Chapter Five - Welcome to Shreveport
The last three days that Godric and Arwe spent in Sweden were a blur. The nearly manic preparation on Godric's part was counterbalanced by Arwe's soothing composure.
They still made love often, though there was now a rougher, more dominant quality to Godric's touch, the imminent departure from their secluded cabin and intimate bubble filling him possessiveness. He would take her with a focused fervency, growling his claim on her against her skin.
In between Godric's detailed lectures on vampire politics, etiquette and North American power structures, he drilled her with exhaustive lists of their enemies and allies, security protocols and escape routes. His focus was almost frightening and it reminded her uncomfortably of Ele's war room intensity.
Arwe listened carefully and took in as much information as possible, understanding the vital importance of navigating the vampire world she'd be entering as a future bonded mate of a vampire as old and feared as Godric.
She'd have a target on her back.
However, after enduring another excruciating and lengthy drill, she felt herself start to lose her patience.
"…never turn your back on a vampire, especially a youth—"
"Godric," she said sharply. He paused, clearly unamused at the interruption.
"You are forgetting a potent asset at your disposal."
He raised an eyebrow and regarded her expectantly.
She rolled her eyes and gestured at herself.
"I am not some fragile human girl you need to wrap up in your protection. You forget I am a warrior and have powers that go beyond pretty spells."
He froze, his earlier peevishness seeming to dissipate at her words. She realized with exasperation that he had only ever considered her as another person he needed to protect, his singular focus and need for control blinding him.
"You're right. Forgive me, Arwe," he said quietly, rubbing his eyes tiredly.
She got up from the sofa and walked over to him, taking his hand.
"You've always been your family's protector. You've relied only on yourself. But I am with you now."
She suddenly smirked and let some of her power permeate her skin. Her wild energy whirled around them and rustled their clothes. Godric inhaled sharply, eyes alight.
"And if anyone messes with us or ours, we'll take care of them."
... ... ...
When they landed in Shreveport, the sun was just starting to set. Arwe looked out the plane window and took in the longleaf pine forests in the distance and the pink Louisiana sky.
Godric was resting next to her in a coffin. She'd been vaguely expecting a traditional wooden one, but his was made of industrial grade polyurethane and was nearly indestructible.
For their journey west, they'd chartered a plane staffed entirely with Godric's lackeys, and Arwe had been impressed by her lover's ability to organize such secure transport on short notice. She was coming to realize there wasn't much Godric couldn't accomplish when he set his mind on a goal.
She rested a hand on the coffin, waiting for the sun to set.
She thought of their last moments in Sweden right before they set off for the airport. They'd stopped by her cabin for her to gather some of her belongings for the move.
Arwe Blinked around her cabin, taking various objects and Blinking back into the living room to pack them away. Godric was helping her with her luggage, organizing her things with vamp speed.
She appeared before him, holding a violin case in one hand and a long, curved sword in the other.
"Quite a combo," he commented, eyebrow raised.
She set the violin down and held her sword in both hands, looking down at it with a complicated mixture of emotion. It was carved with intricately interwoven symbols and the handle was inscribed with the name of her clan: Ohra.
"I spilled so much Madar blood with this, took countless lives…" Her voice was flat.
Godric had straightened and was looking at her steadily, patiently. She had referenced the war in Malinor now more than once, but never spoke of it in depth.
"Taking a life leaves a mark. I can help you shoulder that burden, if you ever wish to share, my love."
"One day. But not today." With that, she sheathed the sword and carefully packed it. She may need it again.
After everything was ready, they stepped out into her garden and Arwe took in her cabin a final time, her gaze wistful.
She motioned for Godric to step back and raised her arms, her eyes lighting up with a golden glow as she drew on her magic. A wave of energy pulsed out of her hands and encased the house. With a resounding crack, it disappeared, leaving behind an empty clearing.
She turned to an astonished Godric and smiled.
"Now we can go."
She heard the coffin lid slide open and a moment later Godric sat up, his hair tousled. His cream button down shirt was wrinkled and he fussed with it, running his hands down the front. He looked adorable and slightly grumpy.
"Good evening. We made it," she said, leaning in for a kiss. She felt him smile against her lips.
"Ready?" he asked, pulling away slightly to look in her eyes and tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. She nodded, feeling excited.
Stepping out of the plane, they were met with a blast of humid heat. They walked down the tarmac and through the airport until they reached a massive parking lot, where Godric took out car keys from Orsa knew where.
Raising an eyebrow, she glanced around the parking lot and noticed a car in the distance flashing its lights.
"There's our ride," she pointed.
It turned out to be a sleek, black Porsche and she gave him a mildly exasperated look. So much for inconspicuous.
Godric huffed a laugh as he opened her door for her, shrugging with a boyish grin.
As they drove through the city, Arwe took in the unfamiliar architecture, the throngs of humans walking and chattering through the streets, the strange storefronts - what was a 'vape store'?
She'd lived in her little cabin in the wilderness for the last decade, sequestered away from everyone she knew. She'd gardened, played the violin - even baked bread, as her sister had snidely remarked on. The lights and sounds of a major human city felt overwhelming, frenetic and outlandish.
Godric must have sensed her feelings because he placed his hand on her thigh and gave her a look of concern.
"All right, love?"
Arwe nodded and laced their fingers together.
"Just a little overwhelmed. I haven't been to a major human city in… well…" She paused to think. "…over a hundred and sixty years, actually."
Godric lifted their hands and kissed her knuckles. She could feel his excitement buzzing like static energy and she allowed it to sweep away her insecurities in favor of his infectious joy. She didn't want to focus on her anxieties about the city, but on the coming reunion of Godric's bloodkin.
They drove for nearly an hour, eventually leaving the city for the outskirts, passing rows of shotgun houses flanked by sweetgum trees. They finally turned into a street blocked by an imposing iron-wrought gate, with a guard sitting in a well-lit booth next to it.
The guard inclined his head as Godric and Arwe pulled up to the window, looking like he was expecting them.
"Welcome back, sir," he said and they waited as the gate swung open to allow them passage.
They sped up a winding gravel driveway lit up by cool-toned ground lights, dense forest on either side of the road. Arwe could see a house up ahead, an elegant and modern mansion of stone and glass.
Standing at the end of the driveway before the house entrance were two figures - an impossibly tall and powerfully built man with slicked back blonde hair and a woman dressed in a pink skirt suit.
Godric parked the car and killed the engine, his gaze locked on the couple awaiting them. Arwe felt her magic crackle with anticipation, and together they stepped out of the car and walked towards what could only be Eric and Pamela.
As they approached, Arwe could clearly see the emotion on the Viking's face. He dropped to a knee and closed a fist over his heart, breath hitching. Next to him, Pamela had also knelt on the ground, head bowed.
"Maker," gasped Eric, a blood tear slipping down his face. "Welcome back."
Godric had stopped a few feet before them, Arwe hanging back to allow them some space. His face was filled with emotion and without a word, he sank to his knees and bowed deeply before his bloodkin.
"My child, my grandprogeny. I am returned to you and beg your forgiveness," he said solemnly.
Both Eric and Pam looked up in shock, seeing their patriarch bent low before them in total supplication.
Godric raised his head and locked eyes with his child, and whatever communication passed between them was not for Arwe to know. Still kneeling, they grasped each other by the arms, pressing their foreheads together in a tender embrace.
After a few moments of this peace, Godric released his progeny and cupped Pamela's cheek, smiling warmly.
"Grandsire," she said with feeling, placing a hand over his.
The trio knelt for a few moments in silence, relishing each other's presence.
Finally, Godric stood and extended an arm towards her. She stepped into the circle, head bowed.
"I present to you Arwe of Clan Ohra, my intended," he announced, curling an arm around her waist.
The two other vampires took her in silently, their gazes both awed and curious.
"Welcome to Shreveport, Arwe. As my Maker's intended, I take you under my protection and vow to honor you and love you as my bloodkin." Eric had stepped towards her and extended a hand that she now grasped.
"Eric Northman, progeny of my intended. I vow to protect you and honor you as my own child and bloodkin," she said solemnly.
She saw Eric wink at her and smirk, somewhat lightening the gravitas of the ceremony. She subtly reached out with her magic to sense him and was pleasantly surprised - he felt familiar, an echo of Godric's own energy - powerful, but with a steady undercurrent of pure goodness. She beamed at him.
Next came Pamela and the vows were repeated. Pam's energy felt decidedly feminine and sharp, and as the two women pulled away, Arwe caught her giving her outfit a once over.
Introductions and vows completed, the group made their way into the house.
Eric threw a grin over his shoulder, clearly excited to welcome his newly arrived family members to his home.
"I've made a few changes, Godi," he said, throwing the doors open with a flourish.
They entered into a massive foyer and were met with a spiraling wooden staircase that twisted up and disappeared into the upper floors.
The house was vast, open and modern, with elegant touches of expensive designer furniture and towering palms. Expressionist paintings warmed the space with splashes of color and Arwe could see the fluttering, wavy reflections of a pool in the back yard.
It was a striking contrast to her cozy cabin in the woods, though Arwe didn't dislike the place. Despite its grandeur, it had an air of being lived in by the owner, with obviously ancient, sentimental objects displayed on shelves and side tables. She admired a longsword hung over the entrance and guessed it had belonged to Eric during his human years.
"Our rooms are below ground, newly renovated," Eric said as he swept through the foyer. He motioned for them to follow him and he led them to a gargantuan kitchen with a heavy marble island stacked with piles of fruit.
"The fridge is fully stocked," he commented towards Arwe. He sounded as though he wasn't sure this would be met with approval. She realized he most likely thought she was human, aware Godric hadn't explained her origins to his bloodkin yet.
She smiled and nodded in thanks and Eric seemed satisfied.
They continued into the living room, another massive open space with the longest couch Arwe had ever seen. It snaked around the entire room and could easily fit twenty people. There was a huge flat screen television mounted on the wall and Arwe approached it, fascinated.
"This is a TV, right?" Arwe asked, inspecting it closely. She'd never seen one so big and flat.
She missed the raised eyebrow shared by Eric and Pam, and a moment later Arwe jumped back as the screen lit up and blared with noise. A fashionable woman with long curly hair and shopping bags was walking in slow motion on the screen.
"Sex and the City," said Pamela. Arwe stared at her, baffled.
Godric chuckled and came up behind Arwe, wrapping his arms around her and nuzzling her cheek.
"Humans create the most bizarre entertainment," he said, looking at the screen over her shoulder with a curled lip. "You're not missing much, my love."
"It's a good show," Pam protested weakly.
Eric was watching Arwe and his maker with wide eyes, an amazed half smile on his handsome face.
She smiled back at him shyly, feeling slightly embarrassed.
"To be honest I'm terribly out of touch with human culture, I've mostly kept to myself this last decade," she felt the need to explain.
More eyebrows were raised and unbeknownst to her, Godric gave his kin a hard look that immediately quelled their curious questions.
"I suggest Arwe and I freshen up first. Then we'll talk." Godric's tone booked no arguments.
Eric took them downstairs, stopping first to explain the complex security system preceding the sleeping quarters. There were three bedrooms and a common area with plush couches and bookcases. Eric ushered them into one and pointed out the bathroom attached to the room.
"I will leave you now. Your luggage will be delivered soon, I can hear the truck approaching the gate."
With a final curious glance at Arwe, the Viking disappeared in a blur of speed.
The second he was gone Godric pulled her to him and kissed her, humming happily into her mouth.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, her magic relaxed and warm around them.
"I need to shower," she murmured against his mouth. He smiled mischievously and in the blink of an eye, had them both naked and Arwe in his arms. She gasped at him in faux outrage and laughed.
"I agree, and I think I should help…" he growled, carrying her to the bathroom.
As the water streamed over their bodies, they kissed each other hungrily, hands and fingers roaming over their now familiar curves and angles and nipping playfully at each other's lips.
Arwe turned her back to him, reaching behind her to lightly grip his hair. She felt his cock against her backside and she pushed back, wanting pressure.
He cupped her breasts and licked down her neck, fingers finding her slick core right as he pushed into her. She moaned at the feel of him inside her and water droplets froze and twisted in the air, caught in her lust-fueled magic.
As he thrust into her and her pleasure built, the water around them started to swirl and undulate in unnatural directions, flowing upwards and sideways and circling around them.
"Orsa, Godric, please," she begged and he thrust into her harder and faster. She cried out hoarsely as she exploded with an orgasm, the water droplets around them evaporating in a hiss of steam. Godric came right after, biting into his wrist and spilling himself inside her in spastic waves.
Her head had fallen back onto his shoulder as she shook with the aftershocks and he held her with a strong arm around her ribs, nuzzling her throat.
After regaining their senses, they started languidly washing each other with soapy loofahs and massaged shampoo into their scalps, whispering and giggling.
"He really did call me Mrs Godric!" Arwe was nearly breathless with laughter, recalling to Godric the awkward flight attendant that had seemed so terrified of offending her that he'd scraped and bowed in the most ridiculous ways. Godric was listening to her stories with amusement, chuckling as he rinsed out the ends of her long hair.
After they were finally finished, they dressed and re-emerged upstairs to join Eric and Pam in the living room. Pam had been watching television but she hastily shut it off as they entered.
"Refreshed?" asked Eric, a playful note in his voice as he looked them over with a smirk. She figured he had heard their earlier lovemaking and fought not to blush. Damn these vampires and their super hearing!
Godric sat next to his progeny and grandprogeny and motioned for Arwe to sit on the other side of him.
"I know you both have been intensely curious about my intended," he began. "However, her true nature is not for me to share. It is her decision to gift this knowledge to you."
Eric and Pam were looking at her intensely. With a smile and a wink, she threw off her cloaking spell and let her magic soar out of her with joyful abandon, blowing back their hair and knocking the remote off the coffee table.
"Oh fuck!" Eric swore, taking her in with wide eyes. Pam had jumped to her feet.
"What are you?"
Arwe pulled most of her energy back under the spell, allowing her normal baseline magic to fall back into place.
For the next hour, Arwe shared the knowledge of her kind and her magic with the two vampires - the new additions to her family. Just as she had with Godric, she was moved to tears speaking about Malinor and Orsa's light. The two listened in rapt attention, sometimes asking questions but otherwise struck dumb with wonder.
"Well," started Eric, glancing at Godric. "Out of all the girlfriends you could have found out in the boonies, you found the rarest and most beautiful."
He took her hand and kissed it, deep blue eyes twinkling at her. In that moment Eric reminded her strongly of Sen, and she realized they were of similar age. She squeezed his fingers and sent him a playful spark of magic. He laughed in delight.
The Celt had been listening to Arwe and watching her interaction with his bloodkin with a small smile, eyes soft.
She could see the change come over him as his mind whirred with the need to plan and strategize, his eyes gaining that calculating focus that had become so familiar to Arwe in the week leading up to their move. Barely a few hours into their reunion and the ancient was already growing restless.
"We have much to discuss," Godric said abruptly. "I have heard strange stories through my network and I want to know your perspective, Eric."
"Perhaps some food first?" asked Arwe, realizing her stomach was growling and also wanting to postpone what she suspected would be an intense cross-examination.
She offered to pop into the kitchen and retrieve blood for them and find something for herself to eat. She Blinked into the kitchen, knocking into the island and nearly toppling over a platter of fruit. She'd need to orient herself in the new space before she could avoid such clumsiness in the future.
Blinking back into the couch with her arms full of blood bags and a sandwich, she giggled at Eric and Pam's shocked oaths.
"That is a useful trick," Eric commented, looking at her appraisingly.
Arwe simply smiled and handed him a bag, biting into her sandwich.
"I hear whispers of the Authority pushing ahead with their plans," Godric continued, impatience coloring his tone.
Eric nodded wearily.
"Something strange is afoot, Godric. There are rumors of a new influence within the Authority's ranks, though I haven't been able to find out their identity. It is said they have Roman's ear and that the Great Revelation may come sooner than expected."
Godric mulled over this information, looking unhappy.
"We must find out as much as possible before it comes to pass, and uncover the identity of the new presence in the Authority. I will not have us blindsided by their asinine schemes."
Godric's agitation had caused his power to swell forbiddingly around him and the three shrank against it. Arwe placed a hand on his arm and soothed him with a warm caress of her magic.
"We will come up with a plan," she said firmly. "There will be time to discuss it and choose our strategy, but today is a time for reconnecting with your kin, my love."
Godric covered her hand with his own and relaxed into the couch. Arwe didn't miss the twin expressions of astonishment on the other vampires' faces.
"You're right. Forgive me, my children."
Eric reached over and took his maker's hand. They seemed to be communicating through their bond and after a few moments Godric smiled and gave an almost imperceptible nod. He turned to Arwe and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, eyes soft.
"Eric and I have much to talk about. I'll see you later."
The two men stood and together they left the room, still holding hands.
Arwe watched them leave with a smile and then turned to Pam, who was watching her with an unreadable expression.
She sensed the other woman was less than two hundred years old, making her barely a teenager in Madar years. She knew however that it was different for vampires, that Pam had been a grown human woman when she was turned. She found herself intensely curious about her and a multitude of questions came to her then, but instead she smiled and curled into the couch.
"This program you played earlier - is it about humans having sex in a city?"
Pamela smirked and reached for the remote.
"Let's find out if you're a Carrie or a Samantha," she said, switching on the television and laughing at Arwe's uncomprehending smile.
... ... ...
Eric led Godric up the winding staircase all the way to the rooftop terrace. The house was surrounded by woods and the night was quiet, the only sound being the wind rustling through the trees and the distant chirping of cicadas.
The two vampires, maker and child, sat and regarded each other with a thousand years of unspoken history thick in the air between them.
The bond Godric had fully opened since their phone conversation in Sweden pulsed with contentment.
When he'd seen his maker's number light up his phone screen, Eric's undead heart had leapt with both indescribable joy and fear.
Their last conversation seventy years ago had made it clear to him that his sire had reached a point in his undead existence where enduring vampire society was no longer a possibility.
Eric had bargained, begged and even threatened the Celt to make him stay, had offered him refuge and the possibility of a quiet life in his sheriffdom, but Godric had been unswayed.
He still vividly remembered the terrifying emptiness in his sage green eyes as his maker explained that continuing as he had would destroy him, that his options were either to retreat into obscurity or meet the sun.
Even now, recalling Godric's solemn and matter of fact statement about his own demise made Eric dizzy with horror.
He hadn't wanted to see the signs leading up to that moment - the growing despair and apathy in his maker that worsened with each passing decade. He'd wanted to see him as he always had - powerful, fierce and with an unmatched lust for life. For nearly a thousand years they had conquered the world together, defeating their enemies with savage relish and taken from life's pleasures with gleeful abandon.
He'd finally accepted his decision and watched him leave. It'd nearly broken him, and the crippling depression that followed had driven Pamela to desperation.
Over time, he'd regained more and more of himself and focused on running his sheriffdom and business. Vampire drama continued, just as Godric knew it would, and Eric was ready for every scheme and conspiracy without his maker's canny guidance.
Their bond hadn't been entirely cut off at first, but Eric noticed with increasing concern that Godric had regularly started blocking him. The silence was deafening. It was, however, enough over the years to assure him the vampire was alive and safe. That had to be enough.
That was until a moment a few weeks ago when Eric had been startled in the middle of reviewing Fangtasia tax reports. He'd felt a rush of joy and excitement through the bond, a curious undercurrent of awe and confusion. It was a complex blend of emotion, so unexpected that Eric had had to take a break to process it.
When he'd answered the phone a week ago, he hadn't known what to expect - perhaps that their bloody and violent past had somehow found Godric out there in the woods. Instead, his maker had sounded light, joyful. He'd laughed. And the most shocking part of all, it was apparently because he'd met someone.
"I have missed you," Eric said finally, eyes swimming with blood tears. He'd shed more of them in the last week than in the last seventy years.
"And I you, my child." Godric took his hand again and entwined their fingers.
"I know you have many questions," the Celt continued. "You can speak freely."
Eric did, in fact, have many questions, most of which centered around the mysterious woman currently watching Sex and the City with his progeny downstairs.
Godric seemed to sense his thoughts and laughed.
"Go on," he encouraged with a smirk. Now that Eric had permission to satisfy his curiosity, he found himself drawing a blank.
He'd been nearly driven mad wondering about the woman that had brought about such a change in his maker. Godric had always been incredibly selective in his lovers and had never committed to a single relationship for long - he found it impossible to trust anyone other than his progeny. Within vampire circles worldwide, Godric was famously unattainable. Eric would playfully jibe him about how he would never share his maker with anyone, how he could never trust a single being on Earth with his undead heart.
And yet here he was, making vows to the woman ten minutes within meeting her.
He hadn't known what to expect when he saw them pull up the driveway. Though Arwe was beautiful and carried herself with a grace that was almost striking, she was human - of that Eric had been sure the moment he laid eyes on her. Her aura was ordinary, her scent sweet but distinctly mortal.
Then he'd witnessed her power, had listened to the stories of her homeworld, had learned she was a banshee of all things. Even now he couldn't quite wrap his head around it.
"How?" was all he asked. Godric sighed, though a small smile played on his face.
"I don't know, Eric. I've never believed in fate, you know that better than anyone else. But from the first night I met her, everything changed."
The Viking sank back into his seat, struck dumb.
"She calls it a magic bond," he continued. "Banshees, or Madar as they are truly called, can find a mate through a magic connection. I felt it from the first moments of us meeting. It was like her magic had called me home." His eyes were glistening with tears as he spoke and Eric bowed his head in awe.
"She is…" Eric tried and failed to put into words what he was feeling. "I am happy for you, Godi."
"Thank you, child. I know the two of you will love each other as I do."
"There is one thing," Eric said suddenly, his voice serious. "She is not claimed by you. Why haven't you marked her?"
"It's complicated. She is not human, Eric. If we were to blood bond, it would be immediately permanent. She insisted that you meet and accept her first before we took such a step, and I agreed."
Eric was touched to learn of Arwe's concern and desire for his approval, but it also made him pause in shock.
"Does that mean you haven't…? And you've…?"
Godric threw his head back and laughed at the Viking's flabbergasted expression.
"I have been… handling it. I've been biting into my own wrist for a taste of blood to distract me."
Eric shook his head in disbelief and chortled.
"You are a stronger vampire than I, Godi."
The two stayed the whole night on the rooftop, sometimes speaking but mostly quietly relishing each other's presence. When the sky began to lighten with the orange glow of the coming dawn, they retreated to Eric's room.
Wrapped in each other's embrace, they fell into day death together for the first time in seventy years.
... ... ...
A/N:
What do you think of Eric and Pam? I absolutely love Eric, I've always envisioned him as very intimidating to outsiders, but an absolute sweetheart to his loved ones... and his relationship with Godric is so deep and special, I hope I could do it justice here.
If any Shreveport/Louisiana natives are reading this, sorry if I got some things wrong... I did my best to research haha.
It would make my entire day - my entire WEEK - if you could leave a review, dear readers.
See you next Friday!