Chapter Eleven

Isabel and Stan

and

Darcie Lets Her Guard Down

Eric put a possessive hand on Darcie's arm and led her to the doorway of a modern looking home. When he rang the doorbell, a beautiful female vampire who looked to be of Spanish decent opened the door. She was dressed in a stylish white shirt that molded onto her form and the outfit had a white corset-style top. Seeing a vampire in white seemed a little odd to Darcie, maybe because she usually saw Eric in black. Tonight was no exception, he was wearing black jeans and tee shirt topped with a black, leather jacket. It was criminal how good he looked in it too, she thought.

"Sheriff Northman, welcome," she said.

Her eyes found Darcie and she added, "I didn't know that you were bringing your human."

"She minds her manners," said Eric, giving her arm a squeeze to, no doubt, offset the offense of calling her his lap dog.

"Oh, my human, Hugo, is here and they can keep each other company," said Isabel.

She led the way inside to a large room with a sectional and seating on side and a large table and chairs on the other. The room was modern and expensively decorated in whites, soft grays and black accents. Very nice artwork adorned the walls and was displayed throughout the room. The room opened to the outside with a wall of glass patio doors that were at this time closed.

Darcie was deposited at the table with Hugo and Eric walked across the large room to the other side were Isabel and Stan waited.

"What is it with vampires and their humans these days? Do you have to bring them with you everywhere?" said Stan. "At least, yours is easy on the eyes."

Stan stared at Darcie from across the room. He was also wearing all black with black cowboy jeans and a long-sleeved western top. He looked like a vampire cowboy and until tonight she had never thought that combination would have existed.

Darcie was wearing the dress that Madam Michel had found for her. It was lovely deep blue with an empire waist that gracefully flowed over her figure and subtly hinted at the curves underneath. The top exposed just enough cleavage to catch a man's eye, even a vampire's it seemed. Darcie meekly dropped her eyes under Stan's gaze, causing him to slightly smirk.

"Are you done ogling Sheriff Northman's human?" asked Isabel. "Can we move on?"

Back at the table, Hugo leaned in and said, "That was quite a compliment since Stan usually hates humans."

"If you say so," said Darcie.

"Are you British?" asked Hugo. "How did you ever meet Mr. Northman?"

"It's a long story," said Darcie, who didn't elaborate any further.

"Would you like a drink? There are soft drinks in case he doesn't like for you to consume alcohol before he feeds on you," said Hugo.

Feed on me, thought Darcie, what a creepy phrase. Darcie shuddered slightly and wondered when that vampire was going to demand that she let him do that. According to him, she still owed him that because of the bargain between them. He had surprised her by not demanding her blood so far. Perhaps, he was waiting for the right moment.

Darcie asked for a coke and began to listen in on the vampire's conversation. She wasn't sure why Eric had wanted her to come since she couldn't read their minds. But, she could feel the hostility coming off Stan and as she focused on him without trying to look like she was, she somehow knew that his name used to be Stanislous Davidowitz. That surprised her and she pondered over the implications of what that meant. Maybe, every once in a while, a stray thought escaped through that void that was their minds and she could pick it up. If vampires were aware that she could do that, even Eric, she would be in great danger. This was one little ability that needed to be kept a secret from all.

"Are you certain that Godric was abducted by the Fellowship of the Sun church?" asked Eric.

"Yes," said Stan.

"No," said Isabel.

"They're the only ones with the organization and man power," said Stan.

"But, they're amateurs. It doesn't make any sense," said Isabel. "This is Godric that we are talking about, two thousand years old."

"Old don't make you smart," said Stan.

"Besides, there's no proof," said Isabel.

"There is no reason to wait. We need to take those fanatics down, full frontal attack. Exterminate them like the vermin they are," said Stan. "Leave no trace."

"Hmm, vampire hating church annihilated? I wonder who did it? Just brilliant," said Isabel. "And not to mention that the king would never approve of the destruction of our international political agenda."

"The great revelation is the biggest mistake that we ever made," said Stan.

"Don't use Godric to make your own little power play," said Isabel.

Eric watched Godric's two lieutenants squabble among themselves and found himself growing angrier by the moment. He felt his decision to come here and bring Darcie had been justified. If these two were supposedly the best and brightest of Godric's vampires, he didn't believe that Godric had a chance of being found.

"You're completely incompetent. What's happened to Godric that he surrounds himself with clowns?" said Eric, losing his temper.

"We invited you as a courtesy," said Isabel. "This is not your territory. You have no voice here."

"Yeah, Sheriff, why don't you run on back down to Louisiana. We don't need you," said Stan.

"Oh, I'm not going anywhere," said Eric.

"I have a plan," said Stan.

"It's not a plan it's a movie," said Isabel.

"It's not a movie, it's a war," said Stan.

"Idiots!" yelled Eric.

Eric, using his enhanced speed, picked up a vase and threw it against a wall, shattering it into a thousand pieces.

"Godric has protected you, made you rich. And you stand here spitting and scratching like infants."

Eric stared at them with a cold intense gaze and then angrily walked for the exit. He paused at the room's exit and Darcie quickly moved to his side and together they left.

Sitting on the sectional in their suite, Darcie watched Eric as he irately paced the room. He had thrown off the leather jacket upon arriving and began moving to and fro, reminding Darcie of a caged animal. He was obviously angry, yet he had not turned any of that wrath onto her. He had been silent the entire drive back and was still lost in his own thoughts. Finally, he leaned against the fireplace and stared into it's depths. Perhaps, he needed to be alone with these thoughts decided Darcie. She doubted her ability to understand him, let alone help him. And let's not forget here, she told herself, he is your blackmailer who wants to take away your escape clause and control you even more tightly than he already does.

Darcie decided to get ready for bed, since they could discuss things tomorrow. She quietly got up and headed for her room and got her things, and then went into bathroom. She took a hot shower since she didn't want to take the time for a bath. She dried her hair and changed into the baby doll. She paused a moment to admire herself in the mirror. She didn't usually sleep in lingerie, but this was very pretty. She put on one of the hotel robes over it. The robes were a deep charcoal color and very plush. Darcie exited the bathroom to find Eric waiting for her.

"I want to talk about tonight," he said.

Although Darcie's bed was calling to her, she nodded and took a seat on the sectional. Eric stood and gazed at her.

"Well?" he said.

"I think Stan is off his trolley, as my grandmother used to say," said Darcie.

"I agree," said Eric.

"He's also dangerous. But, I think his assessment of who took Godric to be surprisingly logical," said Darcie. "We should start looking there."

"Infiltrating the Fellowship is not without it's risks," said Eric. "Especially, since that would be during the daytime and I won't be able to protect you then."

"There is more than one way to gain information and Mr. Turner will protect me," said Darcie.

"So, he's your bodyguard as well as your butler, now?" asked Eric.

"Mr. Turner is well-schooled in many disciplines," said Darcie.

"Am I going to meet this elusive Mr. Turner?" asked Eric.

"I would hardly call him elusive, you only just found out about him," said Darcie.

"Yes, that's correct. He is obviously important to you, but you have never mentioned him until you had to," said Eric.

"I fail to see why you think that you have to know all the minute details of my life. I only work for you, remember?" said Darcie.

"I can arrange a room for him next to ours," said Eric.

"No," said Darcie. "I'm afraid that he doesn't much like vampires, no offense."

Eric looked at her and twisted his neck. He sat down beside her and rubbed his neck. He turned to her and gave her a small smile.

"You did very well tonight, playing my little human," said Eric.

I suppose that he is paying me a compliment, thought Darcie. He was very concerned and distraught about this Godric. He must be more to him that just a friend. She wondered at the person who could elicit such a response from the normal taciturn Mr. Northman. She watched him as he continued to rub a hand along his neck.

Darcie brought her knees underneath her and knelt on the sofa to give her some extra height. She slowly reached for Eric's shoulders and began to massage them. She felt him freeze a moment with surprise.

She leaned in and said, "Don't get too used to this special treatment. As soon as this is over, I'm pulling the rug out from under you."

His shoulders were a mass of tense knots. Darcie wondered how that was possible. Shouldn't vampires be immune to that?

She felt him begin to relax and she began to use more of her strength. He didn't seem to mind and she worked out the tension from his muscles. She moved down to his back. She found herself enjoying this contact since it was not sexual. And he seemed to like the comfort that she was giving him. He was a complex creature, she thought. She would be lying if she said that he didn't intrigue her and make her curious. Just when she thought that he was simply what he appeared to be, he managed to surprise her.

"Will you tell me who Godric really is?" she asked.

There was a long pause, so long that she thought that he was going to refuse to answer.

Finally, he said, "Godric is my maker."

So, he made Eric a vampire, thought Darcie. But, she thought, didn't they have to kill the person that they turn? How can you love someone that killed you? Darcie didn't think that she would ever understand vampires.

As she was musing over these thoughts, Eric took one of her hands in his. He turned around to face her and the next thing she knew he was kissing her, moving so quickly that she did not have time to react. He then began kissing her slower and taking his time. She felt his hand reach up and run into her hair. Darcie sighed and allowed his touch since she believed that he was seeking the only type of comfort that he usually took from humans. She believed that he was feeling things that he did not like to feel. But, thought Darcie, I don't want to be his diversion tonight. However, once he moved down to her neck and began kissing her there, Darcie closed her eyes and forgot for a moment that she was going to make him stop. She heard a soft, low moan and realized that it had come from her lips.

When she heard a snick and felt his fangs in the kisses on her neck, Darcie came out of it. He wasn't trying to bite her at this moment. For if he had wanted to do that, he could have already sank those fangs into her neck since she had foolishly laid it bare for him. But, those fangs signaled his intentions very clearly. She surprised him by moving off the sofa with a speed that he had not thought her capable of.

He gazed up at her from the sofa and Darcie found herself unable to look away from those fangs.

"Well, this is awkward," he said.

Darcie realized that her robe was hanging open, exposing that baby doll. She cinched it closed and wondered how that devil had done that without her noticing.

"I must give the boutique my compliments for having such sexy lingerie," he said, smirking.

Had he been playing her all that time? Had he been lulling her to distraction by playing a wounded bird that she wanted to heal? As much as she thought that he might be capable of that, Darcie felt that he had not been acting about his concerns for Godric. But, he is a predator, she thought, and he could not change his nature.

"You cannot play me or distract me," said Darcie.

"I have my doubts about playing you," said Eric. "But distraction? I think that was going very well."

"You tricky devil," Darcie said. "You can not bite me. Do you understand? I can't go snooping around the Fellowship of the Sun church with your fang marks on me."

Eric rested his elbow along the sofa back and placed his chin on his hand and gazed at her with a naughty smirk. He had not retracted his fangs either, noticed Darcie.

"I could bite you where those pious fanatics would not look," said Eric.

"You are not biting me there or anywhere," said Darcie.

"You know that you want me to," said Eric. "Admit it, you find me irresistible."

"I do not," said Darcie.

"You could have fooled me," said Eric. "I did detect a note of pleasure in those moans, Darcie."

His smile deepened enough to display those fangs more prominently for her and he added, "Okay, no biting, but can we still have the sex part?"

"You absolutely wicked creature," said Darcie.

Darcie turned and headed for her bedroom, knowing that he was watching her retreating figure.

"Goodnight, Darcie," called Eric after her.