Dedication for this chapter goes to…rcherry1977. Your reviews are awesome and so are you!

"Ok... This line made me spit out my sprite! It cracked me up! 'And let me tell you if we were not in a room full of people I would be getting naked'."

Sorry about the sprite rcherry1977 But thanks for all your support and positive feedback ;)

Sookie

Chapter Nine

Dying Union

My phone had been off. The second it came to life I had a few messages from Eric:

"Lover, are you well?"

"Motion sickness on the flight"

"I will come for you" He replied. I had a sneaking suspicion like Thalia he didn't know the meagerness of the condition.

"No need. I feel much better"

"You are weary, rest" he just loved to describe to me what I was feeling and what I should be doing about it.

"Okay"

Pam stayed with me in my room and we talked. Strangely enough we didn't get into anything that had to do with vampire politics. I just told her how I had been adjusting and she offered me advice on the matter. I asked how she liked Arkansas. She didn't seem to have an opinion on it one way or the other. I remember the day Arlene had said some hateful things to me and I had once believed us to be friends-best friends even. Pam described to me what a true friend should be. I realized that was what she was to me.

Our conversation died but Pam was still in my room just hanging around like a piece of furniture that came with the space. I went in the bathroom and came out and she was still there. Normally I would tell her to scoot but this was weird especially for what I knew of her. Maybe she wanted to tell me something. Then again she had never been one to sugar coat or be hesitant with words. I looked at her expectantly and for the smallest fragment of time the empty face she was wearing disappeared. It was impossible to read what followed before it returned.

"Do you wish to go and see the sights?" I would have been a fool to think that wasn't a last minute save on her part. I don't give a shit how familiar Pam and I ever became she would never volunteer to be a tour guide. Something was up with her. If I could read her mind I would gotten an ear full.

"Not really" Sightseeing in the night time without super senses was pretty worthless. After my flight that was the last thing I wanted. I could go during the day tomorrow. She would have known that.

"I'm hungry" If there was any human food here she might be able to point me in the right direction. Finding food in a vampire home was as big a miracle as turning water to wine.

Pam smiled and clapped her hands together. It was very girly, vampire weirdness indeed "You will come to the fanged rose" I was confused and she explained. Leave it to vampires to come up with puns. It was a restaurant and lounge. The Fanged Rose was located in a very busy part of town. From the front of it appeared to be no more than a hole in the wall. With a lot of activity outside it. Some people were getting turned away others had been waiting over an hour. Once you got inside the contradiction was breath taking. Most vampire establishment geared towards the comingling of their kind and humans were seedy at best; black and red leather and lace. This place was very classy; nothing like Fangtasia. There were several chandeliers that hung from the ceilings. Draped elegantly under them were beautiful sheer curtains. The effect made the lighting soft but not too dim. The walls were light colors. That was just the first floor that was supposed to be rented out for functions and events.

The lounge was a sexier version of the function hall down stairs. The walls were red; sultry and smoldering in shade not blood like. The lighting was darker. Overall the entire place was very fancy and top of the line. It was geared towards people with money that wanted to experience the vampire scene safely. Not that there was such a thing. Pam mingled with important humans. The mayor as well as a senator was present. As usual I was getting a fair amount of attention for being a human amongst vampires. It was easy to ignore until Pam introduced me as the queen of Louisiana. That tittle was going to get a lot of getting used to.

The top floor was the restaurant. They offered everything from steaks to seafood. I ate. Surprisingly the food was good. Though I was so starved I wouldn't have noticed if I was eating paper. When Pam introduced me to her restaurant manager I dipped into his head to get a feel for the type of person he was. She didn't ask I just did. It was obvious why she didn't bother to have him screened. He was scared of her. Not so much her but Tristan. I could relate. Tristan was witty in a Pam kind of way. Their humor was similar in that it was sarcastic and lewd at times. However he was never at ease unless they were indoors. He could do his satellite thing without all the interference. That fact showed. He glowered and looked ready to rip your head off for looking at Pam sideways. The manager was not oblivious to this. It kept him very straight laced. Pam also had two other vampires with her whose names she didn't bother to tell me. I didn't bother to ask. Add the fact that tonight Thalia was here in all her tiny fury and Edgar looked like he could burst into tears. This poor man was crowded in a wide assortment of vampires. Overall the outing was nice. I wasn't sure what I was expecting when I heard of vampire restaurant. Seeing how most of them couldn't stand human food.

Pam was done gracing the scene with her presence as she eloquently put it. She and I walked behind five other vampires as we made our way out. Tristan led us out of the building through the kitchen. He had his hand on the door to push it open. Many things happened in the span of one heartbeat. First a noise escaped my lips. It came from the pit of my stomach. If I was a cat my hackles would have been on end. The noise was a hiss that resembled the swarm of angry bees. Never in all my life would I have thought myself capable of making such a sound. My blood was boiling and my skin was crawling all at the same time. Nothing good would happen if we went out this door. I was as sure of that as I was my own name.

"No" My hand was outstretched. It was pointless because observing my bizarre behavior all the vampires had stopped. They were looking at me with the same expression. They were obviously expecting an explanation of some sort. Problem was I wasn't sure I had one. My heart was pounding in my chest. My palms were sweaty. I was thoroughly freaked out. There was no way to explain what was going on with me but I felt something and heard it with my other hearing. I cast my mental net as far as it would go but all I got was a noise like running water. It didn't provide me with a count of people. All I knew was I had never come across this type of supe before.

I hadn't realized I had a hold on Pam's arm until Tristan cam to pull her behind his back. His gesture was very touching but I really didn't think she needed it. She was older and I have seen her fight and she managed just fine. Thalia and Edgar mirrored his posturing. Except Thalia had pulled out two daggers out of nowhere she handed them to Edgar and fetched two more. The Arkansas vampires were on their own in terms of arms unless Thalia brought enough for everyone. With her tiny figure I had no idea how she managed to conceal them. Idly I wondered what else she was hiding. Then just as quickly I decided I didn't want to know.

Apparently not one to be shown up Tristan unbuttoned his suit jacket and exposed a black holster. It held two very large hand guns. His companions handed him silencers. You just had to love the preparedness of vampires.

"What is it?" Tristan sounded angry and impatient at the need to ask. All the vampires were in aggressive stances. They were still waiting on an explanation.

"I don't know" The mental signature was still very present but no matter how hard I tried to focus mentally I couldn't get a barest hint of their numbers. This fact only served to unnerve me further. Edgar had one of those ever silent and ever annoying silent conversations with Pam. She nodded at one of her other guards. He came to stand in front of me as Edgar was taking a step towards the door. I saw the game plan. He obviously didn't care about the final death so he was volunteering to scout. This was a very logical plan except I was not okay with it.

"Edgar" I called he turned and nodded.

"Your majesty"

I had a speech about how he should live and regale the world with his literary talents; been writing said speech since the day I met him. Right now was not the time for it. "You will not go out that door" He bowed "Our lot is going back inside for a bit" The panic I was feeling put more command in my voice than I ever would have used when speaking to anyone, vampire especially. Pam's beautiful face resemble a deer caught in head lights. On any other day I would have died laughing but I was worried about dying in a real and serious way at the moment. I didn't wait for him to respond I turned and walked away the way we came.

Frankly I wanted this feeling to go away and going in the opposite direction sounded like the way to accomplish that. There were no footsteps behind me but I knew the vampires were following. There was a mass of power and aggression gliding silently behind me.

o0o0o0

We were on the highway on the way back to Pam's home. Fortunately due to the vampire total disregard for speed limits and traffic law we arrived fairly quickly. For an hour we had lagged at the lounge and left with a crowd. We also took the main exit.

"What exactly did you hear?" Pam asked.

"Water" She gave me a blank stare that somehow questioned my sanity. I tried to explain it to her better.

"Supes that I've come across so far all sound different. Vampires register like loud empty spaces. I can't hear you but I can count you and account for your presence" she nodded for me to continue. She already knew some of this stuff. "Same for daemons, and fairies though the signature is different. All I heard was water I couldn't get a count or distinguish any of the minds. I just knew they were there" I plopped on my bed feeling suddenly off balance. What was going on with me?

"I think someone is playing with the limitations of your ability and our senses" I looked up. "We sent out a search party. The only scent they could pick up was fresh water. There isn't a natural body of water for at least a hundred clicks of the restaurant" I left better that I wasn't the only one. The relief only last a second because someone was intentionally doing this. Perfect.

"Eric has been informed. I need to make sure Isaiah and his people arrive safely" She disappeared from the room and I got changed and ready for bed. Eric had explained to me the importance of this union. If there was anyone that didn't want it to happen it would be another vampire king or queen. I really didn't want to be here anymore. A bunch of vampires in one room just didn't sound like a good place to be. I just had to last one night. The minute the ink dried I would be on my way back home.

Almost, I was almost asleep. There was a soft nudging on my side. "It is I Tristan" Well come on in why dontcha. He was sitting on the edge of my bed. "Sorry to wake you" He was whispering. I was too tired to sit up so I rolled over to face him. This was weird. I wasn't this familiar with him. "I came to apologize for speaking to you rashly earlier" I waved him away. Right now I was more annoyed that he was disrupting my rest. "Pam will not ask but will you stay here a few days with us" I arched an eyebrow.

"Why?" He looked away.

"She has been…not herself and having you here pleases her" I didn't know what to say. First of all that statement was just shy of being insulting but I understood what he meant. That explained some of her earlier behavior. I wanted to ask what was wrong with her but I knew vampires. If they wanted to tell you something they did. Sometimes they did so no matter how badly you didn't wan to know.

"Okay" had it been anyone else I would have said no because I still very much wanted to get away from here. He patted my arm awkwardly in thanks and ghosted out of the room. I shook my head. Vampire weirdness, I tell you there was a lot of it going on around here. I went back to sleep.

The next day when I woke up I was on my own to find food. Outside my door Ty and Rob were waiting.

"Good morning Sookie" I smiled and greeted them back. Ty was about to go into what he called daily protocol. Basically it was a rundown of all the things I probably shouldn't be doing that day. At home it only included staying out of certain neighborhoods and the like. "Thalia has set some security provisions for today" I frowned of course she has. "She advised that we remain on grounds during the day" There was more than enough room for me to stretch my legs around here but I didn't like not having the option to go into town if I wanted. I conceded with grace. It was probably a good idea.

They led me to the kitchen. The house was circular in design. It left a wide open area in the middle that could mildly described as a meadow. It was the kind of thing you saw on post cards and pictures of faraway exotic islands. It was the depiction of serenity. It was complete with a marquee that was carved from red wood. Pink rose vines were climbing up the sides. There were matching benches to the marquee throughout. A stone path helped you to navigate through the garden. There was a pond that held interesting looking fish. Everywhere you looked there were flowers of every color and height. Some of which I didn't know you could grow in this part of the world. Pam had them. As we walked I never lost sight of it the walls facing it were all glass. I decided to spend my day out there. It would have been a shame not to.

The kitchen had been stocked with food. I made us a big batch of scrambled eggs with bacon and toast. Doing small things like this for myself felt normal. At first they resisted me on eating but it went against my upbringing and made me uncomfortable to just eat and have them watch. From my place in the kitchen I could see men outside. After I cleaned up I found a book and comfortable chair and waited for dark.

o0o0o

It was a confusing thing to go from a completely silent house to a house full of silent creatures moving about. When Thalia and Edgar came for me Ty and Rob were off for the night and they headed out. Thalia looked like it killed her but she made an attempt to look presentable. It was still all black but it wasn't a t-shirt. Edgar was...Edgar. I got dressed and we made our way into the garden I had spent my day in. Nothing had been added to the scenery. The first vampire weeding I attended was at Rhodes. This was much smaller. Both parties were present as well as a witness from a third party (yours truly) and the emcee. He was waiting with a dagger and robe similar to the one Eric used to wed Bertrand and Russell.

Isaiah came out with his people and Pam came out with hers. While she stood there looking stunning in a lilac chiffon number that would shame any model I thought of my uncle. I wondered what he thought of all this. We never talked about he and Pam, thank God. I just wondered if this bothered him even a little. It probably didn't. He seemed to have the same liberal views on sex as vampires.

I sat and watched the ceremony. The wedding contracts were signed. Then Pam's wrist was cut and the wound was held over a chalice until it closed. The same was done to Isaiah. They drank from the cup and that was it. She was stuck with him for the next century. He kissed Pam more eagerly than she obliged. Low applause's traveled through the night.

They went around hand in hand greeting guests. Isaiah was showing off his wife not so much his wife but the power she came with. I heard it again and I felt it. The same upheaval in my fight or flight mechanism, it felt like death was at my heel. The newlyweds were almost at my table when the blast hit. "Get down" They all hesitated a moment too long except the people who had fought with me before. Regrettably Isaiah had a hold on Pam preventing her from complying. Tristan was in front of her ready to take whatever hit was coming. I shot up and without thinking I threw myself at Isaiah. I knocked him to the floor and because he hadn't released Pam we all went down; he, Pam, Tristan and I. Thalia and Edgar followed and had thrown themselves over me. It was a vampire sandwich with me in the middle. That is as unappealing as it sounds.

The pressure waves from the explosion pushed my hearing to its limits. If I screamed I didn't hear it. I blinked and saw shattered glass, fighting and fire but I heard nothing. It was like watching life with the mute button on. My sight was compromised as smoke rose. It was a thick fog and rose too quickly and too precisely to be a natural reaction from the explosion. It smelled like burnt sugar. Someone was trying to make the vampires blind and distort their sense of smell. I felt cold hands around my waist. They were lifting me off Isaiah I clung to him not to say it would have done much good.

"It is Edgar" He lifted me and passed me to someone smaller. I guessed Thalia. There were bits of flames that made the fog less oppressive. I blinked and tried to see. Vampires of Arkansas and Kentucky were scrambling to form a make shift front line in front of their king and queen. Thalia pushed me behind the front line and joined ranks with them. I was on my hands and knees trying to get my bearings. I saw two vampires in front of me fall to the ground. Thalia was fighting and Tristan was wounded. I closed my eyes and focused. My shields came easier now. In my body I felt my spark burst into flames. I felt stronger much stronger.

There was an edge to my ability, it was sharper, and more ferocious. "Get back" Isaiah did as I asked. I got to my feet. My sword was at home in the back of the closet. I focused on calling it to my hands as more vampires fell before my eyes. I shielded Thalia there was a vampire perched on her back and another was taking swings at her head. I didn't join the fight I focused on shielding all our vampires.

Pam was not one to be left out of a good fight. She, Isaiah and I were standing with our backs to each other. Outside our smaller circle our guards fought. Someone had brought a gun to a knife fight, that someone was Tristan. He was directly in front of Pam. He was a very good shot. Obviously it wasn't enough to end a vampire. The person next to him would finish the kill. It was very effective. I didn't know how many people attacked us but there weren't anymore. Suddenly as it came the mist disappeared. When I dropped my shields I was drained. I was sweating and light headed. Had I not been full of adrenaline I would have fainted but it was so not the time.

Thalia was lying on in a charred patch of what was once a beautiful bed of flowers. Edgar was in worse shape. In the time it took me to get my shields in place they had been badly wounded. They were the lucky ones. I went over to the place the refreshments had been. I found several bottles of blood that survived the battle.

"I'm going to touch you. Is that okay" His fangs were fully extended and he was hissing and snarling involuntarily because of the pain. He gave a jerky head movement that I took as a yes. I tore my dress at the slit to get as much fabric as I could without exposing myself. I used it to tie his arm to the rest of him. It was hanging onto his body by a chuck of skin an inch thick. If it stayed on it would save him the pain of having to regrow it completely. I opened the bottle and propped his head on my lap. I emptied the contents into his mouth. I worked quickly. It took three bottles for him to retract his fangs. Then it took two more for him to even begin healing.

I went to Thalia. If I didn't shield her she would have been finally dead. On the regular she was frightening enough right now the effect was doubled even as wounded as she was. She was missing her left ear and that part of her cheek had been cleaved clean off. I hated to think of how deep the cut had been five minutes ago.

"Can I touch you?"

"Fine" She didn't sound happy about it. That made two of us. While I fed her I took a good look around. It was pure carnage. Scenes like this made me as angry as it made me sad. Less than an hour ago this meadow looked like something out of a story book. Now limbs, bloody remains and ash soiled it. There were still small fires that managed to remain going throughout.

"We are going to the Carson Hotel" Pam was looking at me literally bottle feeding Thalia. Her expression was bemused.

"Can you move?" Thalia looked like she was doing a math problem.

"My spine has not righted" She said it as if it was just a bother rather than a real problem.

"Leave her we will take my escorts" I told myself Pam was being matter-of-fact and not cold though right now it was mighty hard to tell the difference.

"It's okay Pam you go on ahead. We'll catch up" The chances of our attackers coming back were slim and Thalia would heal soon enough.

"You are incorrigible" It sounded like the worst of insults.

"Dido" She knelt beside me. While Pam waited quietly Tristan was in full orbit around her. He was shooting Thalia a look that said, "Hurry the hell up" I was sure he would kill her just to get Pam away from here faster.

Ten minutes later there was a convoy of vehicles leaving Pam's house. Each and every one of us was dirt covered and blood stained and in varying stages of disrepair. Kentucky loaded their wounded and left ahead of us. Pam and her people took up three mid-sized sedans. They lent us two of theirs. None of us could drive. I looked at my hands they were crusted with drying blood. It was a mixture of Thalia's and Edgar's. I felt like it was parabolic of the killer my immersion into the supe world had turned me into.

I felt like the smell of death was clinging to me. What I wore now was the tattered remains of a chocolate colored dress. It had been pretty. It had a asymmetrical neck line and was floor length. There had been a wide slit that started at the thigh but was obscured with lace. We trolled in through a back entrance of the hotel. Not a one of us had a single bag. I had to get out of these clothes. I had to get clean. I didn't care if I was naked after. The shower I took had to be the longest in history. After I had scrubbed I sat and just let the water hit me. I knew it wasn't the end of all this. We had to figure who attacked us and why.

Hey rcherry1977 on a totally random side note your screen name makes me think of that song by poison. "She's my cherry Pie" I love that song! If you have never heard it check it out!

Enough of my weirdo, semi creepy behavior... (LMAO).

Any thoughts? Feelings? Let me know.

Next up will be the viking depending on how many reviews I get he may rear his head a lot sooner...