Eric and Nora tipped the Tru:Blood and sipped it. They made faces. Nora had not drank the synthetic blood in a long time and neither had Eric, but he kept drinking it.Tara was drinking hers as well. She looked sideways at Eric. Pam was gone to the AVL and I was scared we would not see her again.
Eric came to the door and we promised to rescind his and Nora's and Tara's invitation when they left. "What are you going to do Eric?" asked Aolani.
"I don't know," said Eric. "I came to Fangtasia and found Pam gone and Tara alone. She told me Pam had been arrested for the death of Elijah Stoner, someone assigned from the AVL to be the sheriff."
"She is at the AVL, she will be tried very likely. What are you going to do about Bill?" I asked.
"I will try very hard to reason with him and get him out, but I am afraid we will not be able to get him, or ourselves out," said Eric. My heart hurt at the idea they may not be able to get out. I just wanted Bill to come home and be safe, and Eric too. I loved both of them in strong if differing ways.
"Are you going to take Sookie with you?" asked Barrister.
"Very likely," said Eric. "If she will consent to go."
"She better go," said Renee. "I will go and strangle me some blond fairy half breed twit." Eric gave her a dark look. Like Bill, Eric did not like it if we bad mouthed Sookie.
"We have to move carefully," said Eric. "It is difficult to get in and out of the Authority just now."
"Get arrested," suggested Len. "They know you two have betrayed them by now." Eric nodded.
"That is likely the best way to do it," said Eric. "But I am hoping to get in there and take Sookie with me." Nora gave Eric a suspicious side long look. Aolani looked Eric.
"Eric, come into the magik room with me," she said, putting her hand out to him. Eric took her hand they went hand in at first and then his arm passed around her waist. She opened the magik room door and she slid in with him. He pulled her up to him and kissed her. "Whoa, I just need to talk to you a minute without anyone hearing me." He did not let her go but looked into her face. "I don't want you to be mad at me, but I have to say to you that I am not really easy about Nora." Eric's face got tense. "Wait, wait...I just want you to be careful with her, she was under their influence for a very long time, I don't think she is strong enough to have her newly recovered sanity challenged by her former co-religionists." Eric closed his eyes a little and shook his head.
"I want to believe so much that she is with me, but I know what you are saying, she is fragile," he said. "But I still have to use her as much as I can, I am alone here, I need help."
"Are you taking Tara with you?" she asked.
"Yes, like I could keep Miss Thornton at home, waiting," said Eric.
"So, my brother built this place?" she asked.
"Yes," I said. "It is our home." She looked around at the place.
"You have known Eric for a long time?" she asked.
"Not as long as you, but yes, we know him a little, we know him enough to trust him and look to him," said Barrister.
"I never dreamed he would care for humans again," said Nora. "He hasn't for a long time."
"I know," said Minnie. Nora flared her nostrils at her.
"You are his aren't you?" she asked.
"Yes," said Minnie. "Aolani and I are bonded to him."
"Do you love him?" she asked. Minnie nodded. "He is easy to love."
"He is," I said. "Eric is not my lover, but he is my friend." She nodded. "Are you okay?"
"It just seems so strange, you are nothing like the way the AVL and the Sanguinistas say about humans," said Nora.
"No, I suppose not," I said.
"Why can't I hear Eric's voice?" she asked.
"He is in our magik room, Renee, Aolani and I are witches, we have a magik room back there and we have it spelled for privacy."
"What do you do back there?" she asked.
"We do magikal work," I said. "And we counsel people back there, Vampires and weres and others who need a chat."
"Eric goes back there for counseling?" she asked.
"Not often, but he has been known to. I think the only Vampire who has never been back there is Pam," said Renee.
"Are you religious?" she asked.
"Religious? Depends on how you define it?" I said. "Deeply spiritual is the way we like to put it."
Our conversation was cut short and Alcide Herveaux came in. Nora stood up and bared her fangs at the were. "Nora, this is our friend, Alcide. Alcide, this is Eric's sister, Nora."
"I didn't know he had a sister. She don't look anything like him?" he said, looking at the small dark haired Vampire who had snicked her fangs away.
"She is his Vampire sister, Godric was her father," said Minnie. "Are you hungry Alcide? Aslinn made some beef stew."
"Yeah, and cold beer please," he said. He sat down.
"Going up against the pack Alcide?" asked Len. Len was a werewolf too. Alcide nodded.
"I can't tolerate that Vamp," said Alcide. "Any word on Sam and Luna?"
"They have gotten themselves at the AVL and they can't get back out with Luna," said Renee. About that time, Eric strolled out with Aolani.
"Good, I need you to come to New Orleans with Nora and myself," said Eric.
"I can't," said Alcide. "I am challenging the pack, cleaning out Russell Edgington."
"You will need more than just yourself to get Russell Edgington," said Eric.
"Well, once I get control of the pack, I will be able to command it, together the pack can take down Edgington." Minnie brought him a bowl of stew and some buttered bread and a beer. He settled into it with gusto. "Sorry about your troubles."
"One of your smallest pack members are in the AVL," said Eric.
"I know, and I am sorry, but I can't help her from here," said Alcide. He bent again to the bowl which he had nearly finished in a few bites. With a graceful flick of his hand, Eric sent the bowl and the plate he had been eating from flying across the room and it hit the wall behind him with a clatter. Alcide stood up and growled and Eric crouched in a fighting posture, facing the were. Nora was in the same pose. Tara was standing and alert but her fangs were not out.
"No, not here, if you guys want to throw hands out you get," I said. Eric looked at me a growled and his fangs were retracted with a snap. "Eric, you just have to gather up your allies where ever you can. Alcide has bigger fish to fry."
"We have to go," said Eric. He kissed Aolani and Minnie good bye and Renee and I stood up. "I will try very hard to get Bill out." He pecked Renee and me on the cheeks. He nodded at Barrister and Len.
"Do you need weapons Eric?" asked Len.
"I always need weapons," said the Viking.
"Come on out to the arsenal, I have exactly what you all need," he said.
"Nora, Tara, you guys take care of each other, and take care of Eric. He is counting on you," I said. Nora nodded and went out and Tara came up to us.
"Thanks for everything," she said.
"Take care of yourself Tara, do what Eric says, watch Pam's back," said Aolani. Tara impulsively hugged us and went out and joined Eric and Nora.
"Rescind their invitations...We have a long fucking wait...." I said.
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