CHAPTER NINE

I stepped out of the shower and wrapped the towel around my body. I had muscles aching that I wasn't even aware I had. I padded into my bedroom and dressed in my work clothes. I had meant to take today off work due to my ankle, but thanks to a certain vampire and his blood my ankle was better than ever so I had called Sam and informed him I would be in for my shift. It wasn't as though I needed the money... I had been told in no uncertain terms that should I need money a certain someone had more than plenty to spare.

I hated to admit it but Eric had been right all along. I felt safer today than I had in some time. Even though I would never admit it to myself the thought of a sexy vampire asleep just under my bed, close at hand, thrilled me. I also felt Eric's blood in my veins and I felt almost invincible at this moment in time. (Even though I knew I wasn't.)

I walked downstairs to the kitchen and opened the fridge, looking for food. I was dismayed to remember I hadn't stocked the new fridge. There was only a carafe of blood in there. I rolled my eyes and shut the door... 'what a frat boy' i thought to myself. I would have to wait until tomorrow to go shopping. I would have done it today but after last night's activities I had slept the whole day away. I searched for my keys, I always kept them on the key rack that hung just inside the kitchen door, above the old microwave. They weren't there and I frowned. I turned the house upside down but to no avail.

I could only find the keys to the new car that Eric had given me and I put my hands on my hips, glaring up at the floor above me where I knew Eric would be sleeping the day away. "Don't think I can't see what's goin' here." I yelled, not knowing whether or not he could hear me. It made me feel better though. I picked up the keys and headed out to the car. I didn't want to drive it for fear that I might crash or scratch it. Hell I didn't even want to get it dirty driving on the dusty drive both at my place and at Merlotte's.

I really didn't have another choice at this point in time. I was running late as it was and unless I somehow managed to find out that I had special fairy flight abilities then this was the only way I would get to work on time. I climbed into the car and started the engine. It was so quiet compared to my beat-up excuse of a car that I wasn't sure I had started it all. I tried to turn the key in the ignition again and the engine growled at me. I jumped and felt embarrassed... luckily no one was around.

I put the car in reverse and backed slowly out of my driveway, maybe a little too cautious but really, could anyone blame me? I drove to work and easily pulled into my allotted space. I was just stepping out of the car when Lafayette pulled in. He got out and eyed my car over jealously.

"Now see... that shit just ain't motherfucking fair." He said and I looked around confused.

"What?"

"You get the real fancy car and I get the less fancy one."

"Your's is still very nice." I said and I placed a hand on my hip. "Wait a minute are you saying Eric got you that car?" I asked, a hint of humor stealing into my voice. Lafayette checked his gold eyeshadow in his side mirror and then stood to face me.

"Yep. I got this cos I's is his..." I raised my eyebrows in question as Lafayette corrected himself. "I was his dealer."

"Dealer?"

"Look Sook, we gonna be late for work if we sit out here chattin' all night." He danced over to me and laughed. "You're skin is glowing baby doll." He said and I shrugged.

"I was sunbathing." I lied and Lafayette cracked up. He looked briefly at my neck and briefly at my thigh. His eyebrows shot up to his hairline when he saw my leg.

"I wouldn't let Jason see that leg baby doll. He gonna get real fuckin' mad if he sees that." He motioned and I glanced down. I felt the color creep into my cheek and my breath hitched. There, plain as day were two fang marks, healed but red and obvious. I covered my hand with my face.

"Oh, my God." I moaned and Lafayette roared with laughter. "I can't go into work like this. I don't have a change of clothes... oh what am I goin' to do?" I wailed.

"Baby doll, don' worry about it... those motherfuckers in there are gonna be so drunk they ain't even gonna notice it."

"I'm more worried about what Sam and Tara are gonna say."

"Leave Tara to me, as for Sam there are some things he need to see to get things sorted out." Lafayette slung his arm around my smile and grinned. "Honey if having sex with him is the only way to get a car like that then I'm happy with the one I know, I real worried about Jesus." Lafayette informed me and I frowned.

"Why's that?"

"I sent him to Shreveport to get some important supplies an' he came home a day later empty handed. He don't even remember why he went to Shreveport in the first place... Sook he don' even fucking remember bein' there." I bit the inside of my cheek and said nothing... what could I say? "It real strange... oh well come on."

Lafayette led me into Merlotte's. On the way in he told me to hold my head up high, act natural and not to let on that I had two fang marks on my leg. He was certain that if attention wasn't drawn to them then nobody would notice them. I wasn't convinced but I thought it was worth a try.

I hurried out to Sam's office and tied my apron as low down around my hips as I could. I called Lafayette in and asked him if you could see the marks. He laughed. "Nah, girl, but really I'd let everyone see em."

"No, definately not. People may not say anything out loud but they think all kinds of nasty, hateful things and I can hear those as clear as day." Lafayette nodded his understanding and pointed at my neck.

"You can still see those however." He said and I nodded.

"I know, those one's I'm not so worried about. I've had bite marks on my neck before." I walked out to start my shift. It was a friday and it was busy, unusually so. I looked at Arlene who shrugged. Something was going on but nobody seemed to have any idea why or what. It was about halfway through my shift when three people walked in. They were clearly fae and I felt my heart stop for a few beats. My hands were sweaty and I wiped them on my apron. I gulped and took a cautious step toward them.

"Uh, hi." I ventured cautiously. I didn't know what to make of them. After everything I had been through it wasn't hard to see why I would be so tentative. The shortest, and clearly the leader, stepped forward.

"Hello Sookie. I don't know if you remember me, I'm Claude... Claudine's brother? I helped you escape..." he glanced around. "Well... you know where and I don't think I need to say it."

I nodded. "I remember." I said with a hard expression. Claude ran a hand through his dark hair.

"Look, I can understand if you don't trust me. I can't honestly blame you for it." He said and I nodded once. I couldn't give him anything more than that at this point in time. Claude looked around and noticed everyone was staring at the four of us. "Sookie, there are some... developments we need to talk about." He said slowly. The other two looked around the room. "What time do you finish your shift?" He asked.

"Two." I answered automatically.

"We can stay until then." He said with a nod. "Where can we sit?" He asked.

"Follow me." I said and led them to a table. "Do you guys eat?" I asked and Claude chuckled.

"No."

"Alright then." I turned to walk away and I saw Claude's eyes flicker to my neck. There was a flash of emotion that I couldn't recognise but it was brief. He laced his fingers together and folded them on the table.

The rest of my shift seemed to drag after that. I was uneasy with three fairies in the room. No-one seemed to know what they were but it was obvious everyone seemed to be enthralled by them. I knew fairies were creatures of allure and beauty. It would only stand to reason that everyone in Merlotte's would stare at them in such a way.

"Do you know them?" Tara asked me at some point during the night and I nodded, managing the best smiled I could.

"They're family." It was the best I could offer and it was kind of the truth. Tara studied me and sighed, she leant in close and sighed.

"Are they...?" She asked and I nodded.

"Yes."

Finally two rolled around and we locked up. I walked into the parking lot and looked around. I didn't see anyone other than Sam going into his trailer that he lived in off to the side of Merlotte's and Lafayette getting into his car. He waved as he drove away and I waved back. Sam noticed me waiting and he wandered over. "Want some company while you wait?" He asked and I shook my head.

"That's real sweet Sam but I don't think they're here so I'm just gonna go home." I got my keys out and smiled.

"Sookie." Sam said and I turned to face him.

"Yes, Sam."

"Be careful." He said and I sighed.

"Thanks, but I know what I'm doin'."

"Remember that you said that about Bill and look where that got you." I was really getting over everyone and they're overreacting.

"Thanks for that." I snapped. Sam immediately looked ashamed of himself.

"Shit Sookie, I'm real sorry..." he began and I held up my hand to stop him.

"I'm real tired Sam and I am over everyone telling me what to do and what not to do and then try to apologise, what I really want is for people to just leave me the hell alone and let me make up my own mind." Sam shook his head and turned and stalked away. I sighed and walked to my car. I stopped short in fright at the three fae that were leaning against the car.

"I didn't think you would be here." I admitted and the female one chuckled. "I'm sorry I didn't get your names."

"Sorry, this is Briannah" Claude motioned to the short female with curly red hair that was as red as sunset and green eyes. "This is Kade." Claude motioned to the other male. He was the polar opposite of Claude with his fair hair and blue eyes, not to mention that he was at least a foot taller than Claude.

"What did y'all want to talk to me about?" I asked Claude looked at my car.

"Can we go to your house? We would prefer to speak where we cannot be overheard."

"Who's gonna hear us all the way out here?" I asked. "Sam's in his trailer and there isn't anyone else around."

"Trust us, we can be overheard." The woman... Briannah... said.

"Ok, lets go to my house." I said. The four of us piled into my new car and I drove back to my house. I unlocked the front door and let the other fairies in. I motioned for them to sit in the living room. They each chose a chair and sat. I sighed and sat next to Claude on the lounge. "What's this all about?" I asked finally and I saw Briannah look at Claude while Kade sniffed the air.

"You keep some interesting friends Sookie Stackhouse." He said. Kade had an accent that I heard once before but was unsure where it was from.

"I'm sorry what do you mean?"

"I smell a vampire, a werewolf, a shapeshifter and something else... something not human..."

"A were panther?" I asked and Kade smiled.

"That could be it."

"I'm sorry but where is your accent from? I'm usually pretty good with accents but I just can't put a finger on your's." Kade was looking around the room and finally he turned his attention back to me.

"Irish." He answered.

"How come y'all have different accents?"

"As I tried to tell you in the relm of the Fae this used to be our home too once." Claude said and I nodded. "Sookie, the reason we're here is because we need to warn you of Mab."

"I know she wants me to go to the fairy relm so we can't have anymore fairy babies with humans." I said and I noticed Briannah nod.

"That's true." Claude agreed. "What you don't know is that she is so mad with you that she doesn't simply want to take you to the Fae relm anymore. She wants to kill you." I gasped.

"Oh my God." I said. "Well I suppose I could always go away for a while." I said.

"Won't work." Briannah said.

"Why not?"

"Because your fairy blood. We can smell it, and sense it. How do you think we found you in the first place?"

"Y'all can smell my blood? Well, what the hell am I supposed to do?" Claude and the others shared uncomfortable looks with each other.

"Well..." Claude said slowly. "If you're blood didn't have much fairy left... if it were, say, mostly another sort... it would be harder for us to find you."

"More another sort? What other sort of blood is there?" I asked. Claude stood and motioned to the others.

"We have to go before someone notices we're gone."

"Wait you can't leave without tellin' me what you mean. You can't be all cryptic." I cried and Claude placed a hand on my shoulder.

"We'll be back, and trust me when I say in time you'll understand."