Chapter Thirteen: Forgiven
Eric's POV
"Daddy?"
"Alexis," I stand up sharply at hearing my daughter's voice from an unknown number. I am currently in the airport with Sookie. After receiving an alarming warning from Diedre, the pair of us could not delay making our way to Spain as quickly as possible. "Where are you? Are you hurt?"
"I don't know where I am," she whispers, and I can tell my daughter is doing her best to keep herself from crying. "I got taken by a coven. I got free. I took care of… all of them… but I don't know what to do…"
"Sotnos, find a window and see if you can get an idea of the street you are on," I encourage. I can practically hear the shaking in her footsteps. She manages to tell me the street she is on and a nearby cross street. "Are you safe where you are?" When she confirms that she is alone, I start telling her what to do. "Put a long cloth of some sort out the window. I will send someone to you. Your mother and I are on our way. I am sure Quigley will reach you first it being this close to sunset there. Are you certain you safe where you are?"
"I'm okay here, Daddy," she replies. "I'm… really thirsty… Is it safe to drink what's lying around?"
"I am sorry, Sotnos, but you need to resist. I do not want to put you at any further risk."
"Okay," she agrees reluctantly.
It is then that our flight calls for our boarding. "We are catching our flight now. We will see you soon. Here is your mother-"
"NO!" Alexis shouts and hangs up the phone before I can hand it to Sookie. My wife is holding her hands out expectantly, pleadingly for the phone.
"I am sorry, my love, she has hung up."
Sookie sniffles but nods, "What happened?"
"A witch coven took her," I explain in Russian. I had not heard that accent amongst the people at this gate and hope it is a safe language of the couple Sookie had learned so far. "She killed the coven. I believe she is too ashamed to speak to you right now."
"Ashamed!?" Sookie looks to me in disbelief. "I could never be ashamed of her for that!"
"I know, but she is the first of our living family to have taken a life. Considering her desire to become a doctor, I think this will weigh on her even more."
"I understand that this is painful for her, but I feel like I have failed her as a mother if she is ashamed of protecting herself."
I sigh deeply at my wife's statement, unable to even take more than the briefest moment to appreciate how well her Russian is now. "I have to make a call before we board."
Sookie nods sadly as I go through my contacts and find the King of Spain's number. It is late enough there that one as old as him should at least be aware.
"Northman? Your call has me worried. What has happened?" Ferdinand's voice is filled with dread. Not a month ago I had called to make him aware of my child coming to his country this summer. A call from me so soon after her arrival most likely has him on high alert.
"My daughter was abducted," I answer in Russian. "She has already taken control of the situation, but there are bodies and she needs blood." I give the King of Spain the cross streets and advise him that she is in a building with a scrap of fabric hanging from a window.
"I will have my security team collect her promptly and bring her to my estate. I will have a pair of them remain at the location and keep it closed off for your investigation."
"I appreciate your efforts. My wife and I are about to board our plane. The Thorn bloodline may be arriving before us with my son."
"They will be warmly received," Ferdinand replies before hanging up. I quickly fire a text off to my son and Quigley about where to go.
Finally, I join my wife at the gate and board our plane to Spain.
After a silent trip, both of us too worried about our daughter to make idle conversation, Sookie can hardly be restrained as we try to get through customs and check our passports. When we are finally out on the street, I hail a taxi and give the address for the Vampire King of Spain's estate. My wife has not let go of my hand the entire time since we boarded the plane. For a while now, my hand has matched her temperature, and I can feel her palm beginning to sweat.
"She is fine," I tell my wife.
At last, after nearly fourteen hours from the moment we were told our daughter was in trouble, I am able to see my baby girl. Alexis looks up from the sofa, where she seems to have been resting her head on Quigley's thigh. When she sees me and her mother, she crawls over the back of the sofa and flings her arms open to hug us.
I can feel my wife's relief that Alexis wants comfort from her, obviously still hurting from being denied any words over the phone.
"Mama," Alexis sobs.
"My baby," Sookie croons, smoothing Alexis' hair soothingly.
"My friends," King Ferdinand calls from the hallway before entering the sitting area, "I am so sorry to be seeing you under these circumstances."
"Thank you for giving my daughter a haven until we could arrive," I reply appreciatively.
"Thank you, thank you so much," Sookie utters to the king between kisses to Alexis' crown and temples.
"You taught your children very well, Northman," Ferdinand compliments me. "She freed herself and killed a coven of thirteen necromancers without sustaining any lasting injury. That would have been impressive for any other occult."
I blink slowly at the sob my daughter makes when she is reminded how many lives she took this day. "No child of mine will ever be left defenseless."
"Noted and received," Ferdinand nods in agreement. "If all of you would like to spend the remainder of your time here at the estate, you are most welcome."
"I do believe our family would prefer to reconvene at our home as quickly as possible. I will be leaving to investigate the scene. Council Member Thorn, may I beseech you to remain with my family for a short time longer?"
"There is no place else I wish to be," Thorn replies. I know everyone can see that she is now Bonded to my son, but the dynamics between us are still questionable. Does she have my bloodline's immunities?
"I will be back shortly," I nod gravely before making my exit.
I traverse Barcelona swiftly, and once I am at the necessary cross streets, the building I am looking for is simple enough to find as Ferdinand's guards are still holding the perimeter.
"Northman?" One of the guards guesses as I approach.
"Yes," I nod. "Is there a barrier?"
The guard shakes his head. "No, Sir, it is unowned by a living entity."
"Excellent. I should not be long. Then you may proceed with the King's commands," I assure them as I walk up the steps. The highway is close enough to have provided some noise cover. If that were not enough, the shipping container yards would keep most prying eyes away. All and all, not a terrible location to keep a detainee.
Opening the door, I immediately see a streak of blood on the floor and glance behind the door. A body with a knife in its back has been moved, most likely stopped while attempting to escape. The blade is imbedded to the hilt, which means my daughter had not hesitated to assure the kill.
Walking past the first corpse, I find another body by a cellar door. There is considerable blood spray here, and I note that this one has had their throat torn out. Alexis appears to have accomplished this with her bare hands.
From this vantage point I see the damaged plaster wall and figure Alexis must have kicked that one from around here and into the wall. The chest on this assailant is caved in, their lungs most likely instantly collapsed. If the blow didn't stop their heart immediately, they drowned some time later on their own blood.
There are another three bodies strewn together in the middle of the room, the center one suffering from a brutal facial fracture. The other two have twin skull fractures from where my daughter bashed their heads together.
Inspecting the kitchenette, I find three pints of blood chilling inside and place them into my pocket. She did all of this three pints low? I hope that I am wrong, but I do not wish to risk opening the bags and confirming they all belong to my daughter while still at the scene of the massacre. In the corner of the small kitchen are two more bodies with their throats slit.
Heading into the cellar, there are two bodies here. One is deceased by another catastrophic facial fracture. The other appears to be the high priestess as she is the oldest I have yet seen. Her neck as been broken so completely, the skull is only held in place by the flesh of her neck. Even the muscles of this witch's neck have snapped or shredded from the force.
At last I head upstairs and find the last three bodies. There are scorch marks on the banister here, and the ceiling is discolored as well. This seems like the only group that managed to get any attack in, but they are all shredded to ribbons; most likely by the two kitchen knives on the floor. I pocket the weapons in the opposite pockets from the blood and open the only room on the second floor.
Inside is a space for ritual. There is an altar in the center, encircled by candles, but I do not dare risk stepping into that circle. Instead I walk its perimeter, eyeing the items on the altar and taking pictures to send off to Camilla for more information. I will have to make sure Alexis either did not enter this room or that she had the good sense not to enter the circle. Gods forbid she has touched anything on the altar. I am no magician, but the series of bells and other artifacts confirm we were dealing with necromancers.
Satisfied, I leave the building and turn to the guard, "Do what you need to, but I recommend consulting a witch before disturbing anything in the upstairs room."
"Yes, Sir," the guard nods agreeably.
With that, I make my way back to the King's estate, only stopping around the halfway point to pierce each of the three bags and confirm, to my horror, that all of them came from my daughter. Dumping the contents into the waters of the nearby sea, I also toss the blades my daughter used as far out into the water as I can. Finally, I rinse the bags and toss them into the trash.
Upon arriving, once more, at Ferdinand's estate, I make my way back to the sitting room where my wife is sitting, holding our daughter comfortingly.
"Alexis," I call, not even entirely through the doorway, "you need more fluids."
"I will get her another bottle of blood," a servant assures and hurries their way out of the sitting area.
"What did you find out?" Sookie asks me as I finally come to kneel before my two favorite women.
"Necromancers, like we guessed. They took three pints out of you, Alexis," I tell her. "You need to drink more blood and water to replenish."
"Okay," she nods agreeably. "I've had, like, three bottles of Genuine already, though."
"One more for good measure, then," I smooth her hair.
It is then that I realize Leif is sitting at the other end of the sofa with his sister's feet in his lap, squeezing her ankle periodically. "Thank you for coming so quickly."
"I couldn't be anywhere else," Leif whispers.
"Daddy?" Alexis takes my hand.
"Yes, Sotnos?"
"I thought I meant it back then, but I really mean it now… I forgive you." She tells me quietly and my eyes shut in relief without any further explanation. At last, the heartache of having to put my own children through hell has actually paid off.
"I am very proud of you, Alexis," I tell her again. "You are so much stronger and braver than even I thought."
"Thank you for making me strong and brave, even if I didn't think I wanted it back then," she continues softly.
"Thank you for listening and learning, even though you did not want to back then," I answer. "I love you, little one."
Sookie's POV
Somehow we've all arrived at the house. Diedre obviously came with Leif who was not about to leave his sister again any time soon. Unsurprisingly, Quigley also followed us back to Ohio.
After returning home, it wasn't too long before the entire bloodline had convened at the house. Even Pam made the trip back, but without Jenny. That was questions for later, though.
"Madam Thorn-"
"I believe under the circumstances- Diedre is perfectly acceptable," Diedre interrupts. "After all, Dad, who calls their daughter-in-law by such titles?"
"Forgive me if it takes time," my husband nods his head. "Diedre, have you yet determined if you have received the family's immunities?"
"It was not the time for experimenting," Diedre answers. "However, if you have any silver lying about, we could probably test it quite easily.
Without missing a beat, my daughter lobs a picture frame at Diedre, who catches it deftly and without any burns or discomfort.
"Hmm, I cannot even sense the silver in this," Diedre frowns curiously. "Here, Quigley." She thrust the frame into her Child's hands and he hisses with an abrupt recoil. "It does not extend to all in my bloodline, however."
"Noted," Eric nods.
"That of course, Alexis, is not any sort of pressure from me," Diedre quickly tells my daughter. "I simply wanted to be certain."
"I understand, thank you."
"Since we are in the process of experimenting, though," Diedre frowns thoughtfully. I cock my head curiously, but am quickly distracted when my son suddenly sits up straight and clutches at the couch anxiously.
"What are you doing to him?" I shout, rising to check on my eldest, only to find that his eyes have clouded over as though he has gone blind.
"What do you see, my Bonded?" Diedre asks. "Any danger?"
"No, no danger," Leif gasps, and I watch the light return to his eyes as the haze lifts.
"What did you do to him?" I demand angrily of the ancient vampiress.
"It would seem," Diedre begins slowly, "if I open the link between Quigley and I, his connection to Alexis is enough to give Leif the foresight of his past incarnation.
"Leif is a Seer?" My husband asks in surprise.
"That is my conclusion," Diedre nods. "Which leads me to believe that the origin of Cassandra's foresight was the existence of two souls residing in a single vessel. Twin Spirits."
"And what is twin spirits?" I ask, frowning when Leif pats my hands reassuringly before easing them away from his face.
"It is an explored theory that some spirits are twins, and that they will always manifest side by side. In some cases, they are brought to a womb with only a single vessel and end up sharing a body. This leads to that child having an extraordinary gift, but inflicted with a severe loss- usually the mirror of the gift. Blindness for those who can see the future, no sense of pleasure or pain for ones born with inhuman strength. That sort of trade-off," my husband explains.
"Yes," Diedre respects Eric's clarification. "Once the twin souls were no longer trapped in Cassandra, I have to wonder if they were done a service by being placed in a set of twins that would live forever and never put those spirits back in that sort of risk."
"Sounds like one of Endymion's tricks," I sigh with understanding. "So, if you open your link to Quigley while he still has access to Alexis, Leif can see the future because he can feel his twin spirit again?"
"That is what I was testing," Diedre agrees. "I think it is something slightly different. Even before we were Bonded, Leif showed some clairvoyance. When we were at Prom I opened my link to Quigley. Leif had a dizzy spell and suddenly knew of my true name."
"Which means if I Bond with Quigley you might not be able to shut it off for him," Alexis sits up anxiously. "Leif, you could go permanently blind!"
"Or, it could just mean his visions will be clearer," Diedre does her best to assuage my daughter's worries.
"I can't take that risk, make that choice," Alexis protests. "Quigley, I'm sorry, but I can't!"
"Lex," Leif looks at her sternly. "Don't I have a say in any of that? You think my sight means more to me than you or Quigley spending forever longing for each other?"
"I won't make that choice," Alexis says again.
I watch as Leif rises to move over to the coffee table and sit directly across from his sister. "You gotta stop, Lex. Stop being a martyr. Stop trying to be so perfect all the time. We're all the ones that matter, and we love you just as much when you're fucking up. And all of us wish it were any one of us that had to kill a coven of necromancers rather than let you live with that. So, if you have to live with that, let me possibly live with this." He takes both of her hands in his and squeezes them tightly, making me reach for my husband's hand. Eric is there, running his thumb over my knuckles, and I can feel in the Bond how proud he is of both of his children. "I know you won't be happy without him, and I'm more than happy to take the risk."
"That's because you never think more than a minute ahead!" Alexis wails. "You jerk! You never have a plan! Why are you the one that sees the future!?" She buries her face in her brother's shoulder and begins to cry. "I love you, you dummy!"
Leif laughs and wraps his arms around Alexis' shaking shoulders. "I love you, too. Now stop worrying about everything. I'll be the first to let you know when to start worrying. Got it?"
I stand on the sidelines while my daughter has a good cry. She hasn't had a proper one since this whole thing happened, and I'm a little put off when she seems to shut it down prematurely. With a sigh, I let go of my husband's hand and place it on my daughter's back.
"C'mon, baby. I think you need to get in your own bed for now. The family meeting can wait, everybody. Leif, Diedre, you'll let us know if anything needs to be addressed before then?" I glance at the pair and my son looks surprised, but nods. "Alright, then. Any non residence and married children, please go on with your evening. Leif, get back to your honeymoon."
My son blushes at my remark, but rises from the coffee table to take Diedre's hand and depart. The rest of our family leaves hastily, and I wonder about Pam and her absent lover. However, I don't have the time or energy for anyone but Alexis right now.
"Let's go upstairs, Alexis," I encourage again, placing a hand under her armpit and hoisting her to her feet. My daughter leans heavily against me, but begins walking toward the stairs. "I know you're exhausted, so you just sleep until you can't stand it anymore. If you need anything, you just shoot me a text and I'll bring it to you."
"I'm not a baby," Alexis mumbles.
"No, but you're my baby and you need some babying right now," I argue as we ascend the stairs and finally make it to her room.
Alexis flops onto the bed, not bothering to change into pajamas. Not that it's a big deal since she's still in the sweats she wore for the plane ride home. I watch as she retracts her arms beneath her hoodie and undoes her bra beneath the fabric before pulling it from her sleeve and dropping it on the floor.
"I've trained you well," I tease, picking up her bra and putting it in the hamper. "Do you need anything? Blood? Water? Cookies? I can make a batch in just a bit-"
"Can you just lay here with me for a while?" She asks quietly and my heart thuds in my chest.
"Of course I can," I whisper, climbing over her and turning her to cradle her head to my chest. "How's that?" I ask softly, smoothing her hair like I've done since the first day I ever held her.
"Will you still do this when I'm a hundred?" Alexis asks.
"Whenever you like," I assure.
"Even after you have another baby?"
"Whenever you like."
"Even if I'm married?"
I chuckle, "Forever, Alexis, no matter what else changes. Even when you're grown up, Bonded, married and a big sister, you can always still get a mama snuggle."
"What if I never get Bonded?" Alexis whispers.
"Is this about your brother?" I ask.
"A little, but mostly I just don't want my life to revolve around someone else," she confesses to me.
"Baby, I've been a teacher for over twenty years now," I point out. "And I raised two really amazing kids. I hang out with your Uncle Jason and Aunt Cammie all the time. I'm away from your father plenty."
"Yeah, but I want to get through college," Alexis argues and quickly adds, "by myself."
"I was Bonded through college and I guarantee your father didn't take any of my exams or classes for me and he certainly didn't get my English degree. I mean, I bet he has an English degree, probably from two hundred years ago, and he still won't use contractions." I get a small giggle from Alexis and plant a quick kiss against her crown. "My point is, your schooling is all you- Bonded or not. And choosing to Bond is between you and Quigley. And so is waiting."
"Waiting," she whispers. "But I'm also scared if I don't do it, or even if I wait, something could happen to him. Something I could have stopped by not being so… indecisive."
"Quigley has survived over a thousand years before you were even born, Alexis. Stop putting so much weight on your shoulders. Not everything is your responsibility," I tell her, giving her a tight squeeze as both reassurance and playful punishment.
"I don't know how to stop thinking and feeling this way," she confesses quietly. "Leif told me to stop being a martyr, but I don't even mean to be."
Her admittance makes me frown as I recall back a few decades. Jason and I had very much been like that, sacrificing of ourselves for each other. Both of us wanting to take the brunt of the burden of being poor, but wanting to remain together no matter what.
"It's hard to watch people you care about make sacrifices for you," I tell her. "That never stops. The important part is remembering we would all do for you what you would do for us, Alexis. Keep that knowledge in your heart when you have to make decisions. Remember it's okay to make choices for yourself."
"Thanks, Mama." Alexis squeezes my arm so tightly as she nuzzles into her pillow. "Will you sleep in here tonight?"
"You didn't even need to ask," I whisper into her hair, peppering her scalp with butterfly kisses.
TBC
A/N: Please, remember to review!
-Andi