April 14 Meeting

Wednesday April 14

I made it a point to ignore the two Vampires sitting on opposite couches facing each other, speaking in voices far too low to hear. I stared at the computer screen, scanning the search for any word about the new adventures. We had of course seen the bits from Alan Ball, showing Jason and Jessica and Eric and Bill and Sophie Anne, the Vampire Queen of Louisiana. I wondered if the Vampires were as worried as I was.

The rest of the gang, now entering their third month on The Council, were busy discussing what they thought it all meant. Aolani was basting a large hen and Westexan was taking her macaroni salad out of the fridge and Minnie was mashing potatoes. Fairy had brought her certified southern Key Lime pie and Scarlett brought chocolate cake so decadent, so sexy, the FDA would get you for molesting food just for sniffing it. Lina and Linzy were chatting with Dude and GS and Blue. GS had been pimping us out pretty good to other forums and web sites. Violet was chatting with Jessica, looking at a magazine with bright summer colors screaming at them. Nicky was giving Pam a manicure and though the Vampire was listening to Nicky, she was also listening to Bill and Eric. Don’t ask me how I know, I just do. I suppose Pam’s relaxed face was a dead giveaway.

So we were 7 ½ weeks til June. Then the anxiety levels would rise, we would become perhaps restless and petulant, but would we be ready? Could we stand up to the things we saw? And how would we, I and my sister wives, get along without our Bill. We were assured that he would be okay, but none of us relished the notion he would suffer. And then there was my complicated relationship with both my Vampire and my human lover, who was on the forum fairly regularly and had attended his first chat and had asked me to marry him. I had yet to discuss this with Bill Compton, though I know he knew because he watched the forum like any of us.

As to the adventures, we still knew nothing about Hunter. Looking for word was fruitless. But with the tid from Alan Ball, we knew that Jason may well be in the clutches of the denizens of Hot Shot, but what did that mean? We knew he would run into trouble with the were people of that little community. We then saw suggestions of further troubles with Tara and Sookie, Lafayette, Bill and Eric and Jessica.

“Aslinn, could you join me and Bill for a second,” asked the Sheriff of Area Five. I nodded. I got out of the computer chair and Jessica and Scarlett rushed for it, Jessica beating Scarlett of course, laughing as she spun to face the computer and Scarlett grabbed her shoulders and squeezed her. I sat down by Bill, not just so I could sit by my Vampire lover, but face the Viking. “Aslinn, what does your friend the Barrister bring to the table?”

“I don’t know what he can do. He is a lawyer, he has some money, he is very smart. But does he know about Vampire Law, I don’t know,” I said.
“With you by his side, I am sure you could help him,” said the Viking, his eyes barely flickering at Bill to observe his discomfort if there be any. I rolled my eyes and thought vile words. Eric smirked at me. He could not tell by Vampiric means what I was thinking but my eyes screamed my emotions.
“I will always try my best to help my Vampire friends,” I said.

“Supper is ready,” called Aolani. I stood up and Bill stood with me. Though the Vampires did not eat, they sat table with us and drank Tru:Blood. Bill poured wine for all his spirit wives and kissed Vi warmly when she brought him a Tru:Blood. We ate and chatted and relaxed. We would be serious when the meeting began.

After supper and we cleared away the dishes, Renee joking that she wished we would come up and clean her kitchen after supper. While the dishes chugged around in the heavy duty dishwasher, we grabbed our freshly filled drinks and went and took our places to talk about things we were seeing.

Fairy was the first to speak. I had noticed that through dinner she had been casting worried looks at the Viking. “Eric,” she began. “Just how much trouble are you in?”
“Considerable, but try not to worry dearest,” said the Viking. “I am clever enough I think to avoid serious trouble.”
“I don’t doubt you are,” she said, her lips trembling. “But….”
“Be easy,” said Eric. Eric extended his hand to Vi, the keeper of all things Kleenex. Vi extended a handful of tissues and he took them and handed them to his wife. “Raki, any word of Hunter?”
“None,” she said. “We are of course monitoring every avenue.”
“And I have been in contact with several other groups,” said God Speed. “And I have arraigned for the Council to get information when they do.”
“Well, done,” said Eric. “It is imperative we know where this little boy is and when he is found.”
“Why Eric?” asked Renee.
“He is very special, and we want to protect him,” said Eric.

“Is Lafayette going to be in danger as well?” I asked. I was fond of the cook/hustler at Merlottes.
“Why would Lafayette be in danger?” asked Pam.
“Eric is in some sort of trouble with your Queen, so, Lafayette is in trouble too,” I said. “You know, I get that there are a lot of things about your world you can’t or won’t tell us, and that is fine, but you have to tell us if Lafayette is in trouble.”
“Fine,” said Eric. “Lafayette may be in trouble.”
“Thank you Eric,” I said. “That is all we want to know.”

“Aslinn, is there anymore you can tell us about the weres?” asked Dude.
“I know as sure as I say no, I will find something else, but in the next weeks, I will be busy in the library and on the computer trying to find anything new to add to what we know. I know I need to focus more on shifting rather than just the wolves, and that is where I may find more,” I said.

“And the witches, what do we know?” asked Eric.
“You have to understand, Eric, there are many kinds of witch,” explained Aolani. “There are witches who are pagan, there are witches who are Christian, there are witches who practice with a coven and there are witches who practice alone. Some are rooted in different traditions, European, Asian, Afro-Caribbean, Middle Eastern. We all know a little about each other, so that is helpful.”

“What is the thing that is common to all of you?” asked Bill.
“For many of us, it is the Rede, we make a vow that we will ‘Do as ye will an it harm none’. Also, you should know, no witch who follows the Rede can ethically cast against you. If a witch casts against someone’s will, they will pay the price. But this is far down the road, why are you asking about this?” she said.
“It may not be as far down the road as you think,” said Eric.
“Do you believe in witchcraft?” asked Minnie.
“As supernatural being ourselves, we do believe in witchcraft. We don’t trust most witches, but we do trust some,” said Eric. “That is why it pleases me that we have such knowledgeable people in our midst.”

“So, are we still having our adventure in May, our little get together?” asked Pam.
“We sure are,” said Minnie proudly. She had offered to host the party for us as she had a sizable place in beautiful part of the country. I had already began going over my ten and my gear, filling air mattresses to make sure they did not leak, checking my tent, airing my blankets and checking my battery operated lanterns. Fairy was renting a large vacation home on wheels as was Lina and God Speed. Minnie was chattering excitedly, talking about the secure accommodations for our special friends and Eric’s remark that she not be concerned with procuring T:B, that he would see to it.

Then chatter went to the new poster with pictures of Sam in his various states, dog, fly and bull. But the Vampires had knowing looks that troubled me. They were not telling us everything. It worried me, made me anxious. God Speed sidled over to me.
“They aren’t telling us everything are they?” he whispered to the air.
“Shhhhhh,” I said. “We need to have a meeting outside their hearing.”
“You know, I have never been to Merlotte’s,” he said softly.
“Might be a good idea, GS,” I said. “I’ll have Aolani charm us to shield us from Sookie and we will get together and have a chat.”
“When would we do that?” asked God Speed.
“Friday night?” I said.
“Sounds excellent,” he said. “Think the Barrister can join us?”
“I think so,” I said.
“Good,” said God Speed. “We need him to do a little sniffing.” I nodded.
“I don’t like doing this.”
“How can we be of any help to them if we don’t know what to do for them? Damned Vampires, they never tell you anything.”
“Do you really want to know, GS,” I asked.
“Maybe not, but I am afraid not to,” he said. “Funny, we joined True Blood Anonymous to get support for our addictions, but I think somehow, I am just getting more addicted.”

I nodded. I think we had all had that strange sucked in feeling from time to time. The feeling that if we didn’t trawl up to ten times a day, or write something about them, or chat about them we might go into convulsions and foam at the mouth. I remember the first meeting we ever had, in another time and definitely in another place, and we had only waited for two weeks for that. Now we had suffered through another hiatus, had meetings and adventures, had fun and we had love. But most of all we had each other. And we may have been adrift, but we kept our little core together. Our circle had been frayed a little, and we let go of a few hands, but we managed to grab each other and hold on tight. We now had many constant members, adding their talents and words and arts and support.

Perhaps some would say this was unhealthy, an addiction in of itself, but I believe we had made a real community and I was proud of it. And I think they, the reason we came together in the first place, were proud of it as well. I know that there were times I would come in of the evenings and I would see my Bill at the computer or Eric, looking at the forum, reading what was being written.

What I did not know, is that sometimes, the four Vampires met in private to speak of us.

It was 3 hours before dawn and Eric and Bill and Pam and Jessica, coming into her own as a Vampire, were sitting in the Sheriff’s living room in Shreveport. Eric was pensive.
“They know a lot,” said Eric.
“Not enough Eric,” said Bill. “I fear for them.”
“You fear for your spirit wives,” said the Viking quietly.
“And you don’t Eric?” asked Pam. “How often have I seen you pace restlessly at Fangtasia, jumping up as if you were set on fire.”
“My concerns are my own as far as my spirit wives are concerned,” he said.
“What about the others?” asked Jessica. “God Speed, Sal, Dude, Scarlett? Don’t you give a damned about them?”
“Of course we do Jessica,” said Bill.
“The more they know, the more danger they will be in from the Queen,” said Pam.
“But she does not attend the meetings,” said Jessica, “Just a couple of times.”
“Tell her Eric,” said Bill.
“The Queen demands that we bring her to the meetings,” said Eric. “She wants to observe what they are doing.”
“And she wants to watch us,” said Bill.
“Well, she wants to watch Pam and myself, but you, Compton will be noticeably absent,” said Eric.
“We must protect them Eric,” said Bill, looking at the Viking with contempt. Bill might be bound to do as Eric said, but this did not stop the younger Vampire from showing his dislike.
“Do you think I would allow your spirit wives to be harmed?” asked Eric. “They mean something to me as well. Of course I would protect them.”
“Have you told the group your orders from the Queen?” asked Pam.
“No, but I shall and very soon,” said the Viking grimly.

7 ½ weeks is so long.
And Waiting…..well, you know.