A/N: Once again, I'd like to send out a huge thank you to Morgaine from the TB wiki. The copious amounts of research required for this sequel left my head spinning, and she was gracious enough to help me sort through it. As many of you probably know, mythology mutates and changes many times with different cultures and eras. I have attempted to break it down into simplistic explanations throughout the story, but if any of you are interested in further study on the topic of the Sybils (aka Pythia) and the mythology behind them, there is tons of information available online. Be sure to check out Morgaine's "Ask A Witch" thread on the TB wiki, as well. Her knowledge is extensive, and she is incredibly generous in answering questions.

I apologize for the short length of this chapter, but time was more limited for me today than I had hoped, and I wanted to get something out to you. The next one should be much longer. I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday season, and thank you again for taking the time to leave reviews and words of encouragement.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or stories from The Southern Vampire series. I can only hope that Ms. Harris does not mind me taking them out to play with.

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A soft breeze caressed across my skin, gently stirring me from slumber.

"I am not that man anymore, Rachal. I have not been for centuries."

The fog of drowsiness was slowly clearing from my mind, and I vaguely became aware of Eric's voice in the distance. I could feel a soft bed beneath me.

"If that is true, then why do you protect her?"

I kept my eyes closed and remained still. The scent of saltwater hung in the air, and I felt another warm breeze waft across my skin. There was a long pause before he spoke again, his voice low and far away.

"I have asked myself that more times than I can count."

"You love her, Eiríkr," I heard Rachal reply. I tried to commit the name she called him to memory, realizing it must be his original given name.

I felt a heaviness through the bond when he responded, a weariness similar to New Year's, when he'd told me the whole sordid story of his plans with Victor. "It is more than that."

"I know," she said softly.

I felt a wave of comfort wash over him, and I ventured to open my eyes. Through a gauzy white canopy that floated around the bed, I saw them outside an open archway, standing on a balcony. Rachal was holding Eric to her, stroking his mane of golden hair. The sight of them was breathtaking.

I could tell Eric felt me stir, and he quickly pulled back from his sister. He started to turn his head toward me, but then tensed up, and it seemed he couldn't bring himself to look at me. I watched as he suddenly took flight, disappearing into the dark. Waves of uncertainty and turmoil ebbed and flowed from him across the bond, receding to a dull ache as the physical distance between us grew.

"He'll be alright," Rachal said gently, having apparently sat down on the edge of the bed without me noticing.

Tears had begun to slip down my cheeks, though I didn't really understand where they were coming from. I looked up at Rachal, questioning her with my eyes. I had this inexplicable feeling that I had somehow wronged Eric, though I didn't know what I could've possibly done to cause him such feelings of... despair.

She reached out, brushing the tears from my cheeks, "Sookie, I cannot even imagine the confusion you must be feeling. I know how overwhelming this must all be for you." She looked toward the archway, adding softly, "For both of you."

"Wh... where are we?" I asked lamely, latching on to the only question I even knew to ask.

She smiled, "We are in Siwa, on the edge of the Great Sand Sea." Rachal took my hand, leading me from the bed to the balcony. "This is the home of Phemonoe, prophetic priestess of the Zeus Amun Oracle, or as you have come to hear her referred, the Sibyl."

She gestured in a sweeping motion to the endless desert before us, and I gasped at the magnificence of it, the sand seeming to twinkle in the moonlight. "Welcome to Egypt, Sookie," Rachal smiled down at me.

I allowed myself a few moments for this to sink in, my eyes roaming the landscape. Rachal's hands were resting gently on my shoulders, a sense of peace and calm radiating from her. The darkness shrouded my view of anything other than sand, but by the scent in the air, I knew we must be close to either the ocean or saltwater lake. I could also make out a faint, green glow on the horizon.

"That is the temple. The glow comes from the Siwan emeralds that adorn it," Rachal said, as if she'd sensed my curiosity. "Legend has it that Dionysus himself erected the temple to show his gratitude to a man who saved him from thirst when he was lost here. It was there that Alexander the Great came to Phemonoe after he conquered Egypt, and she affirmed him as the rightful Pharaoh, and declared his divinity."

My hand flew to my mouth, causing Rachal to quirk at me a bit. Her words rolled through my mind, arranging themselves slowly like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. I had heard this story, at least the bit about Alexander, before... from Eric... in Rhodes. The word that had haunted me finally had meaning. Sibyl... seer... prophetess... the Ancient Pythoness.

"She... is Eric's Maker?" I asked, wide-eyed.

Rachal nodded solemnly, and she quickly warned, "Sookie, you must never speak that information to another soul, especially any other vampires. No one, not even his child, knows his origins. I have to admit, I was shocked that Eric revealed it to you."

The implications of this seemed massive to me, and I was sure there was still much more I didn't know. I realized just how little I really knew about Eric. He had never offered any of this information, but then again, I'd never asked. My memories drifted to Rhodes; how Eric had silently hovered over me when I'd spoken up at Sophie-Anne's trial. Was that his way of sending a message to his Maker that I was under his protection? It had seemed so benign at the time... just another vampire gesture of strength. Now I felt almost ridiculous for having thought that. The Kings and Queens revered the Sybil, even seemed to fear her on some level. What must they have thought about Eric's actions? What sort of awful risk had he taken?

I moved to a nearby bench, needing to sit down and try to process my thoughts. Rachal sat silently next to me, and we stayed that way for a time. The room was what I'd expect of some mystical oasis in the desert, like something out of Arabian Nights. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all a dusky, terracotta colored adobe. The windows and doorways were all open, with ornate archways over the tops. Everywhere I looked there were pillows covered in rich, brightly colored and textured fabrics; the massive bed being the only exception. It was all in white.

Looking down at myself, I realized I was, too. My Merlotte's uniform was gone, and the dress that clung to my body was so light I could hardly feel it. The gauzy white material was adorned with a golden cord that criss-crossed over my chest, then wrapped a few times around just beneath, creating an empire-like waist. The dress flowed in layers down to my ankles, and my feet were bare. My blond hair seemed to have been wrapped into long, spiral like braids. I smelled like rose water, and I felt... beautiful.

"I still... don't understand any of this, Rachal. Have we gone back in time? What happened to me in Romania? Why did Victor... or whoever he is... call me a Sibyl? Why is she calling Eric to her now? I felt it... through the bond, at least I think I did. Most of all, why did Eric leave... why is he so..." I trailed off, unable to describe the emotions I'd felt from him as he took to the sky.

Rachal put an arm gently around my shoulders, "I am afraid I do not know the answers to some of those questions, Sookie, and those I do, it is not my place to give them."

She had already given me more answers in the short time I'd known her than others had in years, so I found I couldn't get upset with her. I tilted my head to her shoulder, nodding my understanding. Her very presence was so comforting, I couldn't help wanting to be closer to her, much as a sick child might cling to their Mother. She whispered softly under her breath, words I didn't understand, and a further sense of peace washed through me.

"When you are ready, I will take you to see Phemonoe," she said a few moments later.

"Shouldn't we wait for Eric?" I asked, keenly aware that I should be nervous to see the blind prophetess again, but all I felt was calm.

Rachal kissed my forehead, "He will come when he is ready."

I nodded, reluctantly pulling away from Rachal's warm embrace, "I'm as prepared now as I'll ever be."

Eric's sister rose, scooping me up easily into her arms, carrying me out to the balcony. I hugged my arms around her neck, having no wish to protest. She paused for a moment, her gaze searching the night sky, and then turning down to me.

"Do you love him, Sookie?" she asked, her voice tinged with hope.

In that moment I realized I had yet to ever speak those words to Eric, and I wondered at how that was possible. There was no doubt in my mind that I loved him. The night we renewed our bond, he'd spoken those words to me. I'd only said that I was his.

"More than anything," I whispered, my breath catching in my throat.

Rachal's smile to me was brilliant, and a look of relief and joy passed across her face. "Cherish him, Sookie... please cherish him."

I blinked up at her, but she said nothing more, and we set off into the night toward the green glow on the horizon. We flew. I was not afraid.

TBC