chapter thirty-

three

                Sam was a little surprised when Bill strolled in. He came to the bar and Sam went to greet him.

                “Hey Bill, what’s up?” asked the shifter.

                “I wondered if you would come with me for about an hour to Hot Shot?” asked Bill.

                “Sure,” he said. “Something up?”

                “I will tell you more in the car,” said Bill. Sam looked at Luna and she pursed her lips but said nothing. He followed Bill to his car and got in. “I am afraid Luna does not care for you being involved with our troubles.”

                “Luna is just worried,” said Sam. “Being pregnant and having this stuff going on.”

                “We are trying to involve you as little as possible,” said Bill. “Calvin approached Rachel today and told her they smelled a vampire around Hot Shot.”

                “Who do you think it is?” asked Sam. Bill shrugged.

                “We have our tracker to sniff things out,” said Bill. “She will at least be able to identify them again if she sees them.”

                “I will sniff around too. Think she would let me go first?” asked Sam.

                “Sure,” said Bill. “Eric is meeting us as well.”

                “So Eric is the king of your state now?” asked Sam.

                “No, he is regent,” said Bill. “De Castro is king.”

                “I never featured Eric as the leader sort of guy, not like that,” he said.

                “Frankly, he was never that interested in our politics beyond what he already was. But now that he has Sky... Eric and Luna have a lot in common. He very much wants to have a world where he and Sky are safe. He mainly just wants to have his bar and make money and enjoy his life with her. Luna wants that too. She doesn’t want much, just to be left alone to be with you, work in the bar and enjoy her life with you and the baby.”

                “I hadn’t thought about that,” he said. “Vampires wanting a family.”

                “It is a new thing,” said Bill.

                “Did you want a family with Sookie?”

                “I could never give her a family. I could never give her children and I could never give her a day life with me. I could never make her happy. Eric either as it turns out,” said Bill.

                “But you can make a family with Rachel?” he asked.

                “Rachel cannot have children and I don’t think that is her priority. But yes, I can make the best family I can with her. It won’t be easy, but I will work hard to try to make a family with her,” he said.

                “That’s all you can do,” said Sam. “I wonder what it is like over there, if she is happy, healthy.”

                “I do too,” said Bill.

                Bill pulled into the crossroads of Hot Shot. It had been years since he had seen Hot Shot and he remembered the houses being grey and a little dismal. But under Calvin’s leadership, the houses were clean, they were looked after and there were glowing lights and smoke coming up from chimneys. There was a new structure with a sign that said School House over the door and the ground around there had been raked neatly. There was an outdoor shelter for cookouts. Some of the houses had wreaths and other decorations for Christmas out. A door opened and Calvin came out. He walked up to the car. Bill rolled down his window. “Hey Bill, thanks for coming out.”

                “Sam wants to go and sniff around,” said Bill. “Eric is bringing the other tracker.”

                “Sure Sam, go to it,” said Calvin. Sam got out and shed his clothes and turned into a hound and moseyed around the houses. “I got my people indoors tonight so you could do your thing.”

                “Keep your people close to home till we can track down the vampire. I know I am troubling you near the full moon,” said Bill.

                “There is nothing I can do to avoid that, but maybe we could send the kids to just spend the night at your woman’s center?” asked Calvin. “I hate to ask.”

                “Of course,” said Bill. “She told me she offered.”

                “She’s a good woman,” said Calvin.

                “She is,” said Bill. Sam came back shifting as he came back and put his clothes back on.

                “The scent is nothing I recognize but I smell something odd, like someone is trying to mask their scent,” said Sam. Bill nodded. About that time, Eric pulled up in his corvette.

                “That kind of car is liable to get hurt here at Hot Shot,” said Calvin. Sam snickered. Eric came over.

                “Sam sniffed around a little and he said the scent was of the vampire,” said Bill.

                “Heidi, go check it out,” said Eric. She nodded and took off. “Can you keep everyone safe here Calvin?”

                “For the next couple of days. But the full moon is coming and some of us who don’t shift are just a handful and not enough to watch over the children,” said Calvin.

                “Rachel has offered the center,” said Bill.

                “No and I can explain why. The center is bugged. They will know where you hide your children by listening to the bugs,” said Eric. “If we debug, they will know something is about to happen.”

                “Some could stay with me and Luna and some could stay with Jason,” said Sam. “They would be close to home.”

                “That may be a better solution,” said Calvin. “But Bill you tell Rachel we appreciate it and we don’t forget an offer of kindness.”

                “I will send her your message,” said Bill.  Heidi came out around the buildings.

                “Do you know who it is?” asked Eric.

                “Isabel Beaumont,” said Heidi. “But there was a human smell too, hard to pick up on because he was wearing something hunters wear, some sort of scent.”

                “It is something hunters call fox piss, to mask the human smell. Did you recognize the human scent?” asked Eric.

                “No,” she said. “But I doubt Isabel was interested in your people.”

                “Thanks,” said Calvin. “But you get the word to your people Eric. Hot Shot is not a good place for vampires to be creeping around. We won’t ask questions about friend or foe.”

                “I will do that very thing, they will be considered warned and I will not hold you or your people responsible for their true death or severe injury,” said Eric.

                “Thank you,” said Calvin. “I want to be your ally but I have to take care of my people. Call on me anytime.”

                “I understand Calvin,” said Eric.

                “Bill, take Sam back to Merlotte’s. Would it be acceptable if we had a short meeting at your house?” asked Eric.

                “Of course Eric, I will meet you there,” said Bill.

                “Please call Rachel so she will not be surprised,” said Eric.

                Rachel was watching out the window when she saw the sleek sports car pull in to her drive. She went to the house panel and opened the gate for him and he drove through and parked in the circle drive. She watched the big blond and the smaller female vampire get out of the car. Rachel was fascinated how a big guy like Eric could slide into a small car like that red corvette. Sky said it was real interesting to watch. She opened the door and Eric stopped. “You have to invite me in,” he said.

                “Oh,” said Rachel. “Come in Eric, Heidi. Why did I have to invite you?”

                “The house belongs to both of you, Bill could come and go without a problem, but your invitation was needed so I could cross the threshold,” he said.

                “Ah,” she said. “Would you like a TrueBlood? Heidi?”

                “Yes, thank you,” said Eric. Heidi nodded. She went into the kitchen and grabbed two bottles of blood and popped them in the microwave. Eric was looking at the Christmas Tree. Rachel grabbed the bottles when they were ready and she shook them up and brought them to Eric and Heidi. She was looking at the pictures on the mantel. “I like your Yule tree.”

                “Thank you,” she said. She went back to the kitchen island and went back to making her pomanders. She had the oranges and she was poking holes in them with a shish kabob skewer and then she would insert the cloves into the holes. Eric came to observe the operation. “Does the smell bother you?”

                “No,” he said. “What are they for?”

                “Oh, you hang them in your windows and they sweeten the air. They are pomanders,” she explained. “Are you well Eric?”

                “I am very well,” he said. “Have you completed you wedding plans?”

                “Yeah, they are pretty simple,” said Rachel, popping in a clove.  “I am going to set up an altar there by the fire, and I will come down the stairs. I think Michele is going to play Vivaldi’s Spring for me. I hate the usual wedding march. Then you will stand just the other side of the table and Sky and Sam will stand up for us. Bill tells me there is a blood sharing ritual so I ordered one of those little dagger and cup sets and I had them engraved. “She continued to pop cloves into the orange. “Sky can wear whatever she likes, because it is so informal. “

                “Are your parents going to be there?” asked Eric.

                “Yes,” she said. “They are coming in for Christmas Eve and then staying through New Years to be at the wedding.”

                “Then they must come with you to our home for Christmas evening,” said Eric.

                “I will invite them,” she said.

                “Sky’s parents turned their back on her because of her love for me,” said Eric.

                “Well, I understand that was a rift long overdue,” said Rachel. “Bill is almost home.”

                “Your parents like Bill?” asked Eric.

                “Yes,” she said. “But my parents are real liberals. My dad is a lawyer, he is retired but he still gives his services to the Southern Poverty Law Center and my mom was a teacher. They are Catholics but the real liberal kind. They raised me to be the same way.”

                “It is good to be open minded about some things but closed minded about others,” said Eric, watching her skewer another orange.

                “Well, if you had a human daughter, would you let her marry a vampire like you?” asked Rachel.

The Viking looked at Rachel hard and at first, she thought she had insulted him and then his face softened.

                “I would not. I would probably like a vampire more like Bill,” said Eric.

                “Well he isn’t perfect either,” said Rachel. “He told me how sneaking he was with Sookie, trying to procure her for his queen, lying to her, all that stuff. I probably would have broken up with him and stayed away from him too.” Eric smiled and laughed.

                “You are very honest,” he said.

                “Well, I am only this open with you because I trust you and I think of you as someone my soon to be husband works for and with and I think I might be able to like you if you would loosen up,” she said, poking holes in her orange.

                “I would be afraid of crossing you, Rachel,” he said. “Perhaps that is why I am careful with you.”

                “Yeah, I know how to use one of these,” she said, waving her skewer. “Sky is the closest thing I have had in the way of a best friend for a long time and I like to see her happy. You make her happy.”

                “I hope so,” he said. Their conversation was interrupted by Bill. He went over and kissed Rachel and looked at Eric.

                “We should explain to Rachel why we had to rescind her invitation to Calvin to take in the children of his clan.” Rachel looked at Bill.

                “It is nothing bad sweetheart except the help center is bugged,” he said.

                “Damn, I forgot about that,” said Rachel. “When can we call in the exterminator?”

                “After New Years, once both of you girls are protected by our marriages,” said Eric.

                “So who was sniffing around Hot Shot?” asked Rachel.

                “One of our ally’s but we believe they were actually after a dangerous human,” said Bill.

                “You guys don’t play well with others do you?” said Rachel. Bill chuckled.

                “No we don’t,” said Eric. “Hopefully though, we will have no more troubles and we can relax before the wedding and get ready for the holidays. Bill, I have invited you and Rachel and her parents to our home for Christmas evening.”

                “That is very thoughtful of you Eric,” said Bill.

                “Good night, Rachel,” said Eric.  Heidi gave them both a nod and Bill walked them out. When they were gone, Bill returned to Rachel.

                “Is everything okay?” he asked.

                “Sure,” she said. “I tried to get Eric to loosen up. He is always so stiff and formal around me.”

                “I like Eric keeping his distance from you,” he said.

                “I am sooo not his type,” said Rachel, poking cloves into the last orange. “And he is definitely not my type.”

                “You mean you would not sleep with Eric?” asked Bill.

                “I wouldn’t want to make the long climb to get to him,” said Rachel. Bill laughed and hugged her and kissed her.  “You on the other hand I would scramble after.”

                Sky was putting together the Christmas tree that had come in the mail a day or so. It was a very high-end artificial tree and it looked very real. Eric came in and stood behind her sliding his arms around her. “How were things, did you manage to get things figured out?”

                “Yes, the vampire is an ally, they were actually tracking someone,” said Eric.

                “Who was it?”

                “Isabel Beaumont,” said Eric.

                “Wasn’t she the one you told me about who had the lawyer boyfriend, the one who paid the fines for those assholes who were outside the college that afternoon?”

                “Of course!” he said. If he were a human man he would have hit himself on the forehead with the palm of his hand. Sky smiled when he pulled out his phone and dialed a number and rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Isabel, Eric. Listen, you were scented around Hot Shot. Were you after Hugo Ayres?” he stepped away and Sky mounted the stepladder to begin hanging the lights. They were expensive reproductions of the old-fashioned bubble lights.

                “Is there a reason he is sniffing around the panthers of Hot Shot?” asked Eric.

                “We have reason to believe he was looking to abuse one of the kids and then put a call in to CPS and report there was abuse occurring and have the children taken away from the community,” said Isabel. “I was going to kill him. I owe him a death anyway.”

                “If you catch up to him, keep him alive, bring him to Fangtasia and we will have some fun,” said Eric.

                “I will,” said Isabel.

                “Good night,” said Eric

                “Good night Regent Northman,” she said laughing. He returned to Sky who was stringing another string of lights, finally getting low enough to step off her ladder. He watched her.

                “Can I help you?” he asked.

                “I have the hardest part done, then you can begin handing up ornaments,” she said. “And you can put the star on top.”

                “Not an angel?” he asked.

                “No, my bold beautiful Pagan, I am making this a secular Yule tree,” she said.

                “This is not exactly what my people did you know,” he said.

                “I know, but this is an excellent compromise,” said Sky, tweaking the wires of lights. They were already bubbling, making a beautiful effect.”

                “Lovely,” he said. She climbed back up the ladder. “I saw Rachel this evening. I made sure she knew she and Bill and her family were welcome to the house for Christmas evening.”

                “Thank you,” said Sky. “I think they were actually going to bow out and not come. Now they may come. Rachel is a little intimidated by you.”

                “Intimidated by me?” asked Eric. She pointed to a box and he picked it up and she motioned for him to give her an ornament. He handed her one randomly. “Why should I intimidate her?”

                “You are so formal and stand offish with her. She wants to like you very much but she doesn’t know how to relate to you,” said Sky.

                “I spoke to her very politely this evening,” said Eric. “She was making pomanders with oranges and cloves.”

                “I used to make those. Did they please you?” she asked.

                “They were very pleasant,” said Eric handing her another ornament.

                “Then I will make a few, when we get back from New Orleans,” said Sky.

                “I’m sorry the wedding is not what you would like,” said Eric.

                “Hey, don’t worry about it, love,” she said. “We will be together and we will be married. If we want, once this is over, for our first wedding anniversary, we can renew our vows and have it the way we want it. All I want is to be married to you.” She leaned back a little to look at the tree. She felt Eric’s hand reach up to hers and hand her down the ladder a little. He continued to hand her the ornaments, putting down an empty box for another box until they were finished.  Sky gathered all the cartons and the tree box and dragged it into the cupboard and washed her hands. Eric joined her and she put her soapy hands over his and they ran their hands over the other till they were clean and he picked up a dishtowel and dried her hands in his.  He hugged her against him and she reached up behind her and stroked his hair.

                “Can I redeem my rain check?” he whispered in her ear.

                “Yes you may,” she said.

                The next few days was a race to New Orleans. Sky finished her semester and packed up her office. She recalled the last evening, when she turned in her final grades and grabbed her last box of things, she forbad Eric to come in with her. Reynolds was leaning against the door of his office. “I told you bitch, thin ice,” he said.

                “My man is going to eat you. I have kept him off you for a while now because that is the way I am and the way I have tried to be in my life. No one has to like anyone else but everyone should be allowed to live in peace. Now, you are free game. He is going to hurt you. I know that, and I will not be able to stop him. You want to talk about hell, who goes, who gets saved. You are going to find out hell is cold and there are teeth,” she said. “Who is on thin ice now?” He sneered at her and she hitched up her box and walked out with Emilio. “Don’t say anything to Eric about what I said to Reynolds.”

                “I wouldn’t Sky,” he said.

                “You called me Sky,” she said.

                “Well, you aren’t a professor anymore, I figure we are the colleagues now,” said the were.

                Gifts were arriving ahead of the wedding. They were huge and expensive she was sure and she stacked them neatly around the tree. She had a bride book and she would be able to send cards out to the gift senders, signing them Eric and Sky Northman. She and Eric had a bit of fight about that. She wanted to do the hyphenate Faulconer-Northman but Eric, who had come from an older time did not approve and he did not think it would work if he meant not to only marry her for love but for her protection. She acquiesced and agreed to be Skyller Rae Northman. Her fem-lit teacher would have a stroke.

                Eventually the day came that Eric and Sky would head out for New Orleans. She hired a limousine to take her and Eric in his travel coffin to New Orleans and Khan drove a rental car behind them. They were staying at Blood on the Quarter. What had started out as a small, slightly seedy vampire hotel was now a luxury place in New Orleans and Eric had reserved the top floor. Bill and Rachel were coming that evening in a convoy with Pam and India and the other Fangtasia vampires and the sheriffs and their seconds and human companions. There was to be a feast, the ceremony and a grand ball. The King of Nevada was staying in the royal palace, which had belonged to Sophie Anne and was his by conquest. The ceremonies, the investment of Eric as Regent and his marriage to Sky would take place at the old monastery. Sky planned to go to the monastery the next day to look at the room and check all of the preparations.  

                She was quiet in the limo, her hand straying to the surface of the brushed metal of the travel coffin her groom lay in, sleeping his day sleep. Sky refused to refer to it as day death as some vampires and textbooks described it. True Eric did not move around like a human in sleep, but he did move a little and he often said feeling her lying next to him as he began to wake and feeling her kiss him and stroke his face was the sweetest part of his waking. He had never known a woman who did this. Truthfully there were not many women who stayed around in his home while he slept. Only Sookie and Sky in recent times. She took out her iPad and got an email from Rachel asking her if there was anything she needed, to let her know and she and Bill would pick it up this evening.  She told her not that she could think of but would email her.

                She then went on some vampire web sites to check out the news. She followed vampire only websites under Eric’s name because some of them were restricted. She read news articles, collected useful information and followed the legislation for vampires and their human companions. She hated that expression but surprisingly that is how most people who were in intimate relationships with vampires referred to themselves. When she finished that, she opened her e-book, written by a vampire, and settled into the world of fangfiction.  

                They stopped and went through a drive through and parked in highway parking area and ate in the car. She and Khan rolled down their windows and chatted as they ate. He was a nice person, a quiet type and he worked with Eric closely. She trusted the were with her man’s afterlife and she knew he would protect her as well. After they finished with their lunch, they headed on to New Orleans.

               

                You would think New Orleans would not be so crowded during the Christmas season but the new draw was the vampires who lived there full time or part time and had businesses and humans who really wanted to see vampires up close and personal headed to the Big Easy. Sky personally did not care for New Orleans. She was like a mistreated and abandoned child who has had to resort to whoredom for her living. She was garish and sad, pretending to love you but only wanting your twenty bucks. They pulled into the port cochere and Sky got out. Khan was beside her as the limo drivers got out and pulled Eric’s coffin from the back of the car and pulled it into the lobby of the hotel and the bell boys went to get the bags and boxes of gifts to the wedding party. Some were sort of plain non descript sorts of gifts but some were elaborate. Sky and Eric bought Russell and Bart a beautifully hand illustrated gay kama sutra bound in wood and brass and mother of pearl. For their king, they bought him an expensive watch and chain in engraved gold. Privately Eric was telling De Castro his time was almost up.

                There were other things they bought. For Rachel and Bill he bought them a lovely chess set of onyx and ivory as Bill said he and Rachel liked to play. For their wedding Eric had bought them a 6^th century Chinese pillow book. They could play chess some other evening, he wanted to make sure the two played other games on their wedding night. There were also small jewel boxes with pins and pendants and small collections of perfume designed for vampire olfactory pleasure but might squick a human out if they knew what it really smelled like to vampires.

                They were taken up to the suite. It was a beautiful and sumptuous suite. Khan backed out and went to his own room after they set the coffin on a low bier and Sky went to work unpacking their clothes and hanging up her gown and checking on the times the hairdresser would be ready tomorrow to do her hair.  She laid down on the bed and stretched, tired from her long drive and read the room service menu and selected her supper for later and then relaxed to take a nap.

                Rachel had the car packed and her supper eaten by the time Bill rose and had his TrueBlood and they hit the road. They met the convoy on the road to Baton Rouge and drove through the darkness. Bill held her hand and they chatted about the royal wedding, the holidays and her parents and their own wedding night. They spoke only of the good and exciting things they were looking to do over the next week and a half or so. After the holidays, the center would be opened and there would be work to do for all of them. Truthfully, waiting to open had been nerve wracking.

                By the time they hit New Orleans, it was almost midnight. They pulled into the port cochere and their bags were unloaded they went up to register and then their room. They were next door to Eric and Sky and Sky was overjoyed to see them. She pulled Bill and Rachel in their suite. She looked a little nervous. “I am so glad you guys are here. The king has been demanding Eric’s presence and he wants him to bring me and Eric is not cooperating,” said Sky. “He has been arguing with him.”

                “Damn,” said Bill. “Stay here.” Bill went out of the room and into the suite. Eric was pacing, angry. “Eric?”

                “He wants me to bring her to the palace so he can taste her,” said Eric. “I will not allow her to submit to this.”

                “You know how backward thinking he is,” said Bill. “He is claiming the right to her blood before she is married to you. You know he could demand more.”

                “No,” said Eric, shaking his head. “That will not happen.”

                “What is going on?” said Russell Edgington.

                “He is claiming his right to taste her,” said Eric.

                “Disgusting,” said Russell. “I heard that about him. Well, we simply cannot allow it; we can’t subject that young woman to this sort of thing.”

                “He is demanding her,” said Eric. “He will send emissaries for her.”

                “Tell you what, let me and Stan and Barty go and meet with him and tell him he can’t make that sort of demand, it would be unseemly. We will appeal to his sense of decorum. We will even say this will make you balky and hard to control,” said Edgington.

                “He will not touch Sky. She is mine,” said Eric.

                “Calm down Eric, we won’t allow it,” said Bill. “Now, get ready to go down for the banquet. Calm down for Sky, you both need to be calm and collected.”

                “She won’t want to go through with this, she will leave me,” said Eric.

                “No she won’t. She knows she is surrounded by friends. Eric, there are more of us than there are of him and his minions and even his guardians. He won’t harm her,” said Bill.

                “Where is Sky?” he asked.

                “She is in the suite with Rachel,” he said. “Calm down and I’ll send her back to you.” Eric nodded. Bill turned and went back to the suite.

                “What is wrong?” she said.

                “Sky, please be calm. What I am going to tell you is disturbing but you have to trust all of us we will not allow anything to happen to you. Do you know what prima nocta is?”

                “Yes, first night, in medieval times the lord of an area could claim sexual rights to any young girl on her wedding day,” she said. “But that has been relegated to historical myth.”

                “Well there is a vampire version of that and it is an old vampire practice, one done by backward thinking vampires today. It doesn’t always mean sex, but it always means blood. He wants Eric to present you for the right to taste you before you are absolutely off limits,” said Bill.

                “But the mine rule…” she said.

                “The mine rule applies to every vampire but a king or queen,” said Bill. “Once you are married to him, then you are off limits to everyone.”

                “Well, why would he want to drink from me?” asked Sky.

                “He would do it and make Eric watch him as he fed from you. Usually from an intimate place, like the inside of the thigh or the breast. He might decide he wants to go further. And Eric will die before he allows that,” said Bill. “Russell and Bart and Stan are going to just drop in and talk him out of such a disastrous thing. Now, Sky, look at me. I need you to be very calm. I need you to send that calm to Eric. His life may depend upon it. When he calms down, then we will all go to the reception and we will not allow De Castro to harm you.”

                “Okay,” she said, breathing out slowly. She closed her eyes and took a slow breath and blew it out slowly. “He feels better.”

                “Okay, be confident, believe me, we will keep you safe Sky, and you can help us keep Eric safe,” said Bill.

                “I will,” said Sky. She turned and went back into the big beautiful suite. Eric was sitting on a couch. Pam was sitting in the chair across from him. They had been talking.

                “I will see you later Pam,” he said.

                “Sure,” she said. “Hello Sky, you look absolutely lovely tonight.”

                “Thank you,” she said. “What time is the reception?”

                “An hour, to let us late arrivals get settled and have a meal,” said Pam. “We’ll see you there.”

                “You bet,” she said. “Close the door on your way back out.”

                “Sure will,” she said, smiling sweetly. She closed the door and Sky went and knelt between Eric’s thighs.

                “Hey babe, everything is okay,” she said. She put her hand on his chest. He looked at her. “Eric, everything will be okay.”

                “You don’t know what he wants,” said Eric, cupping her face.

                “Yes I do, Bill told me it was some form of vampire prima nocta,” she said. Eric looked away. “Hey, as long as I know what is going on, I am not scared and I am prepared for whatever might happen. We are surrounded by our allies. He can’t do anything.”

                “I would be so dangerous if he tried to…taste…you,” he said.

                “I know,” she said. “But he will not get a chance. Eric, this is my wedding. It is not exactly what I want but he will not stop me from being yours, mind, body, blood and soul. The only vampire who is going to drink from me is you.”

                “You are so brave,” he said.

                “It is because I have Viking vampire blood in me. A thousand years of war and passion and courage. We can’t let him see we are shaken,” she said. “Now go and get changed and get ready to walk me down to our reception. I want to drink a glass of wine and have some snacks and I want to dance with you and be with you and be proud of being yours. I am yours, and you are mine and no one changes that.” Eric leaned forward and pulled her against him and held her. He kissed her hard, roughly and she kissed him back. He buried his face in her hair and breathed in her scent and calmed down and prepared to begin the first open battle.

                Sky looked festive in a crème colored sweater and a dark green woolen skirt and black boots. Eric had given her a silver dagger and she slid it into her boot. “Now I feel like a real pirate’s wench.”

                “Don’t hesitate lover,” he said. “Put it in his heart.”

                “I will, just let’s not be reckless. You look beautiful. This sky blue is beautiful on you,” she said.

                “Stay close to either me or Bill or Pam. De Castro is only a few hundred years old,” he said.

                “I will,” she said. “Kiss me Eric.” He bent down and kissed her gently and thoroughly. They sealed their kiss and he took her hand. She put her left hand on his arm and he saw her engagement ring.

                “Mine,” he said.

                “Yours,” she said.

                The party was beginning when they made their way down. There was no sign of De Castro, but Russell and Bart and Stan Davis were there talking to Isaiah Boone and Samuel Drew the king of Ohio. Pam, India, and Indira were in a little knot with Rachel and Bill and Isabel Beaumont. Everyone stopped and clapped for them. Sky smiled brilliantly and she nudged Eric a little and he nodded and smiled a closed mouth little smile. They came through the crowd and Eric introduced to her to so many vampires and their children and their human companions she could never remember all of them. She was much admired and Eric seemed to relax just a fraction. Sky spotted Rachel and he let her go to walk the few feet to Rachel and Bill.

                Rachel was festive in a deep burgundy color tunic in Indian linen with matching pants and silk heels of the same color. Indira came over to compliment her about the outfit and even gave her a cloth of gold scarf to compliment it. Her hair was braided in an elaborate braid courtesy of India who would have happily corn rowed her hair had she had the time. Bill was wearing black, a black turtleneck and slacks and jacket.

                “You look like a princess,” said Rachel.

                “Thank you and you look lovely as well, that color is wonderful,” said Sky.

                “Of course both of you ladies are beautiful,” said Russell. “Bill and Eric both are very lucky vampires as far as I am concerned.”

                “I am nearly dying of jealousy. He sees me four times a year for two weeks per visit and he never minds what I look like and here he is complimenting you beautiful women,” said Bart.

                “Come now honey, you know you are the one for me,” said Russell, cupping Barty’s face. Of course, no one pretended they were sexually faithful to one another. They both had their own kingdoms and duties and responsibilities and so they both had their playmates.

                “And you must have gotten Eric out of his dreary dark colors and put him in that blue sweater,” said Russell. “Why he looks good enough to eat.”

                “Well, I hope the both of us are off a certain menu,” said Sky. Russell laughed over his sip of TrueBlood.

                “Bold young woman. Yes, yes, we made fun of a certain person for being so backward thinking and encouraged him to get a blood whore and work it out with her,” said Barty. “He thinks too much of himself. Don’t worry, you are safe as houses.”

                They were chatting comfortably and drinking wine and even managed a few munchies when the King decided to make his appearance. Sky would say he had dressed out of the Johnny Cash Collection. Eric put his arm around her and she grabbed his hand. She squeezed his hand and thought it was a good thing Eric was a vampire. She would have crushed his hand she was squeezing so hard.

                He walked toward Eric and Sky and Eric bowed to his king and she curtsied to him. He looked at them imperiously and tried to decide if the couple was breaching some other protocol. He must have decided they passed inspection.

                “Please, no need to do that,” he said. “I am happy to be here to celebrate the happy occasion. I make you my regent in my most lucrative kingdom and marry you. Eric, did you know you and your lovely bride will be the first vampire/human married couple in my kingdom?”

                “No your majesty, but we are honored to learn of it,” said Eric. That Eric was so cool butter would not melt in his mouth was the consensus of those who knew what was going on.

                “Sky, you are so very beautiful, now I understand why Eric has kept you hidden away,” said De Castro. He took her hand and planted his cool lips on the back of her hand. Eric remained expressionless.

Suddenly Stan Davis appeared at Sky’s other side.

                “Felipe you have monopolized Sky enough. Between you and Barty and Russell and Eric, I have not had time to speak to her,” he said. “Come and trip the light fantastic with me, darlin’.” Sky looked back at Eric and he nodded. Barty went to Rachel.

                “Come on hun, let’s you and I do a turn,” he said. Rachel smiled at him and took his hand and he spun the both of them on to the dance floor.

                “You are doing very well,” said Stan. “Stay cool, you are surrounded by friends.”

                “Where is Eric?” she asked.

                “He is okay. Bill and Russell and Delilah are closing ranks. Eric is safe,” said Stan. “So, are you just a human or do you have some special ability?”

                “I assure you I have no special ability. I can barely whistle,” said Sky.

                “That is the only reason he wants to do what he wants to do,” said Stan. “He thinks you have a hidden talent.”

                “I am not Sookie Stackhouse,” said Sky.

                “And Sookie was no Sky Faulconer,” said Stan.

                “After the new year I want the two of you to come to Nevada and meet with me. I have a few issues I wish to discuss with you and some ideas I want to put forth,” said De Castro.

                “Of course your majesty,” said Eric.

                “I am sorry about earlier this evening Eric. I am, I suppose, not as in control of my moods as I should be,” said De Castro. “This has been such an arduous year, with the death of Freyda and our shared troubles with her and her kingdom.”

                “It is surely something we can work out together,” said Eric.

                “Perhaps,” said De Castro. “Still, it is a tragedy we lost our friend Sookie.”

                “Your majesty, may I be blunt about Miss Stackhouse?”

                “You may,” said De Castro.

                “Sookie was a talented telepath and she was a charming and sexually alluring companion, as all of her kind is, but she hated us. Now, that would not have precluded her usefulness, but it certainly leads me to wonder how often she may have misled us or endangered us. Since her death and my involvement with my bride, I have gained a little perspective. Sookie was a selfish, self-serving woman who used us and our willingness to care about her. I was literally bewitched by the blood and I am well rid of her. She simply was not worth her talents,” said Eric.

                “And you Bill?” asked De Castro.

                “She and I had parted ways some time ago. I have found a woman more perfectly matched to my tastes,” said Bill. De Castro studied the two vampires.

                “Well this is a most unexpected change of heart,” said De Castro.

                “It comes with time and distance,” said Eric.

               

                Sky and Rachel were returned to their partners. De Castro turned to Rachel. “You are lovely my dear, are you of Spanish heritage?”

                “I am actually of French extract and probably a smidge of Native American and though no one in my family admits it a pinch of Creole,” said Rachel.

                “Your majesty, Rachel’s father is a lawyer and a member of the Southern Poverty Law Center,” said Bill.

                “Ah,” he said. “Civil rights. And I understand you are the one who has begun the Tolerance Center in Bon Temps.”

                “I have King Russell and King Bart to thank for their idea. I would never have thought of anything like that had I not met them.” Rachel cast a beaming eye on the two kings and they beamed back as if she was a loved and doted upon daughter.

                “They have always been valuable friends,” said De Castro. “Ah well…I am going to say good night to you. I have tickets to Black Moon Entertainment. Eric you and Bill should bring Sky and Rachel to see the show.”

                “I am afraid we are not interested in such entertainments,” said Eric.

                “Perhaps one night when it is the three of us, we can have a men’s night out,” he said. “I doubt your ladies would begrudge you a chance to relax among your own. If there is anything I worry about when vampires, particularly the men of our kind, marry, they tend to forget they are vampires. Their fangs simply become a part of their peacock sexual display when they fuck.” He looked at Sky and Rachel. “But pardon me ladies, I have been crude. The night has been very exciting and I am afraid it is taking its toll. If you will excuse me.” The group directly around the King of Nevada made their bows and curtseys and he turned and left.