Ch 6: The Family

Ancient Pythoness Old bones, ancient soul, and standing upon the top of the world with knowing eyes. It is not brilliance that grips me, only a heightened understanding of things. I sense the cold aroma of fae tears in the air, the sound of subtle movements across from me, and the aura that makes me squint my blind eyes, for it blazes with the brightness of a thousand suns. Our destines led us to this juncture, across the barren road of time, millenniums apart we have been. Across the wind swept Earth, across the vast waters that the civilization of men had yet to traverse. The girl was taken from me and plunged into a world so strange and bizarre it confounded me for centuries. But she was taken to a softer, kinder world. From the time she could stand, she was baptized in the waters of contentment. Though she has had her own trials in life, she was spared something far more sinister. Had she not been taken, she would have been left to pit her wits and will against the darkest of mankind. My visions told me that she would one day return to me, my daughter, my long lost daughter that I have longed to be reunited with. So long ago it was that I had my last vision of her, for I thought she had met her demise. I regretfully gave my daughter up for dead. The visions told me she would return to me with a hope, or she would not return at all. I know not what this hope is, only that it is a hope to change a great injustice and set not only her life in motion how it was meant to be, but mine as well. The girl sighed heavily, mere inches away. “Are you telling me that you are my mother and Corbett and Michelle Stackhouse just took me in?” “Yes, my child. Your great grandfather, Niall Brigant, took you to the future and enchanted the Stackhouses. They believed you were of their seed.” “So I’m not even related to them?” “Over there, child,” I said, pointing to a dust covered shelf across the room. “Retrieve the scroll, and open it. I have kept records of our lineage.” I have seen in my visions almost every moment of my child’s life, stretched across my 1000 years, a moment here, a moment there. I have witnessed her happiest occasions, her saddest hours, and even her sunrises and sunsets. I have glimpsed every member of her charmed family of the future. I cried when I observed as she endured a monstrous uncle. I laughed when I watched her engage in play combat with her brother Jason. I cringed watching the shifty young vampire, Bill Compton, weasel his way into her heart. I spent years learning the language of the future that she speaks, years discerning and interpreting the words that I heard spoken in my visions, preparing for this very moment, even when I knew not if it would pass. Those visions ceased many centuries ago for me. The last prophecy I foresaw of the girl of my flesh, pictured her standing upon the top of a large structure with a vampire who looked like a very young man. I sensed he was older than even I, approximately 2000 years old. But then again, if I were still alive in that time, I would be a vampire of 2400 years, 3000 years if you included my fae-human life. The vampire who stood upon the roof with her in the future had resolved himself to end his existence. I knew not why, only that Sookie did not like it and attempted to stop it. Then the vampire rushed at her, and that was the last I knew of my daughter. I feared she met her demise after I had that vision. There was nothing but silence. So the girl, given up for dead, returns to me. Not dead at all… only returned to her past, my present, and fate has crossed our paths once again. “A family tree?” Sookie said opening the scroll. “Yes, my child. Look upon the scroll, and you will see that Niall had two wives, both human. His first wife bore my mother, Rosalina Brigant, and after that wife died he remarried another human. His second wife bore Rosalina’s brother, Fintan Brigant, who will have two children with Adele Stackhouse.” No! That can’t be. My Gran was married to Earl Stackhouse. He is the father of Corbett and Linda. Sookie’s thoughts ran rampant across her mind. “Earl Stackhouse was unable to have children due to a childhood illness; both he and your Grandmother agreed she would bear children with my uncle Fintan Brigant.” “How do you know all this?” Sookie asked. I mean I know she knows a lot but how? “Much of it I know from my visions of you. Other details I learned from my Grandfather, Niall, who serves on the high council of supernaturals as the fae ambassador.” “This is just… just so much to take in.” Her voice cracked with emotion. I sighed. “I understand, my child.” “So who is my father?” “I know not. He was an Arcadian traveler who I met in my youth. Arcadian was the only name he gave me. I knew him for only a short time before he was called to duty by the Arcadian army in Greece. He left, and I never saw him again. Shortly after that, I learned I was pregnant and you were born. 15 days after your birth my father delivered me into the hands of the Delphi priests.” “I thought I was simply coming here to beg you to help me save Godric.” She sat back down in front of me, and I could feel her searching gaze upon my face. “Godric,” I said curiously. “The vampire who stood upon the roof with you as he attempted to meet the sun. You have brought him to the past with you, have you not?” “Yes,” she said. “He was going to try to meet the sun. I don’t know what happened. At the time I didn’t know I was fae. I guess I somehow used an ability to bring us to the past, but it was an accident. Then he was human, and now he is a slave just like he was before he was turned by this really awful vampire named Titus. He beat him last night and everything.” Sookie began to softly weep. “I know you haven’t met Godric yet, but he says the two of you came to know each other really well over the centuries. He’s the one who told me to tell you I like the smell of lemons. It was his idea that I come here.” “I know of this Titus. I have never been fond of him, for he is young and seeks power before he is ready. I have seen Godric in my visions of you, daughter. I have seen him rescue you from a human male who attempted to bring you harm.” “Yea, his name was Gabe, and he would have raped me if it wasn’t for Godric.” I nodded. I was grateful to this Godric for sparing my daughter such a lamentable experience that was sure to traumatize her. “Tell me, child, of Godric’s situation.” “Well, him and his sister Alia, they are slaves in Titus’s house. They can’t escape because he forced them to take his blood, and he’ll just track them down. They can leave during the day and he won’t know, but at night they have to be there and he does all sorts of sick and nasty things to them. Godric even told me that the first time he experienced these events Titus killed Alia last night, but he was able to prevent it for now. We also think that Titus glamoured the senators to assassinate Caesar. According to history Caesar was murdered last night, on the 15th of March, but I accidentally prevented it by warning Markus Antonius.” My blind eyes widened in shock. “Why child? Why do you believe Titus was behind this attempt of murder upon Caesar?” “He told Godric the night before that Rome was about to change. Then, right before the attempted assassination I tried to read a senators mind and he was glamoured. Also, Caesar was going to have him investigated for the murders of Roman boys. That’s another thing, Titus has been draining Roman noble boys and leaving them in the streets to be found in the morning. Why would he do that?” “I can think of only one reason, my child.” “It doesn’t make sense why he would try to expose vampires.” “There are fragile politics at play right now in the supernatural world. It is possible that Titus is working with someone to try and destabilize the power structure. I do not believe him intelligent enough to do this on his own.” “Do you think it’s enough to get Godric and Alia out of there?” “Unfortunately, we have strict laws concerning claimed humans. Since Alia and Godric do not possess any supernatural abilities I am unable to overturn his claim. At least until we are able to gain evidence against Titus.” “Well Alia has minor fae abilities. She says she was touched by a fae when she was a baby and blessed with some healing powers.” “This may save her life then.” I pondered how I could help the girl named Alia. “It would be prudent that I summon Titus and the two human slaves tonight. Perhaps, I could use my influence to convince Titus to hand over the two.” “Titus and Godric are already coming here tonight! Godric told Titus that you summoned them. Please, you have to save them!”     Sookie I stood beside the Pythoness in some sort of meeting hall. It was a large room lit by torches and candles. She sat on some sort of chair that was raised high in the air; a podium was in front of her blocking her body, sort of like a judge bench. She was positioned to look over the room and all those who sought audience with her. “Me come to yack at ye dat da spook, Titty Bathead, is here wit da handsome boy,” Ass boomed loudly, ceremoniously announcing Titus and Godric’s arrival. She bowed low as Titus and Godric walked in the room. “Welcome Titty Batpiss and handsome boy to da great hall of da pale darkie high council. Adhere to da rules of da spook council. One, don’t yack without first being yacked at. Two, don’t be goin’ and fangin’ da humans around dis place. Dree, keep ye tiny pecker in ye pants, except da handsome boy, he can peck me if he want. Four, respect da Ass. Five, da Ass is better den da Titty. Six…” “Ass, that is quite enough,” the Pythoness called from her podium. Titus growled as he walked by a snickering Ass. He walked up to the podium and stood before the Pythoness. I looked over at Godric whose eyelids were half open. He swayed on his feet and looked as if he was about to collapse. My breath hitched in my throat at the poor sight of him. He was exhausted. “Titus,” the Pythoness said in greeting. “Welcome to the great hall.” “Thank you Oracle for honoring me with this summons,” he bowed. “I am truly humbled that you saw fit to bestow this gift upon me, but I am very curious as to what is the nature of this summons as you required both me and my human to be in attendance which is quite irregular.” I do not know how but the Pythoness was somehow opening her mind up to me so I could understand both her and Titus even though they spoke in Latin. All I had to do was read her mind. “I am in need of a new slave and I have heard word that you have a strong slave boy. I wish to purchase him.” The Pythoness said, getting right to the point. Vampires obviously didn’t beat around the bush. Titus stood momentarily speechless. “I am sorry Oracle,” he laughed nervously. “But my slave is not for sale.” “I find it quite despicable the state in which you have brought him into this great hall. The boy can barely stand. Do you not allow your humans to sleep?” “Forgive me Pythoness, I know not why the boy is so weak tonight, but I believe that is not of your concern. I will punish him and handle the matter as I see fit once we return to my domus.” “It has been brought to my attention that one of the slaves in your possession is gifted with the ability to heal. I believe it is the sister of the very slave who you bring here tonight. You know well that it is against our laws to enslave a supernatural being. The peace between the races is very fragile and if these humans have a streak of supernatural ability within them it must be investigated.” “I was unaware that she had such an ability.” “Boy speak. Tell us of your sibling.” She said turning her body slightly to face Godric. I have no clue how she knew who was standing where. Godric looked up at he Pythoness, opened his mouth, then he collapsed to the ground. Ass started screaming. “What have you done to him you pig!” I yelled rushing off the raised platform towards Godric. I knelt down beside him and lifted his head into my lap. His eyes groggily opened and looked up at me. “Sookie,” he whispered so quietly I could barely hear. I gently cupped his face and stared into his eyes as he stared back into mine. He was barely able to prevent himself from drifting off. I mentally cringed at the anger I was feeling, the anger that Godric was forced to endure so much travesty at the hands of Titus. I… I knew I was falling for him, and I couldn’t stand to see him in this state. “What is the meaning of this? Why does your human dare to touch my property?” Titus shrieked, his fangs snapping out. “If we weren’t in the great hall I would have every right to end her life!” The Pythoness stood to her feet, her fangs out as well. “But you are in the great hall. And here you have what rights the high council deems fit for you to have!” She calmly hissed, leaning over her podium. “If you touch the girl, by the gods, I will not rest until you meet the true death.” “This is ludicrous!” Titus screamed in outrage, pointing at me and Godric. “I am being treated second to a human girl.” “It is my judgment, Titus, that we will keep the human boy here and investigate the possibility that he might be a supernatural.” I knew as well as the Pythoness that Godric was 100 percent human, at least he is now since I accidentally brought us 2000 years in the past. “Furthermore, I will send an escort with you back to your domus to retrieve the human girl Alia, where hence she will be brought to the great hall to be investigated as well.” “You can’t do this! I will appeal it!” “You are, of course, welcome to appeal my decision. But as the high council chair for vampires, I am within the law to investigate any claim that a supernatural’s rights are being broken. It is my responsibility to keep the peace between the races so all vampires can be prosperous and if that means depriving you of two slaves for a few nights, than so be it.” Ass started beating a big wooden mallet on a gong over and over causing the walls to rattle and the flames on the torches to flicker. Godric’s eyes were closed but the loud clamor caused him to open them back up. Several vampires filed into the room and stood at attention, but Ass continued to beat on the gong. “Ass!” The Pythoness said, rolling her eyes, which was quite strange since she had no pupils or irises.  Godric’s hazy blue eyes started to slowly close again and I ran my hand through his hair to try and sooth him. He sighed as his heavy eyelids shut. “Oh oops,” Ass said, putting the mallet down, but not before hitting the gong one last time. The Pythoness faced the five vampires who filed into the room. “Abel, take your vampires and escort Titus back to his domus. You are tasked with retrieving a human named Alia with possible latent supernatural abilities and returning her to the great hall for investigation.” “Da great Pythia has given her yack,” Ass bellowed out. “So it is yacked, so it is written.” After a few more cross words from Titus he was finally escorted out of the great hall, and Ass came to help me gather up Godric and take him to a bed to rest. He leaned on me with his arm around my shoulder while Ass helped him from the other side. We were slowly making our way to a chamber that Ass had prepared before Godric arrived in anticipation that he may be staying here for a few days. “Godric, I can’t believe you haven’t slept at all,” I said as he leaned on me. “It had not occurred to me,” he said slowly. “My Shookie.” Did he just call me his? I wasn’t sure what to make of that. He was obviously tired and probably didn’t know what he was saying. “Dis is da room,” Ass said as we approached a door. She let go of the other side of Godric to open the door. While she was doing that, he shifted on his feet so that he faced me more, and he buried his face in my neck below my ear and inhaled. I started laughing. “Godric, what are you doing?” “Trying to shmell your scent, it eludes me. Mmm,” he growled. “There it ish, the faintest of aromas.” “Dat man be drinkin’ da juice. He not only exhausted out da mind but drunker dan a five dolla whore at da gladiator game.” “Is that true, Godric?” “Titus insisted I drink wine when he rose from his shlumber. He thought it would rouse me to a more wakened shtate while we held audience with the Pythia,” he smiled. “Titus is an idiot. If anything it made you drowsier.” “No,” Godric started shaking his head vehemently and his eyes widened. “What is it Godric?” I said helping him into the room. “I AM roused.” He stepped backwards away from me. “You have no idea what you, Shookie ShtaCK-house, have roused.” Then he started laughing and waggling his eyebrows. He continued to step backwards until the back of his knees hit the bed, and he fell down flat on the mattress, his legs hanging off the side. “K, welp. Look like ye got dis sorted. Good night der cheche,” Ass snickered, slamming the door shut, leaving me and Godric alone in the room. Godric groaned on the bed as he looked up at the ceiling, still lying on his back. I giggled at seeing the 2000 year old being lying there drunk. “Godric, I think you need to sleep.” “Yesh,” he whispered. “Come closer, I musht tell you.” “Tell me what?” I said cautiously taking a few steps. “Closer.” I took a few more steps until I was standing right in front of him. “Closher,” he whispered faintly with his eyes closed. I sat beside him on the bed. He still didn’t move and continued to lay there with his eyes closed. “Closer,” the corner of his lip twitched slightly upward. I leaned over him. “What is it, Godric?” He opened his eyes and looked up at me as I leaned over him. His blue eyes were smoldering with an intensity so great that it sent delightful shivers up my spine. He reached up and cupped my face, all joking gone from his beautiful features. “I would meet the true death for you, Sookie Stackhouse.” “Please don’t talk like that, Godric,” I whispered. I am falling in love with my beautiful Sookie, he thought. My lips parted and my breath hitched. I knew Godric was attracted to me, but love? I started breathing in quicker rasps, could Godric really be feeling the same about me that I was about him? Perhaps, it was just the alcohol speaking for him. If truth be told, my heart raced every time I thought about him. Even now being this close to him my heart was racing in my chest so rapidly that I could hear it in my ears. Oh woman, If you only knew how much I have fallen for you. How much I want to show you what you mean to me. But alas, your heart belongs to a vampire who planned to betray you. My dearest Sookie, how I want to tell you but I cannot break your heart, even if it means that I must live with my own broken heart. He was thinking about Bill Compton. I have barely thought about him since I came here. After the entire fiasco with Lorena I was so fed up in Dallas. What does Godric mean Bill planned to betray me? I needed to find this out, but now wasn’t the time. Getting information from a drunken person could be frustrating and my mind was reeling right now from all the new information I learned tonight, such as the Pythoness being my real mother. My problems with Bill seemed quite insignificant to be honest, and I wouldn’t let it sour my mood. I was thrilled that Godric was now safe, at least for the time being. I’m not sure how it happened. But somehow my hand ended up on Godric’s chest above his heart, and it slowly slid up to the side of his neck. Then I leaned down and kissed him on the lips. An image flashed in my mind from Godric. It was me leaning up from my kiss and pulling my dress off over my head. He leaned forward and put his mouth on my breast. Wow, the image was so explicit and detailed. I have never seen anyone think that way about me, at least not anyone I cared about. I felt tingles shoot through my body as his hands slid up my thighs forcing my dress to hitch up around my waist. What was I doing? He was drunk… he may not even really want this. I was about to get up, but before I could do anything Godric flipped me on my back on the bed and he was on top of me, his lips still pressed to mine. My legs wrapped around his waist. I was fighting an internal battle here. Oh by the gods, let it be true. Does this woman want me as I want her? Is she truly willing to yield to me, willing be my mate? “Godr uuuuuu!” I started to protest, but he grabbed my bottom and pressed his groin between my legs, rubbing something very hard on just the right spot which sent a shock through my body, and a flood of lust and euphoria through my veins. “Yes,” he growled, still kissing my mouth. “Mmm, yes Shookie! Feel how you stir me.” He said excitedly, ramming himself against my nether regions again. “We can’t Godric,” I panted. “We can’t, you’re drunk. You don’t know what you’re doing.” “Believe me, Little One. I know exactly what I am doing,” He said in a ragged breath, bringing his lips back to mine. He rammed himself against me again and started pivoting his hips in a circular motion, his hands still on my bottom, squeezing and moving me against him. “Oh God!” I mewed. She is MINE! MINE! His mind screamed. MINE! MINE! GRRRR! MINE! She is MINE! “Oh my god, Godric. You are so drunk!” I laughed. I was trying not to laugh, but his mind kept incessantly chanting MINE. “I am fine!” he growled hoarsely between kisses. “Yield to me my beautiful, Sookie. Oh how I want to pleasure you!” Because she is MINE! Feel how I want you! He pumped his pelvis into my lady bits again and again. Pushing the tip of his hard erection through his pants against me. Oh my god! He was going wild! I’m not sure how big he was but he definitely had a delicious bounty! I just couldn’t do this. As much as I wanted it, I had to stop him. He was drunk, and he didn’t know what he was doing. I couldn’t have wild crazy sex with Godric when he was drunk. That’ll be the day, a 25 year old human girl, well human-fae hybrid girl, taking sexual advantage of a 2000 year old vampire, well former vampire. “Godric, you have to stop right now!” I said, pushing on his chest. GRRRRR! “NOW!” I screamed. He leaned up and looked down at me, breathing heavily. His eyes full of shock and hurt. It broke my heart. “I’m sorry, Godric. But you are not thinking straight.” She is right. What have I done? What is wrong with me? Sookie and I will never be… I cannot claim a woman such as her. His brow furrowed angrily, and I could see his teeth clenched under his parted lips which added to his confused and pained countenance. Of course he was confused. He hasn’t been human in 2000 years and he said himself that I was the first human he has ever gotten to know. He looked away and closed his eyes. “It’s okay, Godric,” I looked down at my hands. “It was just the wine.” His last thought confirmed he didn’t really mean what he was thinking. The adrenaline had sobered him up and made him think more clearly. I thought after our sweet kiss earlier today on the steps, after the random thoughts I had picked up from him admiring me that he was feeling the same. But no, he was just fond of me, fond of me as a close friend would be, perhaps even a little curious about me and I had taken everything, all his words and everything in the wrong context. Who was I to think someone who lived for 2000 years, who was the most respectable and kind person I have ever met, who had so much integrity, honor, and wisdom that it made me look like a newborn baby, who was I to think he would be anything more than slightly curious about me? And here I was kissing him and touching him when he was drunk, stirring those insatiable vampire instincts inside him that never did quite go away. I felt my heart being ripped to shreds. The sad part was I was the one falling in love with Godric. Hearing his mind say he loved me when he really didn’t mean it, when it was just the alcohol speaking… hurt. It hurt like hell. I looked back up at him and his head was still hung and turned away, his eyes still shut. He couldn’t even look at me. He began speaking without looking at me. “Please forgive me, Sookie. It is true that I have consumed wine which contributed to my deplorable behavior tonight, but I cannot put all of the blame on that.” He finally looked at me, his eyes no longer confused but full of sadness and regret. “I find I still have the hunger of a vampire. I find myself in pursuit of a delectable prey knowing that at our core’s one of us is unworthy of the other. Despite this I wish to continue to have you, Sookie, in my life if you will…” I could not listen to him confirm all of my insecurities. I could no longer hold in my cries of disappointment. I stood up and ran out of the room, tears falling down my face…   A/N: going to try to get an extra super long chapter next time!