Chapter Four

Later that same evening, Eric called Bill.

"Darcie is coming back to Bon Temps," Eric said.

"What?" said Bill. "Can't you control her?"

"Afraid that she will rat you out?" taunted Eric.

Of course, Eric then realized the lengths that Bill would go in order to keep Sookie to himself.

"Darcie doesn't know that it was you that brought her to me," said Eric. "She is under my protection, Bill. Don't ever lay a hand on her again."

"Why did you let her come back?" asked Bill.

"Because she wants to continue her relationship with Sookie and Jason," said Eric.

"So, she is the one making the conditions?" asked Bill. "That's a surprise. Is she wrapping you around her finger?"

From the brief time that Bill had spent with Darcie, she had struck him as a complex individual. So different from Sookie. She would be harder to control, he thought.

"Whatever is going on between Darcie and myself is really none of your business, Bill," said Eric.

"But, it is my business if she discovers that I was responsible for bringing her to you. How can she keep anything from Sookie?" demanded Bill.

"Darcie's ability is somehow different or stronger than Sookie's," said Eric.

"So, you aren't planning on keeping your arrangement with Darcie a secret? Just how are planning to pull that off?" asked Bill.

"Darcie is going to pretend that we are together as a couple and that she is with me of her own free will," said Eric.

"Pretend?" snorted Bill. "You forget that I have seen the girl."

"Since you didn't hear it the first time, Bill, I'll say it again," said Eric. "It's really none of your business, since I have ensured that your involvement in this affair is a secret. You are to bring Sookie and Darcie here to Fangtasia tomorrow evening."

"I understand," said Bill.

"And your job is to keep Sookie happy and too occupied to question the relationship between Darcie and me. Hopefully, you are capable of that."

With that last parting shot, Eric hung up.

As the girls got ready for Bill to take them to Fangtasia, Sookie explained to Darcie who Eric Northman was.

"Why does he have the power to summon us?" asked Darcie. "Why do we even have to comply?"

"Because if we don't come, he will send vampires here and force us to come," said Sookie.

"Does he have power over you because of your relationship with Bill?" asked Darcie.

"If it wasn't for Bill, Eric would just take me," said Sookie.

Sookie was so naïve, thought Darcie. Bill was the reason that she had come under Eric Northman's eye to begin with. Of course, Darcie didn't let those thoughts out.

"Okay, where was I?" began Sookie. "He is the sheriff of this area and he's not very nice."

You'll get no disagreement from me on that, thought Darcie.

"I have to tell you that he is gorgeous," said Sookie.

That he is, thought Darcie. For a moment, Darcie flashed back to being on the sofa with him. Darcie admitted a certain weakness for the tall ones. And he was a tall, delicious piece of vampire naughtiness. With a slight shake of the head, Darcie returned back to the hear and now.

"Don't trust him, though," continued Sookie. "Just stay with Bill and me and don't even talk to him because he will get inside your head and manipulate you."

Too late for that, thought Darcie, ruefully. Darcie had shielded all these thoughts from Sookie and was only letting out the normal thoughts just in case Sookie was listening. She didn't think that Sookie would try to listen in on her thoughts since Sookie considered that rude. But, even if Sookie did try to read Darcie's thoughts, she wouldn't be able to. It was true that Darcie was a telepath, but she was a little more than that. Darcie had not expected her American cousin to be gifted. It was quite a surprise. Darcie had not been kidding when she had said that her family had always been a little eccentric. She wasn't sure if the addition of the Stackhouse genes had effected the family traits or not. Her family had already been gifted before Edgar Stackhouse had mingled his genes into their gene pool. Throughout her family's history, certain abilities had manifested and been passed down. These abilities were the result of numerous matings with her ancestors and supernatural beings. These inclusions of non-human DNA had made Darcie something more than human. Darcie wasn't sure why her family was such a magnet for supernatural creatures. Perhaps, they could somehow sense that the members of her family were different. And now, she had the interest of a vampire to deal with. She would be wise to keep Eric Northman from discovering just how different from Sookie she really was.

After Darcie dressed, she came down the stairs for Sookie's inspection. Sookie actually frowned as she looked at what Darcie was wearing. Darcie was wearing a short dress that fell to mid-thigh. It had high neck and short sleeves and fit her like a glove. But, the worst thing was the color, thought Sookie, it was fire-engine red. It was a simplistic, classic design, but the color made it stand out. Plus, she thought, red was a bad color to pick for an evening at a vampire bar. Darcie finally reached the bottom of the stairs and Sookie noticed how tall she was. She looked down at Darcie's feet and saw that she was wearing black peep-toe pumps with a slight platform heel that added additional inches to her height.

"You are going to cause a riot in that," said Sookie.

"I thought that you said that I should not dress conservatively," said Darcie.

"You are just too pretty for your own good," said Sookie.

But, Darcie could hear her unspoken thought, Eric is going to be all over you.

That's the plan, thought Darcie. She was satisfied that Eric's interest in her was already becoming inevitable in Sookie's mind.

"Um, perhaps you should tone it down a little Darcie," said Sookie.

"I'm not the kind of girl who's afraid of a little attention," said Darcie, with a naughty smile.

When Bill arrived at that moment to drive them to Fangtasia, his eyes took in Darcie and that outfit. He noted unhappily that Darcie was taller than him with those shoes. She seemed a better match for Eric than Sookie, he thought. It was obvious that Eric was happy with the arrangement since he had already warned him in no uncertain terms to stay away from her. He was relieved when Darcie's eyes passed over him and he saw nothing in them to indicate that she was aware of what he had done.

Pam was waiting for them at the entrance. She was dressed in a black, leather corset dress. Her eyes lingered over Darcie as she spoke with Bill.

"Eric's waiting for you," she said.

She turned her eyes to Darcie and said, "Now, how did you know that red was my favorite color?"

"I would have thought that any color I was wearing would be your favorite color," replied Darcie.

Pam smiled and said, "Red is Eric's favorite color too."

"I had a feeling it would be," said Darcie.

Pam turned and led them inside to Eric. Darcie stayed behind Bill and Sookie and it wasn't until he waved them forward that he saw Darcie. Even though he knew that she was dressing the part to attract his attention, he couldn't help but be impressed with her efforts. In a sea of drab black colors, that red dress blazed like a fire. He noticed how much taller than Sookie she was and looked down at her feet which were encased in slightly naughty looking pumps. His eyes then roved up her body until he reached her face which wore a tiny smile. His inspection of Darcie had not gone unnoticed by Sookie who looked on them nervously. Bill held Sookie's hand and led her to the chair on Eric's right. Bill was supposed to take the chair on Eric's left so Darcie could sit next to Sookie. But, Bill immediately sat down next to Sookie who gave Bill an aggravated look which he chose to ignore. Darcie was left with only one choice. Eric smiled a small smile and waved his hand at the empty chair and after only a second's hesitation Darcie stepped to it and sat down.

"So, you are Sookie's cousin?" asked Eric.

"Yes," said Darcie. "Although, we are distant cousins."

"And I hear that you have decided to stay on for a while?" asked Eric.

"Yes, it's amazing how everything finds it's way back to you, isn't it?" said Darcie who quickly cast a glance to Bill before turning her eyes back to Eric.

"It is my business to know what goes on in my area," said Eric.

"I wouldn't have thought that the visit of a distant cousin to a human in your area would have been worth your scrutiny," said Darcie.

"Sookie and things pertaining to her are of interest to me," said Eric. "But, you already know this."

"So, why do you really want to see me? Is it because you think that I also possess Sookie's ability?" asked Darcie.

All this line of questioning was for Sookie's benefit since both Eric and Darcie already knew these things about one another.

"Darcie, don't" said Sookie, trying to stop her cousin from admitting to Eric that she was also a telepath.

"It's alright, Sookie, I'm sure that Mr. Northman already suspects what I am," said Darcie.

"I admit that was my purpose in summoning you here," said Eric. "However, I find myself interested in other things at the moment."

Eric stared boldly at Darcie who returned his gaze. Sookie nudged Bill, but he just shrugged as if to say, what am I supposed to do?

"I'm not used to the habits of vampires, but are you flirting with me Mr. Northman?" asked Darcie.

"Would such attention be unwanted?" asked Eric.

"Darcie, can you come to the restroom with me?" suddenly asked Sookie.

Both Eric and Darcie stared at Sookie when she said that.

"Do you require assistance when you pee?" asked Eric.

What are you doing, Darcie? I warned you to stay away from him, came Sookie's thoughts in Darcie's head.

I know you did, but he is just too tempting, Cousin, telepathically replied Darcie.

He is not what he appears to be. Don't let those looks deceive you, said Sookie telepathically.

I'd say that he looks rather wicked and I hate to shatter your expectations of me, Sookie, but that is just the way that I like them, said Darcie telepathically.

Are you crazy? demanded Sookie.

Both Eric and Bill had been watching Sookie and Darcie during this exchange, knowing that they were talking to each other telepathically.

"Maybe I am, Sookie," said Darcie out loud. "But, I'm a big girl."

"Bill, go find another table and take Sookie with you," said Eric.

Bill got up and pulled a very reluctant Sookie away.

Eric watched them with a small smile and then said, "She thinks that I'm not good enough for you."

"Whatever gave you that idea? The daggers coming out of her eyes?" said Darcie.

Eric turned back to Darcie and said, "Let's go somewhere private."

"I don't think that I would be foolish enough to go somewhere private with you," said Darcie.

"This is all an act, remember?" said Eric.

"Just where are we going?" asked Darcie.

"The dungeon," said Eric.

"The dungeon? You certainly know how to peak a girl's interest," said Darcie with a smile.

Eric grinned and got up and took Darcie's hand and escorted her to the dungeon. As they walked out of the main bar his eyes found Sookie. He noted with satisfaction that her eyes were wide with alarm. Before he and Darcie passed out of sight, he gave Sookie a wink.

Eric and Darcie descended the steps down into the dungeon. As they reached the bottom, Darcie's eyes found the torture wheel and she strode over to examine it. She took one of the poles and pushed on it.

As the wheel in the ceiling turned, Darcie said, "This is an interesting little device. Who do you use it on?"

"Human brought in for offenses against vampires, usually," said Eric.

"I take it that you are the judge, jury and executioner?" asked Darcie.

"I am the authority in this area," said Eric. "You don't seem disturbed by my little contraption."

"How exactly did you expect me to react?" asked Darcie.

"I would have expected a proper English lady to have been shocked and appalled by such a device," said Eric.

Darcie turned her eyes to Eric and said, "We both know that I am not a proper English lady."

Eric stepped closer to her and ran his finger down her soft hair and said, "But, I don't know exactly what you are, Darcie."

"A girl never gives away all her secrets, Mr. Northman," said Darcie.

"You haven't given away anything at all, Darcie," said Eric.

"I'm going to make you work for everything that you get, vampire," said Darcie.

"I think that I might like the sound of that," said Eric.

He moved in close to Darcie and kissed her. When she didn't pull away, he moved next to her and brought his hands to the jaw and into her hair.

Finally, she stepped away and out of his grasp. She smiled and said, "That was nice, but our relationship is just pretend, remember?"

"You are teasing me," said Eric.

"I think that you are used to getting exactly what you want, when you want it. A little teasing won't hurt you," she said.

She walked back to the steps. She looked back at him with a little smile and said, "Unless you have some more interesting torture devices to show me, I think it's time to leave before Sookie thinks that you are ravishing me down here."

"I'll be sure to have this place stocked with more interesting toys the next time I bring you down here," said Eric.

"Now, you know that I like the kinky stuff, Lover," said Darcie with a smile.

Darcie waited for him and took his arm as they exited the dungeon together.