The smile slowly faded as Eric moved slowly towards a crown, his father's crown. "And this." He asked as he moved the crown towards him for a better look.
"Some Random tribal crown... he must have a hundred of them. This one is Seetiyan, I think." Talbot answered flippantly little realizing the emotional turmoil brewing in the Viking.
"Viking." Eric almost growled in answer. "It's beautiful." He said after a second. In that second Eric Northman had relived the death of his family.
"There you are." Russell intoned cheerfully.
"Yes, here we are," Talbot muttered.
"Talbot was showing me your impressive collection. I hear this is just the tip of the iceberg."
"It is," Russell answered.
"We should get back to the party, it certainly doesn't look good for both hosts to disappear." Talbot strolled out of the office thinking the other two would follow.
"I just need to have a word with Eric, we will be there soon." Russell drawled shutting the door before Talbot could throw another hissy fit. Russell turned to find Eric still staring at his father's crown, but he was preoccupied with his own want to notice anything amiss. "Must be thrilling to have your maker living in the same state as you. Everyone knows Godric as a fine maker... unlike my own. I must say it is a surprise to find him bonded to a Fairy. It must take quite the effort to control his thirst around such a delightful specimen." It took Eric a second to realize Russell had just revealed Sookie's species. Having never come across a Fairy due to Godric's warning, Eric would never have known unless informed.
"Yes, if I had someone that powerful in love with me I'd be bonded to them too. It's as the humans say... a no-brainer."
"Powerful?" Russell's nonchalance wasn't fooling Eric. He had noticed the way Russell stared at Jason.
"Incredibly so. They are as fast as we are, and just as strong with a host of powers to boot." Eric chuckled. "They are telepathic, the brother I also believe has an additional mind gift, but I haven't figured it out entirely."
"So, the rumors about Sophie-Anne getting a telepath weren't so farfetched after all." Russell was now regretting killing his spy.
"Far from it, she didn't know the brother was also one until I informed her, but I believe she already had a deal with Godric so wasn't interested."
"Fairies are a secretive lot by nature, but there has been the odd whisper about their telepathy, but I never truly believed it." Russell chuckled." Now, I do know without a shadow of a doubt their blood allows you to walk in the sun. That was how my maker met his end. He had drained a Fairy just before dawn; I had just managed to make it out of the sun when the Fairy's kin came for my maker. He was so drunk on the blood he died with a smile on his face." Eric could not hide his shock about this revelation. "Ahh, I see you didn't know. Yes, their blood is a thing of pure magic. If what you say about the pair is true, their's would be just the thing a vampire would need to see the sun for a few minutes each day. I'm not stupid... my maker's mistake was draining the Fairy right there and then. No, he should have held him captive... an endless supply of sunlight at his fingertips." Russell was talking as though he already had Jason, but Eric was too caught in using this against Russell to see there was something else at play.
"Yeah, they like to play human, but the girl's accident gave it away. They had always masked their scents, but not long ago the girl was hit by a very fast-moving car... a hit that would have killed any human, more than likely render a vampire incapacitated for hours. She walked away with a cut on her forehead, a head that slammed down on concrete from a great height. Incredibly... we all watched as she began to heal in front of us. Within minutes there was a little blood, the only prove anything had happened." Eric was determined to use this to his advantage. "I had wanted her for so long, and then Godric turns up and... she just fell into his arms. A year and a half of working my way into her good books wasted." Eric lamented hoping to draw Russell in.
"Not all fairies have the ability to mask their scent," Russell whispered, speaking more to himself than Eric.
"I wouldn't know," Eric muttered.
"No, I guess you wouldn't. The Fairy my maker drained had no such ability. They must be high born." Russell murmured causing Eric' eyes to widen in realization.
"Sophie-Anne bowed to them this evening. I was shocked and confused by the gesture, but now it makes perfect sense. " Eric stood. "She knew exactly who and what they are."
"A vampire monarch will only bow in the presence..."
"Of a true monarch." Eric finished. Everyone knew the vampire titles of kings and queens were self-appointed titles and not a birthright. Oh, a minuscule amount of vampire monarchs were true kings and queens in their human years, but of course, lost those titles with their supposed deaths.
"Those get interesting by the second." Russell chuckled. "Do you want the girl, Viking?" Russell asked the question Eric had been waiting for.
"For some time now, and you want the boy." He countered.
"I do, I propose we meet soon and work on a plan that guarantees us just that." Eric smiled, it was a genuine smile as he could now see Russell's demise was a thing of certainty.
"Okay, this human needs to find the bathroom. " Sookie whispered to Godric.
"I'm sure we can find one somewhere." The two made their way out of the ballroom running into one of Russell's humans.
"Could you show us where to find a bathroom?" Sookie asked with a smile that had the scowling human lips twitching into something that resembled a smile.
"Sure, just off the foyer to the left." He answered.
"Thank you." Sookie was eager to get to the bathroom, but Godric had stopped, and his features had contorted into anger. Sookie could feel the rage Godric that was welling up in Godric. It soon became obvious Godric was listening to something. Despite her desperate need for the bathroom, she stood there watching her bonded whose anger and rage had turned to hurt and betrayal.
"Go." He whispered. She hesitated. "Go, I need to listen to this. I will explain later." With a nod, Sookie disappeared down the hall and soon found the bathroom.
When she reappeared, Godric was further down the hall sat on a chaise lounge that decorated the hallway. "Godric..."
"Eric is telling Russell all about you and Jason. It appears Russell wants Jason and Eric is going to help him in hopes..."
"Of getting me." Sookie finished. Godric simply nodded but deep down hoping there was more to the story as he had struggled to hear everything. He was praying there was something he had missed that would explain all this. Had it not been for his age he wouldn't have heard a word of their conversation, he could have sworn there was a ward of some kind around Russell's office, but the magic was clearly fading, or it wasn't all that strong to begin with.
"Fuck a duck," Sookie muttered. Godric could feel her fear. "There are about thirty weres on the edge of the property. We need to go back to the ballroom so I can hear them." Finally, Godric understood what was happening.
"There is no need. They are here for us. It appears Russell is planning on betraying Eric. He is not going to wait to take Jason. This is why he had our helicopter moved." Godric chuckled shaking his head in disbelief. "Eric's motives aren't as straightforward as they appeared." Sookie looked at him in confusion. "I will explain when we get home. Come on, we are about to prove your telepathy to Russell. Since he knows everything, there is no point in playing games."
"Godric," Pam whispered. Godric could tell she knew as well. How, he had no idea, considering he had struggled to hear them.
"I know... I had hoped he would come to me, but it appears he has made his choice. Unfortunately for him, he has already been betrayed." Godric's voice was flat, his anger had deserted him, he had just had enough of his childe.
Sookie was about to send her feelings of distress to Jason when he, Thalia, and Sophie- Anne all showed up. Godric wasted no time. "There are currently thirty weres on the edge of the property waiting for us. Russell wants Jason and is willing to sacrifice his wolves for him. There is more to the story but now is not the time. Just know Russell knows you two are Fairies..." Pam gasped. "He also knows about Sookie's telepathy, and we are going to use that to get out of here safely and without a single drop of bloodshed." Godric was looking at Thalia and Jason when he said that. Sookie had to chuckle at their look of disappointment. Thalia was more so angry than anything else. Someone wanted her bonded and she was not going to stand by and let it happen.
The contingent made its way to Russell's office knocking loudly. "Godric." Russell looked a little worried. "We have a problem, there are about thirty werewolves on the edge of your property waiting to attack." Russell internally kicked himself, he had no knowledge of the pair telepathy and therefore hadn't taken that into account. He wasn't about to admit the wolves were his since he had no idea what the pair had heard.
"Did you hear anything in particular?" He asked looking at Jason.
"No, they are waiting for instructions," Jason answered perpetuating the idea that he was also a telepath. Sookie was glaring at Eric; he feared she might know what he had done. He was working hard on not thinking about his conversation with Russell.
"I do not know why weres would want to attack this compound if that is the idea, I believe it will be safer if we left now. You want to inform your other guest into doing the same." Godric advised. Russell knew he had fucked up monumentally, Talbot will never forgive him for this. He had to go in there and lie, Talbot will know just that as he knew the wolves were Russell's.
"Thalia, call the pilot, tell him to land on the front lawn we are leaving," Godric ordered. Russell walked out with them hoping they would be gone to avoid ending the ball. Sookie feeling vindictive wasn't going to allow Russell to walk away from this tonight. "Godric, I think it would be best to go in there in Russell and help him with this."
"That would not be necessary." Russell drawled his southern accent thickening.
"Don't be silly, it's the least we could do. I get the distinct feeling they were after us. Of all the places to hide, they chose to do so close to our mode of transport." Sookie added.
"I have to agree with you there," Thalia said. "That fact has concerned me since learning of it. But... in case we are wrong it will be best to make sure all your guests leave as one, after all, there is safety in numbers."
The journey back to the queen's compound was made in silence. Eric was sure the reason was him. Godric hadn't once looked at him, and Pam had gone back to her cold demeanor. If his suspicion was correct, he was fucked, and he knew it. Despite his reasons, Godric and Thalia would never forgive him for using their bonded. He had made a colossal mistake, and he now knew it. They arrived in no time, and Godric asked to have a word with Sophie-Anne.
For half an hour they sat in the helicopter waiting for Godric. "It's a real shame we didn't get to cut a few wolves up," Jason murmured.
"I concur." Thalia piped up.
"Let's be real, Russell isn't going to give up his pursuit of you so you will more than likely get a chance to cut a few wolves up," Sookie added her two cents.
"You are right." Jason cheered. At that moment, Eric realized Russell had intended to double-cross him. Sookie stared at him as though she knew the thought that had passed through his mind. In truth, she had simply done so in hoping he would have put two and two together.
Godric appeared then, and the helicopter took off for Bon temps where planning for Russell Edgington's demise could begin.