Spies Amoung Us: A TBC Adventure

Friday April 16
God Speed and Jen were the first to arrive at Merlotte’s. Sookie had worked the day shift and would not be there. Which to me worked out perfectly, I was never truly comfortable with Sookie anyway. After all, I was sleeping with her boyfriend. And I shared him with four other women. Talk about complicated. Not for us, but for her. She would never understand.

So, I walked in to Merlotte’s wearing my fave casual outfit. A white tank top with another layered on top, blue jeans and tennis shoes and my big bag of crazy slung across my chest and over one shoulder. The Barrister was with me, dressed in his Celtic United tee shirt and jeans and tennis shoes. I could see Lafayette in the kitchen, Tara at the bar, Arlene standing at a table to take an order. Sam was behind the bar too. He looked up and smiled.

“Hey Aslinn,” he said. Sam was a handsome guy and he looked a little sunny and ruddy, as if he had been outside today. “God Speed and his wife are here.” We had met Sam and Sookie when they came to our parlor so Sookie could listen in on the Fellowship of the Sun people who had come to visit us some time back.

“Hey Sam,” I said. “This is my fiancé, Barrister.”
Sam shook hands with my handsome boy. “Is this some sort of a meeting?” he asked, placing both hands on the bar, looking at me.
“Sort of,” I said.
“Well, I tell you what, I’ll fix up the big outdoor area for you to have your meeting in, if you will eat here in the bar,” he said.
“Sounds like a plan,” I said. We went and joined Jen and God Speed. A waitress came by and took my order for a bottle of bud light. I took out my cigarettes and tapped one out and lit it. Barrister ordered a lager.

“I have to say, I am a bit nervous about meeting here without the counselors,” said God Speed.
“I am too, but I have definite feeling about this summer. I think we have to be ready, and if they can’t or won’t tell us, we have to plan ahead,” I said. “This is not like just trying to get the Source and the Connection to tell us the plot lines, it is about something else.”
“I have met someone, a person like our counselors and he has agreed to give me some insight of their world,” said Barrister. “Their world is very complex.”
“Do you think the lead counselor wants a lawyer because of ….the young counselor?” asked GS. We had reverted back to our old euphemisms for our fanged friends. You never knew who might be listening.
“It may be, but from what I understand a wind of democracy is blowing through the community. They have operated in this very…tightly controlled system for some time,” said the Barrister. “Now they are out in the open, they may be chafing at the yoke, so to speak.”

We stopped for a moment as the waitress brought us our beers and we told her we were expecting some friends and would wait for them to show up. The waitress nodded and walked away.

“So you think the lead counselor may be exploring…..” Jen shrugged as the possibilities.
“It is difficult to say, and I will hold my speculations til we are in more secluded surroundings. We began to have ordinary chit chat. I watched the room. I saw so many faces that were familiar to me. Bud Dearborn was having a burger and fries with Andy Bellefleur. Jason was having a beer with Hoyt Fortenberry. Jane Bodehouse was sitting perched on her stool.

Soon, Linzy and Lina, Fairy and Raki, Renee and Scarlett, Dude and Sal (he cast an evil glare at Hoyt as if the poor man would understand why he had that ‘you pissed in my cheerios’ look on Sal’s face), Bella and Minnie, Westexan and Aolani, Butter and SweetandWild, Vi and Val who made up the last of us. Finally we began to order.

I had the Lafayette Burger and fries. Barrister had the chicken strips and onion rings, GS and Jen had the burgers deluxe and fries and we got a basket of fried dill pickles to try out. The rest got their orders, ranging from the cat fish, to the smothered pork chops, to the chicken fried steak. There was much chatter as we ate. The food was good and plentiful and the drink was brought in a timely fashion. Tara brought us drinks as well.

“Are all of you all family?” she asked, a smile that faltered just the tiniest bit.
“We sure are,” said God Speed. “Thanks for taking such good care of us.”
“We are glad you are here,” said Tara. She turned and headed back to the bar.
After we had eaten, I turned to find Sam and I caught his gaze and he nodded. Everything was ready.
“C’mon, let’s pay our food tabs,” I said. We grabbed our bills and went up a table at a time and paid our tabs, leaving sizable tips on the tables for the waitresses and dropping a tip for Tara. Finally we were out in the big storage shed where Arlene had her engagement party. Sam came out with pitchers of beer for us.

“Thanks Sam,” said GS.
“You are welcome,” he said, and headed back to the bar.
“So, what do we think is going on?” asked Dude.
“Barrister, you seemed to have hit on something, you may as well start,” said GS.

“I can’t say that I know for sure precisely,” said Barrister in his London accent. “However, this why I think Eric wants legal advice and why the queen is apparently a trouble spot for him. I happened to speak with a friend of mine from Mississippi, an American lawyer. I asked him if he had contacts in the Vampire community, someone who would meet with me and answer some questions, and he confessed he did, a British Vampire, very high up in the power structure.”

“Mississippi?” asked Renee. “Do they know what will happen to Bill?”
“I do not know Renee, and I doubt he would be able to tell me in a safe way,” explained the Barrister. “I did however meet with this British Vampire. He was very near to Eric’s age and he was very forward thinking.”

“How forward thinking?” asked Sal.
“Forward enough to tell a few things I am not sure the community as a whole would appreciate,” said Barrister. “He explained the way the Vampire community evolved into the system we are a little familiar with.”

Barrister then began to tell us the history of the Vampire world. Compared to human government systems, the Vampire hierarchy was fairly young, only about 600 years old. This was mainly because there were so few Vampires who lived past their first few years and they lived even more underground than they did even two hundred years.

In the times Eric had been made Vampires lived a nomadic existence and traveled in pairs perhaps threes but no more than that. Then there were Vampire groups, more like nests and baronies than Kingdoms. Each group was feudal, very like early Japanese systems under the war lords. Eventually, however, there were enough Vampires in more or less permanent nests or fiefs. As these communities became stronger, they needed more centralized governments. Thus they began to set up the kingdoms and their monarchies.

“Now, you have to keep in mind that Vampires never die unless they are killed,” said Barrister. “So, the matter of who becomes King or Queen was usually a matter of who was the lord or lady of a community. Then the kingdoms were set up into shires or areas and Sheriffs were appointed.”
“So, how did the system get brought here to America?” asked Vi.
“For many years it didn’t, and according to my fangy friend, he explained that the Vampires from the old world actually liked the freedom. They could hunt, predate one another, squabble, much like organized crime groups and these groups had bosses, more like mafia than governments. And it was getting dangerous for not only the Vampires in America, but the ones in the old world as Vampires in America began to complain to their former kings and queens about the need for leadership,” said Barrister.

These complaints became irritants to the kings and queens because then there would be a petition to the king or queen of the offender and the conflicts over who had the right and who was being slighted drove wedges between the basically peaceful monarchs. So it was decided that each king and queen would send a proctor, a man or woman they respected and trusted, to become the king or queen of a specific area in America. A great conclave of European Vampires gathered and with a large world map between them, they negotiated the country and marked it into territories. Thing is, this royal proctor would have to travel, bring their own army, then fight for the kingdom they had been allotted.

“This, my friend explained, caused the great Vampire Range wars,” said Barrister. “The proctors and their armies fought tooth and nail, quite literally, with one another for some years, about fifty in all, to win the territories and establish the kingdoms in America. Of course the war for Independence and the civil war interrupted them, but they managed to stay out of the way of the wars and stay hidden. The American kings and queens became as powerful as the European and they lived quite well.”
“So, how did they come to have the Magister?” asked Jen.
“The Vampire Court system functioned as the Inquisition did in the human world. And that makes sense since the Magister had been an Inquisitor when he was made Vampire,” said Barrister. “He came after the war was over and the newly established kings and queens sent the offending ‘mafioso’ bosses who started all the problems to begin with to him and they were dealt with severely. Since he did such an effective job they decided he would be a permanent fixture of the New World Vampire government.”
“So, do they follow all of the old laws of the European Vampires?” asked Fairy.
“They do. You have the most basic laws on the forum” said Barrister. “But here is the complication now. They are out of the coffin and they have placed themselves somewhat under the aegis of the human government in order to mainstream and many of their laws do not gel with American laws. And this has led to a very exciting shift in the thinking of the Vampires.”
“So….what…what do they want?” asked Minnie.
“When the Vampires came out of the coffin, everyone assumed this had been a great shock. And it had been for regular people but to the government, they had been doing a lot of business with the Vampires, as Vampires are very rich. Sometimes they become wealthier than the kings and queens themselves and the kings and queens would tax them more based on their wealth. So increasingly, the Vampires want to be more, democratic. The tributes they have to pay are far steeper than the tax structures they could take advantage of if they became fully fledged citizens,” said the Barrister.

“But they aren’t full citizens yet,” said Scarlett.
“No, not yet, but my friend told me that even in Britain, there are things in the works to make them full citizens. There is even talk of a Vampire running for Parliament and there are rumors that one member of the House of Lords is actually a puppet for the Vampire who actually owns the title, who had been a hereditary member of the House three hundred years ago when he became Vampire,” said the Barrister. “So it would not be beyond the scope of thought if the same things were happening in America.”
“What does this have to do with Eric?” asked Sal.

“Think about what you know about Eric. He is very old, very wealthy, very powerful in his area except where the Queen is concerned. Eric is paying into two structures: the tax system for the human government in the form of business taxes, property taxes, employee taxes. Then he is paying tribute to his queen, which is considerable. What if Eric wanted to go democratic, exploit the human system more fully without having to pay tribute to a queen who is forcing him to break age old Vampire taboos for money, money in addition to the tributes from the other sheriffs who presumably collect them from their minions, like Bill,” said the Barrister.
All of us fell silent. We let everything sink in. It sounded reasonable.
“So what can we do to help Eric?” asked Fairy.
“Well, I think I know, but it would take a brave person, a woman, and the help of someone I have asked to join us here tonight,” said the Barrister.
“Who?” asked God Speed.
“Miss Pam, will you join us, please?” said the Barrister, turning to the open doorway.
Pam Ravenscroft stepped in, smiling at all of us.

Saturday, April 17

“Pam, won’t you tell the others about the plan,” offered Barrister. He sat down and let Pam speak.
“I won’t waste a lot of your time but get to the point. I need someone to infiltrate the Queen’s nest, someone who would be able to listen and learn, someone brave enough to do it and not get eaten by her majesty or spill their guts,” said the blond Vampire.

“You mean to go in without protection?” asked Westexan.
“Not at all. I would make a blood bond with whoever went and stay close to them. There is a friendly little fang banger I like to taste in Sophie’s court. I would bring this person in to pose as a potential lover for the Queen,” said Pam.
“Why are you doing this?” asked Dude.
“Eric is my maker and I owe him a great deal. Sophie has compromised Eric’s safety. I don’t know how valuable any information gathered might be, but it may at least put us on our guard,” she explained. “Point us in the right direction.”
“Why hasn’t Eric told us he might be in jeopardy?” I asked. “Didn’t he think we would help him?” I think this pissed me off. And from the nods of the others around me, they were a little pissed off too.
“I think Eric was trying to protect you, but I have to tell you what he would not tell you,” said Pam. “Sophie Anne will be taking Bill Compton’s place for a while in our gatherings.”
“Can’t we keep her out, the whole invitation thing?” I asked. “Because I don’t want her in the meetings.”
“Neither does Eric, and since Eric built the room, Sophie or any Vampire can visit the parlor, no Vampire home is sacrosanct from another Vampire,” said Pam.
“So we might one day find some strange Vampire sleeping in our parlor,” asked GS.
“While it is highly unlikely, it would not be beyond possibility,” said Pam.
“Jesus wept,” I said. Eric, I thought, what have you done to us?

“So, who is up for the task?” asked Pam.
“Well, you and I have a blood bond already Pam,” said Scarlett. “I will go.”
“Good girl,” she said. “I will make arrangements for us to be invited to an event at the Queen’s Lair.” Pam came over and kissed Scarlett tenderly on the mouth. “You will do well, just remember, I won’t let anything happen to you.” Then Pam took off at Vampire speed presumably back to Shreveport.

The next day, I was sitting in the parlor with Scarlett, GS, Aolani and Barrister.
“Scarlett honey you sure you want to do this?” I asked. “A room full of Vampires and fangbangers?”
“Sure, if it will help Eric and Pam and us, I would do this,” she said. “Of course the Queen isn’t my type, but I think I can manage to do what needs to be done.”
“Scarlett, I came upon this handy little thing,” said Barrister. “In a little shop in London. It is part of a Scottish bracelet, the bracelet itself is made of pewter but it has what we call a palm dagger. The handle rests in your palm and between your fingers and the blade becomes a part of your fist. It would not harm a Vampire severely in most cases but this blade happens to be made of silver. So perhaps whatever disguise you work up, you could revolve it around that.”

Scarlett took the blade and felt of it in her palm and the way it rested between her fingers. “Where would I cut her?”
“I would go for the jugular,” said Aolani. “And slash at her more than once.” Scarlett nodded.
“What we really need is some listening devices, wireless, something that could be worn in her clothes or jewelry that she would not have to take off,” said GS. “Something we can monitor here in the parlor.”
“I will look into it,” said Aolani. “I have very useful contacts.”
“Now, current human law says they can only feed from willing adults,” said Barrister.
“Sweetie, I don’t think the queen gives a flying rat’s ass for human law,” I said, squeezing his hand.
“Very true,” said Barrister. “Does Sophie fear human government at all?”
“No, but she is a little frightened of her own kind,” said Aolani. “I have also been thinking of a number of things Scarlett may be able to use magically that will help her. She will have many weapons at her disposal.”

“I have a call in to the Magister,” said Barrister. “Have any of you met the Magister?”
“Only one of us have,” said God Speed. “Aslinn.”
“I don’t know what sort of pull I have with him, he doesn’t care for humans,” I said. “Why do you have a call in?”
“I am representing myself as a brief interested in Vampire rights work, who wants to talk to him about the legal structure,” he said. “I set up the meeting with my fangy friend in London.”
“Can your friend join us?” I asked. “I would feel better if you had a Vampire with you.”
“I have a Vampire going with me,” said Barrister. “I am taking Eric with me.”
“Eric?” asked God Speed. “How are you doing that?”
“I told Eric that if he wants me to be his consiglieri he would have to help me understand the Vampire world and its laws. So, I will be going to see the Magister with him,” he said.
“Be careful chere,” I said.
“Eric said he wouldn’t let anything happen to me,” said Barrister.
“Eric likes teasing Bill with you too much to lose you now,” said Scarlett. “Well, I have to go shopping if I am going to do my Mata Hari thing at the queen’s.”
“Do you have money?” asked Barrister.
“Pam gave me her credit card,” said Scarlett. “Thanks for the blade.” Scarlett reached over and pecked Barrister on the cheek and did the same to me and headed out of the parlor.

Later, Barrister and I were in the parlor. It was about an hour before sundown. Eric was to pick him up after sundown and after Eric had a meal at Fairy’s. I was cooking spaghetti and sauce. I have to admit I was surprised when Bill came in. I went over. Bill came and kissed me warmly on the mouth.
“Bill, I want you to meet my….my fiancé,” I said hesitatingly.
“Ah, Aslinn’s human spouse,” said Bill cooly but friendly. Barrister shook hands with my Vampire lover. “Very nice to meet you.”
“I am pleased to meet you as well,” said Barrister.
“Bill, are you hungry? Would you like a bottle?” I asked.
“I would love a bottle sweetheart,” he said. “So, you are going with Eric this evening to meet with the Magister.”

“Yes, I am,” he answered. “I hope to be a useful member of the council. All of the members seem to contribute something.” I brought Bill his Tru:Blood and Barrister another glass of wine. This was a bit surreal to me, my two lovers sitting down for a chat and a drink, considering I had slept with Bill on Tuesday night and my fiancé last night. I went to the kitchen and began to slice the bread and put it in a basket. Scarlett came in, took note of the two and walked into the kitchen.
“Everything okay Aslinn?” she asked.
“Sure,” I said. “Bill and Barrister are getting along…fine.”
“Smell’s good in here,” she said, sniffing the pot with the sauce.
“So when do you go on your trip?” I asked.
“Tomorrow evening, it is mine and Pam’s first trip together,” she said, winking at me.
“Cool, hope you have fun,” I said.

Soon there were other council members in the parlor and I called for them to come and get it. Eric came in a few minutes after we sat down, Fairy in tow. She beamed at her Viking. He looked very handsome. As Barrister had, Eric had donned a suit, slate grey that made his eyes even stormier and his complexion was a bit rosier from the blood meal he had gotten from his lead wife.
“Well, isn’t this cozy, Aslinn’s two men sitting at table together,” said the Viking.
“There is no reason Bill and I can’t get along,” said Barrister, lighting a cigarette. “I certainly can’t blame Bill for caring about Aslinn. Just as God Speed can’t blame you for caring about Jen.”
“Well, we are certainly becoming more and more enlightened all the time,” said Eric. “Where is Jessica tonight Bill?”
“She is on a shopping excursion with Renee and her daughter. Formal dresses I think,” said Bill.
“Lovely, I will be excited about what she selects,” said Eric. “If we are going to arrive on time, we should go.”
“Yes,” said Barrister. He stood up and I smoothed his jacket and tie. He kissed me, lingering over me a second.
“Be careful,” I said.
“I will,” he answered.
“Aslinn, I promise, the Barrister will leave safely with no bite marks,” said the Viking, flashing me his lop sided grin.

I watched the two men leave. I turned and I found Bill had stood up.
“Now, I want know what you think you are hatching up between you,” said Bill quietly to the room at large. “You are up to something dangerous and I want to know what is going on.”
Damn!!! I looked around.
“Why would you think there is something going on?” asked God Speed.
“I keep hearing parts of conversations that end suddenly when I enter a room. I see it on your faces. And with Eric taking Barrister to see the Magister it just feels wrong,” said Bill. “So, what does Pam and Eric have you doing?”

April 18

Eric and Barrister arrived at the Louisiana home of the Magister just in time. On the way there, Eric explained the Magister had homes in every kingdom supported and maintained by the king or queen of the state. They also paid their share into the Magister’s coffers. Barrister took note of that and tried to interpret the Vampire’s expression. He wondered if Eric disapproved of this, since it was his tribute money that went partly to pay for the Magister’s keep.

The house was a lovely southern mansion, built fifty years before the Civil War. Eric stopped him for a moment.

“This is a new situation for us, the Vampires. We are being forced to deal with humans more and more and some of that is very good and very lucrative, very pleasurable, but some is negative because Vampires look at justice in a way that is far more….indelicate than human justice. Civil rights are an alien concept to us. Because to be a successful Vampire in our world or yours, there has to be someone in charge, and that can only be the strongest Vampire,” said Eric.
“Eric, have the Vampires considered that a more democratic form of government would be better?” asked Barrister. Eric said nothing, but placed his finger on his lips in the sign for silence and shook his head. The Barrister nodded.
“We should go,” said Eric. They got out of the car and headed for the house.

“So are you going to tell me?” asked Bill.
“Eric is not having us do anything,” I said absolutely truthfully.
“Aslinn, please tell me the truth,” he said, looking at me.
“There is nothing to tell you,” I said.
“God Speed, what is going on?” asked Bill.
“Bill, there is nothing going on,” he said.
“Scarlett darlin’ are you getting into something?” asked Bill.
“No, nothing, I am just going out with Pam is all,” she said.
“Look, you don’t want to mess around with the Vampire world, not like this, you are vulnerable, you are human god-dammit,” Bill hit the table with his fist and it dented. I went over to him and took his hand still balled up in a fist and opened it and smoothed his hand between my own. “Don’t get involved in Vampire politics.”
“Do you really think Eric would allow any of us to be harmed?” asked Fairy.
“Not intentionally,” he said.
“Well, we trust all of you,” said Vi. “And we would help any of you.”
“I know sweetheart, but I would rather that you all stay out of the larger Vampire world. There are some who do not strictly approve of our little family here. They say the great Eric Northman and his child are turning human lovers,” he said. He sat down. I moved behind his chair and put my hands on his shoulders.
“What do they say of you, Bill?” I asked.
“Me? I am a Vampire who loathes his own race,” said Bill. “So my reputation is negligible.”

Eric and Barrister stepped into the lavish parlor. The Magister was at supper, drinking deeply from a young woman who appeared to be glamoured, perhaps even dead. When he finished, he laid her on the carpet.
“Ah, Northman, are you hungry?” asked the Magister.
“I have fed, thank you,” said Eric, looking at the woman.
“Is this your human lawyer?” asked the Magister.
“He is,” said Eric. Barrister stood there quietly, while the Vampire gave him a once over. The Magister was small, about 5’6” or 5’7”, about 150 pounds, his hair sparse and white. But there was a power that emanated from him. Barrister was not an overtly religious person, but he felt as though he was standing before the devil and the devil was cold.
“You smell like a Londoner,” said the Magister.
“I am,” he said.
“Well, what are you interested in?” asked the Magister. “Corporate law, civil rights, inheritance law?”
“Criminal law,” said Barrister.
“Ummm, crime and punishment, my favorite subjects. Proceed,” he said, sitting down.

Bill left a little later, still on edge. Renee had come in with the Kid her arms full of bags and bundles. Bill offered to escort her home soon after and she took the offer gratefully. Jessica stayed behind for a little while and then headed to Bon Temps. We relaxed.

Scarlett showed us her outfits and we approved of them. They were sort of hippy punk garb that would match the bracelet Barrister had found for her. I especially like the knee high boots. I went to the kitchen and opened a drawer and took out one of our chop sticks. Made in the Japanese style, it had a stainless steel tip but it was made of wood. It would slide perfectly into a little seam pocket of the boot.

“I have put together a set of magikal tools for you Scarlett,” she said. “A spell that works if you are attacked so that you will disappear.”
“Where will I end up?” she asked.
“Here,” said Aolani. “I have placed wards around the parlor. There is more than one way to keep a Vampire out of this room. No one but us and our Vampires can get in here without being in the company of us or one of our Vamps.”
“That is good to know,” I said. I hated the idea that we could not protect our parlor from some unwanted Vampire. “What else?”
“I have made Scarlett a peering glass, she will be able to look into it and see one of us using the other peering glass,” Aolani pointed to the large mirror hanging above the computer. “She can just take it out to primp or set it up and we can see her or the room she is in.”
“Excellent,” I said.
“What else?” asked Scarlett.
“I procured you some Faery blood,” she said, holding up the vial of glittery lavender colored liquid. “If you offer the queen some Faery blood, she will be stoned, more likely to chat with you.”
“Far out!” she said, looking at the blood. “Anything else?”
“Yes, but this spell best works if you get something from the queen,” said Aolani.
“What would that be?” asked Scarlett.

“Magister, I would like to ask you a question. If you do not care to answer it, I understand,” said Barrister.
“Ask your question,” said the Magister.
“With the Great Revelation, you have made your existence known and you are living among mortals and at least giving lip service to the governments your people cooperate in. Do you ever think there will be a time when your people will want something other than the old way of rule?” asked Barrister.
“Are you asking if there might be a time that Vampires would want to vote?” asked the Magister.
“Suffrage of course would be one of those things. Marriage is a hot issue right now. Restrictions on business and money. Of course Vampires would have to pay human taxes,” he observed.
“Pay into a system that supports programs for humans. Welfare, healthcare, military. I don’t think so,” said the Magister. He laid his head back and considered the ceiling of his house. “Unlike some of my kind, I have no love for humans. They are pets, cattle. Your kind is just food. You don’t feel like we do.”
“Certainly, but one might argue, carefully of course, that Vampires do not feel as we do, and there are those among us who are very passionate,” said Barrister.

“Yes, I remember such a woman,” said the Magister. “Who was that little human woman you brought before me to speak on behalf of the little half wit fledgling Compton turned a while back?”
“Her name was Aslinn Magister,” said Eric. “This is her human mate.”
“Her human mate? Is she aligned with a Vampire?” asked the Magister.
“Yes, Magister, she is aligned with me,” Eric lied.
“Are you bonded?” asked the Magister.
“No,” answered Eric. “But rest assured, she is mine.” Eric flashed Barrister a look that said be still.
“Well,” said the Magister. “Apparently the rumors are true then, the Great Eric Northman is going human lover.”
Eric’s back stiffened and he held in his anger.


Monday April 19


“You of course understand, Aslinn and I are not aligned,” said the Viking as they drove homeward.
“I am sure you have your reasons for telling the Magister that,” said Barrister.
“The Vampire’s claim on a human is an ancient and seldom crossed line. For all of his mystique, I am older and stronger than the Magister. He will not challenge me for any human I claim is mine,” said Eric. “Had I said she was Compton’s he would have ignored his claim and perhaps become more interested in Aslinn than I cared.”
“Do you want other Vampires involved with the people in the group?” asked Barrister.
“Of course not,” said the Viking.

I was at the computer when Eric and Barrister came in. The rest of the gang had left and I was just waiting for Barrister to return. Scarlett had left with Pam. She would stay at Pam’s house and leave to go to the Queen’s lair that evening. I stood up when the boys came in.

“How did it go?” I asked. “Did you learn anything?”
“Quite a lot,” said Barrister. “Vampires have a very efficient justice system. On many levels, I quite appreciate it.”
“What was the Magister like?” I asked.
“Very…anti human,” said Barrister.
“Higher level Vampires tend to feel that way, “said Eric. He sat down on one of the couches and put his feet up on the coffee table. “I don’t suppose I have anything less formal to wear in the coffin do I?”
“You do Eric, in the closet, a teeshirt and track pants and tennis shoes with socks,” I said. “And please undress in the loo.” You have to remind Vampires of that. They are simply indifferent to their personal nudeness.
“If I hand out my suit will you hang it for me?” asked the Vampire.
“Certainly,” I said. I went to the closet and grabbed a jacket hanger and a pant hanger. Eric went into the loo with his change of clothes and began to hand things out. Jacket first, then pants, then shirt and tie. The shirt would go to the cleaners the suit would be hung. I could smell the sweet dry smell of Vampire on Eric’s clothes. I hung his suit carefully and put it in the closet. He came out a few minutes later.

“Hungry Eric?” I asked.
“No, it is almost dawn,” he said. “Good night Aslinn, Barrister.”
“Night Eric,” I answered. He went over to the coffin and steeped in, crouched down, sat down on his bottom, pulled the blanket over himself and lay down, closing the coffin over him.

The next evening, Scarlett woke and slid out the bed. Pam was already up and in the shower. She padded through the small carefully decorated house. The kitchen was basic and very small but there was a coffee maker. Scarlett began to make coffee. She searched around for sugar and crème. Scarlett took her coffee like medicine. Three quarters crème and sugar in a quarter coffee. Pam came out, her hair bundled up in a towel, a lovely pink silk robe tied around her slim waist. She put her arm around Scarlett’s waist and kissed her on the cheek. “Good evening darling,” she said.

“Good evening,” said Scarlett. She watched Pam go to the refrigerator and get a bottle of Tru:Blood and take it to the microwave and heat it up. “Do you ever get tired of drinking blood?”
“Synthetic blood, yes, blood from the vessel? Not at all,” she said. “Humans all taste differently. Make sure you take some vitamin b12. The Queen tends to be a deep drinker.”
“She won’t drain me will she?” asked Scarlett.
“Of course not,” said Pam. “I am going to feed you as well, before we go, so you will have some extra strength.”

“So, to review, I am find out what the Queen intends to do with Eric?” asked Scarlett. “And then I am to suggest that you may not be so happy serving Eric, that you would be interested in a partnership with the queen.”
“Yes,” she said. “Allow yourself to be pulled into her confidence. She likes to show off to new paramours, to brag. She also has a compulsive interest in gossip, loves nothing better than to listen to the goings on in her kingdom. She also likes to hear about any troubles they may be having in their businesses. That is why we are presenting you as a dancer at Fangtasia.”

“And I am to say that Eric has fewer and fewer Vamps at the bar, that he mainly hangs out with humans and the receipts are a little down because the tourists aren’t that interested in a Vampire bar without many Vampires there,” said Scarlett.
“Correct,” said Pam. “But, do not mention the counsel unless she mentions it and feign a sort of disinterest, just that they come into the bar sometimes and they tip well.”
“Can do,” said Scarlett. She finished her coffee and rinsed her cup and put it in the drainer.
“Come back to bed dear and have a special little tonic then before you take your shower,” said Pam.

The Queen’s lair was lavish if a bit gaudy. Scarlett was dressed in a loose fitting gauzy blouse mainly unbuttoned to show off her ample curves and the suede bra she was wearing. Her skirt was short to show her strong dancer’s legs. She went without stockings but she still had the impression she was wearing stockings because of the pretty lacy bows that she’s had tattooed on the back of her smooth thighs. Pam had declared them the sexiest things she had ever seen. She wore the high heeled leather boots with the weapons snugged down in her boots. She hoped she would not have to use them but was comforted that she had them. On her wrist was the bracelet the Barrister had given her. She carried a leather bag with a change of clothes, the bottle of faery blood, and the peering glass, which she had tested. God Speed’s smiling face grinned at her and she felt comforted.

Aolani had come through with a listening device. A pair of stud earrings were actually tiny bugs. Scarlett would not be able to hear the parlor, but they could hear her.

The palace was full of people, some were humans, the companions of other Vampires, but most were Vampires. And mostly women. Pam walked beside Scarlett, her arm around her. They made their way up to Sophie Ann, the Vampire Queen of Louisiana.

We were in the parlor. Barrister, Bill, God Speed, Dude, Sal and Eric were at Fangtasia hanging out, watching the new Vampire dancers, a double girl act, strutting their stuff, drinking beer and Tru: Blood and watching the show. This was a set up planned by Pam, to keep the male Vampires busy while Pam and Scarlett were on their mission. I tried to imagine Bill whistling at the dancing girls as I had seen human men do and could not picture it. I also tried to imagine Barrister and Bill being regular guys together, and had an even more difficult time of it.
Jessica, the only other Vampire who had been told about the mission was sitting next to the Kid. Jessica was beginning to become more and more Vampire, accepting her new life and paying attention when the discussions came up regarding Vampire law and behavior and our places in one another’s worlds. We were sitting by the receiver Aolani’s husband had set up so we could listen to the party. We looked like people I had seen in Norman Rockwell paintings of people gathered around the radio. We could hear the music and the sounds of chat and we could hear Pam’s and Scarlett’s voice.

“Who do you have here Pam?” asked Queen Sophie Anne.
“She is one our newest dancers, my queen,” said Pam. “She is Crimson Siren.”
“She is indeed. How does she taste?” asked the queen.
“She is very luscious,” said Pam.
“Come closer Crimson,” said the queen, motioning to Scarlett. Scarlett walked carefully toward the queen. The Queen took her hand and turned it to look at Scarlett’s wrist, stroking it. “With your permission, Pam?”
“Of course,” she said. “Crimson, allow the queen to taste you.” Scarlett nodded and steeled herself for the bite of the queen’s large white fangs. The pain was sharp but brief and the queen’s mouth and tongue worked to taste the bit of blood she’s drawn.
“Very tasty,” said the queen. “Is she yours?”
“She is mine, but if she pleases your majesty, please enjoy her,” said Pam.
“I still have that lovely Russian you took an interest in, Pam. Consider her yours while you are here,” said the queen.

“What are they doing now?” asked Jessica. We all shushed her and leaned closer to the receiver. Aolani’s husband adjusted the receiver a bit to clear a little static and the sounds of the party became clearer.

Scarlett allowed the queen to lead her through the house, introducing her to some select people, both Vampire and human and finally they mounted the stairs that would lead to Sophie’s bedroom suite.
“Welcome to my sanctuary, my dear,” said the queen, her fangs snicking out into a toothsome smile.

April 20, 2010

Seducing the queen had been as easy as taking candy from a baby. And Scarlett expected the queen to be an extraordinary lover but she wasn’t. She was very self absorbed and selfish as a lover. With the introduction of the faery blood, the queen relaxed after their tussle and she began to talk. She mainly complained about her situation, that her minions, to include Eric Northman, had not been paying their tributes in full and all they did was complain.

“What are they complaining about, my queen?” asked Scarlett. Scarlett could play the sympathetic ear.
“That money is not so good, that the Vampires are uncooperative,” said the queen. The faery blood had an interesting effect of making the queen’s cornflower blue eyes contract and look sort of violet in color. Her skin had an amazing glow on it, she seemed almost fae herself.
“Do you think that is the truth?” asked Scarlett. The queen shrugged. She raised her hand to her face and seemed to zone out. Then she turned back to Scarlett.

“So how do you come to work for Eric?” asked the queen.
“Traveling through the South, on my way back home, stopped for a while to make a little money and applied for a dancing job,” said Scarlett.
“Do you like working for Northman?” she asked. The queen’s hand stroked Scarlett’s naked shoulder.
“He pays well and he just asks that we do our shift, be professional,” said Scarlett. “I would rather work for Pam more directly.”
“I bet you would,” said the queen. “And maybe I can do something about that. Pam and I share common interests. It would not be difficult to get rid of the Viking. He does not please me very well right now.”

We heard this pronouncement and I looked around at the faces. Fairy had gone three shades, starting with palest to reddest in mach 12, warp speed and her anger was palatable. Aolani stiffened as well. Even Jessica looked worried. “Everyone needs to calm down, remember you are blood bonded to Vampires, they can sense your anxiety,” I reminded them. We turned back to the receiver and listened again.

“He is very old,” said Scarlett. “Of course I am sure you have a plan of how you would do it, you are so clever.” Scarlett began to mirror the queen’s movements, stroking her shoulder.
“You know me so well already,” said the flattered and stoned queen. “Yes, I know how I would do it. Eric has developed a fondness for humans. He has made friends with a little group of them. Do you know about it?”
“Something, but I was not very interested in them. They are far too devoted to Eric….simpering and waiting on them as if he were a king,” lied Scarlett. “But I suspect some would defect to the weres if they were given half a chance.”
“The great Eric Northman? Usurped by a werewolf? That would be rich,” laughed Sophie Anne. “Perhaps the weres would be helpful. Tricky business, even for a queen, to actually kill a Vampire that is not her own child.”
“Vampires can destroy their children?” asked Scarlett gently.
“Umm, without impunity,” said the queen. “But Eric is not mine. That stupid Godric…he became more human than Vampire in the end. But, then maybe all I have to do is make a phone call and tell our Magister about something Eric is doing.”

“Well, whatever you do to him, he must deserve it,” said Scarlett, lying back on her back. She refrained from asking, hoping Sophie would just ramble on. Sophie scooted up toward her and looked at Scarlett.
“You are very bright, Crimson,” she said, brushing her lips on Scarlett’s shoulder. “I don’t make this offer often, but would you like a blood bond with me?”
“Whatever you desire is my desire,” said Scarlett, pretending to be partially glamoured and enamored of the queen. Sophie laughed a little under her breath and raised her wrist and bit into it. Scarlett took her wrist and began to feed.

Aolani raised her arms in the air as if Scarlett had scored a goal. We looked at her.

“This was something we needed for another weapon I worked out. I tried it on Pam first and it works!!!!” she said excitedly. But then we shushed her to listen again to the queen and our spy.

“Eric Northman is a very foolish Vampire for all of his years,” Sophie began again. “He is selling Vampire blood and that is a very bad thing….I can doom Eric to a coffin for eternity, bound in silver chains, to starve and burn forever…” just the mere thought of it excited the queen. She moved closer to Scarlett. “Wouldn’t that be something?”
“It would,” said Scarlett.

The room was quiet. We were shocked, no horrified. We had seen the trial of Bill Compton played out in the first adventures and we shuddered at the thought of the Big Viking being condemned to eternity in a box, going mad, being in pain and starving for an eternity. He would go mad long before he died and a with a Vampire that strong, it would perhaps take centuries, maybe another thousand years, for Eric to die that way. I would rather see him staked than see the handsome and flamboyant Vampire suffer like that.

Fairy and Aolani were stricken. Fairy began to cry. “Fairy, you can’t be upset, Eric will sense it,” I reminded her. “We have to be calm and try to figure out what we can do to keep Eric from being set up.”
“But what can we do Aslinn? How can we get him out of this?” asked Fairy, trying to stay calm. Aolani began muttering a charm to ease the tension in the room.
“What about Lafayette?” asked Renee. “He knows he is selling blood.”
“Not whose and not on whose behalf,” I said.
“Something to be easily remedied,” said Raki. “Perhaps we can broker a deal with him to testify on Eric’s behalf, even commit a little perjury on Eric’s behalf.”
“Lafayette would want something in return,” I said.
“What else could he want but his freedom,” suggested Linzy. “Perhaps Pam could approach him.”
“No way to reach her without the queen hearing a conversation, even on the cell, the Vampires can hear even that,” I said. “We have to let Pam play this out. I trust Pam, she would not allow Eric to be harmed. She loves her maker, and he loves her, she is his child. And she cares about Scarlett. She will know what to do. “

The queen finally settled to sleep, dosed again on the faery blood. Scarlett slipped from the bed and got dressed and went out and searched for Pam. Though they had agreed that should the opportunity present itself, she would create a bond with Sophie, Scarlett disliked the energy of the queen’s blood in her own blood stream. It made her nervous, erratic. True, it may be a combination of the fae blood with the Vampire blood, but she loathed it. She walked down stairs and was met by Pam, who could smell the queen’s blood in her spirit wife.

“Crimson, I was looking for you,” said Pam. “Did you please the queen?” Which was code for did you get any good information.
“I did try my best, “ she said, emphasizing the first two words of her response.
“Well, I am pleased to know you did so well,” said Pam, nodding her head. “I will see you tomorrow evening my dear.” Pam kissed Scarlett briefly.
“Good morning Pam,” said Scarlett.
“Good morning Crimson,” said Pam. They parted company to their relative rests.

A couple of hours later, Barrister and God Speed and Sal and Dude came in. The Vampires had gone to their respective homes and Jessica was sleeping in the coffin in the parlor. God Speed was excited, and not from the show at Fangtasia. They had heard something at Fangtasia and they could not wait to tell us.
“Wait, though God Speed we have to tell you something you should know,” said Jen.
“What did Scarlett learn?” asked God Speed.
“Sophie is planning to murder Eric,” I said. We told God Speed what we had heard and what we thought it meant to us. God Speed nodded.
“Then you should know this as well,” said God Speed. And he began to talk about what Eric told them over beer and Tru:Blood.


April 21, 2010

“Before we begin, we have to tell Eric and Bill about everything. We can’t keep this secret. We have our meeting tonight and Pam is not here and Scarlett is not here,” said God Speed. Barrister nodded.
“They are not going to like this,” said Raki. “They are going to be so mad at us.”
“Angry or not, they have to know,” said Barrister. “But, let us tell you what we have learned.”

“Barrister was pretty close to being right. The Vampires want to democratize. Eric suggested the possibility that a move will happen so, and the weres will be supporting them. They are coming out of the dog house so to speak very soon, and they will stand up with forward thinking Vampires,” explained God Speed.

“So, this would explain why Eric wants to include a were in our meetings when Bill is away,” said Fairy.
“It does. The were is to be here as an observer, to see how cooperative relationships work with the Vampires and the humans and to make contacts with friendly humans to begin exploring a great reveal,” said God Speed.

“When this happens, there may be a civil war, one that will be bloody. Vampires will be fighting Vampires, weres with weres. Forward thinking Vampires will be fighting alongside forward thinking weres and the same with their opposite number,” said Barrister. “This is why Eric wanted to make relationships with useful humans like me, though I think I would have chosen an American lawyer.”

“We may have moved too quickly then, we may have tipped our hand,” I said.
“Perhaps not. It may be a simple matter of Eric getting Pam and Scarlett out of there under the guise of his disobedient child and a willful human,” said Barrister. “But it may be far more serious.”

I dreaded the Viking’s rage. And Bill. He may not be a thousand years old but his anger was considerable. Would he look at his spirit wives and be angry and disgusted? We listened for sound from the receiver and heard nothing. It would be a long day.

We cleaned the parlor, God Speed worked on the computer and checked the forum and Renee and I cooked a big beef roast. Barrister just made himself useful to any of the ladies who needed him. Nearly as tall as Eric, he did what all tall, strong men do, he reached for things on the high shelf and moved things around as required by one lady or other.

The tension in the room thickened as the sun went down. We tried to be calm, blood bonded as so many of us were. Renee fairly vibrated with her anxiety.

“What are we going to say to them Aslinn?” she said. Aolani’s husband, whom we called The BodyGuard, was listening to the receiver through a head set.
“They are waking at the queen’s palace,” he informed us and took out the jack so we could hear the sounds of talking and music. Everything seemed calm and normal, well as normal as a Vampire lair would be, with one of our Vampires and one of our family in harm’s way.

We sat down to eat. We ate as though it was our last meal. Finally, Bill walked into the room with Jessica in tow. He stopped in his tracks.
“This is enough,” he said tersely. “I want to know what is going on. I will glamour you if I must, but I can feel the anxiety in the room.”
We looked at each other and then turned to see Eric Northman, the Sherriff of Area Five, come into the room. He looked at Bill.

“I want to know why Pam did not sleep at her nest last night,” said the Viking.
We stood and walked toward the couches and began to take our places. Eric seemed to be counting the people in the room. “Where is Scarlett?”

We looked around at each other and then back to Eric. “God dammit, I want to know now!!!” The Viking raised his fist and brought it down on the center of the coffee table and it cracked and collapsed into the floor onto the heavy wool rug. I blanched and hid my face against Barrister’s chest. “Where is my child? Where is Scarlett? What have you done?”

Renee was looking up at Bill and she reached for his hand and he flinched. Bill looked scary, his eyes were cold, totally Vampire.
“If you will sit down, we will tell you,” said God Speed.
Eric favored God Speed with a loveless look. God Speed ignored his glare, giving it back to the Viking. Finally he sat down, his palms easy on his knees, his back erect.

“If you think you have the right to be angry, keep this in mind, we have the right to be angry as well, Eric. For all of your posturing in front of us that we are your friends, you have not been honest with us about your situation. This is as much a breach of trust to us as what we have done may have been to you,” said God Speed. “So you think about that Eric, as we tell you about what has been going on.”
“Eric, we sensed that something bad was going on and you and Bill were not telling us. We met at Merlottes and discussed what we thought it might be,” I said.

“Then, Miss Pam, whom I contacted myself, came and told us about the queen and her plans to squeeze you and interfere in our home, our forum. And she asked for a volunteer to find out what the queen’s plans are for you,” said Barrister.
“And we armed her with mundane and magikal weapons and Scarlett spent the night in the queen’s lair, intoxicating her with faery blood to make her comfortable, made a blood bond with the queen, and discovered that she wants you dead,” said Aolani.

“And not just ‘stake in the heart Viking turns onto a pile ashes’ dead,” said Renee. “Old Testament, ‘getting medieval on your ass’ dead. She plans to set you up with the Magister as a seller of Vampire blood, a crime punishable by eternity in a box, bound with silver.” Fairy sobbed and covered her face. Eric looked at her but did not move to comfort her. This pissed me off. I stood up.

“You cold hearted bastard, that is your lead wife, she would rather see you staked than think of you in a box starving and insane for another thousand years. And don’t give me that cold look Bill Compton. This isn’t just about us, your little human blood bags. Your child and fellow Vampire is afraid for you too,” I said. “They say you have turned soft Eric, because you consort with mere humans. You would not leave us in jeopardy if humans or Vampires plotted to harm us!!! Why would you expect less from us?”

Bill looked at me. Eric looked at me. “What is happening now? Can you contact Scarlett or Pam at all?”
“We have been monitoring the action on a listening device Eric,” said the Enforcer.
“Then we will go there now. Barrister, should anything happen to us, you must contact your friend in England, and tell him everything that has happened. Aslinn, you and Barrister will go then to the Magister and tell him everything,” said Eric. “Am I being clearly understood?”
“Yes Eric,” I said.
“If we come back, we will discuss this further,” said the Viking. “Bill we must go now if we are to get to Scarlett and Pam.” Bill nodded. I stepped up to him.
“Be careful Bill,” I said.
“I will be fine,” he said. “And you and I and all my spirit wives will have a serious discussion about what my feelings are for you. You are more than a blood bag to me.” He kissed me and Renee and Vi. Eric was locked in a passionate kiss with Fairy and he let her go and the two Vampires walked out. Jessica and the rest of us began our wait.

Scarlett and Pam were in the queen’s formal parlor alone. The queen had dinner, a young French Creole woman, and Pam contented herself with Tru:Blood.
“Tell me Pam, have you ever thought about being the Sheriff of Area Five?” asked the queen.
“As Eric is the presiding sheriff and likely to be so for some time, I have not given it more than a fleeting thought,” said Pam.
“Would you find yourself up to the task?” asked the queen.
“I would,” said Pam. “Eric’s affection for humans has increased. At first it was a passing fancy for Compton’s telepath, but now it has expanded to include several humans. True, your majesty, it is beneficial to maintain a harem to have plenty of blood and pleasure. I feel Eric has even come to love them, perhaps even above his own kind.”
“Oh dear,” she sighed. “And I thought it was only Bill Compton who was silly about humans.”
“Apparently it is a sickness that is contagious,” said Pam.
“And you? Are you infected by this disease?” asked the queen.
“No my queen,” said Pam.
“Then you would not object if I drained this woman dry?” she asked, looking at Scarlett.

“Shit!!!” said Dude. “She on to them!!!!”
“Be still!” said the Enforcer, tuning the receiver carefully.

“Why would you waste such a lovely creature?” asked Pam.
“She is very yummy,” said the queen. “But she is only food after all. Give her to me to eat and I will make you the Sheriff of Area Five.”

Scarlett looked at Pam.

“No, I am sorry, I cannot do that,” she said, beginning to stand up. Scarlett did the same, drawing the silver bladed knife preparing to flee or to fight. With a nod of her head, the queen had them surrounded. “It would be foolish for you to make such a move. It would be too public and Eric would know you were responsible.”
Scarlett began to ease toward Pam. Pam continued to talk. The queen kept her eyes on the blond vampire.

“Did Eric send you?” asked Sophie. “If he did, it shows his poor judgment.”
“No, Eric did not send us, we are here of our own accord,” said Pam. If she was worried, you would never know it.
“I don’t think I believe it, and the way her heart is beating tells me I am close to the truth,” said the Queen. “Do you bitches think I would allow you to just come into my home with my knowing who you are and with whom you are aligned? I knew you what you were all about when you came here.”
“What do you think you know about us?” asked Scarlett. “And watch who you are calling a bitch.”

“To answer your question blood bag, I have spies too, one who was in your parlor not long ago,” she purred.
Scarlett looked at Pam and continued her slow progress toward the Vampire.
“We have had no visitors to our parlor,” said Scarlett.
“Yes you have,” she said. “Michelle, fetch our friend.”

The woman with the fang marks on her thighs bowed to the Vampire and walked towards a small door just behind the queen’s chair. She came back a few minutes later. The woman following her was a familiar one and suddenly, Scarlett realized who she was.

“You lying, hypocritical, evil bitch,” said Scarlett. “I know who you are.”
“Why don’t you introduce me to your friend dearest?” asked Pam.
“That is Lucy, the Fellowship of the Sun slut, the one who said God would never forgive us for being friends with Vampires,” said Scarlett now only a few feet from Pam. “The ones we ran out of our parlor like scalded dogs with their tails between their legs. The ones who said Vampires were a perversion and evil.”
“I’ll kill her last,” said Pam, breeching the gap and standing beside Scarlett, their united front to certain peril. “I’ll kill her slow.”


April 22

“What are you doing here?” asked Scarlett.
“I belong to the Queen,” said Lucy, smiling her saccharine smile. “I have been infiltrating both the Fellowship of the Sun and forums such as yours.”
“Why?” asked Scarlett
“Because I am trying to keep human/Vampire relationships where they belong. You are our slaves, our food. It is a perversity for Vampires to actually fall in love with humans,” said Sophie Anne.
“I hope you are listening carefully Lucy,” said Scarlett, keeping her eyes on a Vampire edging up to her. “That means you too.”
“Ah, but the queen has promised me she would turn me,” said Lucy.
“You stupid shit,” said Scarlett. “Do you think she is actually making you Vampire? You are crazier than you look.”

Suddenly there was movement and a huge male Vampire, one of the queen’s body guards, had put Pam in a bear hug. Scarlett was now surrounded and unprotected. Pam struggled against the arms of her attacker.

“Looks like time is running out Sophie,” said Scarlett.
“It is, for you,” said the queen. “And for Eric, and your friends.”
“You are going to start a war,” said Scarlett.
“Over you?” asked Sophie. “I think not. You are a lovely creature, but still a human after all.”
“But you forget Sophie, you have Pam, Eric’s child. He loves Pam, they hunt as a team, they were lovers, they would fight hell to get to each other,” said Scarlett. “You would never be able to dig a grave deep enough to hide from Eric if you deceased her.”

“The war that might follow would be fun,” said Sophie, languidly. “I hate being in the open. Vampires cowered before their kings and queens. Now it is all we can do to get their attention. If we had to go back into the shadows because of prejudice and exploitation the Vampires would have to look to their kings and queens for protection and that protection would be very, very expensive, the way it always had been.”
“Thousands of Vampires might die. Would you kill your own kind?” asked Scarlett. Carefully she took out her earring. While no one was looking, she tossed the jewelry into a small potted tree by the queen’s throne.
“Fewer Vampires mean more food and more exploitable resources for those of us left,” said Sophie. “Besides, a war is stimulating. I am bored, tired of being on display for the curiosity of humans. I am Vampire, not entertainment for fang bangers”
Scarlett was feeling the time slipping from her. She knew the queen was becoming bored with this tete a tete. Pam was still struggling with her attacker, he fangs extended, hissing like a cat. The other Vampires were very close to her. Scarlett tried to ready herself. That is when the devil burst through the door and hell followed with him.

Eric was covered in blood; it looked as though he had bathed in it. Scarlett could tell it was Vampire blood because it was so thick. Bill was beside him and with them walked three wolves, the largest wolves Scarlett had ever seen. In the commotion, the Vampire who had been fighting with Pam had turned to see what was happening and Pam broke free.

“What are you doing here?” said Sophie, standing up from her chair. “How dare you come into my home with those mangy mutts!”
“Alcide, it looks as though she doesn’t care much for you,” said Eric calmly. The wolf yawned, showing his disregard for the female Vampire. “Pam you and Scarlett can leave now.”
“I have a score to settle,” said Pam.
“Now Pam!” said Eric, pulling maker’s rank on the female Vampire. Pam seemed to acquiesce to Eric’s command but turned suddenly and attacked Lucy, the would be double agent. She wrangled the woman onto the floor. Alcide growled deep in his throat and the other wolf with him growled as well.

Pam was looking at the woman with curious eyes. She seemed to smell her. Pam laughed aloud. “Stupid shifter!” she laughed. “Sophie, better check yourself for fleas, this bitch is not human.” The terrified shifter was lying on her back and struggling against Pam futilely.
“Do as I say Pam,” said Eric once more. Pam raised herself up and stood up. Lucy stayed on the ground. Sophie was fascinated.
“You didn’t know Sophie?” asked Pam. “Figures, you were never a good judge of character. Come Scarlett, let’s go.”
“No way,” said Scarlett. “I want to see what happens now.”
“No you don’t,” said Pam. She reached out her hand to take Scarlett’s and suddenly the two vanished.

We in the parlor, listening to everything on the receiver turned expectedly. Aolani’s spell interpreted Pam’s grab for an attack and had sent the two of them back to the parlor. They looked around at us and Scarlett swore.
“Damn it, Pam, I wanted to stay and hear the rest of it,” said Scarlett.
"You are here, Scarlett, now we won’t be able to hear anything,” said Minnie. Scarlett brushed her long red hair away and showed us her earring was gone.
“Good girl,” said God Speed.
“Well, if you would be quiet, you would hear the rest of it,” said BodyGuard, adjusting the volume to hear the goings on. Scarlett and Pam came and sat down and leaned in with the rest of us to listen.

“What the hell happened here?” demanded the queen. “How did they just vanish like that?”
“Our friends are very resourceful,” said the Viking. “Did you think I would allow you to harm my child and my friends? That I would do anything to keep them safe?”
“That is obvious with weres by your side,” she said. “I knew you were becoming soft Northman, but I never dreamed you would climb in bed with weres or witches.”
“They know about you,” said Eric. “The weres and the shifters and if anything happens to me or the people I have with me, the Magister will know as well.”
“I think I can handle myself against you and a few weres,” said Sophie.
“Listen? Do you hear it?” asked Eric, his lopsided grin on his bloody face. There was the sound of marching feet outside the palace. “Have you any idea how many shifters and weres are in the human military. And guess who I know with vast resources and connections to the military.”

Upon hearing that, we grinned at the BodyGuard, Aolani’s husband.

“You can’t have done this at the spur of the moment,” said Sophie Anne. “You have been planning this for a long time.”
“No, just useful friends who takes a personal interest in my personal well being,” said Eric. “It’s amazing what can be done with a few phone calls. Right Colonel Flood?” Eric looked at the other wolf standing beside him. He growled.

“Colonel Flood?” I asked BodyGuard. “You know Colonel Flood?”
“Certainly, he was my commanding officer,” said BodyGuard. Suddenly it dawned on me and I must have shown it because BodyGuard laid his dark head back and howled and the wolfen opera filled the parlor.
“That is so very cool,” I said.

Bill, who had been silent during the whole time, stepped closer to the throne.

“And you should know your majesty; we have communicated with the Magister. We are prepared to make you a deal,” he said.
“What deal is that?” asked the queen.
“Only this, refrain from interfering with Eric and his area, leave the humans we are connected with alone, and you walk out of this alive,” said Bill.
“If I don’t agree?” asked Sophie.
“Then Colonel Flood, Alcide and about 100 werewolves and shifters will come in here and help us tear you apart,” promised Bill. “Every one of you will be definitely dead and no one will ever know what happened. Do as we say and nothing will be said, all secrets still secrets.”
Sophie seemed to be weighing the odds. Finally she relaxed.
“Very well Eric,” she said. “Just get out of my lair before I decide it might well be worth my life to tear your heart out.”
“Good Evening then,” said Eric, bending to make a mock bow. Eric fearlessly turned his back and walked toward the door. Bill looked down at the wolf beside him.
“Come Sam, let’s get back to BonTemps,” he said.
The parlor erupted in cheers. We had our Vampire and our best trubie out of harm’s way, we thwarted the queen’s plot to cause a terrible civil war, and Eric and Bill had come out unscathed and we had made new allies if not friends. We were so involved in our celebration we could not hear Sophie’s final transmission:

“This is not over Eric, not by a long shot,” she said bitterly.