AN: I hope you guys like it. Let me know what you think, and again, enjoy!

Chapter 12

There was little for Maria to do. The staff was full that night. Evidently, they'd compensated since her disappearance and since no one knew when she would return, they kept the schedules. There wasn't even busy-work for her to do, and as much as Pam loved forcing Maria to do the mundane, even the blonde was annoyed with her lingering about. She sent Maria back to Eric's.

When she reached the little ranch-style home, Maria let herself in like she had a thousand times before, and went to her bedroom. Sitting on the bed were two shopping bags filled with clothes. Maria's already small wardrobe had diminished even more since she had taken her place at Northman's side. Between his blood, her blood, and the blood of those she'd killed, there was almost nothing left. That didn't even include items that had been torn and ripped.

As she unpacked the dark shirts, jeans, and underwear she'd purchased in her absence, Maria reminisced about her time away from the vampires. She hadn't gone far, but New Orleans was still a few hours away. It'd been years since she was back, so Maria wasn't surprised to find her life had been dismantled in her absence. Her things had been auctioned off when her apartment was reclaimed for unpaid rent, and her vehicle was long-gone. It was as though she hadn't existed in the first place.

It made her grateful she never kept anything important to her in places as unstable as a residence.

But it was nice to return to the city. Maria was able to sleep and wake when she wanted to. She was able to walk in the sun and eat whatever she could. She was allowed to exist without the Viking shadow, and it was more freeing than she realized.

At first.

After a few days, Maria didn't know what to do with herself. She had, more or less, been plucked out of her own life, isolated, and then forced to reacclimate. It would have been fine ordinarily, but she wasn't even starting on page one. She couldn't build a life again because she knew that at some point, Northman would look for her. The young woman was under no delusions as to why, either. He was greedy and viewed her as property, so he would, naturally, seek to reclaim it at some point.

The fact that she would have to walk away from anything she made for herself at the drop of a hat made it difficult to know what to do. Eventually, she simply decided to treat it like Spring Break. It was fun for a while, too, but she remembered what brought her crawling back to Northman. It wasn't because she feared she was days away from him looking for her. In truth, Maria thought she could probably get a month or more out of running away before he bothered to search. She returned to Eric Northman because she was afraid of something else.

That night, she was on the street soaking in the revelry with a drink in her hand and a smile on her lips. She was surrounded by people who were laughing, singing, and dancing to the music. It was a pleasant change to be around people and not vampires. But then a scent swept across her nose, a familiar scent she hadn't smelled since she was a teenager back in Russia.

Fear, pure and powerful coursed through her body as every muscle went rigid. She didn't know if Eric ever sensed it, but that fear sent her running back to him with her tail between her legs. Of everything in her little world, she knew that she was safest with Northman. It was an odd statement, even to Maria, but it was the truth.

So she left New Orleans and returned to the safety of Fangtasia barely two weeks after making a spectacular exit.

Despite what she said before, Maria didn't actually hate Northman. The truth was, she didn't use the word lightly. She reserved her hatred for men who'd done much worse to her than the vampire ever had, but she didn't exactly like him, either. He was an ass. Yet, she ran to him because he was the safest option.

After plucking the tags from the simple garments she'd purchased, Maria put them away. She prepared herself for bed and the chance to slip back into as normal a life as something like her could hope for.

One thing Maria didn't miss about working in Fangtasia was the dress code. She had never been a fan of tight or revealing, even less so when it came to fishnet stockings, but thankfully she didn't seem to be expected to fully comply. Still, it wasn't uncommon for her to be decked out in leather, like she was that night. Whatever sadist created leather pants should have been shot, as far as she was concerned. For a creature of movement, they were terrible. But, Maria had found that if she wore them and a nice pair of heels, she could at least wear a loose-fitting tee with them. She assumed it was Northman's version of a compromise.

As she made her way through the back hallways toward the club after throwing away some boxes, Maria was suddenly confronted with Pam. Even though she could see a vampire's movements much better than any human, Maria was still surprised by it and caught off guard.

"You need to get out of here." Pam told her in a serious voice.

"What's happening?"

In the background, Maria could hear breaking glass and people scrambling to flee.

"Call Eric," Pam said, drawing Maria's attention back to her. "Tell him we're bein' raided by the Magister and to keep his ass away from here."

"What are they-"

"Oh, Miss De Beaufort!" A voice sang in the distance.

For the first time since meeting her, Maria saw genuine fear cross the blonde's face. She suddenly shoved Maria, hissing at her to leave. Unable to do much else, Maria complied and ran from the back of Fangtasia as quickly as she could, which was very.

Outside, she caught glimpses of black SUVs and vans parked in the parking lot. All civilian vehicles looked like they were gone, which didn't entirely surprise her. Vampires tended to push the customers out when they showed up for anything official. Honestly, Maria was surprised Fangtasia remained in business as well as it did.

She reached for her phone and dialed Eric's number immediately. After a healthy amount of rings which only served to raise her anxiety, he answered.

"Yes?" He asked with a lazy sigh.

"You're being raided."

He sighed again and switched tongue, using his Old Swedish versus English. It only told Maria that he was around someone else.

"Have Pam call the American Vampire League. They'll call the lawyers. I'm busy."

"It's the Magister." Maria replied. "Pam wants you to stay away."

"Stay close, but don't let them see you." His voice was tight when he spoke again. "I'm on my way."

"No, don-" But her phone lit up, signaling the end of the call. She glared at her cell phone, but wasn't entirely surprised he hung up on her.

Maria did as she was told and hung in the background, hidden in shadow where she could still spy on the front of the club, but wouldn't be seen. She could hear what was happening inside, hear the broken furniture and the broken glass. She could hear everything, including a loud, ear-piercing scream that she somehow knew belonged to Pam.

Maria sat in the tree line across the street watching Fangtasia. She had no idea when Eric appeared, but she heard him inside talking to the Majester. If he tried to hide his fear, it didn't work.

He appeared in the front door a moment after a deal had been struck. His eyes scanned her surroundings.

"Where are you?" He asked in his normal speaking voice.

Maria stood and stepped into his line of sight. He was instantly at her side.

"What did you hear while you were out here?"

"Nothing," She replied. "Just Pam screaming."

He clenched his jaw and tried to appear calm, but the wildness didn't leave his eyes. He seemed to be struggling to form an idea.

"I have to speak with the King of Mississippi." He finally said as he continued to look around, as though more vampires would emerge from somewhere. "Bill's been taken by the Jackson pack, so he will be my best chance at finding Compton."

Maria kept her mouth shut as he spouted his plans to her. She wondered if he realized he was doing it. Given recent events, it was possible he didn't, and was instead simply speaking aloud.

His eyes suddenly found laser focus on her. "You'll accompany me."

Her brows rose. "To Mississippi."

"Yes," He replied shortly. "You can begin searching while I deal with the king."

"Okay, but-"

"We need to leave immediately."

Eric never gave her the chance to speak before he lifted Maria into his arms and launched himself into the air. Maria, understandably, let out a loud shriek. She grasped at him, digging her fingers into his body and holding on for dear life.

"You can fly." She stammered in shock. "You can fly, you can fly, you can fly."

The words fell from her lips almost too fast to hear, but he clearly heard her.

"Yes, I can." He replied far too casually for her liking. "Now will you please stop saying it."

Maria wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face there, shielding it from the wind. She'd been in planes more than once, but this was entirely different, and it terrified her.

"Vampires shouldn't be able to fucking fly." She hissed angrily into his skin.

Eric chuckled, but said nothing else.

They made the rest of the journey in silence, all the while she clung to him as though her life depended on it, because it did.

Eric landed on the outskirts of the King's property. His mind still raced with plans and scenarios. He didn't want to go in blind, but wasn't entirely certain how to proceed given he'd brought Maria with him. It was a shortsighted decision that he was paying for. Initially, he'd planned to send her out looking for Bill while he spoke to Edgington. That plan suffered, however, when he considered the consequences of her being caught. It wouldn't look great to be asking permission to hunt in the King's territory while the hunt was already happening.

Maria was quivering in his arms as he let her slide out of his grasp. One glance to her face told him the reason. She'd grown pale during their flight. Her nerves were frazzled, if not entirely fried. He wasn't surprised. Flying like that could be jarring to those unaccustomed, and he doubted the thrope had ever partaken.

"As a princess, you had servants, yes?" He finally asked her as a new idea formed.

"Yes," she nodded.

"Good. Then you know how to act like one."

Eric flashed her a smile when she scowled at him, but she didn't speak. His smile broadened just a bit.

With a jerk of his head, he silently told her to follow, which she did. It didn't surprise him that the two of them were immediately set upon by guards the instant their feet touched Russell Edgington's property.

They were led through the front door to the palatial mansion and presented to a dusky young man. He was well dressed, sporting an outfit that easily cost thousands of dollars and was tailored perfectly to his frame. His deep, fathomless black hair was brushed back, his square jaw was cleanly shaven, and his surprisingly light eyes sparkled when they landed on Eric.

"Hello," He cooed at the sight of the Viking. "And who are you?"

"Eric Northman, Sheriff, Louisiana Area Five." Eric said with practiced ease, sporting a smile that would easily charm anyone. "I've come to see the king."

"Talbot," He said as he approached. "Royal consort. Permit me to facilitate." Still beaming, he glanced over his shoulder and called out for the king, before turning an annoyed eye to his men. "Let them go, you idiots."

Eric smirked and offered Talbot a nod of thanks. The dark-haired vampire's eyes drifted to Maria. The instantly lost most, if not all, of their luster.

"And this is?" He asked disapprovingly.

"My servant." Eric was quick to reply. "But, she doesn't speak English, I'm afraid. Quite dim with languages."

"Of course," Talbot said with a sigh as he placed his hand on his chest. He continued to look over her briefly, but soon lost interest. "What does it speak?"

"It's Russian." Eric replied.

The sound of footsteps drew Talbot's attention, giving Eric a chance to glance quickly at Maria. She gave him the most wicked glare. He swore that for those few seconds her eyes ignited once more with that internal fire. He found he missed it. While he'd made her angry many times since she'd joined him, it was only when the fire touched her eyes that he genuinely enjoyed it.

"Mr. Northman," Russell chimed with a small smile as he entered the foyer. "Pleasure to meet you finally."

"Your Majesty." He bowed his head and was surprised, but glad to see out of the corner of his eye that Maria did the same.

"Come," Russell motioned to a distant room. "Let's talk."

He led the way while Talbot, Eric, and Maria followed. Before they entered the room, Eric told Maria to stand near the door, muttering the phrase in Russian to keep the rouse going. He liked to see her keep her eyes diverted and nod compliantly when she did.

Eric spouted his lie as convincingly as he could. With anyone else, he knew he would have been successful. He'd spent the better part of his life, both human and vampire, sharpening his tongue. What he failed to take into consideration, however, was that Bill would be within the King's home. It made no sense given he was taken by werewolves, and it caused Eric to backpedal.

But, something delicious did come from it.

"So, you're here of your own accord. Does that mean…?"

"Sookie is no longer mine." Bill reluctantly replied.

Eric felt his lips curl into a smile. He didn't know why he was so happy at that moment, only that he was. He had no immediate plans for the waitress, but no longer having to contend with her ever-present shadow would make whatever he chose to do with her infinitely easier.

"Interesting." He grinned.

When he turned his attention once again to Edgington, for the first time in a long while, Eric elected to tell the truth. He was surprised to see the King so angry at the mention of the Magister, but relieved when Russell seemed willing to help.

"Sleep here." He said.

"You're too kind, You Majesty." Eric replied.

"Let me show you to a room." Talbot smiled. Eric could tell quickly that he had the man's permanent attention. It would be helpful if he could get the same from the king, but at the moment, the consort would do.

"I'd be delighted." Eric told him flirtatiously.

Talbot rose and Eric joined him. When they left the dining room, Eric snapped and pointed at his side, silently calling Maria and commanding her to follow. He knew he'd pay for the way he was treating her later, but he planned to enjoy it for as long as possible. It was a game to him. He craved it, really. Eric needed to feel some sort of emotion from her, needed to have any affect. If she refused to succumb to his charms, then anger would have to suffice.

"Does your pet require a room of its own?" Talbot asked as they climbed the grand staircase.

"No," Eric said. "If there's no work for her to do during the day, she sleeps at the foot of my bed."

He didn't know where the lie had come from, or why it flowed so easily from his mouth, but it left a strange taste behind. He didn't like it.

"Ah," Talbot peered over his shoulder and scowled at Maria. "So, you keep werewolves as toys, too."

"Too?"

"Russell has been keeping them for pets for," He took in a breath and let it out as a long sigh as he contemplated something. "Centuries."

"Hm," Eric mumbled in response.

Down winding halls and to the left, Talbot led him. Eventually, they came to a pair of doors that Talbot opened with a flourished motion. He happily told Eric about the ancient furnishings, boasting about their age and where they'd originated. Eric did as he was expected and swooned over it all until he and Maria were alone.

The instant the doors were shut, Eric felt Maria's hand smash against the side of his face. The harsh slap snapped his head to the side. His cheek genuinely burned from the contact, but he couldn't fight the smile it caused.

Eric chuckled as he looked back at the seething young woman.

"So, does this mean you won't be sleeping at the foot of my bed?" He asked sarcastically.

"You're an asshole." She grumbled.

"I'm well aware." Eric replied. He looked over the Queen-sized bed. It wasn't huge, nor really long enough to accommodate his length, but it would serve its purpose. "We can share the bed. Assuming you can keep your hands to yourself."

Eric delighted in the internal struggle he saw Maria go through. She fought with the urge to hit him again, and eventually decided to simply move past the moment.

"Anyway," she said under her breath. Maria approached the armoir against the far wall. "Do you think they keep-"

Her question was answered the moment she opened the aged oak doors. Inside, shirts hung across a rung, while slacks were carefully and neatly folded, placed within the open cubicles to the side. Eric arched a brow.

"Clearly, they like to be prepared for their guests." He said.

"Male guests." Maria said. She thumbed through the shirts and showed that they were all for those of a masculine persuasion, which meant she would be stuck in her work clothes for a bit longer. Eric, on the other hand, saw a pale blue sweater he quite liked.

"If you'd like," Eric removed his jacket and tossed it lazily over the nearest chair. "You can wear this to sleep in."

He peeled off his burgundy tee and offered it to the young woman who's attention was no longer on his face. Eric smirked to himself as Maria looked over his bare torso. To the best of his knowledge, she'd only ever seen him shirtless once before, and her reaction to it then was very similar to what was happening now.

The Viking said nothing as he lowered his arm and stood before her. It may have only lasted for a moment, but that moment was filled with a dozen different things. He saw the way her eyes darkened, how her cheeks grew a touch pinker than before. He heard the sound of her heartbeat increasing, and noticed how her gaze dragged over the lines of his muscles.

Her reactions to his body were multiplied from the first instance, swayed by the things that had transpired through their months together.

"See something you like?"

His words brought her almost violently out of her thoughts. A flash of crimson, quick but there, spread across her cheeks as she scowled at him. Eric grinned once more and offered her the shirt again. Maria snatched it away and turned her back to him to change. There was nowhere else. Their suite didn't have a bathroom.

Eric didn't bother turning his back to her. Instead, he spied. It was a bit perverse, but he knew she had to expect it, and who was he to deny her expectations?

In truth, there was little to see. While she exposed an incredible amount of flesh, Maria was sure to keep herself decent. She kept her back presented and her underwear on as she stripped. What he could see, however, was rather nice, from the tone of her muscles to the curve of her waist, and the bright pink scar-

A cold chill crept down Eric's back as he noticed something he should have seen immediately. It stood out in stark contrast to the rest of her fair skin. A scar, roughly six inches long and angry in appearance, stretched vertically down her spine.

It was wrong. Somehow, Eric knew it didn't occur naturally. Someone did it to her and they had a vicious intent when they did.

Eric struggled briefly with the idea of whether or not to remark on it when he decided to simply let it go. The moment the shirt he'd given her to wear fell over the mark, Eric chose never to mention it.

Maria continued to ignore him as she removed her bra through her sleeves, a trick Eric still didn't understand, and tossed it with the rest of her clothing. Her back remained to him while she braided her long hair. When she reached the end of it, he noticed her snap off a long, thin, golden tassel from a window dressing without a care. After tying her hair with it, she crawled into bed, and continued to ignore him.

Eric smirked to himself. He couldn't think of anything else to do, really. Her anger amused him because she couldn't fully express it. The frustration was what caused him to smile, but he was aware the slap helped. That's why he hadn't minded it. Whatever she needed to release the growing tension was fine with him, so long as it happened without an audience. Although, things were going to get much worse, he knew. Eric was going to have to be borderline cruel to her while they were under Russell's roof. At the very least he was going to be rude, dismissive, and more insulting than he'd ever been. Eric would have to make it up to her when they got back to Shreveport. Flowers? That was something humans liked, for some reason. But it didn't seem right.

He'd let her cook in the house! That was it. Eric would let her cook in the house. It'd be only one meal a day to start with, but letting her cook food in his house would do the trick, especially since it'd caused such a problem before.

As he laid in bed alongside her, Eric wondered if Maria had noticed the refrigerator he bought her and put in the garage while she was gone?