Two cents. I had been looking at the last seven years worth of financial reports for Area Five because there was a discrepancy. The discrepancy was two cents. I spent the last three hours trying to figure out where the hell these two cents had gone. Why, you may ask? Because the new king of Louisiana wanted to know where the two cents had gone. I was firing my accountant for making me deal with this shit. It was better than me eating him. For him anyway…
Seated in my office were Felipe, the new king himself, and Victor, who didn't seem happy that I had made it through the takeover. He wanted me dead. Where exactly my new king fit into that equation, I wasn't quite sure. That left me sifting through paperwork while I could be doing something far more pleasurable.
Stupid reasons such as these were why I hadn't seen Sookie in two months. Oh, they had a list, a list that seemed to be growing longer and longer with each night that passed. Of course, they were all insignificant things that really should not have had to be dealt with or never even looked at in the first place, but I was in a very tenuous position. I had barely survived the takeover, I was more than aware how close it had been to going in the complete, opposite direction, and I would have happily fought my way out of it and dealt with the consequences for myself.
However, I no longer thought simply for myself, and feeling Sookie in the room with me, feeling her fear at how things might end, I had played it safe. Now I had to deal with all the consequences.
Consequences such as searching for the missing two cents, or the fact that the Fangtasia dance floor was bigger, by millimeters, than the one on the original blueprints. Felipe, well, Victor really, had been 'concerned' about fire codes. There was one vampire who didn't check in the night he arrived because it was too close to dawn. He had left a message informing us that he was in my Area, and he arrived to check in the following night. Apparently, I was lax in my enforcement of rules.
These were the reasons I was stuck playing nice with the vampires who practically demolished my state. I was not a happy vampire. Unfortunately to keep me, and most importantly, those whom I cared for safe, I had to act the one for a while.
"We did have a thief a few years back," I told Felipe while not giving Victor any attention. He was not my better and I wouldn't treat him as one. "That may be where the difference lies. He was discovered and executed."
No need to mention the real reason he was finally dead was because he had attacked Sookie, and I had a big problem with that, even back then.
"It wouldn't hurt to go over the numbers once again. You really need to be certain that there was no other reason for the missing money," Victor said rather smugly. Missing money. As if it was thousands of dollars rather than a measly two cents.
I had a vision of me pulling two cents out of my pocket and just throwing them at Victor; quite possibly hard enough for them to slice directly through his neck decapitating the damn vampire. Of course, with the way my nights had been going, Felipe would then cite me for simply having a dirty floor.
It had been this way every night. I would explain situations, fix problems with my attentions, and explanations went to Felipe, yet it was Victor who responded. I was left to wonder exactly who had been running the states, especially Arkansas and Nevada given that Felipe had been in Area Five for such an extended time.
"I have reviewed the paperwork extensively myself four times tonight. There is no other explanation."
"Then perhaps we should review the last ten years," Once again, Victor had made that response and ludicrous suggestion. I was definitely not about to review any additional paperwork. It took long enough just to go back seven years. Again.
Doing so also meant I would not be seeing Sookie again tonight. I allowed my anger to grow at that thought momentarily before I sent her what had become my usual text, and told her that I wouldn't be able to see her tonight, yet again.
I had all I could take of Victor being Felipe's mouthpiece. If I was to survive the new monarchy and continue to be able to protect those in my retinue, I needed to be certain as to just who ran the show. "Felipe, I must ask. Why the hell Victor has been attending these meetings? Being just another Sheriff, what possible need could he require of the knowledge of how my Area runs?"
I did not like the smile that adorned Victor's face at my question. Felipe stunned me when he said, "I'm surprised it has taken you two months to question it."
"You mean that all of it was just some sort of test?" Felipe nodded. "What the fuck have you been trying to prove?"
"I have been attempting to discover just how you may react to certain situations. I must say your patience and control when so much was on the line has been astounding! You play well-behaved most splendidly."
"Quite like a well-trained dog," Victor said smugly with a pompous look upon his face. A growl was heard throughout the room, and it took me a moment to realize it was emanating from me. I needed all of that control Felipe had mentioned earlier to not leap over my desk and attack the both of them. That would get us nowhere, well, other than getting me finally dead. I was briefly distracted when I felt the phone in my pocket vibrate. As I took it out, I saw it was Sookie calling me. I inwardly groaned as I knew there was no way I could answer it.
Felipe ignored my growling, or maybe he just wanted to try to take my attention away from Victor so I did not kill him on the spot while he continued, "It would be useful to have you to act as an ambassador when necessary with such notable skills. As for why Victor has been involved? I decided with having so many states that being spread so thin was an unneeded liability. As a strategist, you would understand the value of needing each state to be able to stand on their own. For that reason, an acting regent will have virtual control of the state in order to be able to stop a potential takeover, and to assist it in running more smoothly while I work to unite them all. I have assigned Victor to fill that role for Louisiana."
In that second, I wished I actually had two pennies in my pocket so I could hurl them at Victor. Victor would not control me. He would see his true death before that happened. That was when I started to plan the final death of Victor Madden. I would have to walk a fine line and play it very carefully, but it was something that would happen, and the sooner, the better. He would be aware of something though; he knew I was not one to lie back and take it. The situation required subtlety. It would take the most careful of planning and it would begin immediately. "I see that you have taken in all the information, Eric. I will leave you for now. Just know for the time being you are to report to Victor. His orders are to be followed as if they were my own," Felipe said as he walked out of the room. Grudgingly, I stood as he left as a sign of respect. I did not wish to give Felipe an outright reason to doubt my loyalty, at least until I saw Victor finally dead.
The situation did nothing to help me figure out who was really running the state. Was it truly Felipe, or was he simply playing figurehead for Victor? That would need to be determined. It would tell me who was first going to meet their true death.
After Felipe left and I was seated again, Victor rose from his chair. It bothered me to stay seated, but I had to. It would show Victor that I had acknowledged his position. I would acknowledge it, but wouldn't follow it. That was for damn sure!
"As for now, simply run the Area as you did for Sophie Anne. I will monitor how things were done in the past and make changes how I see fit," Victor said haughtily.
His choice of words was not lost on me, 'how he saw fit.' Not what was best for the state, but he would change things simply because he could. I simply nodded, not trusting any words that would come out of my mouth.
"You should expect to be monitored by me very closely for the next few weeks, and that will include the other Sheriffs as well. I expect nightly updates for those ones when I won't be here in personal attendance. I also expect weekly financial reports." The grin on his face told me that as much as I did not like what he had said so far, I definitely would despise the next words out of his mouth.
"New Orleans still needs to be built up, but with tourism down, the city itself won't fund the rebuilding. As yours remains the most profitable Area in the state at the moment, I am upping your monthly tithe to the state from 5 to 20%. Do not forget that would be in addition to the 5% owed to Felipe."
That meant that I would have to drastically increase what my vampires owed me in order to be able to keep Area Five afloat just to be able to pay the tithes. That would not have a favorable outcome, and would turn some against me. In setting my own against me, it would only aid Victor as the situation between us escalated. I knew it, and judging by the look on Victor's face, he knew precisely what he was doing…
'I cannot finally kill him yet' became my mantra within the last few moments. I might not be able to follow my mantra if Victor did not leave my sight very shortly, perhaps within the next few seconds. "I will let you decide how to best handle your Area with those new stipulations," he told me while he looked straight at me.
As a sign of respect, I should have stood for him as he left just as I did for Felipe seeing as Victor had been declared regent. I stayed seated. That act was not lost on Victor as he turned and said, "It would be a shame for you to have used all that control Felipe commended you for if it caused you to make decisions that resulted in the suffering of others."
"Do not threaten me, Victor," I told him. "You will not enjoy the consequences."
"It would be a damn shame," he repeated as he left the room.
I slammed my hands down on my desk. The threat was obviously meant for Sookie, principally given Victor's actions when she was taken by the fairies. If it were just Victor and I, and if I did not have others to think of, killing him would require finesse, but it would be much simpler. Throw in Sookie, and the simplicity went out the window! The finesse had to be multiplied. She was so much more fragile.
I took out my phone to call Pam and saw that when Sookie called earlier, she left a voicemail. Listening to it, I couldn't help it as my fist grew tighter and tighter as I listened to her words, heard as her voice started to shake while she began losing her composure, but was determined to not let me hear it. It may not have been what first brought my attention to Sookie, but her bravery, her strength, her fire! That was what was kept my attention on her! The fact that it sounded as if I was making her lose some of that killed me. I was just as determined to show her that I did want more, that her words had not gone unheard. At the end of the message, I completely closed my fist, and my phone crumbled to the floor.
Yet another reason for Victor Madden to meet the true death.
I picked up the phone on my desk and called Pam to come to Fangtasia. With what was happening with Victor, I wanted one of us there at all times while it was open. At the moment, that someone would not be me. I was too uneasy to deal with the vermin that night.
I got into my car and started the drive to my house while I thought over all that had happened so far that night. I would be in a far better position if it was Victor who ran the states and used Felipe as a figurehead. That way when I killed him, I wouldn't have killed the registered king. I had a feeling though that it truly was Felipe who ran the show. What I was not certain of was if that meant I had to kill him too.
I made it home and sent an email to Bobby to inform him that I would need yet another new cell phone. He would know to transfer everything from the computer to it. I also wanted him to deliver flowers to Sookie's house during the day. I would write her a note, and he should pick it up and deliver it with the flowers. I would be seeing her the next night no matter what.
As the sun rose, I went to my day rest with thoughts about how to make things right with Sookie.
I awoke a little before the sun was actually set, not unusual at my age. It was only a second later that I knew something was wrong with Sookie, but I did not have any idea of what it could be. Through the bond I felt both sadness and fear. I did not sense that she was in impending danger though, so I was at a complete loss to what was happening with her. I knew that I had to get to her as quickly as possible. Everything in my body told me to drive that sadness and those fears out of hers, and to kill whatever was causing it.
As soon as it was safe for me to travel, I took to the air as I knew that flying would take me to her faster than anything else. I was beginning to get flashes of pain from Sookie, but nothing that suggested major injuries. The feelings that were coming from her were beyond disconcerting to me. She also felt different. I wasn't able to put my finger on what it was, and I had never felt anything like it from her before.
I flew in the direction of her house in Bon Temps, but as I flew closer, I could sense she was not there. Concentrating on the bond, I was able to sense her location and became confused. I felt she was in the woods headed in the approximate direction of her brother's house. She was just sitting in the middle of the woods. A reason why she would be walking through the woods instead of driving to visit her brother escaped me.
As I flew into the woods, I knew I was nearing her. I landed right in front of where she should have been according to our bond, and was stunned at what I saw! A little shriek and the person the bond told me was my Sookie leapt into the nearest bush furthered my surprise, and I had no idea what I was supposed to do…
I wonder what Eric found...
Time and the next chapter will tell us what exactly he found. I will be eager to see what you lovely readers think of it. Thanks for reading and a big thanks to MsBuffy for fixing up all my grammatical errors in this tale.
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