Sorry guys for the short chapter. I know some of you have been waiting a long time for this chapter, and even though I debated and tried to work out how to fix it so this chapter was longer and encompassed more, I just felt like this was the most logical way for it to flow. Most of the events in the first of this chapter parallel Dead and Gone so rather than go into detail I quickly recapped. All characters, the events and storyline of Dead and Gone belong to Charlaine Harris, I am simply providing an alternative plot.
I hardly slept at all when I got home. Though I was exhausted, I just couldn't clear my head enough to drift off to sleep. I thought about my time with Eric when he had lost his memory and how uncomplicated things were for that brief time. Then I thought about my relationship with Quinn. Comparing the two, I couldn't help but think of how different they were, especially when compared to Bill. I tossed and turned most of the night rehashing the men in my life until the wee hours of the morning when sleep finally took me.
The next morning I didn't have a chance to call Niall. Sam called me first thing in the morning to give me an update on his mom. After hanging up with him and getting ready, I thought I'd be able to call my great- grandfather, but life had other plans. The FBI showed up at my door to question me about the incident at Rhodes. Then while they were still at the house I got a call from Merlotte's telling me Crystal, my sister in law had been murdered and she was dead in the parking lot. She had been crucified. By the time I realized I wouldn't be opening the bar at all that day I had been waiting in the parking lot for hours. I decided to go home and call Niall and spent a little time with Octavia. I left Niall a message on his answering service telling him I'd like to speak with him and after a couple hours in the company of my older witchy roommate, I decided I'd go see Eric. We talked for quite a while about various things, barely even mentioning the incident with the knife. When we did broach the subject he confirmed some of my worst suspicions about De Castro. I was definitely going to need a plan if I intended to stay here in Louisiana and maintain my independence.
"De Castro wants nothing more than to have you standing opposite Quinn for his business dealings every night. His protector and lie detector." Eric told me somewhat sadly. Whether or not what he was trying to do with the knife was for his own benefit or not (and I was sure it was to some extent) he was also doing it to keep me where I want to be. And for that I felt I owed him for being so stubborn about refusing it.
"But he promised me his protection when I killed Sigebiert. Why would he try to force me to go to Nevada?" I sounded whiny even to myself.
"Yes, he did offer you protection. And he would love to protect you from right by his side, as you serve as his personal lie detector for all of his non-vamp business matters." And with that the subject was closed. We sat together lost in our thoughts for some time before I finally said my goodnights and Eric saw me out. He leaned over to give me a kiss at the door. 'Please be careful' he said and then turned and walked back to his office.
I hoped I could talk to Niall before Quinn came. Not because I suspected Quinn would ever want to harm me or even intentionally plot against me, but in the end he is still under Nevada's control. If they allowed him to come, I was sure he was part of whatever plot they were formulating concerning me, whether he knew it or not. Until I come up with a plan, I didn't see how talking to Quinn could end any way but badly.
When I got home I changed into some pajamas before searching the refrigerator for something to eat. I settled on a container of yogurt and made a sandwich to go with it and noticed the light blinking on the answering machine while I sat in the quiet of my kitchen eating. It was Niall returning my call, so I decided to try him again tonight before I went to bed. Luckily I he answered after the second ring.
"Dear one, to what do I owe the pleasure of your call?" was his greeting. I told him all about my problem as well as Eric's feelings on the subject. He was more than happy that I wasn't so easily tricked into being pledged to a vampire even if 'Eric has proven himself honorable as your protector'. We both knew that was as close to a compliment as Niall was going to get; and I think Eric would have been proud to hear a comment from Niall as close to a compliment as that about him. After he thought out loud for several minutes regarding possibilities and what ifs (much of which I didn't understand) he informed me he would think on it and get back to me with a solution.
"Granddaughter, I also needed to warn you to be careful in regards to our people." He stated out of nowhere.
"I'm sorry? What do you mean Niall?"
"Just be on the watch for strangers, and if a fairy that is not Claudine, Claude or me approaches you, run in the opposite direction. Especially if the fairy looks like your brother." He was scaring me. I knew for a fact that if I were being pursued by a fairy I wouldn't stand a chance against them. I had seen Claudine in action.
"Grandfather, is there some kind of trouble?" I asked hoping to get straight to the point.
"Nothing for you to worry about" he answered immediately. "I will take care of everything, and I will get back to you very soon concerning Nevada. I am afraid, however, I must be careful not when visiting you. I may have to pop in without warning so I can be sure not to put you in further danger. Be safe my child."
"Goodnight Niall" I replied before he hung up.
As if I didn't have enough to worry about, I thought sarcastically as I cleaned my dished and headed to my bedroom. I got ready for bed quickly and crawled under my covers.
That night, even though I had a regime of very determined vampires with goals of obtaining me, a weretiger ex about to visit, and my great-grandfather's fairy enemies wanting who knows what from me, I was asleep as soon as my eyes were closed.