INSPIRED I WAS, SO CHAPTER 27 I WROTE :) Btw, once again, thank you all so, so much for the reviews and the comments! Don't hesitate to criticize, makes me a better writer :) I remind you once more the grammar is sometimes fucked up (blame my French gals :P) and I apologize for this but so far I think I'm doing an okay job :)
Yeah yeah yeah, I wanted to make up for being so lazy this week end so I wrote another chapter! I'll try and update on Concrete in your Hair tonight cause let's face it, we all need our weekly dose of Eric Sookiness :)
Hope you enjoy the chapter!
Review if you can! It mAkes me want to LALA in the kitchen on the floor! hahaha Dear ol' Ashlee Simpson lollll Title inspired by the song The Dragster-Wave by the Belgian group Ghinzu. It is one of my favourite songs ever :D hope you like it ;)
xxoxoxoxo
I woke up when the car stopped. I had no idea what time it now was. I checked my phone and realised it had died on me. The trunk opened and Hadley helped me out, without uttering a word. I decided I might as well follow and plan my escape once I'd have seen exactly what I was trying to escape from. The place was well lit and it looked downright pretty and very out of place. The surroundings were dark and I couldn't exactly tell where we were but I could smell the sea. So we were really in New Orleans. Hadley dragged me by the elbow on a little sort of bridge towards the doors where stood two very nasty looking guards. They looked exactly as you'd expect a couple of vampire guards to look: dark, tall, big and downright scary.
'That's the human, let me through.' Hadley ordered them. And they stepped aside, obviously used to seeing Hadley.
The room in which we entered looked as if it were lit by broad daylight, which was a total illusion for it was still pitch black outside even though it was almost four in the morning. The corridor in which we then passed lead to a big room with a pool in the middle. All around the pool on chaises rested some humans and a very predatory looking Andre. I swallowed hard when he looked up at me with a smirk and tried to hide behind Hadley.
'Hadley, you are back! Sophie-Anne is going to be de-light-ed!' Andre sneered, pushing her aside to pull me to him. He was dressed in the most ridiculous purple outfit. As in everything was purple and not a dark classy plum, more like a Barney-the-dinosaur purple. I snickered and glared at him. He eyed me and I crossed my arms the best I could around my vest so as to cover myself. I still was wearing that awful leather corset and I didn't want to entice his appetites any more than necessary.
'What a beautiful creature she is, isn't she, Hadley?' Andre hissed, cupping my chin. He then took in the sight of my throat and neck and snickered. 'Eric is still quite the bed mate I can see…' he continued, sarcastically. Eric's imperious hickey making had paid off since my throat was now covered in very ominous looking spots. Yes, he'd marked me just right, damn him. Andre pulled me towards one of the chaises as Hadley stood there, silent.
'Her clothes are totally inappropriate for her to meet Sophie-Anne. We have standards, here, young lady. Hadley, fetch her something nice.' He ordered my very silent cousin. She looked up at me and sighed before walking out through a different door than the one we'd just used. No one around the pool seemed to give a rat's ass that I was here or that Andre wanted to play Barbie with me so I realised there wasn't much use in resisting – they wouldn't help.
'So, my dear, how are you liking your new home?' Andre hissed with as much sympathy in his voice as I could have mustered towards him – which is none at all.
'Eric is going to have your skin as a fucking carpet if you do as much as touch me.' I hissed back, trying to regain composure. I wasn't going to let him get to me and I knew deep down that Eric might actually do just that if he arrived in time to save me and to kill that awful Andre. Andre's dark eyes bore into mine and – sweet mama – he tried to glamour me.
'You will obey and let us drink from you and you'll be Sophie-Anne's pet. Is that clear?' he whispered. I stifled a giggle and gave him my best crazy Sookie smile. Obviously, Bill hadn't bothered telling them all that I could only be glamoured if I so desired to be, which of course I didn't.
'Yeah, right, Barney.' I sneered at him. Pulling my arm out of his hold, I sat on a little couch and stared at my hands. He remained silent for a few seconds. He was about to explode – figuratively – in anger but Hadley was back and she dragged me behind some sort of paravent for me to change. She had brought me a cream dress that looked very vintage and a pair of emerald green heels. I stared at the outfit and frowned.
'I'm not wearing that.' I hissed at Hadley, not caring one second that she was a vampire and could very well force me into the dress if she wanted to.
'Come on, Sookie, the more you resist the harder this is going to be for you. And me.' Hadley whispered, pulling my vest off softly.
'I wouldn't even be here if not for your big mouth, dearest cousin.' I snapped at her, remembering the only reason Sophie-Anne knew about me was that Hadley had told her of my existence.
'You think I don't regret it?' Hadley whispered, and I saw a bloody tear at the corner of her eye. She wiped it away and gave me some underwear in a nice lacy cream colour to put on. She turned around so as to leave me some privacy which I appreciated. I pulled on the vintage dress which was quite pretty against my tan and realised it would be better than that ugly corset. When I was dressed, Hadley dragged me back to my couch. Andre hadn't move one bit and was still glaring at me.
Sophie-Anne chose that moment to enter, dressed in a beautiful silk kimono all in a pristine white with beautiful turquoise and green flowers drawn on it. She smiled when she saw me and strolled towards me.
'Oh my pet fae! At last you're here!' She sing-sang, a dangerous grin on her face. I frowned at her and simply hissed.
'I'm no one's pet, you bitch.' She glared at Andre.
'You didn't glamour her yet? What are you waiting for? Must I really do everything myself?' She snapped at him, her red hair bouncing as she strolled towards him, a pointy nail right under his nose, menacing him.
'I did glamour her!' Andre hissed. 'It doesn't seem to work!'
'Nonsense! You're so useless sometimes, Andre, I wonder why I even bothered saving your sorry ass back in the days…' Sophie-Anne snickered, turning to me. She bore her gaze into mine and tried the same thing as Andre had before. I sighed.
'Are you done yet?' I said, yawning. My nap hadn't really made up for my somewhat busy night.
'What the fuck is wrong with her, Hadley!' Sophie-Anne yapped.
'I don't know, my Queen…' Hadley whispered, staring at her feet.
'Bill never said she couldn't be glamoured.' Sophie-Anne growled, pacing in front of the little pool on her six inch heeled strappy sandals. I felt a strong urge to push her in the water and dash for the door but that would have been both very stupid and very useless. Even if I could momentarily disable Sophie-Anne (which I wasn't even sure I could), there was still Andre and Hadley and god knows how many guards. Speaking about guards, one of them approached Sophie-Anne and whispered something to her. Her frown disappeared to turn into a very predatory smile. She turned to me and smirked evilly.
'Seems like your ex-boyfriend is here, Miss Stackhouse.' She hissed.
'Bill?' I exclaimed just as he entered the room. I don't think he could have been any less surprised then me but in a good vampire fashion, his face betrayed nothing at all. He looked at me and our eyes connected a brief second. How I wished I could read his thoughts at that moment. But then again, the Queen had no idea Bill was working for Eric and the Magister so I maybe had a chance.
'My Liege, I see you have acquired the pet you so desired!' Bill exclaimed, a smile on his face. I knew he was just playing along to buy us more time so I decided to do the same.
'Bill! Save me, please!' I begged, not really playing a role at all, I realised.
'Sookie, I'm sorry but my Queen's orders were to seduce you for her. Now that you are here, we have no more ties.' Bill said, his voice cool and icy. I slipped away from Hadley's surveillance and ran to him, drumming my fists on his chest.
'How could you!' I yelled at him. 'How could you do this to me! I hate you, you hear me? I HATE you!' I screamed, holding myself back on his jacket lapels as tears rolled down my face. I must have been pretty convincing because Sophie-Anne ticked in annoyance and Andre sighed heavily.
'Compton, make her behave, please?' Sophie-Anne hissed at him. 'And why the fuck did you never mention the fact she cannot be glamoured? Would have saved us all a lot of trouble…' She added, cocking a suspicious eyebrow at him.
'Must have slipped my mind.' Bill replied, coolly. He then whispered something in my ear before roughly pushing me down on a nearby couch, sticking to the role of the jerk ex.
'Eric's gonna be on his way soon.' I blinked to signal him I'd heard and tried my best to look miserable. Which wasn't all that hard, you can trust me.
'Now, Bill, will you be staying for a drink?' Sophie-Anne said, casually showcasing with her hand all her humans. They all stood to offer themselves to Bill but he dismissed them with a bored look.
'I already fed, my Queen. But I'll stay for the day if you can extend the curtesy. It's a long drive back to Bon Temps…' He muttered, taking a seat next to me. I was still sobbing and sniffed loudly. Sophie-Anne turned to me and smirked.
'Now, now, I would really love to taste you and then we'll play Yah-tzee. You up for a game, Compton? I would just love to see how good you are. That Eric really sucked, I must say.' Sophie-Anne said, pulling me to my feet.
'No!' I snarled, yanking my arm away from her.
'You listen to me, little human, I will feed from you whether you like it or not. And don't even try that little magic of yours or I'll have your hands chopped off.' She hissed, darkly. I knew for a fact she would have no actual dilemma about whether she could or not do that so I just nodded. It wasn't like I had any control whatsoever over my powers. She sat down on the couch next to me and grabbed my wrist. Bill growled and she looked up at him.
'You may have a taste if you like…' She conceded, rolling her eyes. I yelped in pain when she bit down and tears flowed from my eyes. I was getting really, really, really pissed now. Not only had she turned my cousin – who was currently as helpless as a green plant – but she was also drinking from me as if she had a right to do so. I felt that familiar tingle in my hands and suppressed it, trying to concentrate on the pain. I didn't want to see if she would indeed chop off my hands and I decided it was smarter not to give her reasons to. Bill hadn't taken up her offer to drink and was sitting on a couch with Hadley, murmuring to her rapidly. Andre had left the room at some point during the conversation and so had all the humans. That left me, a grunting Sophie-Anne, my vampire and my vampire ex. A bizarre family reunion when you thought about it – Hadley being Sophie-Anne's progeny and my cousin and Bill being my ex. After a few more gulps, Sophie-Anne let go of my bloodied wrist and I clutched it to my chest, not caring one second about the cream dress which turned red in a second.
'Let me close the wounds at least, you dumb fae. Your blood is a delight!' She hissed, snatching my burning wrist away from the dress and licking it thoroughly, closing the wounds. I curled into a ball on the couch and waited for something to happen. 'Compton, she tastes even better than you'd said she did!' She continued, cooing happily. Hadley stared at her feet with her cheeks flaming red.
'Oh Hadley, you know you'll always be my favourite. Even if you tried to run away from me.' Sophie-Anne said, a small smile on her lips. Hadley looked up and sighed.
'Now, let's play Yah-tzee!' the Queen yelped, clapping her hands like a child. Two guards entered the room with a small round table and they placed it not far from us. Sophie-Anne pulled me towards the table and Hadley and Bill joined us. Yah-tzee consisted of a simple dice game which was based on pure luck, or so Sophie-Anne wanted us to think. When she got her seventh Yah-tzee in a row, I began to doubt very much if luck really had anything to do with it at all.
I felt like shit and wanted a bath really bad. It was now my turn to play.
'Wasn't her Vampire with her?' Sophie-Anne suddenly chirped, turning to stare at Hadley who looked gloomy as hell.
'Eric?' Hadley asked, looking at me intently.
'Who other. She reeks of him.' Sophie-Anne said. 'And her neck. Pity I don't like men, cause he sure is one tasty piece.' She added, raising her eyebrows suggestively at me.
'No he wasn't with her. I didn't smell him otherwise I wouldn't have tried taking her tonight…' Hadley said, staring at her nails which were painted a dark crimson.
'Right. I don't know what it is with him and you Compton. What do you find so fascinating about her if not her blood?' Sophie-Anne asked Bill, cocking her head to the side. I shook the stupid red glass and my dices fell loudly on the glass table, causing Sophie-Anne's glare to turn to me.
'Ha! You're almost as bad as Northman!' She smirked. 'What was I saying again? Oh yes, Compton? What do you find so fascinating with that human girl? Enough to be monogamous with her?' Sophie-Anne said, sounding abashed and disgusted by the mere idea of monogamy. I scoffed and sniffed, pressing my burning forehead on my arms, not wanting to look at that crazy teenaged Queen.
'Is it really of importance, why I loved her?' Bill said, using purposely the past tense. My head snapped up and I glared at him.
'Love. Ha! Compton, you are pathetic. Good that you came to your senses. What do you think the Viking will do when he finds out I took her?' She asked Bill, shaking the little red glass annoyingly loudly. 'YAH-TZEE!' She cooed, glorious.
'Again.' Hadley muttered sombrely.
'I do not know, my Queen' Bill said, eyeing me purposely. He knew damn well what Eric would do, rip her to shreds that is. But then again, there was always the matter of Arthur McAlister and his twisted ways as Magister. I didn't know how the whole thing would play out but I knew for sure there would be blood, mine or someone else's.
'Can I please go to bed?' I asked, feeling awfully tired. I could tell the night would be over soon and Eric wouldn't be attacking just yet.
'Well of course, we had a room prepared just for you! I hope you like it!' Sophie-Anne exclaimed, smiling a little too much to my taste. She clasped her hand on Hadley and gave her what resembled a seductive smirk.
'Hadley, why don't you show our little Sookie her room!' Next thing I knew, I was being dragged out of the pool room and into the chandelier lit corridor and down another one. Everything looked very Marie-Antoinette and I realised it was probably the look Sophie-Anne had been aiming for. Hadley pushed open a door and gave me the grand tour. The room was actually quite beautiful and I might have enjoyed it had it not been for the bars on the windows and the fact I was being held here against my will. There were candy coloured drapes everywhere and the bed had big fluffy pillows in all shades of pink and peach.
'Need anything?' Hadley whispered, staring at her feet. I'd never seen a vampire looking so afraid of a human.
'A bath.' I replied, my voice edgy. She showed me the bathroom which was adjacent to the bedroom and I noticed the only door out of this place was the one through which we'd arrived. She left and I heard the lock turn in the door. Right, they wouldn't want me to escape now would they. I took off the horrid dress and was surprised to find a wardrobe filled with clothes. All very expansive looking and at my size. And all way too elegant for everyday wear. I grabbed a little sundress in a beautiful hot pink silk and almost gasped when I read the tag. Dior. I didn't even want to look at the price tag which I snatched off and threw in a corner. They had even provided me with a drawer filled with lingerie. I picked some stuff and decided I might as well look good if I was to be snacked on. The bath was a total bliss as the bathroom had been provided for with tons of heavenly smelling creams and pots. If there was one thing I couldn't hate about Sophie-Anne was her thoughtfulness in making my stay as comfortable as possible. I decided to nap before I put on the dress since there wasn't much else to do – I did spot a few magazines in a corner – and I didn't want to wrinkle the beautiful material. I was about to fall asleep when I heard a small tap on the door. I tiptoed to it and opened it, surprised at the fact it was now unlocked, a peignoir wrapped around my lingerie clad body. It was Bill. I pulled him in and closed the door behind him.
'What the hell are you doing here, Sookie?' He whispered, cuddling me to his chest. I pushed back and remembered how I'd been pissed at him.
'Hadley was at my place when I arrived. I was dumb to allow her in but she looked so desperate…' I replied, thinking myself a fool for ever trusting her.
'Desperately vampire, yes. I can't believe we didn't think about that…' Bill growled.
'About what?'
'About the fact Sophie-Anne was going to use her to get to you.' Bill admitted, gloomy.
'Where's Eric? Why hasn't he arrived yet?' I asked Bill. He sighed.
'There's been trouble. Lots of it. I believe King Felipe came to Fangtasia last evening.'
'Yes, I heard about that. Him and a certain Victor. Eric didn't want them meeting me…' I said, not understanding what this was all about.
'With reason. We have enough of one Queen knowing what you are thanks to your dumb cousin. We don't need the Kind of Nevada breathing down your neck too. He's a lot more powerful than Sophie-Anne. The casino business runs rather well…' Bill added, listening to a noise in the corridor. He pressed his hand on my mouth and I tried to pull him towards the big drapes in the corner of the room to hide him, but the steps receded down the hall and we were safe and alone once more.
'That still doesn't explain why Eric isn't here now…' I retorted. 'Or Pam. Or Chow for all I know!'
'Sookie, they can't just barge in here and kill everyone.' Bill replied, shaking his head from side to side.
'Maybe I can escape if you help me?' I offered, cocking my head to the side.
'There are guards everywhere. I had to knock one unconscious to get here…'
'So what about the King of Nevada?' I reminded him.
'I believe Felipe wants to take over the states of Mississippi and Louisianna now that they don't have a stable government on them…' Bill declared, serious.
'But what about Sophie-Anne, she still is Queen!' I exclaimed.
'Not for long… McAlister hasn't taken very well to her minions shedding human blood in Fangtasia. He is gathering evidence to take her out. And I think he might be very close to doing that. But if Felipe wants to take over the two states once there's no one in his way, there is not a lot we will be able to do about it. Not even McAlister and Miss Flanagan.' Bill explained.
'Oh shit. But why would they visit Eric?'
'Because he's very powerful, Sookie. I don't think you grasp just yet how powerful he is. And very influential in the vampire world. You don't survive a thousand years playing nice and fair, as you might have guessed. And I do believe Felipe considers him a friend of some sort. Though I'm not sure Eric extends the same feelings to him…'
'So he wants Eric's help taking over? But why was Eric so angry then?' I mused.
'Angry? Did he say anything?' Bill replied, suddenly very alert.
'No. Not exactly.' How was I supposed to tell Bill I could feel most of Eric's emotions without making it any more obvious we'd shared blood a lot more than once.
'The blood.' Bill said, sombrely. 'Right. You two… Yes. He was angry, you say?'
'More like extremely furious. It was very brief though and then it went back to normal. I guess Felipe told him something he didn't like?'
'Or Victor. Eric hates him. And in this case it is a mutual feeling.' Bill growled.
'Victor? I heard his name who is he? Pam didn't have time to tell me anything.' I said. I noticed a drop of blood rolling from Bill's nose and realised he must have been trying very hard to remain awake. He wasn't that old a vampire.
'He's Felipe's second in command. And he's dangerous. And power-driven. And he hates Eric because he fears him. Whatever happens, Victor must never find out what's between you and Eric or you'd become his number one target.' Bill warned, frowning.
'So Eric won't be here for a while. So I really have to get out. Can you help me?' I said, gazing up at him hopefully.
'I told you there's no way except if I kill all the guards. And even then I won't be able to protect you outside… It's day.' Bill muttered.
'So I wait?' I said, desperate.
'I think that would be the wisest thing to do. Sophie-Anne is having some sort of celebration tonight and you are expected to be there by her side as her… her human.'
'You mean her pet.' I snarled, pouting.
'Yes. She won't hurt you. She doesn't drink that often and I rather doubt she'll be willing to share you with her vampires.'
'What about Andre?' I asked, suddenly afraid.
'What about him?' Bill asked, genuinely curious.
'He doesn't like me. He creeps me out, Bill. Really. I don't know why but I'm sure he's up to no good.'
'I'll try and figure out what he's up to and I'll get back to you later. Now rest, save your energy for later, you'll need it.' He said, kissing my forehead and slipping out of the room. I curled back on the bed and tried to sleep. I woke up startled, feeling very good and bubbly as if I were made of champagne. I peeked around me through my half closed lids and gasped in surprise. I wasn't in my bed anymore, but on soft grass.
Standing next to me, dressed in a dazzling suit, a cane in his hand, stood a tall man with a beautiful smile and golden hair. He had a sort of halo all around him and I briefly wondered if I'd died and crossed over. Silly me.
'My child, I am Niall Brigant, your great-grand-father.' He said, his hand extended to help me up.
'Jesus Christ Shepherd of Judea!' I squealed.