Chapter 11
I took a hot bath, put on my white flannel nightgown and crawled into bed. This was where I would stay until I died which I figured would be very soon now. In the span of a week, I had gained the love of my life and lost him twice. I was exhausted and I fell asleep to a soft tapping at my window. In my dream, the tapping was Eric and I whispered for him to go away. The tapping continued very softly for nearly an hour. Maybe it wasn't Eric after all? It may have just been rain hitting the window. I pulled the blanket off and went to the window to see if the wind was pushing a branch against the glass or if Eric really was that patient. I pushed the window up and leaned out. In the darkness, I could just barely make him out hovering in the shadows of my tree. He was still in his tuxedo but now he had a long cloak wrapped around himself. He flew towards me with his hand outstretched.
"Eric…'' The tears started up again and I longed for him, for the hours we'd spent this evening at our home, Ravenwood. I ducked back inside and backed away from the window.
"Sookie, would you like to come for a walk with me?" He said this so gently and sweetly that I could almost believe he had forgiven me. Either that or he was luring me out into the woods so that he could kill me. Everyone would assume that I fled in humiliation. Quinn was probably dead, so there wouldn't be anyone to dispute it. He held out his hand and I shook my head. I was so afraid of him that I couldn't move.
He sensed my fear and came closer to the window. I couldn't stand him being so close to me. I had a flash from his mind suddenly and I sat down on the bed. He was wishing me towards him, or at the very least very interested in me going with him. I couldn't see how that would end well. I hugged my knees and shook my head.
"I just want to talk. Walk with me, Lover…..I couldn't bear to face him. I ran to the window and started to close it but he slid in before I could and wrapped me in his cloak. I sat on the bed, defeated. It didn't matter. If he wanted to hurt me, he could at any time and I wouldn't be able to stop him. What did it matter now anyway? He took a pair of socks from my dresser and placed them on my feet. Then he went to my closet and took out my boots. He helped me put them on and tied them while I cried silently. This must be what animals felt like right before they were slaughtered. He had cared for me and now he was dressing me to kill me and hide the evidence.
Eric kissed my cheeks and I cried harder. I didn't want to end up in the swamps. That was the one thing that I was going to regret was that Eric would probably hide my body somewhere where gators would eat the remains. I shivered at the thought of this and Eric pulled the cloak up around my head. I wished he would get it over with. I began thinking that maybe it wouldn't be so bad. He would hold me like you hold a child whose had a . I would probably just fall asleep as I grew weaker and weaker.
"Eric, if I could just ask that you help Jason out a little. Please?" Eric turned away from me and I couldn't see his eyes.
"Shhhhh, walk with me." He lifted me up and into his arms. We slid out of the window gracefully. The rain had stopped, but the cold air was shocking and I folded myself into Eric's arms. He held me tightly, but as we climbed higher and higher, I realized that he was going to drop me to watch me fall. I held on tighter hoping that he wouldn't be able to let me go. We flew for a few minutes and touched down at the edge of the cemetery. I was in shouting distance of Bill Compton's place. I could yell for Bill, but by the time he arrived, I would be dead. It was then that I gave up. All the fight was gone from me and Eric could probably feel that I was going to be more compliant now.
I sat down in the grass next to a headstone; it had my name on it. I didn't look at him and he stood silently watching the trees shift in the wind.
We sat together for a few minutes. I crushed leaves in my fingers wishing he would just get it over with. I thought about all the things that I had never had the chance to do. About the things I'd meant to say and the people that I'd somehow always meant to call. I thought about how loving Eric had been when we were together and I couldn't believe that he would be the reason that I wouldn't see anyone else that I loved ever again. I sobbed, and stared at the ground. "Just end it, this is worse…." I could see my breath in the frigid, night air. Eric seemed tense and his face was drawn as if he was very upset about something.
"Sookie?" He didn't say anything else and I couldn't say anything, so I just waited for him to do whatever he was going to do. He was beside me suddenly and tilted my chin up so that I was looking directly at him. Blood was coursing down his cheeks and I saw that he was crying too.
"You really think that I could harm you? I know that you are the most afraid that you've ever been, but you are afraid of me and that is killing me. Do you really not know how much I love you?" I didn't know how to answer him. I was afraid, but I was resigned to die tonight because I had embarrassed him in front of his employees and subordinates. I had chosen to protect Quinn and emasculated Eric in front of everyone. I had never regretted something so much. "I don't know, Eric. I just know that I don't want to die out here in the cold." A figure approached Eric from behind and I tried to warn him, but no sound would come out. I saw the stake, and then Eric fell forward, his blood soaking the ground around him. The figure moved towards me and I screamed. Then I was inside with my wrists bound. Even asleep, part of my consciousness knew this place.
Neave flashed silver capped teeth at me and bit into my knee. Lochlan pulled my hair and bit at my ears and neck. I screamed for Eric over and over, but I had just seen him die. I knew that this time I wouldn't escape them. Neave held up a ring, Eric's ring and let it catch the light. I yelled for her to give it back, but she threw it into the darkness.
I called out for him again, hoping….I awoke to the sound of screaming and knew that it was me.
My door flew open and I started. Jason stood in the doorway with a dishtowel in one hand and a cast iron skillet in the other.
"Sookie, you all right?"
"I'm okay." I swallowed big gulps of air and he sat down on the bed beside me. What time is it?" The sun was streaming in through the parted curtains and if I guessed, I'd say it was mid morning.
"It's 8:20-ish. Eric told me you'd be here, so I came to take care of you. I made pancakes and coffee if you're hungry."
"I can't face him, Jason. I should have told him about Quinn." I slid out of the bed and went to the bathroom. My eyes were puffy and red and I had mascara pooling in bags beneath them.
"You're not giving him enough credit, Sookie. You weren't there last night. My new brother-in-law whooped that tiger's ass.
I rushed out of the bathroom. "What do you mean? What happened?"
"I mean just what I said. Some vamps had Quinn pinned down outside, but he was fighting them off. He was like a machine, just throwing vamps left and right like a cage fighter. But Eric came out and—well, maybe it's better if I don't tell you."
"I'm sick of everyone trying to protect me, just tell me what happened. Is Eric okay?"
"Okay? Eric is fine, that other guy, Quinn? maybe not so much. Eric told Quinn that he was going to castrate him for what he did to you. I gotta tell ya, Sook, if a vamp came after me threatening my junk, I guess I'd fight as hard as that guy Quinn. He took off into the woods, and Eric and I chased him for like forty-five minutes. Then we caught up to him in a drainage culvert. I guess he thought he was going to take Eric down, but Eric was all over that guy. I got a few licks in too.
One of Quinn's shifter friends must have seen what was going on and stepped in because suddenly there was this dude with a rake and he broke the handle over his knee. I was grossed the hell out, but Eric took that guy's head off with one hand, just ripped his head and spine right out of his back."
I cringed at the thought of how much brute strength it would take someone to do that kind of thing. I wasn't sure of the extent of Eric's abilities before he'd had Mahesh-Ra's blood, but I was certainly getting a glimpse.
"Quinn got away, but not before Eric took one of his eyes. I swear Sookie I think he let him get away. I think Eric is fuckin' with that guy."
"Are you serious?" I thought of Quinn's pansy purple eyes and wondered what Eric had done with it. And just then, I had a gruesome flash from Jason's mind of Eric dropping it to the ground and crushing it beneath his heel. My new husband had a brutal streak a mile wide. I sat down on the bed and Jason pushed the hair back away from my face.
"So, after Quinn gets away, we headed back to Fangtasia and Eric tells Pam to put the word out that there is a bounty on his head. I didn't hear how much, but you should have seen the parking lot clear out. I'm not kidding, I've never seen vampires move like that. Sam did something really nice for you though. He offered to get the Shifters in on the bounty, but Eric said he'd handle it; that you're his wife, and your honor is his responsibility." You had to love the way old-fashioned men respected things like honor and dignity.
"Sook, you take a shower and get dressed. I'll bring your breakfast up here if you'd like. And then maybe you can show me that fancy new house of yours? Not to mention the fact that you're supposed to be honeymooning by now." My own brother didn't think of this as my house anymore.
"I don't know if I can go back to Shreveport just yet."
"Well, why in blue blazes not? You didn't do anything wrong and you've got no reason to be ashamed. What that guy did to you was wrong and he got what he deserved and more's coming to him. If I ever lay eyes on him again, I just might take his other eye." Jason was sweet, and I knew he meant well, but for his sake, I hope he never did see Quinn again.
"Would you stay for a night or two? Just 'til I get my head on straight. Just 'til I can work this out with Eric, I know he's pissed at me for not being the one to tell him."
"I can stay, sure, but if he's pissed at you, you'd never know it. He was real upset this morning. He wanted to come down here and take you home, but Pam told him to give you a little time to get over your shock and embarrassment. He kept saying that you needed him and that he didn't want to let you down again."
That Pam, as Eric would say. She never stopped surprising me. I knew exactly what Eric was referring to. He was struggling with what to tell me that would appease me when he sent Bill to rescue me instead of coming himself. At this point, I was wondering how much difference it would make in our relationship. In my dream, death prevented Eric from coming. But given the fact that he was very much still here, I couldn't get my brain around it. If he'd needed me, I can't think of a single thing that would keep me from him.
Jason made the best pancakes in all of Louisiana. I don't know whether it was the butter or the pecans, or the real maple syrup, but I tore threw a stack and went looking for more. He handed me a napkin and I wiped my mouth. It would be nice to have him in Shreveport, even if it was just for a few days. He loved houses, and Ravenwood had so much to offer.
We stopped by my parents' old house and picked up things Jason would need to stay at my place for three days or so. I figured that was long enough to smooth the waters between Eric and me. There was a new family of ducks on Jason's pond and I threw some bread out for them while he showered, shaved and dressed. He came out in a clean t-shirt and jeans. My brother took a lot of pride in his appearance to the detriment of most of the single ladies in Bon Temps. But something in Jason had changed. Ever since he'd become a shifter, he'd been really careful about his associations. Jason used to be free and easy, and he'd tell you his life story over a beer. Now, he kept mostly to himself out here on the lake. I hated that my brother might be lonely, when I had found such happiness. He'd been in mourning long enough, it was time for him to find a woman and settle down. Scratch that, a human woman. Not part fairy, not part shifter, not vampire, not were-anything; just good old-fashioned woman. Hell, she could even be Catholic. I laughed at my own joke. My Gran would have appreciated the joke as some of her very own family had converted to Catholicism.
We loaded my tiny trunk with his things, and Jason stood staring at the back of my car. "SLK 55K AMG" We put the top down on my Mercedes and got out onto the road. Jason smoothed his hand over the dashboard and whistled. "Eric bought you this car right?" I nodded. "Damn, This set him back a good 65 grand at least."
"Oh, God, are you serious? I had no idea. That makes me nervous to drive the damned thing." I gripped the wheel tighter thinking of how most of the houses in Bon Temps were worth about that much.
"Not me, if you want me to drive, I sure will."
"Yeah, you had better drive. I'm kind of in shock right now." I pulled over at Whiskey's gas and bar-be-cue and we switched seats.
"Sookie, have you ever talked to Eric about money? I'm just saying when they paid you 50, 000 dollars to keep him, he didn't even bat an eye. He owns a bar for cryin' out loud. How much money do you think that guy has?"
"Wait until you see Ravenwood." He gave me a look. "Yeah, my new house has a name." Don't give me that look, I'm still Sookie Stackhouse on the inside. I just have a new last name to go with it and a few nicer things."
"Whatever you say, Little Bit."
I pulled up the directions to Ravenwood so that I could drift off mentally and not focus on tuning Jason out. I thought about what he'd said about Eric taking Quinn's eye and how Eric had tried to come to me this morning. Jason and I laughed and talked and we had ourselves a great time in the sunshine. I hoped Natalia was working so that I wouldn't feel so bad wandering around the house unescorted. Jason turned down Ravenwood Lane. I told him the gate code, which Bobby Burnham had put in my cell phone, and the gates swung open. We pulled up to the main doors, and Jason's eyes were as wide as I was expecting.
"Sookie, this isn't a house. This is a mansion."
"Yeah, I know, but Eric and I call it a house so…." It was still so very impressive to me. I didn't think that I'd ever reach a point where looking up at this house would not make me feel like the luckiest woman in Louisiana.
Oliver came out as we got Jason's bags out of the car. I guessed that the gate opening must alert Oliver that someone would be at the main house soon and he was to manage the car. I smiled at Oliver and Jason shook his hand. "Jason Stackhouse, Sookie's brother. Good to meet you."
"Oliver Haskins, but you can call me Ollie. Everyone does except for Mr. Northman." He pinched my cheek affectionately, which I found funny. "Congratulations, Mrs. Northman. I'm sure Mr. Eric will be quite pleased to see you looking so well."
"Thanks, Ollie. Do I give you the keys? Or how does this work?"
"I have a key to your car. There's a camera at the gate. When I see which car, I grab the keys. You keep your keys in your bag in case you need 'em."
We mounted the stairs and went inside. I felt a surge of awe and pride in my chest as I opened the door for Jason and he took in the grand staircase.
"Sookie, you're shittin' me right? This is yours? Hell, I'm moving to Shreveport." I laughed, "I wish you would. I don't want to be here in this big house by myself." I had a moment when I thought about what Bill Compton had said about Eric locking me up here by myself to await his awakening. I wouldn't let that happen to me. "Let's put your bag down in the cloak room first, then we'll figure out which rooms are what."
Natalia came around the corner and asked if we'd like a late lunch. Jason grinned as big as a jack-o-lantern, and I was glad that I'd invited him to stay with me.
After a lunch of bacon lettuce and tomato sandwiches, I asked Natalia if she thought Eric would mind if I explored the house with Jason. She seemed to not understand why I was asking permission. I was trying to be polite, and she was stuck on the fact that as far as she had been told, Ravenwood was mine. Couldn't she understand how awkward I felt, wandering around Eric's house without him. I decided it might be better if Jason and I waited and explored the outdoors first. Eric told me that he had horses, and it had been years since I'd ridden a horse. I thought Jason might enjoy it too.
I asked Natalia where the horses were kept and she pointed out the kitchen window. I figured Jason and I would walk until we came to some outbuildings. But I had no way to know how large the grounds were. I hoped that we'd run into Ollie, Carl or Brady whom I'd yet to meet. Jason and I took off down the back stairs and across the lawn. There was a stunning swimming pool filled with turquoise water that I couldn't wait to plunge into. I didn't have a swimsuit with me, but I had time to get one before Eric woke up for the evening.
Jason noticed the barns before I did. It wasn't terribly far from the house, in fact, it was so nice out that the walk was pleasant. As we approached the barn, I caught sight of the greenhouse where Eric grew his amazing roses. I grabbed Jason's hand and we ran towards the door.
"I have to go in here first. Seriously, these roses are unreal. You saw my bouquet." I threw the door open and was floored by the sheer number of roses. I had never seen so many flowers in one place. The room was warm and moist, and the air was heavy with the smell of cinnamon, rose, soil, firewood, vanilla and something else. I spotted a lovely pink rose that was red at the base and pink at the tips like all the color was draining out. The underlying scent was rose, but the predominant scent was something I couldn't quite define. I thought of cake batter, but that wasn't quite it. I would have to remember to ask Eric later. I rubbed one of the roses on my neck and cheeks, hoping that he would smell it and remind me to ask him about it.
"I could get used to this place, it's really beautiful. Whatta ya think, Sook? Should we ride for a bit, then maybe go for a swim?"
"That sounds like the best idea ever." I waited for Jason to exit the green house and I pulled the door closed. I hoped Eric didn't mind me showing his roses off to Jason.
A small man came out of the barn and rushed up to me. Did Eric intentionally hire the shortest humans to make himself appear taller or was I imagining things?
"You must be Mrs. Northman, I'm Brady Madison. Pleased to meet you."
"The Brady Madison, as in two-time winner of the Preakness, and the Kentucky Derby? Man, I can't believe it, Sookie do you know who this is?"
"I also took the Belmont, but who's keeping track? Get it, track?" He grabbed Jason's hand and shook it vigorously.
"Pleased to meet you." I nodded and looked down at the wee man. "Eric said that I'm to ask you about riding Avalon, I think."
"Oh, dear. Surely you're mistaken, did he say Arkady perhaps? Either that, or Eric is having a laugh. That must be it. He's playing with us. Oh, that Eric, you'll know he was joking when you see Avalon in person. Avalon, eh? That's really funny. We'll talk about which of his ladies you might find yourself a-riding. Or do you think you'd be more suited to the gents? I'm still talking horses, young lass. I seen your eyes go big. She got nervous, eh fella? He playfully poked Jason in the ribs. Jason just grinned and ran his fingers through his hair. I looked around at the stalls, and didn't quite know what to say.
"I really don't know. I haven't been on a horse since I was 14 to tell you the truth." Brady's eyes really did twinkle, and I understood what people meant when they said someone could light up a room. He was jovial to a fault and treated us as if we were his long lost kin.
"Come on in here, let's get you on a horse." He sized me up visually, handed me a saddle and determined that I needed a horse of about 15 hands or so. "Now, pretty lady, tell me about a time when you were really happy about something."
I immediately smiled and thought of last night, staring up at Eric as he became my husband. Brady scratched his chin and motioned for us to follow him. We stopped in front of a stall with a chestnut colored gelding whose name was written in Cyrillic above his head.
"So, who's this guy? He's beautiful." I watched as Brady opened the stall and began shushing him to keep him calm. I was very excited to ride and spend some time talking with Jason. We'd never been as close as we had these past six months.
Brady led the horse out into the ring, and got a saddle on him. "What's his name?" Brady smiled, come to think of it, he hadn't stopped smiling since we'd walked up. I began to wonder if he hadn't been kicked in the head once or twice. "I'll whisper it to you. He gets super excited when you say it out loud." He leaned in close and whispered into my ear, "His name is Lois." I slipped my foot into the stirrup and threw my right leg over his back. "No, really? So, whose idea was Lois?" The horse snorted and shook his head. Apparently, the horse didn't like it any better. I held on tightly. "And Lois is a boy right? I mean I saw--"
"Yep. He sure is, and a good one at that, but that shouldn't matter, right? Now, young man, how about we get you on Satie." Brady helped Jason onto a black mare that didn't seem at all pleased to have someone on her back. She flicked her tail, and bucked under the saddle a bit. She snorted and got foamy around her lips. I had to wonder if Brady knew what he was doing. But Jason stuck with it.
Brady led us around the ring so that we could get used to riding and taught us the body movements to command the horses to stop and go. He offered to accompany us since we didn't know the property very well. Plus, Satie was being a pure bitch and Jason had to hang on for dear life. I was hoping for some time to talk with him, but it was probably just as well. Brady led us past the stalls and I saw a horse that could only be Avalon. He was freakishly tall and his legs were so muscular, he looked more like an elephant than a horse. "Oh, my word. Thanks, Eric."
"Yeah, that would be His Royal Highness, Prince Avalon. He's a Shire horse, and he stands at slightly over 19 hands. Which would be just over 6 foot four to you. He's descended from the Romanov's stable stud."
"And that's the horse Eric suggested for me?" Eric had such a ridiculous sense of humor. I would ask him about that later too.
Jason, Brady and I rode for over an hour and got a great tour of the exterior of Ravenwood. I was getting tired, so we headed back to the stables. Poor Jason, Satie had been a horse that spent most of her time in the tree line, dragging Jason through branches and getting him snagged on everything she could find. She reared up several times, and Jason had to hold on to her mane to get her to settle down. He was a good sport about it, but Brady had been so wrong about pairing Jason and Satie. When we arrived at the stables, Brady took the reins of each horse and told us to go on up to the house; he would take care of the horses. I thought about speaking to Eric about hiring Brady some help so he didn't have to do all of the work by himself, but three other men came out of an office to assist.
I was wiped out and could use a shower. I showed Jason the second floor bedrooms and told him that he could temporarily use one that didn't appear to be used for anything. Eric had said that the staff had their own houses, so I hoped it would be okay.
Jason and I toured the room, it was not nearly as large as Eric's and my room, but it was a good size. The bathroom was equally impressive. Jason spotted the steam and rain shower and told me to beat it. I laughed and told him that I'd meet him out by the pool. I was just going to wear my bra and panties and hope that none of the staff would mind.
I went to my room, and looked around. It was tidy and bright and I wished Eric could be with me. I closed the door and walked in slowly. I didn't know if Eric could hear me since he was sleeping, or if he was close enough to hear what I said, but not necessarily respond. I sat on the bed and sighed.
"Eric, I'm home. Honey, I missed you last night. I know you tried to come to me, and I'm glad that you tried, but I did need the time to be alone. I don't know if you can hear me, but I can't wait for you to get up. I need you. I need you to hold me. Things got out of hand last night, and I just need us to reconnect. I love you. I mean it, I love you Eric. I'm so, so sorry that I didn't tell you about Quinn. I had no way to know that he would do this to us." I looked at my watch; it was just after five. It would still be a little while before Eric would join me. "I'll come find you at sundown if you can hear me. Sleep well, my love." I went into the bathroom and changed, slipping into my robe. I had sunscreen in the bag I'd brought with me previously, so I didn't have to search for it. Jason was already poolside by the time I got downstairs. He'd managed to find some beers and a bucket of ice.
"What took you so long, Sook? This water is amazing. It tastes like the ocean."
"Salt water pool, maybe? I saw these on HGTV at Dr. Knowland's office." Dr. Knowland was the shakiest dentist in all the world, but he was a sweetheart, so you couldn't really mind too much, except you worried he'd poke you in the eye. "Well, I'm getting in for a dip, then getting a little more sun." Jason jumped in beside me and splashed water in my face. It was like being 12 years old all over again.
I noticed that the sun was beginning to set and I told Jason that I wanted to be upstairs when Eric woke up. I promised him that we would come down for him as soon as we had had a chance to talk, but he was more interested in the LSU game that was starting at seven.
I wrapped up in a towel and threw on my robe. I was taking the stairs two at a time to get to him. Eric came out into the hall as I approached the bedroom door. His sleeping space had to be in our room then. How had I missed it? I threw myself into his arms and he lifted me up and kissed me.
"I heard you, my darling. I wasn't sleeping very soundly because I've been worried sick about you. Come here." He opened the bedroom door and we rushed to our bed. He had my robe off in seconds, and we were making love within moments. Afterwards, he held me and smoothed my hair while kissing my ear.
"You don't think I believed for one second that you willingly had sex with Quinn?"
"I didn't have sex with him. He attacked me, Eric. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to kill him. I didn't want to have his murder on my hands."
"I suspect that it was Quinn that drained me." I thought I'd misheard him because it had sounded as if he'd said Quinn drained him. "What? How? Are you sure?" Was Quinn really that hateful? Was he really that jealous of Eric?
"I got a call from someone saying that you had been taken from Merlotte's. Ever since this thing with the fairies, it's as if I'm just waiting for the worst, that someone will take you from me. I couldn't feel anything from you at all. I was on my way to Bon Temps when my car was struck and pushed into a ravine. I was dazed momentarily and I saw someone in all black clothing approach me with a silver net. My left leg was pinned and I couldn't move. I was dazed from the wreck, so I wasn't sure what was happening right away. I suspected him when you told me that he approached you at the mall it was too coincidental that he would be there. " He was quiet for a moment. "His life will be miserable. Every supernatural creature in North America and maybe the world will be looking for him. I could take my revenge on him in my own way for draining me if he indeed did it. But for what he has done to you….Well, let's just say that I have put a bounty on his head for attacking and embarrassing you."
"Jason told me what happened. He also told me about the bounty. How much is it? I want to know if I could add 1200 dollars to it."
"We can talk about that some other time."
"No, Eric! If he is responsible for draining you, and what he did to me."
"I don't like to talk about money, Sookie." He could tell by the set of my jaw that I wasn't going to give up that easily. "I guess you'll find out soon enough." He sighed. "Two million."
"Two million dollars?"
"Not two million pesos." He laughed and I understood how I must have sounded, but I wasn't used to thinking of money in terms that large. "Yes, one for each of us, or two for you if he didn't drain me, but I think it was him."
"Eric, I can't let you part with that kind of money on my behalf. That's way too much. Not to be indelicate or anything, but can you afford that?"
"This is why I don't like to talk about money." He sat up, and I sat up beside him.
"Baby, just tell me something. Are you really rich? I feel awful for asking, but I have cost you a lot of money lately, and I just –I can't feel good about this bounty if I think that you're going to have to sell some stuff off, or burn your furniture instead of firewood. I mean as lovely as the draperies on this bed are, I could make a few dresses, maybe work some extra shifts at Merlotte's."
"Oh, Lover. You are funny. I'll tell you what, you just trust that money will never be an issue for either of us and let me handle it."
"Oh, now you're the one being funny. I can't do that and if you expect me to, then we've got a problem. I didn't come into this with a whole lot except my pride and I won't be handing that over any time soon."
"Sookie, I didn't mean to imply otherwise. I don't want you to think about what you're bringing to our relationship financially. This isn't a contest. This isn't about inheritance, so don't worry about it."
"I know you say that, but I'm no sponge. I can and will earn my way through the world." I crossed my arms and he threw his up in exasperation.
"You are so damned stubborn, woman! Fine! Have it your way. Work if you like, but I have about 50 million dollars." He laughed again and pulled the sheet off exposing his long legs and muscular butt.
"Oh? See…. was that so hard?"
"You should see your face right now."
"That's a lot." I was quiet for a moment. But he must have known the question was coming. "What are you doing running a vampire bar in Shreveport, Louisiana?"
He shrugged. "It makes me happy. And when it stops making me happy, I'll do something else. It really isn't that complicated."
"Well, okay, then."
"So, Mrs. Northman…."
"Yes, Mr. Northman?" We laughed. We were so good together. I was happier than I'd ever been.
"Can we let this money thing go? Just use what you need if it makes you uncomfortable. You can't spend it all, so don't worry. I can get you your own charge card, but I want to share my things with you. I wouldn't have married you if I didn't. I need to eat, and I have things to tell you so we should probably get dressed. Would you consider letting me take you on a trip?"
"I would love a trip more than I can say right now."
"Do you have a passport, my love?'
"Yes, actually. Bill suggested that I get one a few years ago. I tucked it away in a drawer and forgot about it. Should I go back to Bon Temps and get it?'
"No, I can send Bobby to retrieve it tomorrow, or Friday. Would Paris be acceptable? I have something that I must do."
"Are you serious? Would Paris be acceptable? Oh, Eric, I would love to go to Paris with you. Or anywhere for that matter." I kissed his cheek and pulled his head down to my neck.
"Sookie, baby, I can feed elsewhere if you'd like."
"Eric, it's our honeymoon. Don't be coy. He licked his lips slowly and then began kissing my neck. I moaned softly and he sank his teeth into me. I felt myself sink into the pillows, and then I had a flash from his mind. He was thinking of being somewhere cold, wrapped in animal skins. He was remembering hunting, and being in his village. I got the feeling from his mind and his heart that I reminded him of what it was like to be young.
"Eric, I want to tell you something that I've been keeping secret."
He stopped drinking for a moment and I felt his fangs retracting slightly.
"No, Honey, it's not bad. Not really. It's just that, sometimes, I get glimmers of your thoughts. You're the only vampire that I've gotten flashes from. Well, there was one other time, but he's dead now. Anyway, I just find it interesting. As if you and I were meant to be together and I thought you'd like to know."
When I felt him licking my wounds closed, I kissed his neck and he sighed. "My love, as long as we're sharing secrets, I have something to tell you. I've never, ever, ever trusted a human as much as I'm trusting you. Will you keep my confidence?"
"Eric, I swear, I would rather die than tell anyone what you're about to tell me if it's that important."
"Come, I want to show you something." He took me by the hand and pulled me out of our bed. He led me to the left side of the bed and knelt down. The platform the bed rested on had built in cabinets. When Eric pulled on the knob of the first cabinet, I realized what he was about to show me. This was his sleeping space. The cabinet door was divided into four drawers for show, the whole door tilted down and I could see that the underside went down about three feet. All Eric had to do was scoot down and into his cubby. It was as wide as the bed and I couldn't see into it because it was dark. Eric scooted down into it and turned on a light under the bed. He reached out to me and I wasn't sure what he meant at first. I took his hand and he pulled me towards him. I scooted down into his crypt with him and was surprised by how comfortable it was. It was lined in silk, with pillows everywhere much like a Turkish lounge. There were books, and a stereo against the box to the far side. I saw one of my scarves that I thought I had misplaced. He must have taken it back when he stayed with me. I realized that he had been missing me. I couldn't sit up of course, but it was not nearly as bad as the hole in my closet floor back in Bon Temps.
"This is where I'll be, right underneath you. That's why I can hear you. You can talk to me anytime you want. I had to show you because I didn't know how I could keep it from you."
"Can I stay with you sometime?"
"That's not something you would want. It's dark, it's---"
"No, I want to be able to be with you sometimes. Don't fight me, you know I'll get my way eventually, so why go through this?"
He laughed. "You little minx. Fine, whenever you'd like." He kissed me and I grabbed my scarf.
"Surely my scent has worn off of this by now." He looked slightly embarrassed.
"I hope you don't mind. When I stayed with you, I kept it with me because you were my only link to the world. You were always on my mind, and I wasn't sure why. It made me feel better when I was not myself, and I found it in my jeans pocket after Hallow was killed. I didn't know how to give it back to you."
"I don't want you to give it back. The idea that I've meant so much to you is touching. I wish you had told me how you felt a long time ago. You might have saved me some grief and a few nights of heartache." He began crawling out of his cubby and pulled me up towards him. I crawled up and out of the base of the bed and sprawled out on the sheets. He followed me.
"I didn't know what to make of the fact that I was in love with a human. No offense, but what if you suddenly found yourself in love with--" He saw my expression change, and he chose his words carefully. "I'm only saying that it took a lot for me to come around to see that you are not entirely human, and even if you were, I don't know that I could resist you." I raised my eyebrow at him expressing that I was dubious, but he knew I was playing. "Angel, I want to ask you, did I hear your brother here? I hope so. I would really like it if he could stay with us for a few weeks, until this situation blows over."
"Yes, you did hear Jason. I hope you don't mind. I invited him to stay because I didn't want to be alone during the day. Would you please show us around? We've been waiting for you to wake up all day."
"Show you around? This is your house! You go wherever you'd like. Don't shake that pretty little head at me. You didn't have to wait for me."
"I put him in the guest bedroom two doors down, I hope that room isn't set aside for anyone else."
"Who else would be here? The staff have their own houses down the lane."
"Well, I don't know." I laughed and playfully hit his bottom.
"So, if I am smelling correctly, you have been to my greenhouse and found my newest project."
"Oh my God, that's right, the roses. I meant to ask you about that. What is that scent? The red and pink roses?" They smell familiar, yet, I can't make out what I'm smelling."
"Really? I thought it would be obvious to you of all people."
"It smells kind of like cake batter, and vanilla ice cream and I don't know, like an outdoor birthday party."
"Like sunshine, and cake and ice cream and candy sprinkles?"
"Yeah, that's what it is." I dragged my fingers up and down his arm.
"It's funny that you can't recognize the smell. It's what you smell like to me."
"Oh, Eric. That's so sweet."
"I'm calling them Stackhouse roses, in honor of my beautiful wife. I love you, Sookie." He leaned in and kissed me softly. I looked up at him, disbelieving that this was the same Eric who had stepped on someone's eyeball last night.
"So, Jason and I rode your horses this afternoon."
"Really? Did you ride Avalon, He's a majestic animal isn't he?"
"Are you serious? He's as tall as you are. There's no way I could ride that beast."
"Hey, he's royalty. You be respectful." I hit him playfully.
"You were playing with me. That horse is monstrous."
"Which horse did you end up riding?" He kissed the tip of my nose and I kissed his chin lightly.
"I rode Lois, he's a great horse, but I don't know why you'd ever name a male horse Lois."
"His name is not Lois. God, Brady knows better. His name is Loshad. It's horse in Russian. I couldn't come up with a name for him and I just call him horse. Where the hell he came up with Lois is beyond me. Did Jason ride Arkady, or Thor?"
"Neither actually. He rode Sadie. Brady said that Sadie was the best horse for him, but I don't know, she seemed to hate having anyone on her back. Poor Jason was almost thrown like four times."
"Satie, hunh? No one rides that miserable bitch. She's a terrible horse. I should have shot her a long time ago."
"How can you say that about an animal?"
"Yeah, Satie with a T, not a D. is short for Satan, as in spawn of. She has thrown nearly every person who's bothered to climb on; She gets meaner every year that passes. She kicks the other horses when they go to pasture. She has bitten me every time I've gone near her. I can't stand that awful nag."
"Jason rode her for over an hour. And yeah, she put him through it, but not like what you're describing."
"That's interesting, Sookie. No one has been able to ride her for at least six years." He got quiet for a few moments and I wondered what he was thinking about. I saw him staring up at the mural above our bed. "Jason fought hard for you last night, you would have been proud of him."
"I am proud of him. He's been super supportive of me. I hope the two of you can get to know each other a little better over the next few nights."
"I would like that." He climbed out of the bed and I followed him. We showered and dressed, then I went to the kitchen to grab something to eat. Natalia had left us a wonderful dinner of cheeseburgers, fries and cokes. I guessed that Jason met Natalia on his search for beers and an ice bucket and he didn't hesitate when she asked him what he'd like to eat.
I ate quickly, asking Eric question after question about Paris. I had always dreamed of going to Paris, and now I would be there in just a few days. I had to pack and learn enough French to keep Eric safe while we transported him. I would get myself a camera and take pictures of everything I'd read about in history class. Eric would be my history book in the evening. He told me of the wild parties that he attended in the court of the French King Louis X1V, before his death in 1715. He laughed as he recalled how prostitutes washed themselves after customers with gin if they had it, piss if they didn't. I was grossed out, and he was amused by my squeamishness. Eric poured a glass of Royalty, the very expensive blood of kings and queens. I wasn't sure how the company obtained it, but it made sense that I rarely saw Eric drinking TrueBlood, the common vampire's drink of choice.
I washed my dishes and he dried them, putting them in the cabinets. I could hardly believe that he and I were doing something so normal as washing dishes. He probably couldn't believe it either if I asked him about it. Jason heard us laughing in the kitchen and joined us. He told Eric embarrassing stories about when I was a teenager, and I swatted his arm. Jason had a beer with his cheeseburger and we laughed about Jason's ride on Satie. Eric speculated that Jason contained so much magic being part fairy and part were-panther that Satie had finally met her match. Eric told Jason that if he could break her, he could have her. Jason did the polite thing and declined at first, but Eric insisted, and I knew my brother really wanted to accept. I told Jason to go ahead and accept Eric's gift, and that seemed to make it easier for him to say yes.
We went out into the foyer and Eric began our tour of Ravenwood. We marveled at the soaring ceilings, the crystal, gold and silver. Every room seemed to be grander than the next. The library was my favorite. The fireplace was made of stone and was at least four feet deep and seven feet wide. It was like a castle or an English pub. Each available wall was covered in books from floor to ceiling. Eric said this was one of three libraries in the house. He was incredibly well read, and I was surprised to see quite a few pop horror novels sharing the shelves with so-called great authors. I couldn't wait for a nice rainy afternoon to start a fire, curl up in the window seat and read through a book or two. The window looked out over a row of pear trees. Eric had worked hard to make Ravenwood suit him perfectly. The fact that he was willing to give all of this to me choked me up a bit. Eric sensed my sudden mood change, and he pulled me aside.
"Lover, is something wrong?"
"Not at all, baby. I'm just –I'm okay. This is overwhelming, that's all."
"We can stop here. I realize that you must be exhausted and I don't want you upset. Jason, if you will excuse us, Sookie and I are retiring for the evening."
"Yeah, I'm going to head into town, stop by Fangtasia. Pam invited me out for a drink."
"Really? I know you don't need me to tell you this, but Pam is--"
"I think I can handle myself, but thanks for the warning. Sookie, you feeling okay, you look a little green around the gills."
"Uh-hunh," I nodded. "I've just been through a lot in the last few weeks and I could use some rest. My car keys and house keys are hanging on the rack in the foyer." Eric moved vampire fast to the foyer and was back with the keys before Jason could respond. He was twice as fast as he had been before Mahesh-Ra's blood. He moved so quickly now that I wasn't sure he was visible to un-enhanced humans. I had begun to think of myself as enhanced because my teeth were sharper, my vision clearer and my hearing more acute. I had told Eric that I didn't want to be turned, but it seemed to be happening slowly as I ingested more and more blood. Mahesh-Ra's blood had pushed me over some edge.
"I don't put the alarm on at night since I'm awake, so don't worry about coming in." Eric put his hand on Jason's shoulder and I immediately knew that they had had some sort of male bonding over the Quinn incident. Jason nodded, then kissed my cheek. It would be wonderful having him around.
As Jason went out the front doors, Eric and I ascended the stairs. I held his hand as we walked slowly.
"I feel as if there is something that you'd like to discuss with me, Angel."
I pulled our bedroom door closed and Eric opened the doors to our adjoining suite.
"Something is happening to me isn't it?" I sat down on the couch facing the windows and Eric sat beside me.
"I was going to say something to you about that, but yes. You have had a tremendous amount of our blood and I sense that you are not only sampling me anymore, but that you may actually need it. I sense that you are feeling weak without it, and I'm going to have to talk to Mahesh-Ra when we see her in Paris."
"Baby, I don't want to be turned, but I bite you when we are making love because I love making you happy. I don't want you to think that I'm not into it." He took my hand and kissed it. He seemed warmer to me, which probably meant that I was actually colder.
"You never have to worry that I don't think you're into it. You are the most enthusiastic of anyone that I have ever been with. But what concerns me is if you cross the line that leaves you in a limbo state of having vampiric attributes without actually being vampire. I'm concerned that you may reach a point where you cannot have babies, or tolerate the sun, but that you won't have to sleep at night or during the day. I just don't know enough about how this works in someone who is part fairy. I do know that I don't want to see you regret your decision to be with me."
"No, no, Eric, I will never regret it. Never. I told you before, I don't know if I want kids, honey."
"I would not blame you if you did. I actually want that for you. And honestly, I'd want it for me. Sookie, I'm not ever going to turn you, which means that I will lose you someday. If you did have a child, I would have a part of you that belongs to me."
"That's so sad. Eric, I never thought of it that way." I looked down at our joined hands. His slender fingers were almost translucent. "I wouldn't be able to have your child."
"That is not so important to me. I would only ask that if you start having those feelings, that you not be afraid to discuss it with me."
"I don't think I want to bring a child into a world where I am constantly looking over my shoulder---"
"That's not going to happen. I'm going to take care of that as best I can. I promise. Just talk to me, okay."
"I promise, Love." I leaned in and kissed him, enjoying just being together and relaxing. We spent the evening talking and I confessed that I'm actually a pretty good chess player. He challenged me to prove it, so I solidly beat him twice and did a little dance of happiness each time. I was so happy that he put up a fight and actually tried really hard to beat me. By round three when I had his Queen cornered in a move that I saw much earlier, He lifted me over the table, threw me across his lap and playfully spanked me. I laughed at being so suddenly airborne and swatted. That turned into a bit of a struggle as I squirmed out of his arms and onto the floor. He pinned me there and kissed me and that led to other things.
He joined me in the shower after and I reached up to wash his back. I saw the last of the claw marks that I'd made fading and I licked them before each could close up. He tasted so good to me now that I couldn't help myself.
He turned to face me and grabbed my wrist. "Sookie, I want to test something." He bit my wrist, drank for a moment, then asked me to lick my arm. I put my wrist to my mouth and began licking as I'd seen him do many times for me. I was not totally surprised that the bleeding began to taper off. He finished the job for me and I kissed his bloody mouth. He pushed me against the glass and we made love again.
My legs were trembling and he carried me to our bed, a cloud of steam following as we exited the bathroom. He whispered that he loved me over and over as I began to fall asleep in his arms. I was utterly exhausted.
I felt myself being carried into the darkened room, and Neave's hands found my thighs. She leaned over me and bit my cheeks and ears. She seemed to take pleasure in threatening to ruin my face. I opened my mouth to scream but felt Lochlan's mouth on mine suddenly. He pushed Neave aside and bit my left shoulder. I cried out in pain and pulled at the restraints binding my wrists. I could not let this happen. I scanned the room for help, and I saw Eric in the corner. Thank God, he would save me. I looked him in the eyes, pleadingly. He just stood, silently watching as Lochlan pushed me down onto the floor and kicked me in the stomach.
"Eric, why won't you help me?" A slow smile crept across his face and he knelt beside me. I felt relief wash over me as I felt myself being lifted from the floor. But something was not right, instead of untying me, he pulled my arms tighter, nearly pulling them out of the sockets.
"No, Eric. Don't do this, why won't you save me?" I cried out as I felt my arms snap and give way. He bit my neck and I screamed….
I sat up in bed knowing that I'd been thrashing around; the sheets were tangled around me and I reached for Eric. He was sitting with his back to me on the edge of the bed. I crawled over and wrapped myself around him. My breathing was ragged and I began crying.
"How long has this been going on?" His voice was thick.
"Since I got home. Will you hold me?" I couldn't understand why he was sitting on the edge of the bed. Why wasn't he trying to comfort me? Maybe the dreams meant something more than I was willing to acknowledge. I crawled out of the bed and onto the floor in front of him; I needed to be held. I saw blood streaking down his face and chest. Eric had been crying.
"Oh, Love—What's going on?"
"I can't protect you. I want these things to never have happened to you and I can't make them go away. I stayed away from you because I could feel that you were becoming angrier and angrier with me for not saving you. You think that I've let you down and I had no way to prove otherwise."
"Eric, tell me what is going on. You tell me now. I need to know now."
"I can't tell you. I wanted to. I wished that you would let it go and that you would somehow just forget about it, but ----"
"No! You need to tell me I can't live like this anymore. You said you had a reason for not coming, so you tell me now or we're done." I was serious. Even if the answer was just that he didn't think me worth saving, or he was getting a manicure, I just wanted an answer.
He stared down at me and cried softly, his eyes red rimmed from the blood. "No matter how badly I may want to help you, in the daytime, I am powerless….I am struggling with the idea that you may need me and I won't be able to help you. This is your greatest fear, and you think that I let you down….I never wanted to tell you this…. but when the fairies had you…." he shook his head as if to clear his thoughts. "When they….I tried to come to you. I did hear you, Sookie. I could feel everything you were enduring and my heart was breaking for you….I sent Bill to rescue you….because" He paused and I waited, afraid to hear his answer. "Because Niall asked me to go to Hunter….Breandan sent a fairy after him…."
"What? My God, what happened? Is he okay?"
"In time…. He will recover….he is strong, like you…. Bill wouldn't go to Hunter. He said that he wouldn't risk his life for any other human but you, so I went to him knowing that I could get Bill to help you. Believe me, I wanted to save you myself. I would have killed a thousand fairies to bring you home. I'm so sorry."
"How did they find him? How did they know?" He stood suddenly and crossed the room. "Eric, answer me. How did they…..Oh, God." It hit me as if I had been physically moved and I felt nauseous. I had gone to see Hunter in Red Ditch. He was just a four-year-old boy then and I was curious about him. "I led them to him." I sat on the floor looking up at him. He nodded slowly.
"I didn't want to tell you this, I didn't want….this. He'll be all right. He's with Niall now."
"Where is his father, Remy?" I waited and Eric shook his head again.
"I'm sorry, Sookie. Hunter barely made it, his father did everything he could."
"This is all my fault." I knew that I could have led them straight to Hunter. I'd avoided meeting with Remy again until the fairy mess was over, but I'd underestimated the end game for Breandan and his supporters. "It's all my fault." I put my head on my knees and sobbed. Eric lifted me into his arms gently and held me close. He hadn't wanted to tell me because he was protecting me, yet again. I felt awful.
"No….this is the fault of the fairies, my love."
I cried myself to sleep with Eric holding me. I awoke in bright sunshine and didn't quite know if the sun was hurting my eyes because I'd been crying, or if it was a side effect of the blood. Eric had already gone to bed. I'd spent most of my time with him crying and then fell asleep. He'd spent the rest of the evening alone. I rolled over onto my stomach and kissed the mattress. He was asleep directly underneath me. I wished I could hold him. I showered and dressed for the day, planning to head back to Bon Temps to get my passport and the rest of my clothes. I also wanted to get a video camera for the trip.
I passed Jason's room and knocked softly. I didn't know what time he'd come in, so I hoped that I wasn't waking him. He mumbled for me to come in and I climbed the platform and sat on the edge of his bed. Before I knew that Eric had built vampire crawl spaces under the beds, I had thought these platforms were a silly affectation, but now I realized that these were proper guest bedrooms for visiting vampires.
Jason opened one eye and pulled the blanket up around his neck.
"Hey, J, I see Miss Pam wore you out last night." A slow smile crept across his face.
"She's somethin' else altogether Sookie. We did have a wild night, but I was a gentlemen and she was running the bar, so I just sort of hung out with her, got to know her a little. I'm going to see her again tonight. She said Kellan is going to run the bar. I actually ended up coming back here around 3 after the bar closed. You were sleeping so Eric and I went riding. Sookie, if you get a chance, you need to see Eric on Avalon. I'm not a short guy, but it's an impressive sight."
"I'm sure he is. I thought wistfully about missing an entire evening with my new husband and I found myself wishing the day would go faster. As it was, I was going to have hardly anything to do after 2. "Are you two getting along okay?"
"You know, so far. I mean he and I won't ever be sitting around watching football and drinking beers, so there's a little bit of awkwardness. Plus, he's so damned old. I just feel like, what would this guy want to hang around with me for? But I guess that's what family is for, right? They kind of have to accept you. But man, Sook, I wish you could see him when he talks about you, that guy's nuts about you. He's all, "Sookie this, and Sookie that. Not to bring up a sore subject but, I gotta say, I never saw Bill get like that."
"Yeah, well the Queen must not have been paying him enough to have the warm fuzzies over me."
"Oh shit, Little Bit, is that what that was about? I didn't know. I'm an asshole, I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it J. Listen, I'm going to Bon Temps to get some more of my things. I don't want you wondering where I've gone okay."
"If you let me sleep a little longer, I'll go with you."
"No, no, I can go by myself. You sleep. I'll be back before too long." I got up to leave and Jason grabbed my arm.
"Sookie, I kind of promised Eric that I'd keep an eye on you. He told me not to tell you, because he knows you. But seriously, just let me go with you okay. You don't know what it's like for a guy to think that your girl is out there and you can't protect her. If I could have had someone with Crystal…." His voice tapered off and I realized that his pain was as fresh as if it had been yesterday. I didn't fight him.
"Take your time then, I'll be around. I didn't see the rest of the house."
"I love this place, Sook. Thanks for inviting me."
"Thanks for coming, I know you have your own life and you're wasting your vacation days on me."
"No problem, no problem. Hey and thanks for letting me drive that badass car of yours. I got so many looks last night. I could have gotten so much ass."
"Ewwww, I do not need to be stuck with that image. Gross."
I shut his door and went back to my bedroom. I missed Eric so much. I stood beside the bed wondering if it was too soon to visit him in his sleeping space. I knew that he would register my presence, but I didn't want to be pushy; he should be able to have his privacy. I debated it for a few moments, but decided he wouldn't mind so much. I closed the draperies to minimize the amount of light flooding into our room. The room was significantly darker, but still too bright for a vampire's comfort. I would move quickly. I pulled the panel down and crawled down into Eric's "room." I closed the door quickly, hearing Eric groan behind me. I let my eyes adjust and could make out his form lying beneath my side of the bed.
"I'm sorry, baby. I don't mean to disturb you. I just wanted to be near you for a few minutes." Eric was once again sleeping soundly, so he didn't answer. I snuggled up to him and kissed his cool cheek. There was something cozy about being in the dark, confined space with him. Eric was completely vulnerable in this state, and he trusted me above any other human in the world.
I ran my hand across his chest. I lay my palm flat where his motionless heart lay. What would it feel like to not feel a flutter in your chest when the person you loved walked in? What must it be like to not need to eat food, use the bathroom, breathe heavily if you ran too hard. What was it like to feel cold and heat, but not the discomfort? I shivered in the darkness thinking that these things could be my reality if I chose it. How would that affect my relationship with Eric if he were my maker? Could I still be his wife? Would I want to be? Would I have to see another vampire to turn me? But then I'd be loyal to that vampire.
I thought about what Eric had said about having a baby so that he would have a part of me after I passed. How awful it must have been for him all these years, wanting to be in love and not allowing yourself to be because you either had to turn them or lose them. Pam told me that Eric made her because he was lonely. I hated to be alone more than anything, and trying to wrap my brain around being alone for decades was as hard a concept as trying to perceive God.
I had no measure for my own mortality. My human relatives were deceased, and my part fairy family had perished due to accident or disease. But Niall gave me hope that I could have inherited some gene that would help me live a little longer than the average human. I wanted this for Eric, as well as myself. I thought maybe I could give him a child someday. Someday when we were safe and no one wanted to kill us. I kissed his still mouth and trailed my lips down to his ear. I felt him stir beside me.
"I love you so much, Eric. Sleep well, baby." I crawled over to the door and I heard him groan again as he rolled towards me.
"Thanks for coming to see me, Angel." He was still again and I smiled in the darkness as I crawled out of his nook and up into our bedroom. I went downstairs towards the kitchen. A young man was putting fresh flowers in the vases in the foyer. This must be Anton.
"Well hello, you must be Anton, I'm Sookie. I stuck my hand out and he transferred a bundle of roses from his right hand to his left and shook my hand.
"Szdras-voy cha, Mrs. Northman." He took one of the roses out and handed it to me. It was a Stackhouse rose. I inhaled deeply and smiled as I walked into the kitchen. The view from the breakfast nook was gorgeous. There were three deer eating together in the tree line, and I saw several birds scrambling away from a bird feeder hung from a post near the gazebo. There was a squirrel rocking the feeder. Didn't Anton know to grease the post with shortening? I would have to teach him that trick. I went through the kitchen until I found the pantry. It was like walking into a mini version of Brookshire's grocery.
I decided to take the time to make myself a giant bowl of oatmeal. As I stirred the milk in the pot, I wondered about what Eric said about me needing blood, not just sampling him. I hadn't given it much thought. But I had to admit, the idea of drinking blood no longer repulsed me the way that it had when I first became entangled with the vampires. In fact, Eric's blood hadn't tasted like any other. Maybe it was because I love him, I thought.
I poured the oatmeal in and wondered if there were raisins in the pantry. Of course there probably were. Eric had told Natalia to fill the pantry with food for me, and everyone obeyed Eric. There were probably kumquats if I looked hard enough. Jason came down the stairs looking a bit scruffy, but alert.
"Sookie, sookie." He threw open the fridge and pulled out a jug of orange juice.
I had always wondered about the judgment my parents showed in letting Jason name me. The story was that he'd been trying to say cookie because I've apparently always smelled of baked goods, depending on the sniffer.
"I've got oatmeal here."
"What are you, Gran now? Who eats that shit?"
"I eat this shit. Do you want some?"
"No, thanks, Sook. I'm going to scramble up some man food; eggs, bacon, toast."
"Nothing manly about a heart attack." I stirred in some maple syrup.
"I don't want my breakfast to make me feel like a little bitch."
"Are you calling me a little bitch?"
"Are you answering to it?"
I laughed at him and hit him with a dishtowel. "Did those guys from Habitat for Humanity ever show up at my house? They're not going to rummage through my stuff are they?"
"They should be here… what is today? Thursday? They'll be here Sunday night. I'm going to head down to Bon Temps to get them settled in and get some of my things too. And no, they aren't going to rummage through your precious panties."
"That's not what I'm worried about." Although, I kind of was and decided that I would bring all of my personal things with me back to Ravenwood just in case. "Hey, would you mind driving your truck over so I can get my stuff?"
"You want any of that stuff from Gran's house? You have everything you need except clothes, and even those can be replaced." That was my brother, always so practical.
"This is all Eric's stuff. I do miss some of my things. I can't just melt into his household and not have some of my own things here."
"I'd pile all that shit on the front lawn, set fire to it and kiss being poor goodbye. You haven't yet embraced your wealth. By the way, did you have that talk we talked about?"
"Oh my God, did we ever." I lowered my voice. I knew that Eric probably couldn't hear me, but I didn't want to take that chance, not to mention the staff wandering around. "I almost threw up. It's obscene."
"I won't get in your business, but is it like 10 or 15?"
"Not even close, let's just say it's a lot."
He whistled and said, "Well, all right. Sis. You didn't do too badly."
"Oh, stop it. That's not why I'm here. I love him and you know it."
"I know, I'm just teasing you. Now you're all stuck up and can't take a joke."
"I am not. I am handling this very well if you ask me. But I have to tell you, I was in the shower thinking about all the things I could afford now. Remember when we were little and mom and dad found that oil on their land and we thought we'd be super rich? Remember that night we went through that catalogue circling all the things we would buy?" We'd sat together on the porch swing giggling and saying "I want that" to just about every item we came across in the Montgomery Ward catalogue. Even if we didn't know what it was, or what it was for. Jason smiled, and looked as if he was remembering that day. Our parents came home with a check and took us out to Red Lobster in Shreveport. Jason and I thought we would be like the kids on TV with three cars each, an in-ground pool and a vacation home. The money seemed to have come in, but our lives didn't change all that drastically. "I kind of had that feeling, but at the same time, I didn't earn the money myself, so it's hard to think about spending it."
"Not me. Let me fall into a pile of money any time soon. I'll be wearing money underwear."
"And you'd be poor again in a month."
"But what a month it would be, right?"
We cleaned up our dishes and walked towards the garage. I thought Jason was going to have a seizure on the lawn.
"Are you fucking kidding me? Look at these cars, Sookie." I opened the door to a room that looked more like a car dealership than a garage. Eric had ten vehicles, including mine, lined up in stalls. "Is this a Model fucking T? What the Hell? It's probably original. Son of a bitch." Excitement always made Jason swear more. I laughed behind him as he ran from stall to stall. Ollie came up out of the floor like at the Jiffy Lube. He was underneath a car, draining its oil. He turned off a tiny radio in his pocket. He was listening to a sports talk program, but he was thinking about his daughter's misplaced glasses and wondering if he'd have time to pick up her new ones at the optometrist.
"Mrs. Northman, going for a ride?"
"Yeah, Jason and I are heading out to Bon Temps for the day."
"A Spyker? Who owns a fucking Spyker? What the fuck?"
"Yes, Mr. Northman has a Spyker, only true car lovers even know a Spyker when they see one." Ollie rubbed the hood with pride, as he was solely responsible for maintaining all of Eric's cars.
"I'm sorry about his language, Ollie. He loves cars."
"It's all right ma'am. I understand. Mr. Northman likes cars too. Not too many mechanics can say that they've worked on a T.."
"That's crazy, a Model T. Oh, man. Son of a Bitch has an Enzo, Sookie, look at this."
I didn't know an Enzo from a Camaro, so I nodded and smiled and waited for him to stop drooling.
"Can we get underway? I'd like to head out to Best Buy and get a camera."
"Yeah, yeah, but when we get back, Ollie, my man. We're going to have to talk."
"Wait until you see his Veyron. He just bought it to replace the Corvette."
"As in Bugatti? I'm dumbstruck. This is car Heaven, Sookie. If you hadn't married Eric, I would have."
"I kind of believe you, J."
I took Jason to his house to pick up his truck, then he helped me load a few of my things into it and to refresh the house by changing the sheets, putting out fresh soap and towels and emptying the rest of the refrigerator. I made sure to grab my passport and the few pieces of jewelry that my Gran had left me. I was glad that my family had always been partial to gold. I would have had to leave any silver behind.
I descended the stairs and was surprised that I wasn't the least bit sorry to be leaving. So many awful things had happened to me in this house recently, that I was actually relieved. I tried to think about the time when Eric stayed with me. I would hold onto that memory. But the memories of Debbie Pelt being killed in my kitchen, and Quinn trying to rape me were under the surface. It had gotten so I couldn't walk into a room without thinking about the terrible things that had happened to me.
Jason must have understood that I was taking a moment to say goodbye and close the door on a few things. He waited patiently in the foyer. I saw him lean down and look under the desk where I stacked bills and magazines. I had forgotten to pick up Gran's candy dish. He picked it up and looked at me. I saw his jaw clenching and unclenching and I wished that I had remembered to do something with it. He turned it over in his hand and saw a streak of blood. I just stood there, embarrassed, disgusted and angry all rolled up into a ball. He threw the candy dish against the wall and I jumped unexpectedly. I covered my eyes and he pulled me to his chest and said, "Go wait in the car." I nodded. There were things that you could say about my brother; he wasn't the brightest, he was easily influenced by the opinions of his peers, and he liked to party a little too much. But you could never say that he wasn't a proud, loyal man who defended his interests with deep conviction.