Spellbound
Here is the next chapter. I have been on a roll this week. I will do my best to have the next chapter posted by Wednesday of next week. I just have to do the editing and the rereading to make sure that I have the mistakes at a minimal.
The story idea belongs to me but most of the characters belong to Charlaine Harris.
Claudette expected to see Eric at a house when he gave her an address. She never expected to see him sitting in the Poverty Park park. Despite the name, it's a very ritzy neighborhood. Huge mansions and lush, sprawling green lawns line the streets. Luxury cars of any and almost every model that one could think of sat prominently in the driveways. Cherry blossoms and white magnolias decorated the park. A huge fountain with rainbow lights was the main attraction. Guards, supernatural guards, patrolled the area and were housed at the entrance. Poverty Park was one of the safest supernatural communities in the great state of Louisiana.
She's always wanted to live in the Poverty Park neighborhood but Lucian used to always say that the area was too ritzy, too upscale; especially for them. He told her that they were beer and pretzels kind of people. They were the drive-in movie type of people. They were the type of couple that would sneak their own snacks into a movie theater. And he was right. They were. They enjoyed the little things in life. They watched football and had cookouts with their human and supernatural friends. They enjoyed staying at home and watching reruns of The Love Boat. They especially enjoyed being alone. They didn't need the huge soirees or the fancy shindigs. They only needed each other. They really did enjoy the little things. She especially enjoyed doing those simple things with him. She smiled at the memories as she made her way to Eric.
She saw him sitting on a park bench with his arms thrown over the back of it and his ankle resting on his knee. She has always had a great respect for Eric; even when he was distant with Sookie. She could tell that he loved her though he tried to hide it. She hated what he was doing to her cousin, how he was making her feel and she'd told him as much. He'd always give her the same old song and dance and say that it was because he's a vampire. He couldn't love anyone … much less a faery. It wasn't in their nature to love anyone that wasn't their child and they loved themselves more than they loved their children. There was nothing that he could do about his nature. They both knew what their marriage was. It was nothing more than an arrangement and that's how they needed to treat it.
"Bullshit," she told him as she patted him on his shoulder. "You tell that lie to someone that doesn't know you, Northman."
She waved at him as she walked towards him. She was so glad that Sookie told him that she was going to leave him. If she hadn't, they wouldn't be where they are today. They wouldn't be happy if she hadn't have decided to end their marriage. She enjoys seeing her cousin in love; even if she is in love with a vampire.
When she and Sookie went away for their sabbatical, she knew that Sookie was pregnant. She and her grandmother had discussed it. Adele said that she could see it in Sookie. She said that Sookie knew it too but she was too damned stubborn to admit it. Neither of the women knew that Sookie was as far along as she was. If they'd known, they would've warned her about the risks and they would've made her tell Eric a lot sooner than she did but that's all in the past. The only thing that matters now is that he knows and they're deeply in love. If they weren't, it wouldn't have been possible for Sookie to get pregnant by a vampire. Love makes anything possible.
Claudette's smile broadened as she looked at her friend. Love is wonderful. Love is the very breath that one takes and it's glorious. Chills filled her as she basked in the glory of love and the image of her were-tiger as he appeared in her mind.
Eric watched the faery as she walked towards him. He's always been partial to Claudette. Outside of Adele, Claudette has always been his favorite in-law. She's always treated him as a part of the family. She's always made him feel as if he belongs. That's why it bothers him to have to tell her about Freyda. He doesn't know how she's going to react. He doesn't know if she's going to take it well at all. She's never been known for being a hothead … normally. She's always been willing to listen before she reacts … depending on the situation. He hoped that she would remain calm once she hears what he has to tell her.
"Hi, Eric," she said as she sat on the bench next to him. "How's it going?"
"Very well," he answered. "How are you tonight?"
"Great," she said as she leaned and kissed his cheek. "I'm doing great."
Eric was surprised at the show of affection. Claudette has kissed him before but never without Sookie being around. He could only guess that she was in a very good mood. "I can assume that things are going well with you and the were-tiger?"
Blushing, she said, "Yes. Things are magnificent with me and Quinn. How's Sookie doing? She was a frantic mess when I left." She shook her head as she recalled the frightened look on Sookie's face when Dr. Ludwig showed her that needle.
He nodded. "As good as expected," he answered. "She has been put on restriction for the rest of the pregnancy so you can only guess how she is handling that. Knowing what's at stake, very few compromises had to be made. She tried to finagle in a few of her wants but Dr. Ludwig would not allow it."
She laughed. "I can only imagine what she's going through. She doesn't like to be told that she can't do this or that. Our girl is very headstrong but she will do what the doctor has asked her to do. She will do whatever she has to do in order to save the baby."
"She will," he whispered.
And then it dawned on him.
You won't have to make the choice.
She's going to make the choice.
Reaching for his hand, Claudette asked, "Are you okay?"
He turned to face his guest and said, "Yes. I am fine." He inhaled and said, "I may need your help with something else; something very important. Amelia is in our home."
Needless to say, Claudette was surprised. "Sure. Whatever I can do; you know that you can count on me but how did this happen? When did this happen?"
"While I was at rest," he replied. "Drayton and Maggie found her. She'd contacted Maggie with her telepathy. From what I gather, she called out to Sookie as well she and was crying for help. Sookie knew where she was and she was going to go to her but she wasn't quick enough. Fintan brought her to our home."
Claudette's face turned to stone. Her heart was pounding in her chest. "Fintan was in your home … while you were resting? He was alone with Sookie?"
He nodded.
Her eyes were black orbs. "If I'd been there, I would've killed him on the spot."
"I wish that you had been there," he said. "Obviously, Sookie sent him on his way but he brought the girl to our home." Looking into Claudette's eyes, Eric asked, "Why would he do that? Why would he bring her to us when he could've used her to separate me and Sookie? He had his chance to end our marriage and he did not. Why would he not take the girl before the council?"
Claudette's eyes slowly returned their normal state. Fintan has never been the type to not use something to his advantage when it comes to getting what he wants. He could've kept the girl with him and used her to have the earthly realm closed to all faeries. He could've used it to end Sookie and Eric's marriage but he gave the girl to his sworn enemy; a vampire. He has willingly helped a vampire. She shook her head and said, "I don't know. It's not like him." She looked up at the sky and repeated, "I don't know. But regardless of good and unselfish deed, he has not been forgiven. By either of us," she added. "His good deed does not defend or excuse his past behavior in any way. Fintan cannot be trusted."
"He has not and he will not be forgiven," he confirmed. "Fintan will never be forgiven or trusted."
"Good," she said as she nodded her head. "He doesn't deserve it."
Things then fell quiet between the two supes. They looked out into the night and said nothing. Claudette could feel Eric's uneasiness. She was desperate to know what was going on with him but she remained quiet. She was let him take it at his own pace. She'd let him take his time. At least she didn't have to wait too much longer.
Eric then did an uncharacteristic thing. He reached over and took Claudette's hand into his. "You need to know why I have asked you to come here. This is not a friendly visit. I have invited you here because I do not like secrets. I have always prided myself on being honorable. I have always believed that I have integrity. I cannot maintain those characteristics until I tell you the truth. I can only hope that you will not see me as the enemy once you hear what I have to say. I can only hope that you can forgive me for my betrayal. And if you cannot, there will be no hard feelings on my part. You must know that I will fully understand."
Damn, she thought. That's one helluva a way to start off a conversation.
She squeezed her eyes closed and tried to prepare herself for what he was going to tell her. Maybe he really had cheated on Sookie with those fang bangers and he was going to confess to her in the hopes of getting some advice on how to tell Sookie the truth. Maybe he was going to tell her something that's not really all that serious. Maybe he's going to say that he's not really a thousand year old vampire. He might be no more than 500 years old. Or maybe it was so serious that he didn't know what to do or how to handle it. Maybe he was going to tell her that he's going to let Sookie go. He doesn't want her to pay for what the vampires have done to their people. He's going to tell the council what has happened and he's going to hope for the best. He's going to hope that by telling them the truth, they will allow him and Sookie to stay together. Maybe he'll think that they will take pity on them and allow them to remain together because they've worked so hard to solve the mystery.
Gripping his hand as she turned to face him head on, Claudette inhaled and opened her eyes. "I can never hate you, Eric. You have gone above and beyond for me and for that, I am grateful. You are my family. You are my friend. I know that I've not always shown it but I had to stand by my cousin. I believe that you are a good vampire. You have a good heart. I see goodness in you." Sliding in closer to him and still holding his hand, she held it to her heart and said, "I love you. There is nothing that you can do or keep from me that's going to make me hate you. I will not see you as my enemy. You saved my life, Eric. I can never repay you for that. I will always see you as my friend.
"As far as family goes, you and Sookie are all that I have. Claudine has relinquished the family name and by doing so, she has released me. Adele is gone to the Summerlands. Fintan … he is nothing to me but you and Sookie are all that I have. You are my family. Don't ever fear me hating you because I will not."
Eric's face remained stoic as he began telling Claudette his secret. "I have a child and her name is Freyda. She is not the child that I raised her to be. She has no honor. She has no integrity. She is a disappointment to me. I never wanted to turn her but I did. I only did so for the love a friend."
He couldn't help but think that Sookie would've loved to have heard that.
"Sal," Claudette guessed.
"Sal," he repeated.
She began to nod. "I've heard of her. I've also heard the others speak of her and not in very friendly terms."
He knew that to be true. No one liked Freyda and he really couldn't blame them. "That is true but Sal loved her more than he loved himself. He was in love with her and when she was on her death bed, he begged me to turn her because he could not. I have regretted that action for many years."
Just as Sookie asked him a couple of short months ago, Claudette asked, "What did she do to make you despise her so?"
"She has betrayed the vampire that taught me to be the vampire that I am today. She has betrayed me. She has betrayed my wife. She has betrayed you." He wasn't too surprised when the look of bewilderment appeared on the faery's face.
Claudette frowned and cocked her head to the side and asked, "Me? How has she betrayed me? I don't know her. As far as I know, I've never met her."
Eric didn't want to tell her what Freyda had done. He had to tell her what Freyda had done. He continued to stare into her eyes and said, "She was having an affair with Lucian. She was the reason that he made the attempt on your life. She wanted what you had and he was willing to kill you in order to give her what she wanted."
She dropped Eric's hand and planted both feet on the ground. She then rested her back against the bench and stared straight ahead. Lucian was going to kill her for another woman. He was going to kill her in order to give his lover what she wanted. He'd never loved her. Everything he'd ever told her was a lie. Every kiss was a lie. Every time they made love, it was a lie. She placed her hand to her heart and closed her eyes. She let the tears fall. She was nothing to him. She was nothing more than something for him to use. He'd only married her for her name … for her wealth.
"I was nothing to him," she whispered.
Freyda was the one that he loved. Lucian was going to end her life for his vampire lover. She then began to question herself. How could she not have known what he was doing? How could she not have known that he never loved her? Was she so in love with him that she was blinded to who and what he really was? Was that even possible?
Quinn, once again, appeared in her mind. What if he's just like Lucian? What if his easy words were nothing more than easy words? Lucian's were easy. He said that he loved her and he didn't love her.
"He never loved me," she sobbed.
They were supposed to be happy. He'd promised her that he didn't marry her for her name or her wealth. When Sookie read him, she found him to be truthful. How did he hide it? Did he mean it in the beginning? Did things change when he'd met Freyda?
She then squeezed her eyes closed and winced. "We were going to be parents. We were going to be a family."
What about their baby? He'd gotten her pregnant. They were going to be a family. He'd told her that she was the one and she believed him. She was the one that he wanted to have his children. He said that they'd be strong and beautiful. He said that they'd be so intelligent and brave. He said that he wanted them to be just like her. What does that mean now? He wanted his children to be gullible and stupid? He wanted them the fall for any line of bullshit that was thrown at them? He wanted them to believe that no one could ever love them for who they are? Is that what he wanted?
"I'm so stupid," she said as she looked at Eric. "How could I have been so stupid?"
"You were not stupid," he assured her. "You were in love and you trusted him. You believed in him. Do not blame yourself for his hateful and misleading ways."
"Lucian never loved me," she repeated. She fiercely wiped the tears from her eyes and face. She then laughed but it was cold, hard laugh. "Death is his friend. I should've taken my time with him. If I'd taken my time with him, I could still fall asleep to the soothing sounds of his torture. I'd be able to relish in the peace of his screams."
A slow and easy smile crept upon Eric's face. "That would be fitting, would it not?"
"Very," she said. Naturally, but only to her, she dropped her head on Eric's shoulder and stared out into the night. "I wonder if he'd ever loved me at all. Do you think he ever loved me?"
Looking down at the top of her head, Eric said, "At one time, I believe that he did and it is easy to see why. You are a good person, Claudette. You are of strong character and veracity. And when I would see you and Lucian together, I could see that he loved you. He saw those traits and more in you. He was different around you. At one time, you were more than a fae royal to him."
She sighed and asked, "Do you really think so?"
He nodded. "I do. The night of Sookie's and my engagement party, when you descended those stairs, his eyes lit up when he saw you. When Sookie and I were dancing, we watched you and Lucian. When you were talking to him about something that had to have been ridiculous and utter nonsense, he stared at you as if you had hung the moon and the stars one by one."
Her heart melted at the memory. "I remember that night. I'd told him about the best day that I'd had at the waterfalls." Whispering, she added, "He told me that he loved to see me happy." She then punched Eric's arm. "Don't think that I didn't catch that, asshole. My mindless blathering is never ridiculous and utter nonsense."
Eric's laughter filled the night air. Once the laughter died down, he asked, "Are you happy now? With Quinn, I mean. Are you happy?"
Claudette nodded her head. "I am. I've never been this happy; not even when I was with Lucian. Quinn is just so easy going and laid back, you know? He always wants to protect me and to keep me safe. Every day he kisses me good morning, bad breath and all, and he tells me that he loves me. Every night he kisses me goodnight and tells me that he loves me. He always compliments me on everything, no matter how small. So yeah, I'm very happy." Almost instantly, she felt guilty for thinking that he could be anything like Lucian.
Eric smiled as her words replayed in his mind. It pleased him to know that she has found happiness. He's especially happy for his friend. Quinn deserves love and happiness. It has eluded him for far too long. He has never doubted that Quinn and Claudette will be happy together. They need each other.
Though he was happy for his friends, his mind went back to Freyda. His body soon stiffened as he said, "Forgive me."
She sat up and looked at Eric. She was more than puzzled at his request. "Why am I to forgive you?"
"My child, her betrayals," he said. "I killed those Weres and you killed Lucian. I had basically covered for her actions when I did that and for that I ask for your forgiveness."
Claudette threw her arms around Eric's neck and kissed his cheek. "You are so wonderful and so stupid all at the same time, Mr. Northman. What is wrong with you? You're not responsible for what Freyda has done. She has her own mind. She is more than able to take responsibility for her actions. Eric," she said as she released him from her hug. "I would never blame you. Never. Okay?"
He only stared at her. He couldn't believe the capacity that Sookie and Claudette have to so easily forgive him for his wrongdoings. He expected to have been banished from her life forever. He expected to hear her say that he will go to Shiloh and request that he be punished and that she is the one to punish him but Claudette has surprised him.
"Okay?" she repeated.
"Okay," he answered. "But I owe you."
She shook her head no. "You owe me nothing."
"Come," he said as he ignored her mindless blathering. Just as he stood up, his cell phone began to ring. "This is Eric."
Claudette watched him as he stared straight ahead. She admired him. She could see why Sookie was so in love with him. Eric has a good heart and he doesn't know it. He so much more than a vampire. He's not only honorable and brave. He's compassionate and loving. He's unselfish and he's caring. He's her friend and he's family. She sat there and smiled up at him; not realizing that he was no longer on the phone.
"What?" he asked her.
Shaking her head, she said, "Nothing. I'm just thinking of how wonderful you are and how lucky we are to have you in our lives."
Eric's face was stony and his eyes held very little emotion. "I appreciate your compliment but we have to be somewhere. Will you follow me?"
Jumping up from her seat, she said, "I sure will. Where are we going?"
He shook his head no. "It's a surprise. Shall we?" he said as they began walking.
As they walked along, they talked about Fintan. Eric said, "I was so angry to hear that he'd been in our home that I didn't allow Sookie to tell me what happened while he was there. I told her that I didn't want to hear anything about him. She tried talking to me and I cut her off without letting her say what she needed to say."
Claudette shrugged her shoulders. "It's okay. I'm sure that she understands your anger. She can be a reasonable faery at times. I'm sure that she's going to be okay with it. Did she say that she was angry when you left?"
With a cocked eyebrow and a quick glance at Claudette, he said, "No. She kissed me and told me that she'd take care of Amelia. She said nothing more."
"Then it's over," Claudette answered simply. "Don't worry about it. I can very well guarantee that she's not."
For the next few blocks, they walked in silence. Then Eric stopped in front of a massive mansion that sat at the end of the cul de sac. Four vampires blurred from behind the house and stood in front of Eric. The first vampire said, "She's in there. She has been on the phone for quite some time. She is frantically calling for someone to take her in but no one is heeding her call. Word has spread that you have laid claim to her."
Claudette looked up at Eric and cocked an eyebrow but said nothing. She didn't want to jump to any conclusions but she was not going to sit by and let her cousin's husband lay claim to some woman while she's right there with him. He may be family but she'd be more than willing to kick his ass. She'd cleared her throat in order to get his attention but he all but ignored her when he stepped in closer to the vampires.
"Is she alone?" Eric asked.
The second vampire stepped forward and answered. "She is but her house is in the name of a human. She has a security system that is top of the art. We could not go in so we could not restrain her."
Eric nodded. He figured that Freyda's home was in the name of a human. Sal had taught each of them to put their homes in the names of humans but because he is her maker, Eric has no problem with getting into her home.
"Weapons?" Eric asked.
"None," the third vampire answered. "One of her servants is mine. I had her take all of the weapons from the home this morning. From what she has told me, Freyda hasn't searched for them. You will be safe," he said as he looked at Claudette.
Claudette looked confused. There was no reason why she wouldn't be safe but she didn't address his comment with anything but an "Okay. I appreciate that." She frowned as she looked away from him.
The fourth vampire blurred away and then returned. "I have just disconnected her phone lines. We will remain out here until you tell us otherwise. Are we to still at each entrance as soon as you two go inside?"
Eric nodded at the vampires. "Yes. Your hard work is much appreciated. Each of you will be rewarded. "
Each vampire bowed to him.
Looking up at the house, Eric said to Claudette, "This is Freyda's home."
Claudette mouth fell open as she looked up at the house. She then looked at Eric and asked, "Did you do this for me?"
Eric looked at her and nodded his head. "I did. You deserve your revenge and you have nothing to worry over. I contacted André last night and told him that I will be killing my child for the treasonous acts that she has committed. He has approved it. There will be no punishments handed down once Freyda is no more."
A lust began to fill Claudette; a lust of anger and revenge, and the vampires could smell it. The four strange vampires closed their eyes and inhaled the sweet smell that is Claudette. They growled and their fangs dropped in response. Eric smiled at her. It was a familiar smell to him. It reminded him of the night she'd killed Lucian but tonight it was different. The scent was stronger.
"Thank you," she said as she lifted her face to the sky.
"Revenge belongs to you, my friend," Eric said. "Let's get inside and do what needs to be done." He then looked at the vampires and told them to go. "Return to your posts."
They each flashed a glance at Claudette before nodding to their superior and blurring away.
Claudette's was suddenly adorned with silver accessories and teeth as she followed Eric to Freyda's front door. She couldn't wait to get what rightfully belonged to her. "Revenge is so sweet," she whispered.