I woke in searing pain, smelling my own blood and burning flesh and also that scent that I'd caught just before the pain: Hot Rain. He'd never been my favorite vampire. He lived in my area at one time and had been nothing but trouble. I'd hated his child as well, and well, you know how that story ended. According to vampire law, I had staked Longshadow with good reason and compensated his maker and that should have been the end of it. But vampires are not predictable creatures. Rules mean very little to some. That's precisely why I've been arguing against our coming out to the world for decades. Until we can control our own, how can we expect the world to accept us? Here was a prime example of why vampires should not walk among humans, and I had a sinking feeling that he just might be the end of me.

I realized that Ginger must have invited him into the house when I sent her downstairs to go home while I was making the bed. That was my mistake. Because of Bobby's death, I felt sorry for Ginger and kept her on even though I'd been seeing clues that she was far too glamored to be competent. I should have just killed her the first night I found her in the house after dark. Or at the very least, sent her away. My weakness in her regard may have just cost me my undead life. All Hot Rain would have had to do was glamor her, procure an invitation, and send her home. Or maybe he killed her? No, I think I would have smelled a corpse, even one that fresh.

How fucking perfect was it for him that I just happened to have that goddamn bookcase open right when he came into the room? What are the odds? I considered the irony as he pulled my head back by my hair and used a pair of needle nose pliers on my face. I didn't bother to try to be quiet. I knew no one could hear my screams, and so what if they did? There would be no rescue.

And so for many nights, I became the entertainment of Hot Rain. He seemed to want nothing of me other than to see my suffering. He never asked me any questions, never really spoke to me other than an occasional laugh. During the first week or so, I hoped that Ginger hadn't accidentally stayed late again and gotten herself killed by Hot Rain, but by the second week, I'd stopped caring about Ginger. I was still grateful that Sookie didn't know where I lived. At least I didn't have to worry about her safety. Thinking of her was just about the only thing that allowed me to hang on to my sanity. I pictured her face and fantasized about her body. I felt bad that our last moments together were hurtful for her and hoped that in time that pain would be replaced by more joyful memories of me. I felt fairly certain that deep down she knew that I loved her in spite of the fact that I had never said the words. Because we were bonded, she knew my feelings as well as I knew them myself.

I was grateful that our houses were far enough apart that she most likely could not feel my anguish. I wished that I had transferred some of my property to her so that she could at least enjoy some of my wealth after I'm gone. I wondered if it had been more than seventeen days and if my escrow had closed. I'd lost track of the days. Not that any of that mattered any more anyway. Funny that I'd even remembered it.

Because I'm older than Hot Rain, I always woke before he did and was able to stay awake after he'd had to retire. I wondered where he spent his days. There was no way he could have known how to get into my bedroom (and he must not have even known about it or he would have gotten the code from me easily in a weak moment). Perhaps he buried himself somewhere on the grounds. He never would have risked sleeping in an unsecured room of the house. At any rate, because of his relative youth, there were two windows of time every night where I had a reprieve from the pain and I relished those moments. It was in those moments that I thought of Sookie the most.

I woke one night and as usual, kept going in and out of consciousness because of the hunger and pain. When I was coherent, I tried to focus on Sookie. I even thought I smelled her. I was so very hungry. When I heard her voice, I wondered whether I was hallucinating and had perhaps snapped mentally. For an instant, I assumed that Hot Rain had somehow brought her to me and I immediately felt fear. Fear for her safety. But then I opened my eyes and saw her beautiful face and no Hot Rain. Her brows were creased in concern and for a spilt second I wondered what was bothering her. Then I remembered where I was and told her to run. I tried to warn her of Hot Rain and then I fell back into a stupor.

I don't know how long I was out, but I heard her screams and felt her terror at the same time and it gave me the energy to get to my knees and begin crawling up the steps. When I got to the top, the bookcase was halfway open and I pulled myself up to my feet and stumbled into the library. I followed the screams—both his and hers—into the front foyer and saw him on her. He was repeatedly and mindlessly biting into her chained neck (That's my clever girl!), his dick in one hand, ready to rape her. He was so completely consumed with bloodlust that he was too stupid to stop and remove the chains so that he could get to her. But I could see that it was just a matter of seconds before he'd rape her and then most likely find an unchained spot from which to drain her. Sookie was stabbing at him with something in her hand until Hot Rain knocked it from her with his free hand. Amazingly, it landed at my feet just as I got to the two of them. I gathered the last of my energy and picked up what I immediately recognized as a wooden (oh yes!) candleholder. I fell forward on top of Hot Rain, sinking the splintered wood into his back. As he began to liquefy, I pushed myself off of him and Sookie onto the floor and lost consciousness again.

I felt Sookie on top of me, heard her crying, and tried to wake up. Then she was shaking me and finally stroking me and I wondered if I was having another fantasy and was still in the chair in the basement. But then I heard her sobs again and smelled her blood, and I was so overjoyed that I was not hallucinating and that she was safe and I was still here. I opened my mouth and tasted the sweetest nectar I'd ever had, joyful that Sookie had done the unimaginable and saved me from certain and final death. I wrapped my arms around her gratefully and held on tight.