Paradise Within…Happier Far
Chapter 17
"Revenge is an act of passion; vengeance of justice. Injuries are revenged; crimes are avenged." Samuel Johnson
"Vengeance is mine, I will repay", saith the Lord. Hebrews 10:30
"Vengeance is mine, and recompense, at the time when their foot slides; for the day of their calamity is at hand. The things that are to come on them shall make haste." Deuteronomy 32:35
"If I whet My glittering sword, My hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to My adversaries…" Deuteronomy 32:41
Sookie took Alfrigg's slightly trembling hand in hers, smiling comfortingly up at him from her overstuffed bed. She looked very small in the huge bed with a dozen feather pillows for her to rest against. But while she was small, everyone in the room could now feel her power. She had not intentionally brought it forward since they met with the Queen almost two weeks ago. She had felt it surge through her there. Now she felt it surge again filling the room. She received Alfrigg's thoughts easily. There was little guile in him and she knew that before ever taking his hand. His thoughts were easy to read, full of concern for Idona and all the children, fear that indeed someone within the household had tried something as evil as trying to kill Eric's mate.
"Alfrigg, I will ask you the questions that Eric has asked me to, and you can answer aloud or just let me skim through your thoughts. Alright?" Her voice was soft and so easy to listen to. She seemed so innocent, and she was. Alfrigg trusted her to do the right thing by Eric and by the family. He nodded his head solemnly.
"Alfrigg, did you participate in any way in a plot to poison me?" Sookie already knew the answer, and she thought Eric did as well, but this would be good practice for the other two to come.
"No!"
"Alfrigg, did you suspect or have any knowledge of a plot to poison me?"
"No, Sookie. I, we, would never want to harm you."
She released his hand and gave him her biggest smile. "Thank you Alfrigg. Your concerns are with home and family, and your heart is full of love and hope. I, as well as Eric, know that you had nothing to do with this. "
Alfrigg returned her smile. "But you already knew that, didn't you?"
Sookie and Eric just smiled enigmatically at Alfrigg and then Eric pulled him gently away, patting his shoulder in support and love. Eric then brought Dyre to Sookie.
Dyre was decidedly more tentative to approach Sookie, but was arrogant enough still to believe this was simply for show. Alfrigg had managed to get through this completely, he should be able to as well. After all he was brilliant; he could do whatever was necessary to outsmart this little bourgeois American girl.
Dyre confidently placed his hand in Sookie's, resenting he even had to do that much. But he did not want to raise suspicion anymore than necessary.
Sookie heard his thoughts about bourgeois American girl. She wasn't sure she knew exactly what that meant, but she knew it was not very nice. She looked at the almost constant arrogant sneer on Dyre's face and then prepared herself to lower her shields and catch his no doubt tiringly negative thoughts.
Dyre: "stupid little girl, how dare Eric submit me to this insult, she cannot really read minds, or read hearts as Eric so poetically put it, he has lost it in his centuries, we have done nothing to her, wouldn't doubt if she did it to herself to scare Eric into destroying the family, just like Allura said, she will make this family fall, I should have done something to protect us all…"
Sookie's raised her voice over the din of his thoughts. "Dyre! Look at me. I am going to ask you the same questions I asked Alfrigg. Did you participate in any way in the attempt to poison me?"
Dyre: "little bitch, how dare she accuse me, she should have died, Allura was right, but…"
Sookie again raised her voice over his thoughts. "Did you have any knowledge of a plot to poison me?"
Dyre's thoughts became even more jumbled: "Of course I didn't, what idiot would try to kill the mate of Eric, he will kill whoever he finds, Allura says…Wait…Allura?" Suspicion dawned on him suddenly, and Sookie and Eric both saw it.
"Eric, Dyre did not participate in this but I think he has just gained some awareness that, looking back, he might have known something might happen. But he was unaware until just this moment of that awareness. Eric, Dyre might be arrogant about his financial wizardry, and his dislike for me is palpable, and he does not respect you very much, but while he perhaps should have been more aware of what was going on around him he did not actually participate in anything. Dyre, I admire you financial abilities and your willingness to offer your advice to others to help them as well. It is truly a gift. I am sure it is not your only gift. Your mind is sharp, but your heart is hardened, but not so much that you forgo your responsibilities to your people. Try to find more grace in that and less arrogance in your God-given talents. You will perhaps be a better man for it, and a better family leader as well." Sookie released his hand and Eric motioned him away from her.
Eric's face was like stone. He was not sure what to think about Dyre at this moment, and clear thinking would be required as he exacted his vengeance. He could not make a mistake and bring the whole family toppling down.
Eric motioned Aesir to Sookie's bedside and he very slowly moved in that direction. When she put her hand out for his, he held both his arms crossed over his chest in refusal.
"I will not submit to this Eric. This is beneath me, and it is beneath you and the man that you are. I will not allow your whore to try and stain me or my family with her conjectures and whims."
Sookie dropped her hand, unsurprised that Aesir did not want to take it, but shocked at the way he spoke to Eric. He was either very guilty or very stupid, or perhaps both. Eric slowly stood from his place at the end of Sookie's bed and walked silently over to Aesir, he didn't breathe, his feet didn't even touch the carpet, and his eyes turned a threatening black.
"Aesir, I will not make you apologize for the whore comment. We both know you won't mean it and as such it will be a worthless apology. But you will pay for it at a later date. Either put your hand voluntarily in Sookie's or I will pull your arm from its socket and place it there for you." Eric's voice was quiet and deadly sounding. Chills rippled up Sookie's arms and down her back at how frightening Eric was right at this moment.
Aesir glared at Eric, and without moving his eyes from Eric's he put his hand out for Sookie to take. Sookie tried to swallow down the bile that rose in her throat at both the tension between the two men and the sludge of thoughts sliding through her shields from Aesir.
Aesir: "stupid bitch, Eric's little cunt, she will be the end of us all, Rania was right, I should have listened more closely to her, what was it she said…something about Eric and his whore being tied together…kill one, kill the other…, Eric has lost the family's respect, he is no longer of use to us here, I don't understand why she didn't die, she should have died, Rania put enough arsenic in her food to kill a horse…"
Sookie dropped his hand like it was something hot, or something very dangerous. Aesir must have realized that he had given himself, as well as Rania away, as he lunged for Sookie. But Eric was faster, placing his body between Aesir and Sookie, absorbing the impact and blocking Aesir from touching Sookie. Eric was completely vamped out and threw Aesir against the wall, denting the wall and dropping Aesir to the floor unconscious. Eric turned back to Sookie, retracted his fangs and looked over her carefully, checking for any injuries.
"Eric, I am fine. But as you probably figured out, Aesir did know about the plot. Rania has poisoned him so deeply against you and me that he may not be salvageable. She has convinced him that by killing me, you would die as well, and that was her intent." Sookie was careful in her wording not to give away the truth of that statement. "She wants to be the new matriarch of this family. She's not happy just being the wife of the Parliamentary seat, she wants it all: all the power that comes from this household, all the wealth, all the control. She cannot have that if you live."
Eric and Sookie heard two gasps from the sofa across the room from Alfrigg and Dyre. To think that one or more among them would actually wish Eric dead was beyond either of them.
Eric turned towards the gasps and silenced both men with his look. "You two, go into the library room and stay there. Do not attempt to contact your wives or leave. I will know if you do. Leave us now."
Both sons left Eric and Sookie alone, leaving pale and shaking at the revelations they had just heard. Once they had left and shut the door behind them, Eric asked Sookie to tell him exactly what she had learned from Aesir. She restated his thoughts and told him everything she could remember. Eric sighed and looked at the limp body of Aesir and then back to Sookie, a question buried in concern look on his face.
Sookie responded, her hand stroking his stricken face. "Baby, let's just get it all out tonight. You can rest on it and then decide what to do. Nothing has to happen right now, except to find out the rest of the people who are a danger to us. Bring the three women to me. It will not take long. And then we will both rest and you will know what to do when you awake."
"Are you sure you are up for this? You have only just recovered. I don't want to risk you again."
"And you are not. It should take much less time to read the women. I doubt there will be any surprises, Eric. But until you decide what actions you will take, we must protect ourselves while you sleep."
"I can turn this suite, and this room into a vault. No one can get in or out. We also have a dungeon. I think perhaps Rania, Allura, and Aesir should be taken to the dungeon while I rest and consider what to do."
"Eric, while you are thinking, consider that Dyre did not know about the plot until he literally put the pieces together as I listened. He has no love for me, and he is arrogant, but he would never do anything to harm you or the family."
Eric leaned over and gently kissed Sookie on the lips. "Thank you my lover. I shall bring the women to you now." He stooped over and threw Aesir's unconscious body over his shoulder and walked out of the room, bolting the door behind him as he left.
Thirty minutes later a softly sobbing Idona sat on the couch where Alfrigg had sat earlier. Sookie had, as expected, found nothing suspicious in her thoughts or in her heart, other than the sense of disgrace this whole incident had brought on the entire family. The only guilt she felt, and she felt overwhelmed by this guilt, was that she was so unaware of the evil that resided within the walls of her own house. Sookie and Eric both were deeply concerned by the effect of this all on the baby, as well as Idona's own breaking heart. Eric spoke quietly with Idona on the sofa while the other two women stood side by side across the room. Finally, he called Alfrigg to the room and asked him to take Idona to their rooms and see if he couldn't help her to sleep.
After Idona left, all the warmth that Eric had been extending to her disappeared and the room became icy cold. He told Allura and Rania not to be afraid. That Sookie would be able to tell him the truth and he would determine appropriate actions from there. But even from the tone of his voice anyone would have known their position was perilous.
Allura stepped up first, proud and arrogant like her husband. She delicately placed her well-groomed hand into Sookie's and looked down her patrician nose at the smaller woman lying on the bed that easily dwarfed her. Sookie was temporarily intimidated, but then remembered this woman had tried to kill her. Now she was going to learn just how involved Allura had been in the plot.
Thirty seconds later Sookie dropped Allura's hand. The sludge that ran in that woman's mind and heart was overwhelming Sookie's senses. Allura's hatred of Sookie and everything she believed Sookie stood for poured out of Allura and Sookie was afraid it threatened to drown her. Sookie looked at Eric with tears in her eyes. "Allura knew of the plot, participated in the planning of it, but did not actually put the poison in the food. She believed I was going to upset the family structure and impact her own status and wealth. She did this out of fear and greed. Her mind and heart are lost to this family." Sookie knew her words would condemn Allura to death, how horrible it would be was up to Eric.
Allura proudly walked away from Sookie, knowing her fate was sealed. Sookie could sense a remnant of sadness at the loss of her children and wondered if she would even get a chance to say goodbye. Sookie doubted it. Eric would not want any chance of poisoning the children any further than might have already happened.
Rania walked stiffly towards Sookie, her heavy robe dragging behind her. She walked as a queen would walk to her certain death. Her head was held high, her eyes focused somewhere else other than within the walls of this room, her carriage proud. Sookie could read her thoughts clearly. There was no jumble of fear, no sense of guilt, only the self-righteousness of the arrogant, of the insane, of the entitled. Rania was within a foot of Sookie's bedside, her thoughts still clear, but Sookie suddenly got a flash of a silver knife reaching for her throat.
"Eric! Knife!!" Sookie screamed.
Eric immediately jumped on top of Sookie blocking the blow, but taking the knife into his abdomen. He howled at the pain of the silver slitting his stomach. Rania looked at him with contempt, pride, and glory in her eyes. She believed she had killed him, Eric the Pillar of their family, the man, the vampire that would have sullied their family with a low-rent little whore from the United States.
"Eric!" Sookie screamed as she felt the knife pass through him and through their bond. Even with the knife wound, even a silver knife, did not stop him from stopping Rania. He rose to his full height in front of her, lifting his hands to Rania's neck snapping it quickly and letting her body fall to the ground.
Sookie grabbed the knife away from Rania and then turned her attention to Eric. "What do I do? The knife was silver…Eric I can feel your pain through the bond. Tell me what to do."
"It's ok Sookie," pain filled his voice. "The wound, while painful, will heal. I will need to take some of your blood though. Will you be alright?"
"Of course, take whatever you need. Take it freely, my love." Tears streamed down Sookie's face. Eric kissed the tears away, offering quiet soothing words as his kisses made their way to her neck. His teeth pierced her skin, drinking in her healing sweet blood. He felt the wound push whatever silver shards might have been left in his body and close. He sealed the mark on Sookie's neck and kissed her again on the lips. "All is well my love. Let me finish this now."
Eric rose from the bed, picking up Rania's dead body and hefting it over his shoulder. He stopped by Allura, who had watched everything without moving from her place on the couch. Sookie was surprised to see the glittering of tears streaming down her face.
Allura asked quietly. "May I speak, my Lord?"
Eric nodded briefly.
"I know I am condemned for my actions and I accept that. I make no requests. I know you will be sure to take care of my children. Dyer knew of my dislike of Sookie, but he knew nothing of the plan, but of course you probably know that already. What I just witnessed between you and your mate was beautiful. Perhaps if I had known how deeply your love extended I would never have listened to Rania's plot and her deceptions. I apologize All-Father. I will not beg your forgiveness, for I do not forgive myself."
"Very well, Allura. I will be sure your death will be painless and without any stain on you or your family."
"Thank you, my Lord." Allura's head nodded and she dropped her eyes from Eric's. She rose to accompany Eric out of the room while Eric locked the door behind him, habitually protecting Sookie.
Eric moved through the house at a blurring speed, carrying both Allura and Rania. He used his mind to force anyone they came across to turn away so they were not seen. He raced out to Allura's car, carefully placing Rania in the front seat without her seatbelt buckled. He then carefully led Allura to the driver's side of the car. He sat her in the front seat and had her face him.
In his softest, most hypnotizing voice, he started to talk to Allura. "Allura, you and Rania found Aesir at the bottom of the stairs. He had apparently slipped and fallen and was unconscious. You put him in the backseat and you are both urgently rushing him to the hospital. When you reach the second curve in the road, you know the one, it has no barrier despite the steep drop off down a cliff. You are going to miss the curve and drive the car off the cliff, Allura. The car will catch fire burning everyone in the car beyond recognition. Do you understand what you are to do, Allura?"
Allura's voice answered in the voice of the glamoured. "Rania and I are taking Aesir to the hospital because he has fallen. I am driving fast on the slick roads and I drive off the cliff at the second curve. We will all die. Even though we deserve much worse, none of us will die disgraced by our treachery."
"Very good Allura. Aesir is already in the backseat. You will leave now. We will never meet again."
"Thank you All-Father." Allura turned in the car and faced the steering wheel, turning the keys to start the car. Eric closed the door to the car, as Allura put the car in gear and drove away to her death.
Eric sighed, even though he didn't need to, it was still a human reaction to a great deal of stress. He went inside to find Dyre, Alfrigg, and Idona. He glamoured all of them so they remembered nothing but the poisoning of Sookie. It was an unintentional poisoning that was never discovered as to how it happened. When word of the accident comes, everyone will be shocked and dismayed, but will attribute it only as an accident, nothing else. Each one was reminded of the gift that Sookie had given each one of what their lives could be like. He also wiped from their minds their hatred and suspicion of Sookie and left only hope and love in its place.
As he sent them all on their way back to their normal activities, Eric climbed the stairs to his suite. His only desire at that moment was to crawl into Sookie's arms and sleep the sleep of death. He had exhausted his resources over the last several days between not feeding from Sookie and having no real sleep to keep himself strong. He needed both. They were safe now. The pall that hung over the house had been lifted, and all that remained was love and happiness. Everyone would grieve when they learned of the others' deaths, and then life would go on.
Eric opened the door to their suite and smelled Sookie's lavender scented shampoo and soap. He locked the door and sealed it against intrusion of any kind. He dropped the shields on the windows and the room was prepared for his sleep. He followed the scent of lavender into the bathroom where Sookie soaked in the tub. Eric sat on the side of the tub and watched her soak there, her wet hair combed back away from her face, his fresh mark on her neck. She opened her eyes and looked into his. She was saddened by the ancient and torn look in his usually calm and happy eyes.
"You are so beautiful, Sookie. You are my life. I love you." His voice was so close to tears it broke Sookie's heart. Whoever had said vampires could not feel emotions were wrong. They had a soul, despite being dead. Their souls were what separated each of them, the good from the bad. Eric's soul was good, despite the persona he sometimes wore.
"Eric, come join me, make love to me, feed from me, and then sleep lover. You have been so busy taking care of me and those that would harm me that you that you have neglected yourself."
Eric stood and stripped off his clothing and slid into the bathtub and into Sookie's waiting arms. He sighed again, at peace once more. The Pillar of the Family still stood. There were no regrets.
TBC
A/N: I am glad my readers are still enjoying this. There will be a short hiatus here while I read up on Fae. Please be patient. It shouldn't take too long to bring the next chapter online. Your continued encouragement and reviews keep me motivated to work hard on bringing you a good story. pps. I couldn't find a way for this line to fit in there without ruining the mood at the end, but I thought it would have been cute. Sookie: Eric, what does bourgouis mean? :-) Renee