Spellbound
I want to apologize to everyone for not being able to post. I've been working extra hours and it's hard being a counselor during the holidays. The life stories make it hard to get back into the swing of things but I think that I'm good for now. Since I'm going to be off of work most of next week, I will be able to post at least two more chapters. I have only maybe four more chapters to go before the story is done. I also want to let you know that I'm going to continue the story 'Killer' as soon as the holidays are out of the way.
Anyway, I hope that you all enjoy and at least find it in your hearts to forgive my delayed postings.
Please. Pretty please.
Eric, Claudette, and Arayleaha stood in the front yard of André's home. They stared as if they'd never been there. "Too many fucking windows," Claudette proclaimed. "Who needs that many windows? And they're so big … so obnoxiously big. I'll be dollars to donuts that André hasn't looked out of half of them. He's probably never been in most of those rooms." She then thought about the home that she grew up in. "I've always hated a lot of windows. My mother felt that all homes needed lots of windows. She was quite nosy if you want to know the truth about her." She looked at her friends and said, "I'm so glad that I live in an apartment."
Arayleaha looked up at the home and sneered. "It's a beautiful house," she said. "I don't have a problem with the windows myself. I've always liked windows; especially clean ones. But this house, I believe that it's just a tad too much. I've always thought that homes of this size are ridiculous. Why would anyone need a house this big?"
Claudette looked at her and frowned. "You live in a home twice as big as this one back in Faery. And you were an only child, Arayleaha" she added.
Arayleaha shrugged her shoulders. "So what?" she asked. "That doesn't mean that I don't think that this one is ridiculously big. Plus we needed a ridiculously large home. We had tons of servants. They lived us and they needed some place to sleep, did they not?"
Eric smiled. It has always amused him to hear the faeries talking about the weirdest things at the weirdest times. And they never seem to see anything wrong with what they've just said. He's even seen Sookie doing it.
"Can you feel her?" Claudette asked Eric as she shook her head at Arayleaha's statement.
Eric looked at the faery with a shit eating grin on his face. "Very much so," he replied. "And she seems to be quite amused with whatever is going on in there … amused and calm. I can only guess what she's doing in there." He guessed that his dear wife was in there tormenting André to the nth degree. "Are you ladies ready to go inside?"
With their swords down by their sides, the faeries answered with resounding and heartfelt yeses. They are always ready for a good fight. Just as they'd taken a step forward, they were stopped by the sound of a voice.
Gervais appeared behind Eric and said, "We've killed the guards outside. It wasn't hard to do. They saw me and assumed that everything was going to be okay. They'd been warned that you would probably be here. They were in fighting formation and everything. They thought that they were armed and ready. Idiots. The entire lot of them." He smiled as he continued. "We haven't gone into the house but we do know that there are at least thirty to forty vampire guards inside. André always keeps armed guards inside."
"Where are they?" Eric asked.
"There are five in the kitchen and there are at least twenty of them leading to the hallway that goes to André's office," Gervais replied. "Some may be scattered throughout but we have nothing to worry over. They are no match for us. They are weaklings and have no skills when it comes to fighting. They will fall where they stand. André has always taken to surrounding himself with weaklings." A slow and steady smile spread across his normally emotionless face.
"No one has gone inside," Eric stated.
"No," Gervais said. "Sal said that it would be best to leave that for when you arrived. He has also made the calls to Godric and Shiloh as you've asked. He couldn't reach Sandy. He believes that her head might be between the legs of some sexy and shapely brunette that has caught her eye but a message has been left for her. As far as the other two, he's let them know that André has kidnapped Sookie and that you are seeking vengeance tonight."
Eric smiled. "And they are still in their respective states? Neither of them is in Louisiana."
Gervais nodded. "Correct," he confirmed. "They were heading to their planes just as they'd gotten the calls."
Sal's heartfelt laughter filled the night air as he emerged from the shadows. "I must warn you, Eric, Godric sounded as if he was extremely upset," Sal said. "He said that the other council members needed to be called before you'd decided to take matters into your own hands. He said that if anything happens to André, he will bring this matter before the AP and see that you are punished for your insubordination. He said that you didn't take the proper channels before going after André."
Eric laughed. He knew that the idea of him killing André before Godric has had the chance to has to have him up in arms. He wanted that head seat on the board. He wanted to be the ruler of the supernatural world. "Did you tell him that the AP is well aware of what is going on?"
"I didn't," Sal replied. "I also didn't tell him that Shiloh has been notified. I figured that Godric needs a little bit of the unexpected in his life. He doesn't get enough of it."
Eric's laughter could've been heard for miles. "Are the others standing guard?"
"Yes," Sal said. "There are Weres, vampires and faeries scattered throughout. Everything's a go."
"Selene," Eric said.
Just as he said her name, she appeared from the woods. "I'm here and ready, Master. Whatever you want from me, I will do it. With no questions asked, my loyalty and blood belongs to you." She had on her leather gloves and her silver daggers were in her hands. She was already for a good fight.
Claudette looked at the vampiress over her shoulder. "I'm sure that you do belong to him. I'll bet that you don't want to belong to anyone but him. Home wrecking bitch," she whispered.
Selene returned the stare as spoke clearly and concisely. "What I and my master had was many centuries ago. I have no desire to be with him. My mistress has my utmost and undying respect just as my master has. I have no desire to take claim of someone or something that does not belong to me. I am a vampire of great honor. I would never disgrace my maker or my master by living my life in a different manner. I respect the institute of marriage and the two people that have willingly and lovingly taken those vows. You may not realize this but I am not Freyda."
Sal and Gervais were grinning like idiots as they listened to the women fighting over Eric.
Claudette turned to face the vampiress head on. Ignoring everything else that Selene said to her, she asked, "What did you just say?"
"You heard me but I will repeat what you're pretending that you didn't hear for good measure … slowly and deliberately," Selene said with a smile. "I'm. Not. Freyda."
Claudette attempted to make a move in Selene's direction but she was stopped.
Before they could go any further with the useless conversation, Eric stopped them with a resounding, "Enough! Claudette what Selene and I had is long gone and you need to get over it and let it go. My wife has. Now, if you can't work with Selene without regurgitating the same nonsense each time that you see her, then you are relieved of your duties and I will bid you goodnight."
Claudette couldn't believe what she'd just heard … and she liked it. A slow and steady smile appeared on her face.
Eric ignored her deceptive grin and continued on. "Is there going to be a problem with the two of you working together?"
Claudette's smile vanished as she looked at Selene. She could work with the vampiress. Hell, she even liked Selene's gumption. She just wanted to make sure that Selene understood that she was not going to tolerate any betrayal of any kind when it comes to Sookie and Eric.
Selene's smile appeared as she looked at the faery. She could work with her. Shit, she liked that fucking faery. She just wanted to make sure that the faery knows that she has no intentions of overstepping her boundaries. She very well knows that Eric is in love with Sookie. She wants him to be happy. That's all she's ever wanted for him.
Eric looked to both ladies and said, "If there is, both of you can return home. You won't be needed here. I don't have time for your childish behaviors. They won't be tolerated. We are here to retrieve my wife and to kill our common enemy. I'm not here to break up a cat fight. I will not hear this conversation being had ever again after tonight. Can you do this or will you both have to be dismissed?"
Claudette shrugged her shoulders and rolled her eyes at Selene before staring straight ahead. "I can do this. There is no problem here. Right, Selene?" she asked.
"Right," Selene agreed. "The faery knows that the past is in the past. I am loyal to you and my mistress. I have no hidden agenda." She stared into Claudette's eyes as she waited for an answer to her unanswered question.
"Yeah," Claudette mumbled. "I know." She then offered the vampiress her hand in truce. "Cool?" she asked.
"Maybe," Selene replied.
Eric eyed the ladies for a few seconds before deciding that they were being truthful with him. "Okay, then" he said. "Let's go."
As they began their journey towards the house, a tiger walked over and settled into step with them. He stayed close to Claudette. She smiled as she stroked the fur of her favorite Were. "I'm glad that you came," she said.
He huffed as he nuzzled her hand with his nose and licked her fingers.
"My love," she said as she stroked Quinn's head.
And just like that, they stormed André's home and with a vengeance.
When they entered the house, vampires surrounded them. Needless to say, it didn't matter. Eric stood in the center of his vampires, faeries, and were-tiger as they protected him with their bodies and their weapons. Pride and love for his friends filled him entirely.
When his guards walked stealthy towards André's guards, Eric strolled down the hallway without a single care. He walked past the weak vampires without as much as a glance in their directions. The others; Claudette, Selene, Arayleaha, Quinn, Sal, Gervais, and Clancy were killing them with ease.
As the battle ensued around him, Eric continued down the hall to get his wife. His blond hair flowed behind him as he appeared to be walking to her in slow motion. The nonexistent wind caused his hair to flow beautifully behind him. He oozed regality and power. And everything that was happening around him never caused him to lose sight of what he was there to do.
Vampires exploded around him but he kept walking. Claudette's and Arayleaha's battle cries filled the air as their swords sliced through body after body but Eric, he kept walking. The loud growls and snarls of Quinn filled the hallway as his claws sliced heads from bodies, his ferocious fangs ripped into the cold, dead flesh of the vampires; but Eric, he kept walking. Sal's face was filled with joy and his eyes with murder as he killed his devious brethren. Selene smiled as she killed vampire after vampire. The thrill of the honing her skills filled her completely with happiness. She couldn't wait to share the moment with Sal. Gervais and Clancy was flying through the air and taking vampires out with ease and grace; blood covering their pale, white faces but Eric, he kept on walking; never once needing to raise his sword.
Just before he reached the door to André's office, Eric was approached by a rogue vampire. The vampire swung his sword. Eric smiled as he ducked. As he stood tall, he reached for the vampire's arm and grabbed it. And without much effort and with great ease, he pulled it from the socket as he ripped it from the vampire's body before dropping it onto the floor. And for good measure, he kicked it to the side as if it was in his way.
The vampire looked down at his armless shoulder and then back up at Eric. "My arm!" the vampire exclaimed. "You've ripped off my fucking arm!"
Before he could say another word, Sal beheaded the vampire. "And I've cut off your fucking head," he replied. "You go and get our girl while I continue on with the party." He then winked and nodded at Eric as he went back to the others to fight.
When Eric reached the doors to André's office, he opened them with such force that they were pulled from their hinges. What he saw before him caused him to roar out in anger. André's cold dead hand was wrapped around his wife's most delicate neck but his anger didn't last for very long.
Sookie turned to look at him and she was smiling. "Eric," she said. And with such ease, she peeled Andre's fingers one by one from her throat and walked to stand in front of her loving husband. She looked up at him and said, "I knew that you were coming for me."
Ignoring André altogether, Eric claimed Sookie's mouth and kissed her deeply, passionately.
André looked at his hand in disbelief as if he expected to see Sookie's throat in the palm. He was in a state of shock. He'd assumed that the warlock had gotten rid of the faery's powers. There was no way that she should've been able to … It then dawned him that his warlock was dead. He looked at Sookie and thought that she could've left his home long ago. She could've been at home with her Viking before he'd risen for the night. She didn't have to sit around and entertain him with conversation. She stayed behind so that she could ridicule him … make a fool of him. And she'd enjoyed it. She was biding her time until her 'beloved' husband came to rescue her.
"Fucking bitch," André mumbled. A gleam appeared in his eyes because just as much as she enjoyed making a fool of him he was going to enjoy gorging on her sweet and healing blood.
"You will give her to me," André said as he glared at the lovers.
The lovers smiled into each other's mouths as André's ridiculous words floated menacingly through the air. With their hands grasping each other's, they turned to face André and laughed.
André was furious. How dare they stand there and laugh at him? He is their superior and they show him no respect? He deserves their respect and so much more. Sookie, that faery bitch, has been laughing at him since she'd arrived at his home and now she stands at her husband's side and laugh at him even more? And her vampire husband has allowed her to ridicule his master? He couldn't help but think that Eric is the worst kind of vampire and he needed to die. He needed to pay for his treasonous ways.
Needless to say, André felt as if he'd had more than enough of their insolence. "You two have the audacity to laugh at me … mock me? I am your fucking superior! You both will bow down to me! And you will do it now!" he yelled at the top of his lungs and pointed down at the ground as to show them what they were to be doing at that precise moment.
Again, Eric and Sookie laughed. "We will not," Eric replied as he shook his head at André. "That is one command that will never come to pass."
Taking a step in their direction, André said, "You both owe me fealty and I want it."
Eric shook his head no. "What we owe you is death. Tonight, we will free you of your sick and detached life. Tonight, you will die."
With that said, Eric released her hand and Sookie slinked off to the side.
André soon laughed. "I'm your fucking elder, Northman! I'm four times your age, you fool! I'm sure that you want to be here to witness the birth of your so-called son." Looking at his enemy through hooded eyes, he then asked, "Or is it the bastard child of one of her faery guards? She is surrounded by them during the day while you are at rest." He began to shake his head. "You can never tell with those faeries. They are sneaky and quite deceitful. She appears to have the traits of the great and powerful; but now dead, Niall Brigant." He smiled at Sookie as he spoke his insults.
If André expected Eric's anger to get the best of him, he was sorely mistaken. Eric smiled and said, "Niall was a great warrior and he was the best at getting his enemies to fall at his feet. Unlike you, he faced his enemies head on. I would be pleased if my wife displayed such admiral traits. I would be even prouder if those same traits befall my son."
Sookie's heart swelled with pride as her husband's words resonated loud and proud. She gently placed her hand on her belly and smiled. "I love you," she said as she looked at Eric. "I love you so much. You make me so proud and I will forever stand at your side."
Eric's stood even taller as he basked in his wife's glorious words. "Now," he continued as he continued to stare at André. "It is time for you to face your just punishment. You have broken the cardinal rule of the contract. You have killed halflings for their blood for profit and you kidnapped my wife as to keep her away from me. You planned on killing her and taking our son as your own."
André laughed. "So what if I killed them? You will never tell." Glancing at Sookie, he said, "Neither of you will tell. If you do, your marriage is over. She will be sent back to a land far, far away and you will never see her again. And you don't want that, do you, Eric? You will never see her or that bastard ..." It then dawned on him. She was never going to be sent to a land far, far away. "I see it clearly now. You have no intentions of ever telling them what I've done to the halflings, do you? The bloodletting, the harvesting. You can't tell them until I'm finally dead and you've taken my place."
Eric and Sookie nodded their heads yes. "You are right. That's why we framed the murderer Rene Leneir," Eric said. "He was still killing innocents and he had to pay … just as you have to pay. And as I said earlier, you will pay with your life. Tonight, you will die. I will kill you."
"Kill me?" he asked. "You are going to kill me?" He doubled over with laughter. "Do you think that you can take my place so that you can keep that bitch wife of yours? Is that your plan? Do you believe that you have the power to take over this council?"
"I do and I will," Eric answered.
André's laughter abruptly stopped. "You are sorely mistaken, Viking and for that reason alone, tonight you will die. You will never be able to take my place. This council is mine," he growled. His dead eyes were filled with fire and unadulterated hate.
With his sword at his side, Eric said not another word. He replied to André with a smile.
"If you want to claim that seat, drop the sword and fight me hand to hand. We will use no weapons," André suggested. "Let's see who the real warrior is, the real fighter. Let your wife see you die with dignity."
Eric could do but one thing and that was to offer his wife the sword.
Sookie walked over to him and took it from his hand. She didn't want to take it. She wanted Eric to kill their enemy quickly and without pause. She wanted them to go home and make love all night but she knew that her husband was doing what was necessary but before walking away from him, she stared up into his eyes. Pure love and admiration flowed from her to him. Though she wanted André to die quickly, she knew that Eric was doing what he has to do and she'd never been prouder of him in her life. "You will win this," she said. "Death is not in your future, my dearest love."
Staring at her he said, "It is not but listen to me, Sookie. No matter what happens, you will not join in this fight."
She shook her head no. "Oh, but you are wrong. That is a promise that I cannot keep. Don't ask me to stand by and do nothing if he should so happen to get the upper hand. I will not do that. You are my husband I will defend you to the death … his death." And she'd meant every word that she'd just spoken. Placing her small hand to her heart, she said, "You have my undying love and allegiance. I will stand with you through anything and everything."
Eric knew that there was no need in arguing with her. He then leaned down and kissed her forehead as she stepped away from husband and stood at the furthest wall. She placed the sword against it as she waited patiently for her husband's victory.
Eric walked regally to his earlier spot and waited. He stood with his arms crossed in front of him and stared down into his enemy's eyes and waited.
The smugness on the Viking's face angered André in the worst way. As he looked at him, he could see what Compton meant when he said that Eric has always had it too easy. Everything that he's ever wanted has been handed to him … his power, his wealth, and his wife. He was a vampire that has fathered a child with a very powerful faery. That child would give them unyielding power; a power that no vampire has ever had. The Viking's child could be a fucking daywalker. He could have the powers of the vampire and the fae and the world will belong to the Northmans. The Viking has always been too lucky but tonight, his luck was going to run out. It was time for the Viking to see that he has to earn what he wants. He has to fight for what he wants and he was going to make sure that he does.
André's hands were clawed and his cry was loud as he ran at Eric.
With a simple swipe of his hand, Eric threw André to the opposite side of the room. He then blurred in his direction and before he could even get up, André was underneath Eric's powerful and domineering fists. And he was hitting André so hard that the sounds of his breaking bones could've been heard from miles around but he wasn't hitting him hard enough to kill him. Eric wanted a fight. He wanted the self proclaimed master of all vampires to fight for his life. He wanted André to show him what he's made of. André had drained those poor, helpless girls in the hopes of being as strong as he once was and now, he couldn't fight a vampire that is millennia years younger than he is. Their blood did nothing to take André back to what he once was.
André was doing his best to get the Viking off of him. He'd assumed that he could handle him. He'd been sparring with the vampires that live at the compound and he's always beaten them all. Yes, they may have been younger but he was strong. He is strong. He couldn't lose to the Viking. He'd taunted him into fighting in a hand to hand combat and now he was going to lose to Eric Northman?
André reached to his right and grabbed the first thing that he saw and used it to smash against Eric's head. It was André's most favorite vase. He'd gotten it from China many, many centuries ago. He loved that vase but he loved living more.
The hit stunned Eric for only a second but that's all that André needed. He picked up one of the larger shards and began to stab Eric in his side over and over again; though it never stopped the pounding of Eric's domineering fists. When the shard was lodged into Eric's side, André would grab another piece and stab Eric some more. It pleased him to see that the blood was flowing from Eric's body steadily. And he was losing a lot of it.
André smiled as the Viking rolled off of him and onto to the floor. He began to use his fists to beat Eric's face … not hard enough to cause much damage but just hard enough to get the best of him. He then stood over Eric and stomped both of his hands until he could hear the bones breaking. The coup de grace was when he spat in the Viking's face and glared down at him. "You thought that you were going to kill me!? I will never die! This is my world and I allow you to live in it!" He reached out and grabbed the desk chair and broke off the leg. With his hands gripping his weapon, he had his hands over his head and said, "But no more. You will live in my world no more. You were a fool, Northman. Tonight you lose everything; your wife and your child. Everything that you have will belong to me."
Before he could bring the stake down, Sookie was on his back and her silver fangs had bitten into André's neck. She reared her head band and bit into him over and over again. The smell of his burning flesh filled her nostrils. The chunks of flesh that she spat out of her mouth hit the floor and the walls. The taste of his foul blood filled her mouth and burned her throat. Her fingers were digging into the flesh of his shoulders as she held onto him and ate away at his very flesh.
André dropped his stake and his screams of pain filled the stillness of the office. He could feel himself weakening as the faery's silver fangs pierced his sensitive flesh. Over and over again, she was eating away at him. He was grasping at her over his shoulders but she was too quick. The holes in his neck were too big for even his hand to cover. There was no way that he was going to be able to stop the bleeding. He then dropped to his knees but he was determined not to give up.
Instead of grabbing for Sookie over his shoulder, he reached around and grabbed at her leg and threw her to the other side of the room. Her body bounced off of the wall and with a resonating thud, she hit the floor.
André dropped to his knees and began to crawl to where she was. If he could get the blood of the princess, he would heal. He didn't care what he had to do in order to get to it. He would claim her life and her child. He was going to raise it as his own. If he had to rip it from her body, then that's what he was going to do. He was going to kill her. He was going to drain her dry. He began to think that he wasn't going to kill Eric. He was going to hold him captive. He was going to let the Viking live for just a little while knowing that the blood of his wife is what keeps him alive. He was going to let the Viking hear his son call him father. And when the time was right, he was going to have the boy kill him. Eric was going to live long enough to only to die at the end of his son's sword. With that thought, André began to slide a little quicker in the direction of Sookie's body.
"Where do you think you're going?" Eric asked as he pulled André by his leg and back to his direction. He flipped André onto his back and smiled down at him. "I haven't killed you yet."
André began to shake his head. He could feel himself weakening even more. He was losing too much blood. He had to do something in order to stay alive just a little bit longer. He raised his hands in surrender. "You don't have to kill me!" he begged. "I will relinquish the seat and give it to you. You can let me go and you and your wife will never have to worry about me again. Your family will have no reason to fear any retaliation from me. You will never see me again. I give you my word."
With a stake in his throbbing and sore hand, Eric said, "Your word is as worthless as your life."
Just as the stake was plunged into his chest, André screamed out one single word; wait. Eric was covered in André's goo. The stake fell into what used to be André with a squishy sound.
Seconds later, Eric had Sookie in his arms. He looked down at her and saw that her mouth was covered in blood and that her silver fangs were still present. Painfully, he pulled her onto his lap and brushed the strands of bloody hair from her face. With one swift motion, he removed his shirt from his body and used it wipe André's blood from her mouth.
"Come on, baby," he said as he grunted in pain as the shards of glass were being pushed out of his healing body. "Wake up. You have to wake up." He held her closer to his chest as he leaned in and kissed her forehead.
She didn't move at all.
He began to feel anxious. Though he could feel her and the baby moving through the bond, he wanted her to wake up. He wanted to see her eyes, see her smile. He wanted to hear her voice. He didn't care what it was that she said. He just wanted to hear it. "Please, wake up," he begged.
Still, she didn't move.
Eric was angry and scared. He pulled Sookie closer into his body and decided to let her know just how angry he was. He began to fuss at her in a whispered yet harsh voice. "You never listen to me, Sookie. You are so fucking hardheaded. Do you realize how much easier our lives would be if you'd just listen to me? You are always so damned determined to do whatever it is that you want that you don't listen. Now," he said as he shifted her body comfortably in his arms. "This is what's going to happen. You are going to wake up and tell me that I was right. You are going to tell me that you should've listened to me and that I am the smartest vampire that you've ever known. You are going to sing my praises and tell everyone that we know that I am always right. Do you hear me, Sookie?"
Nothing
He closed his eyes in frustration. "I know that your stubborn ass hears me, Sookie. Now wake the fuck up!" he screamed into her face.
A frown suddenly appeared on her face. She opened her eyes and said, "You don't have to yell and cuss at me, Eric Northman. I'm right here. Your choice of words leaves much to be desired. I hope that you don't plan on speaking like that around our child."
He laughed as he cradled her in his arms. "I thought that I'd lost you there for a minute," he said in her hair.
She shook her head. "No," she said. "You are stuck with me for the rest of your life. You are never getting rid of me. I thought that I'd already told you that."
"I want to kiss you," he said.
Showing him that the silver fangs were now gone, she said, "Kiss me."
And he did. It was the best kiss that they'd shared. It was the kiss that permanently sealed their fate as one. No one in their world could destroy what they'd worked so hard to rebuild. The world was theirs.
Just then, the doors the André's office swung open. There stood Godric and Shiloh. Godric screamed out no. He looked at the glob that used to be André and asked Eric, "What did have you done?"
Shiloh was standing beside him and her expression was completely different than Godric's. She was smiling. "What the fuck happened?" she asked in a lighthearted voice. Unlike Godric, she seemed to be quite amused by what she was seeing before her. "Is André really dead? Did you really kill him?" she asked when she looked at Eric.
Lightly kissing his wife once more, Eric said, "Yes, he is and yes we killed André. That's what's happened."
"That means that you are now the head of the council," Shiloh deduced. Nodding her head as she spoke, she said, "Hmmm, it could be worse." She crossed her arms over her chest as she looked at Eric. "It could be a lot worse. André could still be alive. The council could still be falling apart at the seams. I'm okay with your rule." She began to nod her affirmation. "Congratulations to you, Eric. I offer you my allegiance."
"No," Godric announced loudly. As if trying to convince himself, he said, "He is not the head of the council. He did not take the proper channels so that he could claim that seat. That seat does not belong to him. No," he repeated. "No … it is not possible."
That's when the others of Eric and Sookie's retinue entered the room. They were all covered in blood and they were smiling. Each of them bowed their heads to their new leaders and pledged their allegiance to them by placing their hands to their chests. Even the extremely naked John Quinn did the same.
They smiled at their friends as they realized that a new world order was about to take form.
"No," Godric repeated. "This is not real. It is not possible."
Still cradling Sookie in his arms as he stood tall, Eric said, "Oh, but it is. André was behind the murders of the missing girls and earlier, during my daytime rest, he had my wife kidnapped and brought here to his home … to him. He was going to kill her and take claim to what belongs to me. I did what was within my rights and took claim to the seat that André had so freely relinquished when he'd abandoned our laws."
Sookie lovingly placed her hand to Eric's face and said, "My husband, on the other hand, has broken none of our laws. He has done everything that he was supposed to do and now he has control of the council. That seat rightfully belongs to him." She then looked at Godric and replied, "You will now answer to him."
Godric was fuming. "I will not answer to him!" he yelled. "This is not how it was to be done. We were to challenge André in a fight. We were not to come into his home and take what we want."
"Put me down, Eric," Sookie commanded.
When she was standing on her feet and facing Godric and Shiloh, they could see what she and Eric were hiding. They could see that she is with child. They could see why Eric needed to take claim to the council. Both vampires were more than surprised. Shiloh was under the impression that Sookie had been with a faery and had gotten pregnant. She kept that idea to herself but not Godric. He spoke on it and he spoke on it loud and clear.
"You're pregnant?" Godric asked.
"I am," Sookie answered.
Godric frowned at her. Disgust was more than apparent in his eyes. "You are a woman of loose morals? You have betrayed the Viking?" He shook his head in disbelief. "I expected more of you, Sookie."
Without warning, Eric stepped forward and punched Godric in the face. "My wife has never betrayed me. I have been her only lover and you will apologize to her and you will do it now."
Godric growled and stepped to Eric; fangs down and hands clawed.
Before he could pounce, Sookie was standing between them and the tip her faery sword was aimed at Godric's throat. "Retract your fangs or you'll die where you stand," she ordered. "You may be the elder in this room but you are still the weakling. Do as you've been ordered by your master and do it now."
Godric simply stared at her. He didn't do any of what he'd heard her 'ask' him to do.
Her mouth was now filled with her silver fangs while the tip of her sword remained trained on his throat. "Do it," she ordered him once more. "Know your place underling and respect your master. Give him the fucking respect that he deserves."
"Such language," Eric mocked.
Sookie shrugged her shoulders and waited to see what Godric was going to do. He was either going to offer his allegiance or he'd die tonight right alongside André.
Godric smiled as he did as Sookie ordered. He knew then that she'd never betray her husband. She would die before she'd stoop to such a level. He didn't know how he knew it but Godric knew that the baby belongs to Eric.
Sookie sighed as she stared at him. "You are right, Godric. I would never betray my husband. He is my true love. Everything that I am belongs to him and only to him."
Eric stood behind his wife and placed his sore but healing hands on her shoulders. "Disgrace her name again, Godric, and you will die. I give you my word."
"Forgive my insolence, Sookie," he said. "I never meant to disrespect you in such a way. I never should've doubted you."
With her sword still at her side, she gave Godric a slight nod and said, "You are forgiven."
"Know this," Eric began. "You will still remain in power, Godric; you, Shiloh and Sandy. Your territories will remain under your rule. Each of you has earned your place on the council. I have no intentions of removing either of you but things in our world will change but they won't change if we don't stand together. This is our world and we need to reclaim it. We need to put the honor back where it belongs. Are you with me?" He stared deeply into Godric's eyes as he waited for his answer. Sookie steadied her sword in her hand just in case he answered wrong.
Godric stood with his arms crossed over his chest and stared at the faery and the vampire. He'd always had an affinity for the Viking. Though he can't stand Eric, he's always respected him. He's always been a vampire of great loyalty and honor. He's earned the respect of those that follow him. He glanced at the vampires, faeries, and the impressively naked John Quinn and he knew that each of them would have died for their master and their mistress. He knew that under Eric's rule, their world will be a better place. And he knew that they could do it together.
Though it killed him to do so, Godric bowed to Eric. When he was once again standing tall, he looked his master in the eyes and said, "You have my allegiance. I will stand with you."
With that said, Eric nodded. "Call the other members of the council and tell them to be here by nightfall tomorrow night. We will meet at the Mausoleum. I want no excuses. Every member of the council must be there. Tomorrow night, we clean house."