AN: This one goes out to RandiS, cause I like the way you think ;)
Thanks SO much for your reviews! I can't tell you how nice it feels to know that the silly ideas I've been sputtering out are interesting to ya!
LAST TIME
"Min son, it has been too long" he said, and I could hear the smile in his voice and feel the lighthearted happiness in our bond.
"Broder, it has." I let me happiness flood our bond in return, and then followed it with hints of my worry and anxiety. He quickly asks what is troubling me.
"I fear I may require your assistance".
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EPOV
After hanging up with my Maker, my worry had eased somewhat but not completely. I send a soft call to Pam and she zipped into my office quickly.
"What's got your knickers in a knot?" she sasses, as she stands with a hand on her hip in front of my desk. "Please tell me it's not the telepath. I'm already exasperated with her and you haven't even fucked her yet".
I resist the urge to roll my eyes, and reply with a short, curt "no". It was only then that she stand straight, and drops her nonchalance.
"Eric" she whispers, letting the soft question linger in her tone "what is it?"
I finally meet her gaze and reply "I have that feeling you named….a gut feeling….Something is wrong. I am missing something and I do not like it. I feel I am playing chess and only able to see half of my opponents".
I pause, and Pam walks slowly to one of the chairs and sits. I pause a moment longer before I decide a plan.
"I want you to dig into every miniscule detail of that fucker Compton's life. What do we know of him currently?"
Pam doesn't hesitate and immediately responds with a summary, she really is the vault.
"William Compton. Created by one Lorena Krasiki, roughly 179 years of age. Last known rank was a consultant for Her Royal Majesty Sophie-Ann, working on a specific computer program on which no details have been released. Recently relocated to his ancestral home in Bon Temps where he began a relationship with a human as he mainstreams. Last seen 15 days ago."
I begin to nod as she finishes "I want more. His relocating seems odd. Willy boy wouldn't leave the priss of New Orleans unless he had real motive. What of Lorena?"
"Last seen 15 days ago in Dallas, after an altercation with one Sookie Stackhouse in Godric's nest. She has not been heard from since, as it seems her and Willy boy had a bit of a falling out after her treatment of his pet." Pam replies easily.
I nod again and inform her of my plan "I have called Godric, he shall be here before sunrise". She raises an eyebrow at me in silent question. "I do not like Niall's involvement in this. On top of Bill's recent appearance it all seems too coincidental. There is a plan in the works and I do not wish to become a victim of it." I reply and it is Pam's turn to nod silently. "Keep the bar open until he gets here." With that I wave my hand, and she returns to the bar.
What have you gotten yourself into this time Stackhouse?
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GPOV
I was surprised to receive a call from my child. We maintain a healthy amount of contact, but had not spoken in some months. Since the bombing at my nest I was in a mountain of paperwork trying to explain my capture at the Fellowship of the Sun. I told some strong white lies about gathering intelligence on the church cult, under the guise of a vampire who wanted to meet the sun. If only that were not as true as it felt.
For some time I had been contemplating the reason of my existence. After two thousand years on this Earth, I was tired. I had been starting to slowly dull the bond between my child and I, but found that the recent use of it tonight rekindled something in my cold heart. I missed him. At the sound of his troubling tone, I knew that he was analyzing a complex situation that he could greatly use my assistance with, though he did not provide many details. I had passed on my post as Sheriff to my second, Isabel, almost immediately after the Dallas fiasco, and had been enjoying a bit of a vacation. It was time my child and I reunited.
After hanging up the phone, I looked around my business suite in Dallas, which I had rented for my Sheriff duties. I found myself bored. I found myself wanting … something. A change would be good. I made a few more calls and emails and quickly set a plan into motion for me to relocate to Shreveport.
Indefinitely.
I took to the air minutes later, and opened my bond with my Child.
Estou benvida meu fillo (I am coming, my son) I sent to him in my ancient Gaul language, and I felt his delight in response.
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SPOV
I woke up with a splitting headache. As I came to consciousness I immediately opened my eyes, not remembering what happened after Bill tried to rip my throat out (AGAIN). Psychotic ex of the year goes to… before I finish that thought, instant panic begins to set in. I realize that the gaping wound on my neck has been covered, but not healed, and has a half-assed bandage on it. My head is still woozy, and my throat is on fire, so I know I haven't been fed any blood. Thank the Lord. However, this is doing nothing for my levels of pain. I start to assess my current situation.
I have been tied to a small plastic folding chair. My arms are held together by a zip tie behind my back, palms facing each other. My legs have been tied with what looks almost like fishing wire, and I can see it digging into my skin painfully. My once beautiful white dress is covered in dirt and blood, and ripped scantily up my leg almost to my hip. How my breasts managed to stay in the strapless top during the struggle I'll never know, but send another silent prayer in thanks. I then look at my surroundings.
I am in the back of a wine cellar. There are barrels on either side of me, and I am in the middle of the small walkway. There is a ball gag in my mouth and I fight not to think of where it came from, or if it's been used before. It smells damp and dusty. I slowly drop my shields in the hopes of gaining more information, and close my eyes again. I scan the level I am on first, slowly opening my shields wider and wider, not wanting to open the floodgate and initiate a migraine on top of my blood loss. It seems that the cellar was dug out underneath a castle of sorts. The rooms above me seem vast, with high ceilings, and large spaces. Well Todo, we're not in Kansas anymore. As I continue scanning, I categorize that I am indeed in a castle, or palace, and I am in the east wing of the estate. There are donors in the room immediately above me which seems to be a staff kitchen of sorts, and there are were body guards stations all around the outdoors. I count 30 total. So it's definitely day time. I feel my panic increase, and my palms start to sweat.
What's the last thing I remember…. Bill attacking me in my backyard…I thought I was going to die and then all of a sudden Bill was thrown off of me. Cold hands were holding onto my wound trying to stop me from bleeding out….Now I'm tied and held captive? Why wouldn't they let me die there instead of half-assing first aid, and locking me in the basement.
All of a sudden I come across a brain pattern I recognize and my fear spikes. No. It couldn't be. My mind starts racing with an overload of childhood memories and I can feel my eyes start to well with tears behind my closed eyes. Hadley. I continue scanning and digging through her mind to find that she didn't die of an overdose ten years ago, as Gran and I had thought. She fell in love. With some vampire named Sophie-Ann…. All of a sudden the large barn door to the cellar swings open, and my fear reaches an all time high.
"Oh good, you're awake." Steve Newlin stalks in, carrying a pair of pliers in one hand, and a sharp steak knife in the other. What the flying fuck?!
"I just bet your simple southern mind is reeling right now isn't honey?" Steve continues in his tacky southern drawl, as he sets the pliers down on the three steps by the door, and starts walking towards me.
"Well, I've always been a fan of telling stories, so why don't I enlighten you. After my upset show in Dallas, I couldn't very well let your skanky ass get away with trompin' all over Louisiana spewing how we should 'love all vampers' now could I? There's a lot of profit to be made in hate ya know? And it seems these vampers enjoyed the media debate we've had going, cause it helps 'em plead their case or somethin'… Anyways. I made a deal with the nicest southern gentleman. HE said that if I could get this blonde trashy telepath in my grasp, I could do whatever I wanted with her." As Steve started his monologue, he had stalked to my chair and circled me, dragging the steak knife on different parts of my exposed skin. I began to shiver, knowing that what was in store for me was not going to be pleasant, as Steve continued.
"And let me tell you, after being made a FOOL in front of my entire church following, I mean to make you feel quite terrible." He laughs bitterly, as he drags the tip of the knife from the top of my shoulder to my elbow, leaving a small cut through the muscle. I suck in a small breath.
"Then once I'm done with my bought of Christian justice, I get to pass you on over to the vampers themselves. Instead of dying in peace, and getting the true blessing of meeting our Lord, you'll be turned into a vamper against your will. What's a cherry on that sundae, is that your Maker will be that sadistic bitch you met last week. I do believe your vamper lover cheated on you with her too." Steve sneers to me.
Lorena?! OH HELL NO. Steve must have seen my recognition, because he began cackling as he started to drag the knife from my other shoulder down to my elbow, this time making a much deeper cut. He then leaned down to my face and asked "Are you ready to repent for your sins Ms. Stackhouse?" it was then that I noticed his eyes had taken on a more animalistic shape. Steve Newlin was definitely not human.
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EPOV
3:34PM
I sat upright in my day chamber as white searing pain ripped through my left arm. I checked the clock, and then glanced at my arm to find it unharmed. This is the earliest I have ever risen in my existence, and I immediately tapped by bond with Pam to ensure her safety. I found the bond dormant, still in her day rest some kilometers away at her own safe house. I glance at my arm again, as the pain has faded just as quickly as it came. Strange. I glance over at my maker, who is naked in bed next to me. I remain in a seated position, and start to rack my brain when two things happen. First a searing pain drags across the top of my chest, and I realize that the only other blood tie this could be.
Sookie. My maker feels my pain this time, and sits up immediately.
"Eric, what is wrong?" he asks, seeing me clutching my chest and completely baffled by what I am experiencing. When she had, had my blood in Dallas I could not feel anything from her. Even after the drop of blood she had provided last night, I did not feel any change in the bond. But now I was feeling every emotion of hers. Fear. Confusion ...and now most strongly: Pain.
"It is Sookie" I manage, as I feel whatever torture device that is being used move to her fingers. I watch as my pointer finger on my left hand is pulled out of the joint and I growl.
"What can we do?" I ask Godric, he has used vampire speed to get dressed, and is now kneeling in front of me beside the bed. "She is being tortured. She is a far away….not Bon Temps…Mississippi."
Godric immediately stands. "Russel Edgington" he murmurs.
"What?" I ask
"Russel Edgington. The vampire who has been crazed with power for some thousand centuries. I last saw him two months ago in Dallas. He had bene in Dallas at a supernatural conference. There was a half-human presenting on the idea of mixing breeds. Weres passing on the genetics to humans and such. The half-human was a descendent of a nymph which has not been heard of for many years. Russel is one of the few who knew of nymphs back in the old times, before the war. Nymphs and fairies are allies, and together, sealed themselves from the human world, as you know. After this speech, Russel became enamored with the idea of bringing them back to the human world. He wanted to bring their blood to production, he had heard that the properties in the nymph and fairy blood would allow vampires stronger gifts."
I clutched my hand, as my left middle finger was dislocated and asked with a growl "What kind of gifts".
Godric meets my eyes with a very solemn look and replies
"It is rumored that a fairy's blood could allow a vampire to day walk"
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I've got another short chapter that I'm gonna post right NOW!
Hope you like. Please review :)