Spellbound
Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing this story. Thank you for making it one of your favorites. Y'all are so great. I do have one thing to say. To the guest that told me that I needed to hurry up and finish this story, don't read it if it's taking too long. Don't waste your time with my ridiculously long story. I know that there is something else that you can do with your time. You don't have to be bored. You don't have to waste your time and you don't have to bother me with your rude and ugly comments.
Anyway, to everyone else, I hope that you enjoy the chapter.
The characters belong to Charlaine Harris but the story idea is mine.
"Are you sure?"
"Very," she said. "They're not full fae but they have faery blood. When they were taken, they couldn't come to me as Pixie did. They didn't know of me but when I touched their pictures, I could feel them. They moved through me. The blood connection is there. There's no doubting what they are."
"Are they alive?"
"I can't tell," Sookie answered slowly. "But I do know that they're weak." She began to shake her head. "I can't tell if the weakness is because they're being drained slowly or if it's because they're part human. They can't handle the captivity it as we can; the full fae. They're mostly human and their human sensibilities cannot comprehend what they may be going through."
Eric understood her meaning. The screaming, the crying, the fear; humans are fragile creatures. They can't handle such things. Even with all of their weapons and technology, they will forever remain the weakest race.
"Pixie could handle the captivity, the realization of pending death. Fear was never an option for her. We're raised with the expectations of being drained but not them; not the humans. The humans, if they are alive; they won't last too much longer." She stared out into the darkness as the sadness for her kin filled her.
Eric didn't bother with anymore questions. He replayed the activities of the night over again in his mind. He'd gotten under André's skin. He knew that something was there. André had him followed for unknown reasons. They'd gone to the police station in order to 'help' them. They'd gone in with the assumption that anyone could've taken those girls. They'd gone into the investigation hoping that no vampire is involved with these crimes. As Sookie said earlier, they needed to think outside of the box. Maybe it was a human, a man, with a vendetta against women that dated vampires. Maybe it was a human that just hated vampires and wanted to frame them for something he had done but now those possibilities are nothing more than wishful thinking. Everything he'd learned tonight made him doubt his earlier beliefs. In the box is where they would remain.
"We can no longer help the police. If vampires are involved, the case belongs to the supes now. It's ours. It will be handled accordingly. Human laws will not do when it comes to punishing our enemy. Especially those that are trying to destroy what we have built." Eric's voice was emotionless but the feelings of the moment filled him.
Sookie nodded in agreement. "It's ours. If we take it before the council it's out our hands. Our fates will be sealed."
She thought of the contract with the vampires. The marriage between in the vampire and the fae was put into effect so that faeries could live in the earthly realm without fear of being drained. For the last few years, everything has been fine. If the council finds out that Sookie's people are dying out and possibly because of vampires, it will be reported to Fintan. All faeries will all be ordered to return home and the portals will be closed forever. There will be no marriage without the contract. It was never meant to be a marriage of love. It was a marriage of circumstance and need. It was a marriage of pure convenience.
"There's no going back." Eric stared into his wife's eyes. He knew what she was thinking. He knew that she didn't like the possibilities that were now before them. "Are you sure that you want this? Us? Me? Our family?" he whispered. "If it's found out what we're doing, we'll pay with our lives. You have to be sure that you want this."
"More than anything," she answered. "I'm not afraid of dying, Eric. Death has never been a fear of mine. What I fear is a life without you. I'm afraid of living without you."
He leaned in and lightly kissed her lips.
She took his hand and placed it on her stomach. They rested their foreheads against each other's and closed their eyes. Silence filled the car but their minds were filled with something else. Their futures, their love, their family and friends; everything that mattered played through their minds. Then suddenly, they opened their eyes at the same time and stared at each other. Their faces were not solemn. Their hearts were not filled with sadness. They did not know fear at all. Instead of them showing fear, they lovers were smiling.
"We will win this," Eric said.
"I don't doubt it." Sookie then pushed him back in the driver's seat. She then straddled him. "You are right, my dearest love but there is another problem that we must fix first."
He placed his hands on the sides of her face and kissed her before responding verbally to her statement. Physically he knew what she wanted and he didn't try to hide it. "What's the problem that we need to solve, lover?" he asked as he pressed his hardness against her.
Sookie suddenly had a shy look on her face. She began to fiddle with Eric's tie. Her cheeks were flushed. They were the color of the ripest strawberries. With a soft voice, she said, "Well, I'm not sure if now's the right time, you know? I'm a princess. There are certain things that I shouldn't do in public." Shrugging her shoulders, she added, "It just wouldn't look right. What if someone ... you know, walks upon us? Some things are meant to be done in private."
Eric gripped her waist and positioned her firmly over his hardness. Sultrily, he asked, "What shouldn't you do in public? Look around us, lover. There's no one here but us. I don't hear anything. Your mind hasn't picked anything up. We can do anything we want."
Again, she shrugged her shoulders. "You might think differently of me."
"Never," he growled. Nibbling and kissing at her neck, he asked, "Tell me what you want, lover."
Her eyes suddenly went black. Forcing his head back and making him look into her eyes, a feral growled escaped her. "You," she said. "I want you." Her blunt teeth were soon biting in his neck.
As his blood flowed down her throat, Eric grabbed the back of her head and pressed her mouth to his neck. He let her feed from him. She was latched onto him as he unbuttoned her pants and with ease, he removed them from her body. He ripped her panties off and released himself from his pants. He forced his hardness into her. Little did she know, he would never think less of her for doing what she's done. This is what he's always wanted.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
As they drove along, Eric looked at Sookie from the corner of his eye. He couldn't believe how bold she'd been. She'd never so brazenly taken his blood as she'd done earlier. It pleased him. A triumphant grin appeared on his face. She would forever be his. Nothing or no one is going to end their union; not the faery deaths and not Fintan. No one was going to take what belongs to him.
Looking in Eric's direction, Sookie smiled at him. "What's going on with you over there?"
He kept his eyes on the road. "I'm thinking about us."
She placed her hand on his thigh and stroked it. "It's been good night." She was soon sitting tall in her seat. "Right here," she whispered. "We need to stop here."
Eric pulled the car into the big empty parking lot. They had arrived at their destination. They were a few of miles away from the Dead Ever After Motel; Connie Babcock's last known employer.
Before Sookie could get out of the car, Eric had blurred to her side of the car and opened the door. Once she was out, the lovers stood side by side and looked around the moonlit street.
"This was where Connie was last seen," Sookie whispered. "She was seen walking in this direction from work. She always walked home from work. She was saving up her money in order to buy a car. She was happy that night because she was getting closer to the amount she needed. She was heading home with a smile on her face but sadly, she never made it.
"Andy said that she had to have been taken as soon as she made it into the darkness." Sookie walked slowly in the direction of where the police believe Connie was taken. It would've been very easy for whoever took her to take her but they didn't take her where the police think. He didn't want to be seen by anyone. There are streetlights overhead.
The area was quiet. The neighborhood wasn't a bad neighborhood either. The houses were modest and they were lined beautifully along the road. Each yard was perfectly manicured. The driveways were filled with minivans and compact cars. Each window in each house was dark. The residents were asleep and probably had been for quite some time. Only one sound filled the night air and it was the incessant barking of a neighborhood dog. The two houses further down the road sat alone; no cars, no street lights were on in front of those houses; the perfect spot.
"Did you notice it?" Eric asked.
"Yeah," she said as she looked up. Those two street lights in front of those houses were not on. They looked as if they'd been turned off. They looked at each other and acknowledged the unspoken truth. Only a vampire could have done that. It was too high up for a human to have done it. No broken glass. No light bulb. They'd been unscrewed and the bulbs were gone. They continued to walk in silence as they studied their surroundings. There was no sign of a struggle. There was no blood. No clue was left behind by Connie.
Nothing
"Don't you find it strange that no one heard anything?" Sookie pointed at the houses. "All of these houses and not a sound." She looked up at Eric with wondering eyes. "She didn't scream at all. Why didn't she scream? Why wasn't she afraid?"
Staring at her, Eric filled her in on his musings. "I was thinking the same thing. She worked at a vampire motel. Not a reputable one but she worked at one nonetheless. Andy said that there were no signs of a struggle. She left no clues of any kind. They questioned the neighbors and no one knew anything. If someone comes at you in the night, you're afraid; especially human women. They would scream." He looked at her knowingly.
"She knew him," she whispered. She looked up at the street lights as she talked. "He stood in the darkness and waited for her. She walked this way every night to get home. He knew her routine. He leaned underneath this light post and waited for her." Sookie reached out to touch the pole. She wanted to see what she could find out but quickly drew her hand back. It was iron.
Eric reached for her and pulled her close to him. "It's not worth it." He began to scan the area slowly. A vampire can blend into the darkness and can never be seen. They've always hidden in the shadows. Holding Sookie's hand, he walked in the direction of a dark alleyway between the two empty houses. He inhaled deeply.
"What is it, baby?" She gripped his hand.
"Vampire," he answered.
He took Sookie into his arms as he blurred through the night. They were soon standing in the alleyway. Eric inhaled again; taking in the rogue vampire's scent. Sookie watched him with complete fascination.
"Do you know him?" Her voice was filled with awe and wonder.
Eric hesitated before answering. A hint of familiarity hit him but he wasn't sure. "No, I don't but he's not an old vampire. He's not very young either. He's strong and he knew what he was doing. She wasn't his first one. He's done this before."
"So, are you saying that it's a male vampire?"
Shaking his head, Eric said, "I can't say for sure but I believe it is. Because of our vampire smell, the females wear perfume and I can smell perfume but there's no way to determine if it's the scent of a female vampire. There are several scents in this alley; Weres, shifters, humans. The perfume could belong to either species."
Sookie's body stiffened in his arms. A frown appeared on her face.
"What do you sense?"
"Put me down," she whispered.
Hesitantly, he did but he followed her as she walked towards the darkest part of the alley. She placed her hand on the brick wall of the house. "He is male. She didn't see him. I'm certain of it. She walks this way to get home. She lives in the house on the opposite street. He pulled her into the shadows as she was walking home and he got her. I can see her face. He put his hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming. When he turned her around to look at him, the fear faded from her eyes." She looked up at Eric. "She did know him."
Sookie pressed her back against the brick wall and looked at the vampire that wasn't there. "She was standing like this. She is smiling at him." She moved away from the wall and stared. It was as if she could see Connie standing in front of her.
"Can you see his face?"
She shook her head. The vampire and Connie were making out. They've been together before. She's enjoying it so much that she doesn't see what he's about to do.
Suddenly, Sookie screamed out. "NO!" She lunged forward but nothing was there. Her hand went to her heart. "She's dead. He killed her that night." She placed her hand on the brick wall. "He drained her right here." She looked down at the ground. She kneeled down to touch it but there was no trace of blood. She looked up at the brick wall and frowned again. When Sookie looked at her husband, she had a quizzical look on her face, "Eric, he didn't bite her. He kneeled down in front of her. She believed that he was going to ... you know but he didn't. He stabbed her with something in her thigh."
She squinted and stared behind Eric as if she could see something; the vampire. Sookie stood up and walked behind him and stared at nothing. "He's taking her with him. He has her thrown over his shoulder and he's taken her body with him."
"Do you know where?"
"No," she said. "It ends with him leaving the alley."
Eric's cell phone began to ring as soon as Sookie fell quiet. "This had better be good."
Pam sniggered. "It's me and it is. We have some information on the vampire that was following you. I wanted to take him but Sal thought not. He said that we needed to watch him a little longer. He believes that William Compton is dangerous. That's his name …William Compton." Pam gave hearty laugh. "Sal has a severe distrust of this vampire. He said that you'd want us to follow him a little longer."
"He's right."
"Well, as you know William works for André. No one knows exactly what he does. The word is that he does a little bit of this and a whole lot of that. He lives at André's compound. Oh, and guess who is maker is? Lorena Ball," Pam replied knowingly. "If anyone has her for a maker, I pity them. It couldn't have been a peaceful journey into this life."
"Hmmm," was all Eric could think to say.
Lorena is just like her maker, Isvald. She is the most sadistic vampire to have ever been made. When Isvald turned her, he had no idea what type of human she was. Her evilness carried over when she became vampire. She enjoyed killing. She enjoyed it so much that she killed her maker because he'd ordered her to stop killing humans. She was risking their well being. It angered her. No one told her what to do; not even her maker. He didn't know that but showed him. Her maker had to learn the hard way. She killed humans and bathed in their blood after she'd had her fill. She's been known to make her children join in on her sadistic ways. Those that protested met the true death. It's more than obvious that William didn't protest. He's the type that will do anything to survive.
"Everything okay?" Sookie asked as she noticed the look on Eric's face.
"Yes, my lover." He looked down as her smiled.
"You've never called me that before," Pam mewled into the phone. "I don't like it. Since I've made my position clear on my new nickname, tell me. What do we do about our dear Mr. Compton?"
"Nothing right now," Eric commanded. "We keep following him and never let him out of our sights. Make sure that you have Clancy and Chow follow him and tell them to be careful. If he's as dangerous as Sal believes, we need to watch him as closely as possible. Do you have anything else for me?"
"No but I have a question." Eric could hear her leaving the room that she was in. Obviously, she wasn't alone. The sound of a door closing echoed in the phone. "There's something in your voice and I don't like it. What have you found out?" She unnecessarily inhaled. "Please tell me that it wasn't our kind."
Looking at Sookie, he said, "We believe that it is."
"Fuck," she whispered. "How can you be so sure?"
"There's too much evidence for it not to have been a vampire."
"I'm sorry, Eric but don't worry. We'll find out who it is and we will kill them. It's that simple. It's that easy."
Eric chuckled. "Thank you, Pam. Who's with you?"
"Claudette, Sal, and Antony," she answered. "He's that new fae guard. I don't trust him but he's useful … for now. Why? What's up?"
"What I'm about to tell you stays within our inner circle. Antony knows nothing."
Pam was now intrigues. "You have my word."
"All of the girls that have gone missing are part fae. We know that one of the girls is dead. She was drained of her blood. Her body hasn't been found but Sookie has seen her death."
There was no sound on the other end of the line. Complete silence was all he that heard.
He continued speaking. "We will not take this before the council. We will handle this situation ourselves."
"Yes, master." Pam was finally able to speak.
"I'll handle Compton when the time comes. I'll use my direct contact in the compound to find out what I can about him. Get rid of Antony. Give him some job to do for Sookie and tell Claudette to make sure he's gone before you tell them anything. Before you go to rest, be sure to tell the others to be ready. Make sure that they are ready for whatever we have to face." Eric looked down at Sookie. She gave him an affirming nod.
"Just give me the word and we're with you."
"What in the world would I do without, Pam?"
"I'd hate to imagine." With that said, she ended the call.
Eric put his phone back in his pocket and carried Sookie back to the car. Once they were inside, he took her hand. "I'm going to meet with Gervais tonight. There's a vampire that André sent after me tonight. I need information on him. I think that it would be best if you'd go home and get some rest."
She nodded. "Okay. I understand. I'm tired from the use of seeing Connie." She leaned forward and kissed him. "You come back home to us now."
"I promise."
The lovers drove home with the will to fight strong in their hearts.