chapter thirty

                Sky sat on the window seat of her suite and watched the parade go by. Their suite was not so high that she could not enjoy the parade but high enough not to give the parade goers a show. She was dressed in a nearly not there robe and her panties. Eric loved fragile clothes on her though he often made scraps of them in his hurry to get to her. The hotel was wonderful and the food was fantastic. There were rumors Anthony Bourdain was the chef here, but no one could confirm it. When she woke up, she called and ordered her breakfast and sat at the window and ate and watched the parade. After her breakfast, she went through the list of stores she wanted to visit and things she wanted to see. Eric told her their first stop was at Tiffany’s and then the Cup and Dagger. Since vampire and human weddings had become legal, vampires and their human spouses had incorporated the sharing of blood as a part of the ceremony, just like the monarchs of kingdoms. There were only a handful of ‘sacred’ blades among the vampire community and many vampires would balk to allow a human/vampire couple to use one of those blades. Overnight, metalworkers were creating special little daggers and cups with the couple’s names engraved in them. She had looked on line and chosen several sets to look at in real life to see what they really look like.

                Eric helped her make some of the decisions, but he allowed her to choose most things. He told her the wedding was the woman’s day, and whatever she wanted she should have. Of course she had no choice of the venue. It was slated to be in the restored monastery which once belonged to Sophie Anne but she went on line to look at it and gave it her okay. Sky felt Eric was giving her a free hand with everything because she hated the fact she had to have the wedding at a place she did not pick and performed by a person she loathed.  She made no bones about her disgust with De Castro. Eric had to agree, but asked her to accept it. She did but not with a lot of grace.

                The wedding dress was still a problem. She had looked on line and hated everything she saw. They all looked like hooker dresses.  She didn’t want to do the fake virgin thing. Had Eric been her first lover, she would have said yes, but she had lost her virginity long ago and she didn’t feel it was right to wear pure white. Call her old fashioned (and Eric did) but that was the way she was. She threatened to wear nothing, and Eric grinned. “Then I will dress to match and we can consummate right there at the altar, a memorable wedding in the annals of vampire/human marriage.” That earned him a sound slap across his bare ass. So finding a wedding dress was going to be a chore. Naked was sounding better and better.

                She checked her emails and the student blogs to see if any had begun posting some of their preliminary work. Several had.  One of her students had written and said there had been protests at the school by the TBN people and Sky shook her head. Hate doesn’t take a holiday. She emailed Rachel and wished her and Bill and her parents a Happy Thanksgiving and sent best wishes to Sam and asked him to carry her greetings to everyone back in Bon Temps. She then scanned the net for the news and found nothing to excite her. She took a hot bath and soaked and washed her hair, a chore, and spent the day giving herself a day of pampering and relaxation.

                Rachel was mixing the ingredients for the dressing and her mother had just popped in the duck. She had put a couple of pies in the oven that morning and she had two more ready to go in. “Does Bill mind food?”

                “Only if there is garlic. He likes it when I bake a little pie or cake. He prefers I cook beef all the way through, like if I make steak at home, because it smells like bad blood to him. But other than that, he doesn’t mind,” said Rachel.

                “I have to know, you know how they write in all the magazines, but are vampires really good in bed?” she asked. Her mother was not a prude, she had been a rebellious flower child in the sixties and she lived with her dad without benefit of clergy. In fact, simple math told her they had married with her appearance in her mother’s womb. Still this question surprised Rachel.

                “Mother!!!” she said.

                “Well, Rachel, they all say vampires are really good at it and when am I ever gonna know unless I ask you,” said Celeste.

                “Bill is very good mom,” said Rachel. “He is very romantic and playful.”

                “Well that is good, I was afraid he was one of those sexually insensitive Victorian men Thomas Hardy wrote about in Lady Chatterley’s Lover.”

                “Not at all,” said Rachel. “Bill lived a man’s life as a vampire, sometimes unvarnished.”

                “Oh my,” said Celeste. “So they really are sort of amoral?”

                “Some I would say so, some vampires have what Bill calls the second awakening. Most vampires ignore the tickle of memories of their human life, but Bill embraced his humanity again once he was freed by his maker, he was able to find some resolve between his humanity and his vampire self.”

                “So where is his maker?” asked Celeste, concerned.

                “She met the true death,” said Rachel.

                “How is your friend Sky?” she asked as she popped her pies into the oven.

                “She is doing very well. She and Eric are moved into their new house, and she is planning a wedding, and she is very happy.”

                “What about Eric, what sort of person is he?” asked Celeste, folding a dishtowel. Rachel took a moment to put the dressing in a casserole dish. She patted it all out and put the lid over it until it would go in the oven.

                “Eric has a lot of responsibility. He is very old and he is very strong in their world. He is not used to really having a lot to do with humans in just social situations.  He sort of had humans in one category and that is where he kept them. But Sky is a tough lady, she won’t just let him operate in the world he designed for himself to keep humans in one place, two natured in another. He is learning but he is a stubborn student,” said Rachel.

                “You don’t seem to like him,” said Celeste.

                “I can’t say I know him real well. He has been in my house, he is polite and friendly, you can tell he is trying really hard. I do like him and Bill trusts him, so that is good enough for me to work with. It is hard to break a habit of a lifetime, especially a lifetime that spans a thousand years,” she said.

                “A thousand years, imagine that. Makes Bill a youngster doesn’t he?”

                “It does,” she said.

                “So how do you all negotiate the day/night thing?” she asked.

                Sky was dressing to go to dinner and Eric was watching her. He was already dressed, wearing what Sky thought of as vampire formal. Dark red sweater and black slacks and boots. She was wearing a pair of olive brown slacks and a gold sweater. She figured that would look festive enough and warm enough to take to the streets and do some shopping. She picked out her impossibly long hair. “Eric love?”

                “Hmmm?” he said.

                “My hair, I have to get a trim,” she said.

                “Absolutely not,” he said. He got up and walked to her. “It’s mine.”

                “No, it’s mine and right now it is in my way,” she said. “Six inches.”

                “No,” h e said. “I would not like it.”

                “Well, it is too heavy and it takes too long to dry and it makes my head hurt,” she said.

                “Six inches? That is all you would cut it?” he asked.

                “Six inches big fellah, plenty enough left for you to get horny over,” she said.

                “Filthy mouth,” he said, his hands smoothing over her.

                “Are you feeling me up?” she asked.

                “Looking for loose change,” he said, pulling her hair away from her neck and kissing it.

                “I don’t have any money in my bra,” she said.

                “Be quiet,” he said. “I am thinking about what I am thankful for.”

                “Well, if you are taking me shopping, you better feed me,” she said.

                “Excellent idea, I could use some supper,” he said, baring his fangs.

                “You already ate,” she said. “Come on Viking, let’s feed me.”

               

                “Well, ladies, the meal was delicious,” said Richard.

                “It smelled divine,” said Bill, sipping the last of his TrueBlood.

                “What are you planning to do for Christmas?” asked Celeste.

                “Sky and Eric are having an open house for Christmas day, Eric and I have to plan a gathering in New England for a conference. This Spring we are organizing a major gathering,” said Bill.

                “They are being married soon, aren’t they?” asked Richard.

                “Yes, in New Orleans at the winter solstice, the longest night of the year,” said Rachel.

                “Vampires have no true religion, nothing other than what they may still believe since they became vampire. But, we recognize more secular, even pagan seasons far easier,” said Bill.

                “Wonder why that is?” asked Richard.

                “I have no idea. The teachings of our kind are left to the makers. I was told only the smallest details about the rules and the philosophy such that it is by my maker. But to give her credit, she knew very little because her own maker knew very little, but I learned later, on my own,” said Bill.

                “What do you believe Bill?” asked Celeste.

                “I believe that everything has a purpose under the sun that had God truly found us an abominable race, He would have exterminated us, never allowed us to be. I do not pretend to know the mind of God, but I hope He has room for me when I stand before Him,” he said.  “I envy the new ones coming into the world. They can be taken under the wing and taught and they will be far different than me and the ones who came before me.”

               

                The streets were still crowded as Eric and Sky walked down Fifth Avenue. It would take the careful observer to see the vampires in the crowd, but they knew Eric as one of their own and nodded their head. “Eric, did you report to the sheriff here?”

                “I called her and told her who I was and where I was staying and that I would not be hunting in her area,” said Eric.

                “That reminds me…” she said.

                “The answer to that is no,” he said. “I don’t need to drink from anyone but you, but if I do, I will tell you.”

                “Good enough,” she said.

                “I would only take someone else’s blood if I had to, if I were injured,” he said.  “And nothing else. I am monogamous.” This was true about Eric. When he was involved with one particular human in a relationship, he was monogamous sexually and usually Sanguinarian wise as well. Casual relationships were different.

                “Very good to know,” she said.

                “I would never cheat on you,” he said.

                “I wouldn’t cheat on you either,” she said.

                “I am glad we have that settled,” he said. “In here, I have some purchases to make.”

                The vampire at the counter was very helpful. She found Sky very tasty and showed her fangs in approval, but a sharp look from Eric made her retract them. “She is mine,” he said softly but clearly.

                “Of course, sir,” she said. “What are we looking for?”

                “What would you like in a ring lover,” he said.

                “Something in platinum?” she said. “A princess cut?”

                “What karat?” she asked.

                “I don’t know, a karat?” she said, she looked at Eric.

                “I think we can do better than that. Let’s look at a five karat and work from there,” said Eric.

                “Five karats are too much,” she said. When the woman gave her a sample ring to look at she gasped. “Oh no Eric, that is too big.”

                “Try it on lover,” said Eric. He picked up the ring and slid it on her finger. “I like that size.”

                “It’s too big,” she said.

                “Let’s see a three then,” said Eric. The girl picked out a three karat. “Better?”

                “I don’t know Eric, it still seems huge,” she said.  He kissed her temple.

                “I like it lover,” he whispered.

                “Are you sure?” she asked.

                “We will take it and we will go on ahead and pick out bands to go with it,” he said.

                “Excellent, let me measure her finger and I will put in the order and we will get you the correct size and box it all up.” She brought out her ring sizer and measured Sky’s ring finger and then measured Eric’s. “Big hand.” She spotted the regent’s ring. “I beg your pardon your majesty, I did not know.” Eric put his hand up and stopped her.

                “Please, don’t make a fuss,” he said.

                “What were you looking for in a band? Our people have been buying special setting in the band. A platinum or gold band with two tiny rubies. Signifying a vampire union.”

                “I think something else would be nicer,” said Eric.

                “Do you have something Norse?” asked Sky. “Or Celtic?”

                “We do have some Celtic things. Not sure what you mean by Norse,” said the girl.

                “Celts have similar art,” said Eric. The girl went and put in the order and another sales person went into the back to search it out. The girl went to another case and brought a velvet plate.

                “We have some engraved and we have some hand braided examples. These are in white gold and these are the only ones in platinum,” she said.  Eric scanned the plate and picked out a couple of rings in styles he liked.

                “I like this one, the engraved one,” she said.

                “That is in platinum,” said the girl.

                “What do you think Eric?” she said. The bands were intricately decorated with tiny knots around the band.

                “I think they are lovely,” he said. “We will take them.”

                “Very well,” said the girl. “I’ll just go and get your engagement ring and your bands boxed up and your receipt.” Eric fished out his wallet and pulled out a random credit card and handed it to the woman. She took it and walked away with it.

                “Are they what you want?” he said.

                “No, you are all I want,” she said. She looked at him and he read her naked lust there.

                “And you are all I want,” he said.

                Bill sat up with Richard in his office and using a civil war map, he pointed out the movements of his outfit, where he was at the end of the war and the route he took home. He showed the place where his friend Tolliver was killed and a few others. When the chime rang two, Richard was ready for bed. He told Bill good night and the vampire went up to Rachel’s room. He undressed and slid into bed and found her warm and naked under the blankets. He spooned against her and kissed her shoulder to her neck. Rachel turned in his arms and kissed him. “I waited for you,” she said.

                “You were sleeping,” he said.

                “I sort of left you a note to wake me,” she said, moving his hand to her breast.

                “Delightful,” he said, pinching her nipple gently. He kissed her again and slid his hand between her legs. She turned and pressed herself against him. Her hand reached down for him and stroked him. He moaned softly in her ear as she squeezed and stroked his length. His fingers vibrated against her and she arched her back to him and felt his cool fingers slide into her. She moved against his hand and felt herself letting go. She stifled herself against his shoulder. He kissed her and moved on top of her. He slid into her effortlessly, holding himself above her, looking at her. “I love you,” he whispered.

                “I love you,” she said. He began to move gently, slowly. They were quiet and controlled, moving together. They moved like that for a long time, kissing and touching each other, feeling everything and not making a sound. There was something intense about this sort of restraint. When Bill began move a little faster, she pressed on his hips and brought her legs up, making him go deeper. When they came, he covered her mouth with his, stifling the sounds of their release.  He slid away from her, pulling her against him and holding her close. He lay there, his eyes shut, feeling her body relax, and her minute body movements, the throb of her pulse, her breathing, her heartbeat. He could smell her and sex and clean sheets and as the sun rose unseen by him, he closed his eyes and felt surrounded by love and life.

                While Bill was giving Richard his history lesson, Eric was holding the future Mrs. Northman. He turned on the fire and looked at her skin in its golden glow. “We had a successful trip,” he said. “Furniture, art, clothing.”

                “Jewelry,” she said.

                “Very important jewelry,” he said. “And the dress you won’t let me look at.”

                “You will see it when I come up the aisle to you,” she said. She kissed his chest and blew on his skin. “I love you hair, your golden glory.”

                “Are you really going to cut some of your hair?” he asked.

                “Yes,” she said. “But I will leave you plenty to play with.”

                “What else do you have to play with?” he asked.

                “I should make you wait till we get married,” she said.

                “That would be cruel,” he said, pushing her panties down a little and rubbed her red curls. “When I am making love with you, I feel like I have dived into the sun,” he said.  He leaned down and kissed her curls. He scooted around and pulled her panties off. “Spread your legs for me.” Sky opened her legs for him and he settled himself down between her legs. He kissed the red curls again and then rang his tongue along the delicate folds there. He pursed his lips and kissed her gently. He opened her with his fingers and went for the sweet pearl, already wet for him. He could taste her saltiness, the sweetness of her. He relentlessly sucked and licked her and slid his finger inside her, just inside her and massaged that little spot inside her, making her back arch. She grabbed up handfuls of the Egyptian cotton sheets of the bed and moaned deep in her chest as she came. He kept it up and made her come again. Then she felt the sharpness of his mouth on the inside of her thigh and he sucked at the blood there. He did not take much, just a taste. He went back to her and latched on and brought her to orgasm again. He gently turned her on her belly and pulled her hips up and slid slowly into her. He brought her to orgasm again then held her in suspension, bringing her to the edge then backing off, making her cry out with frustration. He backed out of her and flipped her fast onto her back and slid inside her.

                “Eric,” she sighed as he moved inside her.

                “Touch me Sky,” he said. She reached up and put her hands on his face and his mouth, she stroked his fangs and down to his thickly muscled neck. “Your hands are so hot lover, they burn me up.”

                “I love you Eric,” she said. He began to move faster, Sky wrapped her legs around his waist, and he moved deeper inside her. Their bodies were coming together in sharp little slaps and he went to her breasts and sucked on each sweet berry like nipple. Sky was crying out with the orgasm shooting through her. He did not let up, in fact he went faster. She came hard and pulled him down to her and he bit her neck, sucking hard and he felt the sharpness of her own mouth and she drank his sweet salty cool blood, feeling his wildness inside her. She bucked against him, almost violently and he came, crying out. He took a deep breath and let it out. His breath was ragged and he pushed against her, trying to stay inside her for as long as he could. When he had cleaned the wound on her neck, he went lower and cleaned the wound on her inner thigh. He then did something no man had done before, he kissed her between the legs though he’d spent himself there. Sky was shocked as human men were usually so homophobic, they would never want to be anywhere they may come in contact with their own fluids. Eric was not that way. He came up to her and kissed her and she could taste her blood, his honey and her fluids. He looked at her.

                “I love you Sky,” he said.

                After Thanksgiving everyone was working with a purpose. Rachel was working on the center and building her house. It was going to be finished a little before Christmas.  Sky was driving her students to the end of their semester. They were all doing well and she was well into her textbook and was almost ready to send it to the publishers. LSU had already said they would adopt it for the fall semester. When she was not at school, she was at the center. The furniture and things Eric had selected over Thanksgiving was delivered and she was looking forward to Christmas, or Yule as Eric referred to it.  She and Eric would have their friends and family there.

                               

                Sky was coming back to school early one afternoon. She had gone to lunch and picked up a box of paper and some odds and ends and new pot for her violet which was rapidly out growing her pot. She planned to separate it and the purple violet and give them to Rachel as she had separated her purple violet and given her half. They called them their sister plants. And Rachel had quickly become very like a sister. Sky was more sure than ever she had as much a family as she had before her parents had disowned her for her love of Eric.

                She was so distracted by her thoughts she did not notice at first the small bunch of protestors.  She cursed under her breath and trudged forward, refusing to be cowed. She had the distinct feeling this was the way women who used clinics which provided abortions must feel like. They were carrying that evil One Good Vampire sign. Her eyes scanned for the face of Nelson Reynolds. Of course he would not be here in person but he was here in spirit, urging them on in their stupidity with their vitriol. They listened to him every night, well Eric did, she listened to his synopsis. They were more sure than ever he was somehow involved with what took place in Merlotte’s when they had to kill those vampires.

                “Hey you fangbangin’ bitch!” screamed one of the protestors. “Check it out, she’s one of those fangbangin’ whores!”  He shoved her a couple of feet towards another protestor.  A frowsy looking trailer trash woman with her hair still on curlers grabbed her arm and pulled at the collar of her blouse and exposed Eric’s fang marks. She slapped a silver cross to her neck as if she expected it to burn her.

 “See, the fucking mark of Cain on her!” she screamed. Sky pulled her arm out of the grasp of the woman.

“We don’t want you here at our school and we are gonna see to it you get put out of here, teaching that vampire shit to our people!” screamed another protestor. He gave her quite a hard shove and she nearly fell.  Sky saw a campus guard and he came running toward her and pulled her into the building.

“Can’t you do something with those assholes?” she said, rubbing her neck where the cross had been slapped against her.

“We can’t do anything. Call the police Professor Faulconer,” he said. She took out her phone and called 911. The operator answered.

“My name is Skyller Faulconer, and I am a professor at Bon Temps Community College. I have been physically assaulted at the school and I need an officer here,” she said.

“We will send someone out,” she said. “Please hold the line.” Sky waited and the crowd intensified its chanting. “Detective Bellefleur is on his way.”

“Thank you,” she said. The operator hung up. Sky closed her phone and waited for Andy to show up. When he did, Kevin and Kenya was with him.

“What happened?” he asked when he came in the door.

“The woman in the curlers grabbed me and put her hands on my neck and that big guy called me a fangbanger and shoved me and the one with the  sign shoved me too.”

“Did you see it?” asked Andy to the security guard.

“I didn’t see exactly what they did to her, but she was being roughly handled,” said the guard.

Andy got on his radio. “Kenya, grab the woman with the curlers in her hair. Which ones yelled at you and shoved you around?”

“The one in the ball cap, and the other with that disgusting sign,” said Sky.

“Snatch up Don Harding and Gerry Freemantle and cuff them too,” said Andy. “Can you come down and fill out a statement?” Sky looked at her watch.

“Can I be back here in an hour and a half? I have a class in two hours,” she said.

“Yes ma’am,” he said. “Let’s go.” Sky followed him out. The remaining protestors shouted at Sky and Andy. Andy stopped and looked at them. “You all go home, you did what you came here to do; now get home and don’t let me catch you around here.”

“We have the right to protest,” said one of them.

“You do, but that doesn’t mean you can touch anyone,” said Andy. “Now back off or I will get you for obstruction.”

“One of these days lady, they will come and get you and throw you in jail for perversity and necrophilia,” said a woman.

“Back off,” said Andy.

Sky hurriedly filled out the complaint forms and wrote her statements. Andy admitted not very much would be done, but Sky said as long as there was a record of the incident, that would be fine. He nodded. “Would you send me a copy of this stuff for my records?”

“Stay for there a second I will have copies made,” he said. He stepped out and went into another room. Sky stood up and looked out the window at a man talking to the receptionist. He was well dressed and presented her with a card. She looked at it and motioned for the man to take a seat. Andy returned and handed her the papers.

“Andy who is that well dressed man there sitting in the reception area?” she asked.

“Hold on and I will tell you.” Andy hitched up his tans and went out. He went to the man and he stood up and offered his hand. Andy shook it and said something to him. The man motioned toward the door that lead to the three cell lock up and Andy said something to him and came back. “He says he is a lawyer for the Take Back the Night organization. He told me he was called to arrange bail and get them out asap.”

“He have a name?” asked Sky.

“Hugo Ayres,” said Andy.

“Thank you Andy,” she said. “Could I get a ride back to the school?”

“Sure,” he said. They went out and Andy asked Kenya to take her back to the college.

After her last class, she went to the center. One of the art students was painting the door glass. Northern Louisiana Center for Tolerance.

“How does it look Professor Faulconer?” asked the student.

“Well done,” she said.

“Hey, did you hear about that thing at the school? Some professor got attacked,” she said innocently.

“Yeah, I did, it was me,” she said.

“Oh man, sorry about that,” she said

“It’s okay,” said Sky. “Comes with the job.”

Rachel was standing there at reception with Sally. “Make sure when you make the appointments, to check the times of the activities. Everything we do during the day, we duplicate at night.”

“Who is working the night shift?” asked Sally.

“I have both humans and vampires working the night shift. One was a nurse before the Great Revelation, one was a lab tech and the other phlebotomist, and then I have two humans who are working as well.” Rachel looked up. “Hey Sky.”

“Hi,” she said. “We about ready to open our doors?”

“We are,” said Rachel. “And all of our classes and sessions are booked already.”

“Very nice,” said Sky. “I had a fun morning.”

“Yeah?” she asked.

“The Take Back the Night people were out in front of my building and I was accosted. I’m alright, my feelings were hurt but I am otherwise fine. Andy took the incident report,” she said.

“Oh Sky, I don’t know what to say,” she said.

“It’s okay,” she said. “How is the house coming?”

“Practically finished. Alcide is seeing to the last of the cabinets and they are putting in my washer and dryer. Want to come see? I was about to finish up here.”

“Sure,” she said. Rachel grabbed her coat and slid it on and headed out with Sky. The center was surrounded with a wrought iron fence and there were two gates, on one in back and one in front. Sky noticed the bare little Japanese maples and the new garden platforms. Fencing was stacked up neatly on pallets and  covered with tarp. Rachel unlocked the back gate and carefully locked it back. They walked along on the wide sidewalk toward the stonewalls of the new Compton Place. “We both live in fortresses.”

“I can’t wait to move into it,” said Rachel. “After having Bill staked in effigy on my porch, I worry about him in his day rest. “

“I know the feeling. Having Khan there makes me feel a little better, but still,” she said.

“Bill hired a guy from Alcide’s pack to guard my house. He sits inside and reads and uses the computer. I guess it seems silly to just be there, but until I get him here, I will not feel safe,” she said. “At least he could wrap Bill up and carry him out of the house if he had to.”

“Are those clay tiles?” asked Sky.

“No, fire retardant tin, designed to look like slate. The building is clad in nearly three feet of concrete and laid stone. The windows are security grade and we have a sprinkler system in place,” she said. They came to the neighbor gate and Rachel unlocked it and they walked through. Sky could see the solid steel gate opened against the wall. The grounds were nearly finished. There were trees in the landscape and large thorny bushes of the oleander bush all around the perimeter. They were in winter hibernation, but they looked inhospitable.

“The oleander will smell good in the summer,” said Sky.

“Smell good, and protect my house,” she said. They stepped up on the craftsman style porch. The door was open and they stepped in. It reminded Sky of a storybook cottage on steroids. There were huge beams of raw wood and hand rubbed plaster to make it look rustic. There was a huge fireplace and the floors were actually squares of different kinds of wood, four by four and handset, sanded, and varnished. There was fire already burning, drying the thick plaster. On Sky’s right was an open kitchen and a breakfast bar and a powder room. The left side was all living room with a long book case with open display shelves on top, dividing the room. There was a staircase and balcony on both sides of the house. “There are three guest rooms on that side with two baths and the other side is just mine and Bill’s master suite. Under the suite is our office.  Behind the kitchen is my laundry room.”

“It’s beautiful,” she said.

“I have ordered some things, rugs and things, and new living room furniture. I am getting new furniture for the bedrooms. Bill’s piano goes in the living room here, in front of these windows,” she said.

“It will be wonderful and so cozy,” said Sky.

“I want to have my wedding here,” said Rachel. “I want to have it here in our home.”

“It will be beautiful,” she said. “You can come down the stair case and stand before the fire place,” said Sky. “It looks like a cottage right out of a fairy tale.”

“I love this house. It represents everything I wish for my life,” she said. “Come on, come and look at my bedroom.”

Latesta and Ayres were in Clarice at a greasy spoon, having a beer and a burger. “So they are just being charged with a misdemeanor?”

“Yeah, the detective wanted to go with felony hate crime but I got them charged with misdemeanor interference and paid their fines. As we speak they are free as birds. Have you found out the next movements on Northman and Compton?” asked Ayres.

“I understand they have an appointment tomorrow night to see the governor,” said Latesta.

“The whores going with them?”

“No, just them,” said Latesta. “Compton’s house is just about ready. I would say his blood bag is getting things ready and they will likely be moved in this weekend.”

“That damned wolf has been working day and night to get that place built,” said Ayres. “We still can’t find Compton’s money.”

“I heard he moved his money out sometime ago, another account. I have people sniffing around. An old forensic accountant of mine. I will find it,” said Latesta. “How is the boss?”

“Impatient, he knows something is going on but he can’t find out what it is. He can’t get a hold of some his vamps he had in the state. Upwards of a hundred, they just went up in smoke, disappeared,” Ayres said. “Nobody in the community is talking.”

“I hear the same thing happened in Texas and Mississippi and some other states of interest.”

“Yeah,” said Ayres. “But again no one is even acknowledging it.”

“I have people watching the houses and this Center for Tolerance,” said Latesta. “Plus there is the matter of the bugs in the center. Someone will talk there.”

“The solstice is coming. Northman is marrying his blood bag. Jesus on his cross, fucking Eric Northman marrying a school teacher,” said Ayres. “And having his king do it as well.”

“Well, Northman always had bigger balls than brains,” said Latesta. “I will have my ear to the ground.”

“You do that,” said Ayres. “I’ll get the tab. Call me.”

“I will. Where will you be going?”

“New Orleans,” he said. “I am visiting what’s left of our friends. Getting a report from them for De Castro.”

“Good luck,” said Latesta.

“Eric, it’s nothing, it’s over,” she said. He cupped her face and kissed her forehead.

“I am sorry about that,” he said. “Have you called to check on your arrangements for the nuptials?”

“I did,” she said. She watched Eric roaming around the bedroom naked. He grabbed his brush and came back and sat on the thick plush rug in front of the chair Sky was sitting in. She took the brush and she began to brush the tangles out of his hair. He liked having her touch him. As she brushed his hair, he felt the static of her anger begin to fade out of the bond. “Do you have to go to Fangtasia tonight?”

“Yes, you should come with me, you and Pam can admire one another’s shoes, make fun of fangbangers, get drunk and make my head spin,” he said.

“Will you dance with me?” she asked.

“I will be more than happy to dance with you,” he said. “How is Rachel’s house coming?”

“Very well, it is more or less finished. She loves it,” said Sky. “She wants to have her wedding at home.”

“Cozy idea. I am sorry we have to have this state wedding thing and with De Castro. I know it is not what you want,” he said.

“I understand why it has to be,” said Sky. She wrapped her arms around Eric’s shoulders and kissed his neck. He reached up and put his fingers in her hair and massaged her neck with his fingertips. “I love you Viking.”

“I love you red haired woman,” he said.

Bill was dressing to go to Fangtasia. He and Eric were having a meeting. “Why don’t you join me? Eric has asked me if you would like to come to Fangtasia.”

“Reckon Sky will come?” she asked.

“Probably, in light of what has happened, Eric will want to distract her. We have to be away tomorrow night,” said Bill.

“Do you think you will make it home?”

“Yes, late, but we will be home,” said Bill.

“Call me when you guys leave so I can wait up for you,” she said.

“I will,” he said. He kissed her. “Get dressed, we’ll hang out a little after our meeting.”

“Can you dance?” she asked.

“Of course I can dance,” he said. “Call Sky and check and see if she is going. If not, invite her.”

Sky was sitting in Eric’s booth when Rachel and Bill walked up. A waitress came up and took their orders. “Hi Bill.”

“Hello Sky,” he said. “Is Eric in his office?”

“Yeah, he is talking to Maxwell Lee,” said Sky.

“I can wait and have a drink with you ladies then,” said Bill. The waitress brought their drinks. Sky was drinking beer, Rachel wine and Bill the house red. They watched the fangbangers and vampires dancing and drinking and flirting. Eric finally emerged and he went and sat down with Sky.

“Maxwell Lee wanted to know if you ladies have had vampires besides us at the center?” asked Eric.

“No, only you two have been in there,” said Rachel. “I don’t even think Ming and Ling have been in there yet, they are still in China visiting their maker.”

“Maxwell Lee says he smelled three strange vampires. I want to send Heidi in and have her sniff around,” said Eric. “Can I borrow a key?”

“She can use mine,” said Sky. She pulled out her keys and took the heavy brass key off the ring.

“Thank you lover. Heidi?” he said Heidi’s name in a voice no different from the voice he had been using. Heidi appeared as if by magic. “Heidi, this is Sky’s key. She says the only vampires who have been in the center are me and Bill.”

“I will go now, and be back soon,” she said. She took the key and headed out.

“I want everyone to be careful about what we talk about in public,” said Eric. “We try to keep things clean, so far there has been nothing here. Are you moving into your new home this weekend?”

“Yes,” said Bill. “Rachel has her house packed up and Alcide has arranged to have weres to help her. She will be in probably Saturday afternoon.”

“Excellent,” said Eric. “Our homes will be our clean areas.”

“Rachel and I want to be married on New Year’s Eve,” said Bill.

“That will be good. I look forward to the festivities,” said Eric.

About forty-five minutes after she received the key, Heidi let herself in. She walked around in the dark offices. There was paper on the windows but everything was ready inside and she liked the fish tanks and the plants and the furnishings. It looked like a great place to be. She began to sniff. There were smells of cleaning products and paint but there was the subtle smell of vampire. She indentified Bill and Eric immediately. She also identified the young people, the artists, and the smells of the weres who did the construction and dry wall. She smelled clean linen in the shower rooms and soap and cleanser in the commodes. Heidi then began to follow the strange vampires after she separated the smells and began her tour back at the front door.

It did not take her long to find the first bug. It was a tiny black ops sort of tool, only available to the government. She left it where it was. She made a tiny mark with a black light pen. She moved carefully from one place to another, marking the places with her pen and then exited. The Northern Louisiana Center for Tolerance was crawling with listening devices.

When she got to her car, she grabbed her phone and called Eric. “The place is infested.”

“Thank you,” said Eric. “Did you recognize the vampires?”

“No,” she said.

“Come back, we will decide what to do,” said Eric. He hung up and looked at Bill and the girls. He nodded. Sky rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“Are you sure we should not remove the listening devices?” asked Rachel as they drove home.

“Not till after Eric is invested and married. After that, we will debug you. You just have to remember not to talk about anything about what Eric and I are doing,” said Bill.

“Okay,” she said. “But keep information to me to a minimum, I don’t want to accidently say something.”

“I will only tell you as much as you need to know,” said Bill. “Are you excited about our house?”

“I am, I want to hurry and get moved in and put our tree up. I ordered some things, but Sky and I would like to go shopping.”

“I think you should stay close to home sweetheart. Things are getting a little dicey,” he said.

“I understand,” she said. He took her hand in his and lifted it to his mouth. “I think it was a wonderful idea to get married at our home.”

“I think so too,” she said. “It makes sense.” Her phone rang. It was Sam. “Hey Sam.”

“Did I wake you?” he asked.

“No,” she said. “I was up, something going on?”

“Just thought you should know Jason and Michele had a baby girl. They named her Sookie Adele,” said Sam.

“That is very cool,” said Rachel. “I will have to put some gifts together. Is Michele okay?”

“She is doing real good,” said Sam. “Well, I have some more calls to make, so you have a good night.”

“If you like, I can call Sky, save you a call,” she said.

“That would be nice of you,” said Sam.

“Michele and Jason’s baby was born, a little girl named Sookie Adele,” said Rachel.

“Sookie Adele,” said Bill. “If I were Jason, I would name her something different.”

“Yeah, sort of like naming your kid a notorious name. Maybe Michele will call her Adele,” said Rachel.

“She may,” said Bill.

“Bill?” asked Rachel.

“Yes sweetheart?” he asked.

“Do you still love her?” asked Rachel.

“I do, but nothing like I love you,” he said. “I am so happy now.”

“I don’t want a ghost between us,” she said.

“No ghosts, darling,” he said. “Just us.”