Everything has an opposite. Light and dark, good and evil, positive and negative. That also applies to Hounds. And proof of that stood beside the bed, close to Eric. The Heaven Hound eyed Eric and I curiously, one hand stuffed into the pocket of his black slacks, the other toying with a button on his grey dress shirt. I recognized him immediately. Dante. Bright blue eyes scanned the bloodied sheets, his lips curled back in disgust, revealing perfect, white teeth.

"I see you've found another plaything."

I sighed and sat up and reached for my clothes, tugging my shirt and jeans on before rising from the bed and beckoning him over to the other side of the room. The clock indicated that Eric would be waking soon. The sun should be just about ready to set. I lowered my voice.

"And here I thought Heaven Hounds liked to surround themselves with the living," I glanced at the sleeping vampire. "Not the dead."

"Believe me, I don't enjoy being here. It reeks of death and decay," He grimaced.

I inhaled deeply, grinning. "Such a sweet smell, isn't it?"

"For someone who lives in a sulfur pit, maybe. But I'm not here for small talk, Adrian. I have other matters to discuss with you," The Hound said. Annoyance hinted at his tone.

I unlocked the door and led Dante out into the bar area, shooing away the human who stood behind the counter, tidying up before the establishment opened. She darted away, disappearing behind one of the many 'Employees Only' marked doors, leaving Dante and I alone to discuss whatever it is that he is here for. And it must be serious, considering Heaven Hounds never contact one of us by choice. We took a seat at the bar.

"Well. What did you come all the way to lovely old Louisiana for?"

Dante ran a hand over the light blonde stubble on his scalp. "The…higher ups sent me to question you."

"About?" I asked, resting my chin in my hand.

"You don't know what I am here for?" He seemed surprised. "Adrian, you are one of the Elders. Surely you must know what your dogs are up to."

"If this has anything to do with the vampire disappearances, I am taking care of it personally," I looked over at the door leading to Eric's quarters.

"Does that include sleeping with vampires? You seem to have a thing for that," Dante mumbled.

I winced. "The vampire called upon me for protection. As far as what happened the night before, things got out of hand."

"I see. Don't let this one ruin you like the last did, Adrian. Nothing good can come from being involved with those…things. You should know."

I ignored his last comment. "Yes, well, what is it that you are here for?"

"It seems a group of your puppies are taking refuge in a church a few miles north. Care to explain what they are doing there?"

"In a church?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yes, in a church," He said. "Question is, how did your Hounds gain entrance into one? You are forbidden from entering a church unless you have a bounty, and on top of that, you are physically incapable of being inside one, let alone even near it. So, explain to me my dear Elder Adrian, what in God's name are your Hounds doing in our church?"

"Dante, I'm just as baffled as you are. I have no idea what any of them are doing there, and I assure you, I have nothing to do with it," I balled my hands into fists. "Why speak with me, though?"

"Because you do have something to do with it, Adrian. Those Hounds are yours to deal with."

"I can't do anything about it if they are in a church. That is your territory. Not mine. Why don't you deal with it?"

Dante shook his head. "I have no jurisdiction over you Hell Hounds, even if they are in our territory. I can only simply alert you as to what they are doing, what you choose to do with them is your choice. We cannot apprehend any of them," His eyes seemed to grow darker. "The humans that are with them on the other hand…"

"They will be dealt with accordingly, I am sure."

"Yes, they will. Allowing such -no offence to you, Adrian-"

"None taken," I waved.

"..vile creatures into a place of worship…I can't even begin to imagine the dark arts those heretics must have practiced to grant them entry."

"They are damned then?" I asked.

"Certainly."

"Then why are you to take care of them? The damned are our forte."

The Heaven Hound folded his hands on the counter. "I know that. But this is a special case. Allow us to deliver punishment to the humans. You and the Elders will decide the fate of your Hounds."

"The Elders will have nothing to do with this. As I said, I am dealing with this personally. I believe I know the Hounds who are hiding in the church."

The door opened, and from behind it, stepped my Keeper, showered and dressed in a pair of light grey dress pants and a white button down. His eyes searched the room and settled on me. Eric strode across the room, his body rigid, a stern look on his face. I pushed off from the stool and approached him.

"You're awake," I said, gripping his elbow gently and guiding him toward the bar.

"And you're still here," He sighed. "I thought you had left."

"No. Why would I have?"

He frowned. "You were very frustrated at having to stay in, instead of looking for those other Hounds. I thought you had left to go find them."

"I still want to, but where would I even begin to look? I hadn't known where to start last night, and certainly not when I woke. But that changed quickly," I looked at Dante. "Eric, this is Dante. A Heaven Hound."

Dante rose and extended a hand to the vampire. "It is nice to meet you, Eric. I haven't heard much about you, but I trust you are Adrian's new Keeper?"

"Yes, I am," Eric said, shaking his hand.

He inhaled deeply, gripping Eric's hand tighter. "My, aren't you an old one," Dante turned toward me, eyes glowing. "His blood must taste better than the last one's, I bet."

I licked my lips. Eric, being far older than Alistair, his blood was indeed delectable. A growl rumbled in the back of Dante's throat, and I stepped in between the two, snarling, as the Hound's gaze shifted from intrigued, to hungry. All Hounds alike have a natural thirst for blood, from any source, be it a human, animal, and the occasional supernatural. I pushed him back against the bar. Dante peered over my shoulder at Eric.

"You heavenly pricks are supposed to have more restraint than that," I growled. "We're the savages, remember?" I said sarcastically.

"Right," Dante said, smoothing his hands over his shirt. "I apologize. This one just smells so good."

"The older ones tend to," I sighed. Dante shoved past me.

"No, I can smell it; he's had other blood," He sniffed at Eric, and I clutched the back of his shirt, keeping him a safe distance away from my Keeper.

"Yeah, my blood. He drank from me not long ago."

Dante shook his head feverishly, wriggling in my grasp. "It's not Hound blood."

I looked at Eric. "Who else's blood have you consumed?"

Eric shrugged.

"I'm going to need more of an answer than that, Eric," I said sternly, grabbing Dante by the neck and pinning him to the countertop. "Think; have you had any supernatural's blood?"

He hesitated. "A while before you came here, I had taken Sookie's blood."

"What is this Sookie, then? Her blood smells amazing."

"A fairy," His eyes lowered.

Dante slumped against the counter. "A fairy?" He asked. "Impossible."

"No, it's possible," Eric said. "She's of fairy ancestry."

The Heaven Hound's eyes blackened, the whites of his eyes disappearing and turning an inky black color. Something I'd never seen before. Then again, I haven't been around these Hounds much in the first place.

"I'll have to taste her one day," He sneered. Eric snapped, his fangs popping out at the threat.

"Bullshit you will," I bellowed. I released Dante. "You fucking calm down," I said, pointing a finger in his face. "Where's this church?"

"A few miles north, in some small town."

Dante gave the address of the church, and warned that things would become worse if the Hounds were not removed from the church, and soon.

"The Angels don't appreciate your kind in our territory," He said, sitting down. "They see you as a threat. Especially you, since the Hounds are a part of the pack you lead."

"Were," I corrected. "And I no longer lead a pack. I am alone."

Dante nodded. "You were exiled."

"Yeah…a long time ago. Anyway, why am I a threat? I want them dead just as much as you bastards do."

"The whole reason those Hounds are hiding out in a church, is because of you. They know you'll kill them."

"And a church is the one place I won't be able to get to them."

"Exactly."

"So, how are those Hounds going to be killed?" Eric asked. "Because if they're not, more vampires are going to disappear."

"We'll just have to get Adrian here inside that church," He said simply.

"No, no, no," I shook my head,

Eric placed a hand on my shoulder. "You have to."

"No," I said. "I won't do it."

"As your Keeper, I command you."

Oh, fuck me in the ass, I groaned. "I can't enter a fucking church, Eric!"

"And why not?"

"Do you know nothing about us?" I half-shouted. "My skin will burn…I'll be blown backward, away from the damned place, like as if a bomb went off."

"Burn? I thought you Hounds were fire and heatproof."

"Yeah fire proof, Eric. Not Jesus proof!" I growled. "I can't be around all those fanatical Christians that are housing them. I wouldn't be able to get near them unless I drew them out of the church. And even then it's a gamble as to whether or not I'll be able to attack them."

Dante cut in. "Now, that's not necessarily true. If they invited a Hell Hound into a church, they aren't true believers in the Lord. So, in reality, it actually shouldn't be that hard for you to get inside. You might have a little trouble, but you're strong. Stronger than most."

"Anyway, I'm just here to warn you. I'll be in the area. Get them out, or there will be a bounty on your head, Hound," He stood up and adjusted his belt. "So I suggest you act fast."

"I will. Trust me."

He nodded. "Good. I'll be in the area, since I now have to watch over that church. If necessary, I'll offer some assistance. I trust you'll be able to handle things on your own, though."

"I always have been able to, that won't change now."

. . .

Dante left, and Eric assumed his seat on the throne as patrons poured in like any other night, but the air in this place was filled with a great tension tonight, and I could tell everyone here could feel it. We had finally discovered the whereabouts of Riggs and his pack, and were so close to putting an end to all of the disappearances. Soon, he and his group of Collectors would be dead, and I would return to the Pit, never having to deal with shit like this again. The end would be welcomed, and greatly.

And yet, part of me didn't want to leave. Staying here wasn't so bad, aside from the Hounds, and I enjoyed the company of Eric and the Bon Temps vampires and shifters.

I don't belong here, though.

I wasn't meant to walk amongst the living.

Only the dead.

Then again, I thought, glancing at the king on his throne, aren't I already amongst the dead?