give it time." I slid my hand out from under hers, refusing to meet her gaze a moment longer. Luckily, our waiter was returning with our food. To avoid any further awkwardness I immediately began to dig into the bowl of gumbo. As we ate, people came and went up to the stage, singing and playing instruments. Some were good, others were...less than good.
"You should go up and sing," Sookie said suddenly. I looked up from my mostly finished gumbo to look at her. She smiled encouragingly. "I've heard you singing and humming to yourself. You're really good, you should go up."
I was about to say no when I realized just how badly I missed singing. Before, I would've claimed I hated singing in church, but now that it been awhile there's an ache in my chest that I used to get when I hadn't sung for a while. Singing had often been how I dealt with my emotions. It was one of the things my mom got me into as a child to channel all of my energy and feelings.
"I think I will." I murmured, standing from my seat and approaching the man standing by the stage, taking requests. The man barely glanced at me, asking for my name and the song I wanted to sing. I thought for a moment and then answered with my chosen song. I stood waiting at the edge of the stage for the woman singing a country ballad to finish up. The man gave a nod and a flick of his fingers at the stage once she was finished, ushering me up on stage.
The restaurant wasn't the busiest, but more people had come in the last twenty minutes than there were when we first arrived. I met Sookie's eyes and she gave me an encouraging, toothy smile. I approached the mic, clutching the stand with slightly shaky fingers.
I swallowed thickly. "I'm Dani," I said as my only greeting, and then waited for my music to begin. The gentle music began, and I took a deep, steadying breath. I opened my mouth and began to sing, the first words croaky and hoarse with nerves. When I couldn't get my voice to steady, I looked down at the man down by the stage.
"Can I start over?" I asked hesitantly. The man didn't look as if he believed it would help, but he nodded, motioning to the people manning the tracks. The music paused. I sighed, wiping my sweaty palms on my shorts. The music began once more, and I cleared my mind of all but the lyrics.
And then I sang. It was better this time around. The lyrics flowed through me rather than being forced out. I was still a bit shaky, but nothing too noticeable. I clutched the microphone to steady me, my voice growing stronger as I gained confidence. I closed my eyes, and let the audience disappear. I could see it in my mind's eye; the pews of the church, my father, mother, brother, and baby sister sitting in the front row. They all wore smiles, my mother's eyes gleaming with pride like they did every time I sang in church. Bethany wore a small smile of her own, cooing as if she was singing along with me. And standing at the back of the chapel was Godric; smiling softly, his eyes focused on me.
I opened my eyes on the last note, a smile on my face. The crowd of people clapped, some of the wait staff stopping as well to give applause. I glanced towards our table, looking for Sookie. Only, she wasn't there.
I took a step back, ready to leave the stage. I searched near our table, wondering where she'd gone. Had she gone to the bathroom? Why would she leave when I was singing? She's the one that wanted me to go up and sing in the first place. Brows furrowed, I climbed down from the stage. There, near the front. I couldn't see the front of her, but her familiar blonde head was leaving out the door, her arm held by a tall, intimidating man in all black.
I moved quickly through the restaurant, glancing down at our table to see if she'd paid; she hadn't. Sookie would never leave without paying, she was too good. Something was wrong. I grabbed the purse I left on my chair and hurried out the door. The streets were dark now, the lamplights and bustling city the only sources of sight. I looked left and then right.
"I'm Bill Comptons, you can't just-" I heard Sookie arguing, fighting to get her arm out of the man's-vampire, I realized-grip. I followed after them, taking quick steps to try and catch up.
"Hey!" I yelled firmly, causing the man to freeze in place. He turned back to look at me. 'Definitely a vampire' I noted. He was fairly handsome but cold. He reminded me of Jared, with Payton. He wore complete black, a wire secured to his ear, like he was a bodyguard or security. "What do you think you're doing?" I demanded, continuing to move towards them.
"Who are you?" He asked; his tone of voice said he didn't particularly care who I was.
The reckless and temperamental part of me wanted to tell this vampire that I was Danielle Newlin and that if Eric Northmen didn't kill him, Godric would. But Eric and Godric weren't here. Even if they felt my fear, they couldn't get here near fast enough to save us. And the name Newlin wasn't exactly well-liked amongst vampires.
I tilted my chin up haughtily, as I watched my mother do plenty in the past. "I'm not the one kidnapping someone, so maybe the more important question is who you are."
A cruel smirk curled up his thin lips. "You're inconsequential."
I clenched my fists. "That's rude." I bit out and then threw my hand out, harnessing that darkness, that magic inside of me. He let out a screech of pain, the side of his face burning and blistering. His hold on Sookie loosened and she broke free. She ran back to stand by me. She was surprisingly fast in heels.
"Enough!" A foreign voice called out. Out from the shadows, another vampire stepped out. He wore nearly the same exact clothing as the first vampire, the same wire also around his ear. His eyes weren't as cold as the first vampire's, but there was something more powerful about him. He was older. Not as old as Eric or Godric, but he would put up more of a fight.
The new vampire regarded me, his attention having fully turned from Sookie, which was in complete contrast to the first vampire. He seemed to size me up, which in itself made me feel a little better about our chances. I kept the haughty expression on my face.
"We're not going anywhere with you," Sookie snapped, putting a hand on my arm and stepping a foot in front of me. I nearly rolled my eyes; Sookie could read minds, but she couldn't shoot fire out of her hands. She should maybe let me handle this. That particular thought earned me a nasty side-eye from Sookie before she turned her attention back on the vampires. "We both belong to powerful vampires, you mess with us and you mess with them."
"I know who you are, and who you belong to." The vampire currently still not suffering third-degree burns answered. "Sookie Stackhouse," He said, looking at Sookie. "And Danielle Newlin." He finished, turning his stare to me.
So much for keeping my identity a secret. At least he didn't spit my name out like it was poison. That was always a good sign.
He took a step toward us, and I pushed Sookie out of my way, holding my hands up in preparation to cast a spell. I didn't know what spell, but something come to mind. No matter that the very tips of my fingers were turning black.
"I mean you no harm," He continued, "The Queen of Louisiana received intel you were in New Orleans. She wishes to meet you both. You are safe under her protection."
"But not safe from kidnapping?" I asked sarcastically. Sookie hit my arm.
"How can we trust you?" She asked.
"Queen or not, she still doesn't have the right to harm what belongs to another vampire," His eyes fell on me. "And she would not want to wake the wrath of the Gaul."
Sookie and I glanced at each other. She turned to the vampire.
"Fine. But she better not hold us up all night."
Reviews:
xenocanaan: Sorry for the long wait! Hope this was enjoyable!
angel897: Danielle should not be left unsupervised, lol... She has a temper and she's not afraid to start a fight. Sorry for the long wait, hope you enjoyed!
BrookeWorm3: About New Orleans...haha, how did you know?! She's definitely getting powerful. Sorry for the long wait, hope you enjoyed!
Nurisiliel: Thanks! Yes, the spells are in Latin, though I kind of like the idea of toying with her learning spells from other cultures and ancient languages. Sorry for the long wait, hope you enjoyed!
kineret: I miss Godric too. :( The truth is Godric doesn't know what's happening to her. I'll give you a hint: It's something that would likely be obvious to Eric and Godric, having lived their long lives, but it's never happened quite like this before, so it's all-new. Sorry for the long wait, hope you enjoyed!
islajune44: Sorry for the long wait, hope you enjoyed!
Pelawen Night: Tbh, her brattiness is one of my favorite things about her haha. Sorry for the long wait, hope you enjoyed!
Foxy Vixin: Yep! Dani is officially a badass now! How long do you think it will last? OwO Sorry for the long wait, hope you enjoyed!
kykyxstandler: Thanks! There's a very specific reason her fingers turn black, but I've laid some hints. :P I will tell you, it's not because it's dark magic, and she's not channeling a dead witch. Sorry about the long wait, hope you enjoyed!
anonymouscsifan: You'll just have to wait to find out! XP I imagine being tied to a teenage girl's emotions is something very rare and very strange to Godric tbh. He's only turned two people in his long life, and I doubt he was the kind to freely give his blood to humans, so I doubt he really knows what it's like. Definitely confusing for him lol. Sorry for the long wait, hope you enjoyed!
WickedlyMinx: Guess we'll have to find out. XP As for the dreams, they are heavily inspired by Mythology, both Greek and Norse. Sorry for the long wait, hope you enjoyed!
th3collection: Thanks! Sorry for the long wait, hope you enjoyed!
DreamerNightingale: Lol, Dany can recognize when she's messed up big time! XD Sorry for the long wait, hope you enjoyed!
No-Shmucks-Given45: Thank you, that makes me happy! :D Sorry for the long wait, hope you enjoyed!