VII.
Mel Hart, a lone werepanther from the Hotshot pack who lived outside of Hotshot, and a good friend of Jason Stackhouse, had been found dead, mutilated and tossed up on the entryway of Merlotte's in the morning when Sam went to open. It was a clear, if gruesome message. After a very weary Sam had talked to Bud Dearborn and Andy Bellefleur, he sat drinking a beer at 11 am and trying to decide whether Tray Dawson could be trusted. Amelia came in and sat down with Sam and Tray. She and Sam were weary. She was meeting with the head of the Shreveport coven at the bar in less than half an hour.
Tray finally broke the silence. "I had heard, if that's what you're wondering. I heard about it yesterday night, but obviously don't have to follow any packleader decision in the matter. I know that Calvin has pulled up and left town. I can tell you that I don't know what Alcide is going to do but I will not join them if they fight. Even if I risk ending up like Mel, I won't join them."
Sam nodded. "I would like to ask you if you could help Terry run the bar for a few days again. I'm sorry to impose on you further and you won't have Sookie to help right now. But I'll compensate you well for it."
Tray looked at Amelia and nodded as he looked back at Sam.
"If I'm here, and visible, it will make it obvious that I'm not involved. If they lose, it's safer for me. For my companions. The vampires aren't exactly prone to forgiveness. I'd rather take my chances that they will come out on top."
Amelia smiled. Tray was a good man. Her man.
"Did Calvin get to Mississippi okay?" Sam asked.
Tray nodded. "Jason and Crystal were the last out. Jason tried to get Mel to go with him this morning at about 4 am, but he never showed. I guess we can see why. They're lucky they got away."
Sam looked thoughtful. We'll be lucky if we all get out of this alive, he thought to himself wearily. Sookie most of all. Caught between those two powerful factions. And to think that he had thought the big risk to her was from the vampires. Ironically, he now thought they were likely her best chance for survival.
Preston Pardloe looked drawn and fearful. He stood before his Prince, cowering, not looking up. It was just after sunset and the four vampires who had just shown up from some nearby house, and the two other fairies present, all looked at him as if he would pay. As soon as he was free of the compound, and knew his sister was safe, he had sought out Niall. And now he was sure he was going to be killed by vampires if his Prince didn't do it first.
"You will tell us everything you know, everything you saw," intoned Niall, placing his hand on Preston's shoulder firmly. Pardloe looked up at Niall, wondering if the chance for redemption was a real one. He would take it.
"I give you my word that everything I will tell you is true," said Preston meeting Niall's eyes. He was determined to redeem himself in his Prince's eyes, and rescue the poor human, who was little more than a pawn. He had thought her sweet and delightful. He had deceived her at his Prince's behest but now he questioned what he had done even in that. He questioned all of it. Living in the human world, he thought to himself, makes you question our priorities.
Preston confirmed all aspects of Calvin Norris's information, providing the additional fact that the weres and Weres were being organized by one John Quinn, a weretiger from Memphis, who seemed to hold a grudge against vampires in general, but also seemingly against Sookie. He painfully reported that she was not in good shape, was glamoured, had been beaten but that he didn't think she had been raped by Dieter.
Given his usual predilections, that point was rather remarkable thought Eric, steeling himself as he thought about it. Perhaps the intensity of their bond, so recently renewed, was enough to offend Dieter's sensibilities. It was so fortunate that she initiated the second exchange, completed by his drawing from her neck, thought Eric. Initiated by her own choice at, he noted with a wan smile, the first opportunity she had really allowed herself with him. She had converted the bond, which had been forced on them, into something else entirely. Her commitment to him, whether she was ready to understand it wholly or not. Her choice, even if she didn't seem to see that she was making one. It might take her time to see it but she always took time. And when she goes for things, it's always in a big way, he reflected. Our bond must now be packing quite a punch, he thought to himself. His mark was now all over her, coursing through her blood and her mind. Even if Dieter was trying to keep it under wraps, he knew it was there. Dieter really hated vampires and hated him specifically, as a cunning opponent he had not been able to defeat a number of times. Hopefully, it would be enough to make him stay away from her, but not enough to make him want to just kill her outright. Such a fine line… He wondered what Quinn was doing to keep Dieter away from her. Surely Quinn could see what Dieter was like. Whatever protection Quinn offered her was fine. The worst he could do to her was better than the least Dieter would do.
Preston drew a map of the compound, and detailed the room that Dieter was using to discuss business. They discussed all of their pooled information, about the compound and Dieter's actions that had been accumulated in the past day, and the conclusion was simple.
"Well, it's obviously a trap," said Eric, looking over at Niall. "The fact that they were showing her off, throwing the panther on Sam's doorstep. It might as well be an engraved invitation. And knowing Dieter, he knows that I'll know it's a trap. But he also knows I'll go anyway," he said with a grim smile.
Thalia had been quiet until this point. "How much does this witch think they can limit the magic and over what timeframe? Because it's the crucial point. We may have strength in numbers to take many out, but Dieter… Dieter and that Helga bitch, they'll just burn us to death with their fire tricks. We need to take out their magic slowly ahead of time, so that they don't know we're doing it. If we show up and the witches just start chanting, it's never going to work. We'll all be dead within twenty minutes. We need time to have worn down their energy quietly, without provoking their attention. And maybe we can thin their ranks by getting some of them to come out with diversions."
Bill and Pam turned to Eric, who nodded. They both clearly didn't much like the sound of 'fire tricks'. Eric, meanwhile, was beginning to think that Thalia was much more experienced in fighting than he had ever previously considered. Being in a tourist bar was probably the last thing on her list of interests if she had fought against the likes of Dieter's people in the past. And she was right. They would need to work slowly and carefully to diminish the magical energy available, for Dieter and Helga especially.
Niall finally spoke up. "We will work in tandem with the witches. I will create a dampening field to allow them to enter early, undetected. We will instruct them. There are seventeen, correct? I will match one fairy per witch and we will transport them to positions around the compound and they will begin earlier, to start attenuating the available energy. It can be done slowly and subtly. But we must have Claudine and Claude held exempt. That way we can have them remove Sookie so whatever else plays out, she will be protected. All my people must be out before the vampires exit the building. I will not have you feeding, in some frenzy, on people that helped you wipe out this plot. We will not participate directly in the fighting. I will personally try to shield you, Eric. I can make you immune to Dieter's fire, his best weapon. There are other tricks that can be brought to bear on them. If you can take him out, the others will fall. Even Helga."
Amelia and Octavia were already working outside with a group of witches on setting up the spells that they would use. They were counting on at least fifteen witches from the Shreveport coven that had regrouped after Hallow's death.
Maxwell, Indira and Felicia entered the house carrying stacks of pike length iron rods with sharpened tips that made the four fairies wince at the sight of them. Not far behind them, Rasul strode through the door. He had driven up from Baton Rouge, where he was the Sheriff's second, after making excuses about taking a short trip. He had seen the Fae fight four hundred years before as they drove the Moors back from the north coast of Spain. He knew what to expect. Eric had also selected a group of older vampires from Arkansas who were awaiting word as to where and when to meet. It was an awkward moment, with the Fae on one side of the room and outnumbering them two to one, the vampires on the other. Eric glanced over at the Fae contingent and nodded, indicating that he would keep his people in check. Then he indicated that everyone needed to stay focused on the business at hand, which was Preston's map of the compound.
Shortly before 9:00 pm, when they were all starting to prepare for their journey over the state line, Alcide Herveaux knocked on the door and entered the house. He looked at the assembled group of Fae, witches, a shifter and the vampires crowded into the house and was obviously rather taken aback.
"Eric, I have come to talk to you. To talk to you about Sookie, who as you know, is a friend to my pack."
"Now is not exactly a good time Herveaux. In fact, your presence here might be considered problematic," said Eric coldly. There was no point in playing games. His sentiment, that the Were might be a spy, was pretty much shared by everyone in the room, with even Sam looking askance at Alcide's unexpected arrival.
"Before we start, let me say that my pack is standing down. I am offering to help. I have heard that they have Sookie and I have been led to believe that she is in danger."
"Well, you'd really think that Dieter hired a publicist to advertise the fact he has her," quipped Eric sarcastically to Pam. "And how would you be helping Herveaux?"
"I don't know what you need, but since they are anticipating that many Were packs will join them, we could take several pack members up there under the guise of committing to them and be useful inside. Or I could go alone to aide you. We could create a diversion if you needed to buy time. You can tell me what you need."
Bill immediately interjected "And the reason we would trust you would be what, Herveaux?" He'd detested Alcide since his Jackson rescue.
Alcide reiterated "Sookie is a friend of my pack. To allow her to come to harm would bring dishonor on all of us. We may not agree with the breadth of her alliances, but she has been a good friend to us. We're not able to join in an action that could bring her harm."
All the vampires looked at him as if they didn't quite believe him.
Pam remarked, shaking her head, "It is ironic that this is really one of those times when we could seriously use a telepath."
Eric studied him. He was either incredibly brave to show up as a spy in the midst of this group or he was at least partially sincere. He was not in the habit of thinking of Weres as brave. They are reckless and drawn to fight. But not this reckless. He is likely sincere in his commitment to protect a friend of the pack, he thought to himself, even if he would likely be fighting if Sookie wasn't involved. This could be a useful alliance, if carefully constructed.
"What do you know about the encampment?" Eric asked Alcide.
"I know it's in Magnolia. I know that packleaders are to report to Quinn, who is heading the were contingent. I know that Parsons, packmaster out of Monroe, was there yesterday and saw Sookie sitting in a room with all of the planning team and that she's been beaten up. I know that Quinn is expecting me to show up tonight with my numbers. So I'm offering to help to get her out of there. What the rest of you do once she's out is your business. I will not involve my pack in the fighting for either side. My only role is to fulfill my commitment to protect Sookie."
Eric looked at him and said "You realize that if you're working for them that we'll kill you, right? You and your entire pack. You do grasp that, I hope?"
Alcide chuckled and said, "It had actually struck me, yes, Eric. I had taken that into account. Walking into this group if I was really working for Quinn wouldn't appear to be a very shrewd choice."
"Then your assistance would be useful. Niall, go ahead with your plans with Amelia's group. We'll discuss things with Herveaux separately. I will be in touch." There was no need for Alcide to know that they had a plan to weaken the magical energy of Dieter's group. If he was on their side, that information would not be necessary for him to have. If he wasn't, it would undermine everything.
Niall, Claudine, Claude and Preston moved toward Amelia, Octavia and more than a dozen witches gathered on the porch.
"Pardloe. You stay," said Eric.
Preston turned slowly to Eric and the other vampires. Niall looked at Eric for a moment and then nodded, indicating that Claudine and Claude should keep going with him.
"Packmaster Herveaux, I'd like you to meet a very talented recruit. He'll be one of your wolves. And his job is to keep you on the straight and narrow. Pardloe, this is your chance. If Herveaux is a spy, and tries to give away our operation, you'll kill him. Understood?" Eric then nodded pleasantly to Alcide as if they now had an excellent working arrangement.
Alcide looked puzzled at the fairy, though, so Preston rolled up his shirt sleeve and began his effortless change of an arm. Alcide nodded with understanding.
"So this is what we'll do…" said Eric.