Dallas Bound

A little while later we were well on our way to Dallas in Eric's Corvette. We'd stopped by my place and I'd packed an overnight bag and grabbed my laptop, while Eric spoke to someone on his phone. I wasn't necessarily sure this voyage was a good idea, but I certainly didn't like the alternative of waiting at home for Stephan to show up, glamour his way into my brain and take what knowledge he needed then kill me. Eric had been silent for most of our journey so far. He was driving quickly, but it didn't bother me, the stable hum of the tyres on the road kept drifting me off into slumber. I dreamt, of course I did.

I was in the bathroom at home, brushing my wet hair in the mirror. I'd had a shower and I was wrapped up in a towel. Hands encircled my waist and one sneaked its way under my towel and teased its way down my belly to my thigh. I gasped at his touch and leant back into him, "Oh Eric," I moaned.

"Yes lover?"

His voice woke me up completely and I saw him looking at me with a big grin, "Dreaming of me?" he asked.

I raised an eyebrow, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

He smirked and returned his eyes to the road.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"Dallas, not far from the hotel," he replied, "Maybe twenty minutes or so."

I glanced at the clock on the dashboard, 3.45am. We'd made good time, really good time. I guess Eric had been driving faster than I thought. Maybe to beat the sun, I mused, and looked out of my window. It was still really dark out, but we were in the city now. High rise buildings and office blocks passed us by, and people on the street looked miniscule in comparison.

"Do you have to book a special room at the hotel?" I asked, making conversation.

"Hotel Carmilla caters specifically for vampires," he replied.

"So all the rooms are light tight?"

"Yes."

"Even mine?" I assumed he'd booked us separate rooms, how naïve of me.

"You'll be sharing my suite," he said matter of fact.

"How convenient for you," I replied sarcastically, but smiled inwardly.

"Yes," he said simply.

A thought crossed my mind, "Do you have a coffin?" I asked, tactlessly.

He chuckled, "No. There will be a bed."

"So," I said, taking a breath, "Daniel."

There was an unsettling quiet in the car and Eric kept his eyes on the road.

"Am I right in thinking Daniel was the vampire who had an accident in your office?"

"You really wish to know?" he replied after a pause.

"Not especially but if his brother decides to come a calling on me, then I'd like to be prepared."

"We'll talk about it later," he said pulling into the drive of Hotel Carmilla.

"So long as we will," I answered, as I opened my door and vacated my seat.

A valet and a busboy appeared immediately. Eric handed the keys to the valet, while the busboy got our cases from the car.

I dutifully followed Eric inside. The hotel lobby was lush, and only left my imagination wondering as to the quality of the rooms stacked high on floors above us. Morbidly I took a minute to muse how many people had died in those rooms. Either unsuspecting of their companions' nature and intentions or whether voluntarily submitting themselves.

Eric checked us in and handed me a key card. He gestured towards the lift…elevator, and waited for me to lead the way.

I ambled over in silence, taking in the vampires and humans alike sitting in the lobby. Eric pressed the button and the doors swished open smoothly. I stepped in after Eric and stood somewhat nervously in front of him. I don't know if I expected him to ravish me right there in the lift, or if I was being too self-absorbed. In truth I didn't really think Eric's reasoning for bringing me with him was entirely accurate. Stephan had neither proof nor inclination to believe I had anything to do with his brother's disappearance, regardless of the fact he seemed to be able to glamour me. Which was yet another topic that needed discussion. As the elevator zoomed its way up to the, I glanced at my key card, ninth floor, I found myself wondering if Daniel had been Stephan's human brother or his vampire brother, and was it just Eric that couldn't glamour me?

The elevator stopped on the 7th to pick up a bellboy and his luggage rack with some cases on. Eric shifted in the elevator closer to me, but didn't touch me, to make room for the bellboy. Barry, I noticed his name badge read.

Two floors up and we slipped out of the elevator and went down the corridor. Eric let us in to room 917 and strode in before me.

The room was incredibly decadent, dark walls with luxurious wallpaper that I immediately wanted to touch. There was a grey leather suite in front of a fireplace in a wall in the centre of the room, which had been lit. I wandered inside with amazement. My bags had already been placed on a table behind the settee. I saw the back of Eric disappear behind the dividing wall with the fireplace in and followed him.

I'm not entirely sure I didn't expect to see the enormous king size bed, but I took a sharp intake of breath when I saw it. Dark red sheets screaming opulence and a sumptuous white shaggy rug at the foot of the bed. Windowless, I noticed. Eric was sat at the bottom of the bed, staring at me.

"Why am I really here?" I asked, "And don't lie to me."

He didn't move or speak.

"Unless it's purely to keep me out of trouble," I paused, a thought generating, "Or to keep me in it?"

Feeling confident, I shrugged off my jacket and let it drop to the floor, kicking off my shoes I walked casually over to him. I ran my fingers through his long hair and stood in front of him. He reached up and took my hands in his and pulled me closer to him. His forehead rested against my chest and he placed my arms around his neck, so his own could snake around my waist to draw me closer. He inhaled me deeply.

Leaning back onto the bed, he pulled me on top of him. I looked down on him and he stroked my hair from my face, his hand rested on my neck.

"Eric, why am I here?" I repeated.

At vampire speed I was flipped over as Eric took hold of me by my neck and pinned me to the bed, looming above me.

"Always with the questions," he stated, "Why this? Why that?"

My chest was rising and falling at a remarkable rate as my blood responded to him and rocketed through my veins.

"You always avoid answering me," I replied, and tried to push him from me. Despite his blood inside me, he held me fast, "Eric, let me go."

"You've nowhere to go," he whispered, "You're here with me."

My heart missed a beat, my breath caught in my throat. Though my resolve remained steady, "And why is that? Why am I here?"

Strangely he answered me, "I want you where I can see you. I cannot make you forget what you saw, and I cannot kill you…" he paused and slid out his fangs menacingly, "Yet."

"I'm not scared," I replied, slowly. Liar.

"You should be. How do you know you're not here purely for me to drain?" He moved his mouth to my throat, where he had bitten me only days before.

"You wouldn't have given me your blood," I replied.

He lifted his head and smiled at me, "You think?"

"Yes, I'd be dead already if that's what you intended. I'm not as stupid as you think I am."

Eric raised an eyebrow, his fangs shining.

I continued, "And you trust me."

"Oh really?"

"Yes," I answered cockily, "We wouldn't be sharing a room otherwise. You know I wouldn't open a window or stake you while you sleep."

Eric cocked his head and kissed me, forcefully he drove his tongue into my mouth and I tried to fight back but got lost in his efforts. Damn, he was good, and he knew it too.

I wanted him to kiss me for an eternity and fuck me senseless on that shaggy white rug in front of the fire, but he pulled back away from me and resumed his position at the foot of the bed.

"What's wrong?" I asked, shuffling to sit next to him.

"I must find Godric," he stated, and clicked in his fangs.

"Eric, it's nearly sunrise. You should rest, we'll have all tomorrow night to look for him," I appeared to have volunteered myself to help.

He nodded silently.

"Who is Godric to you anyway? An old friend?" I asked, pushing my luck.

Eric rose and went to stand by the fire.

"You seem very concerned is all," I continued, remaining where I was, "I figured you were close."

"Godric is my maker," Eric replied softly.

"Oh," I said surprised, "So he's like your Dad?"

"Father, Brother, Son," Eric mumbled, though I understood them, the words didn't sound English. I wasn't sure I was meant to hear them.

"Do you have any idea where he is?" I asked.

He nodded his head but looked into the fire, "Pam has sent me some correspondence indicating that Godric is with the Fellowship of the Sun."

I thought about that for a little while, the suspicious alarm going off in my head, "Presumably he's quite a bit older than you?" I asked.

"Yes…" Eric was aware what I was going to ask him next.

"He must have gone with them willingly," I said abruptly and Eric shot me a deadly glare, I explained myself, "What I mean is that for example, I can't move an inch if you have a hold of me unless you want me to and Godric is older than you so presumably he is stronger."

"He is over twice my age," Eric said.

"No human could overpower him then?"

He shook his head, "I did have my suspicions. Something is amiss," Eric shared with me, understanding what I meant. It was a nice feeling, him sharing with me, but not one I'd better get used to, my common sense told me.

I smiled and slipped off the bed and padded towards him, my feet enjoying the feel of the lush carpet beneath them, "You'll find him," I said and patted his arm, supportively.

I don't know what I thought I'd achieve by that but I paced through into the living area and found the mini bar instead of thinking. Eric followed me in.

"You mind?" I asked waving a chocolate bar at him from the fridge.

"Go ahead," he said sitting down in the sofa. I joined him and sat opposite with my chocolate and a can of Coke.

I opened the can, took a swig and placed it on the table at the end of the settee. Next to the coaster was a room service guide, I picked it up and scanned through it.

"What's does ordering a Blood Feast involve?" I asked, Eric looked at me and grinned.

"Want to find out?" he asked with a smirk.

"Not really my thing but you go ahead," I replied sweetly.

"It's a selection of each blood group," Eric said.

"Cool," I mumbled quietly and placed the guide back on the table. I wasn't too keen on finding out the delivery of such a Blood Feast, though to a vampire I'm sure the prospect of said feast would've sounded highly desirable. I sat back into the settee and tucked my legs in under me. I noticed how much more comfortable it was than my sofa at home and shrewdly decided that a wipe clean leather couch was a much more practical asset in a Vampire Hotel.

Eric gazed across at me with heavy eyes. He was equally comfortable on the matching settee, though he seemed weary.

"You should get some rest," I said, as if I knew what was best for him, "It must be nearly dawn now."

"It is, almost," he replied.

"Oh," I said, a little confused, "Do you not just fall to sleep then?"

He smiled at me, "No. I could stay awake all day if needs be, but I'd be weakened and I would start to bleed."

I nodded; did that mean he was going to stay awake all day? I hoped he didn't think he had to on my behalf; I would be perfectly fine during the day. Wouldn't I?

"I will go in a little while," he said softly.

"Ok," I replied and I shuffled down to rest my head on the cushion and closed my eyes, yawning sleepily. After a few minutes, a thought slowly processed in my head, I knew that vampire children had the ability to sense their maker and maybe that was why Eric was waiting to sleep till after dawn. He wanted to know if Godric had Met the Sun. Begrudgingly my eyes opened and I glanced across at Eric. He'd lain down across the sofa and was perfectly still. His long stature barely fit and his feet hung over the edge. I looked at his face, which was incredibly calm and peaceful; a small smile graced his lips.

Godric lived.

I drifted off to sleep with a smile across my own face and I slept soundly.

No dreams at all.