Ch 12: The Calm Before the Storm

Wraith Lair – 44 B.C.

 

I pressed my back to the wall of the earthen tunnel as I watched Sookie scramble past a side passage, my heart beating with dread for her safety. I was about to follow after her but she quickly turned and silently held her hand up for me to stop. My eyes widened as I stared at her and pressed my back to the wall again. I silently cursed in my mind that I was little more than a mere mortal surrounded by creatures of supernatural strength and ability. Though they still slumbered we could ill afford to sound an alarm.

 

I heard the drifting voices of two human sentries down the side passage. They slowly came towards us and I readied myself for battle. Sookie looked at me and shook her head as I was about to leap out and break the necks of the vile underlings. I flattened myself hard against the wall. I was not used to this. Not used to following direction from another. Not used to not being able to use my uncanny senses to know the location of every living creature within a quarter mile.

 

The voices stopped and one of the sentries laughed at a joke the other had said before they turned around and walked back down the tunnel from which they had come. Sookie waved her hand, beckoning me to cross and I quickly did so. I grabbed her around the waist and sighed heavily, barely able to contain my fear for her safety.

 

“That was too close for comfort,” she whispered. “I heard in that guards mind that a vampire is sleeping in a nearby chamber down this tunnel. They are patrolling that passage to guard him, but they don’t expect anyone to come through the back tunnel like we did, so they aren’t watching it as closely.”

 

“Do you know if it is Titus?” I whispered, looking around for threats.

 

“There’s only one way to find out.”

 

“We have already killed three slumbering vampires and we have been searching for several hours. We are running out of time. The sun will set soon and the Wraith will awaken.”

 

“Let’s just check this last one, and if it isn’t him we’ll look for the Jewel.”

 

“I agree,” I said looking at her. “If the next chamber proves fruitless we shall switch tactics, but it is a risk leaving Titus alive.”

 

“Cross your fingers.”

 

I lifted my hand and looked at it. “Cross my fingers? I do not understand, Little One.”

 

She smiled and kissed me on the cheek before turning around and briskly walking down the tunnel, hugging the wall.

 

I followed behind her, still wary that she insisted on taking point, but because of her mind reading abilities it was the logical choice, though I had argued with her about such a tactic before we began on this venture to find Titus. We already had several ‘close calls’ as Sookie called them and I had already been forced to kill one human sentry; two humans including the guard outside Sookie’s prison cell.

 

Though my human nerves were rattled at the thought of my mate being in danger, my blood churned at the thrill of the hunt. It was yet another vampire tendency lingering from my former life, and I found myself forgetting that I was human.

 

“Shit. Someone is coming,” Sookie whispered as she looked at me with fear. “He’s gonna turn down this tunnel when he comes out of the next passage. Something about going to take a break.”

 

I quickly turned and looked for a place for us to hide but there was no where to go. “Get behind me,” I ordered as I stepped in front of her protectively.

 

I pressed her behind me against the wall beside the passage where she had indicated as we waited for the guard to descend upon us. Seconds seem to last eons as we waited with bated breath.

 

“Swine!” The guard said in surprise as he turned into our tunnel and saw us, putting his hand on the hilt of his sword.

 

I jumped on him and knocked him to the ground. Grabbing his hair and tilting his head back, I struck and bit his throat, tearing a gashing hole that caused blood to spray out of an artery. The blood made my mind swirl and the blood lust took over. I struck again and began drinking his blood.

 

“Godric!” Sookie scream-whispered.

 

I shook my head as if to clear it and looked up at her, blood dripping down my chin and onto my chest. “I… I could not help myself.”

 

She straightened up and looked at me with concern. “It’s okay. Let’s just go. We need to hide the body so another guard doesn’t find him.”

 

“Where is the vampire’s chamber?” I asked, picking the dead human up and slinging him over my shoulder.

 

“The next door, right over there,” she said pointing down the tunnel. “I can feel the void of the vampire mind. There’s only one. We can leave the body there.”

 

I walked toward the door and she followed behind me. “Stay here, Sookie. You need not come in here. If things do not go according to plan and I am killed you must flee this place.”

 

“Screw that. I’m coming in to help, Godric.”

 

I looked over at her. “Little One, I agreed to allow you to help me find Titus and the Jewel, but I will not and cannot allow you to come in the vampire lair. On this I will not yield.”

 

She crossed her arms and I looked at her stubbornly. “Fine,” she whispered, her eyes softening. “But please be careful.”

 

I kissed her before turning to enter the lair.

 

As I entered, my heart sank, for it was not Titus. I feared that we had spent too much time searching for my evil dominus only to waste time. We should have been searching for the Jewel. I clenched my teeth angrily and looked at the slumbering vampire. I could not even sense his age and knew not who he was, but the vampire had sealed his fate when he chose to align himself with the Wraith. I would kill every last creature in this dreadful place if I had to.

 

I dropped the dead human on the ground and reached into my back pocket and pulled out the stake I had fashioned back at the Great Hall before setting out on this journey. As I had carved the stake I had thought about plunging it through Titus’ chest. I may still have that opportunity yet.

 

I walked up to the sleeping vampire and lifted the stake into the air before thrusting it into his heart. I turned my head away when his body burst into rotten blood and gore. It was the fourth time I had killed a vampire in this manner on this day and each time I vomited. It was not that the blood made me sick, but rather that very thing was what I had spent two thousand years avoiding, staving off, dreading. I had killed my fair share of vampires in my long life, but something about doing it while they slumbered made me shudder with disgust and foreboding. It was the most feared way for a vampire to receive the true death, not even able to look into the eyes of their murderer, to be slaughtered while they lay dead for the day, never to wake or experience another night under the stars and heavens.

 

I reached up and wiped the blood out of my eyes with the back of my hand. Wiping the stake on my pant leg I put it back in my pocket and turned to leave. It was time to find the Jewel and end this once and for all.

 

2009 – Dallas, Texas
(The Night of Godric’s Attempted Suicide)

 

“Grand-maker, I cannot do it. I cannot let Godric go out on that roof,” I said pacing the hotel room. I turned to look at the Ancient Pythia. She stood like a statue watching me with her milky blind eyes, the wrinkles set on her face in pain and concern, her hands folded neatly in front of her.

 

“Eric my grandchild, it is not your choice. History has already been written and neither you nor I can change fate.”

 

“Fuck fate,” I yelled, rushing towards her. My fangs slid out and I stood inches in front of her, craning my neck to look down at her. “I have done every last fucking thing you have asked! I brought Sookie here. I played the part for months, feigning ignorance as I watched Bill Compton claim her. You cannot ask me to risk Godric’s life. He is my maker!”

 

“My daughter will save him. You must have faith. It has happened before and so it will happen again.”

 

I growled and turned away, throwing my hand in the air. “And what if something goes wrong? You will loose a child, perhaps two, and I will loose a maker!”

 

“Did you give her your blood after the bomb went off as instructed?” She asked.

 

I snorted. “Yes, though why it was so important I know not! If Godric finds out I have given his mate blood he may yet kill me himself.”

 

“It is important my grandchild because it will ensure that she is drawn to the roof when Godric attempts to end his life. Everything must go exactly as it did in my visions. Events are cascading in an unstoppable chain reaction that will determine life and death.”

 

I looked over at her with hope in my eyes. “Have you had any more visions? Do you know if Sookie will return from the past after the roof?”

 

She shook her head and looked down. “I know not. On this my sight is unyielding. My last vision is of Godric rushing at her on the roof before they both came to the past all those centuries ago. But fear not my child, have hope. The only logical explanation is that Sookie and Alia were forced to the future after the Jewel was destroyed. It brought her to the past and so it can return her to the future.”

 

“What makes you so sure my makers sister came with her?”

 

“Just as Godric was pulled to the past with Sookie, I believe Alia was pulled to the future with her. Godric was left behind because he was too far from Sookie to be carried with her.”

 

“And so began two thousand years of torture and waiting for my maker to be reunited with his mate only for you to take all those memories from him,” I hissed with spite. She may be my Grand-maker but I had spent the last quarter century estranged from Godric because of what she did.

 

“She is pregnant.”

 

I stopped and slowly turned to her. “What?”

 

“My daughter is pregnant with Godric’s child.”

 

I looked down at the ground in disbelief. “It cannot be!”

 

“Why not,” she said calmly. “You know all to well that he was human during their adventure in the past. You know they mated. He was more than capable of impregnating a woman with his human seed.” She watched me silently for a few moments. “So you see my grandchild, there is much more at stake than Sookie and Godric’s life. How would your maker feel if he knew he prevented those events from happening? And even if we were somehow able to prevent Sookie from going into the past with Godric who is to say it would not cause a paradox.”

 

“A paradox?”

 

“Oh yes my child. If they do not go to the past how will Godric have ever learned that my daughter is his mate?”

 

“A child…” I said sitting on the couch, still in shock. “A human… no a fairy-human child. This is crazy. If he knew of this he would dare not try to meet the sun. It would give him a reason to live once again.”

 

“He must so that Sookie can save him, so that they can go to the past and fall in love, and more importantly so they can stop the Wraith.”

 

“Yes,” I nodded. “Please forgive my disrespect, Grand-maker.”

 

“You need not apologize, Eric. This is a difficult situation for all of us. There is much at risk, but I believe if we do everything carefully we will successfully weather this storm.”

 

I looked down and quietly spoke. “I am going to go see Godric now. Nothing is guaranteed and tonight might be the last time I see him.”

 

The Pythia reached out and put her hand on my shoulder. “Go child. Be with your maker.”

 

Godric’s Hotel Room

 

I have lived too long. My mind has begun to decay. Even now I feel a presence deep within that does not make sense. Similar to a closed maker connection, but I killed my maker centuries ago so the only logical explanation is that insanity has begun to set in.

 

Amends must be made. My burdens are heavy and my evil deeds are many. I will give my countless victims justice. It is the least I can do as I leave this Earth.

 

My only comfort and sense of accomplishment is Eric. He is my legacy. He is my heart.

 

I sense him approaching my hotel room even now. He is concerned. I only hope he will forgive me for what I will do at dawn. It will not be easy for him but I have faith that he will go on and remember the lessons I taught him over the last few centuries. I can only hope that he will never follow in my footsteps, for I do not wish him to ever feel the pain and anguish of the haunting remorse that I carry within my soulless body.

 

I hung my head and squeezed my eyes tightly as I heard him knock on the door. I must face him. Getting up from the couch I walked to the door and opened it.

 

“Yes, my child,” I said softy. “Come in.”

 

His blue eyes peered at me, the pain etched deeply within them. “Fader, you are not well.”

 

“I will be fine.” I walked back to the couch and sat down. He followed warily before sitting across from me. “Has Miss Stackhouse recovered from the bomb explosion earlier this evening?”

 

“Yes, she was not hurt. She is a little shaken but she will be fine.”

 

I nodded. “I am pleased to hear that. She is a friend to our kind.”

 

“Do you like her?” He asked, surprising me.

 

I quickly looked up at him. “As I said she is a friend to our kind.”

 

“She would make a fine mate, would she not?”

 

“Yes, she is a lovely creature. Mr. Compton’s intentions are not honest. I hope that you will successfully break her bonds with him and yes, she would make a fine mate for you, my child. I am pleased that you have chosen to take this path.”

 

Eric leaned back on the couch and relaxed. “I was not speaking for myself, Fader.”

 

I laughed sarcastically. “I am not fit to be anyone’s mate, Eric. You know this.”

 

“If anyone deserves happiness it is you.”

 

I looked at him and narrowed my eyes. “Is that why you brought her with you to Dallas? Because you thought I needed a mate?”

 

He stared at me and did not answer.

 

Shaking my head I spoke, “My child, while I am glad that you are thinking of me, I do not require a mate. I have lived 2000 years and never found one. It is just not meant to be for me.” My voice slowly trailed off. “Fate has other plans for me.”

 

He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “Perhaps it is something you should consider. With Sookie I mean.”

 

“My mind is not in the right place for such things, my child. I have not spoken to you about this but perhaps it is time…”

 

“Your heart is plagued with guilt,” he whispered.

 

My eyes widened. “How do you know this? I have kept the bond closed for 25 years. Have you felt my emotions?”

 

“You aren’t as evil as you think, my maker.”

 

I shook my head and snorted. “And you, my child, did not witness the atrocities that I committed long before you were turned. You do not know of what you speak. The things you have seen me do in your youth were mere trifles compared to the crimes I have committed.”

 

He looked down at his hands as if he was avoiding my gaze. “I should not say this to you, but…” He looked back in my eyes with a burning intensity and his voice broke. “Please do not do it, Godric. Do not leave me, Fader. If I…” I was surprised to see a tear flowing down his face and he reached up to wipe it away with the back of his hand. “If I loose you my heart could not bear it.”

 

I pursed my lips and creased my brow to hold back my emotions. “My child, do not think of such things. Live in this moment, for we cannot change the past nor dictate the future.”

 

In the blink of an eye he was in front of me on his knees. He leaned forward and wrapped his arms around me. Laying his head on my chest, he silently wept.

 

I raised my hand and put it on the back of his head. Closing my eyes, I held him, trying to give my child some semblance of comfort.

 

44 BC Wraith Lair

 

“Alia is here,” Sookie said turning to me with surprise.

 

“What? Are you sure? I escorted her from this godless place myself.”

 

“Yes, she’s back at the entrance,” she looked up at me with excitement. “And she knows where the Jewel is!”

 

I growled. “She is putting herself at unnecessary risk. She could run into a guard and she will be killed. I ordered her to go back to the Great Hall.”

 

“Godric, we’ll just have to go back and get her.”

 

“We have less than an hour until nightfall. I fear for all of us. Perhaps we should go back to the entrance and you and she should go back to the Great Hall. Yes, I will go find the Jewel myself.”

 

“Hell no! We’re doing this together, all three of us! Being bossy about it isn’t gonna change that mister! We can do it, Godric. We can go back and get her and find the Jewel in an hour!”

 

“And yet there will be no time to escape this place.”

 

She turned and started briskly walking down the corridor with light footsteps. I growled and followed after her. It would seem that fate has steered us down a very dangerous path.