"Executed?!" Eric snapped at Chancellor Kibwe.
"That is right," Kibwe said, "your sister is to be executed via the true death. Here is the execution order if you'd like to see it."
Eric snatched the order out of the chancellor's hand! His fangs emerged briefly as he spied Bill's signature at the bottom! That sonofabitch! He had seen him twice this evening and he had never mentioned that he had signed an order for Nora to die!
Eric slowly handed Kibwe back the order.
"You're saying that Nora stole one of the rings that Chancellor Compton locked away? And then she wouldn't give it back?"
Kibwe gave him a pointed look.
"What we think, is that she gave the ring to you. Chancellor Compton might show leniency if he could at least get it back."
"I do not have it. This was not done on behalf of me. I want to see my sister."
"You are entitled before her execution date. Oh, and she isn't alone. Chancellor Compton has detained Alcide Herveaux. He is in the cell as well. There is evidence to suggest that he may have a hand in this as well."
Eric said nothing as Kibwe was pulled away briefly by a phone call. Bill knew where Herveaux was this whole time! Why had he kept so silent back at the house? Something else was going on here. Something that would not make sense, until he spoke to both Nora and Alcide.
Kibwe finished his phone call, then turned back to Eric.
"I'll have a guard escort you to her cell."
The first person Eric laid eyes on, was Alcide! He attempted to leap at him, but Nora stopped him!
"No, Eric!"
Eric tore his eyes off of 'Alcide' and glared at Nora!
"He's the reason you're about to be put to death, isn't he?"
Bill stepped forward.
"Eric, it's me, Bill. Earlier this evening, Chancellor Kibwe and Alcide Herveaux came into my home, blew Lillith blood in powder form, in my face, and that caused me to switch bodies with Alcide. I am not Alcide Herveaux."
Eric looked Alcide up and down but Nora nodded quickly!
"It's true, Eric. I believe him. I did steal the ring for Alcide." she admitted. But Eric was still openly staring at Alcide. He too believed this tale because nothing about what was suddenly going on, made any sense! Bill had never displayed a prurient interest in Tara and now suddenly he's all over her?
Eric did not want to think about how Tara was going to react to being tricked in such a heinous fashion. Or how a state of agitation over this whole affair, might affect his babies.
Eric spoke.
"I believe you, Bill. Nora, how could you let this happen?"
"Believe it or not, I found your newest child quite attractive."
Eric rolled his eyes and Bill snorted! But Nora stood her ground.
"Alcide came to me, feigning interest and essentially made me care so much, that I would've done anything for him...in the heat of passion. And I did. He claimed he wanted one of the rings so he could prepare a life for the two of us in another reality."
Bill snorted again, but Eric looked aghast!
"To prepare for another life in another reality? Nora, why would you want such a thing? And why with him?"
"Did it ever occur to you that I might have wanted a life with you, Eric? When I wasn't fighting for your attention with Pam or that Stackhouse fairy, I then had to compete with yet another woman that you turned...just to impress Sookie Stackhouse! Alcide loved me in ways you could not imagine." Nora huffed.
"Unfortunately, I can," Bill said coldly, "what I want to know is how far has he taken his role with me, with Tara?"
Bill was looking at Eric now. Eric folded his arms.
"Further than you ever planned to take it. I was just over at your home. He and Tara have been intimate. And if I may be blunt, I don't want your cock anywhere near the womb that my children are sleeping in!"
Bill took a deep breath, then answered.
"I am sorry to hear of this. We all know what Tara went through with Franklin Mott. She will see this as another betrayal of sorts, I'm sure."
Before Eric could respond, Alcide, as Bill, and Kibwe, came into their cell. Alcide smiled coolly at Bill, before looking at Nora.
"I'm sorry, honey. But I had to do what I had to do."
Nora rushed him, vamp style and Kibwe had to pull her off of him! Two guards appeared and dragged Nora off to another cell! Alcide pulled himself together, then looked at Eric.
"I figured you'd be here. And this is where you're going to stay. Compton and you can rot here..."
"Until what, Alcide?" Bill asked in quiet disbelief. "I mean what is your end game here? You do know you will never get away with this. Once Tara realizes what you've done to her, she will hate you."
Alcide eyed him.
"Are you fucking kidding me? How did you think a relationship with Tara was going to work if you never slept with her? And don't fucking even hint that I'm raping her! You're the piece of shit that didn't help her out at Edgington's place that damned time!"
"Tara understands about that now!"
"It will always be between you! I was there, remember? I saw how she was after spending days with that maniac Mott! I'm loving Tara like the two of you were unable to. So not a damned thing is going to happen when Tara finds out. And that's 'if'. Because you fucks aren't leaving this place! Kibwe is going to be Head Chancellor and..."
Eric interrupted.
"What do the Pelts have to do with this? You might as well tell us. It's not like we'll be going anywhere."
Alcide glanced at Kibwe, before answering.
"Kibwe got to know Gordon and Barbara pretty well when they were imprisoned here. Apparently, Kibwe here had a brother that was turned into a panther and used to run in Were circles, before he was killed. After you fucking turned me, Northman, and made me strip at your club, I went to the Pelts begging for help. They came up with this plan. Kibwe couldn't get me the ring without looking bad himself, but he helped me gain access to Northman's sister."
Eric ran a hand down his face slowly, then spoke.
"Look, imbecile, I can discern all of that. But what do they get out of this? Just my children?"
Alcide looked at Kibwe again, before answering.
"I'm signing all of Bill's possessions over. The Pelt's will own everything Bill does. Including the house."
Now Bill lost it!
"You're giving those fucking Weres, everything I own? And you don't think Tara will notice?"
"Tara has never cared about money. I'll tell her we fell on hard times..."
"As King of Louisiana?" Bill scoffed. Kibwe averted his eyes. Secretly, he didn't think that plan would work either. But he had come this far...
Eric spoke.
"I have no doubt you will fail. And when you do, I won't kill you. I have the feeling that earning Tara's hatred will be hard enough for you to stomach."
Alcide said nothing. He turned and left the cell. Kibwe followed and soon the door was slammed closed. Bill looked at Eric.
"I'd like to have the conviction that you do, but Alcide looks like me. He can fool anyone into thinking he is me, including Tara. Lawyers will allow him to sign documents in my name, giving away my wealth. And he can keep us in here for as long as the world exists. How is it you think he is going to fail, Eric?"
"I wouldn't count Tara or Sookie out, that's how I know is he going to fail, Bill Compton." Eric replied quietly.
Meanwhile, a telltale fly, flew off and left Authority Headquarters by way of the air vents.
MORNING-
Tara had actually not slept well. Why, she didn't know, since the change in her and Bill's relationship, was a positive one. Maybe it bothered her that it literally seemed to happen overnight. Maybe she was overthinking things.
Sookie called, wanting to see her. Tara showered, dressed in a nice, floral sundress, then told security she was walking over to Sookie's house. Two men were determined to accompany her. Tara didn't see that she could do anything about it, so she let them follow her.
They stayed outside as Sookie let her into the house, closed the door then turned to Sam, who was wearing a robe! Tara eyed him. She hadn't expected Sam to be here and what the fuck was he wearing? She looked at Sookie.
"What is this shit, Sookie? I was with Bill last night and then you just went and fucked Sam?"
"You weren't with Bill last night," Sookie said quietly, "and before you ask me what the hell I'm talking about, you need to listen to us. Last night, when we were at your home, I could hear Bill's thoughts."
Tara raised a brow.
"I thought you couldn't hear vamp thoughts?"
"She can't, Tara," Sam spoke up, "and that's because it wasn't Bill. Sookie asked me to break into Authority Headquarters, when Eric didn't come to Fangtasia like he should have. He said he was headed over there because Nora had been locked up there. I went over there, in the shape of a fly. Tara, honey...Alcide switched bodies with Bill last night. He had some help from some bigwig over there. But the point is, the man you're living with now, looks like Bill but is really Alcide."
Tara looked at Sam.
She then looked at Sookie.
Finally, she spoke.
"You're both fucking lying! I would know if I had been with Alcide!"
"Because you've been with him before?" Sookie asked sarcastically. "And of course, you can compare Alcide's lovemaking to Bill's?"
Tara scowled but said nothing for a moment, then looked at Sam.
"You heard Alcide say that?"
"Tara, Eric, Bill and Nora are locked up! Alcide got help from Nora, who I guess liked him, and she got him one of the reality traveling rings. Alcide went to another reality, found a witch doctor and got his vamp self repressed so that he's more wolf now. The Pelts and this African guy helped him do it. They knew the witch doctor or something. But in exchange, the Pelts want your babies and all of Bill's money."
Tara slowly sat down in the nearest chair. Who was she fooling? She hadn't slept all night because she had known Bill's interest in her seemed different. She looked up at the two of them.
"Well, this can't go on. I'll tell Alcide to cut the shit when he awakes tonight, give his body back to Bill and that will be that."
"Do you really think it will be that simple?" Sookie asked.
"I want to be there when you do it." Sam said firmly, but Tara shook her head.
"I'll be fine. Alone. This is my fault, yet again."
"Tara, you didn't know that Alcide would pull this. I mean he tricked you into sex with him. I just don't think you should confront him in your condition." Sookie warned.
"Alcide may have repressed his vamp side, but it's not gone. This shit isn't his fault. It's Eric's. Do you really think Alcide would've done ANY of this, if he hadn't been turned into a vampire? When he was pure wolf, he wasn't off switching bodies with other people. I can talk to Alcide. He'll pull himself together."
"You're blaming Eric?" Sookie asked in disbelief. Tara folded her arms.
"What were you doing at Fangtasia all night anyway, Sookie?" Tara countered.
"Oh what, Tara? You want Bill AND Eric? He was just trying to help me out! No thanks to Alcide, I still have a murder to answer for!"
"I'll take care of that too." Tara responded. She then walked over to Sam and hugged him briefly, before letting him go.
"Thanks for looking out for me. And when I come back, this shit will be settled and everything will be back to normal." Tara told them. Sookie and Sam watched Tara leave the house. Once she and her security detail were gone, Sookie turned to Sam.
"Why do I get the feeling something is off there?"
Sam nodded slowly.
"I had the same feeling as well."
As they should have. Because Tara only heard one thing in all of what Sookie and Sam told her. Reality Ring. She was going to make Alcide give her one of those rings so she could return to her beloved Prince Eric of Northland.