Back in the palace, I tidied up and reapplied my lipstick in the restroom, being careful to move my hair so it molded against my cheek again. There, I looked good. I smiled at my reflection and walked back through the party crowd until I bumped into Dylan. He was near the bar and standing with a vampire I recognized as part of Russell and Bartlett's entourage. Dylan was dressed in an old-school-cool white Tuxedo chatting animatedly, his complexion positively rosy.
"Why, hello Dylan."
"Do I know you?" He tilted his head at me perplexed, shaggy hair brushing against his shoulders. He wracked his brain. He was thinking if we'd met in the past, he'd for sure remember me. Score one for Sookie Stackhouse's sense of self-esteem.
"Not today, but if your lovely companion won't mind excusing us, I believe I'm owed a dance." I hooked my arm through his and led him out to the dance floor. The vampire he was keeping company with lifted her brows in interest. I had a sneaking suspicion she recognized me. Oh well, wasn't like I was keeping my presence a secret here. Though knowing vampires, I'd give it all of five minutes before news spread that Eric Northman's ex-pledged and ex-bonded telepath was counted among the guests here tonight.
Dylan smoothly took the lead, and we were shimmying across the dance floor to a jazzy beat.
"So, lady, why do I owe you a dance?" he asked.
"Because I saved your neck and possibly your life. Do you have any memory of where you were before tonight?"
A deep crease formed between his brows as he thought hard. "I did something to upset the Queen," he said finally. His brain was stretching, he knew something had happened but the details were fuzzy. Like removed from his memory, fuzzy. I also felt the strange blank block in his mind, that I was beginning to suspect was the effects of the witchcraft that caused us to forget about the gold.
"You were in the gallery."
His brown eyes widened with alarm, and I nodded along in sympathy.
"What did I do?" he asked, his grip on my hand and at my waist tightened.
"Nothing, sadly."
"But I'm okay now?" he asked dazedly. I felt a pang of sympathy. Working for vampires could really blow sometimes. Okay, most of the time. Wait—scratch that. All of the time.
"I think you're gonna be okay," I said. We danced until the song drew to a close, and I found my spirits rising despite it all. The end of this miserable experience in Oklahoma was in sight.
Joshua emerged through the crowd of dancers and took me from Dylan's hands, who was eager to be rid of me and head back to the vampire he had been talking to earlier. He had been fantasizing about the way she was licking her bottom lip as they'd talked. Donors were a different breed, that was for sure. I relaxed in Joshua's arms as the next song began. It was a slow one so we moved close to one another.
"How's your night traveling along?" he asked. I looped my hands together where they met behind his waist.
"Peachy so far, thanks for asking. And yourself?"
His eyes warmed. "Much better now there's a beautiful girl in my arms."
We didn't speak for the rest of the song, and it was just perfect. How wonderful it was to enjoy the company of a man without thinking about some unpleasant history you'd shared or what their real intentions might be. When the song tapered off, and we parted from our embrace, I felt an uncomfortable prickle at my neck. My shoulders must've tensed a little, and Joshua offered a sympathetic smile.
"He's been watching you the whole time."
I looked over my shoulder to see Eric across the room, involved in a conversation with another vampire I didn't recognize. We were standing at a good vantage point, and Eric wasn't looking my way at all. I turned back to Joshua and shrugged nonchalantly.
"I think you've got your wires crossed," I said. If Eric wanted to watch then go ahead, for all I cared. Joshua shrugged and smiled too. "Got time for another dance?" I asked him.
"I can squeeze one in." He squeezed my arms gently as he said this to emphasize his point. The next song was an upbeat jazz number that had us laughing and puffing by the end. We parted ways on the dance floor, and I made my way across the room to back to the bar when I felt a gloved hand gently grasp me by the elbow.
"Meez Stackhouse, what a pleasure and surprise to see you here."
I froze and felt my stomach drop like a lead balloon. I turned slowly on my heel.
"King de Castro." I bowed my head and felt my heart begin hammering away under my sternum like a rolling snare drum. "A pleasure to see you again."
"Yes, and after all this time, Miss Stackhouse. And here I was sure we would never cross paths again." He took my hands in his own and spread my arms wide, assessing my attire. "And you still cut a fine figure in the years since our last meeting." He drew my hands back in and pressed a kiss to the back of each of them.
"As do you, your majesty." And apparently not one to stray from what he thought was a winning fashion combo. Tonight, he wore a red silk-lined cape over his evening suit. He kept a hold of one of my hands and lifted his free hand to summon a waiter who appeared at speed. Felipe passed a champagne glass to me and took a goblet of blood for himself. I resisted the urge to hand it back to him and bolt from the room. Freyda had insisted through the negotiations of this job that Felipe had been on the up and up with me coming to Oklahoma. Her lawyer had been resolute in the fact that they had struck some accord with King De Castro in ordering to utilize my services.
"What brings you to Oklahoma, Miss Stackhouse? Business or pleasure?"
I couldn't stop myself from licking my lips nervously before answering, "Business, sir. Although, I was led to believe you were aware of that."
"Ah, yes, of course… That is true." He leaned forward to speak directly into my ear, and I was overwhelmed by the scent of his spicy cologne. "And how do you find it working for the Queen?"
An involuntary nervous giggle rose from my throat and brought the glass to my lips to stifle it. "Just fine," I said once I'd taken a sip. I was proud of how steady I sounded. "Though I haven't had much interaction with her during my stay the last few nights."
"Nights?" he inquired, lifting his brows. "The Queen must have you examining her staff to a great degree of depth if it is taking this length of time to do a simple background check for the party."
Well, that about covered how the Queen was explaining away my presence this evening.
"You know how it is. Dotting those I's and crossing those T's," I said brightly. He smiled warmly—the way a crocodile might smile when it made friends with the mouse resting on its snout.
"I believe I do know how it is, Miss Stackhouse, I believe I do. So tell me, how is your business back home in the fine state of Louisiana?"
"Merlotte's has been performing quite well, thank you."
"I was referring to your bar, Miss Stackhouse. Not the shifter's. The Dogwood, I believe it is named—I am right, yes?"
I gripped the stem of my glass tightly, my mouth suddenly dry. I wasn't sure exactly what the King was playing at with this line of questioning, but the subtext was plainly clear. The King of Nevada was keeping tabs on me. And he was not happy I was here. Eric chose that moment to appear by my side and even the burgeoning feminist in me didn't have the energy to be annoyed with him swooping in to save the conversation.
"Ah, Mr. Northman. I was just telling Miss Stackhouse how wonderful it was to see her again, and now you arrive. What is the saying… blast from the past? The three of us together again."
"Good evening, Sookie," Eric said nodding my way. His expression was carefully neutral but his eyes were keen, hard and lethal. "King Felipe," he added with a nod toward to the monarch. "We were under the impression you were unable to make it this evening."
"And how felicitous that I was able to clear my schedule at the last moment to come and enjoy the festivities. The Queen's palace has greatly improved since my last visit to your fine state. I'm sure Miss Stackhouse here has been residing in great comfort."
"Of course," I said. "The Queen has been a gracious host and my accommodations have been very comfortable." I felt like a robot, trying and failing to grasp the right words that would make this conversation end without anyone losing a head.
"It is a shame you never made the trip to Las Vegas," Felipe said to me. "Of course, it is no sprawling country palace, but I have many opulent hotels from which you could choose to stay."
"You know what I'm like, sir, I'm not sure Las Vegas is my speed."
"Never say never, Miss Stackhouse… Never say never." He lifted and kissed my hand once more. "Now I'm afraid I owe a dance to the Queen of Minnesota, if you would excuse me. I hope to see you again soon, Miss Stackhouse. Do take care." He left us and crossed the room to where the statuesque red head stood with many beautiful humans surrounding her. The spot where Felipe's lips touched my hand tingled, absolutely chilled.
"Why were you talking to him?" Eric demanded, his expression plunging to even icier depths.
"He accosted me!" I hissed. "I didn't even know he was here."
"Go back to your suite. It's too dangerous for you to be out here fraternizing."
"I'm not fraternizing." I restrained the urge to throw my drink on him. "I'm working, in case you forgot. Go back to your wife and let me do my job."
I glared at him, and his expression closed over in anger. The overhead lights dimmed then and Joshua, the MC for the evening, called Eric and Freyda to the front. I turned on the spot and stalked back to Thalia, slamming my glass down on the table before sitting down.
Thalia regarded me with disinterest.
"Men are assholes." I said. "Whether they were born this century, the last, or five million centuries ago."
Joshua introduced the couple and wished her a happy birthday while the band played the traditional birthday tune. An enormous five tier cake was wheeled out with a candle burning on top. I made a choking noise and a hysterical laugh slipped out. A cake? A freaking cake?! A few bystanders near me turned to look. I shrugged helplessly and from the corner of my eye I could see Thalia pursing her lips in effort not to smile. It made me feel better.
Freyda blew out the candle and took the microphone from Joshua's hand.
"I greatly appreciate the presence of everyone here tonight," she said with a sweeping gesture to the crowd. "Thank you to my dear husband, for his unerring support and strong, guiding presence. It is my desire to reign over this beautiful state for a great many centuries and beyond. I consider it an indispensable duty and obligation that I dedicate my undead life to the betterment of this state and my vampire subjects. I thank you all for your support."
The crowd applauded politely, and the band struck up a new song, a singer emerging from the side. He began singing the beginning strains of a familiar Frank Sinatra piece. Eric smiled at his wife and took her by the hand, leading her to the center of the dance floor. They embraced closely and Freyda whispered something into his ear which caused Eric to smile and say something in return. The moment was intimate, the room dim save for the warm glow of the chandelier illuminating them from above. The tableu of the two of them was striking. A familiar flare of emotion whispered to life inside me. Misery and old pain.
I never wanted to be here. I never wanted to see this. Was this what that witch had meant by closure when she read my cards?
This didn't feel like closure. It most certainly did not feel like setting my heart free.
Eric and Freyda seemed to float across the dance floor as I struggled to wrestle down the tidal wave of emotions inside me. Lord, this felt lousy. Those years of distance between mine and Eric's break up all but evaporated. Could this really be worth the 50,000 pay day? I dragged my gaze away from the happy couple and scanned the crowd. I found Sigrid. She cut a lone figure, leaning against a marble column watching them dance.
Her expression mirrored my own.
Ah. Well, that confirmed mine and Thalia's theory.
"Time to talk to Christof and then we can wrap this up," I told Thalia and she nodded in agreement. A flight home felt within reaching distance now. Maybe this was what closure felt like, after all.