Spellbound
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After she'd gone upstairs to change into a t-shirt dress, Sookie went straight to the kitchen and poured herself a tall glass of orange juice. She'd wanted some toast with plum jam but she'd changed her mind. She could only think of her grandmother's death. She thought of her grandmother eating the deadliest fruit and why. Adele had eaten it in order to rip Fintan's essence from within her. The very idea that her grandmother did what she did replayed in her mind over and over again. Sookie couldn't help but think about what happened with her and Eric last night.
He is now her chosen one. What if something happens between them that causes Eric to do what her grandmother has done? He can't eat the fruit but what if he can do to her what Adele did to Fintan? What if she dies and Eric has to feel the very essence of Sookie's heart and soul being ripped from within him. Would he suffer a horrifying fate … an unfathomable death? There is no way around it. Eric will suffer if she dies. She would suffer if Eric dies. That is not a fate that she would have chosen for either of them. She only wanted them to share their life and love. It was never her intention to possibly condemn them to such a fate.
As she thought of what Adele had done, Sookie couldn't help but feel a little betrayed by her beloved grandmother. Not because of what she'd done but because of what she didn't do. She didn't warn Sookie of the consequences of becoming one with her chosen one. Neither Adele nor Claudette prepared her for what could possibly lay ahead for her and Eric. A light then went off in her mind.
Maybe, just maybe, she and Eric aren't meant to suffer the same fate that was destined for her grandparents or that of Claudette and Lucian. There is a possibility that she and Eric would have an everlasting love story. They've defeated Fintan in his plan to destroy them. Eric can't eat the fruit. She has no intention of ever leaving him. They will defeat this Freyda thing and they will be fine. They will make it.
Sookie looked at the clock and noticed that it was only 5:00. She didn't want to have to sit in the kitchen alone and wonder about their fate. Sookie wanted to share her concerns with Eric. She wanted to see him. She needed to see his eyes and to hear his voice. He would make everything alright. But alas; she would have to wait. Vampires didn't rise at 5:00 in the afternoon. Though she wished that he was awake and sitting with her, she settled into the idea that she would just have to wait until dusk.
"Sookie," his voice suddenly said.
Just as she put the glass to her mouth, the sound of his voice startled her. The glass crashed onto the floor and shattered on impact. There was orange juice and glass shards spread out at her bare feet. The loud noise completely unraveled her; shattering her already frayed nerves.
"Oh," she cried as her eyes flooded with tears. She looked up at Eric and said, "Oh. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to wake you. I just wanted to … I just needed to … I'm sorry." Her eyes dropped to the floor as tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Sookie," Eric said. As if he'd never seen the pieces of glass on the floor, he was standing beside her in seconds. He lifted her face to his and his eyes held concern. "What has happened?"
She shook her head no. She wanted to answer him but she couldn't. She continued to cry. Sookie was standing in the middle of the kitchen floor surrounded by glass and orange juice. Eric didn't ask her any more questions. He lifted her in his arms and she leaned her head against his chest as he carried her to the living room. He placed her gently on the couch.
"I'll be back once I've cleaned up that mess in the kitchen."
She balled herself up on the couch and cried. She understood why her grandmother did what she did. She didn't have to like it but she understood it. The punishment for Fintan was a just punishment. He deserves to be alone in that palace. He didn't deserve to have family around him but that fate was not a fate that she and Eric deserved.
Why didn't she tell me?
'Fear would have stopped you, my beloved,' Adele whispered in Sookie's ear.
"Grandmother?" she called out as she quickly sat up.
She looked around the room.
"Gran?" she called out once again. No one was in the room with her. She closed her eyes and she could smell the sweet smell of Adele.
'It's time for your own love story. The love story of Eric and Sookie Northman is yet to be written.'
Just as quickly as the voice was there, it was gone.
When Eric returned to the living room, she was sitting up on the couch and staring straight ahead. He sat down beside her and waited. He wasn't going to rush her into telling him anything.
"It was raining earlier today," she said. "It was cold rain."
Eric leaned back on the couch and she laid her head on his waiting lap. He caressed her head as she laid there and relaxed. After a few more moments of silence, Eric said, "What happened to you today. I could feel your sorrow throughout my rest." He leaned down and kissed her cheek. He closed his eyes as he inhaled the scent of the October sun and rain on her skin.
"Grandmother died today," she whispered.
Eric's body stiffened. "Adele is gone?"
Sookie nodded. "She ate the deadliest fruit."
His first thoughts went to Claudette and her possible death with the fruit. "Was she murdered?"
"No," Sookie answered. "She did it on her own."
"I am sorry for your pain. I know how much you love her. Do you know why? There were other options. We would have been there for her. She is family and we don't leave family stranded."
"Unless they deserve it," Sookie added.
"Yes," Eric agreed. "Unless they deserve it."
"She did it because of Fintan. She did it because of the plans that he had for me; for us." Sookie went on to explain Adele's actions to him just as Claudette explained them to her and to Claudine.
While Sookie talked, Eric sat in wonder. He'd never been in the presence of such strong women in all of his existence; women that weren't vampires, that is. Sookie was telling the story of how her grandmother had taken her own life yet she didn't flinch and she didn't cry as she spoke. Her voice didn't crack once. She told him about the reasoning as if she was speaking of a story she'd heard on the news. Anyone else would think that she felt no pain but it flowed through her as if it was her lifeline. Sookie had to have gotten her strength from her grandmother.
Eric thought of the courage that Adele had. She willingly ended her life and her love as punishment for the man that has always said that he could never live without her. She was quite aware of the pain that was going to be inflicted on her soul mate but she didn't care. As far as the fae women are concerned, the suicide and the punishment are justified. He could see that Sookie was proud of her grandmother's actions though she misses her.
"Your grandfather, has he made any contact with you?" Eric asked.
It concerned him that Fintan would call her home and tell her that she needed to continue her rule while in Faery. Eric has no intentions of letting that happen. He wanted to be certain that their sworn enemy would not expect Sookie to return to the land of Fae. There was no way he was going to let her go; especially without fight.
"No and I will never see him again."
Those eight words put him at ease once again.
Eric knew that if Sookie had made a vow to never return to a land that was always been her home because it was her grandmother's final wish, she wouldn't go. Each of the Brigant ladies have made a promise and because he knows them, he knows that it is a promise that each intends to keep.
"I will never step foot in the land of Fae again," Sookie said. "I will miss my home but it is only fair that I never return. If Fintan's plan had been successful, my home would be my prison. And you my love would be my enemy." She placed her hand to his cheek.
As he melted into her touch, he said, "You sound as if you are proud of what Adele has done."
"I am."
"Then why do you cry, my lover? I don't understand your tears. I don't understand your pain."
Sookie lifted her head from his lap and replaced it with her body. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she rested her head on his shoulder. "I weep for us."
"Enlighten me," he replied.
"Last night, while we were making love, I made you my chosen one; my life mate." She placed her hand on his chest and said, "My heart and soul are one with you. Your dreams, strengths, and memories now live within me."
Regardless of the fact that she stared at him as if he should've understood her, he waited.
"I've given you my essence; my fundamental nature, and in turn I have yours."
Still, he waited.
"It's a gift of love that we share."
This time, Eric decided to respond. "You're speaking in riddles, lover."
"Our spirits are one. You are no longer a single being. Neither am I. Our love is eternal. We can never part and be as we were. That is no longer an option for us. It will be the end of us."
He was trying to understand her sadness but he couldn't. "I thought that is what you wanted. It is what I want. I want to be one with you. Do you regret what has taken place between us?"
"No," she answered evenly. "Don't you see? If you decide that you no longer love me, you can end our union and it would be my life's long punishment to walk this world without you. I could bestow the same punishment upon you. I could die and you would be condemned to live out your life alone. Fintan was a sneak and he was underhanded and grandmother could no longer trust him. She could no longer believe in him but she could never stop loving him. He was her essence; her very heart and soul. That could happen to us, Eric."
"It won't," he said.
"Can you be sure of that?"
He turned Sookie around to face him; straddling him as he talked to her. "I've never been surer of anything in my life. I can't eat the deadliest fruit. I'm a vampire and I promise you that you will never have to walk this world without me. You've done nothing but love me and I will forever return the favor. I want you to know that nothing is going to stop me from loving you ... being with you. You have my word."
The love within him flowed through her. She took his face into her hands and kissed him with everything that she had. Nothing was going to keep them from being together. This was right. It was perfect and just as her grandmother had told her. This was the way her life was supposed to be. He is her chosen one. This is the beginning of their love story.
"I have so much to tell you. Today, I've found out that our lives are forever changed," she said.
Eric looked love struck when she took her lips from his. He had to blink several times in order to return to the here and now.
Swallowing, he said, "Would you care to go out to dinner with me? I know a place where we can have a nice quiet dinner. We can talk about everything that we need to talk about without being disturbed. It's this quaint little place that I know you're going to love. It's a place that we can call home."
"I'd love to," she said as she kissed him again.
He nibbled at her bottom lip as he tasted her. When she began to grind against his throbbing hardness, he grabbed her bottom and pulled her in closer to him. "I'm happy," she whispered into his mouth.
"I love you," he answered. She was soon lying on her back with him on top of her; her legs wrapped around his waist. "Will you answer something for me?"
"Anything," she said as she began removing his shirt.
"Why am I awake at 5:15 in the afternoon?"
The kiss was broken as she laughed and Eric's shirt had been thrown to the floor. "I'm a faery princess, silly."
"Riddles, Sookie," he said.
"It is what I wanted. I wished it," she said. "Now, make another of my wishes come true and make love to me."
For the second time ever, a vampire was able to grant the wish of a faery.
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As they stood in the middle of their living room naked, Eric told Sookie to run upstairs and shower. "I'm going to treat you to the best dinner you've ever had in your life." He leaned down to kiss her before she could bend down to snatch her dress up from the floor.
"Run?" she asked. "I'm too tired to run." So instead, Sookie blew him a kiss as she popped herself to her room.
Eric went to his office in order to make a couple of phone calls. The first call was to Bloody Goodness. He ordered each of the fanciest fae ingredients that they had. He told them to have them delivered within the next hour. He also requested a serving and a cleanup crew since Sookie had given the help the day off. He'd cleaned up the glass and orange juice mess but there was no way he was going to cook a full course meal and wash dishes. He's a vampire and vampires do not do domestic work.
He had to look at the clock before he made his next call and since it was now 6:25 Eric knew that Freyda would be awake. He knew that this call was going to be an unpleasant one. Freyda reviled the word no; particularly when it was being said to her. Just as he'd predicted, she let her phone to ring at least four times before she would answer.
"Eric, darling," she purred into the phone. "To what do I owe this annoyance? I have heard some disturbing news that couldn't possibly be true. Please, don't tell me that you've called me to tell me that you've finally taken to having your little fae bride with you at all times? I heard that you invited her to hang out with you and your friends. You've never invited me and I've known you for, what, at least six, seven centuries. When I showed up to your little gathering of nobodies, you made me feel unwanted, unloved … useless."
"It is because you are," he answered. "I've never once tried to hide exactly how much I loathe you."
She laughed. "That was just plain mean. Why would you say …?"
"Let's cut to the chase, Freyda," Eric said as he cut her off. "I'm not going to help you anymore. You're going to have to go it alone. I've done enough for you and I'm not doing anymore. You're on your own."
The other end of the phone went quiet. The good-humored purring had ended. The sounds of the sarcastic remarks were covered with silence. Rage filled her. Fear kept her voice at an even tone. "What do you mean I'm on my own? You've never left me on my own before. You've always been there when I've needed you. That's what you're supposed to do. Now, because you've got that little fae bride of yours on your arm, you think that you can abandon me? I won't let you."
Eric laughed. "Let me?" he asked in his calmest, sincerest and angriest voice. "Remember your place, Freyda. Never forget who your elder is because I swear to the gods, I will not hesitate to remind you."
She finally humbled herself. "Yes, master."
"And never forget that you don't let me do anything. The choices that you've made are yours and yours alone. You were wrong. I'm not going to jeopardize my marriage for you. You'll have to do this without me."
The humble vampire from a few seconds ago was soon gone. "You promised me!"
Eric was seething with anger. "I've never made a promise to you. I helped cover for you; unwillingly and unsuspectingly. I've helped keep your secrets because of Sal but no more."
"You owe me! You can't do this to me!"
Eric's voice was as icy as ever. It was cold and cruel. "I owe you nothing. I've given you everything. If not for me, you'd be six feet under and nothing more than a coffin full of dust. After all that I've done for you, you should be more than grateful."
"You're supposed to help me," she begged. The rage that had once filled her body was gone. "Do you know what's going to happen to me if you don't help me? You realize that I could face the true death? You can't do that to me. You have to let me live in your state. You can't leave me here. Do you know what the Queen of Montana will do to me once she finds out what I've done? I will …"
"Suffer your just punishment," he finished.
Freyda's voice deepened. "You promised Sal."
"I promised Sookie. She comes first… even before Sal; especially before you. She is my only priority."
"Are you kidding me? Are you fucking kidding me? She never mattered to you before. Why the fuck does she matter now? I can't believe this. You're talking about saving your fucking faery being your first priority instead of fucking helping me. I need you, Eric. You've always been there when I've needed you and you've never turned your back on me. Please don't do this to me. I. Will. Die. Eric."
He knew exactly what it meant for her. She'd committed an act of treason. She knew what she was doing when she did it and she knew the consequences if she'd ever been caught but she wasn't. He'd helped her. He didn't find out until after that she was involved.
After he'd covered up what he'd done, it was too late for him to go back. He had to cover for Freyda too. He couldn't do it anymore; particularly after what Sookie told him today about the essence that they now share. He couldn't risk it. He wasn't going to lose his wife for the sake of Freyda. She and Sal would have to understand. Sookie is more important than either of them. They'd get over it. They had no other choice.
"You'll have to own what you've done. I'm going to tell Sookie everything."
"What about Pam? She was there. She will have to pay as well. You'd never hurt her. Think about her, Eric." Triumph filled her. She just knew that she had him now. He'd never do anything to hurt Pam. She was his favorite.
He knew that Freyda didn't care anything about him or Pam. It has always been all about her. He was angrier than he's been in a long time but the more he tried to control his temper the harder it became. He wanted to reach through the phone and kill Freyda. He wanted to snatch the very un-dead life from within her.
"Pam did nothing wrong. She didn't plot to hurt anyone. She didn't kill anyone. She did as I ordered and nothing more. Pam is innocent of any wrong doing."
"Eric?" Sookie called downstairs. "Are you okay?"
Placing his hand over the mouth piece of the phone, he answered her. "Yes. I'm on a call and it's getting a little heated."
"Do you need me?"
"I do," he answered. "But I can handle the call on my own."
She giggled. "Suck up. Look, I'll be down in a few minutes, okay?"
"Take your time," he answered.
"I can't wait to tell you all about my day; my meeting and the appointment that I had this evening. It was fascinating."
"I can't wait to hear about them."
"I can't believe how happy I am," she yelled down the stairs.
The giddiness in her voice cleared the anger away. For just a second, he'd forgotten all about Freyda. "I love you."
When Eric put the phone back to his ear, Freyda was still fussing. "How cute? You love her! I don't give a shit about your love for her! I can't believe that you are planning on turning your back on me!"
Eric was fed up and tired. "I've taken enough shit off from you. Your arrogance is more than even I can stand. Talk to me like that again and I will rip your fucking tongue out of your mouth. Do you understand me?"
Freyda said nothing.
"Answer me," Eric growled. "Do you understand me?"
"Yes, master," she said.
"You are a pretentious and selfish bitch. You act as if you are impervious to any of our laws and punishments. You care about no one but yourself. I am not going to quarrel with you anymore. I've said what I have to say and that's that. You will suffer for your actions."
Freyda laughed evilly. "Fine; if that's the way it has to be then fine but I guarantee you, Eric, I will not be punished alone. You helped cover it up."
Eric knew that he wouldn't pay as dearly as Freyda would. He would have to pay some type of restitution and he was prepared for that. "So be it," he answered.
Freyda decided to try once more to get Eric to stay on her side. "Okay, Eric. Look, forgive me for the way that I've spoken to you. I'm sorry. I'm upset. I don't mean any of the mean things that I've said but you can't leave me alone like this. You just can't. I'm your child. You can't do this to me. Please, don't do this." As an afterthought, she added, "Think of Sookie."
Eric thought of Adele and the way she died. He didn't want to suffer as Fintan had because of his stupidity. He wants to keep Sookie's essence. What he wanted to keep the most is her love. There was no other choice. He had to do it. "I am doing this. I did what I did because I didn't know that you were involved. I've covered for you because I owed Sal but no more, Freyda. I'm done with you."
"How could you do this to Sal?"
That was the one downfall behind Eric's decision. He hated to disappoint Sal. After all that Sal has done for him Eric felt as if he was betraying his friend but he had to do what was necessary. "As I said before, he'll understand."
"He won't forgive you. He'll hate you! He'll never forgive you! I'll never forgive you."
"If that's his way of handling my decision then I will acknowledge that. Plus," he added, "I can't wait for your just punishment. Nothing that I've ever done to you or for you has seemed to make any difference. Maybe whatever the council does to you will stick."
"They're going to kill me, Eric," she sobbed.
He thought of that and shrugged his shoulders. "Then I guess it will stick."
Freyda realized that there was nothing that she could say that was going to change Eric's mind. "You would do it for Pam!"
He agreed with her. "I would. I would do anything for Pam because she's nothing like you. If you had behaved as a proper vampire should, you wouldn't be in this predicament now."
She couldn't believe the audacity of Eric, her maker. She was so tired of him comparing her to Pam. "I'm not Pam! I'll never be Pam! I'm just as much your child as she is. That doesn't mean that you turn your back on me."
"There's nothing else to say about it, Freyda. Call Sal and tell him that I am no longer helping you. Tell him that you are alone. Beg for his help and tell him lies of how you love him. Maybe he'll take pity on you because you will get none from me."
"Don't worry, Eric. I'm going to tell him everything and when I do, he will turn his back on you," she spat at him.
Eric laughed at her childish tantrum. "Good-evening. And Freyda?"
"What?" she snapped.
"As your maker, I release you." He could hear her screaming on the other end of the phone that he couldn't do that to her. She didn't want to be free.
Just as Eric hung up the phone, he could hear the catering van as it came through the security gates. Pretty soon, there was a knock at the door. He went to the backdoor and there stood his vampire guards with the Bloody Goodness crew. His vampires bowed to him as they stood outside the door and waited. Eric led the Bloody Goodness crew to the dining area and the kitchen.
As he watched them like a hawk, he thought about his upcoming talk with Sookie. He was afraid of her reaction to what he was going to tell her but it was what he had to do if their marriage was going to work. He could only hope that she would forgive him and understand why he'd done what he'd done.