A/N: We're still in Eric's POV this chapter. I expect to return to Sookie's the next, but you never know. Thank you, as always, for reviewing!

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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Eric stood atop the sand dune, arms folded across his chest, eying the scene below for any signs of movement. He knew Rachal would arrive soon, most likely with some of the oasis guardians, and he would not take action without direction from Phemonoe, lest it become necessary. This situation was most unnerving, and Eric lacked the requisite information to make decisions on how it should be handled. He'd never heard of anyone entering this realm that did not belong here, and wondered if the Gods had allowed their passage, or if Sookie's abilities could defy even their wishes. For now he would assume the former, as retribution would certainly be swift were it the latter. A check of the bond told him that she was still unconscious, but unharmed.

One by one he began to assess each slumbering form. He instantly dismissed the idea these were impostors or a mirage because he felt his Child's presence. Pam, along with Bill and Victor, were malnourished. The three had also been in Romania, awaiting tribunal, so this was not surprising. Pam and Bill would both need blood immediately if they woke, still too young to control the blood lust that would be upon them. Victor, though not as old as Eric, would be able to maintain himself for at least a time.

Victor... why was Victor here? The others were all individuals Sookie cared for, which seemed to be the common thread, but Victor certainly did not fall into that category, did he? Curious. Perhaps Avel's appearance as Victor was floating around in her subconscious thoughts. Eric fully intended to get to the bottom of that little game when time permitted. He'd been ready to destroy Victor, if the tribunal had not, for his part in Felipe's assault on Sookie in the penthouse. Now his involvement was in question. Eric could not be certain whether it was indeed Victor, or if it was Avel masquerading as him. Until that point, Victor had been a loyal and trusted ally, and in many ways, a friend.

Elana's presence was another curiosity, though not as glaring as Victor's. Under normal circumstances, the young vampire would never have been on Eric's radar in the realm of protectors for his bonded. However, with such a large portion of his subjects called to tribunal, he'd been forced to make do with those left. When Bill brought her to Fangtasia the night they were to leave for Romania, her devotion to Compton was immediately apparent. Eric knew Bill would impress upon her the importance of the assigned task, since Sookie's safety was as much a concern to him as it was to Eric. Though Bubba would be her main evening protector, Elana's physical proximity to Sookie's home made her a logical second choice. Despite her young age, the girl seemed to have a decent head on her shoulders. He recalled that the plan Sookie told him of to secure his and his subjects' freedom had been devised by Elana. Even Eric had to admit it was a rather smart one, even if only in theory.

Eric's gaze flicked over the last three; the Witch, Were, and Shifter. Even though the reasons seemed obvious at first glance, the more he considered the group, the less things added up in his mind. If it were merely Sookie's concern for her friends that brought them here, why only Amelia and not the other Witch? For that matter, why not Herveaux or the tiger? Why include Victor and Elana? No, there was more to this, something specific about these individuals.

Just as Eric had just begun revisiting his original theory, questioning whether or not his bonded was truly responsible for this, Rachal drew to his side with an audible gasp.

"Indeed," Eric stated in reply.

Rachal moved slowly down the slope, studying the group much as he'd done just moments ago.

"We need to get the mortals away from the vampires. They will wake soon, and from the look of them, there will be only one thing on their minds," she called to the three guardians that accompanied her, who moved swiftly to retrieve them, carrying them back toward the oasis.

Eric glided down to his sister, placing a hand on her shoulder, "You must leave as well, they will not hesitate in seeing you as a meal. Go now. Inform Phemonoe of the situation, and send servants with blood."

Rachal nodded silently and took quickly to the sky.

Eric positioned himself in such a manner that would allow him to grapple Pam and Bill, should it be necessary. Rachal had dismissed any hope he'd had of their remaining unconscious, and he was not about to let them disrupt the sanctity of this realm. There would be questions, of course, the moment they regained themselves. He'd need to think quickly with regard to what his answers would be. Eric had no intention of revealing anything of Sookie's nature to them, but he would need to give enough information to placate them. He may take his cues from Phemonoe in this regard. His one small comfort was that these vampires each owed him fealty, and would not challenge him were they made to wait on explanations.

Victor was the first to stir. His eyes opened, pupils dilating, body immediately tensing upon recognition he was not where he should be.

"Blood is on the way," Eric stated in his most commanding voice. "Be prepared to restrain Compton if necessary."

Victor rose swiftly, nodding to Eric, knowing from his tone not to question him. He would receive explanations in due course. Victor positioned himself behind Bill, pinning Compton's arms back against his chest in a prone position. This freed Eric to assume a similar position of control over Pam. Eric glanced at Victor to assess his current level of competency, and though his jaw clenched from fighting his hunger, he seemed well enough in control. Eric would instruct Elana to help him once she rose, since she was not in the same position of deprivation as the others.

Eric felt his Child begin to wake and tightened his grip around her. He heard her fangs run down and began to murmur in her ear as she started to fight and thrash. It pained him to see her this way, and he tried to soothe her with his voice. Most of her hand was still missing from the limb that was damaged in the fight, so the loss of feeding was particularly harsh on her. As he spoke words of comfort and assurance in her ear he sensed Victor had begun to struggle with Compton. Where were those damned servants?

"Wh... what's going on?" Eric heard Elana ask.

He jerked his head toward Victor, "Help him."

The young vampire's eyes went wide and she hesitated.

"Now!" Eric roared.

Elana jumped and then scrambled across the sand, attempting to pin Bill's legs down. In the process she took a kick to the face, but to her credit, she simply flung her body back over him. It was enough to allow Victor to maintain his grip.

When the servants carrying wine bottles of blood finally made their way over the dune, Eric began the ordeal of forcing sustenance down his crazed minions' throats. He was forced to pin Pam on her back, his knee pressed firmly into her sternum, while his hands held her head still and mouth open. He barked orders at one of the servant girls to pour the blood down her throat. Victor and Elana went through a similar procedure with Bill, though with a bit more difficulty since Victor was straining to maintain his own control.

Fifteen or so minutes later order had been restored, the servant girls sent away, and Eric sat in quiet vigil over his flock while they fed from the remaining bottles. Elana had taken residence in Compton's lap, cooing over him like some damned dog, but Eric would not taunt him over it now. Victor and Pam were exchanging curious glances, wondering if either knew where they were, but did not voice their questions. He took advantage of the few moments of silence to compose his thoughts, contemplating his next move. For now, he would opt for the 'the less you know, the better' approach. He must consult with Phemonoe, or at the very least, allow her to lead any conversations that were to take place.

Eric broke through the silence with his authoritative voice, "When you are composed, we will journey over the dunes to the oasis. For now, I can tell you only that we are safe here. I am sure you have already begun to notice that time stands still here, and that you have many questions. I will require your patience in receiving answers."

As expected, they all nodded in deference to him. Vampires were not impatient creatures, and Eric had earned the trust and loyalty of those here, save Elana, but she was hardly a concern. Compton would keep her in line. Certainly Bill and he had their differences, but those were personal issues. They had always worked well together in all other matters. His threats to send Compton to Mississippi as liaison had only been a test, one with the results he'd expected. Despite what Bill may think, Eric trusted very few others when it came to Sookie, and Compton's devotion to her placed him on that select list. For all his blustering, he would never force himself on Sookie, and would do anything necessary to protect her.

Eric rose to his feet, signaling the others to follow, once he felt sure they were sated. The group made their way silently across the desert. He had almost forgotten he'd have the others to deal with once they returned, reminded as he once again caught Merlotte's scent. He hoped they would not make themselves too much of a nuisance.

As the oasis came into view, Bill moved beside him. "I know this place," he commented, a bit wide-eyed. "Though, when I visited it was in ruins, only a shadow of rock and relics."

Eric recalled Bill's love of antiquity and was not surprised to learn he'd visited the Egyptian ruins. In this realm the temple and its surroundings were forever preserved, unlike its mortal world counterpart. There it was long bereft of caretakers, and had been looted many times over. Eric could never bring himself to go there, not wanting his memories of this place diminished in any way.

"This is the Temple where the Ancient Pythoness resided," Bill remarked.

Eric merely nodded his head.

"Is the oracle here?" Compton asked.

"Yes. Sookie is also here," Eric responded, intentionally shifting Bill's curiosity, and knowing he would discover this much anyway. "She is resting."

Bill did not seem overly startled, "Is she well?"

"She is."

Without further questioning, Bill fell back into his own silent contemplation, which was just as Eric intended. However, any peace was about to be quickly interrupted. They entered the courtyard, and Eric found himself nearly pounced upon by the Witch.

"Alright, Mr. Tall Blond and Dead, care to explain to me what the hell is going on? I was having a lovely dream, at home, snuggled in my nice warm bed. Then I wake up and am nearly knocked over by a sheer magnitude of energy and magick, the likes of which I have never encountered," she spat, poking him in the chest.

Eric lowered his eyes to her with an icy stare, "Be silent, Witch."

She gaped at him, and looked about to retort, when Pam stepped up and placed a hand on her shoulder. Thank Hlin for his Child. He brushed past Amelia, leaving Pam to calm her, and proceeded toward the far more calm shifters seated near the fountain.

Sam rose and inclined his head, "Northman."

"Merlotte," Eric nodded in return.

The two had reached a new level of understanding before Eric left Louisiana. He'd placed Sookie in Sam's care, knowing he was the best suited for the task. In truth, Eric hadn't expected he would return from Romania, or if he did, it would be long after Sookie's death. He'd closed out all his affairs quickly, leaving all he owned to Sookie, with Merlotte as executor of the trust until his final death was confirmed. She would not have spent a dime of his money if he was still rising each night, and Sam would make sure she was provided for both in protection and needs.

"Sookie is upstairs resting," Eric said, trying the same tack he had with Bill.

Merlotte nodded, not pressing him further. As shifters went, he was one of few Eric had some measure of respect for, though he still had every intention of getting Sookie out of his pit of a bar. Eric found her work there demeaning and completely inappropriate to her position as his bonded. Now he had even more reason to steer her away from that life, as all of her efforts would need to be refocused toward her new path.

He continued past Sam, finally making his way toward the staircase, leaving Pam to keep the rest calm until Rachal or Phemonoe arrived. His Child would know to do this without a word needed from him. As a vampire, she was by far one of his greatest achievements. If she had been lost the night of the battle, Eric would have been devastated. She was irreplaceable.

The tension left his body the moment his eyes fell upon his bonded, sleeping peacefully where he'd left her. He moved silently to the bed, lying down beside her, and molding himself around her from behind. Watching her sleep always eased his mind, as if he could sink into the innocence of her dreams, letting the waves of her love wash over him, settling his soul. He allowed himself to slip into 'downtime', as she called it, savoring the last moments of calm he may have for some time.

I will not fail you, my beloved.

TBC