AN: Another chapter! Yay! :D
Happy Reading! Enjoy!
Chapter 23
GPOV
I watch my child disappear from sight as my ever courageous love silently breaks down in my arms, our shared pain emanating through us as I try my best to soothe her. I hold her close, gazing around the room to see our vampires come back to themselves once more, each shaking off their previous stupor before stepping away from their would be victims. The air in the bar is laden with worry and concerned glances are sent our way from every direction as I proceed to run my hands comfortingly over my softly weeping love's back.
"Tell us what we can do," Octavia says, stepping forward as she sends a sympathetic gaze over Sookie. "Your child sacrificed himself for all of us and I won't stand to have those slimy witches lay their filthy paws on him," she spits out as the room sounds with rumbles of agreement.
"I am not entirely sure how to proceed," I admit rather miserably. "Hallow, along with her coven, have surely overheard our prepared battle strategies. I suppose now we are left with no choice but to begin anew," I sigh out, seeing matching concern shining from the faces of all flavors of supernaturals.
"Right," says Desmond, the demon lawyer, stepping forward with his nieces at either side of him. "I suppose it may be best to disperse for now, in case this coven decides to return tonight. Perhaps we can reconvene tomorrow evening, preferably at a new location," he suggests, earning low murmurs of agreement from the group as I silently agree with his plan.
"A good idea," Amelia agrees, sending a small smile to Diantha and Gladiola. "Let's plan on meeting at Charmed, Inc. headquarters tomorrow night at sundown. Until then, we've got twenty four hours to form a new plan of attack," she suggests as Sookie nods against my chest before pulling her face away to look up to me with wide, tear filled eyes.
"Along with a rescue mission to save Eric," she throws out to her magically inclined friend to earn a firm nod from her.
"Of course, Eric's release is first priority," she aims at Sookie with a soft smile before turning back to the crowd. "Agreed?" she calls out.
"Agreed," the crowd calls back in unison, grim determination etched over collective faces before the groups begin to disperse, none wanting to be an easy target should the coven return once more.
"We shall save our Eric, my love, worry not," I say softly, brushing her golden hair behind her ear as she nods lightly. "But for now, I suggest I return you home. You shall need your rest for the upcoming battle," I suggest softly as she looks to me with a small frown.
"But I want to help Eric," she argues as I lift a brow at her, feeling just how exhausted she is before she finally sighs, nodding her agreement. "Alright, I'll get some sleep," she concedes softly.
"Thank you, my Sookie," I return, placing a soft kiss to her temple before we're exiting the bar together. I help her situate herself in the passenger's seat before taking my own place behind the wheel of Eric's flashy, sports car and soon, we're speeding home, my mind already whirling with possibilities for my child's swift rescue.
Normally, I would not hesitate to encroach upon enemy territory, proceeding to rip apart any in my way in order to ensure my child's freedom, but now, with mine and my soulmate's life forces entwined the way they are, I simply cannot take such a perilous risk. There simply must be a way to free him before these witches can move forward with their reprehensible plans.
"I'm going to kill them," Sookie grits out then, looking to me as her sapphire eyes burn with a hatred I can feel bubbling between us. "I'll kill each and every one of them for even thinking of laying a finger on him," she adds grimly as I reach over to take her hand into my own, squeezing it gently.
"Of this, I have no doubt, my beloved, and I shall be right by your side, fighting for the return of our love," I assure her, earning a firm nod of her golden head before she stares ahead once more, thinking loud enough that I swear, I can almost hear her inner monologue.
We pull before the house then and I throw the car into park before feeling Sookie's fear spike through me. My head whips up; turning to see what has startled her and am left in a state of confusion as I take in the surprising sight before me.
"Shit," Sookie whispers, her head falling back to the seat in defeat. "This is the last thing we need to deal with tonight," she sighs out as I raise a questioning brow at her.
"This is not your first run in with a maenad, I take it, my love?" I question her, earning a firm headshake as her fear is welling up between us.
"Callisto and I met briefly before," she informs me, a shudder of fright running through her as I glance up to see said maenad twirling over the lawn, seeming oblivious to much of anything at the current moment. "She was only around long enough to use me as a bleeding, injured message to Eric, asking him for some kind of tribute," she explains as realization finally sets in.
"Then I must assume the purpose of this visit is to request a more fitting tribute to Dionysus," I muse aloud, watching as the nymph continues to dance over the moon washed lawn with abandon. I take in her ceremonial dress, noting her crude, fawn skin covering and leafy, vine crown along with her slithering python. She is also equipped with her mystical thyrsus held tightly in hand and I know this means she is prepared to proceed with her godly ritual, something she will not be persuaded against.
"Eric had Pam leave a bull for her," Sookie tells me then, tilting her head at the oblivious nymph as I sigh softly.
"I am afraid such a sacrifice would be seen as unworthy for her god, dear one," I explain, wondering how my child could make such a grave mistake. "She is likely to be incensed by this insufficient offering and will not be apt to listen to reason, my love, so I must ask that you allow me to protect you as best I can, for such a creature possesses godlike strength, unmatched by any vampire, even one as ancient as myself," I explain gravely as Sookie gulps nervously, nodding her understanding.
"Okay," she agrees softly. "I'm not about to start a fight with her, Godric. That bitch scares the hell out of me," she whispers fearfully as I nod my agreement, having seen just what devastation such a creature is capable of.
"Let us confront her then, dear one," I tell her, lifting her hand to kiss her knuckles softly as my mind is swimming with ideas. "I believe we may be able to use this visit to our advantage," I muse thoughtfully before we're exiting the car together.
Sookie trails behind me, keeping close and mostly out of sight as we draw closer and soon enough; the unaware nymph turns her attention towards us as her dark eyes shine in recognition.
"Godric," she greets absently, stroking her python with one hand whilst clutching her thyrsus tightly in the other.
"Callisto," I greet in turn, bobbing my head lightly, wanting to keep the insane, godlike creature appeased. "To what do we owe the pleasure of tonight's visit?" I question as the maenad tilts her head at me, a small smirk playing at her lips.
"Your child has been very naughty, I fear," she sings out merrily just before a grim expression crosses her face. "He should know what qualifies as worthy tribute," she spits out, as I'm left trying to keep up with her rollercoaster of emotions.
"Of course," I answer back. "I am so terribly sorry for my child's insolence in this. He is still young, at least compared to the likes of us," I offer as she steps closer, her eyes nearly glowing in ire.
"I demand proper tribute," she growls out, turning her gaze over my shoulder before a malicious grin crosses her face. "Perhaps another warning is in order, though this time, I won't be nearly as gentle," she warns, lifting her hand from her scaled pet to reach towards my love. I can feel Sookie's heartbeat racing wildly against me and know I must gain the raving one's attention quickly before the situation has a chance to escalate further.
"I have something much better in mind," I interject, halting the maenad's motions as she raises a brow at me. "A sacrifice that will surely appease Dionysus greatly," I add as she lowers her hand to her python once more, resuming her absent petting as her gaze catches my own once more.
"I'm listening, vampire," she replies, her eyes sparkling by the light of moon, apparently eager to hear what I deem such a fitting sacrifice.
"An entire, shapeshifting coven," I offer eagerly. "A perfect offering as they are, even know, under the lustful influence of our mystic blood," I elaborate as she seems to be thinking this over. "My child is entertaining them now, readying them for your ritual," I add, sending a hopeful prayer to the gods that she will take the bait.
"A coven, you say?" she muses aloud, raising her python's face up to meet her own. "What do you think? Does that sound like a proper sacrifice, my pet?" she coos indulgently at the slithering creature. "Yes, I think so, too," she says after a moment's pause as I let out a small sigh of relief.
"I am most delighted you find this to be such an adequate offering," I reply, bowing my head to the nymph as she hits me with a stern gaze.
"And your child?" she questions as mine and Sookie's fear spikes between us. "Tell me why I should not offer him along with this coven," she demands of me, thrusting her thyrsus into the ground harshly as I rifle though my mind for an adequate retort.
"But my Eric is vampire," I remind her. "An inadequate sacrifice for a god."
"Yes," she says thoughtfully. "But prideful men, undead or not, make for such an exquisite feast," she purrs, practically licking her chops as tiny, sharp fangs glint in the moonlight.
"But Eric's not prideful," Sookie pipes up, poking her head out from behind me to gain the maenad's attention. "Only tonight, he sacrificed his own life to save near strangers. No prideful man would humble himself in such a way," she explains as Callisto looks to me in question.
"She speaks truth, Callisto," I assure her before the nymph is tapping her chin thoughtfully.
"How noble," she whispers before she's muttering thoughtfully to herself, seeming to weigh her options before she sends us a firm nod. "Fine," she finally answers. "I shall spare your child this night, but the witches, every last one of them, shall fall by my hands," she informs us as said hands begin to lengthen, becoming menacing claws before our very eyes.
"Yes, of course, all of them," I agree wholeheartedly, earning a triumphant grin from the maenad as Sookie trembles slightly against my back. The goddess-like creature throws her wild head of hair back then, pointing her face towards the star covered heavens as she earnestly breathes in the surrounding air, seeming to be sniffing out her target before a wide grin pulls at her lips.
"There shall be much blood and carnage this night," she informs us eagerly. "Dionysus thanks you for your gracious offering," she adds lowly, her voice now a low growl before she's darting through the darkened night, making a beeline towards her target as Sookie and I let out matching sighs of relief.
"Holy shit," Sookie says, shaking her head as she watches the disappearing form of the nymph closely. "I can't believe that worked," she adds, looking to me with a small smirk as I grant her a rather smug grin.
"I believe that bit of quick thinking on both our parts just granted us the demise of our enemies along with the freedom of our love, dear one," I return, earning a fervent nod before my Sookie is hugging me tightly, her exuberance flowing between us to bring a fond smile to my face.
"Thank you," she whispers, looking up to me with her ever beautiful face that still manages to awe me, even after all these centuries.
"Of course, my love," I reply, kissing her softly. "Now we need only wait for our Eric's swift return," I inform her before proceeding to guide her into the house. I cannot rest easy just yet, as I well know the ever wavering moods of maenads could yet pose a threat to my child, but I must hold unto the hope that the offering of the coven is enough to satisfy the creature's appetites wholly.