PART TWO

Chapter 4

She hadn't a clue where she could go, she was confused and more addled than Jynx had meant to make her. Not that she had any clue that someone had caused this mess to happen and yet her intuition was screaming at her that something was wrong. Walking the streets of her home town, she was hoping to come across a friendly face, diving into a local diner she had been once with Sam. Having a cup of coffee, she had hoped her jangled nerves would be soothed but no luck and she was forced to leave upon closing time. Back on the streets, she heard the sounds of cars and insects, wondering how her hearing was so acute. Things felt off and she had no idea just why that was. All she knew was she couldn't go to her grandfather, she knew that he was no more and as she crossed the street a few blocks up, she hoped for a friendly face somewhere, anywhere. And finding her way to Bellefleur's, she entered looking ragged, looking as if she was on something. At least, that was how she appeared to those working that night Jessica and Lafayette were the first to take note of her entrance and the fact that once her eyes took in the red headed vamp, she took time to break off a chair leg, making certain there was a pointed end to it. The patrons of the bar, of course, took in this sight and Arlene had made a beeline to her employee and friend, ushering her straight to the office, Sookie avoiding the gaze of Jessica, a gaze that was full of concern and worry

"What was that all about?" Jessica asked Lafayette as they joined Jason and Hoyt over at their booth. "She looks….."

"Like she been through a storm….she is a storm right about now, though I would say." Lafayette said as Jason retreated to join them in the office, where he found Arlene trying to talk Sookie down from trashing the office.

"She's looking for something to…..defend herself….she wants something other than a stake…." Arlene said incredulously. "She wants to kill Jessica!"

Looking more confused than usual, Jason slowly approached his harried sister, who then flung herself into his arms. "You and I gotta get our friends out of here…there is a vampire here, didn't you see her? I don't want to work in a place where they come…I wish there was a way to rescind her invitation but they can enter public places and-" Sookie was stopped by a finger to her lip.

"Sook…what's wrong with you? You been drinkin or what? Jessica is your friend…you know that."

The look on her face was a face mixed with disgust and fear. "I would never in a million years be friends with something like that…they aren't alive, they aren't people….they're monsters. All of them." she cocked her head as she took in his face. "You aren't going to help me, are you? Then I can't stay here….not as long as that red head is here." and with that, she flashed away, leaving her brother and boss more puzzled than ever and it was then Jason knew he needed to make a phone call.

"Hey…..yeah, she was here….and as soon as she saw Jessica she-" Jason stopped as he listened to the voice on the other line and his face grew more concerned as Arlene looked on, the others from out front having come to see what they could do to help. "Gotcha….well, if we see her again-oh, you're going out to look for her…just…yeah, be careful. She is definitely unpredictable. Ok talk to you soon." flipping off his phone, he related what he had learned from the Viking.

"So this magic….she doesn't know any vamps and seems to be fearful of them?" Jessica asked. "Well that explains her panic when she saw me but how can we undo this?"

"No idea but we have yet to find a spell that we haven't; been able to break, right? Seems to me that we need to get her contained somewhere and made so she cant use her magic to pop out of wherever we try holding her. Which means we need all the help we can get while also keeping in mind that she is having some serious lapses of judgment because of her not remembering who her friends are-who all her friends are." Jason said as he looked at Jess imploringly. "Leave it to me to track her down….I don't want you getting messed up in this but you should make sure Hoyt knows what's goin; on. Who knows if she may end up back here or if your paths will cross again." Jason put his hands on his friends shoulders and though she looked like she wanted to argue, Jason reminded her that with one blast of her magic light ball, Sookie could end her without batting an eye. "Safest bet is to stay here at work and then get home with Hoyt. As soon as you are done here."

"What do y'all want the rest of us to do? I don't wanna sit back and not try to help Sook." Lafayette asked, concern dripping in his voice.

"If you want to help, I can get all of y'all some dart guns. And I can get some concentrated iron, which should work to subdue her enough to weaken her and her magic. But she is one powerful gal, you all are well aware of that. The ideal thing is to find the guy that cause this to happen to her. " and he related what else he had learned from Eric. "Apparently the guy wasn;t happy with her just being made to forget the vamps in her life but he wanted her to fear them too and want them dead….dead and gone for good if need be. This guy….Jynx…he's a faerie and he wants her for his own."

"Aren't there any sane guys in this dang town?" Arlene sighed as Keith entered, having only heard part of the conversation. As he was brought up to speed and warned about the threat lurking out somewhere, Arlene made him promise to stay here at the bar and for him to keep his eyes and ears out for any further sighting of their friend. After a few more minutes of planning and coordinating, they felt reasonably prepared and were certainly not going to go do anything that would set her off. The fewer vamps she saw, the better. Unfortunately, there came a sound from outside that let them know that they weren't safe, not by a long shot.

Chapter 5

They had exited through the rear of the building and had found the pile of remains of the vamp. "What if it was-"

"It wasn't me, if that's who you were worried about…it was some random vampire she didn't know but there was enough fear and apprehension to make her kill her…without giving her a chance to say a single word. I saw it, she seems to be wanting to get to those within the walls here. Almost like she is hunting. And though she no longer knows some of us, there has grown something dangerous within her and no vampire is safe from her. She's gone for the moment but I am almost certain she will return.

Jason headed for his pick up truck. Off duty or not, he was headed to the police station to get the weapons he had promised. "I'll be back soon with what we need to deal with her. Jess, Keith, just…don't do anything stupid, she's got a lot of power in those hands of hers." Jason met the gaze of his brother in law. "You know you aren't invincible against her light ball thing….all it takes is-" he was stopped by a raised hand.

"I appreciate your concern but I can handle her. Just get what you need to get and get back here. As for everyone here….get back inside and go about your business. Leave everything to me and Jason."

There was a murmuring amongst the crowd of people and vamps but no one dared argue with the irritated and increasingly stressed out Viking. As they entered the building and Jason has sped off in his truck, there was a feeling of foreboding as he sensed her presence and vowing to return here shortly, he followed his instincts and soon found himself a matter of feet away from her as she walked back and forth, wringing her hands anxiously, fear and worry getting the best of her. It was clear that the magic used on her hadn't worked as perfectly as Jynx had wanted. He had wanted her to fear vampires, to forget the ones she knew and loved. That she had lashed out against a couple already and had killed one….it seemed that the magic had mutated, for lack of a better description.

"Sookie…" he asked, keeping a distance between himself and her, bracing himself for whatever else may throw his way. Instead of violence, she was reverting to a fearful state, dropping to her knees, starting to sob.

"I don't want to be killed…I don't know you or ever want to…if this is my last night alive I want my friends and family to know I love them deeply and-" her words were haunting to him and he wanted to approach her gingerly. Instead, the strange magic he had felt earlier when this night had began tingled around him and he began to lose control of himself. And it was then he found himself grabbling her hard by her throat, lifting her up, much to his own horror. It was almost like being under the spell of a necromancer again except he was managing to restrain himself from causing any serious harm to her. He had some control over his body. And then there came a flash of light and he was blasted away from her, the frightened girl turning to see the source. And there, jogging towards her was Jynx, his face a mask of concern and worry for her safety.

"Are you alright? I saw you and that…thing and I thought you were done for. You know full well what they think of our kind especially. Nothing more than a tasty dessert. He would have drained you dry….miss…."

"My…my name is Sookie." she said as she managed a smile, allowing the stranger to help her to her feet. "Thank you…you saved my life."

He bowed his head. "Think nothing of it. How about we end…him?" and he gave the Viking a dark look, to which the girl cowered behind Jynx, taking his hands into her own, her eyes empty of any emotion as she nodded her agreement. Removing her hands from his, she trembled as Jynx conjured a ball of light, one that would put down the ancient vamp once and for all.

TO BE CONTINUED