The drive home passed in a rage-induced fugue state. My parking spot out front hadn't been taken in the time I'd been gone, which was something. I made it into the condo complex and as far as the pool area. I plopped down on the lounge chair and took a deep breath.

I checked my phone. Good grief, it was after three am. I had only one notification, a text from Mr. C telling me to come in late the next day. I gathered we'd be working 'vampire hours' until everything was resolved, which meant starting mid-afternoon and finishing around eleven. It allowed for meetings with vampire clientele. Fine by me.

I finally rallied energy and let myself in the front door. Diantha was still asleep upstairs, seemingly unaware of my three-or-so hour midnight jaunt. I stopped by the bathroom, brushed my teeth and washed my face. The shadows under my eyes were dark. Back in my room, I peeled off my clothes, kicked my lacy teddy from where it sat forgotten on the floor into the corner of my bedroom and put on a trusty old sleep shirt. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

Sometime later something cool brushed my face, stroked along the line of my cheekbone, then tucked my hair behind my ear. I murmured, sleep slowly letting go of its hold of me, and leaned into the touch. It was Eric. His skin was cooler than usual, he smelled fresh, like the breeze and morning dew.

The covers lifted and he slid in beside me. His arm snaked around my waist, and he wriggled close to spoon against me.

"Oh, you're cold," I said, his bare legs pressed against mine were extremely chilly.

He nuzzled my neck. "Mmm. You're warm."

The anger from earlier seemed a distant thing, muted by sleep and the sensation of him.

"What time is it?"

"Still an hour from dawn."

I looped my fingers through his where they rested at my waist. "How'd it go after I left?"

"Surprisingly without difficulty. Sophie-Anne… she is still not herself. She requested time and anonymity to recover before making any formal petition for the throne."

"And Thalia's response?"

"She acquiesced. But in her own way."

I paused at that. "Do I want to know the specifics?"

"Probably not."

His hand moved under my shirt, and I expected it to land on my breast but instead he hugged me tighter, skin to skin.

"I don't want to quarrel with you," he said. It sounded like the words were difficult for him. I couldn't help but laugh, albeit unhappily.

"If you're trying to apologize, I'll need you to be more direct."

"Lover, I apologize."

"Good." I rolled over to face him. It was completely dark in my room, but I could make out his features thanks to the faint glow he emanated. "That was a really crappy thing you did back there. I had no warning she was going to talk to us about Sigebert. We had no time to work it out before talking to her, no time to form a game plan."

"You could've warned me about incoming visitors."

"It would've made no difference. And according to you, they've reached a temporary accord anyway." I noticed then that his hair was wild and unkempt. "Did you fly here?"

"Too slow to drive."

I ran my hand through his hair, smoothing it. It said something that he'd raced over here to resolve things.

"I feel like it would be easy for us to just return to the way things were," I said sadly. "Always at odds with one another."

"Then what would be the point of this?"

Eric was right. Love was never the problem. It was everything else.

"I don't know about you," I continued, "but part of me feels like it would be just as easy for us to not be like that."

"I'm on your side, Sookie." His thumb caressed my cheekbone.

"Are you? I want you to be. I want to be on your side too. I want us to be a team."

"I told Thalia I would support her against Sophie-Anne's claim. I made it known to the former Queen, also."

I could've wept with relief. Eric was powerful enough to influence things one way or another.

We embraced. He was completely naked, and before long I was too. We made love, and afterward, laying nestled in his arms, I was the best I'd felt since the whole ordeal with Sophie-Anne had begun. Maybe even the best I'd felt in my entire short life.

•───── ─────•

Thalia, Eric and Rasul arrived at the office Thursday night for a meeting at ten o'clock. I met them in the main foyer and led them upstairs to the fancier meeting room reserved for the partners and their clients. Eric smiled at me hungrily, and I felt a flush creep up my décolletage. I still bore his bite at my neck from the night before, but I'd worn a high-collared shirt to disguise it. It pretty much entirely healed over in short order anyway; now it only appeared as the ghost of a red mark. But, still, we'd need to have a little discussion at some point about appropriate biting etiquette.

Thalia greeted me, but perhaps more coolly than she usually did. I tried not to read into it. We were in a professional environment, she was present at the office as Queen. And thanks to me, her world had become topsy-turvy. I half expected her to bare her fangs and hiss.

I saw them into the conference room and offered them bottled blood. Eric and Rasul said yes; Thalia merely wrinkled her nose. Part of me doubted if she'd ever even tried synthetic blood. She was a purist, in many respects.

Once they were settled I went and got Mr. Cataliades.

I sat to my boss's right, taking notes as they discussed; my role merely as an observer, minute taker.

"Given Ms. Leclerq is not making her presence known to the greater vampire community and has requested anonymity, your authority is not under question presently," Mr. C was saying. "With the next summit only a few short months away, it is important we have a case ready for you to defend your rule."

"Amid all the other cases to contend with," Rasul said. Thalia was to be brought to trial for Felipe's death. Eric was to testify in a case for Sigrid and Christof's murder of Queen Freyda. It would be a busy summit for Mr. C and for the vampires. It was all a bit messy too. The last summit I had attended ended terribly but had been interesting for me as an attendee, at least initially. I was looking forward to attending the next one, this time in a more formal capacity. Though, the summit did get me thinking about Thalia's case about the murder of Felipe. She was making no bones about having killed him.

"Yes, Ms. Stackhouse?" said Mr. Cataliades, turning to me. "Do you have some thoughts you'd wish to share?"

This was one of the downsides of having a telepathic employer. I cleared my throat and set my legal pad down.

"I know y'all are here to discuss Sophie-Anne Leclerq and what it means for Thalia's rule. But I was just thinking about the implications of her return with regard to Felipe de Castro." All eyes were on me now, and I tried not to wilt under the scrutiny. I felt wildly out of my depth. "I'm assuming you all understand that as Sophie-Anne didn't actually meet the true death, it means Felipe de Castro's rule over Louisiana and Arkansas was unconstitutional. He took the throne from two states that weren't technically vacated. That being the case, wouldn't it also mean Thalia shouldn't be on the hook for killing de Castro and, quote unquote, stealing the throne?"

Murdering a vampire wasn't really a big deal among vampires, at least not something for their highest court to handle. Regular vampire-on-vampire murders were usually dealt with by tribunals by area sheriffs, though it often came down to the discretion of the sheriff and the deceased vampire's maker. But killing a monarch? That was a whole different story. When it came to offing a vampire authority figure, it was handled by their high courts at their biennial summits. Thalia was set to stand trial for de Castro's death at the next one. There was no black or white rule of law when it came to vampire coups, however, what was to be argued at the summit was if Thalia had the right to wrest the throne from Felipe.

I continued, "Thalia was ridding an imposter from the throne of two states, not necessarily performing a takeover."

"I still took his place as ruler," she said.

"Yes, but what if we could get some sort of, I don't know, conditional agreement from Sophie-Anne to say something to that effect? That your ascension has her consent?"

"Sophie will not give up her throne willingly," Rasul warned. He sat with his shoulders hunched, his usual flair absent in his countenance.

"She's in no fit position to currently rule," I pointed out. "But Eric and Rasul are on your side, Queen Thalia. Eric, a former trusted sheriff of Sophie-Anne's, and Rasul, one of her former chancellors. You could frame it like being a queen in absentia."

"Louisiana is mine," Thalia growled. "I am no stand-in."

"I don't think we'd advertise it as such, more make that case to the courts," I said.

"It could work," said Eric. Rasul nodded.

"Ms. Stackhouse makes a salient point." Desmond nodded at me, pleased. Though I was sure this was something he would have proposed too. "We could spin Sophie-Anne's return in Queen Thalia's favor."

"I will not accept any sort of conditional agreement. Louisiana is mine," Thalia said, her dark eyes flashing.

"You have two large issues before you, Queen," Mr. C said. "Felipe's demise and Sophie-Anne's claim to the throne. I think we can agree we'd like to resolve both issues with as little bloodshed as possible."

Thalia did not look as though she agreed with that sentiment one bit.

"But if we were to use Sophie-Anne's return as a means of solving half of your problems then we have made things considerably easier for ourselves," he concluded.

The meeting continued until late. Thalia agreed begrudgingly to what I'd suggested, provided it wouldn't harm her future chances for continuing her rule. Mr. C seemed confident he could draft something that would stick to that. Ultimately it would come down to Sophie-Anne agreeing to make her return to the undead living known, at least to the vampire court system. The meeting was then followed by a lot of mind-numbing discussion on ancient legislation and vampire charters regarding legitimacy of vampire rule. I was glad the associates were tasked with that research and not me.

Eric caught up to me when I was back at my desk tidying up for the coming week. It wasn't often I had a chance to make sense of the stacks of files that liked to accumulate. Mr. C walked Rasul and Thalia to the elevator.

"You were good in there," Eric said.

"Don't act so surprised." I sat down in my seat and opened my laptop. I still had a few little housekeeping jobs to do before calling it a day. Or night, to be accurate.

"I'm not. It makes me pleased to see you apply your skills." He leaned on the desk and eyed me. "You also fill out a business suit extremely well."

"Scoot, you perv. I've got work to do."

"What time do you finish?"

"A while."

"How long?"

"Half hour...?"

"Want to go out for a drink?"

I looked up in surprise. "Really?"

We'd yet to discuss the terms of our new… dalliance. The prospect of dating hadn't occurred to me.

"I'll wait in the foyer for you."

"Eric," Mr. Cataliades said, returning to us. "Let me escort you downstairs."

I got through my work in less time than expected and joined Eric down in the foyer. I stood on tippy-toes and kissed his cheek.

"I'm not really dressed for the bar scene," I said and gestured at my outfit. I wore a black pencil skirt with a matching blazer over the top of my favorite silk lavender blouse. I was also dying to get out of my heels.

"I'm sure dress code won't be an issue." He wrapped an arm around me and we walked outside. It had been raining steadily since the afternoon and hadn't let up.

"Off to the French Quarter?" I asked.

"Yes. Where did you park?"

"I don't drive to work," I said and opened my umbrella. "I take a streetcar."

"Really?" He looked a little appalled.

"Yes, really. Don't give me that look, you elitist! Why wouldn't I use cheap and accessible public transport? I'm not paying fifteen lousy bucks a day to park in the city."

"We'll call a cab," he said, reaching inside his jacket pocket.

"Don't be ridiculous. Look, there's a streetcar coming now." I took his hand, lifted the umbrella over us and pulled him across to the stop. I had a pass which I swiped when I hopped on, but I fished a buck twenty-five from my purse and paid the driver for Eric's fare, while Eric stooped awkwardly behind me. The streetcar was one of the older refurbished models that typically did the tourist routes through the French Quarter. We sat on a glossy-polished wooden seat near the back. It was like being inside a living antique. I suppressed a giggle at the thought that I was also sitting next to one.

"It's nice, isn't it?" I said.

Eric needed to extend his legs into the aisle. We started chugging north toward our destination.

"If you say so…" He looked about, as if searching for kind words. "I suppose it holds some appeal." He was clearly making an effort for my account alone.

"Oh, come on. It's charming. The old car, rainy night, city lights." It was all still a novelty for me. Sometimes it felt like I wasn't living my life, just playing pretend in someone else's. Eric wrapped his arm around my shoulders, and I leaned against him.

"Long day?" he asked.

"No more than usual," I replied and immediately yawned. It would take a little time to adjust to my new schedule. I'd been operating on regular human hours for some time now. It hadn't been a big deal to stay up late when I was used to working in bars. How times had changed.

"How's things at the palace?" I asked. "Rasul doesn't seem himself."

Rasul had looked positively sickened when I'd seen him in Baton Rouge last night and tonight he was a subdued version of his usual self.

"He was always a staunch devotee of Sophie-Anne's. With Thalia however..." Eric trailed off.

"They've got a very different relationship."

"It's been amusing to witness. Yet they make a formidable duo. He understands the nuances of running a monarchy, which serves Thalia well, though he can be too focused on all the ceremonial trappings that surround that."

"You're saying she likes to rip off heads in a way that he cannot?"

He chuckled. "They certainly have a way of riling each other up…"

"He feels pulled in two directions. Like you."

"No," he said and squeezed my knee. "Things are very clear."

"Be careful. I'll hold you to that!" I said lightly, though inside I felt all jangly at the prospect.

"I hope you do."

I looked up at him and was surprised to see how serious he was. We kissed briefly, sweetly.

"Your boss is protective of you, lover," he said, tucking my hair behind my ear.

"Is he? Why? What did he say?"

"Some thinly veiled threats about my behavior where it concerns you."

Desmond Cataliades was the closest thing I had to a father figure these days. I understood he was looking out for my best interests, but the image of him saying something to that effect to Eric absolutely tickled me pink for some reason.

"I don't understand. What's funny?" he asked.

"You're lucky he wasn't waiting out on the porch with a shotgun."

This confused Eric more which only made me laugh. No, a normal life was never meant for me.

We hopped off the streetcar near Canal Street and walked the two blocks under the umbrella until we reached his bar. There was still no signage, but Eric explained to me that he hired a local artist to hand paint a sign and that it was still on its way.

He flicked on the lights, and I admired the bar as he gave me a tour of all the recent changes. The bar was stocked now, the main bar area complete right down to the till and glassware, but there was still some plumbing work he was waiting to have completed in the small kitchen and the restrooms. He turned on the lighting for the stage. Under the spotlight a piano stood covered by a large red velvet shroud.

"Have you begun booking acts yet?"

"Not yet. I've had some band managers come solicit. I've been otherwise occupied."

"And you've organized staff?"

He frowned at me, and I shrugged. "Just reminding you of our earlier conversation." I wouldn't press. It was up to him to handle his business as he saw fit. Eric floated over and behind the bar, and I sat on one of the leather stools opposite him.

"What would you like to drink?" He rubbed his hands together. A gleam had appeared in his eyes.
"I've been brushing up on my drinks knowledge."

"You're planning on slinging beers? Never thought I'd see the day."

"Cocktails. Not beers." He said it as if the idea of pulling beers was beneath him. Definitely an elitist. "Well?"

I tapped my chin. I wasn't sure what I was in the mood for.

"How about a sidecar?" I asked.

He waggled his brows and got to work. He had indeed memorized the recipe but treated it like a chemistry experiment, measuring and mixing the liqueur, cognac and syrup with a care usually only reserved for mixing volatile chemicals.

He watched as I took the first sip. "How is it?"

"Delicious."

He broke out into a beatific smile. It did taste good. Although, he'd used salt to coat the rim of the coupe glass instead of sugar, but I wasn't going to rain on his parade. I reached into my purse and pulled out some cash. I set it on the bar.

"I don't want your money."

"Honey, I am your first paying customer. You better take my money."

Boy, if that didn't just tickle him pink. He opened the till and sat the notes inside the empty tray.

"You'll make a good trade here," I said. More foot traffic had passed in the time we were sitting than would've passed in a week at my old bar in Minden.

"I hope so. I need it to."

"You do?" I looked up from my drink in surprise.

"You may recall that I signed away all my finances and businesses to my progeny."

My jaw fell open. I'd just assumed he'd gotten it all back.

"I do have a little nest-egg. But it's a quail's egg compared to where I was financially before leaving for Oklahoma."

"But why don't you just…?" I trailed off, not sure how to put it.

"Ask my children for my money back?" He stopped wiping up the work area to look hard at me. "Would you do that? If you had children, would you feel that was acceptable?"

I shook my head. No, I wouldn't. It wasn't pride, so much as the intent behind giving them the money in the first place. He'd signed away his assets to them with no intention of getting it back. It wasn't a loan. It was a gift.

"I have a mortgage on my apartment and a business loan here." He shrugged and cast his gaze out across the bar. "I like it for what it represents. It's a new challenge. A new life that I get to forge in a direction of my own choosing. I'll enjoy building my portfolio back up."

I smiled. That I could understand. I finished the drink, and he locked up. We walked hand in hand along Bourbon Street. I pulled him into a little jazz bar not far from Preservation Hall. We took a table and Eric ordered me another drink, a ginger ale at my request. I didn't want to face work the next day with a hangover. A small jazz band, featuring brass and wind instruments, put on a show. I looked over partway through a song and to see Eric tapping his toes. I took his hand and stood.

"C'mon, let's dance."

He was in a suit, I was still in office attire, and we stuck out like sore thumbs compared to everyone else, but I didn't care a lick. We danced nearly the whole set and until I was out of breath and sweating and ready to jump his bones. We went back out into the night. The rain had slowed and this time I let Eric call a cab.

Diantha wasn't home, which wasn't uncommon but certainly out of her norm for a weeknight. At least I didn't have to feel like I was sneaking Eric in. I kicked off my heels, letting out a sigh of relief. I couldn't wait to unclip my bra next. I made a joke to that effect and Eric whipped me up into his arms and zipped me upstairs at vampire speed. I let out a squeal of delight.

We undressed and ended up in the shower. We scrubbed each other over thoroughly, Eric washed my hair, though I couldn't reach high enough to properly wash his. I did, however, give him a once over with my loofah and citrus body wash while he washed his hair, just in case he'd missed something earlier. The pecs can be a tricky area to clean, you know.

We dried off and ended up in bed, kissing and touching feverishly. It had been less than twenty-four hours since we'd shared this bed and I was hungry for him. Scratch that, starving. I climbed on top and we made out like teenagers, his hands fondling my breasts. His fang scraped my bottom lip unintentionally drawing blood and he sucked on it with a deep, reverberating groan. I chose that moment to wrap my hand around him and guide him into me. We both gasped at the connection and his hands dropped to grip my hips. I set the rhythm, which Eric gladly matched. The bedroom light was still on, forgotten in our hurry. Instead of feeling exposed, I felt gratified. It meant I could see him, catch every shifting expression of pleasure that crossed his face. I leaned over to kiss him but instead he caught my cheek with a hand, cupping it. I locked eyes with him and the tenderness I saw there made my breath catch. I slowed my movements.

"Sookie," he said hoarsely. The moment seemed to swell, in emotion, in intensity. All that had happened between us… the arguments, the bloodshed, the heartbreak, the misadventure. It had led us to this moment. To us here together, happy, fooling around. Love wasn't an adequate term. I could see Eric struggling to say more.

"I know," I whispered. And I did. I knew exactly. He guided my face to his and we kissed. The tenderness marked by this moment extended to the rest of our lovemaking, where we found our release still wrapped in each other's arms, and Eric's fangs deep in my neck. I fell into a peaceful doze afterward as Eric daubed a pinprick of blood onto the bite marks to heal them.

"Where are you going?" I protested as he moved from under me.

"Turning off the light," he said. He went still for a moment, listening. "I believe your roommate is home."

"She is." I'd sensed her presence downstairs earlier when I'd recovered my senses.

"I'll have to return to the palace soon," Eric said once he'd rejoined me in bed. He rested his head on my breast while I combed my fingers through his tangled hair. I was sure mine was equally as tousled.

"Do you want to come to Miami with me?" I asked. I told him about Amelia's plan to try and track the source of Bubba's curse and her request for me and a vampire to accompany her.

"I'd like to. Depends when you go. I'll need to work around the bar opening."

"When are you planning to open?"

"Halloween."

I laughed softly. Of course.

"It falls on a Friday night. Too good to not use it as an opportunity," he added. It was also his favorite night at Fangtasia. In fact, his favorite holiday in general.

"I'll see if Amelia can arrange it for the weekend before, then. I won't need to take any time off work and it shouldn't get in the way of your opening."

"There's a vampire-friendly hotel right on the water at South Beach with an incredible view of the ocean. I'll talk with Thalia but I think she will readily agree to cover travel expenses." Eric rolled over the top of me and boxed me in with his arms. "Will you stay with me?"

I ran my finger down the tip of his nose and he pretended to bite at it.

In my best sex kitten voice, I asked innocently, "Is it a good idea to mix business and pleasure?"

"It's a bad, bad idea," he said with a promising glint in his eye. "But you will."

"Yeah, yeah."

He fell into my arms and we were lost in one another yet again, until a knock sounded on the door.

"Hi, Sookie. Hi, Eric." Diantha called through the closed door. "Sookie, listen, we got a gas bill today. I left my share in an envelope on top of the fridge."

She then said something else that was muffled, though mostly because I couldn't focus on deciphering her fast speech with Eric's mouth at my neck and breasts.

"Pardon?"

Diantha opened the door and a shaft of light illuminated us in bed. "Just put the money in the envelope and I'll handle paying it."

"Okay," I squeaked, scrabbling to throw the duvet over us.

"How'd she know you were here?" I whispered to Eric when she shut the door.

I was red as a tomato. I felt like I'd been caught with my hand in the cookie jar. Or rather, my hand around a rather significant part of my vampire honey.

"My clothes strewn in the corridor might have been a clue."