Spellbound
Thank you all for your reviews, favorites, and alerts. The main characters do not belong to me. They are the property of Charlaine Harris but the story idea and the side characters are mine.
Sookie was so surprised by Claudette's visit, that her knees almost gave way. She had to stand still for a few minutes in order to catch her breath; to get her bearings. She'd never been so frightened and so caught off guard; not since Adele caught her taking the last of the honeyed candies when she was a little girl. She passed right out that day.
"What are you doing here?" she was finally able to ask.
Claudette shook her head at Sookie. "Eric called me before you both left home last night. He told me that you'd be here in New Orleans and that he'd appreciate it if I dropped by to keep an eye on you. He's worried about you and the baby. I see that he was right to call me. Don't tell me that you were going to Pixie's house alone."
Sookie looked at Claudette as if she couldn't believe she would ask her such a thing. She tried to be appalled at such an outrageous accusation. She even tried chuckling at her cousin's words and accusations but failed. She sighed before reluctantly admitting to what she was about to do … but with what she believed to be a valid and reasonable explanation.
"I was. But I was going to be careful. I needed to find out what Eric was going to be walking into tonight. There's something going on in the great city of New Orleans and I don't trust André. I couldn't risk Eric's safety. He needs to be aware of what he could be walking into." She smiled after making her valid and reasonable statement.
Accusingly, Claudette looked at her and asked, "What about you? You don't need to be aware? Is that how this works? You decide to risk yours and the baby's lives in order to save Eric's. Is that what you're telling me? Is that how this marriage works?"
"Not at all," Sookie argued. "That's not what I was doing. You have to see where I'm coming from. You just have to, Cici. I'm trying to keep my family together. I'm trying to keep my family safe."
"Oh, I see. That makes perfect sense. You risk possible capture and/or death in order to keep your family safe. What kind of family will you have if you're dead, Sookie?!" she yelled. "If you'd gone there, your family would've been the last thing on your mind. Do not stand there and try to play me for a fool, cousin. I'm far from stupid. You were doing this for yourself. I know exactly what you were about to do."
Sookie looked taken aback by her cousin's words; almost hurt. "What do you mean?"
"Don't give me that wide eyed innocent look. I know you, Sookie and obviously so does Eric. I read the same newspapers that you read and I noticed the exact same discrepancies. You were going to do what you wanted to do because it didn't make sense. You need a reason and you were going to find one. Everything has a reason. Do you recall saying that to me every day of my life when we were in Fae?" Leaning forward and looking into Sookie's eyes, Claudette repeated, "I know you."
"I was going …"
"To break a promise that you probably made to your husband; the same husband that you're just reconnecting with," Claudette finished. "You promised him that you wouldn't go, didn't you? Isn't that why you looked like a deer caught in the headlights when you saw me?"
She said nothing.
"Sit your ass down and listen to what I have to say."
Obediently, Sookie sat down.
"Now, you could've called me and told me that you needed a job done. You called me last night and barked out orders. I did as you asked without argument but for now, I digress," Claudette said. "Since I knew that you wouldn't ask me to do what you wanted to do yourself, I went about doing a little snooping myself."
Sookie knows that when Claudette looks like that, she's been doing a little bit of this and a whole lot of that. Before taking her seat, Claudette conjured up two saucers and tea mugs, a fresh carafe of lavender tea, and chocolate Bavarian cream éclairs. She poured herself a mug of tea and put an éclair on her plate. She nibbled at it and proceeded to run a perfectly manicured finger through the cream of the pastry. She closed her eyes and savored its sweet flavors. She finally looked up at Sookie and smiled.
"Before I tell you about my morning, I am going to stop digressing. You need to hear this and you need to listen to what I'm about to say. You know that you were wrong," Claudette said.
"I do," Sookie whispered.
"You know that if Eric had made a promise to you and had gone back on it, you'd be an unbearable bitch. You would complain to anyone that would listen; mainly to me and then you would say that he doesn't respect your feelings."
She was going to say that she would understand if he had to break his promise; especially if it was concerning her safety and well-being but she didn't. She would have behaved just as Claudette said she would. "I would but I'm still your princess."
"Don't pull that princess shit with me, Sookie Brigant. That only works when you're not in wife mode. If you do this again, I will tell him. It's not about what you want or what you need anymore. It's not about keeping Eric safe. It's about the baby's safety. You can't do this again. I swear on all that I love, if you do this again, I will tell him."
"You wouldn't," Sookie said. Her voice filled with surprise.
"I would."
"I didn't do it out of selfishness. I love him, Claudette and I want to keep our family together." Her voice was pleading and sad. "If they send me back because vampires are feeding on …"
"I don't care," Claudette interrupted. "None of that matters. What matters is that baby. I don't care for your reasons. I don't want to hear your reasons. Have I made myself clear?"
"Yes," Sookie whispered.
"We love you. I love you and I think that it's very selfish of you to take your life for granted in such a manner."
Claudette was right and no amount or arguing was going to make what she did right. The thought of breaking the promise and putting the baby in danger never should have been an option. "You have and I apologize. I was wrong and I will tell Eric myself."
"Good. At least you admit it and I'm glad that you're going to tell him. It's what's right." Now that she was satisfied with Sookie's confirmation, she was going to tell her beloved princess the things she'd done today. "The first thing I did was go to Pixie's house. You won't believe what I found out."
As soon as she finished reading the human newspaper that morning, Claudette popped herself to Pixie's house. Her home was absolutely pristine; a little too pristine. She could understand Amelia being a neat person; that was all fine and dandy but Pixie? Pixie has never been what one would call neat. Her bed was never made but it was today. Her clothes are usually strewn all over but they were folded and placed neatly in the drawers and hanging on hangers. There were no dirty clothes anywhere. Not a single shoe was out of place. Her makeup wasn't strewn all over the vanity. Her room was absolutely perfect. This wasn't Pixie at all.
"You wouldn't have believed it. Someone cleaned up not realizing that Pixie always left a mess. She never washed a dish in her life; much less picked up after herself," Claudette said. She then leaned in and said, "The entire atmosphere was completely off. It was bad being in there. It didn't feel right. There was something wrong in that house, Sookie. I couldn't wait to get out of there."
"What do you mean?" Sookie whispered.
"I didn't feel right in there. I felt different. At first, I didn't know what it could be. I thought that maybe it was because the house was too clean. I know that Carmichael said that Amelia was a neat girl but it was too neat. I wouldn't be scared to say that the house was probably devoid of fingerprints. If Carmichael hadn't confirmed that the girls lived in that house, I never would've guessed it. There was no sign of Pixie anywhere." Claudette shook her head no. "Pixie wouldn't have allowed anyone else to touch her belongings. She's never been selfish but she wouldn't have let Amelia clean her room."
"Hmmm," Sookie said as she grabbed an éclair. "Amelia could've cleaned up behind Pixie. Maybe Copley did it while he and his people were looking for clues," Sookie rationalized before taking a bite of the creamy pastry.
"That's the rub," Claudette said. "It's not possible for Amelia to have done it."
"Why?" Sookie asked as she chewed.
"Amelia couldn't have done it. She went missing before Pixie did."
Sookie swallowed the half chewed éclair. She had to gulp down some tea in order to wash it down. She fell back in her seat. "Why are they saying that she went missing after Pixie did?"
"Because they thought that Amelia was on vacation," Claudette answered. "She was supposed to have been going to Barbados with some friends from college. The girls called Copley after they'd returned and said that she never showed up. Why they didn't call him before returning home is a surprise even to me. They know that she left home because her luggage and car were not at the house. They haven't found them. The police believe that she knew something about Pixie's disappearance and she was taken in order to keep her quiet when it could very well possibly be the other way around." She then had a look of dread on her face.
"What is it?"
"Amelia was dating a vampire. That's why Daddy Big Bucks believes that vampires are involved. The story is that he's seen bite marks on his only daughter's neck and he didn't like it one bit. He puts on that he likes vampires but doesn't want them sucking on his baby girl and Sookie," Claudette added. "He's dangerous. He's very dangerous."
Everyone knows that Copley Carmichael will do anything and everything to get what he wants. He's never let the law get in his way and the law has never tried to stop him. Lucky for him, he hasn't met Sookie Northman yet. "I see." The wheels were spinning in her mind. "You've been a very busy girl."
"You have no idea. Anyway, you know that Pixie worked at Baristas; that coffee joint over on Biscayne Avenue?"
"Yeah," Sookie answered. "They have great caramel lattes."
"They are great. You should try the mocha crème," Claudette suggested. "Well, back to the subject at hand. Pixie had one friend there that she trusted. Not enough to tell the girl her real name or anything about herself but she trusted her enough to confide in her. The girl's name is Halleigh Bellefleur. Her husband's a cop with the NOPD. She knows more about Pixie than any of the other co-workers that I spoke with today."
"You didn't say that she was missing did you?"
"Do I look stupid?" She frowned at Sookie and said, "If you say yes, I'll slap you silly."
Sookie giggled.
"As far as they know, Pixie went home over a week ago. I was only there because she wants me to tie up any and all loose ends because she may not be returning."
"She believed you?"
"Without a single doubt in her dimwitted little mind," Claudette answered with a wink. "Let me show you show how our conversation went." She held Sookie's hand and showed her what she'd found out.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"She just needs a break," Claudette said to Halleigh. "Bridget's been under so much pressure lately, she needs to be with family. Our mother feels that it's best that she stays at home for awhile. You know, to get her head together. With all that's going on, you have to understand." She rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders. "We all need a little break sometimes."
She nodded. "Yeah, I get it. She said that she missed being at home with her people. I didn't know what she meant by her people but hey, I didn't ask any questions. I know what it means to miss being home, though. I've come all the way from Rhode Island and I miss my mom. I'm just glad that she finally went home to get some rest. To be honest, I thought that Bridget left because of that man."
Claudette frowned. "What man? Bridget hasn't mentioned any troubles with any man."
Halleigh looked around before beckoning Claudette to follow her to the break room in the back of the coffee café. She closed the door behind them once they were inside. "I don't want anyone to hear what I'm saying, you know; especially with Amelia being gone and all. I can't believe Bridget didn't tell you. She was always on edge. It was a mess."
They sat down at one of the tables before Halleigh continued. "She'd quit working the night shift because of him. She used to love working the night shift because she'd get such great tips. Most of the other girls were jealous of her. You've seen how beautiful she is. It must run in your family."
Claudette smiled. "Thank you."
"You know you're gorgeous. I'll bet that every man that you've been in contact with has told you that you're beautiful," Halleigh said. "Where was I? Oh, yeah. When she'd come in to work, every man that walked in here wanted to sit in her section. The men love her. They always told her how beautiful her eyes are and how they love to see her walk. She'd always give them a little extra sway when she would go and get their orders. She'd show them some teeth and they'd being falling all over themselves. She'd flip her hair a certain way and boom. They were gone over her. Hey, do you know what she washes her hair with? It always smells like fresh rain. I would love to …"
"The man," Claudette reminded.
"Oh." Halleigh plucked her forehead. "My husband gets on me about that all of the time. Sometimes I let myself get sidetracked. It's really easy to do when you're so doped up on coffee. I sometimes have to work double shifts and I will drink as much coffee as I can to keep me on my toes. My husband hates me working here but the money's good and the coffee is free. I've tried switching to decaf but that doesn't really work on me. I need something stronger than …"
"The man," Claudette firmly repeated.
"Sorry," she said. "She never really saw him but she said that she could feel him following her. Bridget became scared, ya know; kinda jittery all of the time. She used to love waiting on the male customers because of the great tips that she'd get but she became distrustful of them. She always thought that they were after her or that someone sent them to watch her. Remember when I told you that …"
"Yeah, yeah;" Claudette said hurriedly. Her impatience was beginning to show. "I remember."
"Anyway, when she thought that she was being followed, she changed. She just wasn't right anymore, ya know?"
She said yeah but Claudette was puzzled. Pixie had never been afraid of anything or anyone in her life. Back in Faery, she'd hunt the dragons with the males. She's ride the wild unicorns and be thrown through the air from their backs. She never walked away from them. She'd brush the dirt off and get right back on. She'd spend many nights alone in the Midnight Forest. The forest was filled with every and anything that would scare anyone but not Pixie. Pixie wasn't afraid; especially not of a human. She could've killed him without breaking a sweat. What in the earthly realm would have scared her?
"Do you know if she ever found out who he was or what he wanted?" Claudette asked.
Halleigh shook her head no. "I'd ask her if she wanted me to tell my husband because he's a cop. She told me no. She said that she was going to be fine. After awhile, it got to the point where she just stopped talking about it altogether. I can tell you one thing, though. She blamed her roommate."
"Amelia?" Claudette's eyes widened with surprise. Her voice even went up an octave.
"You know it. Amelia was up to something." Halleigh quickly added, "That's what Bridget told me. She said that Amelia was always bringing strange men home. Vampires," she whispered. "She said that she told Amelia that she couldn't be around vampires unless she was prepared. What that meant, I have no idea." She threw her hands up in the air and chuckled. "Who has to prepare for vampires? It's not like they're Vera Wang or someone important like that, ya know?"
Even Claudette didn't know what that meant. They all have the natural ability to mask their scents. There was no need to prepare for that. Their bodies knew when to protect them. "My sister wasn't afraid of vampires."
"Maybe not when you last saw her but she was before she left." Shaking her head, Halleigh said, "She doesn't tell ya'll anything, does she? She should because she was terrified of vampires. At first she was cool as hell when it came to hanging out with the vamps. A couple of times we went to this vampire bar down on Orchard Lane. You know that vampire bar called The Coffin?"
She didn't wait for an answer.
"Anyway, she danced with a couple of them. It seemed like she was having a really good time. She wore the prettiest green dress. It matched her eyes. I asked her where she got it but she …"
"Halleigh," Claudette interrupted.
She giggled. "That damned coffee. Bridget even went home with a couple of them; a woman and a man. At the same time," she whispered. "I didn't know that she was into women but hey, to each her own, ya know? We'd go to the bar every now and again and we'd have so much fun and then suddenly, her attitude changed. She changed." Halleigh then had this look on her face. "Didn't she look different to you when she came home?"
Claudette did the only thing she could do. She nodded and lied. "Yes but she's doing much better now. She's lost a little weight …"
"A little weight?" Halleigh repeated. "She lost a lot of weight and she wasn't as … she wasn't as bright anymore. Before she got sick, she used to almost shine, I guess. She just stopped being Bridget. Her eyes didn't sparkle like they used to. Her hair wasn't as shiny and it didn't smell like rain. She wasn't the same. She looked gray, almost." She then shrugged her shoulders and said, "She looked sick."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"Iron poisoning," Claudette said as she released Sookie's hand. "That's why I felt strange when I walked into that house. Someone knew what Pixie was and poisoned her slowly."
"Oh my goodness," Sookie whispered. That's why she needed to prepare. The iron had gotten into her system. It had weakened her defenses. She could no longer detect vampires or when she was in mortal danger. They could catch her scent within miles.
"There's no way Amelia could have known what Pixie was. She couldn't have known that Pixie was fae," Sookie said.
"Exactly," Claudette confirmed. "Amelia couldn't have been involved with this. Humans can't tell that we are fae unless we tell them. Pixie never told any human what she was. She wouldn't have risked it."
"No, she wouldn't have. They had to have been taken by the same people. Whoever took them knew that they partied with vampires and they knew that Pixie was a faery but how? Pixie was always so very careful. She wouldn't have used her gifts in front of strangers. Her scent was naturally masked."
"Pixie was collateral damage. Whoever took her, took her because she knew something."
Sookie nodded. "Or either Amelia knew something."
"Right?" Claudette asked. "What matters most is that Pixie is gone. We need to find out who took and where."
"We know one thing for sure. Following her made it possible for them to know that she was fae." Sookie looked at her cousin and said, "But why would a vampire risk killing her and getting caught?"
Then both faeries looked at each other but neither of them spoke a word. They didn't have to. They knew why.
"And Amelia?" Sookie asked. "Is she a supe?"
Claudette shook her head no. "As far as I know, she isn't. She has friends that are supes but from what I've learned about Amelia is that she has no serious connections to the supe world."
She noticed how Sookie skipped over the obvious. She is afraid and she has every reason to be. She had to let her cousin know that she wasn't alone. She will stand with her. "Sookie," Claudette began. "This could be treasonous. This doesn't mean that you and Eric …"
Unfortunately, Sookie didn't let her finish. "Did Halleigh tell her husband the things that she told you?"
Claudette nodded. "Of course she did. She didn't know for sure if I was Pixie's sister and she told me everything she knew. When she thought Pixie to be missing, she told him everything. That's why they put it in the paper that she was among the missing girls." She tried to take this opportunity to calm Sookie's nerves. "This doesn't necessarily mean the end for …"
"You've done a very good job. I'm proud of you."
"Yeah," she said. "Not a problem."
Sookie could see that Claudette was about to try it again. She stopped her before she could start. "How's Claudine? I've tried calling her but she didn't answer."
"I visited her this morning. She's playing the role of the incapable pregnant woman again but other than that, she's fine. She's safe. Colman won't leave her side."
"That's good. Thanks," Sookie whispered.
"For what?"
"For doing what you did. For being here. You've helped us out a lot and I can't tell you how much I appreciate you. You've given us more time." Sookie placed her hand on her stomach. She wanted to cry but she held onto her anguish. She wanted to break down. She wanted to scream but she held on. She had to hold on.
Claudette noticed. She reached for Sookie but she pulled away from her. "Don't," she whispered. "I can't do this right now. I have to stay strong. Please, don't."
"You don't always have to be strong, Sookie. We all break sometimes. It's not a sign of weakness. I think someone told me that just a few days ago."
She ignored her cousin's words of comfort. "Thanks, anyway."
Claudette nodded and stood up. "I helped because I believe in love."
Trying to keep her voice steady, Sookie asked, "Who is it? Is it the guy from last night?"
"Maybe," she answered. She didn't want to feel happy right then when her cousin's fate was on the line. She didn't want to talk about her new guy with Sookie. What she wanted to do was comfort her favorite cousin. She wanted to tell her that everything was going to be okay.
"No," Sookie said. "Don't diminish your happiness for me. I would never ask that of you. You deserve this. Enjoy it. Don't hide it. Don't do that."
"Okay," Claudette whispered. "Okay."
Sookie sighed and stared at her cousin. "Are you in love?"
With tears welling in her eyes, Claudette nodded. "I think so. I hope so."
"I'm happy for you. I'm truly happy for you."
"Thanks." Claudette stood up to leave. "You're going to have to let me say this."
"No," Sookie answered. The firmness of her voice told Claudette that she didn't want to hear anymore about the contract or what it could mean. She couldn't take it; not right now.
"Well, I have to go. I love you and stay safe."
"I will."
"Don't almost break another promise."
"I won't." Her voice trembled.
"Before I go, I've got something else to tell you."
"What?"
"You have to meet with the human police tonight. I kind of told Halleigh that my younger sister is going to go to the police station tonight and tell them that Bridget's okay. I would go myself but I'm on duty. Eric has some things that he's asked me to do." As an afterthought, she added, "It's a surprise for you and don't ask me what it is because I'm not telling."
Sookie chuckled.
"Are you mad?" Claudette asked in her little girl voice.
Sookie shook her head. "No. I'm not mad. It'll give me something to do while Eric's meeting with André. What time do I have to be there?"
Claudette suddenly perked up. "As soon as you can get there; that would be best. No rush." Before popping away, she looked at her cousin and said, "If you need me, please call me. You don't have to go through this alone. You have me. You'll always have me. I love you, Sookie."
"I will and I love you, too."
Pop
When Claudette was gone, her resolve was broken. Her strength was gone. With her hand on her stomach, Sookie hung her head and cried.