It is surprising what the power of reviews will do for the poor writers ego.. So Again. Thanks so much for the reviews. I really appreciate them. I'm sorry I've been gone so long. Life got a bit too busy for a while there, but it has recently improved and I find myself with more time once again. I hope to be able to keep this story updated.

I don't know if it is a thing all writers get when they re-read their own work, but I have to say I feel disappointed with the earlier chapters of this story and again thank people for kind encouragement.

Disclaimer: The True Blood Characters in this belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.

Please still critique and review. I am here to learn :)


Chapter 12

'The Stone Benchseat'

Somewhere in the lush countryside of Louisiana, in a secluded part near the border of Dallas, sits a moderately large sized home. In a small garden courtyard positioned on one side of the house is a stone bench-seat. It is here that Elliane sits beneath a faded moonlight that delicately ignites the plants around her in a silvery glow.

It had been over an hour since she had left the room. She had fled in furious rage, determined to leave the place that very instant until an inner voice had cautioned her. Instead she had encircled the home, briskly walking many rotations until she felt her emotions come under control. To leave now would be in-opportune and despite what danger may lurk inside, she would need to gather her resources before she could attempt to move back into human society unaided.

She became preoccupied - with the ancient and alien thoughts that now shifted with ease through her previously tortured mind. Eric's blood had enhanced her mental capabilities to a premium. A part of her revelled in the sensation of complete mental control she now found herself capable of. There was a rare delight now of shifting through information with no discomfort, which was unlike what she had always previously experienced. Also able to multitask with little discomfort, she sensed she was being watched - shivering as the air became suddenly cold. Elliane broke her concentration as she noticed the presence beside her.

She looked away as Eric's shadowy form became apparent. He was leaning back, slouched against the stone bench seat with his ankles crossed before him. His calm face reflected faintly in the moonlight, like an alabaster statue as he gazed out into the night.

She let out a soft sigh of resignation as she felt him look back to her.

"I am surprised you are still here," he said calmly. "I expected you to leave."

"I nearly did. But decided against it" she answered. Her musical voice was equally as calm but the very discerning might have detected a nervous edge.

"You are still angry," he stated.

"I am… But not so much with you," she said with a shrug. It was true. She was angrier with the circumstances. "You are what you are, and I guess nothing much will change that." She was angry at the current position she found herself. She was relying on vampires of all things for protection.

Eric just laughed.

"You promised that you would give me some information, Elliane," he said.

Elliane nodded in the darkness. "I did. What do you want to know?"

"Who is the informer?" he asked.

His voice turned serious and the smirk on his face faded with the question.

Elli was silent a moment while she collected her thoughts and heaved a breath.

"I don't know who the person is - as I said before. Moles that work deep cover have security levels so high that no-one knows who exactly they are. They feed information back to their departments or authorities on a basis of trust and for benefits that are usually untraceable." Elliane paused. "But what I can tell you - is the information they have reported. Maybe you could work out who the informer is by a process of elimination."

Eric was silent but he shifted his position on the seat so that he now faced Elliane and gave her his full attention.

"The informer knows that you have a business and political arrangement with Queen Sophia. That you are behind the selling of 'V' in local and other areas and that you have disposed of several threats to your business endeavours." Elliane suppressed another shiver. Her recollection of the files reminded her exactly who and what she was dealing with.

Eric nodded in the darkness, his face very stern. "What timeframe does this information cover. When do the reports begin."

"That could prove to be an interesting clue." Elliane responded. "Despite the more recent public announcement of your 'race' to the world; the culture of your kind has been acknowledged for centuries by these sorts of groups. This informer has been active for at least seventeen years and has provided some detailed information that covers roughly the last century if I am recalling it all correctly."

"Hrm.." Eric became thoughtful.

"You have to take into account the layers of this information as well. The mole may well be someone who you rarely or never see. Having a scattering of their own spies reporting back to them, which then they in turn, forward the information ahead."

Eric's serious tone continued. "Is there anything else you can add to this?" he asked.

"I have answered what I can for the moment. Unfortunately my thoughts are still preoccupied with processing at present so if I think of anything else I will let you know. Would you mind telling me something in exchange?" she asked.

Eric looked at her, bemused by her strange speech and formal politeness. "Maybe…But you would have been better to strike that deal before you began."

Elli shrugged. "What else did you order me to do while I was glamoured?"

Eric laughed softly and looked at her face in the moonlight. He raised a hand and ran a fingertip over her jaw and across her lips. Elliane jerked back in surprise, a sudden rush of her pulse, as all sorts of sordid images sprang to mind.

"I asked you to kiss me," he stated quietly.

"Oh…" Elliane was glad for the darkness as she felt a flush creep over her face. "And did I comply with the request?"

"Yes. Most enthusiastically I might add." Eric sounded smug and Elliane who had looked away now with complete embarrassment could well imagine his smirk. "Twice!"

"Well, I guess Dr Ludwig wasn't joking when she said my brain was seriously fried." she stated coldly.

"Oooo.. touché.." he responded with a soft laugh.

"Is that all you asked me to do?" her tone was cuttingly cold and Eric could sense the rage seething beneath her cool exterior.

"Yes," he answered simply. Eric felt he had to gain some positive ground with Elliane. She had information, knowledge and a power that could prove useful to him in the future and he ought to get into some sort of good books with her.

"Elli, I won't deny that I desire you greatly," he continued after a moment. "And I was very tempted to use the opportunity to my advantage, but I like my prey to at least be in a good state of health."

Elliane's glared at him darkly. "How noble of you. I am sure your 'prey' appreciates it."

Elliane jumped up from the seat and walked some distance away into the garden. A sudden rush of air whipped at her side as Eric appeared. She continued to walk into the darkness and Eric kept pace with her as he spoke.

"Dr Ludwig had told Dickson, that the damage to your nerve endings could be permanent if they didn't heal before scarring set in."

As a cloud crossed the moonlight Elliane was unable to see where she was going, she stopped walking, waiting for him to continue.

"Only a handful of people have ever had my blood. Those rare humans who I consider worthy are usually grateful."

Elliane didn't feel grateful. She felt invaded and vulnerable but she could appreciate that to him, the notion of giving his precious blood to a mere 'bloodbag' was probably the most virtuous thing he was ever likely to do. Elliane chose her next words carefully.

"I am not ungrateful for the blood. It makes me feel… well… strange.. Superhuman would be the best way to describe it. And.. I am no longer in any pain" She offered a small smile. "However, I can't deny being disturbed by the idea that you are now able to sense my emotions. It feels like an invasion of privacy."

"There are benefits," he replied. "I will be able to find you should you be in trouble. Besides in your case, it is not lasting, as it is with other people."

"Oh really?" she stated surprised. "How do you know that?"

"Godric has felt the bond with you decrease quite rapidly over time."

"Ehh… What?"

"When I first encountered you, weeks ago - in the rain, your blood was strongly tainted of Godric's. But when I tasted you recently with the fever, only the faintest trace of Godric remained. Soon, his blood will be out of your system altogether."

"Oh my God.." she said stunned.

"I gather you were not aware you had Godric's blood."

She shook her head numbly.

"Godric saved your life at the Fellowship of Light compound. Someone had smashed your skull in and you were seconds from death when he gave you his blood." Eric felt ironically compelled to defend whatever good name could be made of his maker. But only did so because he knew that Godric no longer desired to be seen in a negative light.

"I had no idea," she said distractedly. "But some things make a lot more sense now… about that night."

They fell into a silence then before Elliane said she was returning to her room to continue typing up her recollections from the ring. As she slipped into the darkness, Eric heard a distinct 'ouch' as she stumbled into a rose bush and would have chuckled but he caught a strange scent on the air and he swiftly departed to investigate.


Elliane typed rapidly, getting down as much information as she could, before the information would fade from her memory into a foggy dream. She found her concentration lacking its usual clarity. Readings from the ring while it was in the possession of Godric or his maker Bres worked differently to when it was worn by humans. It seemed that the ring was less inclined to store the energy from the vampires. Or maybe it was that the energy signature from the vampire was simply unusual and different to decipher. Emotions were reasonably clear, but the imagery was foggy and strangely colourless.

Overall, she found that the energy from Bres was of a seething angry nature. He was vengeful and calculating and she got a good idea of his personality. He was full of pride and pretty much completely self serving to the core. From Godric, she found the energy contained more despair. His energy was also dark but would change at times. He was often very detached and she felt he was scientific, curious and analytical about many things. There were periods where he felt greatly entertained by the world - along with times of great loneliness, despite being often surrounded by others. With Godric, she felt that he had evolved considerably over time. He certainly transmitted a different kind of energy in recent years.

After a number of hours of busy typing and thoughtful focus, Elliane took break. She felt burdened with many centuries of evil and despairing emotions, and despite the benefit of Eric's blood, she felt pretty depressed and started to get headache.

She headed downstairs, deciding to head to the kitchen to grab something to snack on before she went to bed, and when she returned to her room, she got a sudden curious sensation. It was the familiar sensation of being spied upon or watched.

Setting her plate of raison toast and cup of milky tea on the glass table beside the bed she looked around, trying not to appear too paranoid. All three doors were shut. She tried to casually look at the ornate glass pictures, convinced now with the overwhelming sensation, that there must be a camera in the room.

She then checked the bathroom, the other door, the light fixture, her computer and she examined the bed. Nothing!

The sensation was powerful and she continued - compelled to find some device which seemed to be the only logical way she could be monitored. She stripped her bed entirely and examined the mantle, the fireplace, inside the fireplace, the little vase of irises that Sookie had given her earlier and continued. She was sliding her hands over the walls looking for flaws in the construction when the door opened.

"Elliane?" said Eric as he stepped into her room. "What is wrong?"

"Are you spying on me?" she glared at him.

"Technically, I suppose I am at the moment," he answered drolly.

She ignored his comment and sighed. "Is there a camera in here?"

"Not to my knowledge," he answered.

"A bug then…?" she asked, gritting her teeth with annoyance.

Eric shook his head. "Why would I spy on you?" he asked.

Elliane rolled her eyes. "I don't know… because you are perverted!"

Elliane was completely exasperated. The niggling itch of being watched was annoying enough and Eric's passive lack of interest in the matter was not helping.

"Why do you think you are being watched?" Eric asked as he also started looking around the room.

"I just know that I am," she replied. "I always know. Ugh.. and now it is gone"

"You're not being watched anymore?" he asked with a raised brow.

"That's right. It has left," she replied.

"You can change rooms if you think it would help," stated Eric solemnly.

Elliane sighed. "Thanks, but I won't. Maybe I'm just paranoid… or maybe I just need to sleep."

Eric nodded. "Very well, goodnight… and sweet dreams," He smirked and left the room.

After he had gone, Elliane sat on the bed and sipped at her lukewarm tea. She didn't care if Eric thought she was a bit crazy and she wouldn't blame him if he did. Now that the creepy sensation of being under surveillance was gone, she had to wonder if she was not suffering paranoia herself.

She finished her cup of tea, made up her bed again, took a shower and prepared for bed. She had not been long under the covers when she drifted off into a contented slumber.

Elliane would have been surprised to discover that Eric had taken her concerns seriously. Having picked up an unusual scent earlier in the evening, he went downstairs after he left her room and spoke with the small security team he had organised to protect Elliane while she was here, reminding them to be extra alert throughout the remainder of the night and for the following day.


Broken and decaying laid the old tree trunk. It was fair to say that this once ancient oak was not the victim of lumberjacks. The tree had simple reached it's time in the organic sense of the world. New trees now had arisen to take its place and the moss ridden trunk of the old had become part of the landscape.

Should a very observant mortal been passing at that moment, they might of seen the faint blue glow coming from within the tree trunk, which hollowed by time was to become the perfect hidey hole for small creatures that lived in the wilderness.

Such a small creature was Golios, only a foot tall but of perfect slim proportion, who was busy cackling with glee at his latest feat. Caught within his small hands was a marble shaped sapphire. The enchanted gem glowed softly and Golios had just finished staring deep into its core. The sapphire acted as a device of scrying and as the image of Elliane faded from view, Golios was now satisfied with his plan.

Tucking the sapphire into a pouch that now hung heavily at his side, he left the interior of the hollowed log to leap with acrobatic agility onto its top. His iridescent pale green skin caught under the moonlight and he fixed his plumed hat so that it sat tidily upon his long silver locks. At his appearance another figure emerged with a shimmer of tall grassy undergrowth that was contained within the sparse grove. This creature was taller than his companion, and very thick set. Phume looked at Golios with an expression of weariness and a question within his eyes.

Golios spoke, his exquisite voice emitting like a song on the breeze. "Sweetling no longer ails! Tis forseen - Sweetling will leave enchanted room and dance with us upon the morrow."

Phume's despondent reverie broke and his peculiar face broke into a strange smile as his lower fangs pressed into his upper cheeks.

"Greatly pleasing is this to Phume," Phume responded with a gravely voice that seemed to echo from the distance. "Phume tired of ancient quest and longs for promise reward."

Golios responded to Phume's happy mood with a light skip of glee upon the log.

"Majesty will reward us well with Sweetling bride." Golios rubbed his little palms together at the thought. "Golden palaces and starlight wine for the finest heroes of Arcanthis"

Phume smiled and laughed; a sound that could be mistaken for a soft rumble of thunder.