Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris owns all.
Rated M for several reasons.
Chpt 61 Panic in Action
SPOV
By the time Chicago calls on me I'm quivering like a racehorse in the starting gates, leaping to my feet and shrugging off Thalia's comforting hand at a speed that puts most of the vampires to shame.
"Ms Stackhouse, you are Northman's human, yes?"
"No."
"Vampire are aware that he has blood bonded you to him. Twice. This makes you his human." He explains, wondering if I'm as simple as my hair color and chest size suggest.
I shrug because the truth is I'm not really sure how to start this conversation, I was hoping someone would ask the right questions and that I'd somehow manage to get myself to Eric's side before I had to answer them.
"Do you or do you not belong to The Northman?"
"I do."
"Then you are his human." Chicago informs me with finality. "How did you know that there was a bomb planted at the hotel in Rhodes?"
"I'm a telepath, I heard it in the mind of one of the bombers."
"Ah yes, the bombers who were all killed before they could be questioned about the specifics of their plot."
I wait, there isn't much I'm prepared to say about that, at least not yet.
"How did you manage to get Northman out of the building following the explosion?"
"He got us both out, he's old, all I did was wake him up."
Vampires are nodding, sounds plausible and doesn't prove or disprove anything, so Chicago moves on.
"Did you leave the Queen's Palace with your Master the night of her disappearance?"
"No. I was kidnapped by one of Victor Madden's vampires."
"Are you sure?" Nevada demands.
"Yes. I already knew him, his name was Bill Compton."
Nevada smiles, doing a fair impersonation of a barracuda. "Is this the same Compton who previously resided in Northman's Area?"
I nod and his smile widens, flashing the whole room again like a miniature lighthouse beam.
"A former associate of Northman's 'kidnaps' his human in the middle of an 'alleged' takeover." He chuckles. "How very convenient."
"Actually it was extremely inconvenient." I retort. "The Queen's forces were under attack and it was quite some time before Eric was able to come after me."
There's a chorus of snorts at my use of Eric's name which the vampire himself seems to find amusing.
"Tell me Ms Stackhouse." Nevada growls, eyes narrowing. "What does your Master expect you tell us about the events of that night?"
"The truth I would imagine." I offer, raising my eyebrow at Eric, who nods with a slight smirk.
"Ah yes, the truth." He laughs, waggling his eyebrows to the room at large.
Alright then you little freak, you asked for it.
"If you are implying that he's glamoured me so I'll say what he wants me to then I think there must be something wrong with your memory, Felipe." I say sweetly. "You established that wasn't possible the night of Eric's coronation. He might be three times the vampire you are but he can't glamour me either."
The room erupts briefly but all I'm aware of is Eric's bark of laughter and the swelling of pride in our bond.
"Northman, really." Washington thunders. "I would have expected your human to be considerably better trained."
Eric raises an eyebrow but remains silent.
"If you cannot control her one of us will." Nevada threatens, sensing a chance to take me I'm hoping Eric won't let him use.
"Sookie." Eric commands, rising fluidly to his feet. "Come."
Resisting the urge to wag my tail like a dog I wiggle my way down the row and out into the gangway, heeling like a good little human. As soon as I reach him one of his long arms winds around my waist, pulling my back into his chest and tightening to hold me there so we can face the amphitheatre together. He might have sighed a little in relief, I know I did.
All eyes are on us but I only take the time to look at the ones I'm interested in. Niall, Alcide, Thalia and Charles are all supressing their smiles.
"Sookie." Eric continues, giving Nevada the stink eye. "This is a Council of Monarchs, one which the Ancient Pythoness has consented to join. Be nice."
"I'm sorry." I address the bench, ignoring De Castro. "But my point is valid. I can't be glamoured and there is nothing wrong with memories of what happened that night."
Chicago shoots De Castro a dirty look before resuming his questioning.
"How do you know the vampire Compton was working for Philadelphia?" He asks me.
"Because he told me."
Cue rude laughter all round.
"He may not have been telling you the truth." Chicago points out indulgently.
"He was." My answer is crisp and immediate. "Philadelphia made a deal with the Queen's second to give her safe passage out of the state after the takeover, Andre was supposed to make sure he got me in exchange, but Bill took me first."
"And why would he do that?" New York asks shrewdly.
Time for a little white lie, or rather, omission of part of the truth.
"Because Philadelphia had no intention of letting the Queen or her entourage live after his takeover, Bill was a procurer, he sent him to get me before Andre could finagle me away from Eric and hide me."
"Preposterous." Washington mutters, earning quite a few nod of agreement.
"Quite." Chicago agrees. "The whole idea does not fit with what we have heard so far and worse, I find it difficult to believe that a vampire would share such detailed and sensitive information with a mere human chattel."
"He didn't." I observe casually. "I read it in his mind."
Uproar, the whole place is in uproar.
"Nicely done." Eric murmurs.
"Thanks."
"It is not exactly keeping a low profile however." He adds quietly while the 'Officiant' goes to town with his gavel in an attempt to restore order.
"Lesser of two evils."
"You know it may come to revealing the other evil?" He asks me.
"I know."
He doesn't apologise, expect me to, or ask me if I'm sure, and I appreciate that about him, he's never once confused me with a blonde bimbo and he's standing by his choice to be with me no matter what I am. And he says I'm amazing?
My little moment is ruined when the commotion dies down.
Reaction is mixed. For the most part the vampires don't believe it but their ideas for what to do about me if it's true fall into two camps. Kill her. And, I've gotta get me one of those. No prizes for guessing which camp Nevada's in, he's already trying to work out how to get me out of here before I'm inconveniently discorporated by someone with less vision than he's got.
The six vampires on the bench are watching Eric and I carefully, unashamedly considering their next action. They'd like proof, one way or another, which I was expecting, but they don't want Eric's impending martyrdom to be derailed in any way and certainly not by anything enlightening I may claim to have overheard in a vampire mind.
Mississippi comes to the obvious conclusion first but as the one most reluctant to see Eric's demise keeps it to himself, its New York who has no such qualms.
"The matter of whether or not the human can read vampire minds is extremely serious and needs to be considered in great detail." He begins. "However I do not believe that this meeting is the time nor place for such an activity."
"I agree." Nevada interjects.
Of course you do. Could you be any more transparent?
"I think, therefore." New York continues. "That ownership and responsibility for this asset should be transferred to a suitable Monarch who can bring her back before this Council at a later date, so that what she represents can be properly judged and considered."
Eric stiffens, tightening his hold on me until it's almost difficult to breathe.
As they launch into a discussion about just who will be the lucky Monarch the lawyer, Desmond Cataliades, gets to his feet and clears his throat.
"I am afraid." He intones, when everyone's attention is on him. "That that will not be possible."
"Excuse me?" Washington enquires, buying them all time to marshal their thoughts.
"Ms Stackhouse is the legally registered property of Eric, The Northman, King of Louisiana and as such she cannot be removed from his care."
"We know how this works Desmond." Chicago growls testily. "We all keep humans of our own."
"I understand that your Majesty. However this case is slightly different and not least because Ms Stackhouse is not a human."
More uproar though I have to say I don't mind being outed if it means they can't take me away from Eric and I'll get the chance to tell them that I know what they're up to.
"She looks and smells like a human to me." Indiana observes. "You had better explain yourself Desmond."
"Of course your Majesty." The demon lawyer inclines his head graciously, holding out his hand, into which a grinning Niall places a sheaf of papers. "Ms Stackhouse is an acknowledged member of the supernatural community and he who has right to her by blood has assigned that right to The Northman."
There is silence while they digest the implications, though it takes me a little while to pick the reason out of their heads. Though vampires frequently ignore the fact that being a member of the supernatural community confers certain rights on a person, they're at least cautious about flouting them too blatantly.
"This is turning out to be something of a farce." Mississippi chuckles eventually.
"I agree." Chicago snaps. "Can we please get back to the matter at hand?"
"What about the issue of the 'non-human'?"
New York's question makes Eric snort with amusement for some reason.
"I don't see how that changes anything." Washington responds. "Once Louisiana meets his true death she won't belong to him any more, one of us can take custody of her until her alleged gift and origins can be properly assessed."
Desmond clears his throat again, once more drawing all attention back to himself.
"I am sorry your Majesty but your words seem to imply that my client is to be found guilty and executed, is that not a little premature since we are possibly not even halfway through proceedings?"
"Don't be such an old woman Desmond." New York snaps. "Washington wasn't implying anything."
Now or never.
"Yes he was." I pipe up, basking in the warm glow of Eric's encouragement. "This whole thing has been orchestrated with assistance from Felipe De Castro so that you can have someone to blame in the media for the untimely disappearance of Steve Newlin and all the other crap you pull because you think you're better than everyone else and entitled."
Now that, is silence.
Broken by high cackling laughter.
I can't feel anyone except Mississippi particularly amused by all this so I look first at the demon lawyer and Niall, both of whom are smirking but not actually laughing. Niall's eyes slide sideways and I follow them to the end of the bench where the elderly looking vampire they call the Ancient Pythoness is laughing up a storm and slapping her palms on the wood in front of her.
Absolutely no one is brave enough to interrupt her so the whole amphitheatre watches as she gets herself, reluctantly, back under control and eyeballs us back. She doesn't, however, appear to have anything to say so eventually New York gathers his courage and re-starts proceedings.
"That." He says sternly, addressing me. "Is a very serious accusation."
I straighten my spine and square my shoulders.
"Well unfortunately I haven't got any better physical evidence than you all have." I respond, staring him down. "I can read your mind just as well as anyone else's here. Want me to elaborate?"
"I have nothing to hide." He huffs, leaning back in his chair as if to demonstrate the fact.
"That's debatable." I counter. "But beside the point. You're largely going along with this for expediency. I'd much rather tell you all what's going on in Felipe's mind."
"Oh please do Ms Stackhouse." The vampire himself taunts me.
No one seems inclined to stop me, so I do. And the look of contempt stays on his face, even though inside, he's appalled that I'm privy to his every mental pimple.
"An entertaining story." He concedes with a sneer when I'm done.
"I thought so." I agree, all sweetness again. "Some of the others do too. Maybe we should 'frame' you for the Rhodes fiasco instead of Eric, seems to me my story would work just as well as yours, better in fact, since you're a far more believable villain, what with your 'track record' in Nevada an' all."
His jaw works for a moment and then he waves his hand dismissively, dropping into his seat like someone's cut his strings.
"Nothing to say?" I press.
He snorts and tips his patrician nose into the air.
Stalemate.
Or perhaps not. The crowd is loving it but the bench are considering exactly how pissed off the poker faced Eric might actually be. I know and the answer is extremely. And they're wondering if continuing Plan A, with the resources currently available to ensure they have the upper hand, might be the most prudent way to go, from the perspective of enlightened self-interest and not wishing to die at the wrong end of a Viking long sword at some point in the future.
Eric's well-earned reputation and my potential abilities are working against us.
Fuck!
I wish I was better at this.
"I think." Indiana suggests. "We should take some time to consider the evidence that has been presented."
The others nod and the 'Officiant' jumps to his feet and starts barking out instructions.
No, no, no, no, no. That's not what I want. They can't do this now . . . .
Body armoured guards are descending on Eric and I, intent on tearing us apart despite what was said earlier and the demon lawyer's vociferous objections.
And then it happens, something I promised myself I wouldn't let happen until I had absolutely no other choice.
No one gets fried but the smoking crater in the floor before the dais is a little bit difficult to ignore . . . .
Eric moves me deftly behind him and drops into a fighting crouch.
Oops . . . .