Shimmer Chapter 7

Chapter 7
The scent of fairy exploded into the room as they disappeared. My lover knows what is coming so she stands up, trying to escape. I pluck from her brain that she wishes we had more time… I can be quick.
With vampiric speed, I seize her and fling her on the bed. She jumps right back up and because I wasn’t expecting her to resist so vehemently, she evades me.
“Eric, believe me, I am happy to see you too, but we got to get Pam an’ Bill an’ get this over with.”
“We have time, my lover.”
“If you weren’t all hopped up from huffing fairy you wouldn’t be so horny.” She scolds me.
“That is not true. Yes, the overpowering aroma of fairy so soon after I rouse does add fuel to the fire, but I promise that I am always burning for you, especially when I wake.” I say equally sincere and seductive.
“Baby, right now we have to get out of here, but I promise I will make it up to you later.” She says throwing clothes at me. Well, if she is trying to get me dressed, she must be serious.
“I think we better go to Pam and Bill before they come over here, I don’t want them gettin’ all fairie-fied too.” She was right.
“That is a good idea; it was risky for them to come here. Had Niall not accompanied her, Claudine would have been detected and we would be in trouble.”
“Why?”
“They were unapproved visitors to one of the King’s most secret hiding places. Should the vampires and the fae go back to war, they know his resting place. They would not have been welcome here.” I watch her face tighten, and I know I should not have said that. She is anxious enough. I try to push calm through the bond, she needs to relax. As wound up as she is, she will be a hindrance.
“Oh God, I didn’t think of that, you don’t think they know do you?” She asks as I take her in my arms. She smells so wonderful, and it has nothing to do with our recent visitors.
“No, lover. Niall possesses extremely powerful magics; I don’t even understand the entire scope of his abilities. I do know this, if he were not absolutely certain that he could come here safely, especially with Claudine in tow, he would not have. The fae are too rare now to be haphazard.” I can tell she is settling down.
“Ok, good. The last thing I need is something else to fret over right now.” She replies with a relieved smile.
“Sookie, I think you should have my blood tonight. You are the only one among us with no protection. I want you to be as strong as possible.”
“Yea, I think you’re right. Go ahead an’ call Pam an’ tell her we’ll meet them in their room, I really don’t want them comin’ over here right now. Especially if we are gonna swap blood.” She is really adjusting well to this. I am always prepared to coerce her, but I have not needed to do so nearly as often as in the past.
“You want to exchange blood? I planned on giving you mine, not taking yours.”
“Your blood will make me feel incredible, and I know you prefer me to the bottle. You need to be strong too, baby. Besides, won’t it make our bond stronger? That can’t be bad, right?”
“Yes lover, it will reinforce our bond, and I am very excited to explore that. I could not be more pleased that you are the one to suggest this.” I never believed that Sookie Stackhouse would embrace our bond so quickly. She amazes me more and more each day.
I took out my cell phone and called Pam. That taken care of, we can begin.
“Sookie, my love, please come to me.” She did. I kiss her, loving the taste she leaves in my mouth. I am instantly aroused. She is the only woman that can excite me with no effort. I lift her shirt over her head, and she gives me a skeptical look. “Trust me lover.” I whisper in her ear, as I continue to remove her clothes and then my own. I scoop her up into my arms in the “Scarlet and Rhett” fashion I know she adores. I lay her on the bed, and hover over her supported by my forearms.
“This will be memorable.” I smile down at her. I lean and grab the pocket knife off the bedside table. I steal one more kiss, and then I cut my neck. Without instruction she begins to suck, and I bite down on her in return. Her blood tastes sweeter than any confectionary memory I can entertain. She can feel my enthusiasm as we drink of each others life and she raises her hip to meet mine. The desire pulsating through our enhancing bond is undeniable. I enter her slowly, but we finish quickly. I kiss her again and our blood blends in our mouths. This is perfection. Sookie is mine, and I am hers.
She leaps off the bed like a vampire and again she throws me my clothes. We dress quickly and our scarves hid our wounds.
I knock and Pam opens the door quickly. I motion for them to follow us.
I wish that one of the other vampires could fly. We would be much less obvious if we could arrive by flight, but I can’t carry all three of my companions. The temptation to drop Compton would also be a lot to endure. We hail a cab.
“What did you find out?” I ask Bill.
“They seem to be indiscriminate. The have not ended anyone remarkable. No one of power, of course someone of note would be missed, and they would be exposed.”
“Sookie is of note. If they know enough of her to want her dead, they know she would be missed and avenged.” Pam replied.
“That is true, but I am still not convinced they wanted to kill her.” I remind them.
“Who would they have been after, you or Niall?” Bill asks. He wisely did not mention himself.
“They are in the Fellowship, so if the orders came from those idiots, it would have to be me.”
“They do have a lot of reason to want me dead all on my own, maybe they just wanted to make it slow.” Sookie says looking insecure.
“That is a possibility, but as Pam said you would be avenged, so they could have been taking care of two problems with on assault. If I came after them, they could justifiably stake me.”
We come to a stop and I have Pam glamour the driver, he has heard far too much.
“It’s about fuckin time; they are starting to come to.” Jason spits at me, and I wish I could kick him in the head like a fangbanger.
“We came as soon as we could.” I reply but Sookie is looking at her feet. I know she feels guilty.
I assume the bear couple had shifted at some point because they are chained up to their staircase naked, gelatinous folds of skin hanging this way and that.
“What have you discovered?” I ask Amelia and Jason both.
“Well, at one time there were about twenty shifters in their group, but according to the records here there are seven left.”
“Soon five.” Pam states.
“No Weres. There was the bear family and the rest were less impressive. Foxes and horses mostly.” I motion for her to continue, I could not care less what they change into.
“Well, they all joined the Fellowship of the Sun about a year ago, but they were killing vamps before that. They have even killed a demon.” Amelia said grimly.
“Any information on why they wanted me?” Sookie asks.
“Hell yeah.” Jason says.
“Well then?” I glare at him, he is especially irritating tonight.
“They got a big ol’ grudge against you little sister; they think you are like the damn antichrist or somethin’.”
“So it was me they wanted, Kennedy did want to kill me.” Sookie stated holding back tears. She is always betrayed by those she trusts. I will make up for all of it. Seeing her in my dream made it very clear what I must do. She is mine, and I am hers, and she will be made whole again. I wrap my arms around her and kiss her behind the ear. Compton can stare all he wants, I will comfort her and protect her and he will have to adjust. She was never really his to begin with. She knew that as well as I from the first time she entered Fangtasia. She has always been mine; it just took me over a thousand years to find her.
“That’s right you stupid cunt, and that corpse draped over you is exactly why you need to meet the sun. Strapped to one of those abominations, we will watch you burn.” The female shifter laughed maliciously. Pam broke her nose.
“You will not speak of my mistress that way, you will be gracious you vile animal.” Pam said. I have never told her to call Sookie her mistress; it is good to know she will accept our union.
“I have no decorum to spare for common trash. Any woman who dates vampires has lost all use in polite society. And your mistress over there not only fucks vamps, but she chooses them over humans.”
“Humans never had any decorum for me in the first place; besides at least when the vamps make me bleed they get something out of it. I can’t say the same for you heathens.” Sookie asserted. I kiss her on the forehead and let Pam know I want to switch positions. She obliges. Now I crouch in front of the werebitch.
“Sookie Stackhouse is not a whore. She is not a fangbanger. She is my bonded, and you will not speak ill of her in my presence. Should you not heed my advice, you will not live long enough to regret it. Your son could attest to my swiftness and he had more than one companion.” I look at her to make sure she registers what I am saying. She tears up, just as I intended. “Now you will tell me who sent you after my love, and you will tell me everything.” I say using my influence, I see her eyes begin to widen.
“Steve Newlin. He wants her. He wants to strap her to a vampire we have chained up in the house of worship. She needs to pay, she has sent him underground. She interfered in Rhodes. He thought he was rid of her in Jackson but she is like a cockroach.”
I slap her and her mouth drips blood.
“Be more respectful.” I bellow.
“Sorry, she, she just won’t die. She is harder to kill than a vamp.” She said humbly.
“If someone in your faction had succeeded in killing this woman, you would have a lot more to worry about than vampires.” I say.
As if on cue, Niall, Claudine, and Claude appear in the corner of the room. I nod to them and when I turn back the male has come to. He has already begun his transformation, and he slashes me with his claws. I rock back on my heels and land on my ass. I regain my faculties and lunge for him.
The woman is transforming now as well, Claudine is now in front of Sookie and Amelia. Pam, Niall, Bill and I are ready for attack; I assume Jason is the panther at my right.
The two bears break their restraints easily and the male lets out a deafening roar. Jason matches him in ferocity.
The vampires and the fairy begin to circle the bear couple to trap them in a ring of certain death. I steal a glance at my beloved and she is protected by a wall of fairy. Claudine must know tai-chi. She is crouched in front on the two women very low to the ground. Her right knee in bent so that her thigh is almost parallel to her torso, the other leg parallel to the floor, her right arm is extended in the air like she is reaching for something and the other arm is in front of her body. She is prepared for attack. As we begin to tighten our circle, Jason acts prematurely and lunges at the smaller of the bears. She slashes his neck and the pair leapt past him, crashing through the window. They jump off the fire escape and take off down the sidewalk. I am glad I don’t have to explain that.
“Meet us in their hotel room.” Niall commands before vanishing with the humans.
“Let’s take the elevator. No need to look culpable.” I say.
“Should we take him to the hospital?” I ask, worried as hell. Jason is lying on the floor of the Holiday Inn buck naked, bleeding profusely from his neck.
“No, granddaughter, I will see that he survives.” My great-grandfather replies.
“Can you heal him?” I ask, if he can I wonder why he has never done this for me, but I banish that from my head, now is not the time for jealously.
“Calm yourself, Sookie. You will need to have a clear head to plan your next attack. Your brother is foolhardy. We could have killed them easily had he not jumped the gun.” That expression sounds very out of place coming from his lips.
Claudine is stroking my hair trying to comfort me, but honestly the only thing stopping me from climbing the walls is Eric. I can feel that he is close. He will be here any second.
Jason makes a sound a lot like gurgling and I shoot out of my seat. I am pacing because Niall won’t let me anywhere near Jason. It’s almost like he has a force field around him. For all I know he does.
Eric and the rest of our motley crew burst through the door and he embraces me hard and quick. He looks at me thinks ‘she is fine.’ – I wish I didn’t know that- then moves on to Jason. Niall’s barrier does not seem to affect the vampires as they all encircle my wounded brother.
“Did you do this?” Eric asks my ancient relative.
“He needs healing.” Niall replies.
“Should I call Dr. Ludwig?” I ask.
“No, my love, we can heal him. Pam will stop the bleeding and seal the wound. She may need to give him a bit of her blood, but I doubt it. He is two-natured now and will heal well. It is not as bad as it looks, I promise.” That makes me feel better. He makes me feel better. A year ago Pam having Jason’s blood would have made me very nervous, but now I trust her. Kind of.
“Okay.” I sigh.
I am seated in Eric’s lap in the desk chair. Jason is sitting up on the bed – in pajama pants- drinking water. Claudine and Niall are on Amelia’s bed, and she along with the other vampires are on the floor.
“Why did you come today?” I ask the fairies.
“This is bigger than you realize my dear.” Niall replies.
“How so?” Amelia asks before I have a chance.
“I cannot say, but you will soon find out. Take care, we must go now.” Niall says cryptically. Big shocker.
“Bye everybody, you vamps play nice now, especially you big guy.” Claudine says with a wink at Eric. They are gone, and the vampires can sure tell.
“Don’t start, not one of ya.” I say with force.
I can see the vampires are trying their hardest to restrain themselves, but fairies are to vamps like crack is to a junkie.
“Look Jason needs to rest, and we all need to think about our next move. Will they be safe here tonight?” I tell everyone, and ask Eric.
“Pam, do you feel up to staying with them until it is time for you to go to ground?” Eric asks her.
“Absolutely.” Pam replies with a smile.
“And can you refrain from any unappreciated deviant behavior?” Eric asks her with a cocked eyebrow.
“I have never forced myself on anyone. I will be on my best behavior I assure you.” Pam replies demurely. You would never know how kinky she is looking at her now. Amelia has visions of threesome dancing in her head and I am ready to get the heck outta here.
“They are all grown Eric, what they do amongst themselves is their own business, let's get back.”
“Pam, return after dark, we will all meet up tomorrow.” Eric instructs those that are staying.
In the elevator I find out why Pam gets a night out and Bill has to come back with us.
“Compton, I need you to find out EVERYTHING about the Fellowship here in Indianapolis, Newlin and where he has been since Dallas, how many are left in the demented were group and any other pertinent information you can glean.”
“What are we going to do?” Bill asks.
“We will formulate a plan once you have assembled what I ask.” Eric replies.
“I will do what I can.”
“You will do what I ask.”
There is a pregnant silence, and then Eric hits the stop button just as we are above the lobby.
“I cannot risk Sookie being seen out and about. You take a cab back; I am going to fly her. Call me when you reach the King’s estate, and again when you have something worth hearing.” Eric commands as he pushes the button. Bill nods.
Flying with Eric is always exciting and kinda terrifying. The crisp air bites at your skin, but you barely notice until you land all red with wind burn. Eric loves it. I can feel his glee through the bond, and that does wonders to relax me. His strong arms hold me tight to his chest and I can see the youth in his eyes. Eric always looks younger when he’s soaring. I barely register that we are high above Indianapolis, all the day's events wash away and all that is left is us. I fall in love all over again.
We land so smoothly it’s hard to believe we were just in the air. We check in with the King’s security, Eric asks if we can get to our room from outside. We follow a path around the mansion, and find ourselves in a beautiful garden. Now I know what the lake looks like from above, it is beautiful. There are two dual passenger paddleboats docked near a small pier, and I giggle thinking of Russell and Bartlett in one. It’s hard to imagine. Seeing this estate makes me believe that theirs actually was a love match, though I would never ask. I look at Eric and find his eyes already on me. They are so blue. They sparkle in the fairy lights of the garden and I have to look at him. As beautiful as the landscape is back here, it doesn’t compare to my Viking.
“I saw you in my dream, Sookie.” He croons.
“Vampires dream?” I ask.
“No, not really.”
“But you saw me, during the day?”
“Yes, and you were beautiful.”
“What was I doing?”
A smile creeps across Eric’s face, and if I had any doubts about him they are gone now. There is no leer in his expression. It, well I don’t know how to describe it, but it makes me want to never let him go. If I man can look like that while he is thinking of me, I want him around.
“Eric, come on what was I doing?” I ask pulling at his sleeve ever so lightly. I might have been swaying a little too.
“We will discuss that my lover, I promise. But there is something I must tell you first.”
“Okay. Do you want to stay out here? It's so pretty.”
“No, what we need to discuss is private, but maybe we can come back to talk about my dream.”
“Let’s go in then… where is the entrance again?”
“Over here, in the gazebo. I think we are supposed to sit down on the bench.”
I examine the gazebo, and there are a couple security cameras on top of it, but that’s not unusual for a property like this. We sit down on a gorgeous hand carved bench, and there is a mirror directly across from us framed in a brass made to look like ivy. A moment later the floor opens up to reveal another staircase. At the bottom we find yet another little office, with another demon.
“Hello Mr. Northman and Miss Stackhouse, my name is Efstathios; I am the chief of security.” He says with a heavy Greek accent.
“Hello” we reply simultaneously.
“Are you in for the night?” Efstathios asks.
“No, but we will remain on the grounds. Has Mr. Compton returned yet?”
“Not- oh, wait. Yes, he is at front security now.” Efstathios says, I guess he gets a report on that thing in his ear.
“Thank you.” Eric says with a nod.
Efstathios returns it and we make our way to our room. This entrance is much closer to our door than the bathroom one. Eric unlocks the door and I sit down on the bed.
“What did you want to talk about?”
TBC