The story so far: Sookie returned from the land of the Fae to find Eric hiding out in her house. He had been threatened by the witch Marnie, who is possessed by the spirit of a necromancer. A foolish decision by Pam to give shelter to Yvetta enabled Marnie/Hallow to cast a spell on Eric. As well as losing all memories of the time since he met Sookie, he has also lost every vestige of his humanity and reverted to a cold-hearted and callous vampire persona. Marnie is holding Jessica hostage and threatening to end her existence, forcing Sookie and Pam to seek to build a supernatural alliance to take her on.

Thanks for sticking with this story – I'm sorry the updates have been so slow in coming.

As Sookie drove to Merlotte's for the afternoon shift, she couldn't help but reflect on how dramatically her life had changed in just a few months. On the positive side she was gaining some new skills, but on the negative side they were not the kind of talents you could include in a resume, or at least not for any normal job.

Of all the challenges she had faced, the task in front of her for the next thirty-six hours had to be the most daunting. It wasn't going to be easy to get enough support amongst the supernatural community to mount an attack on Marnie's coven and rescue Jessica. The truth was she really had very little idea where to start.

With some reluctance, she'd put in a call to Alcide before leaving home. She already owed him so much after everything he'd done to help her find and rescue Bill Compton. But, on the other hand, if Marnie was successful in controlling a powerful vampire like Eric, there was little doubt that it would encourage her to take on the other Supe communities. Louisiana and Mississippi Weres had interests in construction that were, post-Katrina, pretty lucrative and would surely be of interest to her.

Sookie knew Alcide had a soft spot for her and from the tone of his voice she strongly suspected that his regard had not diminished. She'd toyed with the idea of suggesting they meet up socially, but hesitated, not able to cope with the rejection if he said no. Instead she got his reluctant agreement that he would speak to Pam that night and consider offering the support of his Pack.

The thought of Alcide made her smile as she pulled into the parking lot of the bar. He was definitely one of the good guys. She still couldn't understand how he could have got involved with a skanky 'ho like Debbie Pelt, but then maybe she was different before she got hooked on V.

If Pam rounded up all the northern Louisiana Vampires, and Alcide came through with his pack, they would be good for muscle. What they'd be missing would be brains, people with knowledge of how Marnie, and whoever was controlling her, operated.

'Holly', she said, not realising that she had spoken out loud. Would it be too much to hope that she would be in today? Sam's new barmaid definitely owed her, after Sookie had sorted out her son Cody's nightmares, the problem was, she didn't know if she could trust the woman.

The bar was virtually empty when she walked in. The only customer was Jane Bodenhouse, the town alcoholic, who was starting unusually early even for her. Sookie didn't even make it out back to drop her purse in Sam's office before Holly swooped down and embraced her in an enthusiastic hug.

"Sookie, I can't thank you enough. Cody had his best night's sleep in weeks. He's completely transformed. I don't know what you did to him, but I sure am grateful."

Sookie decided to listen in to what she was thinking, it was rude, but these were desperate times. It turned out that Holly was wondering if she should confide her doubts about Marnie. Seizing her opportunity Sookie responded urgently. "May I give you some advice Holly? You know there are powers out there much stronger than any of us realise and it's really not a good idea to go messing with them."

That seemed to open a floodgate as Holly grasped her by the arm and blurted out, "I know Sookie. For ages I thought Marnie was just a fraud. She was so desperate to be part of our community and we used to humour her, it was useful, with her having the shop and all – she'd let us use her back room as a meeting place for free. I mean some of us…Wiccans …you know," she dropped her voice briefly, looking just a little embarrassed at her revelation; "…we do have powers. It's a gift you're born with, but you have to practise. And we only use them for good; well at least most of us do…"

She was babbling so fast now that Sookie could barely keep up. Using her free hand she stroked Holly's arm for reassurance, and used the opportunity to guide her over towards the condiment table. Jane Bodenhouse was taking a rather unhealthy interest in their conversation.

"Then something happened. She started getting predictions right, and not just the easy, obvious things that anyone with half a brain can do; hers were, like, real detailed."

"Did you notice anything different about her?" Sookie asked warily, knowing the importance of the answer.

"Do you know, I've thought a lot about that. The only thing I can think of is the crystal ball she got. Normally she was so keen to show off, but she was really…defensive…when anyone asked about it. She just said she picked it up second hand at a Boot Sale."

They both jumped guiltily as the door banged shut. Maxine Fortenberry and two of her friends had come in –they'd fallen out with the owner of Crawdaddy's restaurant in town on account of Maxine's political views, so they'd taken to having their morning coffee and catch up at Merlotte's. They picked a table in Sookie's section and waved to get her attention.

"Don't worry, Holly, everything will be fine," Sookie said, trying to sound reassuring. Maybe she had the clue she needed. Then another thought seized her and she reached out to keep Holly's attention for a few more seconds. "Has she mentioned any…events…she might be organising?"

Holly looked thoughtful so Sookie seized the chance to listen in to her thoughts.

'I shouldn't say….she did say it was secret….Sookie's been such a good friend…I don't want to spoil her big event…she said people were coming from all over.'

"Come on, we'd better get back to work before Sam bawls us out," Sookie put on her best fake smile. She'd got pretty much everything she needed.

The moment she had been dreading most came later that afternoon when Jason walked in with his road crew buddies, who of course included Hoyt. She knew she would have to say something to him. Naturally they chose the busiest part of the shift to make their entrance, but eventually things quietened down and she was able to prise him away from his buddies.

"Have you heard from Jessica yet?" she asked.

His answer was obvious from the look of alarm on his face before he even opened his mouth.

"What's happened?"

"She's been kidnapped."

"Not the Fellowship?" he replied, and Sookie couldn't avoid hearing that his distraught expression was matched by gruesome thoughts of Jessica being crucified at dawn. A breakaway Fellowship cell in Utah had done that recently, and pictures were all over the internet.

"No," Sookie briefly took his hands to offer comfort, but recoiled at the violent images, and dropped them just as suddenly. Hoyt looked hurt but said nothing.

"There's a…" she hesitated, not sure of the best way to describe Marnie. Hoyt was as comfortable as any resident of Bon Temps with the existence of Vampires, and the havoc wreaked by Marianne had alerted people to the existence of more than one type of supernatural in their midst. Still, this was a conversation they needed to have in private, she decided. "Just let me get my tables sorted, then I'll take a break and explain everything."

"Okay," he agreed, looking as unhappy as she had ever seen him.

Sookie hurried as fast as she could to top up her tables, making sure all her customers were well stocked with food and drink. Then, with a quick gesture to Sam who was keeping bar as usual, she hurried outside. Hoyt stood up and followed her.

"There's a woman in Shreveport. She's a fortune teller, runs one of those new age shops, you know the kind of thing, incense and crystals," Sookie began, "the thing is she's also a witch…"

Hoyt's eyes grew wide, "you mean like in Harry Potter?" he asked.

"Not quite. As far as I know she doesn't have a broomstick, and I didn't see a cauldron," she smiled weakly. "I'm not exactly sure what powers she does have, but I do know that she is planning to use them for evil."

"Why did she pick on Jessica though?" Hoyt looked genuinely puzzled.

"I really have no idea, I thought you might know. The thing is, I think Jessica went to see her of her own free will – she must have hoped that Marnie would be able to perform some kind of magic for her." She left the thought hanging while Hoyt considered the implications of what she had said.

A horrible thought began to form in Hoyt's mind. He tried to dismiss it, but now that he was presented with the evidence, all the signs he had tried to ignore flashed up in front of him once again. He decided against sharing his suspicions with Sookie. Whether he was right or wrong, it was something which should be kept between Jessica and himself.

"I don't understand why you're not more fired up," he said instead, sounding accusatory, "I thought you were cool with the vamps. I mean, with Bill Compton being your boyfriend 'n all."

"He was my boyfriend," Sookie replied, sadly.

Hoyt ignored her, seemingly determined to finish his point without interruption. "Jason told me all about Dallas, how you rescued Eric Northman from the Fellowship, and saved his life after the bombing."

That thought brought a scowl to her face, resurrecting memories of how much she had hated Eric then, when she realised he had tricked her. She was sure he'd only done it to get at Bill; he hadn't even considered the impact on her.

Hoyt watched her carefully, realising he had made an error, even though he had no idea what it was. He changed tack.

"I thought Jessica was your friend. She likes you, she's often said so."

"I am her friend, and I'll do everything I can to save her."

"I think you should speak to Lafayette. I'm not sure what's going on with him, but ever since he met that guy Jesus, he's been different somehow. I think he's hiding something."

Sookie wasn't too sure that Lafayette would be keen to help the vampires, not after his terrible experiences in the cellar of Fangtasia. She said nothing though; they'd agreed a long time ago that it was a secret never to be shared.

Checking her watch, she realised that the flamboyant short-order cook would be arriving soon for the evening shift. She had no idea where he got his energy, but after a day toiling with the road crew he would go home to change then reappear ready for his second job.

Sure enough a few minutes later the low roar of a powerful engine announced the arrival of possibly the fanciest car ever to grace Merlotte's parking lot. Lafayette got out of the car with his usual swagger, but his demeanour changed as he saw Sookie waiting for him by the back door. She had a determined look on her face, and that usually meant trouble.

"Nice car!" Sookie only intended to be polite, and was surprised by Lafayette's reaction. She knew him well enough to recognise guilt when she saw it, and lifted her shields to listen in.

'Shit, what if she recognises it, she'll guess…damn, I shouldn't have…"

"Did Sam give everyone a raise while I was away?" she asked sarcastically, while racking her brains to think of anyone who they both knew who would have that kind of money. There was only one person, but she couldn't think of a single good reason why Eric would give Lafayette a car, and even fewer reasons why Lafayette would accept. Still, Pam had mentioned his name last night, so it was worth a fishing expedition.

"Or was it Eric's idea of compensation?"

"Yes…yes" Lafayette said out loud, but that wasn't the response that interested Sookie. "Thank fuck, if she believes that….."

"I wasn't born yesterday. I have no idea what arrangement you have with Eric Northman, but we'll say no more about it. There is something I need you to help me with though."

Lafayette managed to look both relieved and reluctant at the same time, the warring emotions playing very clearly across his face.

"Do you know many people in Shreveport?" she asked.

"You mean among dem' coloured folks?" Lafayette countered, covering his confusion with an exaggerated accent.

Sookie pulled a face. "I heard about an old woman who had…powers…I think she was some kind of witch."

His face lost all its animation. His expression reminded Sookie of the post-traumatic stress he'd suffered after his imprisonment in the Fangtasia cellar, and she felt a wave of guilt for reminding him.

"I'm sorry to put you though this, but Jessica's been kidnapped and we have to help her."

"What do you want from me?"

"Just some information, anything you know about this woman."

Lafayette draped an arm around her shoulder and guided her over to the smoking shelter where they could have some privacy.

"Things have been turned upside down while you've been away, Sook. I guess people done told you about Jesus…" he waited for to acknowledge the point before continuing, "well, he has…powers…and it turns out that I have them too."

"The woman you're talking about, she's some kind of second cousin to me, we share a great, great, great-grandmother. She was African, and she had some serious ju-ju shit going down. Anyone who messed with her or her people wound up dead. The story goes that she was betrayed and condemned to death by burning – like she was a witch or something.

"She left a few possessions behind. I heard that they would give the person with the right skills the power to raise the dead. She wanted to raise an army to fight the slave-owners and liberate her people. That never happened, but I guess the things she left never disappeared.

"My cousin, she used to help people out when they couldn't afford their medical bills an' such. I haven't seen her in an age, but I heard that she changed. Someone told me she'd been ripped off in a property deal by some Vamps and that she'd threatened revenge on them."

Sookie was thoughtful as Lafayette recounted the history to her. It certainly made sense with the facts she had.

"Well she seems to have decided to get someone else to do her dirty work, a woman called Marnie, but she's going after the Vampires right enough, starting with Eric Northman." She paused, to gauge Lafayette's reaction. "I know he's no friend of yours but Jessica doesn't deserve to suffer. Besides if Marnie is successful in taking on the vamps, who knows who she'll come after next."

Lafayette was paying close attention to the dirt beneath his feet, kicking it and drawing little patterns with his shoe. He said nothing.

A voice sounded from the door of the bar, "Lafayette, will you get your shit in here now, man." It was Terry, yelling. "There's hungry folks need feeding."

"Fine Sookie, I'll help you," he blurted out, "I just hope you know what you're doing."

"So do I," Sookie murmured, more to herself than to anyone else, as she accompanied him inside to finish her shift, "so do I."

Arriving home just after sun-down, Sookie wanted nothing more than to take a long soak in the tub and have an early night. It wasn't just the thought of driving to Shreveport that upset he, it was the prospect of seeing Eric again.

It was impossible to think of him without regret for what might have been; what they had lost which might never be regained. The time they had together had been so brief, but it was long enough for her to discover her feelings for him. She'd thought she loved Bill Compton, but now she realised that was just infatuation. The excitement of finding that she couldn't hear his thoughts, and the discovery of how much she enjoyed sex, had blinded her to his controlling behaviour and the many warning signs that he was not all he seemed.

She must have been real bad in a previous life, she decided, to be betrayed by her first love and abandoned by her second.

Pushing the negative thoughts away she determined to be adult about the situation. She had to deal with him, and she sure as hell wasn't going to let him upset her. So after a quick shower and a sandwich, she pulled on some old jeans and a shirt, and set off for the now-familiar drive.

Fangtasia was quiet when she entered. The dais at the end of the club was empty; Eric's elaborate chair stood unoccupied. Sookie glanced around, looking for him. She didn't mean to, but she couldn't help herself. As she turned back, she realised that Pam had materialised silently at her side. The vampire gave her arm a reassuring squeeze; or at least Sookie assumed it was intended to offer comfort. Unfortunately Pam sometimes forgot her own strength and it hurt more than a little.

Sookie forced a smile. "How is everything?" she asked.

"Worryingly quiet," Pam replied, looking worried. "There's been no further word from Marnie, and everything seems to be perfectly normal." She gave an involuntary glance across the room.

Sookie followed her gaze. She could see Eric's distinctive blond hair above the top of one of the seating booths. Two women were walking away, whispering to each other, but their posture spoke clearly of rejection.

"He's been on his best behaviour," Pam observed with a hint of a smile.

Sookie rolled her eyes.

"No, I mean it. I told him he was out of order, the way he was treating you, and I think he recognises it."

"Good, anyway I haven't come here to talk about Eric," Sookie said firmly, "we should go to the office and talk in private."

"You go; I'll join you in a minute when I've found someone to take over on door duty."

Pam's glance at Eric, and his movement in response was so quick that Sookie barely saw him leave his booth. By the time she reached the office he was sitting behind the desk, feet propped up in a nonchalant pose. Sookie scowled, she had a good idea that Pam was behind this, but why she would want to bring the two of them together was a mystery.

"Pam informs me that I have treated you badly." Eric observed. "She thinks I should apologise." He sounded insincere and disinterested.

"Eric, you don't owe me anything," Sookie winced at the clichéd phrase, even as the words left her lips.

"Unfortunately I have no way of telling if that is true or not, as I have no memory. When it returns, you can be sure that I will fulfil any obligations that I have towards you." He stood up and prowled slowly around her, sniffing the air as if her scent would reveal something. "Perhaps if you allowed me to taste your blood?" he added, looking at her hopefully.

Sookie was tempted to slap him, but restrained herself. From previous experience she knew it was as painful as hitting a rock, and about as effective. Instead she had to be satisfied with a fierce glare.

Pam chose that moment to enter the room and regarded them both with her most supercilious gaze.

"Pam could we just get on, I'm tired and I want to get home. Did Alcide contact you?" Sookie had little patience with Pam's games at the best of times, and none at all tonight.

"Yes, the wolf has promised his pack. Did you find out anything?"

Sookie took a deep breath, "I think so. I think the source of this woman Marnie's power is a crystal ball she has. If we can destroy it, we have a good chance of breaking her spell.

Pam had picked up a pen and was sketching on the back of one of the publicity leaflets for Fangtasia. "We will need to attach on several fronts," she said, "I will lead the vampires to rescue Jessica. Alcide and his Were pack can take on Marnie and her coven. I think you should try to seize this ball, do you have someone who can help you?"

Sookie nodded, "Hoyt wants to help, Jessica's boyfriend."

"The human?" Pam asked sounding doubtful.

"And I will be where?" Eric asked suddenly. Both women jumped; they'd been so engrossed in the plan that they'd almost forgotten his presence.

"You can watch Sookie's back, you owe her that at least."