I totally lost myself for a few days…Blame it all on Athenaie for igniting a love of what could be the greatest band ever, Duran Duran! I saw the wild boys in concert and they blew the roof off the joint! They are touring and may be coming to a city near you! Seeing them live is unbelievable.
Now I am back and I hope you guys aren't too mad at me. The next chapter is setting the tone for the chapters to come.
The dedication for this chapter goes out to the one, the only, the stupendous...B-Rock525! In your review you asked all the right questions. Lets get to answering some of them.
Eric
Chapter Twenty-Three
Old Friends; New Allies
Blood stained our bodies and soiled our clothes. We convened at the trunk of the car. Gideon wiped himself down and changed. I did the same.
"Where are you parked?" Pam asked Tristan.
"On the side of the highway"
"Find someone close by and have it moved"
"It has been done I took the liberty to move theirs" He nodded at his head at Isaiah and Bruce. Tristan did not know any more than the others about what transpired but he disliked Isaiah and was looking to send blame his way. If we could find proof of any transgressions by him against her. He would be lucky to keep the clothes on his back when she was through with him.
"We will ride with you" Isaiah said. I nodded. Gideon drove with the others to the house. Pam and I flew overhead.
In the light of such odds Pam was not leaving my side and so I too now had to deal with the presence of her husband. Isaiah did not have to accompany us. He did not need the details but he knew the closer he was to Sookie, Pam, and I the safer he would be. I could not say if he was mistaken in that assumption.
Had their union been the standard arrangement Pam would be within her rights to ask him to leave her. Sadly the terms of their wedding were a little less free. It was set to last only half a century in which time she would tighten her hold over her state and we would reassess her position of power. In gaining that concession Isaiah made their union more binding. He could see her as much as he wished pertaining he did not interfere with her affairs of spent more time in Arkansas than he did in his own state. It was our hope that Pam's kingdom would be able to stand independent from mine. When the time came she could be free of Isaiah if she wished and I knew she very much wished to be free of him. He tried her patience with his mostly marauder view on wife ownership from his times. That in itself was irritating enough. The fact that being his wife came at the cost of the man she loved made it all the more infuriating for her.
Before I landed the backdoor opened and I could see Sookie in the in the entry way. Her hands were rubbing her stomach and I knew she was trying to calm herself. The level of anxiety she was feeling could not be healthy. Her eyes seemed to be searching the night sky for me.
Her head was in my chest the instant my feet touched ground. She clung to me "Don't cry" I rubbed her back and tried get her to calm down. "I am well" she wiped her eyes and raised her eyes to meet mine. I smiled and kissed her head. She looked to the left of me and finally registered Pam's presence. Her face lit. I knew regardless of why the two were happy to see each other. She hugged her without letting go of my hand.
"Sookie you are very pregnant" Pam observed when they separated. I glared at her. My child read a lot about humans; female humans but she was not as well versed as she would like people to think. I marveled at Sookie's figure every night when I rose. To me it was a source of wonder but Gideon told me I was never to mention anything about her growing girth no matter how marvelous I thought it was. Pam's observation left me feeling like I was going to see more tears or a flare of anger but Sookie laughed and took her by the hand and we went inside.
Gideon was already inside and so was Tristan. The front door was open to offer us an unobstructed view of an irritated Isaiah. They needed an invitation. The safest place for any vampire was the home of a mortal. This home belonged to Sookie. She looked to me. He did not need an invitation because he was not going to be staying here. We were all leaving for the main house of the complex. I only stopped at home so Sookie wouldn't worry.
"Gideon, show our guest to the business house" He bowed but muttered something like "Tried that" It was successful this time because Pam left with them.
"What happened?" Sookie asked once we were alone. It was not something I wanted to discuss with her mainly because I did not fully understand it myself. I did not want to frighten her, there was also much to be done so I did not have the time.
"We will talk later lover. I need to go" I could see she wanted to argue but didn't. She didn't argue because she intended on coming with me. The atmosphere was not one I wanted in. I could hardly tell her to stay home and sleep she woke later than the youngest vampire today. Reluctant I allowed her to accompany me. Along the route to the other house Gideon was waiting.
"I sent Heidi to the scene" I nodded. It was a good call. Whatever magic Sophie-Anne was using to obscure her trail would be less effective. She left the fight bleeding and I had hopes that that would make her easier to track. I hoped but doubt over shadowed it. Unfortunately for us she was insane but not stupid. She would not leave a bloody trail to her lair.
"All our forces are to report to this estate or the Manor in Vacherie"
"What about those stationed away on business?" He meant our eyes in other kingdoms. It was of the out most importance they return. It may help me gain a much needed vantage point.
"They are all to pull back from their respective posts and report back here by midnight tomorrow. Send Daintha to Russell and Stan with letters requesting an audience. Send out orders of repeal to all visitors and liaisons in the state. Indira will be of good use to you. I want all this done quietly" He nodded and blended into the night. The last thing I needed was to cause unrest. There would be enough of that when the final death of the Ancient Pythoness became public knowledge. Stan and I had a more established business relationship than Russell and I but I wasn't sure who would answer first.
The main house was already teeming with activity. Isaiah and Bruce had been served refreshments. They were seated in the large dining room along with Pam. Tristan was nowhere to be seen it was odd. He never left Pam's side especially with her husband around.
I sat Sookie in the chair closest to mine. Her figure was drawing a bemused expression from Bruce. "Where is your child?" I asked Pam. I cued a change in language that set Isaiah frowning.
"With yours" I nodded. "He is making arrangements for us to stay I am assuming it will be necessary" I nodded.
"Feel free to include the rest of us in the discussion" Isaiah said. "We don't mind" I ignored him.
"What happened? Who ended the Pythoness" Bruce said in more leveled tone. Beside me Sookie tensed. This was why I wanted her to remain at home. I could not edit my words for them the way I wanted to for her sake.
"Stay calm" I took her hand. She did not agree but I knew she would try. I told them all what happened. When I was finished speaking all in the room was stock still and silent. Pam looked lost; Isaiah confused; Bruce skeptical; Sookie anxious.
Pam was the first to break the silence that was quickly becoming deafening. "You are certain of this" She asked that for the benefit of all; she has never doubted me.
"Absolutely"
"I do not understand" Isaiah said. "There is nothing for her to gain in all this"
That would have been a good angle to begin assessing the actions of your opponent but not in this situation. Sophie-Anne was very well outside the boundaries of sanity and reason. Pam rolled her eyes infinitesimal amount.
"My dearest husband she is mad personal gain is not a motive"
"Eric" Sookie spoke before Isaiah could utter more words of idiocy.
"How did she know where you were going to be and when?" Again her shrewdness surprised me though it should not. It was a very obvious point to consider. It wasn't the point of ambush that told me someone had given me away it was the timing. Sophie-Anne herself had used that path during the negotiations with Peter. Andre had used it. We were all familiar with it. It was assumed that you would be traveling light when you used that path. No one at home knew where I was going aside from my wife. I only informed Pam by a message that was sealed by a witch. I knew she too only informed Tristan. Isaiah was the leak obviously. All our eyes were on him and Bruce.
"Again with this?" Bruce was exasperated instead of anxious as he should be. "It is not our benefit to end either of you"I ignored his banter. My gaze was on Isaiah his silence told me he was not careful as he should have been about our meeting."No one knew except us..."
"And Christopher" Isaiah added. Bruce's eyes narrowed and he vanished from the room to deal with their security issue.
"Call France" Isaiah suggested. Pam pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head ever so slightly. I would not bother Cohan with this. An out of control vampire; especially one that was insane was the responsibility to all the vampires in the area. I could not hunt her alone it would spread my forces too thin. In this situation I did not have to. She has committed a crime against all vampires of the new world. She has also made enemies of the two natured. In a collaborated effort we could find her and mitigate the damage she has done. She was reaching too high. Her plans would not succeed.
The thought of being on the right side of Cohan when he unleashed hell was an exciting concept. Isaiah was very eager to test. So much so it clouded his judgment. He should keep quiet and let Bruce do the talking.
"She is wounded" Pam asked. "A tracker is there now" If nothing else her blood would give me the proof I needed to convince others, and it would also give us a scent for the wolves to follow. If we found her soon enough the silver in her blood would make her easy to eliminate.
"In the mean time I ask the hospitality of your state for myself and my people" Pam said. Her eyes were on Sookie who was smiling brightly.
"Sure thing" It would be a good time to punish Pam for the many things she had done but I was not that cruel. I knew she would have to stay in the house with us. If she was housed anywhere on this complex Isaiah would plague her and there would be no escape. Until the chaos that surrounded the end of the Pythoness blew over we would have to stay together.
"I request the same" Isaiah said. His eyes were on me. I nodded was it anyone but Pam I would not tolerate his presence.
"Alana" She presented herself in the room. "Your majesty"
"See that Isaiah's housing needs are taken care of" He left with her.
"Could you please show her to the house" Sookie hesitated. I smiled to pacify her because she was worried about leaving me but I couldn't work with her here. She needed to relax for me to get anything done and Pam would help her. The easiest things took so much effort for her now. She insisted on standing on her own which made Pam laugh. They left hand in hand.
I spent the next three hours combing through any and all places Sophie-Anne had lived. Her rule had been lengthy so the list was extensive. The list included cemeteries; churches and houses that were deeded under aliases. During the takeover she had to have hidden somewhere close enough to listen but far enough from harm. The credit card receipts she had during recent years helped to track her movements even then I felt like what I sought couldn't be found here. I did not think she would risk traveling by the major means and she was wounded so she couldn't get far. That was if the elves did not have other means to move her in that case she could be anywhere. I growled in frustration.
"I need a clean phone" I called out. I needed to contact Rasul. He could give me a listing of all the estates she had during her rule as well as a list of safe houses that only those close to her knew of. Even if he didn't know them all he could give us a general direction of where to begin searching. Every few minutes while I worked a vampire of my state would come through the entry way to check in with Indira. She would tell them which house to report to and whom they would be nesting with during their mandated stay here.
"I need a phone" I said again. I was irritated and this was the second time I was voicing this request. "I find it odd that I have to ask twice" I was seated at the head of the table and my hand was held out I was looking down and reading over incident reports. While the trouble of the weres was reaching its breaking point there have been more and more attacks against vampires. None so far have resulted in fatalities. The reports in front of me came from Rasul, Maxwell, and Thalia. I was comparing all they had written against all that Heidi had written on what she has found or not found in all the attacks. I felt the weight in my hand as Alana dropped a phone into it. The first call went out to Rasul.
The next went to my day man "Find me Copley Carmicheal" I hung up. David sounded as though I had woken him. If I was him I would have my wits about me because he had less than five minutes to fulfill this order.
"Is Edgar here?" That question was not directed at anyone in particular but someone had better answer. The response came from the depressing creature in the flesh.
"I am your majesty" He bowed deeply. He was not alone. Bubba was trailing his footsteps like a lost puppy. He mimicked his movements but added a smile. It was disturbing. They have been inseparable. It said something about Edgar that the only other vampire he found interesting was Bubba. Seeing Bubba made a thought occurr to me and I dismissed Edgar and waved him forward. He came closer than normal vampires would have.
He smiled sheepishly. "Hello Mr. Eric" I smothered my irritation at the nights events so I could handle him properly. Getting the right answers out of him required finesse and patience.
"Think carefully. Have you seen people that look like regular people but smell different but not good to eat" He was the only vampire that traveled these southern states freely. He looked confused but I knew he was deep in thought. I rested my chin over my interlaced fingers and waited.
"I don't know" He became a bit apprehensive. Anxiety made him difficult to handle.
"Just tell me what you know" I smiled and ushered for him to continue.
"I saw a whole bunch. I think. They are like the pretty ones that smell real sweet but they aien't"
That was as lamely as one could describe a full blooded elf. "Yes, I want to know where and when you saw this"
"When I was with Mr. Russell I went for a walk and found I wasn't in his state anymore"
"Where were you?" I asked unable to mask the intensity in my voice. He knew something useful I could feel it.
"Alabama" My eyes tightened; fucking Eliza and that idiot Curtis. They would get in bed with Sophie-Anne and elves. I had no idea what promises they had been made but it would only end in their demise. Curtis could attest to that much. I was sure his kingdom was promised to Eliza for her help.
"Tell me more" I urged.
"I was walking they were and they were talking with some vampires I didn't pay them no mind" It was probably only reason why he was still in front of me now. This was bad. It was one thing for Sophie-Anne to wage war against us with the help of elves and her own made army but it was another thing entirely to have the power of two states backing her.
"When did you see this?"
"Two days before I came here" I nodded. Time was not on my side.
"That is all. Thank you, you did very well" He smiled.
"I went by to see Miss. Sookie but she's gone" I nodded.
"She is here with me now. Go and say hello she will be happy to see you" He smiled and bounded out of the room.
"Edgar" He entered the room appearing slightly gloomier without his odd companion. "Reach out to the packs you have been watching have their leaders present themselves here at midnight in three days' time" He bowed and left. The phone in my hand rang I knew it was Carmicheal.
"Eric"
Absolute hell was going to reign over these lands and soon. "I want the human task force out of my state" I have never made demands upon him and in my current state of being I left no room for him to misunderstanding; this was not a request.
"I can't make it go away just like that. It is a federal thing. I need to speak with the governor and the senator" He was not a politician but for all the ones he had in his pocket he didn't have to be.
"I want them gone whatever it takes" I liked Copley well enough. From the dealings we have had I knew he was not forth coming but he was smart; smart enough to know he could never double cross me and live to tell of it. It kept him as honest as a man of his caliber could be. He was also smart enough to know something was going on and I did not want extra pairs of human eyes about; eyes that were trained on the world of the supernatural.
"But why would you want it gone they are looking into matters and taking pressure off you" I was not going to dignify him with a response.
"I need this done. I will call before dawn to inquire about your progress; impress me" I hung up.
"Indira" She appeared in the room. She appeared anxious because of my mood "Who has not checked in?" She consulted a laptop in her arms. It held the unclassified version of the Louisiana rooster. It kept track of our visitors and main-streamers all those non-essential to the make-up of my hierarchy she maintained this list for the entire state. It helped tighten the net to easily uncover spies, rogues and other potential threats.
"All have made contact. Most are en route to either destinations or have provided estimated times of arrival within the limits that has been decreed" Her eyes were on her computer as she continued with her briefing. "The majority of visitors are requesting a reasonable cause hearing with his majesty as to the basis of their expulsion from his state"
"How many requests for hearings have you received?"
"Fifteen in all" I did not have time for this bullshit. The initial reaction I had was to threaten them for questioning me. It wouldn't do, even in this chaos I had to maintain order after all it was what I was fighting to uphold. By law they had a right to this request and a fir hearing or be left in peace. I knew I had several spies in that bunch. Tristan was less diplomatic in that matter than I. He killed off those that he had proof were spying. Others had the sense to retreat or abandon their cause. Spies were inevitable the trick was to control the depth of their infiltration. I let known what they thought was my business. In truth they were all seeing what I wanted them to see and nothing more. The ones I could not fool I kept occupied with mindless tasks. A few belonged to Russell and Bertrand. One belonged to Felipe and another that I could not be sure of belonged to Stan.
"Grant these eight hearings" Bill's kin Judith was on the list the remaining were drifters and mainstreamers who wanted to relocate. "They are to present themselves here once all of ours have been provided lodgings. Inform the others they are not under my protection and so remain here at their own risk" That was warning enough. I gave her back the computer and went back to work.
"Bill wants to speak with you" Gideon said in a peeved tone. He had returned and he was holding his phone out to me. He had not had to spend much time with Bill but the night he spent while I was away with Pam was enough for a few decades. "Bill chapped his ass" as he so eloquently phrased it. He had less patience for him right now we both did.
I took the phone "Why do I have to leave my house and why is Judith being kicked out of the state?" Compton had certain privileges. The problem with that was that he knew it. It left him free to question me where no other under my rule would. I answered him now because he was a valued member of the state not because he was harping.
"Do as you are told Bill. Trust me you do not want to be alone come tomorrow night"
"What about Judith?" I could already hear him moving.
"Bring her if you wish but you will get here with in the time allotted" I hung up. I got a status report from Gideon. By his assessment Diantha should be leaving Texas. She was to drop a letter containing Stan's reply to her uncle when she crossed Louisiana on her way to Mississippi.
"Tris has emptied out Arkansas of essential personnel. So has Bruce" That was not surprising. The more numbers we had here the safer we would be. With all major targets gone there would be no point in mounting an attack against that state.
I cut the call I was making to Carmichael short. Diantha delivered. She had done scores better than a letter of response. Two hours before dawn King Stan and a dozen of his closest were at the gate of the complex asking permission to enter the grounds. Amongst the vampires in his entourage was his second Joseph. Joseph had served him well after Rhodes when he was so badly injured. It was only because of him that Stan managed to maintain his hold over the state. Isabel and Farrell were present. As well as all his sheriffs and their respective lieutenants. He also brought along his telepath. Stan was showing a lot of faith and it would serve him well.
"Stan" I said offering him a deep nod of my head. "You are most welcome"
"Eric" He was tense to be so far from home and so deep in the home of another monarch with his people. He was looking around himself and the amount of activity did not avoid his notice. Beside him Joseph was a mirror of hostility. I was sure to remain a respectful distance away from them.
"Where is your queen?" He asked. "Is all well" He did not care but the thought of having me in his debt was irresistible. It was a known fact that Sookie was usually in some form of trouble.
"Yes but we have other problems" I said. He nodded for me to continue but I couldn't dawn was fast approaching and their housing needs had not yet been arrange. I showed them to Indira.
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B-Rock525 you totally Rock! Take a bow!
Chapter Twenty-Four is coming right up. It is half way done so there won't be a lot of waiting involved. Again please direct any and all angry mobs Athenaie's way!