30

It is Going to Be a Very Long Night

I know. I know that I said a couple of days but at least I got it posted in the same week, right? The first half of the chapter will be what happened outside of Pam's house just before the massacre that took place inside. Please, enjoy. Thank you all for reading, alerting, reviewing, and making this story a favorite. I appreciate each of you. The characters belong to Charlaine Harris but the story idea is mine.

Maxwell stood back and watched the vampires as they listened to Heidi play the piano. "Come," Pam said. With her elbows, she was propping herself up on the back of the piano. Her hips were swaying seductively to the music. "Join us." She motioned for him to come to her. "We can dance the moon to sleep."

"Soon, my friend," he said to her. He stood back and continued to watch them.

"I will be waiting," she sang. She was soon spinning herself in circles as she danced. She had a beautiful smile on her face.

"And I will be here."

He liked them. All of them. They were loyal and they were true. They always have been. He didn't want to kill them but he had no choice. He couldn't Pam if they weren't dead. He needlessly sighed at the idea of killing them. It was chore that he wished he didn't have to do. Since he's been walking this world, he'd never met a better group of vampires. He smiled as he stared at his so-called friends. He said so-called because if they were his real friends, he'd die right along with them. Shame crept into his heart. The night started out as it usually did. He, Pam, Heidi, Clancy and Charles did their shifts at Fangtasia. They tormented the humans that approached them with their stupid questions and requests. They mocked a few of them. They fed from a few of them. They made sure that everyone was having a great time. They laughed and talked with each other. They enjoyed each others company. They stayed until the bar closed. They always stayed until the bar closed. Everyone that is but Eric.

He seemed to be preoccupied with the human called Sookie. While he was out with his new toy, the telepath, they were entertaining the vermin. It made Maxwell laugh to think that the sheriff believed that he could keep the girl's talents a secret. If he wanted to keep it a secret, he should have told the girl to not tell anyone else at the bar what she does. As soon as Long Shadow learned of what she could do, he couldn't wait to tell the others. He was the one that suggested they keep her gifts quiet. He let them know that Eric seemed to have a thing for the virgin. He told them that Eric protected her from a guy that 'manhandled' her.

"That was their first meeting," Long Shadow said. "He normally doesn't give a shit about those women in the bar." He leaned across the table and pointed at Maxwell. "You should've seen him, Maxie. He gave a shit about her. And that's a good thing. We could use her to get what we want from him."

And he was right. If things didn't go as planned with Pam, they could use his sweet little human to get what they wanted. The first night they'd met her, he could see that Eric felt something for the girl. He was holding her hand for pity's sake. It made him chuckle to think that Long Shadow was finally right about something and he wouldn't get to know it. His dumb ass was now as dead as a doornail. He never understood why Long Shadow glamored the human. He'd been glamored with what he needed to say when questioned. He shook his head in disappointment. It wasn't often that Long Shadow came up with a good idea. They all agreed to keep the plan as it was for now. They were going to take Pam and save the telepath for later. And though he felt bad about what he had to do, Maxwell knew what his role was. He's not a friend. He was there to do a job. Nothing more. Nothing less.

He walked out the backdoor of Pam's home. He looked as if he was patrolling the grounds. It was something that he'd done every night since he'd been protecting her. They each had shifts. His shifts were always the ones that were closer to dawn. Because he's the oldest, the sun doesn't have as strong a pull on him as it does the others. He has been known to stay up to an hour past dawn. Though it's not a frequency, it's something that he can do. He shoved his hands into his pockets as he closed his eyes and held his face up to the moon. He imagined that it was the sun. There have been nights when he's missed the sun terribly. His wife, his sweet Julia, loved the sun. He used to love to see the sweat on her caramel colored skin as it glistened in the sunlight. Her curly hair would have flecks of sunlight shining through it as she'd hang the clothes on the line. Her white gown would flutter around her legs as she twirled around and around. Her smile was the most beautiful thing he'd ever had the pleasure of seeing. And those lips. Those lips were his greatest weakness.

"And she was mine," he whispered to the night.

"Hey," Clancy said from behind him. "I told you that I'd take this shift tonight. I don't feel like dancing with Pam. She gets on my fucking nerves talking about how I have no rhythm and I have the moves of a tree stump." He began to shake his head. "I just can't deal with that shit tonight, man. I'm not in the mood for her. Shit, if I didn't think Eric would beat the fuck out of me, I'd leave."

Maxwell laughed. "I'll dance with her. Give me ten minutes and I'll be in and you can take over. I just need a bit of fresh air tonight."

"Thanks, man," Clancy said. "You don't know how much I appreciate this. I owe you one. I can't wait until this is over and Pam and Eric can go on with their lives." He patted Maxwell on the back as he headed back to the house.

He watched the vampire walk away before glaring at the house. The look of peace was all but gone. Anger and hate coursed through him. In the vampire world, he was considered different. He didn't want what the others wanted. He didn't want power. It has never interested him. He didn't need a kingdom and he sure as shit didn't want a position on the king's court. He wasn't interested in any of what they had planned for the Northman. He didn't give two fucks about their plan. He wanted revenge against the Northman. This was his chance and he was going to fucking take it. If he dies, then so it shall be. It was a certainty if Eric got his hands on him but so what? This isn't the life that he wanted. If not for his maker, he'd have met the sun centuries ago. He wanted to be a husband and a father. He didn't want to be a fucking creature of the night. If the plan to destroy the Northman comes to pass, he welcomes death. If he gets what he wants, it'll all be worth it. His head suddenly jerked to the left. They were coming. He blurred to the front of the house to meet the Weres. The headlights of their muscle car shone brightly as they drove up the driveway. He waved at them as they parked the car behind the guardhouse.

"How's it going, Maxie?" Grayson called out as he slammed the driver's side door. "Find anything?"

Maxwell shook his head no. "Peaceful so far."

Landon and Chase got out of the backseat and were arguing about who's the best basketball player to have ever played the game. "Michael Jordan is the best fucking player ever. How in hell can you even compare Larry Bird to him? They aren't even in the same fucking league … basketball league, yes. But as a player? Get the fuck out of here with that shit, man." Landon was pointing at the iPad screen as he made his argument. "You don't know shit about this game if you consider Larry Bird to be better than Jordan. You need to stick with girls' softball. That's more your speed. You're fucking ridiculous and you need to deal with that." He pointed and winked at Chase as he laughed.

Chase growled out in frustration. "Fuck you. I don't watch girls' softball out of habit. My daughter plays and I have to go to the games. Jolynn would kick my ass if I didn't go and you know it. And you fucking chump, Larry Bird is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, three-point shooter to have ever lived. Michael Jordan wishes that he could play as well as the Bird. You have to see what I'm saying, Landon. I know that you're a Jordan fan but come on. Give Larry his props. At least admit that the man can play the game."

"What fucking props?" Landon asked. "He's lucky he never had to face the humiliation that Air Jordan would have put on him. His props are that he retired when he did. Miss me with that shit, man."

"Same conversation again, fellas?" Maxwell asked.

"Every damned night," Grayson complained. "If I have to sit through one more throwback basketball game, I'm going to choke the life out of both of 'em." He shook his head in jest.

Maxwell looked in the car and noticed that two of the Weres were missing. "Where's Allen and Daniel? Aren't they coming tonight?"

Chase and Landon didn't hear him. They were still talking about basketball. Grayson had to answer him. "They're coming. They had to meet with the colonel." He looked behind Maxwell and asked, "How have things been tonight? Is she okay?"

"She's fine … ornery as usual," Maxwell answered. "She's in there listening to Heidi play the piano. I'm going to head inside and dance with her. She loves to dance but I can't go in right now. I have something that I have to take care of."

That caught Chase and Landon's attention. "What's up?" Landon asked. "Has something happened?"

"Need any help?" Chase asked.

"As a matter of fact, I do."

Before the Weres knew happened, Landon and Chase were dead. Their heads were no longer attached to their bodies. Grayson's arms had been ripped from the sockets. He never got a chance to scream because his throat had been ripped out. Maxwell left the bodies in the driveway as he moved Grayson's prized '54 Chevy behind the house. Just as he appeared from behind the house, Daniel and Allen were standing over the bodies of the Weres. They were soon sniffing the corpses of their friends to get what they needed. They were ripping their clothes off and were in the process of shifting when Maxwell approached them.

"You," Daniel growled. "You did this." The Weres shifted and went after the vampire. They were able to get in a few bites and scratches but they weren't enough to take Maxwell down. They soon resembled their fellow pack members. Maxwell proceeded to drive Allen's truck to the back of Pam's house. Once he'd hidden the cars, he proceeded to go into the garage and change his clothes. He had a duplicate outfit on hand just for the night. Tweed blazer, white button-down shirt and a pair of jeans. No one will ever know that he's killed five innocent Weres. With his hands shoved into his pockets, he walked back to the guardhouse and waited. But he didn't have to wait long.

The black van appeared on time.

The humans got out of the van with their assault weapons ready and loaded with wooden bullets. They walked to where their master stood; waiting for their instructions. "Put the bodies in the shed. Every piece. Spray down the driveway. Leave nothing behind."

A man spoke up. "Master?"

He nodded.

"The car will be here in fifteen minutes," the man said.

"Good," he said. "Now get to work."

Without hesitation, they did as they were ordered.

Whistling, Maxwell went back into the house. Everything was falling into place. Soon, he'd have his revenge.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Sookie frowned as she looked at me. "Why didn't they hear it? Why didn't Pam and the others hear them fighting?" She pointed at the screen and said, "Someone had to hear something."

"Soundproof," I said. "Pam hates the noise of the cars that drive through her neighborhood. She's always said that when she's in her home, she wants to hear nothing but the clicking her heels on the hardwood floors."

She nodded as she looked at the screen. We were now watching the inside of the house. Heidi was playing the piano. Maxwell and Pam were dancing. Charles was on alert. She turned away when she saw Clancy exploding in the doorway. She began talking about what took place outside of Pam's house. "They had families," Sookie whispered. "The guy was just talking about his daughter. Did you see how he talked to those Weres as if he was their friend? He was laughing with them and then he just killed them. They didn't matter at all to him. I hope that Jake doesn't have to watch this. I don't want him to see what happened to his friends."

I was suddenly hit with a pang of jealousy. "Why?"

She sighed. "Because he thought that they would've fought to very end." She shook her head sadly. "They never knew what was coming. They never stood a chance against Maxwell. They just died. They were murdered."

There was nothing that I could say to that.

"And those men in the van," she said. "Did you see them? They're awful people. They're standing around the van laughing and carrying on as if nothing has happened. They're acting like they've done nothing wrong. They put the bodies of dead men in a shed. Did you see how they were acting? How can they do that?" She looked at the side of my face as she talked. "Why is that okay?"

"It's not," I assured her. "But some humans will do anything for money."

She sighed as she glanced briefly at the screen. "I guess our worlds aren't that much different … supes and humans."

I pulled out my cell phone and called Thalia. She answered on the first ring. "Eric," she said. "I've been waiting for your call. I'm bored to fucking death sitting here with absolutely nothing to do. I hate your fucking bar and the things that frequent it. Get me out of here … now."

"Come to 1225 East Breeze Lane. It's the third house on the right. Be here in fifteen minutes. You have a lot of work to do."

I could almost see the smile on her face. "I can't wait."

I put my phone back in my pocket as I stared at the computer screen. Maxwell had thrown Pam over his shoulder. He looked up at the camera and smiled.

"Did you see that?" she asked, surprised filled her voice. "Did you see him look in the camera and smile?"

I was too angry to answer her so I nodded.

"Eric, I have a question."

I looked at her.

"Why did Maxwell wait so close to dawn to carry out his plan? Was it because of you?"

"No," I acknowledged. "It had nothing to do with me. I wouldn't have gotten to Pam's home in time. Vampires are weaker when it gets closer to dawn. He waited to for the dawn because he's smart. The younger you are, the harder it is for them to fight off the effects of the sun. They're not at their best when it comes to a fight. But a vampire Maxwell's age, can stay up a little longer. He isn't at his strongest but he's still strong … very strong."

"Stronger than Pam, Heidi, Clancy, and Charles."

"Very."

She pointed at the screen and said, "Go back to the black van. I want to see if we can maybe zoom in on their faces or at least the license plates. We have to be able to find something that we can use to find them."

I recalled the look on her face when Maxwell killed the first Were. I wasn't too sure that her watching it one more time was going to be for the best. "Thalia can do that," I said. "You don't need to see …"

"I'm not weak, Eric. I can do this," she assured me. "This is my job. If I can at least see their faces, maybe I can see if I recognize any of them. Maybe you could recognize one of them. Don't do this to me. Don't act as if I can't handle what's happened or what will happen. Don't treat me like some delicate flower because I'm not. I'm working for a vampire. I've already had one vampire explode on me. I've seen a human get his neck snapped. I saw you rip a vampire's legs right from his body. The other one, I don't even know what happened to him. I just know he was splattered all over the car window. I saw a girl that was drained to death and we left her body in the back of an ambulance. Quinn attacked me and I'm still here. I'm not broken. I can do this. I'm not afraid."

"Whatever you say," I remarked. And so, we watched it again. She scribbled in her notebook. The number of men that were in the van. How many doors the van had. The make and possible model of the van. She leaned in closer to the screen before slamming her fist onto the desk. "If this equipment is so damned great, why can't I see their faces better?" She flopped back in her chair. She placed her arm over her eyes. "This is so ridiculous."

Her fervor made me smile.

She peeked at me from under her arm. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," I said.

Sookie leaned forward and rested her arms on the desk as she stared at the screens. "Something's gotta give, Eric." She picked up her pen and began doodling in her notebook. "I got the feeling that Dawn's not going to tell us anything. She's too far gone. If you had seen the look on her face when Jake put her in the cell, you'd agree with me. She almost looked happy. She wanted to kill me and she would have too. If she'd been given the chance, she would've killed me."

"She wouldn't have been given the chance," I assured her.

"Nothing's ever certain," she said.

"Why do you say that?"

She shrugged her shoulders and said, "Just isn't."

"Why does this mean so much to you?"

She sat cross legged as she talked to me. "Because I like Pam and I don't want anything to happen to her. Because I like you and you're ..." She opened her mouth to say more but stopped herself. "I want Pam to come home. She should be at home and not in some prison cell somewhere. She shouldn't have to wonder what's going to happen to her or if you're okay. She shouldn't have to carry the burden of someone else's problems. She doesn't deserve that."

I scooted my chair in front of hers. "And you shouldn't carry the burden of this."

She stared into my eyes as she frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I think that you've done enough," I answered. "You've done a great job but you've been through enough. And you're right. You've gone through a lot since you've been working for me. Tonight, the situation with Quinn alone, I don't …"

She jumped up from her chair and glared down at me. "No, you are not," she said angrily. "You will not use what happened to me as an excuse to send me home. I am going to keep working this case until we solve it. We are going to do this together, Eric Northman. I am with you until the very end. I will take a break after it's done and not a minute sooner. Do you get what I'm telling you? I'm not going anywhere."

I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms over my chest. I failed to hide my amusement. "You do realize that I'm your boss. You don't make the rules around here. I do. I make the decisions."

"Not today, you don't … not where I'm concerned," she said. "You hired me to do a job and I'm going to do it. And ... and we have a contract. You're going to abide by that contract. And," she said a bit too loudly. "I'm going to add a provision to the contract that you can't just take me off a job because you feel like it and if you even think about taking me off this case, I will sue you. I will hire an attorney and I will sue you for breach of contract and I'm sure that my grandfather will help me." She nodded her head defiantly. "So, there."

I couldn't believe my ears. "You would hire a lawyer so that you can sue me? You would do this with the money that I pay you?"

"You're darned right I would," she promised.

Laughter filled the room but it was neither of us.

Thalia stood over Sookie and placed her hand on her shoulder. "So, this is the sweet little human that has you befuddled."

I stood up and said, "I've never been befuddled a day in my life."

Thalia rolled her eyes at me. "Whatever." She took the seat that I'd vacated and sat down. She nudged me out the way with her knee. She looked up at Sookie and introduced herself. "I'm Thalia. It's nice to meet you, Sookie. It's especially nice to meet someone that's not afraid to put Mr. Highhanded in his place."

"You too," she said. She scooted her chair close to Thalia's before sitting. "So, what you are going to do?"

"I'm going to blow your fucking mind," Thalia answered. "I'm a genius on a computer." She pointed at the screen. "Everything that you've seen on this screen tonight will be as clear as you've ever seen it and the faces in this dramedy, will be on paper and in living color by tomorrow morning. Those fucking idiots will have nowhere to hide once I'm done with them."

Sookie scooted in even closer to Thalia. "Seriously?"

The vampiress winked at Sookie. "You got it."

"Can I watch?" Sookie asked.

"Sure. You might learn something."

Sookie nodded. "That's the plan. Hey?"

"What?" Thalia never looked up from the computer keys.

"Why did you call what's happened a dramedy?"

She glanced at Sookie briefly. "Because to me, this shit is nothing but drama and comedy. It's funny that someone would have the gall to take something that belongs to the Northman. They mustn't realize that life as they know it will be over soon. Hell, they need to believe that there's a bit of laughter left in life because as soon as they're found, they will die."

Sookie thought of what Thalia said. She looked up at me and nodded. "Yeah. I can see that happening."

"And it will," Thalia said. "Mark my words." She was soon smiling. "Look at that." She had the footage from the morning of the attack up on the screen. Sookie's friend, Andy, was standing at the door talking to a man. A man that neither of us had ever seen. "Who is he, Eric? I know that Pam hasn't started taking male lovers since I've been gone. She can't be that desperate." Again, she looked at Sookie and winked.

Sookie giggled.

I leaned in close to the screen and shook my head. "She hasn't."

"Andy told me about him." Sookie was off and running … telling Thalia about the man that answered Pam's door. "Andy said that he looks like a vampire, he's so pale. I need his picture. I need a clear picture of him because for him to be in the house after the killing, he must know something. There must be a reason why Maxwell left him behind."

"You got it," Thalia replied.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Sookie soon had her arm draped over the back of Thalia's chair … lightly touching her leg with hers. If anyone else had been bold enough to get this close to Thalia, she would have pushed them so far away from her, they would have been in another room but she did nothing. She was comfortable with Sookie. If I didn't know any better, I'd think that they've been friends for years. Thalia was entertaining Sookie's questions with enthusiasm and verve. Sookie was scribbling in her notebook. She was nodding her head as Thalia showed her which controls worked which screen. If I told Pam of what was happening, and I will, she won't believe me. She won't believe how friendly Thalia is being with Sookie. Thalia hates everyone. Absolutely everyone. I can't …

The ringing of my phone interrupted my musings. "It is Eric."

Sookie looked at me and smiled. "He's too much," she said to Thalia.

Nodding, Thalia agreed. "Always has been."

"I believe you."

Thalia looked at me and started laughing. "When the time is right, I have some great stories to tell you about Eric. You're going to bust a gut." She looked at me from the corner of her eye. "He hasn't always been as cool as he appears to be. Isn't that right, Eric?"

I wanted to tell Thalia to keep quiet about any stories that would make Sookie bust a gut but I couldn't do that. I gave her the evil eye instead … not that it will do any good. If not for this call, I would have pulled the sheriff card on my underling. I left the room and gave the Colonel my undivided attention. "Is it time?"

"It is," he answered. "The girl is under surveillance as we speak. Thalia's children are here. And from what I gather, Salome is coming in tonight. She wants to watch Sookie in action. What does that mean?"

That was an obvious surprise to me and it's no surprise that I ignored the colonel's question about Sookie. He'd find out soon enough. "We just left her and the king a little over an hour ago."

"Well, she must miss you because she's on her way." He chuckled. "She should be here in the next twenty minutes."

"Shit." They want to know if Sookie's truly a telepath. They want to be sure that Sookie's telling the truth about what she can do. This is Salome's chance to report everything that she sees back to the king. The same king that wants to take my woman away from me. I will kill him first.

"You got that right." The colonel then cleared his throat. "That girl, Dawn, she's going to be a hard one to break. Since she's been in the cage, she's been smiling. That girl fears nothing, Eric." I could almost see the colonel running his hand through his graying hair. In a softer voice, he said, "She's different. We're going to have to be hard on her. Do you think that Sookie's going to be able to handle it? Does she realize what we do when we're here? This isn't a Sunday social, Eric. You should prepare her for what she's going to see. She must be made fully aware that she's no longer in the human world. What she sees tonight, could break her … could change her. Are you sure that you want that for her? She's a good kid and I don't want to fuck her up, you know?"

I returned to the room that housed Sookie and Thalia. I stood in the doorway and stared at the girl that walked into my bar. There she sits in a prim and proper dress. Her ponytail was hanging beautifully over her shoulder. Her eyes are as bright as the sun. Her innocence was more than apparent. The Colonel was right. I don't want her to lose her light or her innocence. It's a rarity in our world. It's refreshing to see. I could tell her that the meeting has been postponed and send her home. The meeting with the Weres is going to run longer than expected. We're going to have to question the girl some other time. The girl will be there tomorrow. That's what I'll say to her. I won't give her any other choice. She can't go. "I'll speak with you soon, Colonel." I ended the call and placed my phone back into my pocket.

"What's up?" Sookie asked as she spun around in her seat.

And I looked into her eyes and I knew what I needed to do. I couldn't lie to her. That's not me. I want Sookie to know that she can trust me and I don't want to ruin that by lying to her. "It's time. The Were meeting is over. They're ready for us to question Dawn but before we go, there are some things that you need to know. You need to be aware of what's going to happen. Tonight, we get what we need from her. It won't be pleasant. It won't be easy."

I could hear her heart thundering in her chest.

I moved closer to where she was as I explained the rules of our world. "What you're going to see tonight is the stuff that nightmares are made of. This is not the human world. We don't believe in human punishments … not even for the humans. When they decide to become a part of this world, they are no longer allowed human punishments. There is no lengthy trial. There is no long jail sentence. Their cries of innocence are ignored when they are found to be guilty. In our world, humans are no longer humans. It is something that's accepted by all that want to be a part of this world. Your human laws and rules no longer exist. There are no exceptions. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

She nodded.

Thalia was soon standing with me. She looked to me for permission to speak. I nodded my approval. "When Dawn is punished, it will not be swift. It will be brutal and slow. It will be painful. It will be to the death. She will find no solace here … no relief ... only death. And she will wish for it … beg for it. She will come to realize that she should have stayed where she belonged. She will see that she's not made for this world." She reached out and tugged at Sookie's ponytail. "Regardless of what you believe or what you think, none of you are. Not ever."

Sookie closed her eyes and gulped. She placed her hand to her chest as she did her best to calm her nerves. Fear and uncertainty filled us. I could only imagine what she was thinking. She finally looked at me. She didn't speak. She went to the desk and grabbed her notebook. She put it in her purse. She clasped her purse in her hands and stared at me and Thalia. To Thalia, she said, "If you can, will you send the pictures of the humans to Eric's house? That's where I'll be staying for a few days." To me, she said, "We need to go. I have a job to do." She walked past me with her back straight and her head held high. "I will meet you in the car."

Thalia and I watched Sookie as she left the oversized pantry. Once again, she filled the room with easy laughter. "Intriguing to say the least," she said. She looked at me with a gleam in her eyes. "I can see why you're so befuddled … oh, excuse me. You don't get befuddled. I can see why you're so taken with her. She gives you a run for your money. She's a strong one too. She hasn't fallen for your incendiary wit or your mind-blowing charms."

"She has not," I confirmed. "And I don't mind it. I actually like that she hasn't yielded to me. I like the challenge. She's going to keep me on my toes." Facing Thalia fully, I let her in on Sookie's poorly kept secret. "She's a telepath."

"Hmm," she said. "I've never met a telepath before tonight. She's a great asset for the mediocre kingdom of Louisiana." She then rolled her eyes and sighed. "I still haven't told him that I'm here. I hate meeting with him. He's so … mediocre. He believes himself to be this great lover and he is not. Poor thing doesn't realize that he's just as mediocre as his kingdom." She shook her head in disappointment. "Does your king know of her?"

"He does."

She chuckled. "He wants what you have?"

I nodded as I repeated, "He does."

Thalia rested her backside against the desk. "I get why you tried to scare her off. You want her to keep her innocence but it's too late for that. You know that. You knew that the night you met her. You knew that when she became yours, her innocence and her human life was forfeit. You should've turned her away when she walked through those doors. I could see it in her eyes, you know? She wants this life and nothing that you do is going to change that for her. There's no turning back. She's in." She folded her arms over her chest and sighed. "I get why you pretend that you don't have feelings for her. It scares you, doesn't it?"

I didn't answer her.

"I get that too," she said. "They're so fragile and they don't last long in our world. They're great company and I enjoy watching as they scurry along with their lives. Everything is always a rush." She briefly looked down at her feet. "This is not forever. This is going to last for as long as it lasts. You can't keep her, Eric, and you can't save her."

I growled at her.

She laughed as she lifted her hand. "What I mean is that you can't save her from this life. If this is what she wants, she's going to do it with or without you. Be glad that she found you and not some other vampire that would have destroyed her. What you see now … what draws you to her, would be long gone." She pointed to the doorway. "I agree with what you told her. She needs to know the ugly truth but so do you. That innocence that you adore so much … poof. It will be gone. It will no longer exist. After tonight, the girl that walked into your bar, she's dead." She stood up from the desk and patted my shoulder. She sat down in the desk chair and began typing. "Let my new friend know that I'll have the pictures delivered to her in the morning. They will be in full color. She's going to love it."

I began to walk away. I wanted to argue that Thalia was wrong and she doesn't know Sookie but I couldn't say either. She was right and I didn't want to face it. I glanced at Thalia over my shoulder and nodded. "I will let her know." I hesitated before walking away. "Good evening, Thalia."

"Eric," she called after me.

I had my back to her as I waited for her to speak.

"Don't blame yourself," she replied. "She wanted this."