Hello, and apologies for taking so long to finally update this story. (earthquake excuses)

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

Please critique and review. Should anything seem unclear or odd.. let me know.

I am here to learn :)


Chapter 16

"The Green Eyed Demon"


Gaining entry to the exclusive 'De Sang-Bleu' club seemed a fairly straightforward procedure to Elli.

Eric tossed the keys of the Bentley to a parking valet and they all entered the well furnished lobby of a high-rise hotel. The club was on the fourth floor, above the restaurants, function rooms, and mezzanine level.

Godric nodded briefly at the lobby reception desk and escorted the small group to the elevator which they all took to the required level. It exited directly at one end of a wide corridor. At the other were large, glass double-doors that had been tinted to a smoky quartz hue. This was 'De Sang-Bleu', which featured no lettering to announce it's purpose. Instead, each door had two metallic blue triangles pointing towards each other, in the representation of a goblet.

The two security guards stationed either side of the doors opened them as they approached, letting the group walk straight on through.

Elliane noted that this was all achieved without a single word being spoken from anyone. Not even from the security guards. And at the present moment, she couldn't be more grateful for the silence; being unsure what to think after the ride here, she still felt distinctly embarrassed.

Eric had walked in ahead of the others and then paused after entering. Elliane, who had avoided looking at him since exiting the Bentley, glanced up at him instinctively. He caught her gaze and, although she was expecting that usual smug smile to cross his handsome face, she saw instead an expression that was distant and strangely pensive. He inclined his head, suggesting they should all pass him by and then stepped in behind them.

Elliane threw a quick look at Godric and Isabel. Godric, standing slightly ahead and to the side of Elliane, seemed to be scanning the smallish crowd. He appeared to be searching for someone, or checking the layout of the room, or maybe just taking note of the patrons. Isabel was patiently watching Godric for some sort of cue. Godric then turned to Elliane with his usual mild smile and gestured to the general direction of the bar.

Elliane had not been sure what to expect of the club or its patrons. It seemed to her to be a subdued sort of place... nothing at all like Fangtasia.

The music playing here was subtle. The saxophone tones from the modern, acid-jazz genre creating a soothing atmosphere. The very conservative and tasteful décor was enhanced by elegant lighting that shone down from the blackened high ceilings.

Her thoughts were somewhat foggy and a still a little flustered from the sensual and decidedly surreal experience in the back seat of the Bentley, Elliane focused her attention upon the patrons.

The place seemed busy, but not packed. It was a much larger club than Fangtasia. Somehow Elliane 'picked out' the vampires in the crowd with a considerable degree of accuracy.

Their movements, she noted, were more precise and exacting compared to humans. She guessed that a good two thirds of the patrons were vampires with the remainder probably being their human guests. Everyone seemed comfortably well spaced. Containing about sixty odd people at present, another two hundred would cause the place to become crowded.

Much to Elliane's surprise, many here were dressed in modern, almost business-like modes of fashion. She had to toss aside her pre-conceived notions that vampires dressed in the extremes of fashion.

A good majority of the vampires here could have passed for lawyers or stockbrokers, though there were a few wearing anachronistic clothing of past eras.

More to her surprise however, was the apparent complete lack of interest that their small group had upon the existing throng. Although an odd glance or two was tossed their way, it seemed to Elliane that their arrival had no impact at all upon the guests. This was however soon to change.

Upon reaching one of the many spare tables, Isabel went to order some drinks and quickly left for the bar. Godric, standing behind Elliane, momentarily slipped his arm around her waist. He stepped in close, so that he might whisper down into her ear.

And it was in that moment - that the room fell to a complete hush and as Elliane eerily observed, that every single vampire turned to look at them.

"It's a thin crowd - the hour is still rather early," was all that the tantalizing accent of Godric uttered.

The silence however remained suspended.

For what seemed like an eternity; gazes both curious and disconcerted rested upon the pair and Elliane did her best to not squirm in the discomfort of being the centre of attention. This was not her world. She was used to living the life of subterfuge where she was meant to remain hidden.

Isabel re-emerged from the direction of the bar, followed by a waitress who promptly set four drinks on the table. Godric retrieved a glass of lime and soda from the table, which Isabel had kindly ordered for Elliane, and presented it to his companion attentively, almost pointedly.

It seemed an unnecessary gesture. Elliane could of easily have reached for the drink herself. She thanked Godric for the courtesy, distinctly aware that every eye was upon her now. And although she wondered if her somewhat paranoid imagination was playing tricks, it seemed that the crowd had drawn even closer to them. A semicircular mass of silent people was gathering around.

After assisting Elliane into a comfortable barstool, Godric likewise seated himself. He had no sooner done this, when a young male vampire stepped out from the gathered group and bowed low before him.

"Good evening Sheriff," the eloquent voice of the vampire began. Dressed in a plain grey business suit, Elliane thought he looked particularly low key for a vampire. "I think I can speak for all of us here when I say; That it is a great pleasure to have you here with us this evening."

"Thank you, Balthazar," Godric responded quietly.

"And might I also express my sincere sympathy for the recent tragic attack on your nest." Balthazar continued solemnly.

Godric didn't reply, his expression like stone as he gave a single nod to acknowledge the comment.

From the corner of her eye, Elliane caught a flash of movement at the wooden pillars situated beyond the immediate crowd. Here she saw Eric, casting a stern and watchful look on the room as he leaned casually against a beam. She turned her attention back to the vampire called Balthazar who had now politely looked at her before turning back to Godric.

"Ahh… yes," said Godric mildly as he caught the Balthazar's gaze. He raised his voice a little as he continued.

"Everyone, I would like you all to meet a friend of mine. This is Elli," he gestured to the young woman beside him. "She is my companion, a good friend and under my protection. So I urge you all to make her feel welcome, as she is also a friend to our community."

A slight murmur of voices seemed to break the silence momentarily before the hush descended once more. It was clear that Elliane was expected to say something. She pushed down self conscious nerves and took a steady breath, standing up from her seated position she addressed the audience.

"Hello everyone," she said simply and she felt her cheeks beginning to blush. She inclined her head politely and gave (what she hoped) was her most pleasant smile.

It was a brilliant smile however - one that seemed to flash out and fill the room. A few of the vampires actually smiled back at her, while others cast amused and knowing glances amongst each other.


Over the next hour or so the club gradually filled with more and more patrons, almost doubling its original number. Vampire clubs, much like human ones didn't really pick up until the wee hours of the morning.

The difference between this club and Fangtasia was growing increasingly apparent. Elliane observed that a lot of business was conducted here. Not the usual shady type of business either, but more legitimate sorts such as property and market sales.

During this time, it seemed that a good many of the patrons came forward to pay their respects to Godric and meet his companion. Elliane met a large number of the local Vampires and their humans. So many in fact, that she hoped that Godric was not expecting her to remember them all by name. Had Elli any disillusions of the respect that Godric commanded, they were certainly dispelled after this experience. Many of the ones that approached him, only left after gaining an appointment at some later date to discuss one matter or another. It became clear to Elliane that Godric's opinion and views were greatly sought and of considerable value.

Having been seated for quite a while, Elliane started to become restless. Godric, perhaps picking up on her mood, suggested she stretch her legs and take a look at the art displayed around the walls. Elli was keen to comply and stood eagerly.

Not seeing any art pieces in the immediate vicinity, she moved around to the other side of the horse-shoe shaped bar, where the larger area of the club was contained. Here, low seated lounges were set around equally low, marble-top tables. The place had become busier. Many of the seats were now taken and some of the patrons were left to linger around.

She moved to politely side-step people as she passed but was surprised to find them moving aside for her. Such actions were occasionally even accompanied with a courteous bow. Not all here were keen to smile upon her however. She caught suspicious glances from a few, though these were quickly disguised. It was enough to remind her to keep up her guard. To this world, she was an intruder.

Along the back wall, which ran from the bar to the furthest parts of the club, was a veritable gallery of fine art. Elliane approached the first of many fine paintings. A portrait of what she presumed was a pope or cardinal, by the style of attire. A plumpish looking man wearing a red velvet cape and hat; worn over a white tunic.

"So, what do you think of it?" asked the voice of Eric, who had rapidly appeared at her right side. He was looking at the painting thoughtfully, as thought he was a great connoisseur of fine art. Something about his earnest expression made Elliane smile.

"Of the art itself or the sitter?" she asked.

"Both," he replied, glancing down at her.

"Hrm, well.. I am not all that qualified to critique art." She stated. "It looks quite old.. though well painted, if that is what you mean."

Eric didn't reply, so Elliane continued.

"It seems a bit of an odd choice for a Vampire club too..."

Eric smirked a little. "Do you know who it is?"

Elliane looked back to the portrait where earlier she had seen some murky looking words along the top.

~ LEO X ~

"Ahh.. Leo someone?" she offered tentatively. "Or is that the name of the artist?"

Eric then chuckled quietly. "It is the sitters name or title. This is 'Pope Leo the tenth'."

"Oh…" she answered. Elliane had no idea who that particular pope was. "I am afraid my history on religious matters is somewhat worse that my knowledge of art."

"The artist is Raphael," said Eric. "He was favoured by Pope Leo, and had him paint quite a few portraits of him."

Elliane nodded. Although, not specifically acquainted with his works, she had still heard of Raphael and could acknowledge that the art-piece would be quite valuable.

"Was this Pope important in history?" she asked, hoping her question didn't seem too naïve.

"Perhaps..." Eric shrugged. "He was also a family member of the 'House of Medici'. A powerful political family of Italy, noted for its great wealth. They were bankers during the renaissance."

"Yes, I have heard of the Medici family."

"Now however, he is known as 'King Giovanni of Florence'. A vampire king that is."

"Hmm…" she replied casually, glancing more critically at the portrait. It was clear that a huge learning curve was ahead of her. There was much to learn of this society she was in. She memorized the information that Eric had given in case such knowledge was important in times to come.

Glancing down the length of the wall, she saw a number of other portraits.

"Are all these… paintings of people, who are now Vampires?" she asked Eric.

Eric cast his eyes down the length of the wall. "No. Not at all," he answered seriously. "These paintings are privately owned by the trustees of this establishment and serve mostly as an example of their superior tastes," he finished with a smirk.

Elliane nodded, cautious of encouraging remarks which might be overheard and reasonably misconstrued. She moved along the gallery wall, quite amazed at the next few paintings which were scenes of nature painted in the style of the French impressionists.

Further along she paused again, intrigued by an odd painting that was set amongst a group of larger, more modernist styles. It was a simple picture of cornflowers and poppies in a vase, but was unusually compelling to examine.

When Isabel, who was watching a short distance away, noticed Elliane's interest in the painting she moved to join the pair.

"This one is my favourite," she said to Elliane quietly, gesturing to the painting before them.

"It is very interesting," she replied with a note of uncertainty in her voice.

"You do not like it though?" asked Isabel.

"It's neither like or dislike," said Elliane.

"There is something strange about it but I can't put my finger on what it is. The colours and the subject itself give every impression of what should be a joyful picture. It seems to have all these elements, but it is somehow melancholy… almost sinister. I am not sure what I like or dislike about it."

Isabel smiled, clearly pleased with Elliane's thoughts.

Elliane stepped closer to the painting. The style was somehow familiar to her. When she saw the artist's signature in the corner, ~Vincent~ , she let out a small gasp.

"This is a Van Gogh!" she stated, turning to Isabel.

"Yes, it is." Isabel nodded. "This one has never been made available to the public, except through this establishment."

Elliane felt a growing anxiety within her. She didn't know much of the art world but she knew that a 'Van Gogh' would be worth a fortune. How could it be left here, day after day without some sort of better security? Concerned, she turned to Eric.

"Isn't it rather risky, having such valuable art left unguarded like this?"

Eric looked down at her in his usual cool and emotionless manner.

"Some might think so. You perhaps are unaware of the operations of 'De Sang-Bleu'," he stated.

Elliane raised her brows.

"This is not the typical, exclusive organization that people may petition in the hopes of becoming a member. 'De Sang-Bleu', admits members by strict invitation only." Eric spoke solemnly, but Elliane was sure she saw the corners of his mouth twitch, as though he was amused by the notion of such snobbery.

"And," he continued. "Such invited members, have usually been selected within a list of certain criteria. One being, that they have considerable personal wealth, another, that they have reached a certain age."

"Ahh... I see," Elliane nodded.

"Rules of membership involve who you can, or cannot, invite as your guest while you are here. One such rule, limits members to bringing only one guest at a time. And your guests must be human. Humans… being controllable and unable to cause any sort of serious damage to the establishment."

Elliane nodded again, feeling a slight flicker of annoyance behind her eyes.

Eric however continued. "Pamela for example, is not able to enter this club, as she has not the wealth, nor has she met the age requirement."

A soft Spanish accent suddenly spoke out. "Elliane!" said Isabel. "Come my dulce and tell me what you think of this portrait."

A short distance away, Isabel was standing in front of a large painting. Five foot high, and about four foot wide, the art piece dominated a good area of the wall.

Elliane made her way to Isabel and turned her attention to the painting, her hand suddenly coming up to clasp the aquamarine pendant she wore, as she tentatively recognized the person in the portrait.

"Oh... Madame de Pompadour?" she smiled at Isabel, awaiting some sort of confirmation.

Isabel nodded and smiled. "Quite a beauty, do you not agree?"

"Oh yes." Elli said simply. She couldn't resist looking to the neck of the painted subject to see if she just happened to be wearing the beautiful pendant that Elliane currently wore.

The Marquise de Pompadour was not however wearing the pendant. The elegant neck and throat was completely bare. In fact, the lady had been painted wearing virtually no jewelry at all. She was seated in a glorious gown of the 18th century at an ornate desk, holding some sheets of music in her hand. The dress she wore was a pale sage colour, patterned in a florally damask of rose.

"It's a shame about her hair," said Eric from behind just behind them.

Elliane turned back and nodded. "I agree. I think that powdering their hair in that awful grey, made them look older than their true age."

"I think she looks a little bit like you, Elliane," said Isabel quietly. She looked at the picture thoughtfully.

Elliane blinked in surprise. "Umm..."

"There is something similar about her eyes," reinforced Isabel.

Elliane could see no such resemblance at all.

"Her eyes look much darker than mine." She stated plainly. "And her face is altogether much softer looking as well. And, her colouring is so very pale."

Elliane examined the portrait further, thinking that the soft white skin of Madame De Pompadour would probably have been quite enticing to a Vampire. She turned to Eric.

"Do you think she was beautiful, Eric?" she asked curiously.

"Oh yes, she was indeed beautiful," he said solemnly. "And she still is," he ended on a dry tone.

Elliane took a sudden breath and Eric leaned down to whisper into her ear.

"She is currently the Vampire Queen of Paris," he uttered quietly. "And also… one of the trustees of this fine establishment."

Elliane was quiet, her heart racing while she grasped this information. Earlier, while Godric introduced her to patrons of the club, she often caught their guarded glances, quickly flashing to the aquamarine pendant she wore.

She looked to Isabel, who smiled sympathetically, before dropping her eyes. Clearly Isabel was also in on the jest.

Then, there was the growing realization for Elliane, that Godric's intent on having her wear a pendant, once owned by Madame de Pompadour, was more than just a whim of expensive display. He was surely making some sort of statement. She wondered into what position she was being slotted… within the politics of this vampire society.

She continued to examine the wall of fine arts, moving quickly through remaining pictures now that her thoughts were occupied upon other matters.

Leaving Eric and Isabel somewhere behind, she then moved through the increasing crowd, towards the opposite wall, very aware from the nods and looks cast her way; and from the sudden hush of chatter as she approached, that she was the main topic of conversation for the night.

The walls on this side of the room were made of darkened glass and on further study, Elliane found they were not just decorative walls, but the exterior walls of the building itself.

As she drew close she found that she could look down at one of the busy streets four floors below. It was well past 1am, but still the streets seemed as active as they would be during the day.

"This wall is deceptive," said a voice nearby.

Elliane turned to face a man that was standing about ten feet away.

"It may look flimsy to the eye, but it has been triple glazed for protection," he continued matter of fact tone. "One layer is bullet proof and another blocks the UV rays of the sun."

"Why would the room need protection from the sun?" asked Elliane with a polite smile. "Surely no vampires come here during the day."

"That is true," he answered with a slight grin. "But it always pays to be cautious."

He stepped forward and held out his hand. "Well, I already know who you are," he started simply. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Gorran."

Elliane looked back to the man that she now quite certain was a Vampire. Dressed in a black cocktail suit, he had wavy dark hair worn long to the shoulders and cool green eyes, which seemed vaguely familiar. She offered her hand cautiously.

"Nice to meet you," she nodded briefly and quickly withdrew her hand from the gesture of courtesy.

As she met his eyes again, she felt a strange assault upon her senses and had to look away. Did he just try to glamour her? She felt a twisting sensation rise up from somewhere below her ribs and steadied herself against the glass wall, dropping her gaze to the ground.

Images began to flash up from somewhere in the vault of her memory. No, he hadn't tried to glamour her.

She was on a bus, one of those large interstate coach-lines that were built for comfort. Elliane began to tremble, she felt cold and hot at the same time, as the twist in her solar-plexus began to ache.

For a briefest moment she was no longer Elliane, she had become someone else. A lonely figure desperate for escape. She had left behind the tatters of her life looking to fullfull it with anything else that life could offer.

One wild party after another. A carefree life. The images flashed rapidly. A party on a quiet beach after dusk. A bonfire. Laughter. The alcohol. The party drugs. The seductive voice in her ear. The flash of silver as the knife appeared. The gagging sensation as her blood bubbled up in her throat. The bonfire began to fade and empty green eyes gazed at her cruelly. Then there was the blinding terror as she knew her final moments had come.

The ache had now gone and Elliane felt nothing. She was completely numb. That face and those cool green eyes, they now stood before her. She remembered how she used to stroke her fingertips along the hemp and amber beaded bracelet that her sister had once worn. She had wondered back then why her sister hadn't loved her enough to stay.

But she felt detached from all that now. Even the knowledge that she was about to avenge her sister's murder offered no sense of satisfaction. How could it, when it had not yet been achieved?

Only his complete and utter annihilation could bring her any sense of peace. Peace to the systemic black rage that now inhabited every fibre of her being.

Elliane didn't dare move. She would not look into those hollow green eyes and have him know her thoughts. What she was about to do would be written all over her face. In that moment, every ounce of her combat training arose to the occasion and she spun on her heel, eyeing the grand piano in the far corner. The perfect place to find a makeshift garrote.

She had no sooner reached the instrument, looking inside the open top to the piano wire, when she felt an arm go around her waist. The room went blurry. Elliane panicked, but it seemed moments later she found herself on the roof top of a nearby building, with Eric beside her. One of his hands held a vice like grip on her wrist.

Elliane was devastated. She looked around frantically for an exit from the flat roof.

"Eric," she turned to implore the Viking before her. "Please take me back.. you must take me back…"