Special thanks to mama_sin and evelinalefaille for their help with this chapter!
Song lyrics: Lovesong by Adele. Original lyrics by the Cure.
He dreamed he opened his eyes to find her beside him in bed. He slid his arms around her waist and buried his nose in her hair, taking in the smell of the North Sea. He felt at home again. The relief was heavenly; their bond rejoiced. She, in turn, giggled in that soft way that made his stomach flip and leaned into him. She was with him at the nest in a moment of domestic bliss and all was well.
But in reality, Eric wasn't so lucky. The unique pain he'd felt just before her transition was back, more substantial than before. Its scorching burns, prickles and stings attacked him all at once and ripped him out of his illusion, giving him a stark reminder of his new situation.
Grace wasn't with him. She was gone.
His eyelids fluttered open for real this time, pushing more blood tears down his face that eventually dribbled onto the gray carpet beneath him. He hadn't been able to leave the safe house after Vincenzo had taken her away. Their bond … it flared with a blistering heat, torching his bones and sending him the largest warning possible that something was wrong with his mate. The physical pain crippled him and he immediately dropped to the floor in a woeful pile, unable to move. Yet the emotional pain ached more. It was harrowing and unrelenting; too great, too demanding to ignore. Every time he tried to numb himself to get over the agony and float away into a dreamworld, the white-hot torment brought him back to Earth and he had to accept the fact that he'd lost her all over again.
The constant pendulum swings back and forth between comfort and suffering completely ate away at his sanity. He was a shell of his former self.
"Get up."
Eric ignored the comment, uninterested in listening to anyone at that moment, no matter who they were. He wanted to wallow. He wanted to suffer now that he was back in the hell part of the cycle for the umpteenth time and didn't have a distraction to focus on.
Fuck, he'd lost her.
"Call for Pam."
No, he definitely would not. Even if his progeny felt his pain - and she likely did after a fresh wave of fire broiled his body, torturing him worse than the sun ever could - she was under strict orders to distance herself from the effects of the tainted blood, according to their original plan. And he would keep it that way. He deserved this.
Eric's mind continued to unravel with more wild trains of thought, the pain driving him insane and closer to the cliff's edge. He'd strategized for multiple possible endings to the night, but not this one. Why hadn't he? Why? He was the master manipulator who anticipated every move but now Bill and Grace had gotten the best of him. How had he let this happen? Was he losing his touch?
How had he not thought that she would take matters into her own hands? He knew something felt off when he didn't feel the effects of the poison after the show ended and truth be told, Grace had thrown one too many glances at Bill during her performance. But when the King abruptly left the party and headed upstairs, Eric suspected his original plan was still in play. He opened the door to his private quarters to confirm the kill and wasn't prepared to walk in on Grace gripping Bill's face, doing everything she could to make him guide a stake into his own heart.
Why?
Eric gritted his teeth to weather another swell of agony, which finally brought the answer to the surface. Because he'd let his vengeance get the best of him, ignoring the signs that his mate might go rogue after he shut her down so many times. He trusted that she would fall in line with his plans even though she openly opposed them.
And it cost him.
"Get up."
And to think, he'd barely had Grace to begin with. The time they'd known each other was a mere blink of an eye in his undead existence and he'd spent the first few months thinking she was a threat - hell, even that she might have been working for Bill as a mole to wiggle her way into his organization. They'd only been lovers for mere months and yet … she was a part of him. His true mate, the ultimate match. He put down his walls to fall for her and she'd brought him back from the brink, reciprocating his love. It was one of the most profound experiences of his human and vampire life.
And now she was gone.
"Erik."
The old pronunciation finally got his attention, cutting through the crazy. There was only one being the authoritative voice could belong to: Godric. Someone else he'd been ignoring since Bill had made his first move weeks ago, the same way he'd brushed him off before going nuclear and killing Talbot. A swirl of agony, regret and shame came over him as he continued to writhe on the floor. Eric didn't want to know what he had to say.
"Let me die," he croaked, closing his eyes so he didn't have to look at him. "Like I should have with Russell."
"You will not die. Because she is still alive."
"And how do you know that?" he lashed out, his voice scratchy and hoarse. His anger surfaced momentarily and he wanted to throw something, trash the entire dingy safehouse. Destroy it all.
"You would feel hollow if she transitioned to my plane."
The thought of feeling empty - no more Grace in his life, forever - quickly led him to drop his ire and transition into desperation. The Sheriff couldn't help but reflexively ping their bond to feel her. He called out to his mate and yearned to get a response, to confirm his maker's words - please, she couldn't be gone, he didn't want her to be closed off either, he had to know she was alive. Eric only felt a slight ping in return, but it was enough to give him the reassurance he needed. Grace wasn't dead.
A respite, yet he didn't allow himself to celebrate for long. The onslaught from their bond told him she was still in trouble and reminded him of the mission he'd sent Vincenzo on.
"But she is gone," Eric lamented. His emotions were still bouncing around and he slid downwards into a new headspace full of despair. His body felt heavy as it melted into the carpet, just like the puddle of blood tears next to him. "I sent them to find other sirens … I couldn't help her."
It was supposed to be a backup plan, a last resort escape if he was about to die. There was no way he was going to leave Grace on her own if the blood somehow poisoned him too much and he couldn't protect her. So he'd cornered his third-in-command - the only being he knew to ever successfully track down a siren - and made him swear to ensure her safety while he chartered a jet, covertly flew them to Europe and looked for her family. There had to be other sirens out there that could hide her when he couldn't. Eric had even contacted a vampire for hire to glamour Grace's human parents to think she was off touring the world and too busy to talk to them if someone tried looking for her that way.
But he still had to enact the plan regardless. She was dying and he had no idea how to heal her. Or even if she had a choice to do it herself, as she did with her transition. So Vincenzo was right, they would have a chance if he could find another one of her species. But it had taken him twelve years last time … did Grace have that long? They'd stocked the plane with a small bag of Eric's blood in case of an emergency, but how much time would that buy them? Even if his cousin's life force acted as a weak proxy, he couldn't bear the thought of her stuck in a spiritual coma again.
"That does not mean you will never see her again. But you will still have to fight for that chance. You know Bill saw her true form … and you whisking her away." That got his full attention, the old Eric peeking through. His tired eyes fluttered open again and caught his maker's gaze.
The exchange had happened at vampire speed, too quick for any human or siren to notice. One moment, Grace had been controlling Bill, his eyes glassy and jaw slack; the next, his face suddenly hardened and settled into its usual demeanor as she became unfocused due to Eric's sudden appearance. He was no longer under her spell. The King looked down at the stake in his hands and moved to plunge it into her heart before the Sheriff made a split-second decision. He rushed her out of the Buckner Mansion with Vincenzo at his heels, not stopping until he reached their New Orleans safehouse just outside town.
From the beginning, he wouldn't let Grace kill the King. Her hands had to be clean so the vampire world wouldn't know about her species' survival. And there wasn't a universe where Eric would let Bill do the same to her. He had to get her out of there as fast as fucking possible. Yet Godric was right, the entire scene had blown the lid off their secret. They'd failed. Her identity and their connection were no longer in the shadows.
Bill knew now.
"You know he is not stupid," Godric said, clasping his hands behind his back with a sigh. "He will have evidence for the Magister's judgement."
The fucking Authority; just thinking about them was a punch to the gut alongside the fiery spasms from their bond. Memories of Sylvie's face - the expression she wore just before they sent her to her death - flashed through Eric's head and more blood tears started to gather in the inner corners of his red-rimmed eyes. But no, it wouldn't be like that again. He'd sent Grace away from anyone who could hurt her and if his third kept his promise, he'd avoid ever having to surrender another lover to the Magister again.
"Vincenzo knows how to fly under the radar," Eric protested. "He won't find her."
"He does not need to. He has you."
His maker was right. Bill wouldn't tolerate an assassination attempt with no one to punish. He would set his sights on the Sheriff and drag him through the coals to still get his revenge. Another sharp pang of torment ripped through his chest and Eric moaned unabashedly, not able to stomach the pain any longer. His body twisted around itself; his nerves were on fire.
FUCK.
"So get up," Godric repeated. His tone was more commanding and authoritative this time, the kind of dominance Eric needed to hear. "Call for Pam and have her get you back to your nest before the tribunal. Tell her everything. She will likely be charged alongside you."
The almost but not fully real maker's command energized him and a small beacon of hope broke through the dark storm in his mind. He would not die, not yet. Not when he still had work to do. Eric grunted, uncurled from the fetal position and attempted to get himself to stand and walk out of the room, but just as he rolled up onto his knees, the soul bond's relentless torment rained down on him and he collapsed back to the ground. He groaned and wrapped his arms over his stomach to quell the pain as he accepted his fate and sent a blaring summoning to Pam.
Pam quickly sent a panicked acknowledgment back and he felt her race towards his location. The Sheriff unclenched his muscles and tried to relax, knowing help was coming but it was still shockingly uncomfortable to be this vulnerable, this raw. It tore away at his newly found confidence while he waited for his progeny to appear and endured another spin on the emotional merry-go-round.
"Godrik," Eric whispered. He wanted someone to decide for him, to show him how as he once did when he was a new creature of the night. "... how am I going to do this? I am nothing without her."
Godric crouched beside his progeny and the energy in the room suddenly shifted into something primordial and intense. Eric watched the ancient's silver eyes flash and he shuddered at the movement's magnitude.
"You will do it because you are still mine, even from beyond true death. It is your duty to protect this bloodline. My bloodline." A smirk spread across Godric's face. He was now the vampire of his youth when he had been more feral and playful in his slaughter. The dark creature who had introduced himself as Death. "You will get up and make sure the Authority does not harm this family. You already know how to mask the pain. And do you not remember Grace's strategy? I would say it is a rather good one."
The tribunal summons came the next night.
But Eric was ready for it.
A uniformed security squad appeared at their nest and forced him and his progeny into a sleek black van; an hour or so later, they rolled open the passenger door and pushed them out onto the dirt. The Sheriff stayed docile and motioned for Pam to do the same as the uniformed bodies pointed their guns with wooden bullets at their hearts. The squad leader then ordered them to walk past the overgrown cemetery towards the small southern gothic white church in the middle of an eerie landscape of giant live oak trees and Spanish moss.
And there, standing just outside the intricately carved doors, stood Bill. The almost full moon illuminated his sly smile and he had a predatory air about him, like a big cat chasing down its dinner and nipping at its hindlegs in anticipation of a bigger bite.
"You know," he said in his smarmiest tone, intent on getting a rise out of Eric. "I expected you to come after me. But I didn't think you'd send your woman to do your dirty work."
Pam emitted a low hiss in his honor and oh, how Eric wanted to punch him in the face; his hand almost balled into a fist to start the onslaught. He still felt waves of painful misery and was beyond exhausted after trying to survive his dayrest (if you could call it that, he'd turned his white sheets red from the bleeds), but he caught himself and used all of his determination to loosen his tense muscles. No, he wouldn't let his impulsive anger control the evening's events; Eric's plan hinged on keeping his composure. He'd drained eight unsanctioned bags to ensure the beast stayed in its cage.
The restraint caused his powerful blood to swirl around in his veins and give him strength. He pushed down the pain, looked over at his rival, smirked back and tilted his head downward to intimidate him with his height advantage. He wanted Bill to know he was toast without saying a word, his old self returning. The charming rascal who was not to be fucked with. Who would punish anyone who went after the House of Godric, Grace included now that she held his blood. He may have been holding in a wince, but Eric was steward of the line and responsible for keeping them alive. And with the Gods as his witness, he was going to make sure they walked out intact after this fucking charade.
The King grew flustered momentarily; he stumbled backward in fear, not anticipating that Eric would be this self-assured. It didn't bode well. Yet Bill didn't stay overwhelmed for long. He brashly stepped towards him to recover.
"Mark my words. She may not be here, but I will still end you tonight."
Eric's confidence didn't waver. The King may have bested him within his territory of control, but going up against the Magister came with a new set of rules to navigate and Eric would use that to his advantage. Because he knew how to play the game much better than Bill, having learned from Godric.
He tilted his head ever further. "I look forward to watching you try."
Bill's lips curled into a sneer and he moved to strike back when the doors cracked, Pam uttering a soft "oh thank fuck, let's get this over with" when they swung all the way open. A lithe Japanese woman dressed in a modern black kimono soon appeared.
"She will see you now."
Bill sniffed haughtily and moved into the church, eager to show his dominance over the Sheriff since the highest-ranking vampire always walked up first. It was the way Eric had led him to Alonso not too long ago when he'd been forced to turn Jessica as punishment for killing Longshadow. But this was no junkyard with attendees in lawn chairs and crates of Trublood. The iron-wrought chandeliers and plethora of pillar candles lit up the inside of the church, illuminating the many original Christian motifs still in place (albeit in dire shape). And the pews were filled with a smattering of well dressed vampires eager to watch the show; tribunals were entertainment after all and this was North America's hottest ticket. It wasn't every day that a Sheriff was accused of attempting to assassinate a King.
Bill practically sauntered down the aisle to take his seat and Eric and Pam lingered behind him, their strides slow. The Viking put his emotional mask back in place and did a quick scan to take inventory of who else was there: a few other Lousiana Sheriffs with their charges, minor adjudicator wannabes, a famous married couple from Colorado, a large family of misfits he didn't recognize and, of course, Behrouz. Eric's eyes then went to the platform at the front of the room. A twelve-year-old girl sat on an impressive wooden chair, not unlike his favorite seat at Fangtasia. Her straight blonde hair was pulled back in a headband and she wore a formal long sleeve black swing dress and Mary Jane shoes. Her expensive dark pendant necklace glittered in the candlelight.
The Magister.
Eric knew of her reputation, as she was a longtime friend of the Authority. Tabitha Barrowe had started off wide-eyed and pure, but now she was anything but. In 1668, the town blacksmith accused her of meeting with the Devil, a hysteria technique further refined a couple of towns over in Salem, Massachusetts decades later. She was innocent but twelve and gullible. She believed the accusation, although it was a lie. She ran away from her family to save them from her treachery and spent the night lamenting in the woods, where she met a lone vampire. The real Devil. He turned Tabitha against her will, abandoned her and died shortly afterward, but soon she saw the gifts the dark side brought and used them for her gain.
She survived on her own by presenting as small and weak - like the young girl's exterior she was stuck with - but it was a smokescreen to trick enemies and prey. She was violent underneath and hell bent on dishing out brutal justice as the Magister, like the Old Testament God she'd read about when she was human. If the rumors were true, it was because she couldn't hold her maker accountable for his sins, so she'd make sure everyone else got their due when they deserved it.
Bill took the front right pew; Eric and Pam took the empty one on the left. The Japanese woman from earlier took a lower seat on the front stage and Tabitha tapped a gavel on the armrest of her throne to start the proceedings. Pam hid her nervousness well, but Eric could feel her shaking throughout their bond as the rest of the vampires quieted their whispers and conversations. She hated being in front of the Magister, especially since her last encounter with Alonso had brought about her being tortured. He pushed aside his pain and flooded her with a steadfast resolve to remind her to trust the plan.
"Well," the young girl sneered. "The trial we've all been waiting for. Bill Compton, King of Louisiana. State your case."
He rose from his pew and bowed slightly.
"Thank you, Magister," Bill began to flatter. "I know you have a busy schedule and I appreciate your willingness to come down to our state on such short notice, given the dire circumstances. We are honored to have you here in Louisiana -"
"Your sycophancy is unbecoming," Tabitha cut him off with a wave. "While you have the attention, you are not the only case on the docket. Get to it." A few audience members snickered at the putdown and Bill scowled.
"Very well," he continued, not enjoying the humiliation. "Eric Northman and his progeny Pamela Swynford de Beaufort conspired with a … creature named Grace Williams to murder me. They covered up her crimes against the Authority and defied my decree for human and vampire hosted events every time she performed, as she is not human."
Whispers filled the church once more. Another Sheriff discretely rolled her eyes, knowing how pissy the King got when his mainstreaming decrees weren't met. Bill had emphasized the last charge as a reminder for the rest of the vampires to still follow his orders.
"A creature, you say?" Tabitha asked. She brushed past his grievances; he'd piqued her interest by getting straight to the point and hinting at Grace's supernatural identity. "Explain."
Bill straightened his tie, his sly smile returning now that he believed he was back on the Magister's good side. But Eric knew it wouldn't last long, not with what he had planned.
"We had a party in New Orleans last night to celebrate Behrouz's visit. I asked Sheriff Northman to put together the entertainment for the evening and he suggested that Miss Williams sing. I recognized her from her popular performance and allowed it." A fucking lie. "But it was a ruse. She put me under her spell during her performance and I blacked out. I finally came to later in my private quarters and she was trying to stake me."
A different experience than what Eric felt when under Grace's influence; he didn't know if it was real or made up. But that wasn't the concerning part. Bill took out his phone and tapped the screen to show a video of the whole thing happening, including Eric taking her away. The asshole had bugged his quarters after insisting Grace used it in hopes of catching something and hit the jackpot.
It was enough to make any vampire tremble, but Eric had factored in something like this could happen and remained steadfast to his strategy as Tabitha used her superhuman sight to review the evidence without lifting a finger. The room was already following the King's every word, but he paused momentarily to heighten the drama before opening his mouth again.
"Magister, I know others can't see them in the video, I can't explain why, but … I see her wings. She is … a siren."
Gasps of shock filled the air and the church burst into pandemonium. Pam turned to look at Eric, but he pushed past the fact that he could see them too and continued staring right at the Magister as she banged her gavel to restore order. The monster remained in its cage. He couldn't react and give himself away. He had to wait.
"You expect me to just believe you," Tabitha said skeptically once the chatter died. "Sirens have been extinct for centuries and no one has seen one with wings for even longer."
"I'm aware," Bill said with a nod. "But I swear under oath, I see them. And when we searched her house -"
"We'll get to that later. Where is she?" the Magister cut in, her fingers pensively wrapping around her long necklace.
"You'll have to ask Sheriff Northman," the King answered. He threw a menacing glare in Eric's direction before looking back at the Magister, pulled back to his power struggle with the twelve-year-old. He didn't like being cut off and his audacity rose. "But it doesn't matter. He and his progeny should be put down for their treason. Immediately."
The attendees murmured amongst themselves but stopped when Tabitha's eyes scanned the crowd and intimidated them with her stare. She then landed on the King. She didn't like Bill's performative testimony because he was causing her to lose control of the room and was especially offended that he was suggesting the sentence, therefore stepping into her jurisdiction and trying to do her job. It caused her to swing the spotlight away from the King.
"This is certainly an accusation." Her eyes darted to Eric. "Sheriff … explain."
Bill scoffed as he moved to sit, annoyed that he was not center stage anymore and incredulous that Eric was still so sure of himself after such evidence. But he couldn't move past his entitlement to anticipate Eric's open move. Both vampires were often so caught up in their alpha male tendencies and greed that they let their emotions rule them, causing them to misstep. To act more human. And the Viking was weaponizing that fact instead of succumbing to it himself.
If the King could bend the truth, so could he using the strategy Grace had offered just after her transition. It agonized Eric to throw her under the bus and bring the Authority's wrath upon her, but Godric had shown him that the lie would rile Bill up enough to get under his skin and bring out the attitude that had caused Alonso to tell him to back his shit down. He was already butting up against Tabitha; Eric was just pushing him further down that path to create doubt in her mind. Doubt that would even wash his siren accusation away.
He finally rose and straightened out his leather jacket, finally ready to move against Bill.
It was time.
"Magister .. King Compton is correct, my progeny hired Miss Williams last October to sing at Fangtasia to fulfill his mainstreaming decree. But she didn't know she'd been controlled to do so. And I was unaware I'd been bewitched to allow her to continue profiting from our hospitality."
The room began whispering again. The King's mouth fell open slightly when he began to understand what was happening. Another wave of pain crashed over Eric, but he kept his head straight. Yes, that's it, Billy boy. Keep it coming.
"Do you corroborate this?" the Magister commanded, looking at Pam.
"Yes, Magister," his progeny said with a respectful dip of her head. "She clouded my judgment. I thought she was human and so did my band leader."
"Do you require his testimony?" the Japanese woman asked softly. "I will fetch him."
"No," Tabitha answered, waving off her second-in-command. "I'll deal with him if I need to."
"This is outrageous," Bill cut in. He was starting to fume. "They knowingly harbored her as she controlled vampires in my state each performance and broke Authority law, my law -"
"Quiet. It's not your turn," the young girl sniped. She then turned her attention back to Eric. "You're telling me you had no clue she was doing this … for almost a year. I find that hard to believe."
"Not the entire time," he confessed. "I experienced blackouts as Bill described, but now that she let me go, I remember one night in late January when I started to piece things together. I confronted her and things get hazy after that. I now believe she cast some spell on me to hide her from the Authority. It's the reason she left the Fangtasia stage for some time."
Bill snapped.
"This is traitorous -"
"I said quiet!" The Magister slammed her fist into the armrest to make her point clear before setting her sights back to Eric. She wasn't done with him yet. "Sheriff, did you tell the King to hire her for the party?"
"She made me." Bill gritted his teeth, absolutely irate that Eric's fib was building off his own lie.
"Where is she now?"
"I don't know, in truth I don't remember taking her. She must have controlled me to help her escape." Bill growled under his breath. "I eventually came to, but she was gone, my cousin with her. I returned to my nest to look for more clues, fell into my day rest and was summoned here before I could come to the King with solid evidence of what happened."
He then showed a moment of fake vulnerability by briefly looking ashamed. Something Eric Northman had never done in public and his ace in the hole to sell the story.
"Mmmm, yes, because you have such love for Compton. No, hiding from embarrassment is more like it. She must be strong if she was able to fool you for so long," Tabitha clucked. She was pushing him but still taking his bait and believing his storyline. Good. "Tell me, did you ever see her with wings?"
He was briefly transported back to the show. She'd structured her intention to allow her vampire inner circle to be aware of her powers and FUCK, she looked beyond authoritative and sexy when they appeared during the crescendo of her first number. He'd only been able to hold it together by closing off their bond during the performance, otherwise he would have surely fucked her senseless, not caring that he was in front of a live audience. But he had to keep her true form secret before the Authority. All four of them did; they could never tell anyone.
"No, I did not."
"Ms Swynford de Beaufort, what about you?"
Pam obeyed the pact. "No, Magister."
"Magister, I must object. The evidence at her house -"
"Bill Compton," the Magister hissed, "you are out of line -"
He quickly reached into his pocket, took out his iPhone again and held it up in the air. "I am trying to tell you that I have her magic recorded!"
Tabitha paused, twirling her necklace again. Her eyes were blazing, but they darted to the screen. Evidence was evidence, she couldn't ignore it. She nodded her head for him to continue and Eric's blood rushed again as he held on. He'd swept her property for anything damning before he left to join the King in New Orleans, so he wasn't sure what Bill had. Whatever it was, he'd have to navigate out of it.
"Her house was rather clean, but my men found a homemade CD tucked away under a floorboard. It had 'For Eric' written on it. I believe this is a sign that they were working together."
Shit, the album she'd started over the summer to make her feel better about being trapped, when they'd first Jeeped to Arkansas. He thought she'd destroyed it like he'd told her to. But clearly she'd kept the token, just as he'd stashed something away in his garage against his better judgment because he couldn't part with something that reminded him of her. It seemed they both couldn't fully get rid of each other, even if their lives depended on it.
"A flimsy sign," Tabitha scoffed. "But proceed."
Bill tapped the screen and Louis' soft guitar melody slinked out of the speakers. The audio was coming out of a shitty first generation iPhone, but every other vampire heard it loud and clear due to their supernatural abilities. Yet Eric floated into a trance as his soulmate's haunting voice soared above the instrumentals. The first verse was soft, distorted and hard for him to hear. Their love, the music … it was starting to fade away as it had during her transition, as if someone had turned the volume low. Although it wasn't cut off entirely like that harrowing night many months ago. He was still able to hear the chorus.
However far away
I will always love you
However long I stay
I will always love you
Whatever words I say
I will always love you
I will always love you
Eric's resolve prevented him from completely unraveling, but he reflexively pinged their bond, crossing a line he told himself he wouldn't do during the trial. He had to know she was still there, even if she was in a coma. He had to tell her he still loved her. With his whole heart. And to his immense relief, the vampire felt faint siren vibrations flutter throughout his body in return. She was weak but alive and stronger than the night before. The confirmation slowly brought him back to Earth and his eyes swung to the Magister to see how she reacted.
She looked highly annoyed. The plan was seemingly still in play.
"I've heard enough," Tabitha dismissed in the middle of Grace's next verse. The King tapped the screen to stop the music and Eric's blood whirled again as his restraint fully kicked back in.
"I heard her power. You had to have sensed it, too," Bill said with a confused tilt of his head. He'd expected this to be different than the video; someone as powerful as Tabitha surely had to understand Grace's ability after listening to her voice, the source of it all.
"I certainly did not!" the Magister answered through her teeth. "Did anyone else?" The room was silent, no one daring to lie. To be sure (but also to rub it in Bill's face), Tabitha turned to the oldest vampire in the room for confirmation. "Behrouz?"
The Persian slowly uncrossed and recrossed his legs, satisfied that the spotlight had swung over to him. He'd dressed to be seen in his eye-catching checkered Burberry suit and so far, he had to be content with watching the drama instead of being a part of it. But now he could participate.
"I can't say that I felt anything," he purred. Bill's face fell.
"And in New Orleans?" Tabitha probed.
"She has a pretty voice, I'll give her that," Behrouz answered truthfully. "But I've met sirens and I don't recognize their power in Miss Williams."
Eric suppressed a smile, starting to understand what had occurred. Grace's powers had worked their magic through the video and audio recordings. Eric and Bill felt them; Pam likely did too since she'd also seen the siren's true form. But Behrouz, Tabitha, the rest of the tribunal crowd … they had no idea. Bill's discovery may have prevented her original intention from fully coming true, but Grace had managed to keep the rest of the world in the dark.
Pride swelled within him.
"Alright then, we're done here," the Magister huffed, rolling her eyes. A second example of evidence that only Bill could perceive had shut the case closed for her.
"But Magister, you have to give them the true death, they -" Bill protested, becoming desperate now that he sensed he hadn't landed his punch.
"ENOUGH!" Tabitha snarled, jumping to her feet as her fangs popped out with a snick! Her second-in-command rose from her seat as well. "You will remember that I am the fucking Magister, not you. And my verdict is this."
The entire room waited on bated breath, Eric included.
"Grace Williams is guilty of attempting to murder King Compton, controlling Sheriff Northman and his organization and breaking Authority law. There is a ten million dollar bounty on her head for anyone who can bring her to me. I will be the judge of what kind of creature she is and the punishment she deserves."
A vampiress in the audience gasped at the bounty sum but quickly put a hand over her mouth to avoid the Magister's line of fire. But she was right to react, it was a much larger amount than usual and Pam even sent a shiver across their bond. But it didn't phase him; he'd backed out of the corner Bill had put him in. It was a victory that the verdict was, in a sense, delayed and she didn't fall for the King's siren accusation. Eric just prayed to the Gods that Vincenzo and the other sirens had her safe and hidden so no one could bring her in for further questioning.
But Tabitha wasn't done, oh no. She wheeled around on the King, narrowed her eyes and decided to punish him for his insolence.
"King Compton … I hold you ultimately responsible for allowing this to happen in your state. You should have noticed something was off with your Sheriff and brought this to my attention earlier. The Buckner Mansion? It's the property of the Authority now. And I'll ask them to terminate your nomination for advisor to the North American Chancellor. Even go so far as to suggest they fire you if you can't get your current witch problem in line." Bill's eyes widened. Tabitha lifted her chin. "Don't ever rule for me like that again."
She'd hit him where it hurt most; she'd claimed his event hosting space that furthered his political agenda, taken the social climbing ladder out from under him and threatened his current status, things that Bill deeply cared about now that he was in a position of power. The audience sprung to life again, some laughing, some squeaking in shock. Bill remained silent - finally learning the hard lesson that Eric had when he'd mocked Alonso's authority and paid for it with Sylvie's life - but he looked as if he could explode at any moment. Tabitha retracted her fangs, smirked, settled back into her chair and enjoyed smacking down the King.
But Eric found out she still wasn't done quite yet. She wasn't going to let him walk out entirely free.
"And lastly …Sheriff Northman," the blonde announced. "You will pay a double fine for all the months you weren't in mainstreaming compliance. And live with the shame that someone got the best of you. I expected better out of someone your age."
Eric bowed his head, but secretly rejoiced. He had no shame; he didn't regret Grace walking into his club and demanding his attention or even falling for her in the end. If money was really the only thing that could hurt him, he had stockpiles of riches in various countries and offshore accounts to weather the storm. He was getting off easy. The Sheriff picked his gaze up off the floor and stole a glance at Bill, whose jaw was twitching because it was clenched so hard. Tabitha noticed the same and smirked, delivering one last dismissive blow.
"Neeeeeext!" she called, signaling that the next case should begin. The crowd began to uncharacteristically jeer between trials, some vampires even moving to leave the tribunal entirely after the main act. Bill took offense but knew he couldn't do anything, so he angrily swept down the aisle and hit a pew to let off some steam as he exited the church. Eric, meanwhile, dipped his head to the Magister in respect and made his way to the back with Pam in tow as the next Sheriff brought his charge to the front. When they reached the outside, Bill was nowhere in sight and had declined to give them any transportation back to their nest.
The fucking sore loser.
"So, we opening the bar tonight?" Pam drawled, crossing her arms over her chest. She tried to sound annoyed but in their bond, there was a playful undertone; she knew they couldn't fully celebrate their win until they were safely back at the nest.
"Yes," Eric decided. "We have nothing to hide. Business as usual."
"I'm on my own then, aren't I?" Pam muttered, alluding to the fact that Eric could fly home when she couldn't.
"Take my ride." Both vampires turned to see Behrouz behind them, jingling his key ring. "I assume you know how to drive a stick."
"How do you think I got through the 40s?" she scoffed. The ancient threw her the ring and she caught it with ease.
"Good girl," he praised. "Now go on while I have a few words with your maker."
The real reason he'd followed them. Pam sent Eric a vigilant whoosh over their bond and on the outside, smiled as she rolled the big Lotus Exige key around her fingers and delighted in the fact that she would be able to speed on her way home. Eric remained guarded as a few more attendees made their way out of the church. They weren't especially close and he didn't know what Behrouz wanted with him.
The Persian noticed they weren't alone and began to ramble as he motioned for Eric to follow him into the graveyard. "I'll say, this might be the best trip to America I've ever had. A party in my honor, Bill Compton getting put in his place by a twelve-year-old girl … just riveting. Someone needed to do it, he's a stuck up little prick now that he's King." But when they were finally alone, he dropped his voice to only a level that vampires their age could hear. "You played that well."
Eric stiffened and defensively put every one of his walls up. "Come again?"
"I was friends with your maker long ago, I know your bloodline's tricks," Behrouz smirked. "She is a siren, isn't she?"
Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. They'd been so close to getting out without anyone catching on. He couldn't know, her true identity had to remain hidden.
"I don't know what Grace is," the Viking said through his teeth. The ancient rolled his eyes, annoyed that Eric was sticking to his story and not conceding now that they were in private. He expected him to give in; one old being trusting another.
"I didn't lie to the Magister, I never felt her power. But as much as he annoys me, I believe Bill." Behrouz crossed his arms over his chest. "So you caught yourself a siren that you don't want anyone else to have. Perhaps because you love her, as she loves you. Those lyrics gave everything away from my vantage point."
Eric's jaw tightened. It took everything to stop the beast from getting loose from its cage, its rage powering an angry outburst that could kill the Persian and land him right back in front of the Magister. Behrouz noticed his restraint and his smirk returned, knowing that he'd finally hit a nerve. It confirmed his suspicions.
"Oh," he laughed, "don't be ashamed. I too have loved and I suspect your maker did near the end. He changed. At a certain age, it happens to the best of us."
Eric remained silent, not wanting to give anything further away.
"I'll keep my mouth shut, I have no love for Bill. All I want is a redeemable favor from you I can cash in for the future."
The Sheriff's blood ran cold. Being in debt to a vampire as old as Behrouz was a dangerous thing; this was his true punishment. But he couldn't deny that he'd take the deal every time. If it kept Grace's identity safe, then he'd sacrifice his empire without question. He gave the smallest of nods to acknowledge the owed favor. Behrouz softened his body language, happy that he'd finally cracked through the facade.
"Goodnight Sheriff Northman, it's been a pleasure," he crowed. "And one piece of advice … watch your back. Bill's not going to take this verdict kindly."
Eric knew that would be the case as he watched Behrouz walk back towards the church. Bill was too proud and hellbent on abusing his power to control Eric to let something like this slide. But he launched into the air, returned to his bar, settled on his throne and played Sheriff just like he always did. And night after night, he took the same seat, settling into his despair of losing Grace and the agonizing uncertainty of when he would ever see her again.
But he never expected what would unfold. Because a week after the trial - when Sookie finally reappeared and Bill realized that Eric had already bought her house and, by extension, owned her - the King unleashed his true wrath for everything that had happened since the fairy had left for the other realm. He ordered his Sheriff to investigate the recent reports of witch necromancy in Shreveport, knowing full well it would send him into danger. The King hoped the mission would kill him, but instead, had to deal with Eric's unexpected memory loss when he survived.
Author's note: phew! Sorry it took a bit longer wait than usual, but I was busy and struggling to write this one. But there we have it, Bill finally getting his due and then the tie into the official start of Season 4. I hope you enjoyed Tabitha owning him as much as Behrouz did!
Thank you so much for all the love you've given 27 so far, we're almost to the end! Next chapter will have the reunion you're longing for, but probably not how you expect it to go down. I expect it will take more than a month like the last one, but rest assured, I'm finishing this thing!
Please review, would love to hear from you!