"How is Sookie?" Sebastian asked. His obvious concern was surprising.
"She is fine; like you, she isn't in danger." Alcide's response was reassuring. Alcide stood up, reached for a bottle of water from a nearby cooler, and handed one to Sebastian.
"We are just been held until…" Sebastian said, though his voice trailed off, leaving the comment hanging in the air. He had no concrete answers about why they were being held, yet here they were, stuck in a limbo that seemed to stretch on endlessly.
"Until…" Alcide mumbled, the word barely escaping his lips. "Why do you want to become a vampire?" He asked, shifting the topic to distract himself and Sebastian; Alcide had taken a liking to him.
"Why not?" Sebastian shrugged, his expression casual even underneath the blindfold. "It's not like humanity has much to offer," he continued, his voice laced with resignation.
"And your family?" Alcide pressed, curious about the boy's past.
Sebastian's smile faded, replaced by a shadow of sadness. "Never had one. I was abandoned as a child outside a church in Caliente."
"Where is that?" Alcide inquired, his interest piqued.
"Yeah, the smallest city in Nevada." Sebastian chuckled, but it had no real humor—only a bitter acknowledgment of his lonely beginnings. "Anyway, none of that matters now. Felipe will be dead by the time you let me go; that much is obvious," he mumbled, a resigned sigh escaping him as he slumped back against the wall.
"Oh, you're still going to become a vampire," Alcide said, a note of levity creeping into his voice. "One of the vampires here has offered to turn you. Trust me, you'll like her more than you did Felipe. She's also much older and better looking, that's for certain."
At these words, Sebastian perked up, straightening in his seat, a spark of enthusiasm igniting his whole body. Alcide couldn't help but smile at the transformation. Sookie had been right; this boy was only truly alive when discussing his potential future as a vampire.
"Yeah, you don't have to worry about him avenging Felipe," Pam snarked.
"Told you," Sookie chimed in, a teasing lilt in her tone. "He made it clear he would have preferred a female as his maker."
"There's no reason for him to be locked up, blindfolded. He's not going anywhere," Thalia interjected, her voice steady and assured.
"Are we sure about that?" Jason asked, his gaze fixed intently on the monitor showing Sebastian.
"Yes, his thoughts match his words," Sookie said, waving away Jason's concerns with a flick.
"Okay then," Jason replied, watching as Thalia moved to remove the blindfold and uncuff Sebastian.
His reaction had Jason rolling his eyes. "Boy could certainly give me a run for my money. Look at him, laying it on." He grumbled as they watched Sebastian clearly flirting up a storm.
Spies were a dime a dozen in vampire courts, and Sookie, under different circumstances, would have found herself a prime target. A telepath, especially one incapable of reading vampires, was a rare asset for any monarch. This was why Felipe, and especially Victor, had dropped their guard. Eric had gained a certain level of Felipe's trust over five years of careful maneuvering, while Victor remained suspicious, knowing well that Eric was a player who could not be easily trusted.
Having a maker like Appius had taught Eric to be cunning. The likes of Felipe and Victor were child's play compared to the intricate web of deception and ambition that Eric navigated easily in his early years. They were blind to the reality of the true threat standing before them, someone they had unwittingly placed their trust in. This entire scenario would have been impossible had any of the players involved trusted one another in the first place. Victor's ambitions, his desire to sit on a throne, had only come to light because of Sebastian. Sebastian, who disliked Victor and his ambition, made it a point to learn more about Felipe's number one. He played a role in selling Victor's betrayal without realizing he had helped cement Victor's demise.
Meanwhile, Arkansas's spy, Clemente, paced impatiently along Claiborne Avenue, waiting for his contact. The delay was grating on Eric's nerves; the contact was supposed to arrive precisely at half past midnight, yet here they were, an hour late and counting. When the contact finally appeared, Eric noted with little surprise that he was a were.
"You're late. I can't be gone for so long," Clemente raged, his frustration palpable.
"You're lucky I'm here at all." The were shot back, a hint of defiance in his tone. "It turns out two of our boys got involved in a kidnapping, and now it seems the two kidnapped are Felipe's."
Eric's lips curled into a sly smile. How fortuitous. "Shit," Clemente groused. "Yes, and according to information gleaned from the cameras, the two are now in Arkansas. Felipe is on the warpath. The girl is a telepath. Rumor is Threadgill thought she was to be his. Felipe is currently waiting for the go-ahead from the clan to attack Arkansas. Given the success in Louisiana, it's safe to say he will get it."
Eric had heard enough. He turned on his heel, ready to head back to court. "We can wait for one of two things: Threadgill battening down the hatches and preparing for war or a phone call protesting his innocence. Either way, I'm headed to Arkansas to get Sebastian and Sookie. Whether he likes it or not, Threadgill will be accompanying us." His confidence radiated like a mighty wave, suffocating any dissent.
"Very well," Felipe intoned, his tone neutral, though inside, he felt a swell of gratitude for having the Viking in his corner.
He would feel very differently in two nights' time if everything went according to plan.
As Eric had expected, Threadgill hadn't called to protest his innocence. It was hard to do when evidence showed Sookie and Sebastian held captive in a location only a handful of people knew about, and only he could access. Although young, Threadgill was not foolish, and his first call was to Victoria Saunders' home. The stench of were and vampire was thick, even amidst the overpowering odors of alcohol and cigarettes that permeated the space.
Jennifer Carter quickly fished out her phone. "She's gone, and it appears she put up a fight," she reported, frowning as she scanned the room. The bug Eric had planted was not strong enough to pick up the conversation on the other end.
"No, vampires, at least two and a were," Carter continued, her eyes narrowing as they searched through the signs of struggle. "Of course," she concluded, ending the call.
"Get back to court. I need to check out a couple more things. Whoever did this, they are long gone," she dismissed her two fellow vampires, watching them leave with indifference. Eric's interest in them was nonexistent.
As Jennifer continued her search, she suddenly felt a presence behind her. "I will admit, if I weren't expecting you, I wouldn't have known it was you," she said, a smile spreading across her face as she recognized the vampire.
"That is good," Eric replied, casually prying the bug from the top of the door frame.
"Oh, please. They wouldn't have noticed if you stuck it to their foreheads," Jennifer scoffed, shaking her head.
"He might have sent Jade with you," Eric countered a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Nah, he's too scared to let Jade out of his sight," Jennifer rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I'm to check out the safe house next. I believe it's the best place to disappear."
"I agree," Eric said, crushing the bug and leaving its remnants on the floor. He planted another in a more obvious location, knowing it would lead to the Comfort Inn in Junction City, right on the border. He would activate it once they were out of earshot. "Well, I do my due diligence and follow." With a mock bow, he disappeared from sight.
Four hours later, Jennifer Carter found herself in Junction City, on the Louisiana side.
The following night, with Jennifer Carter having gone missing while checking the house in Perryville, Threadgill finally called Felipe. His decision to reach out was prompted by news that the Narayana Clan had given him the go-ahead to take Arkansas.
"It would seem someone is using my state…"
"That's a convenient excuse," Felipe feigned disinterest, irritation creeping into his tone.
"It is not an excuse," Threadgill barked, his voice rising.
"Really? An outsider found your safehouse, discovered the human who owned it on paper, and said human has vanished without a trace. Your number one has also disappeared. Forgive me if I don't believe you," Felipe bellowed, his frustration boiling over. "Let's say, for the sake of peace, I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. I will give you until sun up to find my humans. You can do what you will with whoever is responsible; after all, they sullied your name. By sun up or tomorrow night, I will add Arkansas to my list of states." Felipe ended the call abruptly, leaving Threadgill reeling.
Felipe called Eric himself. Neither wanted to involve anyone else when they weren't entirely sure who could be trusted. "Threadgill is headed to the safe house," Felipe revealed, a smile creeping onto his lips.
He believed Sebastian and Sookie were at the safe house, and Eric hadn't taken them only to lure Threadgill out. Felipe planned to make Eric the regent of Louisiana; he had run his little corner exceptionally well, bringing in the most revenue. Felipe was confident Eric would perform admirably in the role.
Eric had anticipated Threadgill showing up at his safehouse with a contingent of vampires. Apart from Jade Flower, none posed a real threat. "This doesn't seem like it's going to be much of a fight," Thalia commented, her disappointment evident. Most of Threadgill's vampires were less than a century old. Between Eric and Thalia alone, they could have handled all ten of Threadgill's men, but he had also brought Chow, Clancy, and Indira.
"Then let's make this quick," Eric said, leaping down from the roof and landing amid ten vampires. Two heads rolled from their bodies before his foot touched the ground.
"Northman, I assure you I had nothing to do with the telepath's kidnapping," Threadgill pleaded as he witnessed the scene in the warehouse.
"Yes, I'm aware you had nothing to do with Sookie's kidnapping because Sookie wasn't kidnapped," Eric informed him coolly.
"Then what is this about?" Threadgill raged, his voice shaking with fear.
"I'm sure your buddy Compton here will fill you in," Eric replied, flipping the switch to turn off the warehouse lights as he exited.
"Bill?" Threadgill's eyes widened as he spotted Compton, who lay chained to a table beside him.
"Sophie-Anne is Eric's child," Bill muttered, his voice barely above a whisper and devoid of emotion. Death, he thought, couldn't come soon enough.
"That cannot be possible. The two loathed each other, constantly at each other's throats. She even feared he would one day try to take the throne," Threadgill said, disbelief etched across his features.
"It was all a ruse. This is the result of his love for her. We have all been fools," Victor added, his tone filled with a mix of rage and disbelief. He'd been right not to trust Northman, but had anyone else been in his position, who wouldn't have trusted him? He had willingly handed over one hell of an asset, something Victor would never have done.
"I take it the last table is for Felipe," Threadgill murmured, realization dawning on him.
"Undoubtedly," Victor groused. If only he and Felipe had an iota of trust between them, they might have avoided this disaster.
"He'll certainly be joining us tomorrow evening. The plan is brilliant. He believes I'm responsible for the kidnapping of the telepath and the man he intends to make his child. He will voluntarily come here to render my true death," Threadgill chuckled, amusement bubbling up at the brilliance of it all. "Never cross the Viking," he mused, recalling the warnings he'd heard countless times.
Only now did he understand. Eric Northman was a brute, a barbarian. Unfortunately, he was also level-headed, meticulous, patient, and intelligent. Jennifer had cautioned him against getting involved in the plan to oust Sophie-Anne, warning him that Felipe could not be trusted. Yet he had been blinded by the potential gains, and now he realized the folly of his choices. He'd played his part even if Sophie-Anne's quick rejection of his marriage proposal had ended his part in the scheme quicker than intended. Still, his actions meant that all eyes were on Arkansas, allowing Nevada to quickly sweep through Louisiana. In the end, Felipe had, as Jennifer predicted, gone back on their deal.
"Eric, you have outdone yourself," Felipe cheered over the phone.
"Put Sebastian on the phone," Felipe said eagerly, anxious to speak with his would-be child.
"I'm afraid that isn't possible at the moment. Sebastian hit his head and is out cold. I called Ludwig; he'll have a small bump on his head, but nothing to worry about. You can feel him, can't you?" Eric's voice carried an amused lilt.
"I can. Let me guess; he tried to help?" Felipe's tone was light, though concern laced his words.
"Yeah, and a door opened up and slammed him right in the face," Sookie chimed in from somewhere in the background.
"Ahh, it seems Miss Stackhouse is no worse for wear despite her ordeal," Felipe said, attempting to temper his laughter.
"Indeed, she is, and I quote, 'madder than a wet hen,'" Eric chuckled. "We will be in New Orleans tomorrow night," he added.
"No, I'd rather not take the chance. Threadgill cannot be seen, and so far, we've managed to keep it that way. I will come to you. When the dust settles, we cannot be implicated in his true death in any way," Felipe decided, his tone resolute.
"Of course, Your Majesty," Eric replied, satisfaction evident in his voice. The final player was practically in hand.