Melanie:

The rest of the afternoon was grueling. I was in a constant state of panic that they would try the spell again. As many chains as we had on Eric, he was still able to fight enough where both Sookie and I had to sit on top of him to keep him still.

Once the silence had fallen, I sat, leaned back against the wall as Eric rested, eyes, ears, neck, body, blistered and bloody. It was a horrific sight. I was going to kill that bitch. Whoever was responsible for this. I was going to kill her.

“It’s dusk.” Sookie’s voice sounded as she came back downstairs. “I think we’re safe.”

I lifted my head to look at her before returning my eyes to my husband. “Can you unchain him? I don’t think i got it in me to cause him anymore pain.”

“ Of course.” She nodded, a sympathetic smile on her lips. She leaned down to kiss my head before walking to the bed.

“Is it time?” He asked, opening his eyes.

“Yeah, sun’s gone.” She replied. “How do you want me to do this?”

“Yank it off.” I replied. “Like a band-aid. It’s better that way.”

“Won’t I pull some of him off with it?” She asked,

“It won’t hurt as much as the silver does. And it heals faster.” He replied, preparing himself for the pain.

Sookie pulled them off as quickly as she could, bits of his skin stuck to the chains, and he swore loudly in swedish gasping at the feel.

“Thank – thank you.” He sighed in relief.

“I thought you said it would heal quickly?” Sookie asked.

I stood, walking to the bed to see that he wasn’t healing like he usually did.

“Eric, when was the last time -”

He coughed, “I just realized I haven’t eaten since the fae”

“My fairy godmother?” Sookie asked in disbelief.

“Jesus Christ.” I ran my hair over my shoulder to free my neck. “You need to eat.”

“He’ll drain you.” Sookie argued. “We’ll get him tru-blood.”

“No. You know our blood is special to them. He needs this.” I countered.

“Sookie’s right – I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop myself. You saw what I did to the other fairy.”

“You won’t drain me.” I shook my head, helping him sit up. “I trust you.”

“I just need some rest.”

“You need to feed, Eric. Come on. Sookie will be right here with the silver just in case you don’t stop.”

Sookie nodded, grabbing the chains in her hand. Eric moved me closer, his fangs dropping before sinking into my neck. I winced at the pain but it was nothing compared to what he was going through.

OOO

 

Eric had finally healed and showered, like our nightmare never happened. He moved around the bedroom naked, attentively looking at the items around the room as if seeing them for the first time.

I admired his form as he came into the bed, sliding under the sheets with a smile. That innocent smile.

“I wish we could be normal.” I sighed, “I wish we could live without someone trying to kill us at every turn.”

“Then let’s run away.” He sat up next to me.

“We can’t just leave.” I said, despite desperately wishing we could. “Those witches attacked you. They will try again. It’s safer to stay and get the information we got last night.”

“I just want to be with you.” he sighed, meeting my eyes. “Forever.”

I smiled softly, placing a hand on his cheek. “We’ll be together a lifetime, baby. You and me.”

The thought of Eric turning me had crossed my mind before. It was followed by endless strings of questions like: Do I want to be turned? Would I be okay never seeing sunlight again? Did I want to live forever?

Then one stuck out the most. Could I be turned?

OOO

 

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” Bill came into the room. “I don’t have much time, so what can I do for you?”

“We’re here to fight with you.” Sookie said, meeting him in the eye.

We’d discussed all options and it had become clear that sitting this one out wasn’t one of them. This was personal. These witches were out to slaughter innocent beings. They were trying to slaughter my husband and as much as I despised Bill – Sookie still loved him – and we couldn’t let him die either.

“Fight with me?” Bill asked.

“Against the witches.” I replied.

“This is not your battle.” He sighed.

“It’s Eric’s, and it’s yours. So it’s ours.” She returned.

“They have a warrior’s heart, Your Majesty.” Eric spoke.

I looked at him, heart melting. Eric would never say things as kind out loud. He saved them for when we were in private. Speaking like this showed vulnerability, he would say.

“They want to fight with you. As do I.” He continued.

“I want peace.” Bill corrected.

“But you’re prepared for war.”

“Of course. But I’m  not convinced we will win.”

“Well, war isn’t about whether you think you can win, it’s about being willing to die for something you believe is worth dying for.” Eric said.

I could see his mind going back to his viking days.

“Perhaps I’m a little less inclined to gamble with Sookie’s life than you are.” Bill sassed and I rolled my eyes.

“Unless it benefits you enough to make you King.” I retorted and Sookie lowered her eyes.

“That is not our decision.” Eric replied to Bill.

“Thank you Eric. And now maybe you can both look at me and allow me to speak for myself.” Sookie chimed in. “I can help. We have powers. Now, granted, I may not be in perfect control of those powers, but Mel is getting better and they’ve saved us and some others from some pretty dire circumstances.”

“Sookie, you could die.”

“Well call me crazy, but I’m willing to die if it means keeping an entire group of people I know and love from being eradicated in the name of hate.”

“Look.” I interrupted the longing gaze they were exchanging. “You need all the people you can get. It’s not often I can say I’m on your side – but here we are. They’re more likely to attack during the day and you’re going to need humans on your team.”

 

We made our way to the cemetery, where Bill was to try and talk to whoever was possessing that weird woman. The rest of us hid behind headstones waiting to jump in when needed.

Bill walked through the path, calling out her name. “Lady Antonia.”

“I am no lady.” A voice sounded behind him and I turned my head to see her. “I am peasant, and proud of it.”

I resisted the urge to just run over there and rip her head off for what she did to Eric, but this was bigger than just us.

“I come in peace.” Bill held his hands out.

“Do you?” She said in amusement. “I know you are not alone.”

Bill gave a reluctant wave of his hand and we all came up behind him.

“Nor are you.” He returned.

She waved her hands and four others appeared behind her. One of them being Tara.

“Tara?” Sookie asked in disbelief.

My blood boiled as she stood there stone faced.

“A sad testament to our inability to trust each other.” Bill continued. “But I still believe that we can achieve a peaceful resolution.”

“Describe this peaceful resolution to me.”

“We will never harm you again. Anyone who has done so has been commanded to desist. Or they will face the true death. In return, I only ask that you remove the spells from my two subjects here.”

“You say you are willing to execute those who have harmed me, but you bring them to me, and you ask me to remove spells I placed on them in self-defense. All for a promise that I’ll never be harmed again.”

“Yes.”

“I have your word for this?”

“I swear it.”

Sookie and I exchanged a look, listening to her mind as she chanted something.

“Bill – she’s casting a spell!” I said, stepping forward, only to be held back by Eric.

“Demoness!” She yelled at me, waving her arms for more people to appear.

“Now!” Bill yelled, as more vampires appeared behind us along with his human guards.

Marnie – Antonia – whatever, was physically taken aback by this.

“You may have dominion over us, but you do not over the living. Surrender now and on one will be hurt.”

Marnie chuckled and on as previously instructed, Eric charged through the people, ripping the heart out of one of them in a second. They all stood in shock while he held the heart up for them to take a look. Marnie started chanting something and I charged for her, tackling her to the ground while a fog fell over the graveyard making it impossible to see.

All I could hear was the screams of people as I slammed my fists into her face over and over before my hands found their way to her neck. I could see her human side coming through as the air escaped her body only to be hit in the head with something and knocked off of her. Another woman was on top of me attacking me with repeated blows but I covered my face with my arms. In my fear the light glowed and threw the person off me but it wasn’t the only one. I looked over and Sookie had found hers as well but then I heard a gunshot and I felt a sharp pain. I looked down at my body and I was unharmed but I looked over at Sookie and she was bleeding.

“Sookie!” I screamed, running towards her as she leaned against a headstone.

“What – what just -”

“Shit shit shit.” I panicked, ripping taking off my jacket and wrapping it tightly around her to put pressure on her wound.

“Oh, fuck.” Sookie said breathlessly staring out into the sky.

“Stay with me Sook.” I begged, “Someone help!”

Alcide appeared out of nowhere and lifted her up.

“To the house!” I ordered, “Quickly!”

He took off with her and I looked out into the fog not seeing anyone but hearing screaming.

“Eric! Bill!?” I yelled, but got no answer.