Chapter Forty Three:
"I still don't understand why he has to stay with her." I grumbled as Godric and I entered the penthouse apartment, my mood not getting any better on the trip back to Shreveport. Leaving Eric there with Sookie was the worst decision Godric had ever made. He should have been with us, even if logically it was safer for him not to be. I just hated that it was Sookie taking care of him and not me. I hated her with every fibre of me being. Because I knew this would only drive them closer, even if Eric couldn't remember whatever feelings he had for her in the past. It wouldn't matter. Poor shy little Eric would fall for the telepath and I'd be left out on the curb. And he wouldn't even care because he wouldn't remember loving me anyways. "I hate this."
"I know you do, but it's the safest place for him to be." Godric tugged me into his arms, a place I really needed to be right about now. "But shush now, my love. You never know who may be listening."
I knew he was right. Who knew the lengths Bill would go to just to find information out about any of us. I wouldn't put it passed him to bug the apartment, knowing that at the moment, all three of us lived here.
"Can we kill him? Bill that is." I made sure to say this loudly, glaring all around me before clutching onto Godric.
"No. Not tonight anyways." He replied with a soft chuckle, his arms tightening around me.
"Then what are we supposed to do?" I asked, feeling at a loss. Without being at Eric's side to protect him like I wished we were, what else could we do?
"You can tell me exactly, word for word, what happened tonight." his fingers began expertly pressing into my back, massaging out the balls of tension. "Whatever you remember of what Marnie could have said, it could help us learn what spell she cast."
"She was speaking in a different language, Godric." I shook my head. "I wouldn't know what she was saying even if I tried."
"Just try, my love. Even just the sounds you think she made would help." he encouraged. "Whatever you can remember, it might bring us closer to solving this, closer to bringing him home where he belongs."
I sighed heavily, closing my eyes as I rested my forehead against Godric's chest. I racked brain, letting the memories of tonight flood my eyelids as I tried to remember anything helpful. I began to retell the story of what happened, starting from the moment I entered the magic shop till the moment Godric swept in to save me, just as he always seemed to do. I didn't think any of it was very helpful, and after a moment of silence, I could tell Godric thought so as well.
"I wish I could be more help." my bottom lip began to tremble. "Why did this have to happen? I hate it. I hate Marnie. I hate Bill. I hate Sookie. I hate myself. None of this would have happened if it weren't for me."
"Don't say that, Savannah." Godric shook his head, clasping a finger under my chin and forcing me to gaze up at him. He used his other hand to cup my cheek in an attempt to soothe me. But it just wasn't working. Because this was my fault. This was all my fault. If I hadn't come into either of their lives, none of this would have happened. Everything had just been a domino effect after that night back before Christmas when I first stepped foot into Fangtasia. I regretted that night more than anything. Because if I hadn't of gone to the bar with Sarah and my friends, I never would have met Eric and he wouldn't have been in danger now. This was all my fault and I didn't even know how to fix it. "This is in no way your fault. Don't think like that."
"But it is..."
"No, it's not." I was startled by how sharp his tone was. His expression hardened as his sea coloured orbs bore right through me. "This isn't your fault, Savannah. Marnie did this. Those witches did this to our Eric, no one else."
"But if you and Eric had never met me..."
"Listen to me." he held my face in his hands, both hands cupping my cheeks. He grew so close, his lips ever so slightly brushing against mine every time he spoke. "The night that I met you, my entire world changed. You've brought hope into my life; you showed me the true meaning of love. I never once regret meeting you, my love, and I never will. You have brought me a great deal of love and it pains me that you think otherwise."
"But..."
"I love you. Eric loves you. We will get through this and we will all be together." He vowed in determination, his orbs ablaze. "I need you to believe that."
Despite everything that had happened tonight, despite Marnie, despite my chest being ripped open and despite the curse that had ruined my Eric, Godric's words warmed my heart. Because at the end of the day, I still had him. Eric may not be himself, he may not remember anything at all, but Godric was still here; I would never lose him. I clung to that thought as I clung to him. It may not have fixed anything, and my heart still felt lost and alone, but I knew Godric was at least there to steady me, to fill the void.
"I love you with all of my heart." Godric brushed his lips against my forehead, tangling his hand into my hair as he pressed me against him. "We'll figure this out, Savannah. I know we will."
"We have to." I nodded against his chest. "I love you, but I need him too, Godric."
"As do I, my love, as do I."
It was hard to stay put the next day. All I wanted to do was rush over to Sookie's to make sure Eric was alright. Did he really have a safe place to stay there? What if Sookie decided she had enough of all of this and let him fry in the sun? I would kill her; literally kill her if that thought ever crossed her mind. All I could do was hope that whatever spell Marnie had cast to hide Eric from our bond, that we were still connected in a way. We were a triumvirate, after all, that couldn't just be broken so easily, could it? If something happened to Eric, I would still feel it, right?
"God I hope so." I wrapped my arms around myself as I sat in the dark living room, only a single light shining into the room from the hallway. I glanced over at the light tight window coverings that were securely against the windows and frowned. I needed the sun to set; I needed it to be dark. Then I would know for sure that Eric was alright, that he wasn't hurt in any way. Because I certainly didn't trust Sookie, not for one second. But I was going to have to bide my time, somehow.
I sat there for hours, just staring at the clock and covered windows, wishing for time to speed up. I couldn't take my mind off of Eric, not even to think about what had all happened last night. I could have easily died; Marnie and whatever she had done had left me in a pool of my own blood, blood that I didn't even realize was pouring out of my clawed chest until Godric pointed it out to me. But none of that mattered. I was fine physically; there were no scars, no marks to even remind me of the ripped flesh. Eric however, was still lost and without his memories, and that was my number one priority right now. What had Marnie done to him? What spell had she cast upon him? She had channelled my necromancer, that was all I knew. But to do what? And was there a possibility I could fix this? If it was my power that had messed everything up, could I put the pieces back together again? But how?
"I wish I knew what to do."
I sighed loudly, raking a hand through my hair before glancing back at the clock. It was still early evening, the sun still high enough in the sky that Godric would still be asleep. I should have been sleeping at his side, and I had even tried before becoming restless and sneaking out here. Anytime my eyes closed, I would see that lost puppy dog look on Eric's face and my heart would break. I would see the fear he had towards me and my whole world would come crumbling down around me. How could I possibly sleep at a time like this?
I couldn't just continue to sit there however, thinking about everything and wondering if there was something I could have done differently to change what had happened. So to try and distract my thoughts, I pushed myself off of the couch and began wandering around the apartment. Even after staying here for as long as I had, I hadn't explored every nook and cranny. Far too much had happened in a short span of time that I never once found the time to actually enjoy living here, even if it was just temporarily. Now was as good of time as ever.
As I left the living room, I turned left instead of right, already familiar with the kitchen and hallway of bedrooms, and instead turned my way towards where the study was located. I peeked in on instinct, imagining Eric or Godric sitting at the desk, working furiously on something or other. Eric was usually filling out mundane tasks for Fangtasia that Pam was too lazy to worry herself over, and Godric always had his nose in a book, learning more about this bond that we all shared. And while he never mentioned it too much, I knew he was researching what I was, what I could do.
I smiled sadly at the memories and continued my way down the winding hallway, peeking into rooms as I went. One room was filled to the brim with books, even more than the study held, and I almost found myself slipping into the sea of knowledge. Ever since I was a little girl, I was able to lose myself in the fictional lives of those I wished I could be. Even the mass of history texts that the Yale library held were fascinating in a way. Books, no matter the subject, felt like the perfect release, and I could certainly use one right about now.
But before I could enter the library, a door at the end of the hallway caught my eye. It was a simple door, and looked like all the others. Except it was closed while the others were open. Unless someone was occupying a room, unless privacy was needed, the doors always seemed to remain open. So why was this one closed?
My intrigue and curiosity got the better of me and I wandered over, my hand slipping around the door knob. I glanced down the hallway one last time, expecting Godric to jump out of the shadows and yank me away from the mysterious door. But there was no one in sight; I was completely alone. I shrugged and twisted the handle, pushing the door open and stepping inside. I was surprised when I found a stair case leading up. My eyebrows furrowed together as I gazed up, only to remember that the penthouse was one the very last floor and all that was left was the roof.
"The roof..." I muttered to myself. That's where the stairs led, the roof. There was no other access accept from this stairwell, one that only went up, not down. I couldn't help but feel curious, and decided to sneak up onto the roof just for a quick peek. What could it hurt? No one would know, and even if Bill did have his human spies around the building, we were so high up that I doubt they would even notice.
Making up my mind, I took each stair one by one, my excitement growing the closer I got to the door at the very top. This was the perfect distraction I needed right now. The sun would be setting soon and the sight of the city slowly being covered in darkness felt somewhat comforting to me.
When I first pushed through the roof door, I was awed by what I found. The roof was simple, like any other roof you could have imagined. But it was the sight surrounding me that caught my breath in my throat, that left me speechless. It was beautiful. I could see all of Shreveport around me, and even the outskirts of the town. I could see for miles as humans and supes alike roamed around the city, some hurrying home before the monsters of the night could be unleashed. It was just breathtaking.
I inched towards the edge, trying my best not to look directly down at the street just below the building, and instead gazed at the horizon. The sun was beginning to set, the sky turning a mixture of orange and pink. I couldn't remember the last sun set I had watched. I was used to vampire time by now, and even when I was away at school, I was usually hiding out in the library half the day when not in class to even realize there was a sun that existed.
I wasn't sure how long I stood there, watching as the sun dipped below the horizon, as the many light of the city turned on, illuminating the darkening sky. I was so lost in the world around me that I never paid attention to the fact that I was no longer alone on that room. Not until I felt a pair of arms slide around my waist from behind, a chest pressing against my back. I tensed at first, afraid that I had been caught by Bill's men. I was ready to struggle free when a soft voice sang in my ear, lips brushing along my neck.
"It's only I, my love." Godric assured.
I relaxed instantly in his arms, leaning backwards to lean against him. In that moment, I forgot about all the troubles, about Marnie and our amnesia Eric. I forgot about the danger we were all in, the fear that we wouldn't be able to fix any of it. In that moment, I just stood there, in the arms of one of the men that I loved with half of my heart, and just stared out across the city. My mind was blank and free, the first time it had been in ages, as I just let Godric's ancient whispered words send my body into a tranquil state. I felt more at peace, more relaxed than I think I had ever been, and I knew Godric was working his magic to make it so. I've just been so tense lately, so worried about everything, that I hadn't even allowed myself a few hours of sleep. He knew that. He knew the troubles that were webbed inside of me, and like any good lover, he was trying to fix me the only way he knew how.
"Do you remember that time you took me up to the top of the tallest tower at Yale?" I hugged his arms to me, enjoying the warmth that spread between us, the electricity that sparked but didn't hurt. "I was so scared I was going to fall, but you never let me."
"I would never let you fall." He whispered, his arms tightening around me. "Never."
"I know." I couldn't help but smile to myself. "You've always tried so hard not to ever let me fall."
"But I've failed too many times." I could hear the frown in his voice.
"Not a single time was ever you fault."
"I should have protected you better. I should have protected Eric." Godric sighed. "If I had gone with him to Bill's..."
"Then you wouldn't have been with me and you know Eric never would have allowed that." I pointed out.
"I'm his maker, I could have commanded it."
"We can go back and forth wishing we could have changed something, anything, but I have a feeling this was going to happen no matter what we tried to do." I squeezed his hand. "You told me last night not to blame myself. Well you can't blame yourself either. You were right, this was Marnie's fault. There was nothing we could have done. Nothing."
His nose nestled itself into my hair and my eyes fluttered close at how close we were. His blood was singing to me, sending wave after wave of calm through me. I felt loved in that moment. So much had happened. So much heartbreak, so much agony. It was all just too much. But through it all, we still had each other. I wished Eric was here, that his memories were intact and that he chose me over Sookie, but that wasn't how this was ever meant to go. I learned to believe in fate the moment these two vampires walked into my life. Someone upstairs has forced us all together; they had us walk down this path. Why, I wasn't so sure, but you just couldn't mess with fate. This was all meant to happen. We were meant to deal with these issues and try and work through them. Maybe we would make it through this, or maybe everything we once had would be destroyed. But this was what was, and nothing we could say or do was going to change that.
"I love you." He murmured, his lips brushing against the base of my neck. "You've brought me a great deal of happiness, even in the darkest of times."
"And I love you." My head turned towards his, allowing for his lips to ghost across mine. "I don't know what I would do without you. Or Eric. I never thought I would ever feel so dependent in my life, but I just love you and Eric so much that it's pathetic."
"It's not pathetic." He shook his head. "We can never predict our destiny, the path that is created for us."
"I graduated high school thinking I was going to go through four years of Yale and then become some big time journalist in New York. I never once thought I would ever fall in love along the way. I never even wanted to. It wasn't part of the plan." I admitted. "But now...the thought of not having you or Eric in my life, it literally hurts me."
"You'll never have to worry about that, Savannah, I promise you that."
"You better. Because I'm a necromancer, remember? I'll resurrect you and kill your asses again if you ever leave me." I was only half kidding, nudging him lightly before gazing back out across the city. "I really will too."
"Oh I don't doubt that."
Pam stood beside the bar with narrowed eyes as Bill waltzed into Fangtasia with two of his guards at his side. A surly look was spread across his face and Pam knew immediately this was about Eric. There was no doubt that Bill had been told by one of his spies what happened last night and was now demanding answers.
"Where's Eric?" Bill demanded to know, his eyes boring right through Pam.
Pam raised an eyebrow. "Well hello to you too, Bill."
"Where is he?"
"Who?" Pam played coy. She had learned enough from Eric to be able to mask her emotions, her fear of what Bill had planned for Eric if he ever found him. She may never fear the King himself, but he was being backed by some of the most powerful vampires in the world. Not even the great Viking, Eric, could defeat them all and get away with it like he did with Russell Edgington.
"You know who, Pam. Where is he?" Bill was losing his patience quickly.
"I don't know."
"Somehow I doubt that."
"It's the truth." Pam shrugged at the King. "Now if you'll excuse me, we're about to open and I don't think your little human puppy dogs are going to do well for business at all."
"Tell me where is he." Bill growled, his fangs threatening to extend.
"For the last time, I don't know." Pam hissed. "I have no idea what happened to him."
"Don't lie to me Pam, it's treason." Bill warned.
"Exactly." Pam rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't take the chance. All of your subjects are learning how ruthless you are lately."
Bill stepped forward in an attempt to intimidate Pam. "I know the depth of your devotion. You would lie and die for your maker."
"And I know just how much you hate him." Pam shot back.
"Why didn't you call me the moment he went missing?" he questioned suspiciously. "Surely you knew when trouble struck your maker.
Pam gave him a leveled stare, not backing down from the Queen. She wasn't scared of him or his words. He was only a handful of decades older than she was; they were even in a physical fight. And she had been taught by Eric Northman of all people; she could be ruthless when she needed to be. Bill was like a little kitten; he had claws, but didn't know how to use them. "Well, I was kind of thinking you sent him to those witches so they'd kill him."
"You're not supposed to think." Bill snarled. "You're supposed to follow protocol."
"I still don't know where Eric is." Pam crossed her arms over her chest. "Is that all?"
"Where's the necromancer?"
"I don't know."
"Are you telling me you don't know where either of them are?" Bill raised an eyebrow incredulously. "I find that hard to believe."
Pam's eyes narrowed even further, her icy orbs glaring daggers at the vampire before her. "Why do you care where the little cupcake is? She's not a vampire, Bill; you hold no power over her."
"She's a necromancer, one who has been involved with the same witches who caused your maker to suddenly disappear." He pointed out. "Interesting, isn't it."
Pam wanted nothing more than to rip Bill's throat out. She never cared about Eric's conquests. She could care less who he fucked or drained. Just as long as it wasn't Sookie Stackhouse. She had been a pain in the ass from day one and she was tired of it. Eric had changed; she had watched him change before her very eyes because of that gash in a sundress. She gave the human race a bad name with her naive southern ways and dangerous innocent flirting. Savannah wasn't much difference. She was just another human with appealing blood that she wouldn't mind having a taste of. But Eric's interest in her was much different than his desperate attempts at Sookie. Eric cared for her in a way that he had never cared for a human and that intrigued Pam. Savannah wasn't just another toy, another fuck to Eric. She wasn't just another advantage against Bill, against the rest of the supernatural community. Eric loved her, god help them all. And she vowed long ago that she would fight for Eric, for her maker, and that extended to whatever, or whomever, belonged to him.
And right now, that was Savannah.
And anyways, Pam wouldn't mind luring the girl into bed. She was delicious both in looks and in smell. She could only imagine what she tasted like.
"She's only been involved with those witches because you forced her to." Pam defended, reminding Bill that technically this was all his doing, not the other way around.
"She's behind this Pam." Bill argued. "She's behind your maker missing. I want her found, and I want her found now."
"Funny how you're coming to me about this and not Godric. You must not be the idiot I though you to be. He'd rip you in half for even mentioning her name."
Bill frowned. "Just find them. Both of them."
"And what do you plan on doing with them when you find them?" Pam questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"The authority is still deciding Eric's fate. The necromancer, however, I've been given the order to execute. Immediately." Bill didn't wait for Pam to comment, instead buttoning his suit jacket before twisting on his heel towards the exit.
"You like the feel of it, don't you Bill?" Pam spat at the King as he walked away. "That crown?"
Bill ignored her comment and quickly left the bar with his guards following suit. The moment she was alone, Pam grasped onto the closest chair and flung it across the room, the piece of furniture breaking in to pieces at the impact.
"Fuck!"
Godric and I fell into a comfortable silence, just standing on that rooftop, his arms wrapped securely around me. Neither of us spoke, too wrapped up in our own thoughts. I didn't mind. I enjoyed the silence, enjoyed the peace and quiet. I knew our world was anything but peaceful at the moment; we did have an amnesic Eric on our hands and witches that were growing more dangerous by the minute. But in that rare moment, none of that mattered. It was just the two of us and the rest of the world. It was how I wished our life could be daily.
Some days I wondered if staying in that bored, predictable life I had created for myself would have been a better choice.
Then again, I wasn't so sure I could imagine a world without Godric and Eric in it. They had been thrust into my life in such a short amount of time and yet they had become so much more than just lovers. They were a part of me and to lose one would be like losing a part of myself. It was how I felt now without Eric at our side, without being able to feel him at all.
"What are you thinking about, my sweet necromancer?" he murmured into my ear, his chin resting on my shoulder.
"You always call me that like it's a good thing." I rolled my eyes.
He smiled, lightly brushing his lips against my cheek. "You may not see the incredible beauty in what you do, but I do."
"I specialize in the dead, Godric. It's my necromancy that did all of this." I pointed out.
"You lectured me on not blaming myself, and yet you still..."
"But you know it's the truth, Godric." I turned in his arms so we were looking at each other. Godric raised a hand, the backs of his fingers brushing across my cheek. "This sort of is my fault. And the worst part of it all is that I have no idea how to fix any of it."
"We'll figure out a way. We will, I promise you." He assured.
"What if we can't though?"
"We can't afford to think like that, my love, we just can't." Godric shook his head before drawing me closer, pressing his lips against mine in a short but sweet kiss. "We'll figure this all out, my love, we will. You just need to keep faith."
"I just don't know if I can..." before I could finish, however, a gust of wind blew my hair back, interrupting the last remaining moments of peace I had a feeling we were going to have. I sighed as I brushed my hair out of my face, squinting as a flash of a body finally came to a stop. "Pam?"
"We have a problem." Were the first words out of Pam's mouth, her eyes narrowed and darting this way and that as if expecting someone to come bursting out at us without a moment's notice. "Eric's in danger."
"Tell us something that we don't know." I wrapped my own arms around myself but kept close to Godric, having a sinking feeling in my stomach. "What more could possibly happen?"
"Bill's out for his blood." Pam's gaze finally rested on Godric and me. "And yours."
My eyes grew wide in surprise. "He's out for my blood? Why?"
"Why do you think, cupcake?" she rolled her eyes, planting her hands on her hips. "He thinks you're the one behind all of this."
"That's because I am." I muttered to myself, only to receive a pointed state from Godric.
"No you're not." his arm tightened around me before directing his attention on his progeny's child. "What did Bill say exactly?"
"He came into Fangtasia tonight demanding to know where Eric was." Pam began. "I didn't tell him, obviously, but unfortunately he's not as idiotic as I first took him as and he didn't believe me."
"He's going to realize he's with Sookie eventually." My heart leapt in my chest, my panic beginning to rise. It didn't even register that I was in just as much danger as Eric was now in. All I cared about was Eric's safety. He wasn't himself right now; who knew if he could take care of himself like our usual arrogant Viking could.
"Unless the Faerie princess has a change of heart, he better be safe there." Pam shook her head. "She knows I'll rip her to pieces."
"You won't have to." Godric assured. "I trust Sookie. She is a good person, despite your beliefs. I believe she'll keep Eric safe."
"I'm really doubting your sanity right now." I sided with Pam. "I don't trust Sookie one bit. She and Bill had a thing, didn't they? What if she runs back to him, throwing Eric under the bus while she's at it?"
"She won't."
"But she could." I argued. "You might think she's some saint, Godric, but who knows where she's been in the past year. She could have changed. Maybe she's a royal bitch now. That would be my guess. You heard her; she didn't want to help Eric in the first place. She's going to rat him out, Godric."
"Savannah, you need to calm down." He took me by the shoulders, his eyes boring into mine. "Eric will be safe; I can feel it in my bones. We can trust Sookie. She cared for Eric once and I know that she still does."
"Like that's supposed to make me feel better." I rolled my eyes.
"If you can't trust her then at least trust me." he urged. "You can do that, can't you? Will you trust me, my love?"
I knew the answer without even thinking twice. Of course I trusted Godric. I trusted this vampire before me with my life. He had never failed me in the past and I knew, deep down inside, that he would never fail me in the future. Sure, trusting that Sookie wasn't going to run to Bill was excruciatingly hard to do, but I did trust that Godric would do everything in his power to protect Eric. He wouldn't trust his progeny's life, the progeny he saw as his own son, in the hands of just anyone. He trusted Sookie, for whatever reason, and right now, I needed to trust his instinct.
"Of course I trust you." I sighed with a nod. "I trust you with my life, so of course I trust you with Eric's. I'm just scared."
"Well you should be more scared for your own life than Eric's." Pam interrupted before Godric could say anything. "Bill was adamant on finding you as well."
"I won't let him have her." Godric shook his head, his expression hardening into one of possessiveness. "She is mine."
"Glad you feel that way; because he has orders to execute her the moment he has his hands on her."
The blood drained from my face. "W-what?"
"You heard me cupcake."
A low, feral growl sounded from the back of Godric's throat as he pulled me to his side, his grip almost bruising. I welcomed the feeling, however, feeling safer in his arms than anywhere else. I hadn't given myself a chance to think of what Bill's threats might mean. Execution? Death? I knew his warnings; his blackmailing was for a reason, after all. I knew I was dealing with these witches because of the consequences if I didn't. But to hear it put so point blankly, it shook me. I didn't want to die. I didn't want Eric to die either. None of this was supposed to happen. I was only a girl; I still had the whole world at my fingertips. And god knows I hadn't even scraped the surface of this triumvirate. I wanted more time with Godric and Eric. I needed it.
"I will kill him." Godric sounded so unlike himself. He sounded like the savage beast I knew he once was than the man I had fallen in love with. That should have scared me, that should have sparked fear in me. But it didn't. Because I knew he really would kill Bill, the King of Louisiana, if he had to to protect those he loved. And in some morbid way, that warmed my heart.
"No one ever liked that little prick anyways." The smirk was undeniable as it slipped across Pam's bright red lips. "I'd like to kill that little shit myself."
"Not yet." Godric advised. "Unless he poses a true threat, we cannot harm the King. Not unless we want the Authority keeping a closer eye on us. And that will only complicate things more."
"Fine." Pam sighed, as if the thought of waiting to kill Bill was an impossible task. "But I will enjoy hearing his screams one day, mark my words."
"Of course." There was a hint of a smirk on Godric's lips.
"Well I'm glad we have that figured out, now what about..." I trailed off, a frown coming over my lips. It felt like a cramp had just suddenly appeared, almost like it was my time of the month. Only it felt different, unlike anything I had ever felt before. I put a hand to my side as my frown deepened, my eyebrows furrowing together as I tried to figure out what was going on. Was it something I hate? Or lack thereof? Was it all of this worrying taking a toll on my body? Or was it more than that?
I had my answer in only a second as the cramping grew, working its way to a sharp, piercing pain. But it wasn't where it had been before, in the pit of my stomach, and instead it was in my arm. I yelped, jumping free of Godric's arms as I raised my own to inspect. My eyes grew as wide as saucers as I stared down at the angry red gash running across my wrist. What the hell? Blood was pooling in the wound when suddenly, it happened again, only higher this time on my forearm.
"Savannah?" Godric's stare fell on me, the concern and worry flowing through our blood.
Only it felt diluted, as if Godric wasn't the only one who I was sharing a connection with.
And that's when it hit me.
"Marnie." I whispered only to cry out in pain as a third gash appeared, this time deeper and longer. I whimpered as I tried to make sense of it all. I could feel Marnie inside of me. I could feel her metaphysical hand ripping into me, wiggling around in search of what she desired. Her hand prodded at my insides, much like last night, only it was far gentler than the claws that had ripped through my chest.
"Savannah?" Godric had my bleeding arm in his hands, cradling the limb to his chest as he tried to inspect the magic made wounds. "What have the witches done to you?"
I grit my teeth, my eyes watering as a fourth and I prayed final gash tore across my arm. I tried to blink away my tears but it was near impossible as they began to fall, one by one, only to wince as some hit the sensitive bleeding wounds. I was so caught up in the magic that was swirling around us, by whatever treachery Marnie was concocting now, that I never noticed Pam had grown closer until she was barely a foot away.
Godric, however, did notice, his head snapping to the side as his protective nature took over. "Pamela, inside now."
I snuck a peek at the blonde and I was both surprised and worried by the transfixed look on her face. She had never really smelt my blood first hand before, and without Eric or Godric's restraint, she couldn't help but feel drawn to me.
"Pamela." Godric growled, gaining her attention finally. She shook her head, her ice blue eyes blinking as her trance was broken. She still eyed my bleeding arm with interest, but she sent a nod in Godric direction and slowly began inching backwards to the roof door.
Once she was gone, and Godric and I were safely on the roof alone, the vampire raised his wrist up to his lips, biting into his own flesh. I gladly allowed him to bring his wrist to my lips, ready for the pain to be gone, and hopeful that Godric's blood would be able to battle away Marnie. But before even a single drop of vampire blood could pass through my lips, Godric was being ripped away from me as my body was knocked roughly to the ground.
I screamed, expecting it to be Bill or one of his minions on me, readying themselves to kill me in that very moment. But what I found, I wasn't sure if it was worst or not.
"Eric?"
My heart was pounding painfully in my chest as Eric crouched over me, one hand pushing hard against my shoulder to keep me from moving while the other had an iron grip around my wrist. He licked his lips hungrily as his fangs crept out, his blue orbs narrowed into lusting slits. I tried to squirm from beneath him, tried to struggle free. But that only seemed to make Eric tighten his grips as he yanked my arm towards him, the blood dripping onto the roof, slowly moving towards his awaiting lips.
"Eric stop." I pleaded in a cry, knowing that this version of Eric may not be able to stop himself from draining me dry. If my blood was as delicious as they continued to tell me, I knew he wouldn't be able to restrain himself like he used to. Because this Eric was nothing more than a baby vampire. "Please, Eric. You're hurting me. Please stop..."
Eric's tongue flicked out to catch the first drop of blood, savouring the taste in his mouth. I watched as the satisfaction washed over his younger appearing face and dread quickly filled me. Before I could even scream out Godric's name, Eric's fangs had sunk into my already wounded arm, hungrily lapping at every ounce of blood he could have. I whimpered, his other hand crushing my arm as he held my bloody limb to his lips. I struggled, trying to push him off of me, but it was no use. He was a thousand times stronger than I was.
"Eric." I pleaded. "Please, y-you're hurting me..."
Godric was at our side in a flash, his hands grasping onto Eric and was seconds away from yanking Eric off of me when he surprised us all. Eric's fangs slid from my wrist all on their own, a strange look crossing over his face. His eyebrows furrowed as his gaze turned from the blood rapidly pouring from my arm and to my face. I gulped, wondering what he could possibly do next. Godric was frozen to the spot, surprise evident on his own face, a look I didn't really understand.
But then I did.
So suddenly, like it had never been taken from us in the first place, Eric was there. He wasn't just crouching over me, he wasn't just holding onto my arm more gingerly now than he had a minute ago. I could feel him. I could feel the swirling confusion, the spark of the old Eric I so desperately wished for. I could feel the conflict, the inner battle he was raging. I could feel all of him, just as I had for the past few months.
Once again, this blood bond, this triumvirate, had shocked us all beyond belief. If it was able to bring our blood bond back, that connection I felt lost without, maybe it could bring the real Eric back to us.
"I-I hurt you." Eric's voice sounded so innocent, so sad even. His orbs moved back to my arm, which he hastily let go of and scurried to his feet. He stumbled back from my form, from Godric as he tried to reach out to him, and for a moment I thought he was going to leave entirely. But instead, he just stood there, a few feet away, as Godric helped me to my feet.
"Are you alright?" Godric questioned, worry plastered across his face.
"I'm fine. I think." I only had eyes for Eric, watching the mixture of emotions cross his face. "Eric? Can you feel me?"
"I hurt you." He repeated, frowning as he ducked his head. "I'm sorry."
My already broken heart snapped into a million more pieces. How could I possibly be angry with him when he had those sad, lost puppy dog eyes? It wasn't like this was the first time he had attacked me out of nowhere, and I doubt it would be the last.
"It's alright, Eric." I took a tentative step forward. "I'm fine."
"No you're not." he shook his head, his chin raising just a touch. "I can...I can feel your pain. So much pain. I'm sorry."
"Oh Eric." I sighed, moving closer to the new version of Eric, reaching out to him. He flinched at first, like he had last night, but instead of cowering behind a couch or Sookie, he eventually let me touch him. I felt relieved as I raised my hand to cup his cheek, raising his gaze to meet mine. "You didn't cause me that pain, those witches did."
"But I..." he trailed off, nodding to my arm sadly. "I did hurt you. And I...I shouldn't have."
"No, you shouldn't have. But you..." I searched for the right thing to say. "You aren't exactly yourself at the moment. It's okay, really. I'm okay."
"But the pain..."
"I'm sad, Eric. The witch, Marnie, I think she's gone now." I was right about that. Without even realizing it until now, I could no longer feel Marnie's intrusive magic prodding me for my necromancy. I was glad all I was left with were a few gashes on my arm. Unlike last time. "I'm just sad now."
"Why? Why are you sad?" it was cute the way his eyebrows stitched together, trying to understand the emotions he was feeling.
"Because I feel like I've lost you." I admitted.
"But I'm right here." He stated innocently.
"I know you are." I looked over to Godric for help. "You're just not entirely here, I guess."
"What she's trying to say is that she's worried about you." Godric explained, stepping forward. He laid a comforting hand on my shoulder before his gaze swept over Eric. "How did you know where to find us, Eric?"
I hadn't even thought about that. If our bonds had just reformed, then why did Eric know where to find us?
"I just...knew." Eric shrugged. "I could feel her, and you...but now I can...I can feel everything."
My gaze snapped to Godric. "He could feel us?"
"But we couldn't feel him." Godric tilted his head to the side. "How intriguing."
"That's one way to say it." I shook my head before a noise suddenly caught my attention. There was something going on just on the other side of that roof door. There was a scuffle, and even without my lovers' vampire hearing, I knew trouble was coming.
Godric did too as his hand tightened on my shoulder. "Bill. We need to go."
"But..."
"Eric, return back...goes back to where you were." Godric quickly corrected himself. "You'll be safe there."
"But..." Eric's frown deepened as he looked towards the roof door before down at Godric and I. "What if I want to go with you?"
My heart jolted at that. I wanted to say yes. I wanted to grasp his hand and to never let it go. But Godric pushed that thought right out of my head before I could even enjoy it.
"No, it's too risky. Go, Eric. Go now. I command you."
A shudder ran up Eric's spine as he felt his maker's order. He sighed, looking more like the old Eric, before complying, jumping from the roof at the last second. Godric had barely even grasped onto me, sweeping me up into his arms, before the roof door swung open, revealing Pam trying to struggle with Bill's men and the King himself.
"Godric!" Bill shouted, using his speed to race across the roof. "She's a danger to our kind!"
Godric was faster however, and he had taken off into the night sky before Bill could even reach us. He was faster than a bullet, dodging buildings as he raced through Shreveport and faraway from Bill. It wasn't until the city lights began to leave us behind that I was able to take a breath of relief and gaze up at Godric.
"Where are we going?" I asked, though a part of me already knew.
"To Eric's safe house." Godric answered, his body tense as he continued to fly faster than he ever had before. "It's the only place we'll be safe."
"Will Eric?" I asked fearfully. "Will he be safe?"
"We can only hope."