A/N: This chapter has a little interaction between Nikki, Eric and Russell and we hear some of Eric's thoughts. It concludes with Nikki trying to rein in her light.

Chapter 14

Eric looked across the room at Nikki and Russell. He tried to appear as nonchalant, but he was anything but. He fought to keep the irrational surge of jealousy under control. They were in one of the formal sitting rooms in Russell's mansion. Antique and plush furniture made the perfect compliment to numerous pieces of pieces of priceless art. Russell did love his collections, thought Eric. Nikki and Russell were seated on a formal settee upholstered in a golden color that seemed to pick up the warm glow from the fireplace. She was outrageously flirting with Russell and he was playing along with good humor. Too much good humor for Eric's taste. Mine. That single thought rang out in his head. He was more than willing to admit that after worming his way back between Nikki's thighs and into her heart that he was suffering from post-coital vampire possessiveness.

Surely, Russell's vampire hearing had to have heard Nikki screaming his name last night. In fact, he would normally be basking in the glow of vampire smugness over his prowess if Russell didn't have an eye to taking his prize right out from under his nose. He almost snorted. Russell could plot all he wanted to but nothing was going to wrest Nikki from his cold fingers. Mine, came that unbidden thought again. He was rather partial to his prize. Fuck, he was one step from becoming completely besotted with her and making an undead fool of himself. It was embarrassing. After all, he had an image to uphold. For over a thousand years, no woman or vampire had managed to stake a claim on his heart. So why was he falling under the spell of a little hybrid fairy? Sure, she was cute with her heart-shaped ass that practically begged for a spanking and her brown eyes like melted chocolate. Those full lips that could kiss him so sweetly and then tell lies to him. Let's face it, he told himself, he was attracted to that sweet nature that wasn't all sugar and spice. Those sly eyes that held secrets from him simply weakened all his defenses. That wickedness was a trait of her kind. Along with that ambrosia that flowed in her veins. It was like liquid sugar that flowed straight to his dick. Fucking fairies. If they only knew how easy it was to bring a vampire to his knees, they would be coming out of the woodwork and making slaves of them all.

He had been reassured when he found her. No one, not even that mangy werewolf, had touched her. He would have been able to smell it on her and whoever would have been foolish enough to touch her would have met a long and painful death. As long and painful as his rather creative imagination could have made it. Mine, mine, mine. Yes, that sweet little fairy was all his. And that little tract of anatomy between those smooth thighs was only his. It had always been his. Like the good little fairy princess she was, she had saved it all just for him. Somehow, the thought that she had picked him and his cock above all others caused a flush of blood to zing down below and his cock seemed to grow heated. It had been turning the tables on him at the time. She had outright lied and tricked him. She had also intended for it to be only one night. Foolish fairy. Didn't she know that getting just a little taste of her wouldn't be enough? Because no matter how many times he buried himself up to the hilt within her, it was never enough. Her soft cries only spurred him on and he felt that he could ride her all night. Every night. Mine. Fuck, he losing it. Even now, just the thoughts of her threatened to cause his flushed and strangely heated cock to rise. Someone as large as he was couldn't go around with a hard-on without it being plainly obvious. His cock wanted him to carry her upstairs and ravish her until she couldn't manage to crawl off the bed. And then, fuck her some more for good measure.

"Your little friend is quite the charmer," said Talbot, interrupting his more pleasant visions of Nikki's legs wrapped around his waist as he pounded her into sweet oblivion.

"Yes, I guess it's lucky for me that she isn't Russell's type," replied Eric, taking a sip of chilled blood. He tried to keep from making a face. He preferred his blood hot and direct from the source, especially if that source happened to be a blonde fairy vixen.

Talbot gave him a sympathetic smile. "Don't kid yourself. Russell has been known to play for the other team on occasion. He's a greedy little boy and he takes what he wants. Watch out."

Eric flashed a look of pure hatred across the room. He wondered why Russell didn't just burst into flames on the spot since he willed him instant death with that gaze. He wondered if throwing Nikki over the back of the settee and fucking her senseless in front of Russell would send him the message that she was his and that he didn't plan on sharing. Mine.

Russell took a sip of blood and leaned over to trace his finger over the edge of Eric's necklace. A wicked smirk played across his face.

"If looks could kill," he said.

"Excuse me?"

"Your sheriff. He's quite possessive, although I can understand his infatuation," purred Russell.

Nikki batted her eyelashes. "Your Majesty is too kind. It's too bad that I didn't meet you first, Your Majesty, since I would be swooning at your feet right now."

Russell chuckled and reached out and took her hand. He pulled it to his lips and kissed it. "You're such a delightful girl, Ms. Jordan. Not many can keep their thoughts sharp in my presence. I always enjoy our banter together."

"I think that we both enjoy making our significant others jealous," replied Nikki.

"How true," he replied, caressing her hand, thoughtfully. His smirk returned. "We must be completely wicked creatures to play with our loved ones hearts."

"Nice is so boring," replied Nikki. "Men of all kinds crave someone with a naughty nature that will have them on their knees."

Russell bent once more to her knuckles and brushed his lips over them. Nikki wasn't sure but she thought that she felt the edge of his tongue in that kiss. What a flirt, she thought, he was as bad as she was.

Motherfucking bastard. He did not just try to lick her hand, did he? Eric held back the growl that threatened to erupt and watched as Russell made goo-goo eyes at his woman. Was he trying to glamour her right in front of him? In three short strides his long legs propelled him across the room and to her side.

"Precious," he said, with more control than he thought possible in the current circumstances. "Would you care for another sherry?"

Nikki gently extracted her fingers from Russell's and gazed up at him. She gave him a reassuring smile. "No, but I always crave your company."

She pulled him down beside her and placed her hand on his thigh. Her fingers began to massage him with lazy circles. He couldn't keep a gleam of satisfaction out of his eyes as he met Russell's eyes. Mine, and don't you forget it. Russell leaned back and eyed them both for a moment.

"Why don't we talk about you for a moment, Nikki?" he said, using her first name.

"I fear that topic of conversation would be dreadfully dull," she replied.

"I beg to differ," he smoothly replied. "You are very much appreciated by those who have hired you. They sing your praises. What exactly do you do?"

"I find out things for them," she replied. "Such as who might have stolen something or I determine who is telling the truth and who is lying."

"Interesting. How do you do that?" asked Russell.

"I'm a very good observer of human behavior," she replied.

Russell took another drink and replied, "I think that it's a little more than that. All flirting and charm aside, Nikki, I want the truth."

Eric could feel a tremble in Nikki's fingers and just when he was about to open his mouth and say something that would certainly piss off the King of Mississippi, she answered.

"I'm psychic," she said without batting those thick, long lashes. But, thought Eric, darling Nikki could lie with the best of them.

"A psychic?"

"Yes, I'm afraid to admit that such a mundane gift is my secret," she said. "I get readings from people or rather humans when I'm in their presence or when I touch them. I just know things. It's really not very interesting at all. Perhaps, you might want to reconsider your interest in me."

Russell turned his eyes on Eric. "And you use Ms. Jordan in this capacity?"

Eric leaned back and shook his head. "I thought that it was clearly obvious what capacity Nikki fulfilled for me."

Talbot chuckled from across the room. "There is certainly little doubt in my mind after hearing those loud noises coming from your room last night."

Eric watched Nikki blush, prettily, and he wondered if it was fake or real. He couldn't stop a finger from running down her soft cheek. "Your Majesty, in all seriousness, Nikki has a gift for finding out the truth of the matter. It works well with interrogation sometimes."

"Fascinating," murmured Russell. "I must see this ability for myself. I'm meeting with several other regents in a couple of days. Nikki, you will accompany me along with Talbot." Seeing Eric stiffen beside her, Russell added, "And you as well, Sheriff. Queen Sophie-Anne will be there and it will be the perfect time for you to inform her of your change in allegiance."

"I can't wait, Your Majesty," replied Eric, caressing Nikki. She shivered and he wasn't sure if it was from desire of fear.

XOXO

Eric closed the door to their room and locked it. He shrugged off his jacket and let it fall to the floor. His eyes were heavy-lidded with lust and Nikki swallowed. Jeesh, she was like a Pavlov dog, salivating at the thought of the blonde sexy vampire in the room. A wave of lust seemed to pass over her and make her knees weak. Had it come from her or from Eric? The thought that she might be sensing things from him made her try to shake off the desire to rip off his clothes and bite him. Well, nip at him. She wasn't ready to come into contact with his dangerous blood. Stop it and think clearly, maybe with your brain for once. We need to talk. Seriously.

"Eric," she began.

But, Eric moved quickly to her and swept her up into his arms. Wanton hussy that she was, she molded her body against his and thought that she wanted to get much closer and that these clothes were in the way. His lips came down on hers and he literally took her breath away. She felt his tongue lapping at the seam of her lips, demanding entrance. With a soft moan, she parted her lips and let him inside. But, that wasn't good enough and she eagerly sucked on his tongue and pulled it into her own mouth. She rasped her own tongue over his and teasingly sucked on it until Eric made a soft moan of his own and his hands tightened around her. One hand moved up into her hair and cradled her head and the other roamed down and clamped tightly onto her ass. She tilted her hips and rubbed against something very large and hard that was pressing into her abdomen. Another ragged moan escaped from her lips which Eric quickly swallowed down. Floating in a haze of pleasure where her only thoughts were on how quickly she could get him between her legs, she was only dimly aware that they were moving to the bed. No, if he got her horizontal, she would never be able to think another coherent thought. Focus, remember the talk? Talk first, mind-blowing sex later. But, then Eric's kisses moved to her neck and she felt him suck and lick her without breaking the skin. She needed fang. She arched her neck to tempt him to unsheathe those fangs and bite into her neck. Who would have thought that a fairy would crave a vampire's bite? But, those fangs gave her the shivers in a good way. Although the effect was better when he was firmly sheathed between her legs and driving her crazy at the same time.

"Oh, Eric, I need you," she moaned.

"What do you need?" he whispered in her ear before running his tongue along her neck.

Was the bastard teasing her? "I need you. Your fangs, your cock, all of you." There, was that clear enough?

He nipped at her neck with his human teeth and her clit began to throb with need. "And my heart? What of that?" he asked.

Nikki gripped his shoulders and pulled away so that she could look into those almond-shaped eyes. "I wasn't sure that my wicked vampire had a heart."

"Would it disappoint you to find out that I do?"

"I'll need a little more than your word that such a thing exists," she softly said. "You are a liar, after all."

"So are you, Sweetness," he murmured. "So are you."

When Eric began to pull her against him, she managed to hold him off. "We need to talk."

"We can talk in bed."

"I can't think straight when your dick is inside me," replied Nikki.

Eric's lips quirked up into a smirk. "Then, don't think. All I require are your helpless cries in my ear as I take what's mine. Over and over."

Did every word out of his mouth have to ooze sex? She was losing the will to resist his advances. She wanted to touch him. She needed it, badly. Was this stupid light between them upping the already smoldering lust between them? If she didn't get a handle on stopping the process, it would be too late.

"We…we have a problem."

"We have several problems. The biggest one is a three thousand year old vampire who is sleeping just down the hall," replied Eric.

Maybe, thought Nikki. But, I can charm Russell or reason with him. But, there was no reasoning with the force that was contained in Eric's body. She couldn't bargain with it or lie to it. The light had a will of it's own sometimes and it was certainly ignoring her wishes. Dammit, it was her light.

Drawing a shaky breath, Nikki said, "I want to try to remove the light that is inside of you."

Eric's eyes narrowed. Something inside of him seem to coil in apprehension, almost as if a living creature was moving inside of him. That alone should have freaked him out. But, he couldn't stop from thinking that he carried a piece of her inside of him. That voice inside of him whispered that it belonged to him, now. Mine. He felt a tickling as if some force was battening itself down and digging in. It would not go quietly, somehow, he knew that. But, did he want to let it go?

Seeing his reluctance, Nikki quickly said, "I know that you can feel my light. It will only grow stronger and it may become a force that you can't control."

Okay, that was a good enough reason to get rid of it, thought Eric. No fucking fairy light was going to rule over him. Would it give her even more influence over him? Make him her slave? He was already under the influence of Little Miss Dangerous more than he wanted to be.

"Then, remove it, fairy," he said.

Nikki pulled off his shirt since skin contact would be better. As her fingers caressed him, he felt something swirling inside of him and his skin tingled with energy. The life force of a fairy. How was that even possible?

"I feel you," he said and Nikki could feel the awe in his voice. "You are inside me. You are in my flesh and bone. My rushing blood carries your name on it."

Fairy magic was at work. She felt the wonder of it. But, if she didn't try to stop the magic, it would pull both Eric and her into it without remorse. Magic was a tricky business at times and some forces had no master but their own. This power wasn't meant to be used on a vampire. Why it continued to reside in Eric's body was a mystery. She paled as she wondered if the magic had not made a mistake and had chosen him purposely as it's vessel. Nikki took a few steps back and put some distance between them. Eric had closed his eyes against the sensations that he must be feeling. When he opened them and stared at her, they seemed to be glowing as if a light was shining behind them. It was hauntingly beautiful. The air inside the room began to crackle with electricity and Nikki felt her hair begin to stand on end. It was time. She raised her left arm and held out her hand with the palm facing Eric. She used her left arm because that was the side closest to her heart. She summoned her light and a pure, white brilliance began to glow in the palm of her hand. The charged air now began to whip around the room, moved by a force that had stirred into being. The lights flickered and cast moving shadows across the room. The shadows moved and took the shape of wondrous creatures that stalked her and Eric. They are only shadows. They aren't real, thought Nikki. Ghosts conjured up to try and break my train of thought. The power inside of Eric was stronger than she had thought.

Light of all creation, gifted only to the Fae, hear my call. Come back to me. She concentrated and closed her eyes for a moment. A cry from Eric made her open them. Flickers of light began to dance upon the surface of his skin. He might die from embarrassment if he knew that he sparkled, she thought. Slowly, the particles of light swirled together and rose off the surface of his chest right above the area of his heart. The little tendril of light grew stronger and brighter and it started to reach across the space between them. Eric wavered on his feet and he grew even paler as the light left him. The hypnotic light in his eyes faded until only his unique blue eyes looked back at her. He was becoming just a vampire again. Back to the way he was before she had changed him. For some reason a part of her wanted to cry and she blinked back the tears. This is the way that it must be, she thought. To do otherwise was crazy. Suddenly, her light moved from her palm and sought to join with the ray that was coming from Eric. Wait, she hadn't done that on purpose. Before she could react, the beams of light surged forward and intersected, causing a brilliant flash of light shook the room. It pulsed and she felt the shock wave pass through her as it knocked her to the floor. She groaned as she found herself sprawled out on the floor. Shaking her head, she rose on unsteady feet. What had happened? The furniture in the room was strewn about and lying across the room lay Eric. With a cry of fear on her lips, she rushed over to him. She pulled him into her arms and rested his head in her lap.

"Eric, Baby, are you alright?" she asked, her voice raspy with fear. What had she done to him? Please, let him be okay.

Eric's eyes fluttered open and a gasp of relief gushed out of her. Her vampire was unharmed. But, had it worked? Her hand clutched his, but he kept his hand closed into a fist. Under her gaze, he slowly opened his hand. A little mote of white, pure light danced upon his palm.

"I don't think it worked," he said.