Chapter Nineteen

Darcie was dreaming. She knew that she was. She was in an elaborate room with a large four poster bed. The furniture and the oil lamps let her know that it was sometime long ago in the past. It was chilly in the room and there was a small fire in the fireplace in an effort to warm up the air. She stood before a formal free-standing mirror and was changing out of a gown. It was the red silk gown like the one that she had worn in the vision the night that she went into Randall's mind. Expect when she looked in the mirror, it wasn't her. Her eyes were brown and her hair was a light, golden brown. She was young and pretty, yet for some reason the girl looked sad. There was a maid to help her out of the dress. The maid then helped her into a white lace nightgown and departed. Darcie or the girl looked around and it was a richly appointed room. Obviously the girl was from a very well-to-do family. The girl walked over to a desk and opened a drawer. Hidden at the bottom were several drawings. They were drawings of the girl's maid in the nude and they were quite good. The girl had talent and Darcie felt a moment of sadness. The times that the girl lived in would not allow her to pursue this gift. The only life that her future held was that of being a proper wife and mother. Perhaps, the girl knew this same truth and Darcie felt a tear roll down her cheek and drop onto her beautiful drawing.

It was then that a soft rapping was heard and the girl turned towards the sound. Outside the french doors was a handsome man dressed in a black, formal suit. Darcie felt a moment's surprise when she realized who she was looking at. The girl slowly walked to the door and opened it. Eric stood outside and he smiled at her.

"How do you know where I live?" asked the girl.

"I followed you," said Eric. "It's cold outside, invite me in."

"I'm not in the habit of inviting strange men into my bedchambers, Sir," she replied.

"I picked you out because you have courage. Don't disappoint me now," said Eric.

"I don't know what you are talking about," said the girl.

"Don't you? I know that you have secrets and little hopes and dreams that you hide away. But, the life you lead won't allow you to realize any of them," said Eric.

"Are you here to cruelly taunt me by telling me the truth that I already know?" demanded the girl.

"No, I'm here to offer you the chance at a life that knows no rules or boundaries," said Eric.

The girl stared at him and Darcie saw him through her eyes. He was as beautiful as ever, dressed in those clothes with his long blonde hair. Those icy blue eyes looked back at her and Darcie felt as if he could guess all the secrets that she kept hidden in her heart, as well.

"What are you, Sir?" asked the girl.

"Vampire," said Eric.

The girl should have been frightened, but she wasn't. Darcie could feel her curiosity and she had noticed that throughout the room where articles and books of far off and exotic lands. Places that this girl was destined to never see. She wondered what she would have done, if she were this girl living in this time. She felt that she would take this vampire's hand and the life he offered her. This girl was suffering under the yoke of what her society expected her to be. In the coming years, she would be beaten down in a probable loveless marriage or she would be destined to live out her days as a lonely spinster. And all her dreams would fade into nothingness as the years wore on until she became a shadow of the vibrant young girl that Darcie had seen in the mirror.

The girl must have known the same things because she opened the door and said, "Come in."

Eric walked inside and swept her into an embrace and kissed her the way this proper young lady had never been kissed before. She returned the kiss with enthusiasm, causing Eric to smile down at her.

He began to remove his clothes and she walked backwards to the bed. Darcie felt like a voyeur now, but she wasn't in control of the girl and she couldn't close her eyes. But, did she want to close her eyes? Was this a past memory that had found it's way to her dreams or was this just a fantasy of hers? When his chest was bare, the girl said, "What are you going to do?"

Eric looked at her and his blue eyes held a compassion that Darcie had never seen.

"I'm going to ravish you and then I'm going to drain you and feed you my blood. You will die, but then you will rise and begin your new life," said Eric.

"Will I be with you?" asked the girl.

"Yes, for as long as you wish," said Eric. "But, I will give you the freedom to decide your own path."

He looked at her, as if he was looking through her, and said, "That is what you desire, isn't it? Freedom?"

"Yes," said the girl.

Eric stepped to her and pulled off her gown as she removed the rest of his clothes. He pulled her down on her bed and looked down on her.

"Are you frightened, Emma?" he asked, as he brushed his hand in her hair.

"You know my name," she said.

"I've been watching you for a while," said Eric.

Emma looked at him and said, "I've never wanted anything so much in my life."

She reached for him and pulled him close to her and began her new life with a fearlessness that Darcie could only admire. Eric had chosen her wisely, thought Darcie.

Darcie rolled over and woke up. She stared at the clock and saw that it was 3 AM. She had been back in Shreveport for a couple of days and had not seen Eric, although he had called her when she returned. But, he was always in her thoughts and, now, in her dreams as well. She wasn't sure but she felt that letting him feed on her had done this. Somehow, some switch had been turned on. That act had been surprisingly intimate and erotic, was it any wonder that she was so affected? If she didn't let him feed on her again, would it shut off all these thoughts and feelings?

Darcie heard a soft knocking and looked over at her door and saw Eric outside the french doors. He was wearing his ever present black pants and leather jacket. She was struck by the similarity of this reality and her dream. She felt a chill run down her spine. But, she got up and walked to the door and opened it for him. He walked inside without asking permission since she had already given him an invitation. He was being polite by knocking, she guessed. Since, she could roll over some night and find him in bed with her. She immediately visualized him in her bed and silently sent herself a message to cease and desist.

"This is a surprise," said Darcie.

Eric turned and took her into his arms, whispering in her ear, "I need to feed on you, again."

Darcie extracted herself and said, "You woke me up from a sound sleep so that you could bite me?"

"Yes, it's...urgent," said Eric.

"I don't remember agreeing to do this on a regular basis," said Darcie.

"But, it gives us both pleasure, how can it be so wrong?" asked Eric.

How indeed, thought Darcie. Except that it was doing something to her. She found that he was never far from her thoughts and he was getting much harder to resist. Eric must have sensed her weakness and pulled her to the bed.

"No, not there," said Darcie. Not after that dream, no way, she thought.

Eric frowned slightly and pulled her to the chaise in her seating area. He shrugged off his jacket and moved next to her and began to kiss her on the neck with an urgency that made Darcie nervous. She pushed him back with a huge effort and handed him her wrist. He stared at her confused for a moment.

But, he took it and said, "This is it?"

"I...I don't want you biting me on the neck," said Darcie.

"There are other places," said Eric, with a slight leer.

"No, it's the wrist or nothing," said Darcie, firmly.

She could see the disappointment in his eyes and she felt herself wavering. See, she told herself, that is what letting him feed on you is doing. She was already thinking of his feelings.

Eric kissed the top of her hand and looking into her eyes, he brought out his fangs. His blue eyes seemed to smolder as he sank his fangs into her wrist. Darcie gave a gasp of pain and then closed her eyes as he put his lips to her wrist and drank her blood. He softly caressed her with his other hand and Darcie wondered how even biting her on the wrist could arouse her. She felt herself in the grip of something that she did not understand. When his hand strayed to her breast and lightly cupped it, she knew that she should stop him, now. Yet, she felt herself arching into his hand instead. He didn't overly take advantage of her weakness and only gently caressed it. His hand moved to her jaw and he stopped feeding on her. He kissed her long and lingering as that hand moved into her hair and pulled her into the kiss. He broke the kiss, finally, and looked into her eyes.

"Is it always like that?" asked Darcie.

"No, it gets much, much better," said Eric with a tiny smile.

"I was afraid that you would say that," said Darcie.

Darcie sat up and made to move away, but Eric grabbed her hand.

"Why do you insist on denying us the pleasure that we could have with each other?" asked Eric.

There was no use in pretending that she didn't want him, that had become obvious the moment that she had allowed him to feed on her. Never exchange blood with a vampire, that's what her grandmother had told her. But, she wasn't exchanging blood with Eric. He was only taking hers and Grandmother had never met a six feet four blonde, viking vampire, now had she? Darcie was sure that even Grandmother would have been tempted to let him take a nip from her.

"It's not a good idea to shag your boss and blackmailer," said Darcie.

"If I had known how you would hold that against me, I would have never agreed to taking you," said Eric.

Did that mean that it wasn't his idea to kidnap me, thought Darcie. Who's idea was it, then?

"What if I leave Sookie alone and you stay here with me as my companion. I can't force you to do anything for me that you don't agree to," said Eric.

"Am I to believe that you would give up the right to tell me what to do?" asked Darcie.

"Yes," said Eric.

He had surprised her. But, he was good at that, wasn't he? That was something that kept her interested.

"I...I don't know what to say," said Darcie.

"Say 'yes' because there is still enough time before dawn for me to have my way with you," said Eric with a smile.

"There are others who's feelings I have to take into consideration," said Darcie.

"When are you going to cut them loose?" said Eric.

"They are a more logical choice, I'll have you know," said Darcie. "Besides, they arrive tomorrow."

"What? They are coming here? Why didn't you tell me?" demanded Eric.

"I'm telling you, now," said Darcie.

She smiled and said, "Just a little hint, killing your rivals isn't going to win you any brownie points."

"Are they staying here with you?" asked Eric.

"Jealous?" smirked Darcie. "They are the ones that should be jealous, since I have been dating them on and off for years."

"Years?" said Eric.

"Yes, I'm afraid that I can't pick one over the other. They're brothers and you'll understand my predicament when you meet them," said Darcie.

"Brothers? This is sounding weirder all the time," said Eric.

"I always thought that it was a bit pervie, myself," said Darcie. "I'll bring them by Fangtasia tomorrow night. Now, you have to go because I need my beauty sleep."

"Kicking me out, again. You could give me a complex from this fickle treatment," said Eric.

"I'm sure that your substantial ego can handle it. Look at it as a character building experience," said Darcie with a smile.