And now, let's find out what Eric's been up to.
Impasse
After the meeting at Sanctum I rested at Oskar's for the day, flying back to Baton Rouge the following night.
My focus sharpened with every mile I put between me and Sookie, plans and strategies coming easily in the quiet of the sky. I shouldered the yoke of my kingdom eagerly, relishing the demands on my time that kept me from dwelling on her.
Still, a strange anticipation dogged my nights that week, as if I expected a third cruel coincidence to throw Sookie into my path at any moment. When the axe fell, it was Pam, not Sookie, who appeared unexpectedly.
…
My official residence was out in the suburbs. I wanted a modicum of privacy, something I wouldn't get in downtown Baton Rouge. Or New Orleans – I'd foisted that poisoned chalice on Oskar, who didn't mind being in the thick of it, on display to the tourists.
He was used to crowds after New York, but I preferred a more peaceful existence. I had chosen a modest plantation-style property for my residence, with plenty of land and verandas on all three floors.
And a roof terrace. Very handy.
Not an excessive display of wealth like Freyda's 'palace'. I didn't need ballrooms or a large entourage. Small was beautiful.
Far easier to spot a traitor among a dozen than fifty.
To that end I streamlined my retinue, expecting each member to work hard enough for two. No fat, only lean. No waste, no idiots, no ass-kissers. Just competent, efficient staff.
Only a few stayed on site at any time. Typically three or four vampires, usually those on guard duty, took their day-rest in the house. My second had a permanent room, but didn't always use it. He never arrived long after sunset, so whatever bolt-holes he had were close.
A few breathers were allotted permanent quarters, but not in the main house. There were outbuildings: a gatehouse, two small cottages, the dojo I had added, and guest rooms over the garage block. An eight foot wall enclosed the grounds. Not much of a barrier for supes, but it stopped casual observers. The set up was akin to Russell's mansion; shapeshifters guarded the perimeter during the day.
The main house was of solid brick construction with sturdy shutters. I had those augmented with discreet steel barriers. The first floor was easily split into two areas, one for breathing visitors and staff, the other reserved for vampire business. The second floor contained my office suite, various other offices, and a few guest rooms. The third was light-tight, housing secure day-rooms and my official bedchamber.
Not that I rested there. With some cunning adaptation, I had well-hidden quarters in the centre of the ground floor, accessed from above, through my office. Small but functional quarters.
Eventually I would find a separate, safer resting place, but for now staying at my official residence was a necessary show of confidence.
The week was busy. Meetings, requests for funds, overseeing my staff, settling disputes. The usual nightly grind, nothing noteworthy. I walked out of my office shortly after sunset on Sunday. Geraldine, my day woman or 'day PA' as she preferred, was waiting at her desk to finalise my diary for the upcoming week.
"Sleep well, Mr Northman?"
"Like the dead," I quipped and she rolled her eyes. "How bad is it?"
"Tuesday is hectic, we'll have to rearrange. Oh, you've been invited to a gala next month."
She handed me an envelope, already opened, holding a thick, glossy invitation. Black tie, plush hotel, all the local bigwigs. The mayor would be there – a man devoted to efficient governance but wary of vampires. Observing what legions of the undead brought to New Orleans, he thought the economic benefits came at too high a price for his city. I needed to charm him.
"I should go," I said, resigned to a night of boredom.
Geraldine pursed her lips at my tone. "I guess these things are passé after a few centuries."
I raised an eyebrow at that. She didn't usually comment.
She glanced up from adding it to the diary, pausing her typing when she saw my face. "Sorry. Jealousy talking. I haven't been to a show since Jim died."
"Is that a complaint about your workload, Mrs Hamilton?"
Her fingers flew across the keyboard. She said briskly, "No, certainly not. I thrive on busy."
Lucky for me that she did. She was efficient, unflappable, professional. A rare find in a human.
She also hadn't taken a single night off since I employed her, despite being allowed one every week. Her in-tray was full but neat, like the pile of letters awaiting my signature. I eyed her carefully for signs of stress. Seeing none, I offered, "Things will slow down. You'll have time for shows soon enough."
She finished typing and grimaced. "The problem isn't time. It's company."
I shrugged. "Go alone. Less distracting chatter, I find."
She looked off into the distance for a moment, thoughtful. "Hm. I might just do that. Now, about Tuesday…"
As Geraldine made suggestions about my schedule, I felt a faint tug from Pam. Later, in my office, I checked my blood, sensing a vague determination from her. I thought nothing of it, beyond wondering idly if Thalia was causing trouble again. Muting our connection, I concentrate on paperwork and making some calls.
My second arrived promptly at midnight. In a suit, with his long hair tied back, Takahashi Kikugoro* looked every inch the inoffensive Japanese salary man, down to the paleness of his skin. It wasn't office work that had kept him from the sun for the last four and a half centuries.
He bowed deeply. "Kitajin-sama."*
I nodded, returning his formal greeting."Takahashi."
His adherence to this small ritual gave me a reason to trust him, as much as I trusted any vampire who wasn't Pam. It was a sign he held onto enough bushido from his samurai days that he would not break his oath of fealty to me lightly. Takahashi was an obvious choice for second: calm, rational and lethal. I had a healthy respect for his martial arts skills and his keen strategic mind.
He had relocated from San Francisco to take part in the takeover because he owed me.
Two centuries ago I stumbled across a bloody ambush in the Californian desert. I was too late to save his maker, Raisa, who was an ally, but I avenged her so thoroughly that Takahashi had knelt on the gore-soaked sand and sworn to serve me when I had need of him as loyally as he had served her.
That he was willing to make good on that after so long was another sign his fealty was worth something.
I never did ask Raisa how he came to be Portugal when she turned him. A few Japanese slaves, mostly female, had been brought to Lisbon by ship in the mid-sixteenth century, but only defeat or disgrace would have made a warrior of his class leave Japan.
I wasn't about to offend Kikugoro by asking about his human life.
We went over some quotes for surveillance equipment, then slipped into informality as we rehashed our ongoing disagreement over my security. He argued visible guards served a dual purpose: a deterrent for Felipe and his ilk, and a display of status. I disagreed, giving two fangs for appearances. Freedom of movement and an unpredictable schedule were far safer in my experience.
My connection to Pam tugged at me again, but I ignored it to drive home my point. "Guards cannot be trusted, Goro. All it takes is one to get greedy, take a bribe, and I will be ambushed."
"Then you slaughter them or fly away while the guards fight. Eric, a king should look like a king."
"No, Goro. I'm not convinced that–"
A strong pulse of anger from Pam halted me.
Too strong.
Pam was closer than she should be. In the building close. Tensing, Goro turned to face the door I was staring a hole in. Two seconds later it was thrown open.
"Your majesty," Pam drawled, "a moment of your time, if you wouldn't mind." She was furious, but outwardly calm.
Goro relaxed fractionally.
"Pamela," I said. Goro blinked at my gruff tone and looked to me for instruction. I dismissed him with a gesture.
"Kitajin-sama." He bowed and withdrew. I caught sight of Thalia outside as he closed the door. Area 5's resident pit-bull was never far from strife.
I levelled a look at Pam. "Speak."
She pulled a crumpled envelope from her jacket and wordlessly dropped it on my desk. It was addressed to Pam, and I recognised the handwriting.
Sookie's.
"Explain," I said, not moving to pick it up.
She hissed in annoyance. "Read the damn letter, Eric."
I stared her down for a moment and then shrugged. How bad could it be?
That was a stupid question. This was Sookie, it was always worse than I expected. After I skimmed it twice I put the letter down carefully, ruthlessly suppressing my traitorous feelings.
"And?" I said coldly.
Pam scowled at me.
"Your plan?" I prompted.
"My plan?" she spat. "Oh, I had a plan to keep her safe. It was working too. She was starting to trust me again. That's gone to hell in a coffin thanks to you." She gestured angrily at the letter. "What the fuck did you say to her at Sanctum?"
I was on my feet, snapping, "Pamela. Drop the attitude."
"Did you threaten her? Tell her she was your fucking asset?" she continued insolently, spoiling for a fight. "Is that what sent her running to the tiger?"
I was over the desk and pinning her against the far wall in an instant. She bared her fangs, her eyes glittering and her rage barrelled down our connection. My fangs snapped down in response.
I hissed in her face and tossed her aside, struggling to contain my own fury, rising to match hers. She lunged at me, desperate for release. I let her land one blow before I grappled her to the floor roughly.
"Enough!" I hissed into her ear, infusing it with a hint of command.
Her struggling slowed and when she finally stilled, I loosened my grip. She was seriously pissed. She hadn't pushed me to a physical fight since…
The last time was over Sookie, too.
"Your temper needs work," I said curtly, putting the desk between us and slamming our tie closed, shutting her anger out. It was fuelling my need to hit something. She was lucky I had enough control for both of us.
She brushed herself down and straightened her blouse, giving us both another moment to rein it in.
I gestured at the seat Goro had just vacated. "Feel better?"
She sat. "No."
"Tell me what happened."
"I rose yesterday to a text, sent from Sookie's phone that morning. It said to wait for a letter. She was long gone. The phone was still at her house. Her car too. The Weres were clueless. No sign of a struggle, no way to track her. Even Heidi couldn't find a trail."
I had picked up her agitation the previous night, but when we spoke around three Pam was calm. She neglected to mention Sookie was missing. She was getting better at hiding things from me, as it should be. She was past living in my shadow. It was one of the reasons I left her in Area 5 rather than having her here, at my side.
"You anticipated a ransom demand," I deduced, saying nothing about her keeping it from me.
"Yes. Instead that sorry excuse for a good-bye arrived tonight." Her eyes flashed.
She blamed me.
I ignored that and concentrated on fact-gathering. "What happened to the Weres?"
A flicker of a smile played across her mouth. "They'll live, despite an ass-reaming from Thalia. Sookie sedated them."
"Of course she did." That was just like her. Inventive. I glanced down at Sookie's brief explanation. It would be sensible, prudent even, to take this chance to wash my hands of her for good.
Pam drawled, "I particularly like the part where she fears you will prevent her from visiting Bon Temps. I can't imagine what you said that made her think you'd ban her from her home."
I didn't appreciate Pam needling me. "I didn't call her an asset." I said tersely, adding pointedly, "That reeks of Quinn."
"You think?" Pam lifted a graceful and sarcastic eyebrow. "That's not enough to make her run for the state line. She's not stupid."
No, she wasn't. But we had fought, and I had played the arrogant, manipulative asshole. Did she think I would claim her for Louisiana? I tried to remember exactly what I said to her accusations of power-grabbing ambition.
I had not exactly denied them. And that unfortunate parting shot… Shit. Maybe she thought I intended to pursue her again, as persistently as I had in the past.
And she assumed I would ban Quinn to remove a rival.
I sneered at that. That was no way to win. Even when I wasn't deliberately misleading her, Sookie mistook me completely.
"So?" Pam asked. "What now?"
I shrugged.
"She's not safe," she pointed out. "Quinn can't protect her. Tennessee knows what she can do. We should warn her."
We?
I snorted. "She won't listen to me. Anything I say will be dismissed as sour grapes," which would be uncomfortably close to the truth, "and she will think I've sent you to, how did you put it last time? Ah, yes. Ask her to have mercy on me."
That still rankled.
"We have to do something," she insisted, expecting me to cave. "I have a bad feeling about this."
I stalled. "She has the protection of seven states."
"Like that will stop Bardulf the Butcher," Pam sneered. "That devious bastard will have her locked in a room reading every human he comes in contact with."
She had a point. Tennessee wasn't exactly known for his progressive ideas, although he had toned it down in recent years.
I could picture Sookie's fate all too clearly.
Damn the woman and her reckless impulses. She knew what Felipe had planned for her, yet she'd followed Quinn blithely into Tennessee's kingdom. Surely she didn't believe that, as her letter said, Quinn could protect her? I had barely managed to protect her from Felipe.
I tried to convince myself that she would have turned to Brigant for help, but I knew in my bones she wouldn't consider calling on him if she thought Quinn was enough. She never demanded what she was owed, as if it was better not to ask at all than to ask and risk refusal. Those biting words after her torture…
"Who knows what else Bardulf will do to her," Pam added grimly, twisting the knife.
Fuck. I clenched my fists, frustrated and hating every scenario I was imagining. Why couldn't she pick a safe state? She had half a dozen to choose from if she was so eager to leave mine.
That I was inadvertently to blame for her fleeing her beloved home stung almost as much as imagining Tennessee taking her freedom. Or worse, as Pam had so expertly reminded me.
"All right," I growled, picking up the phone. Now to discover if the crown Sookie scorned so much was any use to her.
…
A night later, I was sitting in a bland office building in north-western Mississippi.
Russell had offered to put us up in Jackson when I sought permission to enter his state. We arrived there with dawn at our heels and spent the day. He gave us an escort to Olive Branch tonight, despite or perhaps because of my refusal to explain what was going on.
I didn't want Russell or anyone else involved. I wanted to judge Tennessee's reactions first-hand. Besides, this was personal.
Olive Branch was on the edge of the Memphis sprawl, but still technically in Russell's territory. The appropriately named town was where Russell usually met his royal neighbour.
I suspected Russell had the town renamed to amuse himself. He had a strange sense of humour.
I went over my strategy again as I waited. It was paper-thin. I had no business pressuring another king so soon after taking Louisiana. Worse, Tennessee had been in place for quarter of a century and his state was more populous than mine. True, he didn't have New Orleans, but he didn't need it. Nashville and Memphis held their own.
I had slim chance of coming out of this without egg on my face. That Bardulf was already half an hour late did not bode well. I waited impassively for another five minutes.
I regretted my suit when he finally arrived. He was wearing jeans and a black leather jacket.
According to Oskar, Hugh Bardulf was around eight centuries old, hailing from England's green and pleasant land. He was a bastard son of one of the unruly barons that caused John Lackland so much trouble, if his mixed French and Saxon name was any indication.
Turned in his early twenties and muscled from an active life, he was almost as tall as me, with narrow, fine features. Black hair curled around the nape of his neck and with his three-day beard he wouldn't look out of place in a Memphis recording studio.
He sprawled in the chair opposite mine. The two vampires he'd brought to match Pam and Thalia stood behind him like bookends. One of them eyed Thalia warily, but Hugh ignored her and Pam completely.
Fixing me with piercing blue eyes, he raised a dark eyebrow. "What brings you this far north, Louisiana?"
Now to bullshit through my fangs. "A small matter. One of your associates–"
The eyebrow remained up. "Associates?"
"A shapeshifter."
The eyebrow twitched in amusement. "The scum are associates now? How times change. I heard you favour a closer union with them, but I hardly credited it. Happily, my rule is established, and I don't need to hook-up with animals." He inspected his fingernails and added insolently, "You know what they say. Lie with dogs, pick up fleas."
A dig at my expense. I moved against de Castro on a moonless night when Teresa's wolves were at their weakest, but I still felt it wise to use two-natured dayguards and trackers. Longtooth had been well paid for their assistance.
I shrugged off the insult."You never hunted with dogs, Bardulf?"
"On occasion. Only for sport."
Meaning it was unsporting to gain a throne with furry assistance. Those who gave a fuck for sportsmanship died. I would rather survive.
I leaned back and said, "I am after bigger game tonight. Tiger to be precise."
"Quinn." He straightened slowly. "You harbour a grudge over Sophie-Ann. That was Nevada's doing," he said, his lip curling. No love for de Castro, I wondered, or just an act? "You've had your pound of flesh from Felipe."
"I have." I grinned viciously.
"You have no need for revenge on the tiger, then."
"Not for Nevada's aggression, no." Thalia disagreed, shifting minutely behind me and his eyes flicked to her. "The tiger was in New Orleans recently. He has appropriated an asset of mine."
"An asset?" he said cautiously.
Fuck. He was ignorant of Sookie's presence in his kingdom, or he would be gloating. I had rushed into this assuming I had no time to waste, that he would know by now.
"A telepath," I admitted casually, stifling my annoyance.
He stilled, but I knew his mind was already racing, plotting. "The one from Rhodes?" he asked, just as off-hand.
I nodded.
"My, my. In my kingdom. Lucky me. And you have claimed her officially?"
There was the sticking point. If I had, I would have a better chance of this working.
"She has worked for me in the past."
"I see." He chuckled grimly. "It will cost you a pretty penny to get her back, if that's what you've come for."
"Not exactly." That would be simpler, costly but simpler. Nothing was ever simple with Sookie. "She is Louisiana born and raised. That, by tradition, makes her my asset. You should honour that."
"Really. You expect me not to avail myself of her talents when she's here, ripe for the plucking."
"Yes," I said firmly. For all his professed distaste for shapeshifters, Bardulf seemed reluctant to see Quinn harmed. I could use that. "It is within my rights to ask for the tiger's head. I will forgo that if she remains free."
He smelt a rat. His accent coarsened, betraying his origins, as he countered with: "Possession is nine-tenths of the law."
"Annexing her would alienate the tiger."
A sly look crossed his face. "Oh, I think not. The tiger's arse is mine."
I hid my surprise. "He will fight you on this, whatever hold you have on him. He is protective of those close to him."
"Ah yes, the weakness Nevada exploited so well." He grinned, showing fang. "You know, I really should thank Felipe. His misfortune has been my gain."
"How so?" I asked, not looking forward to his answer. That grin was too smug.
"Didn't you hear? His little cabal sold their interest in Special Events."
Implying he had gained control of the company. Fuck. If so, he had Quinn's balls in a vice. The tiger would be forced to roll over, give Sookie up. I reverted to my original plan, such as it was.
Shrugging, I said, "It is not worth making an enemy of me over something so trivial. And do not discount Texas, Indiana and Mississippi. She has their protection."
"Yes, I remember." He cocked his head. "Why is that again?"
"She saved many at Rhodes."
"Yes. I remember Sophie-Ann's trial. The telepath was impressive." He narrowed his eyes. "Which makes me wonder why you aren't demanding her return."
"I have other assets," I said icily. "But I may have need of her in the future. You will not claim her as yours."
"And what's in that for me?"
I feigned a look of discomfort. It wasn't difficult. "That is what I am here to negotiate."
That annoying eyebrow lifted again. Self-satisfied bastard knew I was on the back foot.
"You would pay through the nose – and it will be through the nose, I assure you – for an asset you cannot use? Don't take me for a fool, Northman. There is more to this."
He sat back, inspecting his nails again as he continued thoughtfully. "One king offering a human protection is unusual. To have so many is extraordinary. Unless …" He broke into a broad, cocky grin that had me itching to hit him. "Who are her protectors again?"
He ticked them lazily off on his fingers. "Indiana… Texas… Mississippi… Your allies, the ones who freed you from Oklahoma and helped you plunder Louisiana from Nevada. New Mexico… who attacked Nevada at a very convenient time for you. Iowa." He rolled the name with relish. "She was extraordinarily sympathetic to your cause when she judged the case against Alabama."
Shit. Influencing a judge was a serious matter. I stiffened and his eyes glittered maliciously. He thought he had leverage. He wasn't finished though. I kept quiet, furiously searching for a way to use his conspiracy theory against him.
"Kentucky. Hmm, what did he owe your telepath? That wily bastard had protection of his own at Rhodes. He doesn't fit. A red herring. So, five rulers who gave you succour. What did they ask in return? Access to the telepath, methinks. And she's escaped your grip. Tut, tut. You will be in trouble."
Fuck. The last thing I wanted was him thinking he could hold Sookie over me. Too close to the truth. "I made no such deal."
He smiled maliciously. "I hear Indiana had use of your pet healer. Your allies have access to your assets. Don't deny that was the price of your throne. And you're not one to enjoy sharing. You don't want to pass the telepath around. That's why you're not demanding her return."
I clenched my jaw in frustration. This was spiralling away from me. Coming here was a mistake. If I'd given away the real motives behind my actions, all bets were off.
I would have to go to war for her.
He was already hatching a plan to use her against me, I could see it in the steely glitter in his eyes. I waited in stony silence for him to reveal his next move.
He said slowly, "I might be persuaded to keep her safe for you. If we can come to a… mutually beneficial arrangement. Indiana is the ringleader of your little gang, the one to fear. I have a way to de-fang him, keep you safe from his wrath."
He sat back, pleased with himself. Asshole.
"How?" I asked curtly.
"A legitimate reason for the telepath to be in my kingdom. One Bartlett cannot challenge. An alliance between us. Of about, oh, let's say a hundred years." His gaze loitered in all the wrong places as he looked me over.
"A marriage alliance." By some miracle I kept my tone even.
"Yes." His eyes blazed. "You won't have to rely on Indiana and his allies with me at your back."
I spent a few minutes contemplating all the ways I wanted to kill him. It made it seem like I was actually giving his proposal some thought. It wouldn't do to insult him any more than I was about to.
"No." I said firmly. "We are done here." I stood and swept towards the door, Pam and Thalia falling in behind me.
"Northman," he called lazily. I paused on the threshold, not turning round. "You were careless, letting the tiger steal her. Do not think to snatch her back. I guard my assets jealously."
…..
"Where to?" Pam asked when we were ten minutes out of Olive Branch.
"Russell's," I snapped. He had a private line to Bartlett. I needed to beg a favour, something I was not going to enjoy.
The rest of the drive was silent. I was seething, smarting from Tennessee's taunts and the easy way he bested me. Pam was tense, anxious and regretful. Thalia was stoic.
A familiar face greeted us in Russell's foyer, completing my night from hell.
"Your majesty," he purred warmly, bowing his head of curls. "How lovely to see you."
"Bernard. It's been a while."
He licked his lips and smiled. "Too long. Will you be gracing us with your presence for the day?"
"No, I'm afraid not. I need to speak to Russell."
"Pity. Follow me."
He put a wiggle in his walk as he swept up the staircase ahead of me. Pam chuckled quietly and I glared at her. She shrugged and settled on a couch beside Thalia to wait.
Russell was put out that I still wouldn't tell him what was going on, not until I spoke to Bartlett. He took me to a side room off his office, muttering in French. It held a comfortable couch and smelt of … Ah. I was invading a private part of their marriage.
Oh well. It couldn't be helped.
Russell set up the video-call and sat on the couch with me, burning with too much curiosity to leave. Bartlett's image appeared on the screen.
"Eric."
"Bartlett. I need your assistance."
He leaned forwards. "A problem?"
I nodded sharply. "I need that leash tugging."
Bartlett blinked and Russell shifted in his chair. They hadn't expected that.
"I will have to call in a favour. Might I know why?" Bartlett asked.
Politeness meant he was just this side of pissed. I was way past that. I half-growled, "Tennessee has the tiger in a choke-hold. I need to break it."
Bartlett's face stilled. He exchanged a meaningful glance with Russell, who cursed and said, "The European investors. You were right, my love."
It seemed they kept a close eye on Russell's neighbour to the north. And had anticipated him taking control of Special Events.
Shit. I'd been short-sighted, focused on what that meant for Sookie. It had wider implications. Tennessee would have access to every supe event in the South. And if he had Sookie… Fuck. He wanted her as a spy. No wonder he was so aggressive. She'd fallen into his lap at exactly the right moment.
"He is about to acquire a telepath too," I admitted grimly.
Bartlett's eyes widened. "Your telepath. She is the tiger's again," he guessed astutely. How many spies did he have in New Orleans?
"Yes. She followed him to Memphis. Willingly."
He scowled and his voice deepened. "And you rushed to threaten Bardulf in person. You should have come to me first, Eric. This might have been salvageable."
I didn't appreciate his tone. I gritted out, "What's done is done."
"I am not your enemy Eric," he said sharply. "You would do well to remember that."
He drummed his fingers on his desk, a habit that signalled he was deep in thought. After a moment, he swore softly. "I have nothing on Tennessee I can use, nothing sufficient to keep him from a telepath. We have no choice. You or someone else must take her from Bardulf."
"No," I snapped instinctively. I added more calmly, "He will be ready for that."
"Because your actions alerted him," Bartlett reprimanded harshly. "He must not have her. It will make him too powerful."
"I agree. But taking her by force is not the way." That could only end badly for her. And it didn't escape me that she'd never forgive me for it. Bartlett and I stared each other down.
Russell broke in. "Eric, how did Hugh react when you asked for her?"
The worry in his voice drew my attention. Tennessee was on his border. He was the most threatened by this. Damn it. Russell needed the truth I didn't want to share – exactly how badly my meeting with Bardulf had gone.
They would find out anyway, I realised. Bardulf would deliberately let something slip, try to drive a wedge between us, break our alliance. Better come clean.
I said quietly, "I did not ask for her. I asked him to leave her alone."
Russell blinked. "Why would you do that?"
Bartlett gave him an exasperated look, as if my motives were perfectly clear. Addressing me, he said sternly, "You showed your hand too soon. That was a mistake."
"Yes," I admitted stiffly.
"What did Hugh say?" Russell asked curiously.
"He speculated that I had agreed to loan her out to you and Stan in return for your help, hence the protection decrees. He assumed I was trying to renege on the deal by leaving her in Memphis. And he thinks he has me by the balls with Iowa."
"The trial," Bartlett said succinctly.
"Yes. He was confident enough to propose a marriage alliance." I managed to disguise my disgust.
Too well. Russell hissed in annoyance. "Don't get tangled up with him, Eric."
"Excuse me?" I was hardly likely to accept, I wasn't a fool.
"Our alliance is a threat to Bardulf," Bartlett said, shooting Russell a look I couldn't decipher. "He likely knows… Russell will explain. I don't have time. Bardulf was playing you, fishing for something to use against us. Now, Eric, how do you intend to clean up your mess?"
"I might have a way to keep her from Bardulf." One I was reluctant to use, but as Bartlett hadn't offered an alternative it was my only option.
Bartlett nodded after a second. He'd guessed who I would ask, if not exactly why they'd agree. "And from me?"
"A willing telepath is more use than a hostile one. Bardulf will move slowly, pressure the tiger first, encourage Sookie to work for him that way. If you could call in that favour, make sure Quinn resists, it will buy me time to arrange things."
"Consider it done."
The screen went blank.
I turned to my host. "What does Bardulf know?"
Russell pouted. "Merde, I get all the shitty jobs." He sighed. "If you remember, Hugh met your late wife at Rhodes, for a prisoner exchange."
I tensed. Freyda. I'd forgotten that connection between them. And Russell was calling him Hugh, with noticeable familiarity.
"You know Bardulf. Well."
"Biblically. You're not the only one to receive a proposal from him. But that was twenty years ago and frankly I didn't think he'd last this long." He pulled a face and gestured dismissively. "Back to my delightful task. I do so love breaking bad news. Bartlett believes Freyda discovered your maker's whereabouts around the time of the summit. He suspects Hugh passed the information to her. Hugh was friendly with Nadia."
Another piece of Nadia's fucking web. That smug asshole had been part of it, acted as her messenger boy. I growled quietly.
"Precisely." Russell added cautiously, "It's not clear how deep his association with Nadia went, but he might be aware of your… attachment to the delectable Miss Stackhouse."
Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
"Rumour says you have moved on to the delightful Rory, though. Hugh will believe that, I think." He gave me a mischievous look. "If you gave nothing of your true feelings away tonight."
I growled again, wishing I could honestly deny those feelings still existed.
He shook his head. "So proud, so loyal, so steadfast in your affections." His face softened, and he gestured at the blank screen. "That's why he likes you. Birds of a feather."
…
Pam was eager for news. As soon as we were on our way, she fixed on me in the rear view mirror. "Well? What did Russell say?"
"Many things."
She hissed. "Eric. Can he help her?"
"No. Bartlett can ensure the tiger holds out against Tennessee, for a while at least. But that is all."
"Fuck a zombie." Her hands tensed on the steering wheel. After a moment she said, "I still think we should get a message to her. Warn her."
I shook my head. "She will find out Tennessee is after her soon enough. She is not in immediate danger. He will want her intact and co-operative."
She snorted. "And when he finds out she doesn't do co-operative?"
Best not to think about that. I shrugged.
She saw right through my nonchalance of course, her eyes tightening with anxiety. She asked quietly, "What are you going to do?"
"Make a call."
Thalia finally took an interest, snapping out of downtime and turning to look at me from the front seat. "Brigant."
I nodded.
She scowled. Her eyes were black in the dim light. "Involve him and you may never get her back."
I gave another shrug, probably no more convincing than the last. "She is not coming back. She has made her choice."
Her scowl deepened. "You would allow her that. Even with the tiger you despise."
"I owe her." For Rhodes, for Hallow, for too much. I ignored that if it was anyone else I would pay those debts another way, caring nothing for her choices.
Thalia said mockingly, "You are going soft. First the healer, now the prince. Do you trust all fae now?"
"Hardly. Niall cares for Sookie. He will keep her safe." He better.
I pulled out my phone and dialled only to get his voice mail. "Niall. Northman. We need to speak. It concerns your great-granddaughter. Call me as soon as you have a moment."
…
He didn't return my call until later that day, leaving a terse message with a time and place. The following night at midnight, a suite in a Shreveport hotel. A neutral location.
I was standing by the window looking down on the city lights when Niall arrived.
"Finally," Pam snapped from the kitchen area, putting her Trublood down noisily on the counter. Like Tennessee, Niall was late, disrespectfully so.
I blurred to the chair Thalia was standing behind and sat, startling Niall's companion, a male armed with a silver sword. Using vampire speed around a fae envoy was a breach of protocol, but I was royally pissed.
Twice in two fucking nights. Kings weren't supposed to be kept waiting. Apparently no-one got that memo.
"Envoy," I said curtly.
"Louisiana," he said as he took his seat. His shadow stood by his side, keeping his hand near his weapon and one eye on Thalia. It had been decades since she went on a spree, but nobody who knew her reputation relaxed around her.
I eyed Niall's shadow. "Problems?"
"A small disagreement with Connecticut."
"Ah." She had a legendary capacity for grudges. "That is why you are late?"
"There is only one envoy. My time is in demand."
My heart bled for him. Like an unbeating stone, so not a drop. "Not enough staff to delegate to?"
"My time is short, Northman, let's not waste it." His eyes flashed with annoyance. Touchy tonight. "I had hoped Sookie would be safe here. What danger have you brought to her door this time?"
He didn't know. I might get an iota of amusement out of this. "She is no longer in my state."
He sat up, glaring at me. "Your guards failed her again? Who took her?"
I raised an eyebrow. "She left of her own accord."
He was stumped. I was right; she hadn't asked him for help.
After a few beats of silence he asked reluctantly, "Where is she?"
I took a second to savour his embarrassment at admitting he didn't have a clue where she was. No doubt he could find her quickly enough by some fairy means, but he obviously hadn't tried to find her since I called him.
I put him out of his misery. "In Memphis. With John Quinn."
"The tiger," he said with a nod. "She has a taste for shifters, doesn't she? Must like their heat." He paused to see if I would take umbrage. I disappointed him. "And the problem?"
"Tennessee. He knows of her gift. He intends to claim her as an asset."
His shadow muttered, "Bloodsuckers."
Thalia dropped fang and grinned at him. He took a step forward, hand on his sword. Niall snapped something angrily in his direction and the hothead stood down.
Niall smoothed away his annoyance and said, "And so you called me."
Only because I had no choice.
"Yes," I said. "You needed to know." Because his beloved great-granddaughter didn't trust him enough to share little details of her life with him. Details like her address.
Niall cocked his head and examined me for a moment. Here it came.
"This is a vampire matter. But you can't protect her." There was a trace of pleasure in his tone.
"Tennessee is not amenable to reason."
The corner of his mouth twitched. "I see. And is he amenable to threats?"
"A sufficiently serious threat would stay his hand, yes."
Amusement was definitely playing around his eyes as he said condescendingly, "And you can't provide that, so soon in your reign. I understand." Fluidly, he stood and headed for the door, his goon following him.
Pam couldn't contain herself. She called after him, "Will you protect her?"
He turned slowly, a haughty expression on his face. "She is my kin, vampire. And no longer any concern of yours." He looked piercingly at me. "Or yours."
I nodded sharply.
I relaxed when the door slammed behind them. That had gone about as well as I expected. Niall would protect her. I hated admitting to him that I couldn't handle Tennessee, but at least he hadn't rubbed too much salt into the wound.
Hm. Maybe that was what I needed, a little salt. Wounds bathed in the sea healed faster, I remembered that. Lost in my musings, I almost jumped when Thalia blurred to stand in front of me.
Scowling she said, "Brigant taunted you. Tennessee taunted you. Kings should demand respect."
What did she want me to do? Start a war with everybody who looked at me sideways? I glared at her. She hissed at me, but she didn't move.
"What do you want of me?" I snapped.
Her eyes hard, she stared into mine. "Release me."
Pam swore softly.
I stared Thalia down, letting my power roll over her, but she didn't back down a hairsbreadth. Fuck me. Fine. She was too unpredictable anyway. If she wanted to jump ship, I was better off without her.
"I release you from your oath. You no longer owe me fealty. You may leave."
"Don't let the door hit your ass," Pam jeered. "Good luck finding another sheriff who'll put up with you."
Thalia ignored her, still staring into my eyes.
I tensed, ready to lunge up out of the chair if she made a move to attack. A bloodthirsty grin split her face and I tensed further. Most who saw that grin did not survive.
Gleefully she said, "Good. If I am free, entering Tennessee will not be an act of war."
I blinked.
Her grin broadened. "My sword is still yours."
I blinked again. "And what, exactly, do you plan to do with that sword?"
"Keep the telepath safe."
She hated humans. She thought Sookie was a liability, and yet she was offering to guard her. I was nonplussed. "Why?"
"Louisiana needs you. She is a weakness. For you. For the state. I do not trust the fairy to deal with that snake Bardulf." She shrugged. "Plus I do not like working at Fangtasia and I weary of your child."
"Pam can be… trying," I agreed.
Pam put her hands on her hips. "I'm right here. What happened to the respect owed to a sheriff?"
"You are not her sheriff. As of a minute ago."
"Your child is insolent," Thalia said disapprovingly.
"I like her that way," I said mildly.
Thalia snorted, but she stepped back allowing me space to stand. I looked down on her as I got to my feet.
"Thank you, Thalia. I will not forget this."
"Thank me if the telepath lives. I might yet decide she's too much trouble."
Still, I valued what she was doing. I nodded deeply and she blurred from the room.
Pam looked after her thoughtfully. "Well, that was unexpected."
"Yes." I glanced at her. "You feel better with her keeping an eye on Sookie."
"Yes. I trust Niall about as much as I need to breathe."
I didn't trust him much more than Pam, but Sookie had made her choice and gone where I couldn't protect her. It was out of my hands. Perhaps having her out of my state would finally get her off my mind and out of my heart.
…
Footnotes:
1. Last name first in Japanese. This is not Takahashi from TB. I read about early European contact with Japan, and picked a name from that time. Complete coincidence. I didn't watch TB beyond S2!
2. Kitajin means man from the north, I hope. Credit to my unpaid researcher (my son) for that translation. Sama is an old Japanese term of respect, slightly more formal than san.
