Jessica stuck closely to my side as we tiptoed across the street and onto the curb, careful not to make even the slightest sound, for the crumpling of a blade of grass under our feet would be enough to attract the attention of a Hound. The two of us hopped over the patch of grass next to the street and glided down the walkway, my eyes trained on the head resting on the back of the couch. I pressed my fingers to my lips and raised my foot onto the first stair quietly, gripping the banister for support.

The glow from the television shone through a crack in the door. It was open. I looked at Jessica.

"Door's open," I whispered.

"You think someone is in there?"

I shrugged and pushed through the open door, into the living room. On the couch lay Delilah, her skin sizzling, eyes ablaze and moaning in pain as the chains that wrapped around her body burned through her tan flesh. I rushed to her side, but stopped as she began shaking her head wildly, eyes widening.

"What?" I asked, somewhat annoyed that she wouldn't let me help her. "Jessica, take the chains off; I can't touch them."

Jessica hurriedly began removing the iron from Delilah's body. Chunks of bloodied, smoldering skin tore off while Jessica tugged at the metal. She grimaced as the stench of sulfur permeated the air and brought a hand up to cover her mouth.

Delilah's body began healing once the last of the chains were removed. Skin grew over the once bleeding, gaping appendages. She wriggled around on the couch, scooting forward so that she could push herself to the edge of the couch. Delilah's golden eyes glowed intensely, reflecting her anger, and her pain. She stared into my eyes.

There's someone in the house.

Who?

A human.

Only one? I asked, eyebrow raised. You let yourself get taken down by a single human?

He came at me with the iron; you know what it does. You're in a better state than I am. Go kill the wretch.

Without hesitation, I disappeared from the room, traveling from shadow to shadow silently. The benefit of shadow travel, is that I can do it in any form, and cloak my body, rendering me invisible to humans and other supernaturals. Only animals have the ability to actually see me. The others can only notice the slight, or intense, depending upon my mood, shift in energy as I enter the room. But this one…he's completely oblivious.

I noticed this as I passed through the door and clung to the wall, opposite the large, stocky redhead that was rifling through my belongings like a petty thief. In his hands, he clutched a wooden cross. His fist wrapped so tightly around it, his knuckles turned white. If his hand managed to grip the crucifix any tighter, the wood might snap…and make that little T-shaped piece of shit utterly useless.

His eyes twitched as he muttered quietly to himself, twirling the cross in his hands and never leaving the small expanse of hardwood he occupied in his pacing. My eyes trailed down from his fat stomach, covered in a dirty flannel, to his feet. A salt barrier ran from the left side of my bed, and stopped a few inches short from where I am standing. Thank God I had chosen to enter the room from the hall, and not pass through the wall. If I had, I would have been trapped within the circle.

And if that happened…I'd have been completely fucked.

He needs to be drawn out of the room so that he can be killed, or glamoured. I'd much rather have him die. I glowered at the back of his shaved head, my anger rising. The man shivered and looked around the room.

"The fuck was that?" His beady eyes searched around the bedroom.

Draw him out of the room, Delilah.

She replied instantly. Why?

He's surrounded by salt. Have Jessica make some sort of noise.

Will do.

Seconds later, something came crashing down to the floor loudly, startling the human. He turned sharply and ambled out of the room and down the hall, holding the cross in one hand, the other reaching for a firearm holstered on his waist. I stood directly behind him and watched the veins in his neck throb as his pulse quickened. Panic coursed through him, causing his already pale skin to flush and bead up with sweat.

My hands jerked as my nails grew, extending into long, sharp claws. I stayed quiet and watched him stand still, panicking, wondering where the Hound he had bound by iron had gone. Such a powerful being, and a pissed off one, too, freed from their restraints is never a good thing. He realizes this. He knows he's going to die. And with shaky hands, he extended the cross outward. A prayer flowed from his lips, a plea to the Lord for protection, a plea to spare his life.

Jessica appeared in front of the man, and tore the cross from his hands. She flung it across the room, and now free from any obstacles, I grabbed a fistful of hair and drove my fist into his spine. Bones cracked, and blood spurted from his lips. I looked up at Jessica and stepped away.

"Drain him," I ordered. She quickly nodded and plunged her fangs into the man's neck, sucking the blood from his veins. Groans rumbled in the back of her throat as she hungrily tore at his throat, blood coating her mouth. She looked like a child left to feed themselves. A mess. I walked away and found Delilah sitting on the counter watching Jessica devour the human.

"I take it you have no idea what happened with Sookie," I sighed.

"No clue. But, I'm guessing something happened since they, or at least he," She nodded toward the bloodless corpse laying on the floor, "felt the need to restrain me."

"Sookie was taken. But, she seems comfortable…I can't feel any fear from her," This bothers me. She's either unconscious, or believes she is with someone she trusts. "Sam said someone impersonating you took Sookie, delivered her wherever. Claimed it was vampire business."

"One of the Hounds," She inhaled sharply. "What are you going to do?"

"You mean, what are we going to do," I said. "However strong I may be, I can't do this alone."

The door burst open. Delilah rushed forward, and I craned my head around to see who had broken in. I was caught by the throat, the intruder's hand wrapped tightly around my throat. I gripped the person's wrist and twisted their arm around their back. With my other hand I pinned them to the wall. It took less than two seconds to apprehend them.

"Adrian, let him go!" Jessica said. "It's Bill."

"How can we be sure? If the Hounds could impersonate Delilah, what makes you think they won't hesitate to try that again?"

His muscles tightened, then relaxed. "It's him. It's really Bill."

I looked at Delilah. "You're sure?"

She nodded.

I let him go. Bill turned around, his features darkened with rage. "Where is Sookie?" He asked, grabbing me by the collar. "You're supposed to protect her! How could you let her leave?"

I shoved him backward into the wall. "I didn't let her. I didn't even know she fucking left!"

"Some fucking protector you are," He spat.

I winced. "I'm not sure how she got past me. Things were slow. No stress, no tension. I let my guard down when I shouldn't have. I hadn't anticipated something like this happening. She was calm, happy…" I lowered my voice. I felt like an idiot for having dropped my guard and not keeping a better eye on her. I could have prevented this. But I didn't…I just let it happen.

"How do you plan on finding her now? She could be anywhere."

"I know exactly where to look," I rolled my sleeves up. "For now, before we go after her, we need to make sure everyone is safe."

"Everyone?" Bill asked. "Shouldn't you be more concerned with Sookie?"

"Have you forgotten Eric and Pam? I am responsible for them as well. I need to make sure nothing has happened to them."

"You seem more concerned with them than her," He said gruffly.

"Eric is my Keeper, Bill. His safety is of the utmost importance to me," My voice raised.

"But Sookie is missing!"

I pinned him abruptly to the wall. "I don't give a shit about your human," I snapped. "I have much bigger things to worry about. You want to go after her, I'll give you the address to the church. I don't care. But if you want everyone alive and unharmed, you'll play by my fucking rules and let me check on Pam and Eric."

"Fine," He conceded. "You better hurry."

"I will. We need everyone alive…as much help as we can possibly get."

. . .

2:30 AM, and the area was dead. No cars in the lot, no music playing loudly inside the club. It was an almost eerie silence. The four of us raced through the parking lot and broke through the heavy door.

The scene before me was one that I had not expected. Delilah and I exchanged confused glances and advanced through the bar area toward Pam and my Keeper.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I asked.

Dante removed his leather jacket and draped it across the back of a chair. "Those fucking Hounds have brought this ordeal to a whole other level."

I widened my eyes. "You should curse more often, Dante. It suits you."

The Heaven Hound rolled his eyes. "No time for joking, Adrian. We're preparing for a war."

"What?" I choked.