Sookie's POV:
I think back to last night. I couldn't bring myself to pick up the picture of me and Eric. I even tried to write a letter to him with some stationary I found in a drawer, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I couldn't even write him an email or call him. This curse was pretty adamant and thorough. It really wanted to keep us apart.
I sigh as I eat my scrambled eggs and toast with fresh fruit. It was a beautiful morning and I planned to spend it training. I wanted to keep practicing all the moves that Marius had taught me last night. After that, we had plans to go watch a musical play downtown. Marten also mentioned last night that he owned a couple nightclubs downtown and I asked him if we could go. He seemed skeptical at first, but I convinced him that it would be fun. Besides, I was twenty-two years old and this was how people my age enjoyed themselves.
I couldn't wait for my fun night out.
After practicing some moves on a dummy for two hours, I take a shower and put on some shorts and a tank top. I look through my wardrobe to decide what to wear tonight. I wanted to look young and flirty, if we were going to a nightclub after the play. I choose a red bandage-style mini dress and silver heels.
"The master says you are going out tonight on the town?" Telma asks me with excitement in her voice as I sit back in the lounge room preparing to watch another movie.
"Yes, I can't wait!" I squeal in excitement.
"Did you want me to style your hair and help with makeup? I used to work at a magazine publication in London. My job was hair and makeup for the models."
"Yes, that would be so wonderful," I reply.
I choose the film, Dirty Dancing, to watch for my afternoon movie. After it ends, I playback some of the dancing scenes. I practice some of the moves and realize that not only was I a fast learner in combat, but I was also a quick learner in dance. I search through more movies and videos about dancing. I spend the rest of the afternoon practicing dance moves. Though I was telling myself I was doing this for me, I think deep down I wanted to impress Marius with my dancing skills.
Afterwards, I have a quick early dinner and head back down to my room to get ready for the night.
Telma comes in with a bag and begins curling and put hairspray in my hair. She asks me how I wanted my makeup to be done. I reply that I wanted to look mysterious and sexy. Which I was, but I wasn't too sure about the sexy part.
After she is done, she helps me get into my dress. I'm glad she offered cause there was no way I would have been able to zip it up on my own.
"You look beautiful, Sookie," Telma says proudly.
I go to take a look in the mirror and gaze at myself in amazement. I looked completely different from the poor, pathetic version of myself just a few days ago.
"Your vampires' jaws will drop to the floor, stunned, after they see you," she says.
I laugh nervously and gulp.
This was the new me, starting tonight.
I take the elevator upstairs to where Marius and Marten were waiting for me.
As soon as I walk in, Marten drops his phone on the floor and stares at me with lust in his eyes.
"I shouldn't have made that promise to Eric," he says wistfully in a low tone to himself. "You look absolutely gorgeous tonight Sookie. I think we'll have trouble keeping all the flies away."
My face turns red. "Oh, I don't know about that."
"You look breathtaking, that is if I breathed," Marius says with a gleam in his blue eyes.
I smile back to him and laugh lightly. "Thanks. I don't feel too comfortable dressing this way. But I just thought it would fun to do something different tonight; to be someone that I'm not."
"You are brave, strong, and beautiful," he says.
They both were dressed well in black suits with no ties and equally handsome.
Marius helps me put a black shawl on and we head out to watch the play, which I thoroughly enjoy. It took me away from the stress and worry I had been feeling for the past couple days. After the show, we go backstage to meet the cast. Marten invites them to his club for the afterparty. The lead actor tries to flirt with me, but Marius whispers something into his ear. He leaves and approaches some other girl.
"Thanks," I tell him lightly. I wasn't interested in meeting new men or hooking up with anyone. I just wanted to have a good time.
We head to Marten's club called 'The Sultan'. The line to get in was already wrapped around the block. As we head in, there are photographers taking pictures of the people going in through the VIP door. Marius wraps his arm around my shoulders shielding me from the cameras, but I know that I probably got caught in at least one of the pictures.
"Shit," Marten says as we pass through the door. "I should've gotten us through the back door."
"How many clubs have you owned Marten?" I ask.
"I would say about 20 to 30 in the past 30 years."
"What? That's a lot," I reply.
"Yeah, but club life expectancy isn't very long. Usually hotspots are only popular for a few years before it dies out and another place becomes popular. It's almost like I have to continuously reinvent the wheel."
Marten's assistant takes my shawl and puts it in coatcheck. We head out into the main floor where the music was pumping and there were already hundreds of people dancing and enjoying themselves. Marten's security leads us up to the VIP section.
I order the club's most popular drink. I bob my head along to the dance music as I watch the patrons dancing below on the floor. I wanted to join them as it looked like they were enjoying themselves immensely. I was waiting for one of my male companions to ask me to dance, but two drinks later, neither of them asked me yet.
I start to feel a little bit glum about it, but then I decide to take the initiative and ask Marius.
"Marius, do you want to dance?" I ask in a hopeful tone.
"Fadir, here, is a master of everything, but he can't dance," Marten retorts. "I told him many times throughout the decade to take dancing lessons, but he refuses. Thinks it's just a waste of time. I've even offered to teach him."
"Oh," I laugh nervously. "It's okay, you don't need to dance with me, Marius."
"I'll dance with you Sookie," Marten says happily, before Marius can respond to my request. "I would be honored to dance with you."
I take one last glance at Marius, then get up to go downstairs with Marten to dance.
A lively fast song starts playing and we just jump around to the music along with the rest of the crowd. I start to shimmy and shake to the music. I close my eyes and just enjoy the moment of being young and alive.
"Do you want a shot!" Marten yells.
I give him a thumbs up and a minute later, a waitress comes over with tray of different-colored shots.
"Try the green one!" Marten says.
He grabs a pinkish colored one and drinks it. I couldn't fathom what it could've been, but he starts yelling and dancing harder than before. He takes another shot. I drink mine quickly. It tasted fruity but I could taste the liquor.
The dance floor becomes more crowded and we have no choice but to dance closer to one another. I hold onto his hand as I feel the crowd trying to push us away from each other. As we continue to dance, I feel someone grab and squeeze my ass. I turn around swiftly and backhand the perpetrator. He goes flying through the crowd, knocking some people over.
"That was incredible Sookie! But we should go," Marten says, still holding my hand.
"Woohoo, did you see that Fadir?!" Marten says as we head out towards the door.
Marius helps me put my shawl on, but doesn't respond.
"Where are we going now?!" I yell, still feeling the adrenaline. I didn't want this night to end.
"Home," Marius responds.
"Ahhh, come on!" Marten and I say at the same time.
Marius says something to Marten in an ancient language. They go back and forth before Marten finally concedes.
"Let's go Sookie. It isn't wise to be out for too long," Marten says to me.
I roll my eyes like a teenager, but I reluctantly follow them out.
"You have anything to drink Marten?" I ask, still feeling the effects of the drinks I had at the club. We were back at his apartment.
"Thought you would never ask," he replies. He opens a hidden wall filled with different types of booze. "What do you feel like drinking? I took a night class once on how to mix drinks."
"Maybe a martini," I reply, giggling.
"Sookie, do you think that is wise?" Marius says.
"Just a few more won't hurt," I respond. "Come on, have a drink too. What were you drinking at the club earlier, Marten?"
"It was a blend. It has fairy blood, which is intoxicating to vampires. Makes us release our inhibitions."
"You should try that," I say to him. "Come on, live a little." I pat him on the shoulder.
I ask Marten if he had any music. He grabs a remote and music starts playing around the room.
I twirl around by myself, almost tripping on the carpet. I giggle, "Whoops."
"Here's your drink, Sookie," Marten says as he walks over handing me a glass.
I gulp it down quickly and drink another one, then another one after that. I was definitely tipsy.
"You can change the music if you want," Marten says as he makes his own drink.
I browse the music selection and choose a rock song from the 90s. I start moving my hips and arms and throw the remote on the sofa. I dance toward Marius, who was sitting on the opposite sofa watching me.
"Come on, dance with me," I say to him. I was definitely drunk, but I wasn't drunk enough to not know what I was doing. I wanted him to want me as much as I wanted him. My libido was working overtime. I don't know how long it had been since I last had sex. Hell, I didn't even know if me and my vampire were getting it on. I'm guessing we were. But since I had no memory of the sex with him or anyone else, I was basically a virgin again.
"I think you are intoxicated," he replies.
"I know I'm intoxicating! I have fairy blood for goodness sakes!" I blurt out.
Marten starts laughing. "I think he meant you're drunk!"
I start laughing with him. "I need another drink!"
I stumble over to the bar. I grab a shot glass, pour some tequila in it, and down it quickly. I almost fall off the stool after my shot. Yup, I was definitely drunk. I kick off my heels just in case I trip again.
"Marten," I say in a singsong voice. I dance over to him. "You'll dance with me, though right? Even if your Fadir doesn't want to?"
"Uhhhh sure…" he says hesitantly. He takes another drink from his glass.
I put my arms around his neck and move closer to him. He was trying to avoid looking into my eyes as I grinded myself against him.
"You're such a good person," I mumble out. "So handsome and such a good boy."
The room starts to spin and get hazy and the next thing I knew, I was out.
Eric's POV:
We had heard rumors from weres that an abandoned cabin in the woods had fire smoke coming from the chimney a day earlier. We were currently on our way to investigate it. Jackson Herveaux did exactly what I feared. He passed on my request to his son Alcide.
"Northman, we are in position," Alcide Herveaux says to me on the phone.
I could practically hear his teeth gritting. He hated me as much I hated him, but his father owed me dozens of favors. Whatever debts his father owed, passed onto him.
I park my corvette about a mile away from the cabin.
"Are you ready?" I ask Pam.
"More than ready," she replies.
We run through the bush in vampire speed and come upon the cabin. It looked empty and lifeless. No lights were on nor was there smoke coming from the chimney. But I had a feeling that it was an illusion.
I signal to the weres to prepare to attack. Once I give my signal, we storm in.
We find a dozen or so followers of the Stonebrooks, chanting in a circle. We kill them all quickly leaving only a couple of them left. We search the perimeter but don't find neither Hallow or her brother.
I grab the wrist of one of the prisoners and squeeze it until I hear the bones crack and he cries out in pain.
"Where are they?!" I snarl at him.
"I… don't…. know….." he cries out in pain and fear.
"Yes you do," I seethe.
"I think they went to find the girl," he cries. "Someone said she was spotted on the internet in New York."
I let go of his wrist and let my crew feed off him. I hadn't drunk from any humans since Sookie left. I had only been consuming True Blood and Royalty Blend. Still, every vampire knew that these synthetic blends never quenched our thirst, fully.
"Pamela, check your phone for images of Sookie," I order.
"I'm not getting a signal up here in the sticks," she responds. She runs ahead to get back to the car.
I look around the room for clues that might point which road they may have taken. A few minutes later I run back to the car as well. I find Pam scrolling through her phone.
She purses her lips as she stops at an image.
I grab the phone from her and in an instant, my blood is boiling. It was a picture of Sookie dressed in a tight sexy dress heading into a club with Marten's maker wrapped around her. I grip the phone until it shatters in my hand.
"Ugh, that was my brand-new phone that was just delivered two days ago," Pam huffs.
I didn't give a shit about her complaints as I take my own phone out and dial Marten's number. It goes straight to voicemail. I dial the number to one of his assistants.
"Put the King on," I say to him in an even voice, before he can answer.
"I'm sorry sir, but his Majesty is having a party upstairs in the main living area. He requested that he is not to be disturbed," the man responds.
"I don't give a shit if he says not to be disturbed, you get your ass up there now and give the phone to him. If you don't, I promise I will make your life a living hell," I say in my most menacing tone.
"Uhhhhh, just one moment sir," he says quickly.
I wait for a few minutes, before the man comes back on the line. "Uhh the King is busy at the moment, but he assures you that he will call you back in a few minutes."
"FUUUUCKK!" I roar out as I hang up.
"Eric, you need to calm down. We need to get to New York City. If they know she is there, then I have no doubt that's where they're heading," Pam says.
"Make the arrangements," I say to her.
"You just broke my phone…." Pam replies.
"GO NOW!" I snarl.
Pam runs off in an instant on her way back to Fangtasia.
I close my eyes, willing myself to calm down. After a few moments, I jump into my car and head to the airport. I doubt the witches could afford a chartered plane. They were probably going to fly commercial.
As I get closer to the airport, my phone rings. It was Marten.
I answer the phone immediately. "What the fuck is going on up there!"
"Hello Eric! Uhh I have no idea what you mean…" Marten replies.
The sound of music is playing in the background.
"Where is Sookie?" I ask, still pissed off. I was going to rip Marten's maker to shreds for touching my Sookie. The images of them together having being intimate run through my mind. I start raging even more.
"She is sleeping," he answers.
"The witches saw her image on the internet. Did you know that? I asked you to keep her safe, not to take her out clubbing!"
"For that, I apologize," Marten says in a low voice.
"Because of your incompetence, they are coming there for her right now! I will be there in a few hours. By the time I land, it will be sunrise. You better make sure that she is well-protected during the day! I will be bringing my own protectors to help keep guard of her while we are resting."
"I'm on top of it, Eric," Marten replies back.
I call Alcide and tell him to come to the airport with the other weres from his pack. We were going to New York City tonight.
I was determined to kill a couple witches as well as an old fucking vampire.