The music from the club thumped all the way down to the lower areas the music seemed louder where he stood by the desk. The vampire chalked it up as a way for Harold to have a little mood music while he tortured his victims. The walls were stained in dried blood. Some vampires found comfort in the smell of blood and death. The vampires with that kind of proclivity might as well sniff glue or spray paint. Andre waited impatiently in the back room of Harold's club. He looked at the stone floor that had once been covered in Harold. He looked up when he heard approaching footsteps. Two vampires strode in. He recognized Bill, and his companion looked vaguely familiar.
"Where's Thornton," he looked expectantly behind her.
"She's taking a personal day what with being almost killed and all," Bill took more step forward than the Viking, who stopped inches from the opening. His legs were spaced a part as if he was waiting for something.
Sophie-Anne's protector sized the vampire with the blond head over. His identity was so close he almost had it on his tongue, but it still eluded him. He had striking features. Pale skin that practically glowed, then again they all had pale skin that practically glowed.
"Well, I don't have to tell you how disappointed I was to hear that she wasn't taking this job as seriously as she should."
"She's just had to adapt to the quarry," Bill reasoned. He hadn't asked the questions before the meeting, but he figured he could bullshit his way through. "And then there is the fact that Pamela Swynford de Beaufort doesn't have possession of the book.
Andre's eyes narrowed. "I have it on good authority that she does," the vampire countered.
Eric was curious about his infallible source, "who?"
"I missed your name."
"Eric Northman," he answered easily.
"Godric's progeny," Andre's fangs came out.
Eric raised his head proud of the acknowledgement. His fist closed as his fangs came out as well. Bill eyed both men curiously. He wasn't a fighter. He preferred the civil arrangement of business. "There is a simpler solution," neither vampire looked at him, but they didn't attack each other either. "I have several treasures in my private collection—"
"I want the books."
"Over my dead body," Eric meant the words as an invitation.
"There's no need for things to escalate from here," Bill yelled as the vampires sped and clashed in the center of the room. Eric was stronger and more powerful. Andre didn't match him and couldn't given his age. The outcome was a little underwhelming, but if Andre had thought he stood a chance it was in his own mind. He was held up dangling by the more impressive vampire and Bill started behind him to salvage this meeting. "You really shouldn't kill him over a book."
"You're looking at it all wrong," Northman smirked. "I say he is willing to die for a book."
Bill narrowed his eyes. "Perhaps we can negotiate."
Eric cut his eyes at him, "I've never read that book."
Bill entertained him by waiting in silence for an answer.
"Stalemates require negotiation, not the winning team," Eric educated him.
Bill was looking at the big picture. "I have a history with Andre. I'd feel a lot better if we could settle this without a true death."
"Pencil pusher."
"Neanderthal."
"I'm only interested in finding a name," he struggled when Eric finally let him go.
"What name?" Eric growled.
Stretching his neck Andre against his better judgment told him.
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Sophie-Anne cried out in pain as if a glove of silver broke through her skin and pulled the veins leading to her heart. She lurched forward and forward then sped towards her progeny even as she knew her progeny was dead.
Pam could feel a shift in Eric. Their bond had been broken, but they had tasted each other's blood. It wasn't as powerful as the bond between progeny and maker, but she sped behind Sophie-Anne feeling a mysterious urgency.
She was too quick for Lafayette to follow. He was still looking at the chair before he realized she was gone. "What the hell just happened?"
Tara shook her head just as lost as Lafayette.
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Eric chuckled at the vampire he had originally underestimated. They were both covered in blood. Bill wiped at his face decidedly unhappy at his own conduct. He had expected this from Eric, but he had let his guard down and been unprepared to hear the name that had caused him to kill the vampire. He foolishly acted on reflex.
"Didn't think you had it in you."
The dark haired vampire stepped from the puddle of blood and flesh, "that didn't end how I would have liked."
Sophie-Anne appeared at the entrance. Her eyes sought out Andre even though she knew he was dead. Her eyes fell on the puddle a tall blond stood beside. Instinctively she attacked. Eric was caught off guard, and saved when Pam caught the vampires hand as it came down like a determined claw, ready to rip Eric's neck off.
The red head found Pam's eyes. The vampire was stronger and that thought alone fueled her rage as she threw Pam away, she would have hit the wall if Bill hadn't caught her. She looked down at the mess of her clothes. Red hand prints, "next time let me hit the wall," she growled.
The Viking stood up with Sophie-Anne in his arms harmlessly flailing around like a spoiled child.
"I'll kill you all for what you've done to my progeny!"
"Actually there's only one of us you need to kill." Eric grabbed her chin to force her to stop moving and then nodded toward Bill, who didn't seem as grateful to harbor all the credit.
"Let me go and he'll be the only one I kill," she offered.
Eric had a look of contemplation on his face, "tempting."
Bill glared.
"Do you know how hard it is to find loyal help these days?" she stood upright when the Viking let her down.
"You were so reliable Bill. It's sad to see you this way."
"He said a name, Sookie, what does she have to do with anything?"
"Right so you can stake me later as soon as you've gotten what you want. You would have had a better chance if you left my protector alive," she taunted.
"I'm really getting tired of this Sookie bitch," palms on her hips she walked away.
The red head saw opportunity and pounced.
"So she's here," she watched Bill's reaction closely. "I want her give her to me," she ordered like she was in a position to give demands.
"Would you like to rephrase that?" Bill challenged.
"Or else."
She met his eyes evilly.
"How do you think I came to be here?" her question earned her blank stares. "I may be a lot of things, but stupid isn't one of them. You've all underestimated me and I think it's sweet with my how I can still be underestimated. It makes a girl like me feel young."
Pam was bored with her miniature diatribe, "what the fuck Sophie," she growled.
"Lafayette."
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30 years ago…..
Lafayette could get passed the torture and humiliation. They were temporary if not scarring truths he could ignore over time. Pam was giving him an out. He would be wise to take it. He had earned enough of her trust to roam free throughout Fangtasia. Though, he didn't think it was trust as much as a confidence that enough fear was instilled in him. If he did leave there was nowhere he could go. She would find him and kill him, so he chose the lesser of the two evils. He would play nice with vampire bitch.
He watched the love connection between humans and supernatural beings. Some of them came to eat while others wanted to be eaten alive. The humans that allowed themselves to be bitten deserved the shit that came after. He never drank from the source. It would be just as disturbing as eating a burger with a head. The shit wasn't right and it wasn't for him. He drank from his shot glass swallowing the burn.
"Hey human," a young red head sat at the stool in front of him.
"What your poison?" he asked ready to make a drink if necessary. She looked out of place and it wasn't until she smiled to show her fangs that he realized she was a vampire.
"You a little young to be living forever."
"We all have to be good as something."
"Bitch I'm a fucking expert at sexy who you telling."
Sophie-Anne was never to the type to beat around the bush. She wanted Lafayette. He made her laugh, but there was a smell wafting off of him that she couldn't ignore. After a few moments she smirked at the source of the scent congratulating herself on figuring it out.
"Who do you belong to?"
"Myfuckingself," he added with attitude.
Her brows narrowed but the smile was still there, "no seriously you master smells delicious. I'd like to meet them." She didn't want to give herself away just yet.
"Seriously I don't do 'yes master no master' that shit is for slaves it's 2013."
"That's one of looking, but I'm not sure your owner feels the same way. She's marked you like your property. "
"I ain't say nothing about a she," the bartender narrowed his eyes.
Sophie-Anne's eyes widened theatrically, "no you didn't. Let's try this again shall we? I'm Sophie-Anne and I would like to be your friend."
She liked to have eyes and ears in the most interesting places. Thirty years ago she didn't see real potential allying with the dark skinned bartender. She did it for fun. She did it because she could and one never knew the value of a willing ear or a kind word.
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"You did most of the work for me," the red head thanked Pam silently. "Don't think that you can save her now. Lafayette per my instruction has her until I've returned."
"He wouldn't betray me."
"He would, he did, and he doesn't regret it Pam. Humans know they are meat. They don't like to be reminded of it."
"He and Tara—"
Sophie-Anne shook her head, "had a falling out. It seems when bridges are burned it's as good as ash, but I'm not complaining. I have a friend that has your friend and the only way we're going to be happy is for Bill to give me his friend." She stared pointedly at Bill. It made sense he would be the one to have an attachment to a human who was also half Fey. It romantic, if she were the type to like romances.
"Come come Pam, what's your next move?"
"To kick your ass."
"Because that will convince me to give you what you want," the red headed laughed excitedly. "I've always thought you were beautiful Pam. A waste of a good vampire to be one of Godric's clan. Did you hear how he administered the true death on himself?" She said it was if were news considering it happened years ago.
The blond stalked to her, but Eric stopped his progeny before she did something she might regret. As every moment ticked by she was looking more and more smug. Her progenies death wasn't planned. Her progeny was dead and her wild card was who knows where by now with Tara.
Pam treated Lafayette better than most humans and vampires she met. How could he betray her? She didn't even remember Bon Temp enough to sympathize with his perspective.
"Give her fucking Sookie," Pam stated. She didn't care what happened to the blond.
"No," Bill wouldn't hear of it.
The blond turned on him and he returned her evil glare.
"Continue to agree to disagree," she took Harold's seat. "Tick tock tick tock," she taunted as she leaned back in the chair.