Hi!
So this is the final chapter. There is an epilogue coming after this one. A special thank you to Ancholia my beta and suzyq59, saldred75, Perfecta999, ashmo2000, Weewoman1 and HartofBooks for their kind reviews.
Thank you to all of you who read and followed this story. It was nice to see that this unordinary story was followed by some of you :)
Sookie looked around and noticed Sam approaching them.
"Sam! There you are" Sookie said kindly, tapping his head.
Pam looked at her with suspicion. "Do you know him?"
"Yes he's my friend; he's the one who showed me the Dead Castle in the first place. Stay here with Freyda, I'm going inside with Cataliades."
"Yes of course, I love staying in the rain." Pam replied.
"Sam, come with me and help us find a dry place."
The dog barked and entered the castle followed by Sookie and Cataliades.
Sookie reappeared outside "This way Pam"
The two women followed Sookie who was giving Cataliades pieces of wood.
"Hurry Sookie, I can't stand the humidity"
Sookie put the logs next to Cataliades who grabbed them eagerly.
"This place is completely destroyed" Pam noticed. "Well done Sookie."
"It's not the right time for your sarcasm Pam!" Sookie shouted.
"I told you not to get out of the Castle." Cataliades added.
"Yes and what now?" Sookie leant above Cataliades. "We need your help now Cataliades. I need to find Eric, please help me. Your magic could move the Castle. You're our last hope."
"Who? Me?" Cataliades asked surprised.
"I know you can do it! You are so powerful, nothing can stop you. Besides you know where Eric is with his ring!" Sookie told him full of hope.
"Yes but I need a real fireplace, it's too humid in here." He complained.
"Oh but you know that everything can burn, right?"
Freyda moved towards the flame "What a pretty flame" she mumbled.
"I need something from you" Cataliades said to Sookie.
"From me?"
"All alone I won't be able to do it and Eric had your blood, it will be easier to find him. You could give me your eyes?"
Sookie straightened and looked at the Demon with surprise.
"My eyes? I could give you some of my blood instead." She said and took a piece of glass lying at her foot. She cut her hand, and Pam and Freyda's fangs clicked out. Sookie let the drops of her blood fall on Cataliades and just as the drops touched the flame, Cataliades turned into an intense, strong and tall fire. His powerful energy filled the room and the Castle started to crack loudly until its base lifted from the ground and started to move.
Pam, Sookie and Freyda were staring at the flames with wonder.
"Cataliades, you are incredible" Sookie exclaimed above the noise and moved to the opened door. She looked around and saw that the Castle was moving above the woods.
"It would have been better if you had given me your heart" Cataliades told her as a matter of fact.
"Heart? Where?" Freyda asked suddenly fixating Cataliades.
Soon enough they reached the city where she could see Eric flying in the air, his skin in flames, plunging back in the streets fighting with Vampires.
"I see Eric!" she shouted to Cataliades. "Hurry, he's in flames"
Freyda moved to the fire and found the shovel under the logs, that she pulled out and suddenly grabbed Cataliades from the fireplace.
"Freyda no!" Sookie shouted and hurried to her. Pam caught Freyda but she was holding the Demon tight in her hands, moving Pam away with a sudden strength.
"Eric's heart!" Freyda exclaimed in wonder, staring at the flame in her hands, her eyes filled with hunger.
Sookie and Pam held Freyda who pressed the Demon between her hands.
"Freyda no!" Sookie cried but the Castle started to move chaotically and Sookie was thrown on the other side of the room.
Sookie went back towards Freyda who'd started to burn and grabbed her hands.
"Let him go Freyda!"
"No! he's mine!" She shouted back.
Pam appeared and jumped on Freyda growling and pushing Sookie aside.
Sookie knocked her back against the old kitchen and grabbed her kettle lying on the ground. She filled it with water, ran to the fighting Vampires and threw the water at Freyda.
Just as if time had stopped, Sookie watched the flame extinguish. Smoke rose from Freyda's wet hands and the little Demon was now a blue and cold form in the hands of the Vampire.
Suddenly the Castle fell violently on the ground, gliding down the hills towards the city. Sookie was thrown outside the Castle down on the ground while the Castle moved down the hills. Pam was still inside gripping Freyda who was holding the cold Cataliades close to her.
After a few minutes, Sookie opened her eyes between pieces that once were parts of the Castle. She sat up carefully and looked around her, slowly realizing what had just happened.
"Oh God" she broke in tears. "What have I done? I threw water on Cataliades! Eric is going to die because of me." She cried in her hands.
As she sobbed, a little light shone on the crystal of her ring.
She looked up at her hand, feeling the ring squeeze her finger. Just then, she saw the shining crystal on her finger.
"The ring, it's shining! It means that Eric is alive!" Sookie said with hope. "Guide me to him" She begged the ring.
A thin line of light appeared and Sookie stood up. She followed its trail between the ruins and found the old door of the Castle. She opened it and the light was guiding her into a dark thick void.
Wind coming from the void blew towards her and Sookie felt a strange force pulling her inside. She slowly followed the light.
She walked inside the darkness until she started to see a light in front of her. As she progressed, the light became bigger and soon she found herself in a wooden house. She looked around and seemed to recognize the place. She walked to the door as the light of the ring showed her.
The door opened and Sookie stepped outside, surrounded by fields of flowers and mountaintops. She was in Sweden, in Eric's secret garden. She looked above and the sky was dark with stars all around her. It was beautiful.
As she followed the light, shooting stars fell around her. She noticed one bigger than the others and tracked its falling until she saw a Human form in the horizon. Her heart started to beat stronger as she recognized Eric.
She ran to him and her ring started to squeeze tighter around her finger. She understood that she had to hurry.
The ground was becoming moving soil under her feet and she ran faster.
As she starred at Eric, she noticed that he wasn't alone. He was holding a short man by its shoulders. First, she thought that he was kissing him but then she realized that he was drinking his blood. The man that Eric was holding fell down and Eric opened his chest and grabbed his heart.
Sookie stopped in her track and watched him with horror as she saw him swallow the heart. Lights exploded around him and Eric howled in the night just as his own chest opened.
"Eric!" She screamed at him and ran as fast as she could but the ground started to absorb her whole body.
She understood what she had witnessed just as Eric held a red warm flame in his hands.
"Eric, Cataliades! I'm coming for you!" She yelled again and then Eric turned his head to her but the ring around her finger broke in two and Sookie fell in the void.
The void around her moved her body slowly until she could move by herself and reach the exit.
Just as she stepped back in the present, the door that was once attached to the Dead Castle disappeared.
Sookie's eyes filled with tears and she walked back between the ruins.
She stopped in her tracks when she saw a figure waiting for her. It was Eric, bend in two.
His skin was now raw flesh.
Sookie walked to him. "Eric forgive me for not understanding." She carefully kissed his lips. "I am so sorry."
His arms locked around her and he slowly flew in the air holding her tight against his injured body.
He finally landed on the rests of the Castle. Pam was still holding Freyda who was keeping the cold blue flame in her hands. The last part of the Dead Castle had managed to move around back to the edge of the woods.
Pam lifted her face as she saw Eric land, she had tears of blood covering her cheeks.
When Eric's feet touched the floor, he released Sookie and slowly fell down. Pam came to him and checked him. He was weak but not dead.
Sookie went to Freyda who was squeezing the blue Demon against her chest.
"Freyda, please" Sookie said hugging the old woman.
"Do you want him that much?" Freyda asked with her old raspy voice.
Sookie nodded and whispered "Yes"
"In that case, I give it to you. Take good care of him."
Freyda handed Sookie the cold flame and just then, Sookie realized that she was indeed holding a cold heart.
"Thank you Freyda" Sookie said before she moved back to Eric.
Eyes appeared in the cold blue flame
"Sookie?" Cataliades murmured. "I am so tired"
"Cataliades, if I give the heart back to Eric, you might die." She said with tears in her eyes.
"Not if you're the one doing it." He replied. "When you threw water on me, neither Eric nor myself died." He added.
"I'll do it then." Sookie with more hope. She turned toward Pam. "Pam could you find me a knife?"
Pam arched an eyebrow then looked around the ruined room in Vampire's speed. She came back holding a silver knife that reminded Sookie of the one Eric had in the Queen's Castle.
Sookie closed her eyes and silently prayed before she opened Eric's chest with the knife. She carefully put the heart in his chest and waited.
Nothing happened and Sookie started to feel scared.
"You have to give him blood Sookie" Pam told her and Sookie looked up at her. "It will help him to heal."
Sookie nodded and cut her wrist with the knife, before holding her hand at Eric's lips.
The cut on his chest started to heal and a growl suddenly escaped from his lungs.
Sookie moved back and stared at Eric with fear and hope mixed.
Eric sat up, howling in pain, holding on his chest where Sookie had just cut him. Then a warm light spread out from his mouth and a form came out, flying above them.
Eric opened his eyes
"Sookie" he finally whispered and she jumped in his arms.
"Eric!"
He held her tight and inhaled her scent.
"You saved us" he whispered in her ears.
Sookie stared back at Eric then up in the air where the light moved down before it changed into the form of a short man.
"Cataliades?" Sookie asked.
The Demon nodded. "You saved me from the pact Sookie"
Sookie smiled happily then looked back at Eric. Suddenly she realized that she was the only one still under the power of a curse.
Eric put a hand on her face and looked at her tenderly, as if he knew what she was thinking.
He took one of her hand and put it on her own cheek.
"You have been released too" he told her.
Sookie touched her face and realized that her face wasn't swollen anymore.
Eric leant down, moving her face slowly up to him. His lips touched hers tenderly and Sookie kissed him eagerly, her arms around his neck.
A barking dog suddenly interrupted them.
Sookie turned around
"Sam!" she said while Eric growled.
"He's no dog" he said to Sookie.
The dog barked again then silenced. The air around Sookie changed and the dog slowly turned into a naked man.
"What are you?" Sookie asked chocked.
"He's a fucking Were" Pam said behind Sookie.
"Don't be afraid Sookie" Sam said. "I was send by the High Pythoness from the first day to help you."
Eric, Pam and Freyda growled.
"No!" Sookie shouted to the Vampires. "Why?" She felt betrayed.
"She knew you were the only one who could free Eric from his curse."
Sam turned to the Vampires. "Eric, I will tell the High Pythoness that Sookie succeeded."
"What about the War?" Sookie asked.
Sam smiled apologizing "It was a ruse from the High Pythoness to draw Eric to her."
Eric growled again. "Go tell her to stop this War. People died because of her"
Sam bowed and changed back into the dog before he disappeared towards the city.
"Well Sookie, I must confess that you're definitely not a boring Human" Pam said
"Thank you Pam. You're not that bad for a Vampire" She smiled.
Eric pressed her against his chest, nibbling the skin under her ear.
"We have to move on. Sun will be here soon." He whispered.
The sky started to change color. Morning was close.
"Yeah well your little Sookie destroyed our Castle, so where do you want to go?"
Cataliades stepped forward.
"I think I can help" he said with pride.
He closed his eyes and his hands started to burn. The ruins of the Castle began to move in the air, wind blowing around them so violently that Sookie had to protect her face from the dust.
After a few minutes, the wind stopped from blowing and as Sookie opened her eyes, she saw a beautiful Castle standing in front of her.
"I hope you put back my room just like it was" Pam said before entering the Castle followed by Freyda.
Sookie and Eric stood up and went to the Demon.
"Are you leaving us?" Sookie asked Cataliades who just nodded. "What about my curse?" she asked worried.
Cataliades smiled and touched her front. A warmth spread through his fingers, enveloping Sookie. He removed his hand and smiled at her. "You are free Sookie Stackhouse."
She jumped in his arms and held him tight. "Thank you" she whispered before she released him.
Eric and Cataliades just nodded to each other.
"Good bye my dear Sookie. Until soon" He bowed and just as flames appeared around him, he disappeared.
Sookie and Eric stood alone outside.
"Well lover, I think we have some time to celebrate before the sun comes up." He smiled at her, fangs showing, his eyes burning with desire.
Sookie smiled and nodded.