Chapter 65: That's What You Get
At some point during the night, he dozed off into sleep too, because he was awakened by a pair of soft warm hands shaking him firmly.
"My God, you still sleep like you died. Come on, wake up," Olivia's bright voice called out, dragging him back. For a moment he wasn't entirely sure if this was a dream or reality.
As his brain hadn't completely rebooted yet, Eric had no idea where he was. It had been literally decades since he had woken up next to a warm body, and much, much longer since he woke up at a place he did not recognize, and he wasn't one to be careless with his day rest location. But judging by his current luck streak, the reason would likely be unpleasant so he decided to just enjoy the fact that Olivia was here, and that she was his. That much he remembered.
His arms slipped around her in a hug, his body rejoicing in her warmth and scent as he threw her in bed next to him. She was dressed in a mauve pink pencil skirt and ivory silk blouse, and her makeup and hair were done as if she were ready for the day but he wanted her to be in this bed wearing nothing but the sheets.
"The dead request five more minutes," he smiled, sure this was a dream.
She scoffed, flustered. Olivia had seemingly drowned in her own hair when she crashed on the soft mattress. She looked nothing but adorable, frantically trying to unbury herself. To make matters worse, he rolled over on top of her, pinning her down. "Eric, I mean it, you gotta get up."
He could feel her concern through the invisible cord that connected them. Which meant she very well felt the happiness coming from him at that very moment. He wondered if that scared her. Her urgency made no sense whatsoever, as his mind was still lost in the strange haze of waking up during the day. Eric realized he hadn't slept in over a month.
"I already regret asking, but what is it now?" He gave in.
"I'm off to meet with Portia. Bobby or Samuel will follow me to her office as they always do. That's your cue to leave unnoticed."
Pieces of the puzzle were starting to fit back together in his head. This… Was no dream. It was her bed and her house he fell asleep in, and not in the secret light tight room he had made for himself in the attic, no… Eric slept in a human bed, in a human room and awoke way past the sunrise. Trying not to dwell too much on what that meant or how he felt about it, Eric decided at the moment that he was going to get his one wish while he still could.
"Neither of them are outside. I told Bobby I summoned you to Jackson last night and that you are out of town until tomorrow."
Olivia frowned, confused at his white lie. Bobby Burham, if he were an honest working man, should very much be outside. "Why did you do that?"
"Because I'm here. And I want to stay here."
Her beautiful brown eyes studied him for the longest time, the realization they were going to spend a day together sinking in.
"What time is it?" He asked, already wondering how many of his fantasies they'd get to live out today.
"It's just past 11. I actually have a lot of work to do today, so you can… Uhm," she trailed off, not wanting to send him home but also not knowing what to do with him either. The whole situation was highly amusing to him.
"Skip work today."
"But the Casino-"
The ocean, the tide was coming for all of it. "Fuck the Casino."
Olivia's eyes looked straight through him and she suddenly looked so small and vulnerable under his body. Eric knew then he was a coward. He didn't have the heart to tell her what he was going to do come nightfall. He didn't want to tell her what was going to happen to the Empire she worked so hard and brilliantly for. He was selfishly withholding the truth so he could live out some fantasy he probably didn't even deserve. But there was nothing either of them could do - and they could do a lot - to stop what was already in motion.
Eric made vows to both Olivia and Pamela. And he was going to honour them come hell or high water.
"How about this - we take a day off."
"But-"
Eric kissed her deeply and borderline desperately until her words were gone from her lips. He was begging her.
"Just one day, Olivia," he whispered. "We can talk about work, and where I've been and tell you everything you want to know once the sun sets. Let's not borrow the night's problems during the day. Today is just for us."
Olivia sighed apprehensively. "Portia is very much a day problem for me. She's gonna kill me if I don't go over the contracts with her today."
He moved some hair off her face, admiring her beauty. "Really? You look feverish. Are you sure you're not sick?"
She pressed her lips together, hiding a smile. "Fine, you win. Give me 10 minutes, I'll call her and send some emails."
"You are a workaholic, did you know that?"
The smile won. "Well, handling you is a full-time job, Eric."
He knew if he didn't let her go right now, he'd waste the whole day in bed with her. Well, maybe waste wasn't the right word.
Eric rolled off of her, and watched her walk out of her bedroom, her peach-shaped ass looking ever so perfect in that skirt. It was only when he was alone that was able to notice the mess: clothes littered the floor, a pile of purses on top of the dresser, and there were more shoes scattered outside of her closet than inside of it. Despite her calculating mind, her brilliant maneuvering of the law, her strength and control… Olivia wasn't very tidy or neat.
After getting dressed he curiously wandered through her house. Her bedroom and living room seemed to be the places she spent most of her time in, considering the mess. The sunlight made the whole place still feel airy despite the chaos. Her views weren't much to look at - her East and Westside windows faced vine-covered brick walls that separated her property from the neighbours, the kitchen looked over her small backyard, and her front living room window faced her overgrown lemon trees that blocked the view from the street. It wasn't a large property, but it at least felt private.
Eric could hear her working in her home office, located in one of the bedrooms, talking to Portia Bellefleur while she typed something on her computer. Eric felt like an alien visiting a strange, magnificent world. But it only looked alien, it was very much the real world and he had duties to finish. Quickly slipping out through the kitchen, he sneaked around her driveway, in hopes she wouldn't notice it from her office on the other side of the house. Eric quietly opened her gate and scanned the street for her bodyguard's car, which he found easily enough. He was parked right behind his own Jaguar.
Eric crossed the street, walking straight towards Bobby Burnham, who was sitting in his Camry distracted by a local newspaper. Once the man spotted him, he almost spilled coffee all over his lap. They didn't see each other in person very often and mostly communicated over the phone, but Bobby had most definitely recognized him.
The man was still frozen, looking up at him through the glass sitting perfectly underneath his shadow. Eric glared at him, waiting for Bobby to do something. After standing by the driver's door for far too long, he knocked on the window to see if he would snap out of it. He better have a better reaction time to threats than this if he were to keep this job. Many seconds later, Bobby finally rolled his window down.
"How…" His voice trailed off, both terrified and in awe to see Eric standing in the middle of the street in broad daylight. "You…"
But he had to be quick, he didn't want her to know. Eric held on to his gaze, pulling his soul and conscience closer without much trouble. "Olivia needs no guarding today. I told you she's out of town and will be back tomorrow."
Bobby's eyes looked back at him empty, taking in every word of his command. He held on for a long while, standing in the middle of the quiet street, hesitating his next step. His heart was heavy in his chest. Eric had to do this.
"Pick her up from Fangtasia tonight at 11."
Bobby's lips barely parted. "And drive her home?"
He didn't want to do this, but he had to. He promised to protect her, not to keep her. Eric gave his final command and erased his memory.
Bobby Burnham nodded, closed the car window and drove off without another word. Eric snuck back past the gates and caught a glimpse of Olivia's front steps. He had a very difficult conversation with Pamela last night, one that still hung heavy in his stomach. Olivia was not entirely to blame for the mess they found themselves in. He agreed to all her plans and crazy ideas. They both helped her execute them, and Pamela most of all benefited from it. This is just how life worked. Everything eventually came to an end, a painful lesson vampires often forgot.
Eric took his phone out of his pocket and stared at it for a second, thinking of what to say. The right words to convey a hundred years of love for his only childe. If what he set in motion was hard, this was tenfold.
There wasn't any other way, and he wished it didn't have to be like this. But there was no way of stopping what was coming. Eric called his progeny who was still dead asleep and left a voicemail that just about obliterated his heart. Olivia hopefully would move on, but Pamela would never forgive him. That he knew.
When he re-entered the house, Olivia was still arguing with Portia Bellefleur on the phone about city permits. Hanging out in the kitchen, he mindlessly opened the fridge. Fully diving into Olivia's life was the only way he could exist after what he had just done. The fridge was bare. Of course there wouldn't be bagged blood or Tru Blood in it, but he expected it to have a little more than… Mustard, a bottle of Sprite, two old apples and a half-empty jug of milk.
Olivia appeared suddenly in the kitchen, phone in hand, hair shining perfectly as if he hadn't tousled it all in bed.
"What happened to all the food I bought you?"
She blinked twice. "I ate some, but I gave most of it to Lafayette."
"Why?"
"Because I don't cook," she shrugged. "I didn't want it to go to waste."
Eric glared at her. "What do you mean, you don't cook? How the hell are you alive?"
She scoffed a laugh, pouring herself a glass of water from the sink. "This isn't the 50s anymore, you know? Takeout and the microwave exist."
"The microwave?" He mocked her, arching his brow.
It was unfathomable to him how humans ate nowadays. He spent so much of his living life hunting and growing food, preserving it and carefully hoarding enough so they survive the winter. The only art there was to culinary back then was how to make rations stretch through long winters. Now people had grocery stores on every corner, shelves stocked full with more fresh food than a town could possibly eat - and here stood her, not knowing what to do with it.
"Is this what you had planned for today? Judge my life choices? Sorry to tell you, but I already have people for that," she leaned on the counter, with a defiant smile on her face.
Eric wanted to ask who she was referring to - a mother? Grandparents? Siblings? Olivia surely argued like someone who grew up with a brother. But there was still this thick veil between them. She may care for him, but there were still plenty of walls and safeguards around her, built strong and tall by a lifetime of otherness. It must not have been easy growing up as a telepath, of all talents. Olivia had encyclopedias worth of her own secrets, and Eric only dared to read the pages she allowed him to. He knew better now than to take it by force.
"Let's go for a drive, and get you some real food."
"Twist my rubber arm," she sighed with a smile, grabbing her car keys from the kitchen table and tossing them to him.
They got into her car after she changed from work clothes into a yellow sundress, Eric driving as usual. Olivia seemed completely relaxed, a facet of hers he had only really seen while she was asleep. Their first stop was at a small organic market - the only one in town, and he watched her fill the basket with packaged snacks and bottled iced tea. He loved watching the skirt of her dress sway in the middle of the isles, chin down browsing delicacies like a Wes Anderson movie.
Eric has gone shopping with Pamela for clothes, furniture, home goods and a lot (a lot) of cleaning supplies, but he couldn't recall a time he actually browsed any of the food isles. The store was small but definitely catered to the upper class. It had this bright fake lighting that reminded him of Sophie-Anne's day room. Now that he knew for certain what sunlight actually felt and looked light, this whole store felt a bit like an uncanny valley.
Trying to distract himself, he added a box of organic cherries to the cart. The motion felt forbidden. Olivia glanced at the quart of crimson fruit in her cart and raised her eyebrows.
"Hungry, are you?"
Eric was a vampire, he was always hungry. "No, but I remember these are good. Do you like them?"
"Yeah, I like them," she gave him a shy smile, and the two of them quietly stood at the checkout line.
The whole experience was strangely surreal. It was difficult to comprehend how it was even happening, let alone how he felt about it. He decided he wouldn't let himself feel any type of way. Dreams can quickly delve into hope. Hope is the most dangerous thing of all.
Once they were back in the car, they drove out of town with the windows down. Some retro radio station was on and Olivia sang and hummed along quietly to herself while enjoying the open wide road beside him.
"So, where are we going today? California?"
He quickly glanced at her, finding out yet again how strangely inept modern people were. "We're driving East." Couldn't she tell?
"Ah. Florida then?"
"As much as I would love to run away with you, you won't catch me dead in Florida."
"Oh, come on, what's not to love about Florida? It is the money laundering capital of the world. We could-"
"Nice try, but we aren't talking about anything work-related until it's dark."
"You and your weird rules," she muttered. It's like she couldn't help herself.
"My weird rules? You're one to talk, you had a rule forbidding having sex with vampires, but not werewolves."
"That's not true!" She suddenly sat straight up. "Rule number 9 is about no personal belongings. No attachment to places, things or people. Alcide was a serious lapse in judgement, but he was never an attachment."
"Why?"
"Uhm… Because his life is fucked up and he's literally a narc?"
"No, why the rule?"
"It makes leaving easier," she said simply.
For the first time since he learned about plans for retiring, he felt most thankful for her rules. It would make tonight less painful for her. If only he were so wise.
"Tell me about your other rules."
Olivia gave him an odd look but ultimately turned her gaze out the window, over the endless hills of golden corn. "Maybe after the sun sets."
Eric nodded, understanding her rules were a problem for later. Soon enough he turned the car into a dirt road, driving in between the thick bushes of the Louisiana backwoods. Olivia sat up straighter beside him, recognizing the place they were headed.
Once they reached the clearing, Eric parked the car in the shade and they stepped out, taking in the raw beauty of this place. The lake he so much loved to visit at night when he needed an escape was even more beautiful during the day. It was almost as if he were seeing it for the first time.
The water was a beautiful shade of green which glittered gold with the reflection of the sun. The trees all around them swayed lightly with the breeze, the moss tickling the golden grass and water beneath it. The sand was a lighter beige than he would have guessed, and the air smelled as wild as ever. He could hear the birds in the trees, the fish moving in the water, and the insects flying low near the wildflowers sprinkled on the small clearing.
"You're lucky I always carry SPF with me," Olivia leered, reaching into her purse.
He didn't like the smell of it much, but he understood that unlike him, the sun could burn her skin. The irony was almost painful.
They spent the rest of the day here. They found an old trail that circled the lake and they walked among the trees, hearing the cicadas sing. The two of them finally talked about things other than work. Olivia shared weird snippets of her life, about her childhood and her father. He was a telepath like her and taught her how to use and control her powers. Although, he had strange methods of doing so. When she was only six, her dad taught her not only how to play chess, but how to cheat the game with their gift. She advanced through championships faster than many chess grandmasters, and within a year she was playing against adults. Olivia only stopped because she started playing foreign adversaries who thought and strategized in Mandarin or Russian, and she could no longer outmaneuver them without cheating.
She told him this little story as a fun and fond adventure, but the only detail he could fixate on was how her father taught her to be dishonest at a young age and profited off his kid. Chess championships, he knew, could pay a lot of money. But he felt it wasn't his place to pass judgment or to ruin something so special for her.
By the time they arrived back in the car the day had gotten ten times hotter. The torso of Olivia's dress was drenched in sweat and she glistened head to toe, and even the hair on the nape of her neck was wet.
"Let's swim," Eric suggested.
Her eyes shot back at him. "Here? Aren't there alligators in the water?"
"They won't come close," Eric promised, already taking off his clothes and tossing them on the hood of the car. Animals knew the hierarchy of nature, and that vampires were the top predator. It was a shame, really. He really missed horseback riding.
Olivia didn't move, watching the lake nervously. Eric ran past her, completely naked and dove right into the freshwater. It was the perfect cool temperature, and the relief was immense. "Come on! The water is great!" He yelled out.
She approached the edge of the water, now studying the gator tracks in the sand. "I don't know…"
It reminded him of the last time they were here, and she drew lines in the sand, promising never to cross them. He was never so happy for a broken promise.
"Olivia, I'm the most dangerous thing in this lake. They know this, I know this, you know this, now get in!" Before she could say no, he made a big splash with his arms trying to get her wet.
She flinched, startled by it, but ultimately laughed. "Fine! My God, what's gotten into you today?"
Today he felt more like himself than he had in a very long time. Watching her undress was nothing short of delightful. He even enjoyed watching Olivia putting more lotion on, seeing her skin absorb the sunlight so beautifully. She put her hair up in a messy bun and slowly walked into the water, like a river goddess returning to her realm.
"I've never gone skinny dipping before," she said, but he could see her apprehension growing once the lake water reached her hips.
"Just come to me," he told her again.
After a deep breath, Olivia took a few steps and then leaned forward, diving her torso into the water and making the sun glitter and dance over the ripples. Her head stayed above the water as her body glided towards the deep green lake. He swam to her, embracing her weightless body in the water. He looked deeply into her brown eyes, trying to get lost in them. It would be so much better if they could just stay here forever. Eric pushed the guilt down, not allowing it to come to the surface.
They swam and floated, and talked about small, inconsequential things. He loved every second of it, as the sun rose higher and higher above them. Once Olivia grew tired of swimming, they lay naked on the beach to air dry, watching the herons hunt fish out in the distance. Her mind was at ease now, her heart was content. They both were.
"My father was scared to death of the water," she said out of the blue. "Despite being born and raised on an island, coming from a family of fishermen, and spending half their lives on a boat, my dad, his brothers and parents - none of them knew how to swim."
"Really?"
"Yeah," she shrugged. "The water was too cold, if you fall off the boat you're dead in two minutes, so no one bothered. Maybe that's why he became a longshoreman, I guess. He got to stay on solid ground. Still, it's hard to believe he was afraid of anything."
Eric nodded, happy her veil was coming thinner.
"My father was secretly grossed out by blood," Eric replied, to his own surprise. He hadn't thought about his father in a very long time. "Which is hilarious, considering he was a Konungr 1100 years ago."
His dad went out with other Jarls and warriors on great big hunts, and he was always given the privilege of doing the primal cut, the first piece of meat harvested from the carcass. His father was a great actor, but deep down it made him queasy. There was so much blood spilled - in battle, in hunting, and just in life, that Eric to this day never understood his phobias.
"What's a Konungr?" Olivia inquired, repeating the word carefully.
He didn't want to actually say it out loud. "A clan leader."
She looked up at him, knowing immediately the word unspoken was King. "Were you his successor?"
"My older brother was the original heir, but he died in battle. The only thing bigger than my father's grief when it happened was his disappointment, knowing that I was next in line."
She frowned. "Why?"
"My father found me unworthy," Eric sighed as he found a small twig to fiddle with. There were only two other people in this world that he had told this to. "He thought I was immature, reckless, and I didn't take my duty or my name seriously; that all I was interested in was drinking, women and fighting."
"So you never wanted to be King because you didn't want to risk proving your father right?"
It was as if she had reached down his chest and pulled something out. A whole millennium has passed, but some wounds you are simply fated to carry forever. He smirked at her, trying to hide it. "All I was interested in was drinking, women and fighting."
She chuckled. "And it isn't now?"
"Touche."
Stomach grumbling, Olivia went back to the car and came back unfortunately dressed. They were both dry now, and so were her sweaty clothes. She ate her chocolaty nut mix, cookies and popcorn and drank her cold iced tea. Human food was very sugary and crunchy and had no resemblance to the food he once knew. She seemed to like it though.
"Pam told me once Godric wasn't Sheriff anymore," she said out loud as if she couldn't hold it in anymore.
He sat up at the mention of his name and leaned his elbows onto his knees. A warm breeze blew by, bringing back memories of his goodbye on top of Olivia's garage roof.
"That is right."
"You told me it was a gig for life, but it isn't," her tone wasn't accusatory, or sad. It was hopeful. She too, wanted this day to be commonplace and not an exotic excursion.
"He's chosen a far worse job. Godric is now a Chancellor at the Authority."
Olivia frowned. "Well, that is actually good, isn't it? To have friends in high places."
"Godric isn't my friend."
"He's your Maker," she corrected herself, but that isn't what he meant.
Godric denounced him. He released him as progeny, banished him into the vast cold world, and then joined the very people who imprisoned him here. Godric believed Eric was destined for greatness from the moment he laid eyes on him on the battlefield. He saw greatness where his own father didn't. Except… The two of them perhaps had very different definitions of what greatness was.
But yet, the life Godric had given him, the promise he had delivered was wilder, grander and more exquisite than any honour his own father could have ever bestowed upon him. They may have their differences now but Eric would always come to his call, bend at his will, love him and remain loyal to the man who made him until the end of his days.
Eric wished he was wrong about his Maker's choice. Whatever justice or purpose Godric sought within the Authority, all Eric hoped was that his Maker would find it, just like he found him.
Before she started sweating again or got burnt by the sun, they move to a shady spot under a willow tree by a small water bank. He helped her carry more snacks and water, as her appetite was a healthy one. Eric sat against the hard tree bark while Olivia laid her head on his bare legs, and he got to smell the lovely scent of raw honey in her hair. He fed her cherries and watched her lips get slightly stained red. They talked as if they had all the time in the world. They talked about movies, ballet and music, and she asked a hundred questions about the centuries he lived through, places he had been and how he met Pamela. She laughed at some of his stories and listened intently to his words. His fingers ran through her beautiful strawberry blonde hair, and she relaxed entirely in his lap, enjoying the late summer shade, the gentle sway of the hanging moss, the full stomach and the songs of nature.
"It may be just a stupid dream, but what does it mean to give someone your sword?" She asked suddenly.
His brows creased. "What do you mean?"
"I've had this recurring dream that you give me a sword at a beach. It's very beautiful, and I feel like you're trying to tell me something but you never do. When I wake up, sometimes I can still feel the weight of it in my hands."
With a heavy heart, he twisted her body gently so he could face her. The sun was now descending towards the trees, the shadows growing longer and the air was finally cooling down. The sunlight was pure golden light, making her look as beautiful as ever. He imagined her with braids and flowers in her hair, in this very light, accepting his sword in marriage.
That's what giving your sword to a maiden meant in his heritage. To give your father's sword to your bride was to promise to protect and honour her, in this life and the next. It was a wonder and a mystery why she would dream of it. It reminded him of how little he understood of their joining. What he did understand, however, was the fragility of her life. Despite her being immortal, her never felt so paper thin to him. It was painful, to let her go. But he knew it right then that the plan he had set in motion had been the right one. He had to protect her, and not because some edict told him to.
He shook his head. "I don't know. But I like it that you dream of me."
Olivia slowly got up on her knees and straddled him, settling on his lap, making this ten times more divine and torturous. She didn't want to leave. They locked eyes for a moment, knowing today was coming to an end. It wasn't the sun he was going to miss the most. Not even close.
"Whatever it is that you are avoiding, it's starting to make me nervous, Eric," she whispered.
He kissed the worries off her lips. "Shhh, don't be."
She tasted of sunshine and magic, making the fangs in his mouth ache for a deeper taste. He looked into her beautiful brown eyes, the gold light illuminating her so perfectly. But Eric couldn't bring himself to bite her one last time. He felt like he had taken enough of her life already, and that enough of her blood had been spilled.
They remained in silence, listening to the frogs and crickets waking up in the grass, studying each other's faces. But really, it felt as if they were still talking. He was just so unbelievably grateful for this moment, in this place that existed only for the two of them. She lay against his chest, resting her head on his shoulder, and he ran his fingers through her hair. The daylight started to dim the colours, muting their hues back to their nightshades. He listened to her calm, even heartbeat and counted her slow breaths as she fell asleep in his lap. Even if she thought so, Eric knew he wasn't going to be worthy of this gift for much longer.
Today was worth a thousand years. When the sun hid behind the trees, he gently woke her up. They headed back to the car and he got dressed, finally. When he opened the passenger door for her, her easygoing smile was gone. It was just brave and stern Olivia now.
Most people in this world don't know what they have until it's gone. But Eric did. He never took a single thing about Olivia for granted. Not a moment under the sun went unappreciated, not a single kiss was wasted, and not a moment they spent together he would forget.
The sun was starting to sink faster and faster into the horizon, melting itself into the earth. The night rose, and with it, reality.
He tried his hardest to hold on to her, to keep the sun up, to remain in that ever-so-sweet fantasy - but it was impossible. Everything always ends. She wasn't his to keep, and he felt utterly and completely helpless as he was about to lose yet again, the thing he loved the most.
Eric actually wished he took her for granted. With every new star appearing in the sky, he could feel her slipping through his fingers and Gods-
Isn't that so much worse?
They drove into the sunset, the sun painting the sky red in its wake. Neither of them said a single word as the night pulled its dark veil over them. With every passing moment, the silence became heavier. They had spoken about many things today, things Olivia never told another soul. But the weight of everything they didn't speak of, of everything they had been actively avoiding was becoming unbearable.
Her heart felt tight knowing what Eric's silence always meant. She also felt almost uncomfortable at how much joy she had today. She wasn't used to feeling whole, happy and calm like this. People like her didn't get days like this, not without paying for it.
The drive home passed by three times faster than the drive they took this morning. Eric parked the car in the back employee parking lot of Fangtasia which was empty. No one would be around for another 2 hours, not until the dancers came in to get ready. The vampire got out of the car and headed straight inside, leaving her no choice but to follow him.
As she was crossing the parking lot the street lights lit up, announcing it was finally time to face their problems. The night had come for them, and with it, reality. She felt a bittersweet squeeze in her heart. A little feeling that told her today had been special, but that it was over. As she approached the building, the squeeze then turned claustrophobic, as it always did when she knew Eric was hiding something from her.
Inside, she found him still on the club floor, standing by the bar looking up at his backlit makeshift throne across the room. She found it odd that he didn't immediately head upstairs to the main office where they conducted business. Maybe they didn't need the privacy, but it was where the computers, the cash and the ledgers were.
"So, what are tonight's problems?" She faced him bravely.
His eyes finally left the throne and landed on her. His face was stone, unreadable. Eric held onto the silence a little while longer.
"I am going to New Orleans tonight," he said, after a painfully long few seconds.
Olivia frowned, confused. She wasn't sure what to expect exactly, but this wasn't it. What had she missed?
"Is it time for the Curia Regis? You didn't tell me, I don't have the financial reports ready but I can…" but the words died off in her mouth, as she saw the look on his face.
Her vampire looked at her differently. He looked as if she were made of glass, and he was too afraid of breaking her. Something was deeply wrong. Eric was never afraid, let alone of breaking anything.
"Eric?"
"You did good," he said simply, barely moving. "You should be very proud."
If what earlier was a squeeze in her heart, now it felt like a death grip. "Why does it sound like you're saying goodbye to me?"
"Because I am."
Olivia closed the distance between them, and for the first time in her life, she felt afraid of something other than death. He stiffened, avoiding her gaze and looking over her head..
"What's wrong? Tell me!" She demanded, but he didn't budge. "It's dark out, you promised me-"
"We have to stop selling the blood," he confessed, the words coming out of his mouth did not even sound real.
She almost stumbled away, holding onto the bar counter. "What? Why?"
"The Magister knows vampires are behind the V on the black market. We have to stop before he finds where it's really coming from and kills us all."
"But the Queen-"
The Queen would never accept having her fantasy destroyed.
When his glacier-blue eyes looked down at her, she knew. This was more than over. The whole day had been a goodbye. There was a price to pay for joy. Things like this didn't just happen to people like them.
"No…"
"I've known this night was coming far longer than I've known you," his face was made out of marble, not a single thread of emotion passing through. It sparked only anger in her.
"No!" She repeated forcefully. Anger was always better than fear. "What if-"
"There is no what if. There is no way out, Olivia. Believe me, I've tried."
Eric was going to cut the Queen off, and he was going to pay the ultimate price for it. When Olivia was hanging at that barn, she prayed Eric would come. Who would Eric pray for? Who would come for him?
She refused to give up this easily. "We overthrow her. If you don't want to be King, we find someone else-"
He shook his head. "There's no one coming."
Those words set her soul on fire. Her father used to tell her that every time she got in trouble for misusing her powers. Save yourself, because no one is coming-
And she knew - the crushing weight of guilt not allowing her even for a second to think otherwise - that she had misused her powers her entire adult life. Her father was an underground boxer and did whatever he had to do to provide the best life he could for her - but he never hurt someone who wasn't willing to fight in the ring. Olivia however, had hurt plenty of people, directly or not. This was on her. Whatever consequence Eric suffered, this was her doing.
She lost the game. There was no way out.
But Liv just couldn't accept it - this was not the end. "Sophie-Anne will stop if she knows what's good for her. She will, she will stop! We'll make her."
"Even if she does, someone will have to take the fall for it. The Magister will not allow for this to go unpunished."
"She wouldn't put on you, don't be crazy!" She scoffed, trying to laugh but her heart was rattling in her chest.
Eric looked at her with pity. "Not even you believe that. I'm the obvious choice."
Why would Sophie-Anne bother pinning on anyone else, and risk it failing? Eric was the perfect target- a resentful Sheriff going rogue. But there had to be something! Her mind started unravelling, thinking of all the angles they could use to make Sophie-Anne fall in line and find a plausible scapegoat without incriminating themselves. Her usual logical brain felt more like a field mouse in a giant maze with no escape. They had no allies, no friends, no enemies of enemies. The whole world was against them-
No! They were Eric and Olivia, dammit! No foe was big enough that they could not face together. They could do anything! A Queen was just another pawn on the board, and Olivia knew what made her tick.
"I'll stop her. I'll make her understand, I can do that," Olivia said decidedly.
His shoulders slightly dropped and it was the first time he showed real emotion all night. "I was afraid you were going to say that."
Before she could even react to his disappointment, Eric threw her over his shoulder. The club did one fast spin and now she was facing the checkered floor, arms dangling by his long legs.
"What the hell are you doing?!" She protested.
Eric then pushed a door open and when he took a step, it was a step down. Suddenly her body wanted to throw up her own stomach, as she realized he was taking her down to the basement. Pure darkness enveloped them both, the cold creeping up her skin like an old friend. The smell of mildew with a faint hint of bleach burned her nostrils. Eric had dragged her down here before. Her brain would never let her forget the pile of human pieces he tossed on the floor. There wasn't enough bleach in the world to wash what had happened here.
"Eric! Stop it! Let me go!" She yelled, hitting and punching his backside to no avail.
He took her to the secret back room behind the shelves, and panic took over once she heard the noise of metal chains and shackles echo through the dark.
"No! Please, Eric! No!" She cried out desperately, now kicking and thrashing like a feral animal, her cries echoing loudly in the room.
But the monster put her down between sharp spikes coming down metal gear on the ceiling, and he snapped a heavy metal collar on her neck then turned away. Eric didn't want to face what he had done and that absolutely enraged her. Olivia stood up immediately, getting off the dirty concrete floor. She was chained just like those drug dealers once were. Just like Bill Compton was. What had she done? What sin was so great that granted her the same treatment as his enemies?
Her whole body shook violently with anger, fear and shame, knowing every choice she's made allowed for this betrayal. She expected something like this from the wolves, from the cops, from Bill Compton or some other vampire. But not from him. This was the man she had prayed to save her. This was the man who kneeled at her feet and begged to have her. The lamb had forgotten what the lion really was. The worst part of betrayal was that it never comes from your enemies.
"Why would you do this to me?! " Olivia lashed out, desperately grasping at the dirty collar on her neck, feeling hot tears of anger roll down her cheeks. "How… Could you do this to me?"
"Don't-" Eric said, finally turning to face her. Despite not seeing much of anything, she could always see his eyes in the dark. "I am not betraying you, Olivia. I am saving you. You can't be involved in this."
"But I can fix it! Let me fix this, Eric!"
"No! You cannot!" He thundered his fear and anger controlling every molecule in the air. "You think you are invincible, and maybe that's my fault for letting you believe it but I cannot let you do this! I won't!"
Olivia was so pissed off that she felt she could actually blow up. "Spare me the hero bullshit! You know I was close to the Queen once, let me use it!"
The eyes changed in the dark. "How? The last time we were in the same room with her, she saw how I looked at you and she took offence to it. What do you think she'll do now that you're mine?"
Memories of that night came rushing in.
He does not have the heart you think he does.
The Queen's words were too painful for her to dwell on it now. The metal collar on her neck felt heavier by the second, and her eyes welled up with more warm tears. It seemed everyone was right about her fate.
"I'll…" but the words didn't come to her lips soon enough. Her brain just roamed in the same impossible maze, around and around and around, refusing to give up even though she hated him right now. "I'll find a way to make her money quickly. It's all she cares about, I can make her listen."
But the way he looked at her induced a cold darkness in her that echoed in her blood. "Why? Because you think she loved you once?"
She didn't know why that question hurt, but it did, just as much as being chained.
"She did, we-"
"Sophie-Anne loves nothing, do you understand? What she felt for you was closer to what a human might feel for a pet dog!"
Olivia tugged on the chain loudly. "What the hell do you call this?" Her voice was raspy with acid.
But Eric's fury matched hers. "When you gave her your blood, did she listen to anything you had to say?" Eric asked the cold in his voice cutting.
The anger and hurt went into quiet numbness. Echoes of Sophie-Anne's cries still haunted her mind whenever Olivia thought of her.
"When the Queen who built a whole light palace saw the real sunrise, as I imagine she did, shouldn't that have been your happily ever after? Shouldn't she have kept you forever, shouldn't your souls have joined?"
Her heart was racing so fast, she swore she could have died in that spot. After biting her Sophie-Anne stood in the light for a mere few minutes before the sun turned against her. Olivia lay awake at night for weeks after her exile, replaying that night over and over again, trying to piece together what happened between them and she never reached a conclusion.
But Eric continued on. "Have you really never asked yourself why she sent away the one thing she chased for eternity the second that she got it?"
It wasn't until that very instant that she realized she had gotten her answer weeks ago, at the bottom of that pool. The joining was not just a blood exchange. It was magic much stronger than that.
"Because I control it," her lips quivered at the words. "I gave her the sun, and I took it away when she hurt me."
Sophie-Anne then banished her as far away as she could, so she wouldn't have a constant reminder of what she had and lost. She dove deeper into her own luxurious and opulent fantasy, telling herself Olivia was nothing but a tool to make it real, and not a heart that she broke.
Silence filled the room again. Turns out, it was better than words. There would be no more Silk Road, blood, or money. There would be no more laundering, embezzeling or fraud. No deals, no blackmailing, no more violence. Nevermind any of it; the part that really hurt her, in ways she couldn't even quite understand, was that this huge machine she so proudly built, that she poured sweat blood and tears into -
Was going to undo him. The Kingdom she promised was going to be his downfall.
The Queen, and this they both knew, does not listen to reason - not when it comes to upkeeping her image. The Magister, if everything she'd heard about him was true, was a brilliant and vile man, with an extensive network of spies and infinite resources. If he knew about an operation such as this, the scapegoat would have to be a pretty fucking big fish in this pond, or else both Eric and Sophie-Anne would look like fools.
The Queen was the Queen for a reason. If Eric went down there and tried to stop her, there would be no more Eric Northman. The Queen would never stop playing this wicked game, no matter the odds.
"So you expect me to do what?" She muttered, feeling the tears streak her face. "Sit here and do nothing? Let you convince Sophie-Anne of some other business venture, and become your book keeper? Do your taxes? That is not what I am here for, Eric. This is not what I do. I fix things, I do the fucking impossible, I find a way when there isn't one, you know this! Let me do this, let me talk to her!"
She shouldn't feel so proud of committing crimes, or of being so good at it. But she felt a sense of belonging knowing they both did these things together. They understood what was at stake. No one else in her life understood her as Eric did.
"I expect you to live like you said you wanted to," he said softly. "Bobby will drive you to the airport at midnight. A jet will take you wherever you like. Send Pam a postcard and she will mail your belongings. My inheritance will be split between her and your retirement trust-"
Olivia shook her head, refusing to believe this was the end. This was not what she wanted. This was not the exit she wanted. "Stop!" She begged him.
"Listen to your rules, Olivia-"
"There's a reason I've broken all of them-"
Suddenly there were cold lips on hers. Eric held her tight and kissed her as deeply as he possibly could. There was fiery passion exploding within her heart. She held onto him and kissed him with everything she had. His arm was tight against her waist and his hand held a fist full of her hair. There was no oxygen in the room, and everything spun-
Then he was gone, disappearing into the darkness like a ghost. She felt ice trickle down her wet face. When she tasted her own tears, she could taste his too.
AN.
Wow. I'm not okay. Not gonna lie, I've cried many times writing this one.
The more I write, the steeper this hill gets. This is why so very few authors ever finish their stories btw - writing endings is *so* hard y'all, and it only gets harder the closer you to the finish line. I had to re-read the whole story to make sure I actually answered A LOT of small plot points I planted throughout all 64 chapters in one go.
The next chapter is my favourite! I know I said that about five other chapters at this point, but it's THE scene I daydreamed about once and it's what made me sit down and write this whole thing. However, I won't post again until late December. Ya girl is trying to get into grad school, and I need to focus on that for a little while (it's actually a miracle I finished this chapter, editing took me a lifetime)
So until then, leave me a comment *pretty please with a cherry on top, I could use some dopamine*
xoxo until next time