chapter eighteen

Sky was in her office, maneuvering the little refrigerator and the tiny microwave into the spot she had picked out and the were was plugging in her new three cup coffee pot, setting it on her three drawer file cabinet. She asked him to lift it again and she slid a tea towel under the coffee maker and he sat it down neatly.

“The pack is guarding that Stackhouse girl,” he mentioned.

“You shouldn’t probably talk to me about that,” said Sky. She hoped the boy had not talked about what the vampires were doing, they didn’t appreciate gossip.

“Eric said it was okay,” he said. “He said you knew stuff about what they were doing.”

“I know a little, not too much,” said Sky. “So what sort of woman is Sookie?”

“Oh she’s okay, real cute, but spooky. I think our pack master has a thing for her,” he said.

“Think it is true she is a telepath?” asked Sky. The boy laughed.

“You believe in vampires and weres and shifters and you doubt she’s a telepath?” he said.

“I guess that is pretty silly,” she said. “I wonder what that is like?”

“They say it is like hearing voices all around you whether you want to hear it or not,” he said. “That is what our pack master said she said.”

“So this thing with Eric,” she began.

“I don’t know a lot about the relationship she had with Eric. I know he cared a lot about her, way more than most vamps do about humans. He never did keep a human this long as a companion, a few months, maybe a year, but then, it was like, he was really content. He still had blood buddies, humans he took blood from but from the gossip in the supernatural community, he was faithful. I bet when Eric settles down with someone, he really settles down,” said the boy.

“Why would you say that?” she asked.

“Well, he’s rich, he’s good looking if you like the kind without a pulse, and he is powerful. He could have whoever he wanted, but he just seemed real settled with her,” said the were. “They even say he wanted her to live with him in his house in that gated community, but she never would. I guess she liked being on her own territory.”

“Do weres cross date?” asked Sky.

“It’s not unheard of, but not really. I could never date a gal who was dead,” he said. “I like warm blooded gals. You dating Eric?”

“No, not that I am aware of,” she said.

“I guess there are worse things you could do and worse vamps you could date. I guess if it was my sister and Eric was interested, I would not be that happy. Not that I thought he would be mean to her, just that trouble seems to be drawn to him. Still he is okay, besides Bill Compton, one of the easiest vamps to get along with, and he seems fair. Just in and out of drama,” said the were.

“Well, I have done all the damage I can do today,” she said. She checked the miserable little violet. She had brought a small container of coffee grounds and put them in with the violet. She gave it a little more water. The weekend was coming and she would not be able to water it. She turned off all the lights except her desk lamp where it sunned itself.

Rachel was making arrangements. She knew Bill wanted her to stay with him for a while til this trouble with Sookie was over. He had called her and told her that she could work during the day but he felt better if she stayed at his house at night. At least til Sookie left. She had packed her clothes already and her laptop and had them in her car and the last thing she would do would be to pack some food to bring with her to Bill’s. He didn’t really keep human food at his house.

Rachel had never taken a vacation before and she was thinking about taking it now. She could get caught up on her reading and relax and he said if she did that, she could enjoy the house and grounds during the day. She might even get some orders finished she had for some imported supplements she could try out. There was a lot she could do to stay busy. Besides, she would have Bill’s company and this was what she wanted the most.

The two blood exchanges were exhilarating and she could not wait to make the third blood exchange and see what it felt like. She noticed her hair looked more lustrous and her skin seemed to shine and though she was told to expect it, the vampires who came to the shop for her yoga class were a little more friendly and a little more interested in her. It wasn’t completely uncomfortable, but it was odd. Rachel always thought of herself as pretty but a little ordinary looking. Now when she looked in the mirror, she could see the new shine on her face and in her eyes.

She looked at her watch; it was time for her tai chi class. She headed out to the garden and began her class, relaxing with the flow of the stretching dance. Rachel was happier than she had been for a long time. When the class was over, she headed out to shower and pack her groceries and head over to Bill’s. It was nearly sundown.

Eric stood in Sky’s living room. “And you want me to leave my apartment, for what reason?” she asked.

“Only at night, you could be here during the day, and you can even go to your offices if you must and work, but at night, we would want you and Rachel to stay together in Bill Compton’s home til Sookie leaves on the 21^st,” said Eric.

“And you want me to go, you want me to be with Rachel at Bill’s house,” asked Sky.

“I do,” he said.

“Why? You don’t owe me anything,” said Sky. Eric had a strange look on his face as though she’d struck him. “Whoa, love, let me rephrase that, you and I are not committed to one another, we don’t have a well defined relationship.”

“Sky, please, just…help me. Go with Rachel and stay at Compton’s house and be safe at night,” he said. “I do want to have more complex discussions with you about the state of our relationship, but I don’t have the time now and it would be too difficult to explain things to you. Please, pack some things, whatever you need to work at Bill’s house and stay there.”

“Okay,” she said. She went to her storage closet and took down her suitcase. She looked at the calendar. Five days. She went through her tee shirts and picked out three of them and took them to the suitcase, then she grabbed three pairs of shorts and packed those. She grabbed a pair of khakis and a pair of jeans and two soft blouses and packed them and then went to the bureau and grabbed a stack of panties and bras and socks. She then pulled out pajamas. She packed her sandals and tennis shoes and dirty canvas sneakers. Eric watched her as she went to the bathroom and got her shampoo and soap and a couple of rolls of toilet paper. She dumped it all between the neat piles of clothing and closed the suitcase. She then packed her computer and her magazines in the computer case and zipped it up and sat it on the suitcase.

Eric was getting impatient. “Sorry this is taking me so long Eric, but you guys don’t eat and I can’t imagine Bill has breakfast stuff in his house.”

“You are correct,” said Eric. Sky went about packing her coffee and creamer and some breakfast buns in a canvas bag.

“Does he have a coffee maker?” asked Sky.

“I believe he does,” said Eric. She continued to go through the fridge and took out three or four frozen suppers and then reached in and grabbed the wine.

“You were right,” said Sky. “The wine is very good.”

“I will have to get you some more,” said Eric. “Are you ready?”

“Yes,” she said. “I will follow you, take my car so I can go to the office. I have the IT people coming in Monday and setting up my computer. After that, I don’t have to go to the office unless I want to. I can work at Bill’s.”

“Do you like the were I have keeping you company?” asked Eric.

“He is very nice, I am hiring him as an office assistant through the college,” she said. Eric grabbed her suitcase and she grabbed her computer case and canvas bag and they headed out into the night.

Rachel was holding Bill in her arms. He was kissing her. “We can complete the bond tonight.”

“I am looking forward to it,” she said. “I think the room looks good Bill.”

“I had Pam help me,” said Bill. They looked around at the bedroom. It was plain but furnished. Here was a full sized bed there with two side tables on each side and pretty little globe lamps on each side. The fireplace mantle was dusted and there was a bench at the bottom of the sleigh bed. There were fresh sheets and blankets on the bed and plump pillows on the headboard. Everything was clean and neat.  The floors needed refinishing but they had been swept and mopped and there was a clean rag rug by the bed. The dresser’s mirror was cracked on the edge but it was intact and the high boy was in the corner. A flat screen TV was on the wall and the remote was on the bedside table. A set of bath towels were on the bench. “It needs paint.”

“It looks cozy,” said Rachel.

“Come, let’s go test my bed,” he said. “You and I have never made love in my bed.”

“The perfect place to finish the bond,” she said.

Bill could not believe the way the bond felt. He was lying there looking at the ceiling of his bedroom, seeing and feeling everything rush through him. Rachel was lying there beside him, her head on his arm looking up with him. “Wow,” she said. “Your blood…”

“My blood…your blood,” he said. “That is amazing sweetheart. Thank you for trusting me and making the bond with me.”

“I still feel you inside me, and not just down there,” she said, cupping herself. Bill looked at her.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“I feel like we are still making love,” she said.

“We are sweetheart,” he said. He kissed her and pulled her against him. He pulled her hand away and slid his hand in its place and began to arouse her again, putting pressure on her, making her feel it all. “Look at me, don’t close your eyes.” He continued to stroke her and she came, bearing down on his shoulders and pressing herself against the palm of his hand. He pulled her leg up and slid himself inside her. He did not need to make love to her outside to see stars. He could see the universe in her eyes. When they came again, they were both stoned on the bond, she seemed to be sending all her pleasure to him and his orgasm was almost painful, dangerous. He held her to him tightly.

“Bill, I can’t breathe,” she said.

“I am sorry sweetheart,” he said. “Are you okay?”

“I am,” she said. “I love you so much Bill. Do whatever you have to do, just make sure you lie down next to me every morning, okay?”

“I promise,” he said. “Thank you so much.”

They showered and were dressed by the time Eric and Sky arrived. Bill opened his door and Sky came in, looking at his house. “Bill your house is lovely,” she said.

“Thank you,” he said. “Rachel will show you your room.” Rachel motioned for her to follow her up. Eric passed by Bill and smelled the strong scent of the bond. He looked at Bill.

“You made a bond with her?” asked Eric.

“Step outside Eric,” said Bill

The two stepped outside and Eric stood close to him. “You made a bond with her?”

“Yes,” said Bill. “This way, I have a stronger claim on Rachel to any vampire who might move against me.”

“Does she know, I mean does she understand you have made the greatest bond with her possible?” asked Eric.

“Yes, I explained all the pros and cons with her,” said Bill.

“What is it like for you? To be bonded with an ordinary human woman?” asked Eric, walking away, looking into the dark.

“Beautiful, perfect, I am happier than I ever have been before,” said Bill.

“Even when you were with Sookie?” asked Eric.

“Even that,” said Bill. “Eric, go to Amelia, ask her for the ceremony to break the bond.”

“Don’t concern yourself with me,” he said.

“So what are we doing tonight with our enforced pajama party?” asked Sky.

“Well, I am going to paint Bill’s windows to make his bedroom light tight,” she said.

“I can help with that,” said Sky. “Nice room though, I like the furniture.”

“Well, Bill and Pam made it up for you so you would be comfortable. Bill’s house is wired for WiFi so you can do the internet and Bill has just about all the tv channels in the free world,” she said.

“Are you working tomorrow?” asked Sky.

“Yes, but only for a while, I am going take off early, pick up my mail from home, get some things to cook, do you like to cook?” asked Rachel.

“I do like to cook, just that with it just being me, I usually just pop a frozen dinner in the microwave,” she said.

“I will pick up a few things to cook. I brought some coffee and Bill has a coffee maker and I brought some eggs and grits and sausage and canned biscuits. I like to make from scratch, but I don’t have all the stuff to do that here,” she said.

“You look really different,” said Sky. “Have you been drinking…Bill?”

“We made a blood bond,” she said.

“The Blood Bond?” asked Sky, raising her eyebrows.

“Yes,” said Rachel.

“That is pretty damned serious,” she said.

“I know how serious it is, Bill explained it to me,” she said.

“Do you like it?” she asked.

“It feels…wonderful,” she said. “Come on, let’s go down and find out what the plan is tonight.”

Tom Latesta stood there and listened to the pale haired vampire as she told him what she found when she came home. “So, what do you think happened?” asked Latesta.

“Bill and another vampire took him and my computer and my papers,” she said.

“Stupid bitch, leaving that stuff lying around, leaving that boy unguarded. I told you to wait until someone was there before you left. You didn’t, you just left the kid alone,” said Latesta. “Well there is only one place the kid could be. You are going to have to explain things to that big shot in Nevada. I am sure he is not going to be too pleased.”

“I can’t tell him,” said Judith. “He will give me the true death.”

“Well I can’t tell him, I made a deal with him to get the kid. That was the trade off for Sookie Stackhouse,” said Latesta. “You have put my ass in a crack lady.”

“Then let’s go and get the woman and the boy,” she said. “It should be a simple matter.”

“We have something we have to do first, another distraction,” said Latesta. “Don’t do anything til I say so or I will call De Castro and tell him just how you fucked up.” He left her and headed out. He pulled out his cell phone and called Arlene and told her to get ready, their friends would be coming for her to take care of one of the targets.

 Sam and Luna were prowling as a lion and lioness around the house. They huffed in recognition when Bill and Eric and Bubba came into the clearing around Sookie’s house. Hunter was sitting on the swing while Preston read him a story. Diantha Cataliades was hunting in the woods and said she would be back in a while. As they were talking, the panthers came out of the forest. They were silent as a cloud scuttering across the moon. “Look Preston! Cats!” he said awed. Then he spotted Bubba. He shrank against Preston.

“What is it Hunter?” he asked.

“That man was there where the lady was,” he whispered.

“He was the one who told us where you were. Sit in my lap,” he said, pulling Hunter onto his lap. “He won’t bother you.”

“Hey, you remember me?” asked Bubba. Hunter nodded. “Boy it sure is good to see you are okay. You are okay ain’t ya?” Hunter nodded again. “See, I tol you I would get you to Miss Sookie.” He looked at Hunter. “I’m sorry you were scared. I hope I didn’t scare you.”

“You have a fuzzy head but not like the lady…sort of like a funny head,” said Hunter. Bubba looked at Bill.

“It’s okay Bubba, he is saying it was nice to get to know you,” said Bill. “Why don’t you go and sit on my porch, watch the house, and don’t forget, these big cats are our friends.”

“Okay Bill,” he said. “See ya later alligator.”

“After while crocodile,” said Hunter. Bubba smiled but he was just a little fangy. He turned and headed back toward Bill’s house.

“It appears as though you are well taken care of now Sookie,” said Eric. “Where is your witch?”

“Amelia went to Merlotte’s to help since Luna and Sam are here,” said Sookie.  “Where is Pam?”

“She is at Fangtasia,” said Eric.

Fangtasia was crowded. Pam was behind the bar, watching the happy vampires and the fangbangers dancing and drinking and getting acquainted. India was sitting across the bar having a coke. She was not a heavy drinker. She just sat there and watched the crowd and chatted with Pam when she had a free moment. Pam was growing very fond of the human. She was tough, intelligent and open to the vampire lifestyle and Gerald liked her. The two would often chat when she was up just before dawn to head back to Bon Temp to get ready for work and they had a lot in common. As their romance had deepened, Pam asked India what she thought of becoming a vampire. India told her Kenya would not be too happy to start with but she would get used to it. After all, Kenya was with Kevin and she had to defend her relationship to the family and silently to the town, but India thought she would come around. Pam was in the middle of a story when the phone rang. She answered it.

“The Take Back the Night Human Liberation Movement is making a statement for you freaks and monsters,” said the voice. They hung up and Pam cursed. She moved to return to her conversation when suddenly she looked up.

“Everyone get the fuck out!!!!” she shouted, and hurried to India and got her out the door. The bar emptied out in no time and the Fangtasia vampires were all looking around across the street from the business area. When nothing happened, Heidi looked at Pam.

“What if the action wasn’t at Fangtasia,” she said. Pam looked at her for a few seconds and then took out her phone.

“Yes,” said Eric. He listened to the voice of Pam on the other end talking to him rapidly. Suddenly there was terrible explosion. He looked at the fire plume rising up into the peaceful night sky. The lion and lioness ran out and skidded to a halt. Sam shifted.

“Merlotte’s,” he said.

Luna and Sam dressed and headed out to the bar. The bar was on fire and so was his trailer. He cursed loudly. It was all gone. Now it was simply a matter of keeping the fire from spreading. Luna came up and slid her hand in his. He squeezed it. Suddenly Kennedy Keyes and Danny Prideaux and Terry Bellefleur came to where they were standing.

“Was anyone hurt?” asked Sam.

“Well some of ‘em may have lost their cars, but they all got out. We got a phone call,” said Kennedy. “They said they were going to hound you and any supe out of business and out of town.”

“Well they sure did that. I got nothing now,” said Sam. He knew there would be insurance money and all that, but what he had in the way of dreams and livelihood was gone, burning down in front of him.

“Do you all have somewhere to stay?” asked Danny.

“I still have my rental,” said Luna. “I never got around to moving everything to Sam’s.”

“Do you want a roomie?” asked Sam, his voice a little shaky.

“Sure, why not, you pay the rent,” she said smiling. Eric and Bill pulled up and got out. They went and stood by the shifters. Alcide Herveaux drove up. He jumped out of his truck.

“Did everyone make it out?” he asked, watching the volunteer fire department scurrying around with hoses and fire extinguishers, working to put out the fire.

“Yeah, everyone got out,” said Sam.

“Take Back the Night?” asked Alcide. Sam nodded. “Yeah, Herveaux’s has had some harassment. You all got a place to stay?”

“Yeah,” said Sam. “We are okay til we can come up with a decision.” Diantha Cataliades walked up the group. She was dirty and a little bloody.

“Diantha?” asked Eric.

“I killed a human,” she said. “I put them in the fire. They were the ones who caused the explosion.”

“Who was it?” asked Sam.

“That woman who tried to kill Sookie, when her sister in law was murdered,” said Diantha.

“Arlene Fowler,” said Sam.

“What the hell was that?” asked Rachel. They had been painting Bill’s windows when they heard the explosion. Both women stepped out of the door leading on the summer sleeping porch and looked toward the reddish glow. Rachel’s phone rang.

“Sweetheart, everything is okay, Merlotte’s has been attacked,” he said. “Everyone is okay, and we will be home soon.”

“Okay,” she said. “Tell Sam I am sorry.”

“I shall,” he said. He hung up. Sam was still watching the fire.

“I can’t believe Arlene would do this, I thought she was in jail,” said Sam.

“Perhaps Andy can find out when and how she got out,” said Eric. “I must go to Fangtasia.”

“Go,” said Bill. “I will see to it Sam and Luna get home safely.”

“Don’t worry about us, just look after Sookie. We will talk to her tomorrow,” said Sam. “Oh, and tell Sookie, that stuff she gave me, I got nervous and put it in my safe deposit in the bank.”

“I shall tell her,” said Bill. “If there is anything I can do for you, let me know.”

“A new bar and a place to live would be great,” said Sam. He turned away from Bill, wrapping his arms around Luna.

Fangtasia was empty. Pam and India and the other Fangtasia vampires and the regular waitresses were cleaning up the bar. “Everyone okay?” asked Eric.

“We are fine,” said Pam. “Heidi went over the building; she said she could not scent any explosives.”

“It was one of Sam Merlotte’s former waitresses, Arlene Fowler,” said Eric.

“I remember her, she verbally abused Sookie. I did not care for her at all, she was a bigot and a user and reacted badly when Sam and Tray Dawson revealed themselves when the shifters and weres came out. Was she arrested?”

“Diantha Cataliades caught her out and killed her and threw her into the fire. They will find her remains,” said Eric.

“Fitting end,” said Pam.

“I am going home,” said Eric.

Eric drove without thought to his house and parked his car in the garage. He was glad the house was finished. He knew now why humans complained about renovating their habitations. It was a pain the ass. He came in through the kitchen and toed off his tennis shoes and padded through the neat house in his sock feet. He smelled of smoke and soot from the fire. He looked at the mail cursory and went down to his ensuite and shed his clothes and dropped them on the bathroom floor. He took his time in the showers, standing there, his hands on the shower wall letting the sharp jets of water massage his shoulders and spine. He then scrubbed his body briskly with s huge loofa on a rope and washed his hair. He got out of the shower and dried off and rubbed most of the water out of his hair. He brushed it and tied it back with a hair tie.

The vampire was deep in thought. Bill had forged the bond with Rachel and said it was wonderful to him. He liked his bond, this inner closeness with a human woman and he suggested he see Amelia and get the bond broken. He should. Perhaps then he would see more what he actually wanted to do with the relationship with Sky. His body tingled with his memories of her and he slapped them down as inconsequential. He would sort these things out later. Right now, he got on the phone and left some phone messages to Maxwell Lee, who would shake his head in wonder and to Mustafa Khan and finally to Bill Compton. He finished his last minute business and laid down on his bed and went to sleep.

Sookie was up early in the morning and on the porch with Preston having coffee. Hunter was still asleep and Amelia had come in early. She said she had stayed with Sam and Luna while Andy and the fire marshal went over the property.  She told Sookie Arlene Fowler had something to do with the fire. That made her feel sad and frightened all at the same time. There were more wolves around the house, some of them from other packs who came and introduced themselves and said they had been called in by Alcide Herveaux.

“We only have four more days Sookie and we will be gone and everyone will be a little more safe,” he said. “Including you and the baby.”

“Jason said there was a lot of activity in the woods last night. A lot of shifters coming together. I didn’t know there were so many shifters around,” said Sookie. She knew there were packs of panthers and wolves all over but shifters were supposedly pretty rare.

“There are always more than you suspect in the supernatural world,” said Preston. “This may be a good thing Sookie, we supernaturals have been alone all this time, we should come together and support one another.”

“I think that is what De Castro and the anti-Supernatural movement is all about, keeping us separate and not trusting one another,” said Sookie. There was the sound of a car coming up her drive and Preston got alert and stood up. Three wolves came up and stood at attention. It was Mustafa Khan.

“Hello brothers,” said the werewolf. The three wolves turned and went back to their jobs. “Sookie.”

“Mustafa,” said Sookie.

“I am here to meet with Sam Merlotte,” he said.

“He is coming here?” asked Sookie.

“Yes, Eric has something to give him, a business proposition,” said Khan.

“What sort of proposition?” she asked.

“Pam was given the Roadhouse and the Vampire’s Kiss to sell or rent on behalf of the king. She has rented Vampire’s Kiss to an entertainments company who will rent the facility for weddings, graduations and birthdays, you know. But she has not rented out the Roadhouse. Eric is offering it to Sam if he wants it.”

“I can’t believe that,” said Sookie, amazed. “I can’t imagine Eric doing something like that.”

“Surprised me too, but if that is what he wants done, so be it,” said the were. “Here is Sam now.”

“Why don’t you two come on in the house, I can make you all some coffee or whatever and you can talk business.”

It was a good thing Sam was sitting down, otherwise he would have fallen down. His mouth snapped shut as soon as he realized it was hanging open but fell open once again.

“Let me get this straight. Eric Northman, who I don’t care for particularly, who has never made note of me as far as I can tell, has just offered to rent me a bar.  And he is not in any hurry to get said rent, and I am to move in as soon as I care to move in and begin operations as the new Merlotte’s?” he asked for the third time. Mustafa nodded for the third time. “Well…shut the barn door. What do you think Sookie?”

“Eric is just a business guy,” said Sookie. “He is making you a deal to go right back to work right now instead of six months from now.” Bill had told her it would take that long to get Tara’s Togs and the Clip and Curl rebuilt and open.

“I don’t know if I want to be beholden to a vampire, no offense,” said Sam.

“May I offer you some advice?” said Khan.

“Sure,” said Sam.

“Take Eric’s offer. He is not that generous, he has never made a deal like this, which does not apparently benefit him. You would never get this chance again. It’s either that or you sit on your ass and haggle with the insurance company and never get what you put into it.” Sam looked at Sookie.

“Did Eric get saved? Come to Jesus?” he asked Sookie. She shrugged, a little amused. “Tell Eric thanks.”

“He thought you would feel that way,” Mustafa Khan slid in his pocket and pulled out a brass key. “Go check it out and make a list of what you need.”

“Let me call Luna and the girls and D’Eriq and them and see if they can come and help me get us ready to open in a couple of days,” said Sam.

“Sam, you may want to go to the bank,” said Sookie.

“Why chere,” said Sam.

“Because I tucked something in there for you, you need it now, not after I am gone,” she said. Sam stood up. He cupped Sookie’s face in her hand and he leaned down and kissed her on the mouth.

“I don’t know about all the myths and how that is supposed to work, but you have been my Fairy Godmother,” he said.

“Go on, get the money and get busy,” she said.