Spellbound
Ta-da! Two chapter for you and they're back to back chapters … posted in one night. Maybe while you're reading this author's note, I'll have posted another chapter. If we're lucky, I may even post every single chapter that I've done so far, thus ending the story. What do you guys think? Will that be a goody, goody? I can't make any promises but I can try, right? I know that if I can finish up my notes for the week, I can get it done. And I'm going to try. I'm going to try my hardest.
Anyway, I hope that you all enjoy and let me know what you think.
"Salome," the AP said.
Turning quickly to face the AP, she answered with a resounding yes. "What do you ask of me, Mistress?" The vampiress was suddenly pretending to not know what she was supposed to be doing or saying. It was almost as if she hadn't a clue as to what was going on around her.
"From where did you get this information that you are about to provide to this illustrious council?" the AP asked with skepticism. "This information that you supposedly had no previous knowledge of.
Salome was flabbergasted by the comment. Once again, she played the role of an innocent vampire. "The first thing that I'd like to say is that I am a queen," she began. "I've been a queen for over three hundred years and being a queen has its perks. There are times when information is given to me and there are times when I'll hold on to that information so that I can use it to my advantage."
"Are you saying that this is one of those times?" the AP asked.
Inhaling needlessly, the vampiress said, "Yes."
"The fact that you knew beforehand what had taken place in the kingdom of New Orleans and kept quiet about it, your life should be forfeit. You should lose everything that you hold dear," the AP stated. "The crown that sits upon your head is null and void. You disgrace the very race that you belong to." The AP didn't try to hide the look of disgust on her face or in her voice.
The diminutive vampire glared at the blind vampiress before answering her question. She's never liked the AP. She'd warned André not to choose the AP to rule with him. She was always talking about honor and the need for a vampiric code in their world. She was always trying to keep the vampires from being what they truly are; predators … rulers of this world and she was sick of it. She was sick and tired of bending to the whim of the blind former goddess. It pissed her off to no end that everyone was always so afraid of her. She didn't understand why the AP garnered the admiration and the reverence that all vampires so readily gave to her. As far as she's concerned, the former goddess didn't garner that respect. So what if she used to be a goddess? Those are days gone by. There was no reason to fear her. She was an elder and nothing more. Whatever power she has was given to her by André. And because he's weak, he had no choice but beg for her help. But she wasn't going to do it. She wasn't going to bend to the will of that blind bitch. She then snorted. The AP has shown the vampiric world nothing but disrespect. And her calling her by name more than proves it.
We can't even call that bitch by her given name but faeries can?
Salome glared at the Pythoness and shook her head. I refuse to be a doormat for her. No more, she thought.
And what can happen to her? She was safe. The AP couldn't kill her and she couldn't be punished. She'd made sure of that.
Salome looked at Bart and turned her nose up in abhorrence. She couldn't believe how he'd just kowtowed to the AP. He's a king for fuck's sake. He's a king and he sits there with his thumbs in his fucking ass and he says nothing. He's a fucking coward. He supposed to have some common sense. He's lived for over 800 years.
Fucking idiot, she thought.
That's why she'd made the deal for herself and herself alone.
Fuck Bart, she thought. Whatever happens to him, he fucking deserves it.
Turning her back to Bart in disgust, Salome faced the AP; her eyes filled with disapproval and disdain. She was not going to be ridiculed or made a fool of. Not tonight. Not ever. "I owe you no justification for what I've rightly done. I had every right to do what I've done and I am not sorry for it," Salome replied. "Vampires have been using whatever information that they can get to their advantage for as long as I've been walking this earth. You will not condemn for doing what our kind has always done. Do not be hypocritical, Pythoness. It does not suit you."
Before her guards could come to her defense, the AP stopped them with a look. "You dare to disrespect me?" she asked as she stood from her seat.
A harsh, short laugh escaped Salome. "Disrespect you?" she asked. "You've disrespected us this entire night." Pointing behind her, she said, "You've turned Bart into a sniveling, whispering prick. He's a king and you make a fool of him … referring to him as boy? So, oh yes, Mistress. I dare to disrespect you. For this night, you have not earned my respect so you shall not get it."
"You've become quite brave since you've made that little deal, have you not?" the Mistress asked.
"I have and I regret nothing that I have said or will say," Salome stated. "I will not allow you to disrespect or mistreat me. I am a queen and you treat me as if I'm a peon ... an underling. If anything, you should respect because of my title alone."
The tension in the room rose to a new level. With her staff in hand, the AP slowly walked in Salome's direction as she spoke. "I should kill you where you stand but my word is bond but be careful. Once you speak such words, you cannot take them back. I will allow you the chance to apologize but you must do it quickly. You've dug yourself in a hole that you cannot get out of," she said as she returned to her seat.
She thought of what the AP said to her. There was no need for her to be concerned about the nonexistent hole that she's in. She had absolutely nothing to fear. They have nothing on her. So what if she helped to fund André's little project? That's all that file proves. She has nothing to fear. And since André has left her, Bart and the now dead Russell to fend for themselves, she needed to do what she had to. She smirked as she looked at the AP.
"I apologize for my rudeness," Salome stated. "The idea of being punished for a crime that I didn't commit gets to me. The very idea causes me to behave in a manner that does not suit me. Do you forgive me, oh Mistress of mine?"
The AP only stared at her as she sat back down.
Salome then looked at Claudette and smiled. It was time to rid the faery of her smug and self righteous attitude. She was sick of those Brigant bitches. Since they've been in the earthly realm, they've been nothing but trouble. If that fucking Claudia had never bitten that fucking hole in André's neck, none of this would be happening. She'd be fucking her girlfriend in Arizona and not dealing with this shit.
"It all started the night after the Northman and his faery talked with the government about equal rights for us," Salome began.
Sandy said, "A glorious night that was. Eric and Sookie were phenomenal."
Eric gave Sandy a slight nod of appreciation.
"Sookie looked so beautiful that night," Shiloh stated dreamily. "That dress that she was wearing … I couldn't get it out of my mind all night. The way that her beautiful breasts peeked over the top of that white bodice. She looked so …"
"Shiloh," Eric growled.
"Right," she said. "The speech was great too."
Eric eyeballed her angrily.
"I mean it," Shiloh stated as she smirked. "It really was."
Rolling her eyes, Salome asked, "May I finish?"
"Proceed," Shiloh answered with a flip of his hand.
"Thank you ever so much," she said snidely. "Claudette, you might want to listen to this."
Claudette had every intention of doing so.
Salome began telling her tale of deception and death. "André killed the faery Claudia after he'd tried to rape her." Salome was smiling as the words poured from her treacherous mouth. "He wanted her but she wouldn't give herself to him," she said as she shook her head. "She called him Little Man and that pissed André off. She told him that there was absolutely nothing that he could do for her. She did not find him the least bit appealing. She'd insulted him in front of his underlings. To make matters worse, we all laughed. To be honest, it was quite comical. To see him looking so embarrassed and shameful. I, myself, could not stop laughing." She looked at Eric and said, "Your child laughed the loudest."
"How do you know this?" Peter Threadgill asked Salome.
"Know what?" she asked.
"That he tried to rape her? How do you know that he tried to rape her?" he repeated.
She didn't even bother to look at the vampire as she answered his question. "I stood at the door and watched. We all did; Russell, Bart, Sophie Ann, Freyda, and myself. He ripped her dress from her body and oh," she said as she closed her eyes. "She had a glorious body. Her perky breasts and beautiful, pink nipples were begging to be loved. The way that her panties hugged her firm, tight ass. I imagined those legs over my shoulders as I thought of the sweet taste of her." She looked as if she was reliving that night … seeing what André was trying to do to the faery.
Claudette's back straightened as her green eyes darkened to black. Eric sidled over next to her and placed his arm over her shoulder.
Sophie Ann began to groan. The guard tightened his grip on her arm as to quiet her.
"You did nothing to help her … to stop him?" Peter asked.
She turned to look at Peter as a look of confusion appeared on her face. "Why the fuck should I have helped her? She was nothing to me. She is nothing to me. She was nothing more than a meal. She wouldn't have been that if she'd just let him fuck her. It wouldn't have been long. I've fucked André so I know what she would've gotten. She probably wouldn't have even remembered that it happened. But that's neither here nor there. She only needed to give in. Oh," she added excitedly. "She attacked him and by doing that, she only made matters worse."
"Before or after his attempt at raping her?" Shiloh asked.
"After," Salome stated.
Shiloh looked at Claudette and pitied her. She watched as the faery leaned against Eric and cried as she listened to what her sister went through at the hands of his leader. She wanted to go to her and comfort her and she wouldn't have even expected sex afterwards ... though she wouldn't have objected to it. She almost smiled but stopped herself.
Shiloh looked as if she was in total shock. She couldn't believe that Salome was admitting to committing a treasonous act. "She was a faery and a member of the royal family."
"So?" Salome said.
Frowning, Shiloh said, "You know what this means. You do realize what you are admitting to, Salome."
The look on Salome's face was as blank as ever.
"It means the true death," Shiloh answered for her.
"She's right," Sandy reiterated. "You forfeit for your life for taking the life of a faery and one that is a member of the royal family." She looked at the AP and said, "Forgive my disrespect, Mistress but the deal should have never been granted."
"You are right," the Pythoness agreed. "But I gave her my word. I will not kill her. I will not punish her as Sophie Ann has been punished."
Salome couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her vampire equals were taking the side of a dead faery. "Are you fucking serious? You're talking of giving me the true death because of some faery cunt that barged in on a vampire's home trying to take over. She came to the party to kill Freyda because Freyda was planning to kill Claudette. She came to a vampire's home to kill another vampire. Do you all not see what I'm trying to tell you?" She looked around the room as she waited for an answer.
She didn't get one.
"She's a faery! She had no right to think that she had the right to kill a vampire regardless of what the vampire had done," she exclaimed. "She needed to take the proper channels to have Freyda reprimanded. Who did she think she was to say that she was the keeper of her princess and her sister and she wanted Freyda's blood? She was wrong! She was even going to kill André! She bit a fucking hole is neck that was the size of the Grand Canyon!"
The vampires were still waiting to hear what her point was.
Rolling her eyes, Salome asked, "Are you guys fucking stupid or something? If she hadn't done that, there would be no need in André harvesting the halflings for their blood. Whatever happened to those girls, falls on the shoulders of that fucking faery! She did this! If she'd only stayed away none of this would have happened."
She pointed at the pictures of the missing girls and said, "Do you really believe that they'd be dead if that faery had stayed away? No! They'd still be alive and at home with their families if not for Claudia!"
The vampires looked at her. Though their faces were blank, they were amazed at their comrade's explanation of why Claudia and the halflings are dead.
Peter was looking down at the floor as he listened to Salome's explanation.
Claudette was about to take Salome down but Eric stopped her. He wrapped her in his arms as she fought against him. Whispering in her ear, he said, "Not now. You must control yourself, my friend. Your time will come. The Pythoness will not let you down."
Claudette didn't hear any of what he'd said to her. Her only thoughts were of her sister; her beloved sister. Memories of their childhood and friendship echoed in her mind. She could see her sister's smile ... hear her laughter. She could almost feel her hug her and tell her that everything's okay but it was not. Her sister suffered in death when she'd lived a peaceful and fulfilling life. That death was not meant for her but the vampires before her decided otherwise.
"Claudia!" she finally screamed. Claudette dropped to her knees as she cried out in anguish. She rested her head on Eric's shoulder as the pain of her sister's death devoured her.
"She killed herself," Salome said in a simple and a matter of fact tone. "She brought this upon herself."
Claudette began fighting against Eric's hold on her. His grip had to tighten to keep her from popping towards her enemy. "Soon," he said.
"Who finds Salome guilty of treason in the highest form?" Peter asked as he stood. "Yay or nay?"
"Yay," Thalia announced.
"Yay," Shiloh repeated.
"Yay," Sandy agreed.
Eric listened to Claudette as she sobbed over her long dead sister. His anger rolled through him. "Yay," he growled.
Salome laughed. "You can't kill me," she said. "I've already been given immunity by our dear Pythoness. And anyway, Claudia didn't take the proper channels to do what she'd done. She needed to speak with the council members and put in a formal request."
"But she did," Peter said as he looked up at Salome.
"How so?" she asked.
"Are you not a queen? Are Russell and Bart not kings? Sophie Ann is Andre's second for pity's sake. André is our leader and she advised him of her grievances with Freyda. She even told you that she had proof. I was there and heard her say as much. With that alone, you should've turned Freyda over to her. She was following the law to the letter," he said. He then looked at Claudette. "Lady Brigant?" he said as he walked to where she was.
She looked up at him as tears rolled down her cheeks … never speaking a word.
Stopping in front of her, he said, "I must ask for your forgiveness. What happened to her is partly my fault. I never should've left her alone in there but she didn't want me to be involved. She said that it was her battle and she didn't need me fighting her battles."
Still wrapped in Eric's arms, Claudette said, "Tell me."
He kneeled before her and said, "I was the one that discovered what Freyda was up to. I heard Freyda and Bill Compton talking one night outside of André's compound. I'd spoken to a couple of the Weres that live in my state and called in a few favors. After getting what we needed, I wanted to go to you and warn you but Claudia didn't want you to know. She didn't want you to be hurt by your husband's actions. She said that she'd go to André and ask him for Freyda's and Lucian's heads. And because I told her, I felt that I needed to be with her but she wouldn't allow it. She was always so headstrong."
Claudette nodded. "Yes, she was," she whispered.
"If I had been with her," he began.
"You both would be dead," Claudette replied.
As he stared into the faery's eyes, he said, "I loved her. I am still in love with her."
Claudette looked into Peter's eyes and she knew that his statement was true. He did love her sister and he loved her sincerely. "She spoke highly you too, Peter. You'd made some remarkable changes in my sister and for that, I thank you."
Salome's unforgiving laughter filled the room. She couldn't believe what she'd just heard. "In love with her?" she asked. "What the fuck is it with these Brigant bitches? Are their pussies lined with fucking diamonds or something?"
Eric growled at the queen but just as he did to Claudette only minutes ago, she did the same to him. She held onto his arm and said, "In time, my friend."
Peter glared at Salome. "They're accepting. That's what makes them so special. To be loved by someone that knows all of your sins is beautiful. To be accepted into the heart of one so pure is a gift from God. To know that she loved me," he said as his voice faded into silence.
Continuing to laugh, Salome shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe my fucking ears," she mumbled. She then shrugged her shoulders. "You call yourselves vampires? I call each of you fucking jokes. Well, at least you can't kill me," she said as she looked at the Pythoness.
"No, I cannot," she said. "Your life is not mine to take. I promised not to kill you. I promised not to punish you as Sophie Ann has been punished and I've kept my word. You've done what vampires have been doing for centuries. You held onto information and you've used it to your advantage. You weren't wrong in holding onto to it. It was beneficial to you and Claudette."
Salome almost smiled until she'd heard the faery's name. "Claudette?" she asked. "What does she have to do with this?"
The AP's eyes widened. "Oh," she said. "You don't realize? Your life belongs to the faery. You've admitted to killing a member to the royal family. You've admitted to standing by as you watched her being violated. Your life belongs to the faery."
Salome's mouth fell open from surprise.
Claudette lifted her head from Eric's shoulder and smiled. "Thank you, Andromeda," she said. "On behalf of my family, I thank you."
Salome's mouth was no longer agape. She quickly turned in the direction of the Pythoness; hands clawed and fangs down. She was furious. She'd had more than enough of the seer and she wanted her dead. She was about to pounce but before she could, her head had been twisted from its body. She exploded and never knew that she'd been relieved of her queenly duties or her life.
Every vampire in the room looked at the vampire that was covered in her blood with pure amazement in their eyes. Peter Threadgill had never been one to exhibit violence. From what they've all seen from him, he abhorred violence. He wasn't an easygoing vampire by any means. He believed in punishment but he also believed in rehabilitation but tonight, he'd gone to a place he'd never been. He'd killed out of anger and revenge.
"Forgive me, Claudette," he said.
With his head bowed and his shoulders stooped, Peter stood before the Pythoness. "Whatever punishment you have for me, I will accept. I have avenged the death of my dearest Claudia. I will now die in peace."
"But you will live in honor," the Pythoness proclaimed. "Salome's death has been handed down by Peter Threadgill. The reason for death has been escalated to a blood offense. Any objections?"
Not a word was spoken.
Claudette looked at the pile of mess that was Salome. She wiped the tears from her face and patted Eric's arm as to let him know to release her.
"You're okay?"
"I am," she said with a nod.
"Do you forgive me for what I have done?" Peter asked Claudette.
Wrapping her arms around him, she said, "There is nothing to forgive. It was for my sister."
Peter returned to hug quickly. He then turned to the Pythoness and asked to be excused. "I would like to be given a little more time to grieve," he said.
"You may go," she advised him.
Peter walked away without looking back.
"Two down, two to go," Eric said as he looked at Bart.
Bart looked at Sophie Ann and smiled.
"Why do you smile?" Eric asked.
"What can you do to us?" Bart asked. "You have no proof that we were a part of what André did. The information that's in those files incriminate André and André alone. While all of this nonsense with Salome was going on, I read over the file and I saw my name nowhere in here." Looking at Sophie Ann, he said, "Even her name is missing from this folder of bullshit." He threw the folder onto the ground. "You have nothing on us."
A semblance of smile appeared on Sophie Ann's damaged face.
Shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head, Bart stated, "Since there is no proof that neither Sophie Ann or I were involved in the deaths of the halflings or the faery known as Claudia, the meeting should be over. Salome more than proved that she couldn't be trusted so her words mean nothing." He looked at the council members and briefly at the Pythoness. "There's no reason for us to be here." He stood up to leave but he was soon stopped.
"Sit down," Eric commanded.
"You can't speak to me like that!" Bart exclaimed.
Moving in closer to Bart, Eric repeated his earlier sentiment but with just a little more gusto. "Sit. The. Fuck. Down."
"I am a king!" Bart bellowed.
With his arms crossed behind his back and staring Bart full on in the eyes, Eric said, "Your title doesn't matter anymore. Who you are doesn't matter anymore. Here's a little something that you haven't been made aware of yet. André has given me the right to rule over this council. So here's what you're going to do. You're going to lower your fucking tone and your ass back into that seat."
Bart looked at Sophie Ann. He'd hoped that she could've given him a little something … a hint or a clue as to what the Northman meant but she gave him nothing. What has happened to André? He couldn't believe what he'd just heard. There was no way in their world that André would relinquish his seat to the council. That seat is power. It seat is unlimited power. And he sure as hell wouldn't give it to the Northman. He hates him. He hates nothing or no one more than he hates the Northman … well maybe the faery but still. There's no way he would've given up that seat.
Glaring at Eric, Bart said, "I don't believe you."
Looking over his shoulder, Eric gave a slight nod.
Clancy emerged from behind the velvet curtain and was carrying, in his gloved hands, a silver urn.
And etched beautifully in sans script writing on that urn was the name André.