A/N: I want to apologize for the delay in this chapter. I spent the last week visiting my family in New York and didn't have a whole lot of time to write. I was going to get this out a few days ago, but I've been revising it non-stop to make it perfect. I'm really sorry it took this long, but I'm back and inspired! I hope this chapter was worth the wait!
I knew what I had to do.
We got back to Hotel Carmilla a few hours after the meeting. I was silent the entire ride, still obviously pissed at Eric's decision to send Sookie off into the Fellowship while I sit around as back up. He didn't speak to me the entire ride back, and it was a good thing he didn't. Vampire or not, I'm becoming more powerful and I know what I'm capable of. Sookie is able to read minds, but I'm able to do much more. I may not have as much of a handle on my powers as Sookie, but my thought process is sticking to 'quantity, not quality'.
When we arrived at the Hotel, Bill was still trying to reassure Sookie, which I knew she didn't need. She was prepared for what was to come tomorrow morning.
And so was I.
Bill and Sookie went to their rooms quietly, wishing me a good night before retreating to spend some time together before Sookie's search and rescue mission. I hugged Sookie goodnight and followed Eric down the hall and toward our rooms. I unlocked my door and Eric stepped in after me.
"You know, you do have your own door." I spat.
He leaned against the closed door with crossed arms. "I'm well aware." He said, the famous smirk playing his lips.
"So leave, I'd like to get some sleep before I have to sit around and wait for something bad to happen to Sookie." I said, this time crossing my own arms against my chest.
"I know you disapprove of my methods but you must trust me when I-"
"Trust you? You want me to trust you? You're sending Sookie out to a church of fanatics who probably know exactly who she is and what she can do! It's a suicide mission!" I interrupted, raising my arms in the air out of anger.
"It's our only option. Sookie will be able to tell whether or not Godric is even in the vicinity. You don't have enough control over your many powers. I can't afford to-""
"That's the thing Eric, I am in control of my powers! I'm perfectly capable of shifting and literally sniffing out the area. Even crazed fanatics wouldn't suspect an animal to be a threat. Most people trust animals more than humans, and that's what you're not comprehending!"
In a flash, Eric stood in front of me, pressing my back uncomfortably against the wall with his fangs bared. "You will obey my orders. You will stay in this room tomorrow while Sookie investigates. I may not have the power of glamour over you, but you wouldn't want me to resort to my other means of making you obedient." He growled.
I gulped. I knew Eric wouldn't kill me, I wasn't afraid of that. However, I knew if I disobeyed him, he would make me wish I was dead. I was more use to him alive, but that didn't mean I couldn't be incapacitated. I lowered my head and bit my lip. I decided to comply.. for now.
"I'm glad you've reconsidered. I'll leave you for the night. I'll see you first thing tomorrow night and we'll discuss the plans depending on Miss Stackhouse's success." He said before turning towards the door to his room. He stopped in the middle of the door way and looked over his shoulder. "Neither of you will be harmed, Rayne. I promise." He said before continuing and shutting the door.
I sighed and let myself fall to the floor. I put my head in my hands and rested my elbows on my knees. I was torn. A part of me wanted to help Sookie more considering in the few months I've known her, she's acted as a sister to me. Another part, however, knew that Eric was right. I wasn't in as much control as Sookie was. There's no doubt that she could handle picking through the church fanatics heads to find the information we were seeking. That didn't mean I wasn't worried. I've read a lot of history; I'm well aware of the horrible things churches like the Fellowship of the Sun could inflict. They claim to hate vampires, claim they're abomination, but who's to say they wouldn't harm an innocent human for associating with them? They had already tried to kidnap us, and that was another thing we had to worry about. We still had no clues as to the identity of this traitor. It's obvious it's someone close to the Dallas nest, but none of us have any clues as to who it is. This whole mission was beginning to sound more and more useless.
Unless I did something.
Although I was torn between being defiant and helping Sookie, or being obedient and listening to Eric, a large part of me was leaning towards one specific outcome.
I had to help Sookie.
There were only a few hours until dawn and I knew I had to mask my emotions if I was going to proceed with my plan without alarming Eric. I sat on my bed and listened to music, concentrating solely on the lyrics and melodic voice of Alanis Morrisette. I took care in leaving the volume just loud enough for Eric's heightened hearing to confirm I was in the room listening to music, and my change in emotion was due to the nature of the song I was listening to. I had played it almost perfectly. After about 2 hours of playing 'Jagged Little Pill' and 'Fear's in the Water' by the Vincent Black Shadow, I looked to the window to see the sun peeking through the Dallas skyline.
It was time.
Sookie wasn't supposed to be leaving for the church until mid-morning, and I hopefully had enough time to achieve my mission before she left. I ran to my suitcase and gathered up a few articles of clothing to change into as well as the sundress I silently thanked the heavens I brought. I quickly slipped on a pair of loose shorts and a large graphic T-Shirt I usually slept in. I grabbed the sundress before quietly making my way out of my room and into the halls. I decided to skip the elevator and rushed down the stairs. When I reached the lobby floor, I hustled up to the concierge and asked for a rental car for the day. She provided me with a suitable vehicle in record time (Payed for by Mr. Northman. I had to remind myself to pay him back for this after he got over what I was going to do). I rushed out to the rental car and slipped the keys in the ignition. I had planned to stop at a random church and ask if they knew the location of the Fellowship of the Sun, but when I saw a group of protesters outside of the hotel, I knew I didn't have to go far. I crept around the hotel and made my way behind the protesters so they wouldn't see my car pulling out of the same hotel they were protesting against. I pulled up to the group and rolled down my window, spouting some BS about how I applauded them for their reasoning and how I wanted to go to the Fellowship to be with more people who thought the same. It didn't sound believable to me, but one of the protesters gave me directions to the church before I sped off into the direction. I let out a breath. I had been worried they would've seen me pull out of the hotel parking lot and call me a liar. Luckily, the fanatics were as dumb as they were stupid. I set my sights on the drive ahead, which was a good hour away from Hotel Carmilla. I concentrated on each and every step of my plan, playing it out in my head over and over until I gave myself a headache.
In a lot less time then I thought, I arrived in the driveway of the Fellowship of the Sun. I looked around and drove past, driving farther down the road and pulling over in a wooded area a few hundred feet from the entrance. I picked up the sundress and carefully stepped out of the vehicle. I slipped the dress into my mouth and peeked through the trees at the church. There was quite a number of people outside, just as I had hoped. It was a Wednesday morning, and I knew that they were conversing after their early morning sermon. I spotted something that made my plan easier, and I let out a breath of relief. One of the elderly churchgoers outside was holding a small beagle in the frail arms. The dog noticed my presence and began barking. I made a low growl, enticing the animal to come to me. I was in luck when the dog struggled in its master's arms and broke free, running through the woods in my direction. The old woman yelled after the dog and began chasing it slowly into the woods. I sprinted towards the car and grabbed the rope I had stashed in the glove compartment of the rental car. The small animal caught up with me in a few seconds. It continued its barking and I growled, demanding it shut up. Surprisingly, when you shift into a species of animal once, you learn the mannerisms of the animal rather quickly, and this was one I was glad I managed to pick up without trying. The dog shut it's mouth and I whispered it words of assurance.
"Be quiet now, okay. I'm gonna tie you up to this tree, but you have to be quiet for me." I said to the animal. It looked at me with wide eyes and allowed me to tie the rope loose around it's neck and then to the tree. The dog wasn't wearing a collar, and I was glad for that. I had no idea how I would've managed that one. I looked down at the animal, who was staring up at me, panting. I took a deep breath and began my transformation. I had no mirror to go by this time, so I wasn't sure if I looked exactly like the product I was trying to achieve. I held my faith as I began shrinking. In a few seconds, I was looking across at the dog. I yipped in delight before I was pulled of my glee to the sound of footsteps nearby.
"Shiloh! Shiloh honey, come back!" A voice sounded.
I giggled to myself at the clear unoriginal name of this beagle. I ran towards the voice as fast as my little legs would take me, tripping over my ear a few times on the way there. Lucky for me, the woods were a little too thick for a human to pass easily, so the woman hadn't seen any of the events from moments ago. When I caught sight of her, I hopped up like the happy little dog I was mimicking.
"There you are sweetie! I was so worried! Don't run off on me again Shiloh!" The elderly woman said as she scooped me up in her frail arms. "Mr. Newlin and his wife have some business to discuss so you have to be a good little boy and behave yourself while mommy talks with them."
Jackpot. I was going to be left alone while the leaders of the Fellowship were distracted with business. My plan couldn't have gone more perfect. All this time, Eric thought it was a bad idea. Pfft, this was going to be a walk in the park.
The old woman walked through the doors of the church with me held close to her chest. I struggled a little and she set me down. She continued walking and I followed close to her side. The main hall of the church was huge. The morning sun shone through the large room from the large stained-glass window at the front, causing the mahogany wood of the pews to shine like gold. If it weren't for the ideas this church taught, it would have been beautiful. The idea that this entire building was so beautiful in the sunlight was lost by the cruel intentions. The woman walked past a few small groups of people gathered all around the room until she came upon a larger group. I almost growled when I laid my eyes on Steve Newlin. He was much more cowardly looking in person. He was laughing and conversing with others in the group. Two in the group were most notable. One was a large man, about mid-fourties with large muscles and a bald head. The other figure was a young woman wearing a bright pink dress. She had long blonde hair, blue eyes, and a bright, kind smile. The woman looked much too sweet to be a part of this bigot church, but when I saw Steve Newlin put his arm around her, I knew she must have been his wife.
Poor woman.
My companion gave the group a friendly greeting and they responded with the same manner, adding a 'praise his light' at the end.
Moronic bigot trash.
They continued a conversation, none of it seemed of any importance to me. It was mostly about plans for the 'lock-in' that was supposed to be happening tonight. I listened for any clues as to whether or not they had Godric captive, but none came up in their conversation. After a few more lines of dialogue, my 'master' bent down to me and scratched my ear.
"You stay out here and be a good boy, Shiloh. Mommy's going to go talk to the nice people upstairs." She said before straightening up and following Steve, his wife, and the large man towards a staircase behind a door in the large room.
This was my chance. As soon as they were out of sight, I trotted around the room, earning a few 'Aww!'s and head patting from other groups. I ignored them and continued my mission, peeking into each hallway for any sign of a vampire captive.
It was then that I remembered something about telepathy. Just like Sookie, I wasn't able to read vampire's minds, but there was one helpful thing about that. I might not have been able to read their minds, but it didn't mean they didn't register in my head. Vampires don't leave thought processes, but they did leave something that helped distinguish them in a large room or let's say.. church of human vampire haters.
I opened my mind while trying to maintain my canine form. I searched all the brains in this large church for a blank spot...
...The distinct blank spot in my mind that signified a vampire's presence.
After scouring the brains in this area for something to that effect, I was in luck.
There was a blank spot.
And it seemed like it was coming from somewhere below me.
I knew there was nothing I could do to save Godric during the day, but that didn't mean that I couldn't locate him and return to Sookie with the information so she had no reason to put herself in danger before night fell and we could get the vampires to help.
I followed the empty spot towards a long hallway. It was almost like trying to get good reception on an old antenna T.V. The closer I got to the vampire's whereabouts, the more clear the blank spot became - if that makes any sense. I followed the curved hall until it reached a door at the end, which was left ajar. I used my long nose to force the door open a fraction more, just enough to squeeze my body through. I entered the space and was now inside a large room with a desk, chair, and a door behind it. I had gathered this was Steve Newlin's office, due to the pictures of himself and his wife. There were posters plastered around the walls with crude vampire hating phrases. "God Hates Fangs" seemed to be the favourite of the bunch. I growled in disgust before investigating the room again. I trotted towards the front of the desk, deciding it was safe to revert back into my human body.
If only I would have heard.
The sound of glue and sticks sounded again, the sound that always seemed to make me feel sick.
If only I would have noticed.
I picked up a memo on the top of Steve Newlin's desk.
If only I had been more aware.
The memo on the desk had read, "Friday Morning: The vampire meets the sun"
If only I would have turned around.
"What the hell are you?" A voice sounded behind me.
I didn't have time enough to react before a sharp pain radiated through my head, and then everything went dark.
A/N: I hope you liked it! Again, sorry for the wait! Review and let me know what you think? The next chapter will be switching P.O.V's since Rayne's kind of knocked out. XD