After your conversation with Eric and Pam, you left the bar. You went out the back so nobody would see you. And you know they didn't hear you over the music. It's always so loud. You wish you were allowed to keep Eric's room. You're comfortable there. You don't want to sleep down the hall from Nora and Eric. Even the thought makes you uncomfortable. Maybe you could move back into Sarah's house. Most of your stuff is still there.
The back door closes behind you, and you lean against it. You can still hear the music, loud and maybe even a little annoying. You're definitely not staying here tonight. And not just because of Nora. Eric is a big part of why you're leaving. He left and came back with another woman. You don't want to see him unless you have to. And you will because he has to train you. Hopefully, Pam doesn't go looking for you. You'll call her when you get to Sarah's house.
You push yourself away from the door and begin your walk to Sarah's house. You don't need to run, the house isn't far. And it'll give you some much-needed time to think. Eric being back has thrown you for a loop. You didn't expect to see him so soon. You thought he'd never come back.
The past week has been so strange. Being a vampire is more overwhelming than you expected. The memories of your human life seem distant and hazy, even though you were human a week ago. You feel like a completely different person. But you're not. You're more or less the same. You drink blood now, no big deal, nothing strange or gross about that. It's what you have to do to survive, unfortunately.
You're walking on the side of a dark road, and you feel safer than you have in your entire life. It's weird, but good. You won't have to be scared of anyone ever again. Walking alone at night was always such a terrifying concept. There's no chance you would've been able to do this as a human. The world seems a little less scary now that you're stronger.
And now that you're immortal, you won't have to worry about money. You could walk into a bank and glamour a few million dollars out of them. You're still working at the bar but not as Eric's assistant. Pam asked you to be the bouncer, the worst job of all. You stand at the front, letting people in and denying others based on nothing. But that's not all you do. Sometimes, you have to throw people out of the bar. Only if they're being too disruptive and Pam isn't around. And "disruptive" means a lot of things.
Bill hasn't been around in a while. You haven't seen him since you turned. He didn't meet all of you at the bar like you thought he would. He dropped Sarah off and left. Sarah doesn't know where he went, and neither does Pam. You wonder what he's up to. You don't know much about him or what he does when he's not with all of you.
You don't really know how to feel about Bill, especially now that you're a vampire. He's always been a weird guy, but now you're a little suspicious of him. Why did he leave right after you turned? Did he have anything to do with Russell knowing where you were? You can't help thinking so. You don't feel like you can trust anyone anymore. Especially not a former Confederate.
Sarah's house is the same as it's always been. You don't know why you expected it to be any different, but you did. You're making your way up the porch steps when you realize something. You don't have a key, not on you. It's back in Eric's room in your purse. And you won't be able to go inside anyway. Sarah needs to invite you in, and she's still at Fangtasia, "God damn it." You groan, leaning against the railing.
This night has been horrible so far. But it can't get any worse, right? Unless you end up dead for real this time. You don't want to wait for Sarah, so you'll find somewhere else to crash for the night. She might be at the bar for hours, and you're impatient. You don't have many other friends, but you'll find a place.
The sun will be up in a few hours, so you need to find a place to sleep before then, or you'll be a pile of blood and guts. You could buy a hotel room if you had any money. All your money is back at Fangtasia in Eric's room.
You take a seat on the concrete steps with a sigh. Maybe you should take the spare room in the basement. I mean, you don't have anywhere else to stay. Not right now. But you have some time to spare before you have to be indoors. You'll find something to do before you go back to the bar.
_
Pam looks at Eric, "Why did you bring her here?" She's referring to Nora, of course. There's a frown on her face as she says it. Pam's only met Nora a few times, but she's always been dismissive or condescending. And far too overprotective of her brother, "She's in the Authority for god's sake. Eric, we can't trust them. Not after they sent us here."
"Why do you think I brought her here?" He scoffs, annoyance present on his face, "We could use her connection to the Authority. And we will if she decides to stay." Pam raises her eyebrows, taken aback by this admission. Eric's just using Nora? Is that why they're sleeping in the same room? He doesn't need to sleep with her to manipulate her.
"Do you think that's a good idea? She's not stupid, you know," Pam isn't glad to see Eric anymore. He's been acting like an idiot since you died, "And she's probably mainstreaming. She'll try to force that synthetic blood down our throats." Pam shivers at the thought. "Tru Blood" What a crock. Fucking scientists. Fucking Yakuza.
Eric seems disgusted by the thought. He hates the idea more than Pam does. He's been drinking human blood for 1000 years. He won't change that. Ever, "We can't afford to be ignorant of their plans," He says. And Pam knows he's right. The Authority has been a thorn in Eric's side for centuries. Eric's the sheriff, but the Authority doesn't trust him. They don't tell him anything. But they want to trust him. They're eager to, actually, "And she doesn't believe in mainstreaming."
"If she isn't useful, then I'm getting rid of her," Pam says to Eric, "She's always been too loyal to the Authority." And Eric knows she's right. Nora's been friends with Nan and Salome for a long time. She'll do whatever they say, especially if she's threatened with the True Death.
"Your progeny has to start paying taxes. Does she know that?" Eric asks, suddenly changing the subject. You'll have to pay Eric since he's the sheriff. Pam rolls her eyes at him. He doesn't want to hear Pam talk about killing Nora. He doesn't even want to think about it.
"And what about Russell?" She suddenly asks, catching Eric by surprise. He knew this conversation was coming. He didn't know when, though, "You escaped from him, but how?" She raises a perfectly plucked eyebrow, a bit suspicious. Russell's notoriously strong. How did Eric escape with his life? And only in a few hours.
_
He can't move. No matter how hard he tries. The silver settles in his skin, burning through the flesh. The smell is worse than the pain. It's a familiar smell, one that makes Eric wrinkle his nose. He's burned some bodies in his life, and he hates the smell. It's like cooked chicken or pork. It's like someone's football-loving dad is grilling him on Superbowl Sunday.
Silver is a vampire's worst enemy. And it's something that Eric knows well. He's had a lot of enemies in his life, and he still does. Most of them are dead like Russell will be soon. If someone kidnaps him, he won't stay confined for long.
He wonders why humans enjoy football so much. It wasn't around when he was human. There were other sports. More violent ones where the rules didn't make sense. While he's busy thinking about football and seared meat, the heavy metal door slams open. The doorknob slams against the wall, and Eric sighs, "You don't have to be so aggressive, Russell." Eric sneers at him, fangs bared.
Russell doesn't respond, and that's probably best. Eric's only been here for a few hours. Russell's only entered the room a handful of times since then. And Eric's tried to provoke him every time.
Eric struggles against the chains, hissing as he does, "I'm gonna kill you when I get out of here." He threatens, eyes narrowed and dark with rage. He says it so matter-of-factly that Russell pauses. The older vampire turns on his heel, staring down at Eric. There's a smirk on Russell's face, one that enraged Eric even further.
"If you get out of here." Russell corrects, smirk widening. Eric strains against the chains once more, his muscles flexing. There is no 'if'. He'll get out of here. That's a damn fact, as far as Eric's concerned. And when he does, he'll make quick work of Russell. He won't spend any time torturing the man. He doesn't have the time for that.
"You know, Eric," He begins, strolling over to a table in the center of the room. There's an old bottle on the table, filled with blood. Eric isn't hungry yet, but he would never pass up a meal. Russell twists the glass cork off and pours the red liquid into a cup, "I enjoyed killing your little girlfriend. I'd be happy to kill you, too." He takes a swig of blood, groaning in pleasure at the taste.
Russell steps around the table and toward Eric, still holding the glass, "You won't get the chance." Eric hisses. The blood in his glass smells different, not like human blood. It's different. Better. It smells like sunshine on a beautiful summer day. It reminds him of his childhood. It's amazing. Suddenly, Eric doesn't feel so angry. He's hungry.
Eric stares at the glass in his hand, fighting the urge to lunge at Russell. He needs whatever's in that glass, and then he needs to find the source. He hardly notices Russell's approach, too enthralled by the blood in his hand.
He notices the way Eric's eyes follow the glass. It almost makes Russell laugh out loud, "You can have some," He says, snapping Eric out of his trance-like state. Eric blinks and looks up at the man, "But I need a favor, Northman. I didn't bring you here to kill you." He stops just in front of Eric, taunting him with that glass.
Eric fights the urge to roll his eyes, "I'll do whatever you want, Russell," It's a lie, but Russell doesn't know that. Eric wants the blood, but he also wants to leave. Russell raises an eyebrow and takes another step toward Eric. He waits with gritted teeth, trying not to stare at the glass in Russell's hand, "I promise." Eric adds, hoping it'll sweeten the deal.
Russell is surprised by how fast Eric agreed to this. But he can't see through Eric's lies, "I need you to infiltrate the Authority," He says calmly, pushing the glass of blood toward Eric, "I may be the King of Mississippi, but they'll never trust me. They'll never open their ranks to someone like me." Russell tips the glass, allowing Eric to drink the last few droplets of blood.
As soon as the blood touches Eric's tongue, he melts in his seat. The taste is divine. He feels power surging through his veins, and he can't refuse Russell now, not after that. For a moment, he forgets about the situation he's in. He forgets about the silver chains burning his skin.
He stares down at Eric, amusement in his eyes as he watches his expression shift, "But your sister is a chancellor. They trust her. As long as you appeal to their agenda, you'll be fine," Russell says, stepping away from Eric and taking the glass with him, "And in exchange for your loyalty, I'll provide you with a steady supply of this extraordinary blood." He promises gleefully.
"About that blood," Eric begins, adjusting in his spot. He lets out a low hiss as he shifts, silver chains digging into his skin, "It's not human. What is it?" Eric asks after composing himself. He's never had anything quite like it. It's almost magical, in a way. Eric feels amazing. He hasn't felt the sun on his skin in years, and he hardly remembers that feeling, but this blood reminds him of what that was like.
And he doesn't want to give that up.
_
"Faerie blood?" Pam scoffs, rolling her eyes at Eric, "You're telling me faeries exist? What's next? Mermaids?" He understands her skepticism. He felt the same way until Russell explained everything. He didn't tell Eric where the donor was. If he did, Eric would've kidnapped the faerie for himself. Russell was smart enough to leave out that information, at least.
Pam impatiently waits for Eric to respond, suspicion in her eyes. She doesn't believe him. She's only heard rumors about faeries, and not often. Eric's the first person in a while to mention the creatures. The blood sounds like it tastes good, yes, but is it worth associating with the Authority? Pam doesn't think so.
"Pam," Eric begins in a more serious tone. She purses her lips, begrudgingly waiting for him to continue. She doesn't want to hear more about this faerie blood. It seems like a bad thing. It made Eric an idiot. She'll stay far away from it for as long as she can, "After I drank the blood, I went outside. Pam, I felt the sunlight on my skin after a thousand years."
Blood isn't all that important to Pam. Eric matters more to her. And he's putting himself in danger by doing this. The Authority would benefit from Eric being on their side, and they're aware of that. But if he were too nice too quickly, they would become suspicious. And if they get suspicious, Eric will likely die. Pam doesn't want that.
If Eric dies, she doesn't know what she'll do. She's thought about it a hundred times, him dying. And it hurts the same way every time. She's sure Eric doesn't think about that. Ever. He's always so confident in himself. And he's so strong. He's the strongest vampire Pam's ever met, aside from Russell.
What does Russell want with the Authority, anyway? Why does he need Eric to be a rat? They must have something that Russell needs. Whatever it is, Pam doesn't care. And Eric shouldn't care either. Unlike Eric, Pam isn't worried about feeling the sunlight on her skin again. She cares about Eric more than that.
"And you think that matters to me?" Pam asks with a scoff, narrowing her eyes at Eric, "Eric, I couldn't care less about the fucking sun. All I want is for you to be safe, and you won't be safe if you go there. If you go, I won't be able to come with you. None of us will, except for Nora. And we can't trust her. Do you want to put yourself through that? All for a tan?"
_
You found something to do, but it wasn't fun. You continued to sit on the porch and wait because you didn't know what else to do. Outside of being attracted to Eric, drinking at Fangtasia, and watching movies, you don't do much. The realization makes you sad. Maybe you need some more friends. Probably a new job, too.
Since meeting Pam and Eric, your life has gone to shit. Fuck training and fuck Russell. You need to separate yourself from their complicated world. You wish you had done this sooner, but at least it's happening. Will Sarah understand? Will she follow suit? You're not sure, considering her relationship with Pam. They've known each other for a few years, and they started dating recently. Sarah might be too attached to let go like you're about to.
And to make it less painful, you won't tell Pam or Eric beforehand. Telling them would only make it worse. Sarah's the only one who needs to know. But you need some time to pack and get your stuff ready. You need Sarah to distract everyone for a few days while you make arrangements.
You came to Shreveport for a fresh start, a better life. How has Sarah been able to live here for so long? She's known about vampires for years. How is she so strong after all she's been through? You wish you had half the strength she does. Maybe if you did, you'd be able to stick around. But you're at your breaking point.
Eric coming back made you realize that you need a change. Moving on is the best option at this point. Eric doesn't seem to care about you, and you're not sure he ever did. You're dead, single, and you've been pining for the same guy for almost a year. The more you think about it, the angrier you become. Eric never deserved your attention.