So There She Was (Part II)

30.

“So these humans worked at your hotel and you had no idea?”

The Queen of Texas was embarrassed more than she was enraged, belied by her tone of voice towards the Chief of Hotel Security.

“We do thorough background checks before they’re hired, but once they start working, if their politics change, unfortunately we do not have a reassessment policy at this time. We do apologize for everything that has happened.”

“Twenty-five vampires. Half a floor, gone. And all you have to say is sorry?”

“It would have been much worse had it not been for Violetta Northman,” said Francis, who was standing next to his queen.

“Still, it could have been our entire convention.”

The queen was not amused by Francis pointing out that a foreigner had come to their rescue.

Violetta stood from the hardback chair. Her mind was reeling from all of the unspoken hostility and accusations floating around in the thoughts of all who had come and gone in the room over the ten hours she had been made to sit in there. No one had caught the sire who had initiated the idea, or his Maker. Neither had come to the hotel for the evening’s meeting sessions.

“Look,” she said, “I’ve been interrogated by the hotel, by security, by the police, and by your guards for nearly twelve hours now. I actually do need sleep, or at least a drink. If you are just going to play the blame game over and over, may I request permission to at least tell my husband where I’ve been all this time?”

“Of course,” said the queen dismissively.

“Thank you, Mrs. Northman.”

It killed Francis to say it, but it would have killed his queen more.

Violetta left the room. Her head was spinning, and she needed to Feed. She headed to the hotel bar, where she knew Eric had been waiting to find out what had happened when he discovered Violetta missing, and the suite cordoned off with caution tape outside the bedroom door.  As she approached, she could hear the loud murmur of gossiping voices from the crowd in the bar. All conferences were cancelled after the attacks earlier in the day, and most of the out of towners were either making arrangements for those they had lost, or were waiting for more gossip to add to the growing legend of what took place while they slept.

Where are they?

Violetta heard the thoughts of a small child, a girl, no more than seven years old. They were coming from a custodian’s closet ahead. Violetta turned the handle. She could feel the girl’s anxiety and hope. The door was locked. In spite of her weakened state, Violetta kicked it open. Inside, next to the damp, mouldy mops, sat the girl, whose hair and face were unwashed, wearing tattered pink pyjamas with pictures of poodles on them. She held a dirty, blonde doll that only wore a diaper.

“Hello, sweetie,” said Violetta in her kindest voice. “Where are your mama and dada?”

Dead. I’m waiting for my Tanta and Joe.

“My name’s Violet,” said Violetta. “It’s okay. I won’t hurt you. But you have to tell me who left you here.”

“Why are you sorry?” said the girl.

Violetta touched her arm gently. Images of an abandoned baby, passed around, barely fed, kept in a corner, abused, screamed at about the voices…images that were the same as those of the woman from the restroom who had tried to attack her earlier that day.  Violetta swooned and sat down, looking into the girl’s frightened eyes.

Don’t be scared. Violetta projected her thoughts to the little girl. I can hear you. You don’t have to talk out loud if you don’t want to.

I scared you. The child was terrified; her thoughts came rapidly. I scare everyone. I’m not allowed to talk about the voices I hear. It scares people.

You don’t scare me. See? I’m talking to you without using my voice. I just fell because I’m hungry. Are you hungry?

The girl nodded.

“Come on,” said Violetta. “Let’s get you something to eat. Pizza?”

The girl nodded. I love pizza.

And you probably want to wash up. Would you like a bubble bath?

With lots and lots of bubbles? And a sailboat.

Violetta laughed, and nodded. She took the girl’s hand and, stepping out of the closet door, walked past the open doors of the bar towards the elevator banks.

“Violetta.”

The girl froze, squeezing Violetta’s hand.

“It’s okay,” Violetta said. “It’s my husband. He just wants to make sure I’m okay.”

Is he your friend?

Of course he is. He’s my husband.

Joe was Tanta’s husband but they weren’t friends.

Violetta blinked away the harsh imagery transmitted by the small child, as she turned to face Eric.

“You’re a hero,” he said. “You need to come to the bar.”

What’s your name, sweetie?

Trixie. Trixiebelle Leticia May Stewart.

“Eric,” said Violetta, “This is my new friend, Trixie. Trixie and I are going to go have a pizza, and then Trixie is going to have a nice bubble bath and settle in for a movie and some sleep.”

Eric looked quizzically at the child and then back to Violetta.

“Now I know our floor has been closed off because of the incident. Did you check us out already?”

“I just assumed we’d leave tonight after you were finished with the Queen,” he said. “No other reason for us to stay, is there?”

Trixie, do you know where you live?

I live in Tanta’s car, and sometimes we go to Joe’s trailer if he’s in a good mood.

So your clothes and all of your things are in your Tanta’s car?

The girl nodded. Eric looked at Violetta.

“She’s at least a quarter, possibly even half like me,” Violetta whispered while distracting Trixie with another projected question.

Is there anyone else who would be looking for you?

I don’t know anyone other than Tanta and Joe.

Anyone at school?

I don’t go to school anymore. Tanta said she didn’t want them calling no more about me and the voices.

Violetta nodded.

“Can we go home now?” said Violetta.

“With her?” cried Eric.

“Yes, with her,” said Violetta, “She has nowhere else to go.”

Eric shook his head.

“I understand,” he said. “This whole ordeal has been overwhelming for you. We’ll give you a week and then if people want to see you, they can stop by Fangtasia. Wait here.”

Violetta smiled and shook her head.

“What does too clever for his own good mean, Violet?”

“It means that he loves me,” said Violetta. “Now, have you ever ridden in a convertible?”

31.

Connell hid in the alley beside where the rusty car was parked. He had managed to find Diane and traced her to this hotel at the outskirts of Dallas. When he peeked into the car window, he could smell the young girl. She had come with Diane to this hotel.  Though he wasn’t sure why, he knew that, from the condition of the car, they would not be staying at the luxury hotel overnight. He was waiting for them to return, and he would simply take the girl from the human. The human had no idea how to look after the child. He could take her back home and…

He heard footsteps approaching, and crouched behind the wall, waiting to pounce. He sniffed the air. The little girl was coming with…he sniffed again…a vampire…and…

Is this the car, Trixie?

Yeah. See? That’s my stuff.

Connell peeked around the corner, and saw a raven-haired woman kick in the glass of the rear passenger door of the rusty car. There was a tall, male vampire standing in the background. Connell recognized him immediately.

The tall woman and the small girl stared at each other. Connell could hear them speaking with each other through their Fairy voices. He held his own thoughts quiet.

Did you hear that?

The small child was perceptive. Connell turned away as the woman picked up a few pieces from the car, and led the child away by the hand.

“We have to go shopping,” he heard her say aloud.

Connell cursed himself for being so weak. He could have taken both of his children that very evening if he had been able to overcome the vampire. But he took solace in knowing that his children were together, and he would be able to take them through the portal all at once when the time came.

32.

Violetta sat next to the large tub. She had flowed it over with bubbles, and felt Trixie’s happiness at simply sitting and playing with a toy sailboat and her doll, now freshly clean. Violetta had made Eric stop at a 24 hour superstore on the way back and had bought almost everything she saw that Trixie would like, from clothes to food to toys. Surprisingly, Eric hadn’t grumbled about the lack of room in the car, nor about Trixie at all.

“I have to step out for just a second,” said Violetta. “Will you be okay here?”

Trixie nodded. Thank you, Miss Violet. I’m having a lot of fun here. Can I eat in the bath?

Violetta laughed. “Ew, nobody eats in the bath. But you just stay as long as you’d like.”

She left the door partially open as she walked down the hall. Eric was sitting on the sofa, reading something on his tablet. Violetta leaned down and kissed him.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“For?”

“For letting Trixie stay with us.”

“Interesting word you use there, Violetta. ‘Stay’. As if you’re trying to pretend you don’t want this to be permanent.”

Violetta stayed silent. Eric looked up from the tablet.

“Vi..”

“Don’t,” she said. “Just don’t say another word. I’m going to the kitchen.”

Violetta stood at the counter. She had intended to make a plate for Trixie, heaped with food, to give to her when she finished in the bath. Violetta opened the cupboard and reached for a plate. She remembered her surprise at finding plates in Eric’s house, and as she took it down, it slipped from her fingers and shattered into pieces.

Violetta let out a cry that she had not heard herself make since she was newly turned. It was the same cry she let out when she realized what she had asked Eric to do to her, a cry for her loss of humanity. Violetta started to shake. She felt herself being picked up and whisked out of the room. Eric held her tightly, burying her face in his neck.

“Don’t let the girl hear you,” he whispered as he rocked her in his arms, the way he had when he had first heard that cry come from her lips.

Violetta’s thoughts were a chaotic mess, and she felt her skin begin to burn, and heard Eric’s skin on his hands begin to burn from where he held her. Then she heard a sound in the middle of her darkness inside. It was Trixie – Trixie’s fear to be precise. Her heart broke for the sweet child in the other room. Violetta untangled herself from Eric and ran down the hall.

“Trixie,” she called. “Are you…”

Trixie was crying as hard as Violetta had been. Violetta sat beside her.

“It’s okay,” she said, holding her. “It’s going to be…”

You’re bleeding. You got hurt. Did that man hurt you?

Violetta shook her head.

“Sorry, I forgot about…” Violetta reached for a towel and wiped her face. “I’m fine, see? It’s just how we cry.”

“Your eyes bleed when you cry? Why?”

“When we cry, our hearts hurt so much that our eyes bleed.”

Violetta turned at the sound of Eric’s voice.

Did you hurt Violet?

“Trixie, Eric can’t hear you like I can,” said Violetta. “But I’m okay. I just dropped a plate by accident.”

“I heard you crying.” Trixie forced herself to speak out loud.

“So did I,” said Eric, stroking Violetta’s face. “I went to help Violet. She just wants to make sure that you feel happy and safe here. And so do I.”

Really?

Violetta and Trixie had the same thought.

“Trixie,” said Eric, “I need you to do me a little favour. Now I know you don’t know me, but it would really help me out if you could. Is that okay?”

Trixie nodded, picking up on Violetta’s thought of wondering what Eric was doing.

“You need to help me take care of Violet. She’s very special. And she wants to take care of you more than anything else in the world. So much so that she might forget to look after herself. So, can you help me make sure that she is okay?”

Trixie nodded quickly.

“Good,” he said. He took Violetta’s hand, and kissed her forehead.

“It will be sunrise soon. You’ll be okay?”

Violetta nodded.

Eric left the room, and called back, “Good night, Trixie.”

Trixie yawned, “Good night, Mr. Eric.”

“Don’t call me that,” he called. “Call me…”

“Eric,” warned Violetta.

“Yeah. That’s fine.”

“Trixie,” said Violetta, “are you still hungry, or did you want to go to sleep, too?”

Trixie stood to get out of the tub and yawned. Violetta wrapped her in a brand new pink fluffy robe, as she helped her out.

Can I have the pizza for breakfast when I wake up?

Violetta smiled. “You can have whatever you want for the next few days.”

And then I have to go back?

I don’t know, Trixie. I don’t know if there’s anyone for you to go back to. That’s what I was going to do for the next few days. Try to find out if you have any other next of kin. That means anyone else who might be missing you. Blood relatives who want to take care of you.

I want you to take care of me, Miss Violet.  

So do I, Trixie, which is why we have to check. Otherwise if someone is missing you, they may get angry and try to hurt us and take you away instead of dealing with things like rational adults.

What does that mean?

I’ll tell you when you get up.

Violetta had walked Trixie to one of Eric’s above-ground rooms. She had loaded it with pink fluffy toys and pink flannel sheets and bought a pink flower night light. She helped Trixie get into her new pink pyjamas with kittens on them, and tucked her into bed with her now-dry doll and a big pink rabbit, which had, strangely enough, been chosen by Eric.

“The sun is coming up,” said Trixie. “Can I have the curtains open just a bit?”

Violetta smiled and nodded, opening the blinds a crack.

“Will you stay with me?” said Trixie.

“I’ll stay til you fall asleep,” said Violetta. “But I have to sleep beside Eric. He’ll miss me too.” But I will know how you’re doing like this. And you can always call to me.

Can you hear my words when I sleep?

I did in the car.

I can’t hear people’s words when I’m sleeping.

Do you want to?

Not now.

If you ever do, I can teach you. But now, get some sleep.

Violetta kissed Trixie on her forehead, and watched rays of sun start to peek through the blinds.

“Good night, Miss Violet,” said Trixie, rolling into her blankets, and snuggling down to sleep. Violetta watched her drift off peacefully. She wished she could stay and watch her sleep.  She had always been that way with the new orphans back in the day, but with all the children she had looked after, she had only come across two children who were shifters – one a were, the other a true shifter. They knew her secret, and she had kept theirs. But she had never encountered a fairy child, half or otherwise.

 Violetta stole out of the room, made sure the locks were doubled on each door and that the alarm was set, and then made her way down to Eric’s sleeping chambers. She kept a channel of her mind open as she lay down beside him. She started to drift off almost immediately, and then felt his hand stroke her cheek.

“You’re awake?” she whispered.

“Barely,” he said. “I wanted to make sure my child was okay.”

Violetta turned into him and felt his arms wrap around her.

33.

Violetta slowly stirred, lounging, still feeling Eric’s arms around her. She tried to stretch, knowing it was just before dusk, as she couldn’t sense Eric or any other creatures stirring at the change in the day to night. The pain through her muscles and limbs was nearly unbearable. She turned with slow and small movements to get out of the bed, and as she rolled to the edge, she heard a quiet sound like the grunt of a small rodent. Then she felt her waken inside her head.

Where am I?

Violetta  forced herself to hasten through her pain, and threw on something modest. Eric stirred.

“My loveliest,” he whispered as his eyes opened.

She was tempted to lay beside him, but instead leaned in and gave Eric a quick kiss, ambled up the stairs as quickly as her muscles would allow, and dashed into Trixie’s room. Trixie was looking around with wide eyes.

Hi Trixie, it’s me, Violet. You’ve slept all day. Are you okay?

I’m hungry.

 Violetta smiled.

“Then let’s get you up and give you some breakfast,” she said.

Am I leaving today?

Leaving? For where?

Wherever you send me.

“You’re not going anywhere until we find someone who knows you,” said Violetta aloud. “Now, let’s get up, brush your teeth, and have some breakfast.”

Trixie grabbed her doll and stood from the bed.

“Can I have pizza for breakfast like you promised?” she asked.

Violetta smiled.

“You can have whatever you’d like,” she replied.

As Trixie headed for the bathroom, Violetta headed for the kitchen. She pulled together some of the things she had picked up from the 24 hour store the previous evening – cereal and milk, yogurt, juice – and readied them on the table for Trixie. She found a kids channel on the television that Eric rarely used and put on a program she thought would be appropriate. Then she prepped some flour and water to begin to make a quick pizza dough. No sense in ordering a pizza when Violetta had lived in Italy for long enough to know how to make a decent one.

Wow!

Violetta heard Trixie approaching the table.

“Enjoy,” she said aloud from the kitchen.

What are you doing?

Violetta saw Trixie watching her from the kitchen entranceway.

“I’m making you a pizza,” she replied.

Nobody’s ever done that before.

“Go eat your, um, breakfast,” said Violetta. “I hope you like that show. I couldn’t find anything else.”

Violetta heard Trixie’s  thoughts about eating a decent-sized breakfast from the kitchen. She was happy, and began to hum a tune from long ago as she prepared the sauces for the pizza.

“Hello, Trixie.”

Violetta heard Eric approach the little girl.

“Did you sleep well?”

Yes, it was very nice.

Trixie, remember, Eric can’t hear you when you speak to him like…

“Yes, thank you, Eric. Did you?”

Eric laughed.

“I always sleep well when Violet is with me. Now listen…”

She heard his voice become quiet.

“I have to go to work now. Are you going to look after Violet for me?”

“Yes, I will, Eric.”

“Good. Have a good day.”

Violetta swore she heard Eric kiss the girl on the forehead. She stepped out of the kitchen.

“You too, Eric.”

Eric walked to Violetta and kissed her.

“You seem very happy now,” he said.

“I am,” she replied, “but….”

“I’ll do some research,” he said. “And then we’ll figure out what to do from there.”

“She’s growing on you, isn’t she?”

Eric’s smiled faded.

“I’m doing this for you, Violetta. Remember that.”

She watched him walk out the door.

Are you angry at Eric, Miss Violet?

No, sweetie, I’m just wondering what he has in mind. Remember I told you we have to start looking for people who might miss you? I think he may start looking tonight. But never mind that. We have movies to watch. Have you ever seen The Wizard of Oz?

No? Is it scary?

Absolutely. But I’ll be here with you.

Violetta went to the DVD player, and inserted the film. Trixie had already finished her breakfast, and was looking for seconds or possibly thirds. Violetta brought out another heaping plate of food for the child, a bottle of synthetic for herself, and sat down on the couch to watch the movie.

“What’s that?”

Trixie pointed to the bottle in Violetta’s hand.

“Oh, it’s my drink,” she answered.

“Is it tomato?”

“Not exactly.”

Trixie stayed silent and continued to eat.

Trixie, can I ask you something? Do you know much about your mommy and daddy?

They died.

Do you know how they died?

Tanta said they were killed by vampires.

Violetta froze.

“Your Tanta told you a lot of stuff that wasn’t true, though, right?”

Trixie nodded.

“Did she tell you anything else about them? Did you ever see pictures of them?”

Trixie shook her head.

Tanta had a picture of my mommy when they were little girls. That was the only one she showed me. I look like her she said.

Violetta took a sip of her drink and suddenly felt like something stronger. She knew that would be irresponsible in front of the girl – who knew what that child had seen in her short life – so thought better of it. She was also trying to hold her thoughts back about Trixie’s revelation. If that was indeed true, then how was she going to explain about herself and Eric without more trauma.

Trixie laughed as the witch’s stockings curled up under the house.

She has funny feet. Miss Violet I’m full now.

Violetta smiled as she took the child’s plate into the kitchen.

Someone’s at your door.

She heard Trixie’s thought just as the doorbell sounded. Violetta looked at the time – it was nearly eleven. Who would be calling this early? Or this late?

Vy? Are you there? It’s me, Sookie.

Violetta opened the door and gave her a quizzical look.

“Hi. Eric’s not…”

“Eric told me to come over,” said Sookie. “He said you needed help with something.”

“He did? Did he say what that something was?”

“Well,” said Sookie, “he said something that didn’t make sense. He said you needed a babysitter. Did you get a pet or something?”

Violetta sighed.

“I suppose he meant well, and I guess he figured if anyone could help out, it would be you.”

Violetta led her into the room.

Vy – you have a child?

Not in the way…

Who’s Vy?

Wait – she can hear us?

Trixie stared at the two of them with a look of fear.

Don’t worry, Violetta said to Trixie, this is my friend Sookie. Sookie, this is Trixie. Sookie can hear your inside voice, too.

Hi, Trixie. Sookie sat down beside the child. How are you?

Hi. I’m full. I just ate pizza with Miss Violet. And there’s a funny scarecrow on the TV.

Trixie, I’m just going to talk with Sookie for a minute. Are you going to be okay?

Trixie nodded and sipped her drink.

Violetta led Sookie to the kitchen.

“Are you hungry? There’s lots…”

Sookie giggled. “I never in a million years would have ever believed that there would be this much food in Eric’s kitchen.”

Violetta smiled. “Yeah, he’s been really great about this.”

“So what happened? How did you find this girl? Is she related to you?”

Violetta explained what had happened in Dallas, omitting the details of the massacre.

“So now we have to look for her real next of kin,” Violetta said quietly.

“And what happens when you find them?”

“I have no idea,” said Violetta.

You don’t want to find them, do you?

Is it that obvious?

It is to Eric. That’s why he called me. He said he wanted you to be at the club by midnight. He said to tell you he found something. Whatever that means.

“Damn,” Violetta muttered. “Look, I hope he didn’t take you away from anything.”

“No, I had the night off. And like he keeps telling me, I owe him one. I guess I owe you both after the stunt I pulled. So this is my payback. She seems like a sweet girl. I’ll try to talk to her. I know what it’s like being a kid with that kind of power and not understanding what it all means.”

Violetta nodded, “Yeah. She’s suffered a lot already. She told me her parents were killed by vampires.”

“Oh great.”

“Thanks so much for doing this, Sook.  I feel bad leaving her though…”

If anything comes up, I’ll let you know. I can transmit pretty far.

Violetta nodded, and went out to see Trixie.

Trixie, honey, I have to go out for a little while to work. Sookie’s going to take care of you while I’m gone. You can talk to her about anything. You going to be okay?

Trixie nodded slowly.

You’re going to come back, right Miss Violet?

Violetta hugged her.

“I will always come back for you,” she said. “No matter what happens.”

34.

Violetta entered through the rear door of Fangtasia, and walked into Eric’s office. Eric’s back was to the door. She could sense nothing from him, which annoyed her even more.

“I’m here,” she said. “What’s so urgent that you couldn’t tell me when you got home?”               

“Sit down,” he said firmly.

Violetta stood in front of his desk, leaning on her hands.

“I don’t want to sit, I just want to…”

“As your Maker, I command you to sit down.”

Violetta swallowed, and sat on the edge of the desk.

“On the chair, Violetta.”

Violetta did as she was told. Eric was focused, cold, terse, and silent.

“Tell me something,” he began. “How long are you planning on keeping the child around?”

“Planning?” she asked innocently. “It wasn’t exactly a plan, but I mean I should probably start to search out her next of kin soon, and…”

“Violetta.”

She lowered her head and felt her eyes mist. Eric was silent once more.

 “Eric?”

She would not look at him, as he slid a piece of paper across the desk.

“Trixie has another aunt,” he said. “She works at this place. You’re going back to Texas to talk to her. Tonight.”

Violetta was seething inside. Hot tears of rage fell from her eyes.

“It’s too late to go tonight,” she managed to say in a strained voice.

“You’re going tonight. Sookie will stay with the girl. Get this sorted out immediately.”

“You can’t do this,” she barely whispered.

“Excuse me?”

Violetta stayed silent with her head bowed.

“That’s what I thought,” he said. “Take the car and drive there tonight. I’ve set you up with a hotel room already. You have until tomorrow night to get this resolved, Violetta.”

“And then what?” she tried to keep her voice from cracking.

“There’s no point in delaying this,” he said. “For everyone’s sake you need to…”

“Everyone?”

Violetta’s eyes flashed black through their blood stains.

“Everyone, or just yours?”

Eric bared his fangs. “Don’t even try to make this about me.”

“Isn’t it?” She stood up, kicking back the chair. “Isn’t this about you wanting to get that precious child out of your home as soon as you can, no matter who or what gets hurt in the process? Isn’t it always like that with you?”

Eric leaped over the desk, grabbed her by the throat, and threw her down on the couch.

“You will not speak to me like that,” he said.

“Or what?” she managed to say, as she grabbed his hair.

“Violetta!”

His voice roared through her mind as he grabbed her wrist. She let go, and screamed. He held her by the shoulders.

“Look at me!”

Her eyes burned black as she stared into the rage of his blue eyes.

“If you care for this girl, you need to find out what’s best for her. Hiding her away isn’t going to change the fact that someone may be looking for her. The sooner you speak to her kin, the sooner you will know what the best thing for her will be. And then we can all go forth as we need to, to make sure we all do what’s best for Trixie.”

Violetta’s heart melted and sank simultaneously. She reached for him.

“I’m sorry, Master,” she said. “I thought…”

 “You have to put your emotions aside right now,” he said. “Otherwise you’ll make foolish mistakes and Trixie will never forgive you.”

Violetta nodded.

“You really thought I would want to take away your happiness?” he said.

“I didn’t know what to think,” she said. “It was so sudden….”

“Like I said, no emotions. Do what needs to be done to do right by that little girl.”

“Thank you,” Violetta said, holding onto Eric. “Forgive me for doubting you.”

“I shouldn’t,” he said. “You’ve been doing that a lot lately.”

“Sometimes you’re just so difficult to read,” she said.

“Why are you trying?” he asked. “I just want what’s best for you, and what will make you happy. You know that.”

Violetta kissed him, and stroked his hair. She pulled him closer to her.

“Violetta,” he whispered.

“I’m going to be gone for two days,” she said. “I need something to remember you by.”

Eric’s eyes lit up as she slid his hand under her skirt.

“Why don’t we just fight every day?” he said, as his fingers moved her to come.

Violetta arched back and moaned.

“Is that a yes?”

“We could just have make up sex every day,” she said, “I think I owe you a couple of centuries’ worth still.”

She straddled him on the couch as he entered her quickly.

“This is the fire in your eyes I love to see,” he whispered, holding her waist as she moved herself to come once more. She kissed him hard, and offered him her wrist. They came together as he bit down on the inside of her arm.

35.

The inside of the club was dark, dingy, and appropriately seedy. Violetta had worked in places like these behind the bars long ago when she would feed on desperate johns in the back alleys of the Big Apple. She wore her best shooter bar uniform from back in the day – black dress, low in the top, high on the bottom, and nothing in the middle – with thigh-high patent leather boots. Her hair was pulled back to show no fang marks (nobody likes “goddamn fangbangers” in a straight daywalker strip club), and her shades were large and cheap like her hot red lipstick. She  turned heads as she walked up to the bouncer.

“Hi, you guys hirin’?” she said with her longest drawl.

“I wish I was,” said the bouncer. “I’ll find out.”

Violetta stood in the middle of the room, and recognized Cassidy from the ad Eric had shown her. Cassidy was currently hanging upside down from a pole. Her ringlets framed her face in the same way that her niece’s did.

The bouncer returned.

“Yeah, we might be. Take a seat. Boss’ll be right out. Drink?”

“I’m okay, thanks.”

Violetta took a seat near Cassidy’s pole. Cassidy turned around, and shook her thing for a lonely man in front of her. She saw Violetta, and for a lark came over and started dancing for her.

Violetta held up a hundred. Cassidy’s eyes widened.

“Cassidy?”

She nodded.

“I need to talk to you,” said Violetta. “Is there somewhere….?”

“Are you a cop?” Cassidy asked, while continuing to dance.

Violetta shook her head.

“Ok, I have a break in 3 minutes. Come meet me at the back.”

Cassidy took the hundred and sidled over to another lonely soul.

The bouncer came back to her table.

“Try back in about two weeks,” he said. “Someone usually doesn’t last the month. Shooter girl?”

Violetta nodded and stood up.

“Thanks,” she said, and headed out to wait in the back. She was surprised to find no one milling around behind the club. She opened her senses and heard nothing outside.

The back door of the club opened, and Cassidy stepped out, wearing a fraying terrycloth robe. She lit a cigarette, offering one to Violetta.

“I quit years ago, but thanks,” she said.

“So what do you want?” Cassidy’s eyes were as harsh as her sister’s had been right before Violetta pulled out her beating heart.

“You’re Diane Stewart’s sister, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, why?” Cassidy exhaled nonchalantly.

“Did you know your sister died two days ago in Dallas?”

Cassidy stopped to take a long haul on her cigarette.

“Hmph,” was all she mustered through her exhale. “Joe finally did it, huh?”

“I’m sorry?”

“Come on,” said Cassidy, “If you knew my sister at all, you knew that piece of shit Joe she was with. Dunno why she stayed with him, but I pretty well knew one day he’d kick the shit out of her til she was dead. When’s the funeral?”

“I don’t know,” said Violetta. “I came to ask you about Trixie.”

“Who?”

Cassidy stubbed out her cigarette. Violetta raised her eyebrows.

“Trixiebelle? The little girl…”

“Oh, the kid! Right, I forgot about her. She’s not Diane’s. She’s Letty’s kid.”

“Letty?”

“My other sister, Letty.”

“So you’ve lost two sisters?”

Cassidy cackled as she lit another cigarette. “Lost? In a way, yeah. Letty’s not dead. She’s just a fucking V addict living in a crackhouse. Letty dumped the kid with Diane and went right back on the V. I don’t think she stopped using when she was pregnant. That kid is fucked up.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well,” Cassidy exhaled, “I only seen her a couple of times, but she hardly talks, and then she tells you stuff that you didn’t say out loud. What do they call that? Autistic? Anyway, the kid’s weird. Probably from all the V Letty did. Shit…”

Cassidy looked at Violetta in shock.

“You came here to give me the damn kid, didn’t you?”

“Should I?”

“Fuck no! I don’t want anything to do with that freak,” said Cassidy. “Joe can take care of her.”

“Even if he beats the ever living shit out of her?”

“Maybe it’ll help,” said Cassidy. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that. Kid’s my niece, I guess. But seriously, I can’t take care of no kids. I sleep at the club half the time in my car. Is she here?”

Violetta shook her head.

“Fucking hell,” said Cassidy. “You’re from Children’s Aid, right?”

Violetta shook her head.

“Ok, so what the fuck do you want?”

“I suppose now I need to find your sister, Letty,” said Violetta. “By rights, she’s Trixie’s mother.”

Cassidy chortled. “Yeah, if she even remembers having a kid. She’ll probably sell her to you for a vial of V.”

“Do you know where she is?” Violetta stayed cold.

“Not really, but I can tell you where she was last time I heard from her, which was just around Christmas. She came by the club looking for cash for more V. I told her to fuck off. She said she was over on River Street, just past the old train station. Used to be crack central, and now it’s V central. I think vamps hang out over there too.” Cassidy shuddered.

“Thanks,” said Violetta. She started to walk away.

“Hey,” called Cassidy.

Violetta stopped, and turned back to face her.

“Where is the kid now? Is she okay?” said Cassidy.

Violetta nodded. “She’s fine. She’s away from Joe.”

“Look,” Cassidy ran over to Violetta. “I meant it when I said I can’t take care of no kids. I really can’t. I’m so fucked up. We all were, me, Letty, and Diane. If you can get that kid far away from us, and far away from this place, give her a better life than we had…”

Violetta nodded.

“Don’t go see Letty,” she said. “Letty will fuck you over and try to get whatever she can from you to get high on V. Don’t let Letty see the kid.”

Violetta stood, silent.

“I mean it, lady,” said Cassidy. “Keep that kid the fuck away from us. She’ll be better off.”

“Would you sign something to make that legit?”

Cassidy stomped out her cigarette. “Will it cost me anything? Like do I need to get a lawyer or something?”

“Not if you trust me,” said Violetta, taking off her sunglasses, “I can get all the paperwork done up. You just have to sign any rights you have over to me.”

Cassie stared into her eyes, feeling some warm comfort from this stranger.

“Letty won’t sign anything,” Cassidy said before she could stop herself. “Not unless she gets money for her fucking V.”

“I’ll worry about Letty,” said Violetta, “But I want to thank you for being so honest.”

Violetta blinked and the warm feeling inside of Cassidy began to fade.

“Thanks, Cassidy,” Violetta called as she turned her back.

“It’s Cassie,” she called back. “Cassidy’s my stage name.”

Violetta had disappeared into the night. Cassie shook her head and lit another cigarette. She thought about her baby niece for the first time in four years, and was hopeful for the child’s safety, whatever intentions the stranger may have had.

36.

Violetta checked her phone – one hour until sunrise. She fingered her pendant, contemplating calling Eric about the River Street area –if she ventured there without his knowledge, it would be better for him in case someone questioned him about the doings of his Sire. Then she looked down at her fingers around the glass teardrop. Sighing, she sent Eric a text.

Checking out a lead on Trixie's mother. I'm ok.

The phone rang one second later.

“What happened?”

“Well hello to you too, darling,” she said with sarcasm.

“Violetta, there’s less than an hour til sunrise. I don’t have time for small talk.”

 “I was at a strip club,” she said slyly, “and there was a cute girl there, I think you’d like her…”

 “You’re nervous.”

“Okay,” she sighed, “I met Cassidy. Trixie’s mother isn’t dead. She’s a V addict living in the River Street district.”

There was a long silence from the other end of the phone.

“Where are you?” Eric finally spoke.

“About two blocks from there in a coffee shop.”

 “Don’t go there by yourself, Violetta.”

“But…”

“I can’t protect you if you go there by yourself,” he said. “Hang on a second.”

Violetta leaned on the table, listening to the silence of the phone.

“I’ll be there tonight,” he said. “Whatever you do, do not go there by yourself.”

“What about…”

“Trixie’s fine. Sookie took her to her house.”

“I knew that,” said Violetta, “I meant what about if I went there during the day. Nobody would guess…”

“Don’t,” said Eric. “I will meet you at the hotel tonight. Go and get some sleep. And whatever you’re thinking, just don’t.” He hung up.

Violetta took another sip of her coffee. It was as vile as she remembered, and she could only tolerate small amounts, but this coffee was particularly vile. She left her money on the table, and headed back to the hotel. She knew Eric would be asleep soon, and then she could do a bit of investigating. How much trouble would it be? She had had dealings with many V addicts, easily able to put an end to them before they had even thought about harming her. Her fairy blood had always prevented them from detecting that she was someone they could siphon and drain for their pleasure.

Violetta handed the valet at the hotel her keys and headed to her room. Ten minutes to sunrise. Most vampire hotel lobbies were cleared out by this time, but this was a hybrid hotel for those who dealt with vampire business, both day- and night-walkers alike. The lobby smelled of coffee and continental breakfasts.  Violetta nodded at the concierge desk.

“Mrs. Northman?”

Violetta stopped.

“There’s someone waiting for you in the lounge,” said the concierge. “He said he had a message from your husband.”

Damn him. He’s going to keep me at the hotel until he gets here.

“Thank you,” said Violetta, heading for the hotel lounge.  The only person sitting in there was a well-sized man in a black suit, with thick, black hair held together by globules of pomade. He was reading over notes on his tablet.

“Hersch?”

Violetta was stunned to see Eric’s lawyer.

“Miss Covington,” Hersch said, setting down his tablet and formally rising. “I take it you’ve not been expecting me.”

“Not really, no,” she said.

“Please sit down,” he said. “We have much to discuss.”

Violetta sat on the plush chair next to him, and rolled her eyes.

“I took the liberty of ordering you a Mistfire,” he said. “I understand it’s one of your favourites.”

“Will I need something that strong?” she said, sitting straight in the chair.

“Perhaps,” he said with lawyer coolishness. “I understand you are contemplating the adoption of a human girl.”

“Let’s just shout that a little louder, shall we?”

Violetta always hated Hersch’s strategy of conducting business in open spaces lest there be no misconstruing of details.  No one was sure of his origins, but he had worked for all types of nightwalkers, shifters, and had even worked for some fairies, it was rumoured. Hersch had been Eric’s lawyer for centuries, across continents, even before she had left for Spain.

“I understand that you’ve found the girl’s birth mother,” Hersch continued as if Violetta had merely nodded.
“And that she may be in no mental capacity to agree to the terms of the adoption.”

“That may be true,” said Violetta. “I haven’t seen her yet. However, I did speak with her sister, who becomes next of kin in the event that the mother is no longer capable of making her own legal decisions, and she is willing to sign any documents that we may draw up on our side. She just wants what’s best for the child. She told me that I shouldn’t go and see her sister since she was so far gone, um, I mean, since her addictions have gotten the better of her.”

“And she gave this information to you freely, without the use of any glamouring or any other power that you may possess because of your dual nature?”

“Dual nature?” Violetta smirked.  “Are those your words or Eric’s?”

“Dual nature is a legal term,” said Hersch, unmoved. “Meaning that you have at your disposal capabilities from more than one but no more than two types of non-human beings.”

“And what did Eric call it?”

“That information is privileged,” said Hersch.

“Not if it’s about me,” said Violetta, touching the amulet.

“Ah yes, we have to discuss that as well,” said Hersch.

“Hersch, can I ask you why Eric sent you here today? And how you got here so quickly?” Violetta took a sip of her drink.

“That’s privileged,” said Hersch.

“Do I have to hire my own lawyer to get this out of you?”

Violetta tried to read his thoughts.

“Miss Covington, I must ask you to please refrain from using your telepathy with me. And as for your previous question, should you wish to hire your own counsel for this matter, you are free to do so, however, as this matter concerns my client and your shared living arrangements, I must be involved in all matters pertaining thereto.”

Violetta groaned and took a large sip from her drink.

“Fine,” she said, “What do you want me to do?”

“Miss Covington,” said Hersch, “In order for me to properly represent both you and my client regarding this adoption, everything must happen in strict accordance with human law. There is no precedence regarding the adoption of a human child by non-humans. There have been cases in respect of dual beings, and…”

“She’s dual,” said Violetta. “She may even have vampire blood.”

Hersch sat up in his chair, and quickly made notes on his tablet.

“Please elaborate,” he said.

“Can I get a Bpositive then? This drink is nice but I’m starving.”

Hersch typed something on his tablet and within a few seconds, a waiter arrived with a bottle of synthetic for her, and left.

“Thank you,” said Violetta. “Now, about Trixie…”

“The child,” said Hersch.

“Correct. Trixie is at least one quarter fairy if not more.”

“And you have proof of her parental lineage?”

“Not yet,” said Violetta, “But…”

“We need proof,” said Hersch. “Otherwise this remains the adoption of a human child to non-human parents.”

“I’m working on it,” said Violetta. “But what if I told you that her mother did hits of V when she was pregnant?”

Hersch raised an eyebrow.

“Interesting,” he said, making notes. “And you have proof of this?”

“The birth mother’s sister will confirm this,” she said.

“Excellent,” said Hersch. “We may not need to know about the dual lineage, if what you say about the birth mother is correct, and that she is a continued and known addict of V.”

Violetta tossed back her bottle. “Really?”

“Perhaps,” said Hersch. “But the best course is to always obtain as much information as can be found.”

Violetta nodded.

“So Eric really wants to go through with this?”

“That information…”

“Privileged, yeah I get it. What else can you delay me with today?”

“I beg your pardon, Miss Covington. I’m not sure I understand the question.”

“What else are you here to discuss?” she said, finishing her bottle. “I have to get some sleep soon.”

“It was my understanding that you were capable of remaining awake for all but three hours in a day,” said Hersch.

“When I’m well-rested, maybe. But I’m exhausted. So what else have you got?”

“There’s the matter of your proposed marriage,” said Hersch. “According to the law, you and my client are not legally married, but only ceremoniously so. You are aware that he has sought a divorce from his current wife?”

Violetta nodded. “And she consented.”

“I’m not…”

“Ok, I get it, Hersch. If you can’t tell me anything about this, then why do you need to speak to me?”

“I need to confirm if you wish to obtain your own separate legal counsel in respect of the restructuring of your assets.”

“Restructuring? You mean joining them together?”

“Potentially, if that is what you wish to do.”

“Honestly?” Violetta stood up. “You’ve come here to talk to me about my real estate? This is a conversation that can definitely wait until after I’ve had some rest.”

“Perhaps,” said Hersch, “However there is the matter of the retroactive status.”

“Retroactive?”

“When my client was led to believe that you had ceased to exist, he restructured his assets to ensure that he was the sole holder of all deeds and titles of his properties. Prior to that, however, all assets were jointly held between my client and yourself.”

“No they weren’t,” said Violetta. “He had his own, and I had nothing. I never signed anything…”

“He had listed them jointly to offer you protection in the event that he were to meet the True Death and you were left alone.”

Violetta sat back down.

“He did what?”

“And because of your reemergence, and since the conditions of the transfers were based upon your death, the structures could revert back to their status prior to your, shall we say, departure.”

“But,” said Violetta, “He doesn’t want them to, and so he’s drawn up some papers for me to sign to make sure that what’s his stays his, correct? Otherwise he’s drawn up papers requesting that what I have is now automatically half his, is that it? Damnit, can we do this another…”

“I do have papers for you, Miss Covington. My client has asked me to leave these with you, and you are free to seek your own independent counsel if you wish to conduct your own review.”

Hersch handed her an envelope.

“Thank you,” said Violetta. “Except your client knows you’re the best in the business, so whatever is on these papers won’t change very much, except if there’s a typo or something.”

“Thank you for the compliment,” said Hersch, “My advice to you is to simply read the papers. As for my client’s divorce, it’s complete, but you didn’t hear that from me.”

Violetta furrowed her brow at Hersch.

“Why are you telling me this? Isn’t it privileged?”

“Again, my advice is for you to read the papers. Once you’ve reviewed them and made your decision, please call my office and let us know what the next step should be.”

Hersch stood from his seat.

“It was good to see you again, Miss Covington. I hope to speak with you again soon, now that you’ve returned.”

Violetta shook his hand.

“Thank you for your help with the adoption,” she said. “I will make sure it goes by the book.”

Hersch nodded, as they both left the lounge.

Violetta waited until she was locked behind the door of her room to open the envelope. Tired as she was, she read through every line of the pages. When she was finished, she folded the papers neatly and slipped them into her travel bag. She looked at the clock, and noted that Eric would arrive in two hours, as sleep finally overtook her.

37.

She felt his lips along her neck, and felt his hand sliding under her arm, down her chest, down her body. She smiled as she reached to hold his hand, leaning her back into him and whispering his name, as she felt his fingers move underneath her hand, moaning as he touched her.

“As much as I’m enjoying watching you do that, we have places to be.”

Violetta opened her eyes. Eric was standing over her, half-smiling, as she took her own hand away from herself.

“Hi,” she said, “I’m…”

“Calling out my name? You should be. But as much as I hate saying this, we have to go.”

“Eric.”

Violetta stood from the bed, and wrapped her arms around him.

“I don’t know what to say. Thank you.”

She kissed him tenderly.

“Violetta,” he said, gently pushing her face back. “When we come back from River Street, if we come back intact, I will do everything to you that you’re thinking about. But we have to go now.”

She shook her head. “You’re right, I’ll be two minutes. Wait, why do we have to go now? And why do you have to be there with me? What do you know about this place?”

“I know that if they smell you, you’ll be torn apart before you can even bat an eyelid.”

“They can’t smell me,” she said. “I’ve been around V addicts. They can only sense pure vampire blood. Not me.”

“It’s not the addicts,” he said, admiring the view as she pulled on her clothing, “and don’t wear that. Do you have anything that doesn’t scream out how sexy you are?”

“What?”

“Violetta, where we are going, if you even hint that you’re attractive, they will drain you faster than you worked that room of twenty in Godric’s cellar.”

“What’s over there? Or who? Who are you so afraid of?”

 “There are powerful things, there, Violetta,” he said.  “More powerful than you realize.”

“More powerful than you?”

Violetta threw on a pair of worn yoga pants and an old tshirt. She had brought them with her in case her shooter girl disguise hadn’t worked at the strip club.

“Flattery will get you nowhere right now,” he said, handing her a cloth bag. “But I did bring you these. Wear them under your pants.”

Violetta looked in the bag.

“You want me to wear thigh-high boots under yoga pants?”

“They’re the silver ones,” he said. “You may need to use them.”

Sighing, she slipped the boots. The bottom of the heels barely showed from the length of the pants.

“Come,” he said, as they closed the door behind them. “And you have to do everything I tell you.”

“Don’t I always?”

“I’m serious.”

Violetta remained silent as she followed Eric to the parking lot. He had walked over to a black Escalade.

“That’s not conspicuous at all.”

“Point is,” he said, “It’s not my car. Or a car they’ll know. Get in.”

Eric drove in silence until he arrived at a part of town with high fences and barely-paved roads. He parked along an alley full of similar vehicles, and shut off the car.

“Be very quiet,” he said barely above a whisper. “They’re listening everywhere.”

He pointed to one of the roofs over the fence in front of them, and continued to whisper.

“Second house here. That’s where Letty Stewart lives. Gate is open. Go right to the door and knock. If she answers, tell her about her sister. Tell her that Trixie is in foster care. Ask her if she wants to see her. No matter what she does or says, stay stoic and unemotional. If she says no, then tell her she has to sign something. Either way, tell her you’ll be back tomorrow to bring her papers or take her to see Trixie. “

“What if she asks for V?”

“She’s going to,” he said. “Just keep telling her you don’t have any. And no matter what she does or says, stay focused. Don’t get emotional. I can’t say that enough.”

Violetta nodded.

“After you tell her you’ll be back tomorrow, you come right back to the car. It’s the third on your left after you leave her place. Do not linger. Do not go into her house. Come right back. Got it?”

Violetta nodded.

“Wear this,” he said, handing her a black baseball cap. She pulled it on, pulling her hair back into a ponytail and threading it above the adjustable strap.

“Go.”

Violetta slid out of the SUV and walked towards the second house in front of the car. She could hear scratching, and shuffling, the sound of large dogs pawing to leave their fenced yards. She took a sniff of the air, and realized why Eric had been so precise and cautious.

Brogandales.

She held her fear inside, and kept her emotions in lockdown. The gate to the second house was open; she looked down as she entered, but there were no creatures in this yard. The house itself was barely a shack – the siding and roof were leaning to one side. There was a light on in the front window, which was half a board, and half frosted glass.  She bent her head to listen to the sounds outside, and knocked. She could barely read the person approaching the door. She appeared to be a woman, and her mind was all over the place.

“You got my…”

A woman in her mid twenties, barely dressed, very unwashed, with sunken eyes, mousy hair, and emaciated cheeks, answered the door. In spite of that, she had ringlets that framed her face just like her daughter’s and her sister’s did.

“What the fuck are you?”

Her voice was hoarse, gravelly, and she could barely stand.

“Are you Letty Stewart?” asked Violetta

“Sometimes,” she said, “What the fuck is this?”

“Your sister Diane is dead,” said Violetta, as flatly as she could.

“She what? Oh no! No, not….Di…Cass…which one died again?”

“Diane,” said Violetta.

“Oh damn, that’s horrible. How?”

“Not sure,” said Violetta. “I’m to tell you that Trixie is in foster care.”

“Trixiebelle?”

Violetta forced herself to remain unmoved by the sound of maternal care in Letty’s voice. She could read it was a ruse, but Letty’s voice of concern had been so legitimate, it was difficult to remain still.

“I need to see my daughter,” said Letty. “Take me to her.”

“I will be back tomorrow at this same time,” said Violetta, “and then I will take you to see your daughter.”

“Take me now,” said Letty. Violetta saw the fury begin to rise in her eyes.

“I’m just a messenger,” said Violetta.  “If you want to see Trixie, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”

“Okay,” Letty said, calming down. “Do you have a vial for me?”

“No,” said Violetta, turning away. “I’ll be back tomorrow.”

“Bring a vial next time you cunt.”

Letty slammed the door shut. The Brogandales began shuffling, scratching, and pushing on the bottom of fences, anxious to pursue the new scent. Violetta walked as fast as she could to the third black SUV on the left. She heard Eric power the door open, and she stepped in.

“I did exactly as you said,” she said quietly. “Can we go now?”

“Good,” he said, starting the car, and driving off.

When they were halfway back to the hotel, Violetta finally spoke.

“Eric, I heard the Brogandales. I could smell them, too.”

“And they could smell you,” he said. “They were particularly active tonight.”

“Why didn’t you tell me…”

“Because it was easier this way,” he said. “What would you have done tonight if I weren’t there? Gone charging into Letty Stewart’s house, demanding she give up her rights? Or been quiet at first and then lost it with her? Another dead addict and who cares? Those hounds would have been on you from the moment you tore open her artery, and both you and Letty would be gone.”

“So now what do we do? I’m not letting her see Trixie.”

“Of course not,” said Eric, “But she asked for a vial, didn’t she?”

“Yes.”

“So you’ll go tomorrow with a vial.”

Violetta contemplated his sentence, and realized what he was talking about. She put together his words with the words from Hersch this morning.

“I need to find out one thing,” she said, as he parked the car in the hotel lot.

“I’m not using valet because I don’t want anyone to know I was here,” he said.

“No, about Trixie. I need to know how much fairy she has in her. Hersch said that if we can prove that Trixie is dual, then our chances of adoption are…”

Eric looked at Violetta. She sighed.

“I need to find out,” she said. “I do know it’s not through her mother or her aunts. None of them have any bit of fairy. So I need to find Trixie’s father.”

Eric opened the door and stepped out of the car. Violetta followed, lagging behind. She waited until the hallway was clear and her room door was closed again before she reentered her room, removing the baseball cap.

“You’re shaking,” Eric whispered.

“I’ve never been so close to the Brogandales before,” she said. “There was that one time when we were in the Urals and we saw them from afar, and I heard them, but I didn’t even know people brought them over here.”

She slipped off her pants and took off her boots. She fell back onto the bed. Eric, who had been sitting on the other side, also fell backwards, so they lay crossways from each other.

“They’re all V addicts,” he said. “Someone brought a hound, they cross-bred them here, and now everyone in that neighbourhood has them. In case some angry vampire decides he wants his blood back. Speaking of which, we need to get a vial.”

His hand reached for hers.

“You’re still trembling,” he said.

She grasped his hand tightly.

“I’ve never wanted anything so much,” she said.

“I know.”

They both stared up at the ceiling in silence.

38.

“Let it be my blood,” she said, after a pause. “You’ve already done too much.”

“I can’t,” he said. “If they trace it back to you, you’ll lose everything. Possibly your own life.”

“Same for you,” she said. “If they find it was yours.”

“They won’t.”

Eric reached into his pocket and held up a vial of blood.

Violetta sat up.

“It’s not mine,” he said. “But that’s all I can tell you.”

“Is it…?”

“Don’t,” he said. “Don’t even touch it.”

“I don’t want to know,” she said.

Eric sat up, and placed the vial on the table.

“No, you don’t,” he said.

“But it will work,” she said.

“It has before,” he said, turning back to her.

She watched his eyes glisten in the incandescent light, and reached for him.

“I don’t know how to thank you,” she said, kissing him. “For everything.”

He slid the t-shirt from her body and lay her down on the bed. She pulled his shirt over his head, and brought her lips to his. As quickly as ever he was inside of her, his body pressing against hers while she arched her back, pushing her breasts against him as he brought her to the edge of her pleasure. She bared her fangs, and called his name, as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to him, flicking his tongue along her neck. She arched as she anticipated his bite. Suddenly, he stopped.

“Eric?”

Violetta wiped a tear from his eye.

“What is it?”

He bent to kiss her gently.

“Just you,” he said. “It’s only ever been just you.”

Violetta smiled as she brushed his face with her hand. He took her hand, and played with it.

“Did I ever tell you what happened when I first saw you?” he said.

“You saved my life,” she said.

“Your voice sang to me,” he said. “And every time you’ve spoken to me since, it sings. Even when you’re screaming and calling me names and cursing me and all of the other defiant things you do…”

Violetta swallowed with the change of tone in his voice. He tightened his grip on her hand.

“When you were gone,” he said, “Your song was gone from my life. You know what I did to try to get that back. We’ve talked about it enough. But it never left me, no matter where I was or who I was with.”

Violetta tried to sit up. Eric kept up his pressure on top of her.

“For almost five hundred years I lost you.” His voice was becoming terse. “Five hundred years without your song. It’s enough to drive someone insane. Did you know that?”

“Eric, you’re scaring me.”

“Am I?”

He laughed.

“What are you…” she began.

He kissed her hard. “I went to some very dark places.”

“You went to some very dark places with me,” she said.

He laughed again. “That’s true.”

He kissed her hard and twisted her wrist.

“Eric, what’s this all about?”

“Violetta, there was a time I would have gone to the True Death for you. And I thought you had done that for me. But you didn’t. You simply hid from me because you were afraid of who and what you were. What made you come back to me?”

“I came back because you called for me.”

Eric pinned her to the bed.

“I called for you every night for centuries. And you didn’t come back. You hid. Even when you stared me right in the face. You fled before anyone could say a word.”

Violetta swallowed hard.

 “And you never told me you gave Godric your blood to help him walk in the sun,” he said. “I had to find that out from Francis of all people. Francis, you know, the one you nearly married. In Ireland. Before you fled to New France.”

“Why are you going over all of this again?” Violetta asked the question, but she could feel his blind rage answering for him.

Eric loosened his grip on her arms, and slid onto his side. His rage had become dark and silent. Violetta was afraid to move. Then, he began to speak, slowly and quietly.

“Tell me, Violetta, did you go to Godric? Were you with him the whole time?”

“No, Eric, I swear, I wasn’t…I saw him occasionally, and he called for me that time, but I never went to him.”

Eric lay on his back, his eyes closed. Violetta looked over at him, overtaken by the dark and quiet once more.

 “Why did you come back, Violetta? Why did you answer my call?”

Violetta could feel him searching for an answer within her.

 “Because Godric asked you to?”

“No,” she said, sitting up. “I came back because when I was with him, I realized how much I loved you. He never told me to come back to you. He understood why I stayed away. But when I let him drink my blood that last time, it all just made sense. My heart fell to pieces and I knew you might be the only one who could help me put them back together.”

“And have I?” Eric looked at the ceiling, avoiding Violetta’s eyes.

“I thought you had,” said Violetta, “Until right now. I can see how much I’ve hurt you, so maybe all I did was transfer my broken heart onto yours. And we never really healed, either of us, when we jumped back into this life and this bed.”

“Did you make love with him?”

“What?”

“When Godric drank your blood that final time? Did you two…”

Violetta lay looking at the ceiling. She tried to keep the memory suppressed, but knew a fragment had escaped before she could lock it away. She avoided meeting Eric’s eyes.

Eric sat up, screaming, and brought his palm to within a hair of the amulet, then wrapped his hand around the jewel and held it taut.

“I was thinking of you,” she said. “I called your name.”

“Damn you,” he said.

She wrapped her hand around his around the amulet.

“I love you for all eternity,” she said. “If it is your will to break this bond, then as your child, please let me do this for you.”

“Violetta.” Tears flowed from his eyes.

“If that is your wish, then I shall obey.”

They stared at each other through blood-stained eyes.

Do you know what you’re saying?

You’ve done so much to make me happy. But if you are still harbouring this sadness, then my coming back has done no good for you.

Violetta, I need to make sure this never happens again. I don’t want you to be afraid of me.

I’ve hurt you so much. I never really realized how much. I could never make this up to you.

You said to me we couldn’t go back. I said I wasn’t. I guess I lied to you as much as you lied to me about why you came back.

Then let’s stop all of this. Let’s just be with each other and love who we are now. Why are we focusing on all of this hurt? It won’t make it go away. It will just keep coming back. I could always feel it inside of you and I didn’t know it was all from me.

I feel your shame every time you look at me. You ask yourself why you were so afraid of coming back. Then you remember, and it overwhelms you again. And here we are.

“Here we are,” she breathed. “Wait, Eric…?”

“Hm?” He turned his eyes to her.

“We just had an entire conversation without speaking.”

“I told you, it’s all the fairy blood.”

“No,” she said. “Fairy conversations are different. This was more…”

Like this?

He turned towards her and kissed her deeply.

Yes. Exactly like that.

 “Sire,” he called to her.

“Yes, Master?”

He kissed her slowly.

“Loveliest,” he called.

“Loveliest,” she responded, kissing him tenderly. “Let’s end this pain once and for all.”

He brushed stray wisps of hair away from her face, and kissed her. Violetta felt their hearts lighten. She smiled.

Eric bit his wrist and offered it to Violetta. She drank while she arched her neck towards him. He bit down as he entered her once more.

39.

Violetta knocked on the door, wearing the same baseball cap and outfit she had the night before. The scratching of the hounds was particularly loud tonight. She took in air to remain calm.

Letty came to the door, strung out more than she had been the previous night.

“Who the fuck are you?”

“I came to take you to your daughter,” she said loudly.

“What? Oh right. Wait, you said you’d have something.”

Violetta held up the vial. Letty tried to snatch it from her hand, her eyes popping with excitement. Violetta grabbed her wrist.

Letty’s mind was a haze. Her demons stemmed from sexual and physical abuse from the hands of various step and foster parents over the years. Her biological parents were sent to prison when Cassie was a baby. The girls were sent to different homes together. Diane was the oldest and had to defend Cassie. Letty was the middle child, and abused worse than the others. Violetta tried to locate information about Trixie. Letty barely recalled her pregnancy. A tall man with wispy silver hair seemed to be the most likely candidate. Violetta tried to see if Letty remembered his face. It was older, in his mid-forties, he was out of nowhere. Violetta dug a little more to see more details. Pointy ears. Smooth skin, spacy, crooked teeth. Letty was strung out. The Fairy had been with her in a V den.  And he had come to visit her at this house.

“I need a hit before we go.”

Letty wriggled her wrist away from Violetta, vial in hand.

“I’ll go get the car,” said Violetta, turning her back and moving swiftly as she saw Letty hold the vial to her lips. It would only take seconds to take effect, and with that many hounds, she had to move fast.

Violetta jumped back into the Escalade and slammed the door. As she drove slowly past the house, she saw Letty screaming wildly and moving from ecstasy to seizure in less than a second. She sped up and left the neighbourhood as if she had lived there all of her life.

“Was she seizing?” Eric said from the back seat.

 “Very much so,” said Violetta.

“Then they gave me the good stuff,” he said.

Trixie?

Hi Miss Violet. Sookie’s showing me how to play snakes and ladders. They’re not real snakes though. Don’t worry. I’m going to bed right after this game is over.

Violetta smiled, as she made the turn for the hotel.

40.

“You sure you don’t want to read them first?”

Violetta offered Cassie a pen.

“No,” she said, “I wouldn’t understand all the lawyer talk anyway. I just need to know you’ll keep the kid away from here.”

Violetta nodded as the loud music thumped outside the dressing room walls. Cassie took the pen and signed where the pages had been flagged.

“Just one thing,” she said, setting down the pen. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but if I ever want to, you know, see the kid, not to bring her here, but maybe we meet downtown or somewhere, you know, just so I can make sure she’s okay…”

Violetta smiled, gathering the papers. She handed her a business card.

“My husband’s club,” she said. “If you ever want to see Trixie, give us a call. Maybe you can come to ours if you ever want to, you know, go for a drive or something. You’re her aunt. It’ll never be a problem if you want to visit.”

Cassie looked at the card and raised her eyebrows at Violetta.

“Wait, are you…”

Violetta looked back.

“We’re an equal opportunity employer,” she said. “Trixie will never feel like a freak, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

She left the backstage area of the club, knowing that Cassie was planning on heading to Louisiana within the year. Cassie knew that Trixie was all she had left now that both her sisters had died. Violetta folded the papers and placed them back inside an envelope.

“For Hersch,” she said, handing Eric the envelope as she sat down in the passenger’s side of his car.

“No problems?”

“She was upset but not surprised to learn her sister OD’d,” said Violetta. “She said she hoped nobody would be asking her to pay for both funerals. I said she didn’t have to worry about that, that the state takes care of these things.”

Eric started the car, and drove off.

“We should be back just before sunrise,” he said.

Violetta pulled a set of papers from her pocket.

“Hersch also gave me these,” she said. “He said I might want to have my own lawyer take a look at them before responding.”

“Do you need…?”

“I can’t accept this, Eric.”

Eric stared at the road ahead, taking the turnoff to the Interstate.

 “It’s non-negotiable,” he said.

“That’s ridiculous,” she said. “Everything’s negotiable.”

“Violetta, either you take it or you take it.”

“What if I refuse?”

Eric shook his head.

“Don’t even say it,” she said. “You can’t force me as your sire to accept your division of assets.”

“Violetta, I can make you sign or take whatever I want,” he said.

“I just can’t accept this,” she said. “You don’t want anything from me?”

“It doesn’t say that,” he said. “Read it again.”

Violetta sighed heavily, and read over the document aloud.

“In the distribution of the joining of assets between Eric Northman and Violetta Northman, subject to all legal, civil, and ritual bonds being complete and unbroken, all real property assets of Eric Northman shall be held equally between both parties, without restriction, in title and deed, until such time that one or both parties cease to exist…including such properties….territory of residence…subject to civil and vampire laws of the state where each property resides…I still don’t see anything here…here’s the ‘in respect of the properties of Violetta Northman…”

Violetta paused.

“Eric, this says Violetta Northman.”

He nodded.

“But I’m Violetta Covington, legally speaking.”

“Read that first part again,” he said.

“What part?”

“The first part you read out loud,” he said.

“In the distribution of the joining of assets between Eric Northman and Violetta Northman, subject to all legal, civil, and ritual bonds being complete and unbroken…Eric?”

“I did ask you for something,” he said, “See?”

“But…”

Violetta couldn’t find the words.

“…is that all?”

Eric laughed.

“No, I’m sorry, I meant…” Violetta stammered. “You only want … you don’t want anything else from me?”

“I think I’m asking for a lot,” he said. “You’re going to give up your identity and freedom.”

“Pardon?” Violetta was still reeling from the realization of what the papers in her hand meant. “My freedom?”

“You will be mine,” he said. “In all meanings. You will be my sire and my wife, and bound to me in every sense of the word until either you or I meet the True Death. You will be at my beck and call, and be subject to my every bidding, desire, and whim.”

Violetta felt a tinge of rage at his outlandish expectations. She was about to speak when she saw the wry
smile across his face.

“So,” she said, picking up his cue, “for example, if we were, say, driving down a dark highway in the middle of the night, with very few people around, and, say, I wanted to put my seat back and close my eyes for a moment…”

She adjusted her seat to lean back.

“…and you wanted me to keep my eyes open, and, say, look at you, while I slid my hand down my thigh, maybe putting my leg up here on the dash…”

Violetta placed the silver stiletto on the dashboard, sliding her hand under her skirt.

“…touching how very, very wet I was making myself, and then turn to you and call your name, there would be nothing I could do to stop myself, if I accept your offer? Absolutely nothing...”

Violetta reached her other arm to his, clasping tightly as she brought herself closer to her climax.

“…I could do…to…stop…what you wanted…me…to…”

Eric turned to watch her call his name, and smiled as he turned back to the road.

“Absolutely nothing,” he said. “I might even make you come here and do the same to me.”

Violetta placed her fingers in his mouth. He bared his fangs from the taste of her. She kissed him, then she slid her hand down to open his jeans, and slipped her hand inside.

“You’d have to do this whenever I wanted,” he said. “You’d have no will of your own.”

“So if after all of this, I asked you to pull over, you wouldn’t?” she said, alternating her stroking between rapid and slow.

“It would have to be my idea,” he said, signaling to take the turnoff down the sideroad.

“Even if I suggested it?” she said, using her other hand to open her blouse.

“You wouldn’t be able to suggest anything anymore,” he said. “Any ideas you had would all become mine.”

“Really?” she said, sliding the blouse down, as he pulled the car to the side of the road.

“All of them,” he said, turning off the car, and sliding his seat back.

“Even this one?”

Violetta straddled Eric in his seat, sliding him inside of her.

“Especially this one,” he said, holding her waist as she writhed on top of him.

“Well, then,” she whispered, “what makes that so different from the way things are now?”

They both broke out in hard laughter, and kissed.

“I tell you what,” she said. “I’ll give you everything you want, if you can make me come in the next thirty seconds.”

“And if I can’t?”

“Then we reverse this whole negotiation and you become mine,” she said. “You have to become Eric Covington.”

Eric raised his eyebrows. “Set your stopwatch.”

41.

“Beautiful night.”

Violetta perched herself on top of a large stone, staring at the stars. She had blocked her thoughts to herself that night as she tried to put them together, closing herself from others, unaware that Eric had approached from behind until he spoke.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” she said slowly.

“Did you want me to?”

Eric sat beside her on the stone, looking at her while she brought her eyes to meet his.

“No,” she said, “She needs to hear this from me. We’ve been back for two days already and she’s wondering what’s going on.”

 “Do you want me to be there when you tell her?”

 “That might be a good idea,” she said.  “As long as you let me do all the talking.”

“You have two months,” he said, “And then you lose that privilege as well.”

 “You are taking this whole marriage protocol thing to heart, aren’t you?”

“And you’re not taking it seriously enough,” he said. “I may have to bind you to me with chains and a
muzzle.”

Violetta widened her eyes.

“And maybe a leather harness,” he said, tracing his finger down her arm.

“Yes, Eric,” she said, “I live to be objectified by you. Master.”

Eric held her wrist.

“Are you being defiant?”

“You said I had two months left,” she said. “So technically no.”

Violetta loosened his grip from her hand, and hopped off the stone.

“It's time,” she sighed.

Violetta and Eric sped back to Eric’s house. Violetta opened the door, and found Trixie sitting on the couch, holding her pink rabbit, wide awake. She stared at her.

Violetta shook her head, realizing she had still been blocking thoughts.

“Trixie, don’t yell,” she said, overwhelmed by the child’s inner voice as soon as she released the block. “We just went for a walk. You were supposed to be asleep.”

I had a bad dream. I couldn’t find anyone. Where were you?

“We just went for a walk around the block,” said Violetta, sitting next to the girl. “It's okay. It was just a dream. It wasn't real."

She put her arm around the child, and hugged her.

"But we’re glad you’re awake. We have something we need to tell you. And Eric wants to speak with you too, so outer voices, please.”

“You found my…next ken?”

Violetta smiled. “We told you, honey, you’re going to live with us now. No more worries about next-of-kin. But that’s what this is about. If you are going to live with us, well, Eric and I…”

“...aren’t really married.”

Eric spoke quickly, feeling Violetta’s tension.  Trixie looked at him, confused.

“But Miss Violet said you were her husband?”

“I am,” he said, “but not in the way that would make it easy for us to adopt you.”

Trixie wrinkled her nose.

Violetta laughed.

“Trixie,” she said, “in order for us to adopt you, or keep you with us, we have to be what’s called civilly and legally married. We haven’t had a real wedding, and so we’re going to have one. And you’re invited.”

“You mean like the way the princesses do in the movies?” said Trixie.

Eric stifled a laugh.  Violetta was more open with hers.

“In a way,” Violetta said, giving Trixie a hug. “But it won’t be so…”

“Fancy?” said Trixie

“Oh no, it’s going to be fancy,” said Eric. “You should see what I’ve paid for it so far.”

“It won’t be so bright,” said Violetta. “It’s going to be at night.”

“So I’ll get to stay up?” said Trixie.

“Yeah.” Violetta smiled.  “So, what do you think?”

Trixie smiled. “I think that’s really cool,” she said. “Can I get a new dress?”

“Yours will be the prettiest dress in the room,” said Eric.

“It can’t be,” said Trixie. “Violet has to have the prettiest dress.”

“No I don’t,” said Violetta. “Yours can be prettier than mine. I just have to make sure I show up and say the right words.”

Violetta paused.

“Which brings me to the next thing we have to tell you,” she continued. “And we don’t want…Trixie? It’s okay.”

Violetta held the girl, who was trembling from sensing Violetta’s anxiety.

It’s something scary, isn’t it?

“No,” said Violetta, kissing the top of Trixie’s head. “It’s not scary for us. You might be a little, how we say, taken aback. Meaning a little surprised. But it’s not scary.”

Violetta made Trixie sit up.

“Can I ask you a question first, Trixie?”

Trixie nodded.

“Do you know what a vampire is?”

Trixie nodded quickly.

“Calm your thoughts, honey. I can’t hear them. They’re a mess. Speak slowly out loud.”

“Vampires killed my mama and papa. They’re bad people. Tanta said they hurt people all the time and don’t care and they have sharp teeth and make people into devils…”

Eric shrugged.

“She’s not wrong,” he said nonchalantly. Violetta glared at him.

“Well, she’s not,” he said.

“Trixie, do you know what a vampire is, though? You’ve said a bunch of things that someone else, your Tanta, told you. But do you know what a vampire actually is? Have you ever seen one before?”

Trixie nodded quickly.

“Tanta showed me a movie once with this guy who wore glasses and a big hat and then he got really old and wore red and had a big head and he hurt this pretty girl and her boyfriend…”

“Oh for fuck’s sake!”

Violetta stood up and walked across the room.

“Sorry, Trixie, I’m not angry at you. I can’t believe that they actually showed a girl your age Coppolla’s Dracula.”

“It’s highly inaccurate,” said Eric.

“What does that mean?” said Trixie.

“It means that it’s not real,” said Violetta. “That vampires really don’t go around wearing gigantic powdered wigs or flowing red robes with harems of demonic women surrounding their caskets…”

“Anymore,” said Eric quietly.

“Oh I am just about to…”

Eric stood up and sped to Violetta, and kissed her deeply.

“There was never a harem,” he said with a smile.

“That doesn’t mean you didn’t want one,” she said.

“Can they clone you?” he laughed, as they kissed once more.

“Eric?”

Both Violetta and Eric looked over at Trixie.

“How did you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Move that fast to be next to Violet.”

“You mean like this?” Eric said, and sped over to sit next to Trixie.

“Yeah.”

“It’s cool, huh?”

“Yeah!” Trixie smiled.

“Wanna see something really neat?”

Trixie nodded.

“Come,” he said, taking her hand, and led her to the back door. Violetta followed them outside.

“Watch this.”

Eric looked upwards and flew from the ground to the top of the house, and waved to Trixie below.

“Wow! Violet, did you see that?”

Violetta nodded.

“Pretty amazing, huh?”

“Yeah! How does he do that?”

“Well…”

Eric flew back down and landed next to Trixie.

“I’m a vampire,” he said.

Trixie was shocked.

“See?” said Violetta. “We don’t all just go killing people because it’s fun. We haven’t turned you into a devil. And we care deeply for you.”

Violetta reached for Trixie’s hand. Trixie pulled her arm away.

Are you going to hurt me?

“Of course not,” said Violetta. “We love you.”

“Tanta was lying?”

“It’s called racism,” said Eric.

“What’s that?”

“When you hate someone just because of what they look like,” said Violetta. “Or what they are. Like the way people feel about you sometimes when they find out you can hear inside their minds. That’s racist. Or rather prejudiced.”

“So…you mean that, in a way, I’m kinda like you?”

“What do you mean?”

Violetta guided the child back inside, as Eric followed.

“Well because people say bad stuff about me because of what I am. And they say bad stuff about Eric because of what he is.”

Violetta shot a look at Eric before he had a chance to chortle.

“Yes, that’s exactly right,” said Violetta. “And I have it both ways.”

“What does that mean?” said Trixie.

“Well,” Violetta said, sitting next to Trixie, who had curled up on the couch, “I can hear voices just like you and Sookie can. Because we’re all part Fairy.”

“Fairy? Like Fairy Godmothers? Like in Cinderella?”

Violetta smiled, and tousled Trixie’s hair.

“Not exactly,” said Violetta. “But kind of. We all have Fairy blood in us, and that lets us hear other people’s thoughts. And then you’ll develop other fairy powers as you get older, but I don’t know what those are because it’s different from fairy to fairy. But have you ever noticed that you can’t hear what’s in Eric’s head?”

Trixie wrinkled her brow at Eric.

“What am I thinking?” said Eric, smiling.

“I…I don’t know!” Trixie exclaimed. “Wow! That’s so cool!”

“See?” said Violetta. “You’re like Sookie. She can’t hear vampires either. But I can. I know exactly what Eric is thinking.”

“And that is?” Eric said.

“Go ahead,” said Violetta. “Show Trixie your fangs. I think she can take it.”

Eric dropped his fangs. Trixie yelped, and then stared at his face.

“Can I…?”

“No,” said Violetta. “They’re really sharp. You might hurt yourself.”

“Awww, come on, Violet!” Eric said. “Pleeeease?”

Trixie giggled.

“Anyway,” said Violetta, turning to Trixie, “Do you want to know how I can hear Eric and you can’t?”

Trixie nodded.

“Because,” said Violetta, “I’m half Vampire.”

Violetta dropped her fangs and smiled.  Trixie squealed with delight.

“This is so cool,” she said. “Can you fly, Miss Violet?”

“No,” said Violetta, “But there are other things I can do that Eric can’t, so it evens up.”

“Is that why you’re getting married? So that you can do the things he can’t and he can do the things you can’t?”

“In a way,” said Eric, retracting his fangs. “But really, we’re getting married so we can adopt you.”

Violetta nodded. “And we love each other, too. That’s important in a marriage.”

Trixie nodded and yawned.

“Is that why you’re always up so late?” said Trixie.

Violetta nodded.

“Eric can’t see any sunlight at all,” said Violetta. “I can see a little bit, but I’m not supposed to see too much.  So you need to see the days for us and let us know how they are. Which means you need to get back to bed now.”

Trixie nodded, and stood, yawning, clutching her pink rabbit.

“Good night, Eric,” she said, kissing him on the cheek. “I’m not scared of vampires anymore.”

Eric took her hand.

“Look, Trixie,” he said, “Just like there are bad people, there are bad vampires. We just don’t want you to be afraid of us, or some of the things we have to do because we are vampires.”

Trixie yawned and cocked her head to one side.

“Okay,” she said, “I’m not scared of you anymore. Or Miss Violet.”

Violetta smiled and took her hand, leading her back to her room.

As she tucked her into bed, Trixie spoke.

“Miss Violet, is it true that vampires drink blood?”

Violetta smirked, and nodded.

“Yeah, but they have that stuff in the bottles now. You know, the stuff I’m always drinking?”

“The stuff that looks like tomato?”

“Yeah,” said Violetta. “It’s called synthetic blood. Nobody’s hurt to make it, and they can make lots of it.”

“But do you like it?”

“It’s fine,” said Violetta. “We’re not going to drink any people here. Especially you.”

“Okay,” said Trixie, turning her head into her pillow and falling asleep.

Violetta walked back out to the living room and sat down beside Eric.

“That went a lot better than I expected,” she said. “Thank you.”

Eric smirked.

“I just remember another child who was scared about what being a vampire meant,” he said, taking her hand. “Except I didn’t know how to fly very well back then.”

Violetta giggled.

“It was worse when I thought I could fly simply because you sired me,” she said. “And I broke my leg falling from that cliff.”

“You should learn,” he said. “I’ll teach you.”

“I’ve tried, remember?”

“Well you should try again,” he said, “Right now. Let me levitate you downstairs.”

Violetta raised an eyebrow.

“I still can’t do that,” he said.

42.

“Here it is.”

Eric handed Violetta the envelope. She tore it open in haste, and stared at the glossy magazine.

“Did you know they were going to choose this one?” she asked.

“They said it was a choice between one of just you, and one of us,” he said, sitting beside her on the couch.

“Besides, don’t we look stunning?”

“You mean you,” she teased. She had to admit that the cover photo illustrated perfectly the image that Eric was trying to cultivate about the power of their relationship.

Sanguisuge Magazine had called Eric when word of Violetta’s heroics at the Dallas conference spread through the community like wildfire. He was only too happy for the publicity for Fangtasia and for Violetta. They had spent three nights at the club taking live action photos and conducting interviews, and then requested a photo session for Violetta for the cover shot. During the shoot, the photographers had made her feel quite relaxed, and had managed to take some stunning shots, in sepia, in black and white, and in bold, brash colour. She had been standing against a bright white background, wearing a white blouse, her black hair and violet eyes dominating the framed shots, while her low-opened blouse revealed the sparkle of her amulet. Eric had been present and business-like during the photo shoot until that point. As Violetta stood before the camera, looking up slowly as the photographer spoke to her, Eric became captivated once more by her simple beauty. The photographer suggested that he stand behind her, his blond hair and black shirt contrasting with her look, for a few trial shots. The photo that was chosen for the cover was a simple shot of Eric, eyes cast down and head slightly bent forward and down, standing behind Violetta, her eyes staring directly into the lens, her fangs protruding slightly over her red lips, her amulet catching a sparkle of light from the side.

“ ‘Heroics and the Modern Marriage’,” Violetta laughed. “What do you think?”

“Open it,” he said, “Let’s see what else they used.”

“Oh my God,” said Violetta, turning to the cover story, the byline for which was set just above a picture of her, lounging on red satin sheets in one of her uniform corsets, along with her thigh-high leather boots with silver stiletto heels, mouth open, fangs showing, in a sultry pose. She heard Eric’s fangs drop.

“I take it that works for you,” she said, feeling his hand trace her shoulder.

“For Violetta Northman, mixing the perfect Mistfire or layering the perfect Serenity comes as naturally as kicking the living shit out of hatemongering terrorists.  ‘You should probably correct that,’ Violetta tells us as we sit down to chat during setup time at Fangtasia, revitalized, or revamped, as it were, since her arrival over a year ago. ‘Under the strictest of civil and vampire law, Eric and I aren’t married yet.’

“We ask her if they’ve set the date, and her love and respect for tradition emerge. ‘You’ll have to ask Eric,’ she tells us. ‘I’ll be told when the time is right.’

“Though it’s refreshing to find values like this still remain at a time where many of us are trying (some would say too hard) to fit in with the daywalker world, it would be a grave mistake to see this as a weakness on Violetta’s part. This is the same woman who single handedly took out twenty terrorists at the Dallas conference massacre last Spring. A small feat for some until you consider that she was able to arise at noon, with opened curtains and sun streaming through unfiltered windows, and have the wherewithal to aim directly at those who had targeted her and her fiancé as they lay sleeping.

‘I’ve been around for just under a thousand years,’ she laughs, sipping what can only be described as the best Mistfire in the entire world in our opinion, made by her very hands. ‘Don’t let Dmitri Vladimirich hear you say that,’ she warns us after we compliment her. ‘His is still better than mine. I can't get the drops to hang perfectly suspended in the middle like he can.’

“Her laughter can only be described as a serene melody in the midst of chaos, and we heard it often during the interview. In spite of all she’s achieved, she is refreshingly humble. ‘Like I was saying, I’ve been around for just under a thousand years. After a while, sleep just seems so redundant. I only need about three hours sleep a day now.’

“Fuck this.”

Connell looked up from the article in the magazine at the sound of the woman’s voice. Recognizing his daughter and the blond vampire on its cover, he had taken a copy from the stand and began to read the article, hoping to learn more about the whereabouts of both of his daughters. They had been too protective in the interview, not mentioning the girl even once.

He saw a female vampire throw the same magazine back into its place on the shelf.

“Hey lady,” said the newsstand operator, “You read it, you buy it. That’ll be seven fifty.”

“Here,” the female vampire threw a ten dollar bill at the operator, and picked back up the issue, muttering to herself as she flipped through.

“I can’t believe he’s getting married. And advertising it. What the hell does she have that I don’t?”

“From my view, nothing.”

Connell knew he could be very charming and intoxicating to female vampires. He had used that power over the centuries in his quest to find his daughter. This female vampire was as easy to charm as the rest of them had been.

“Why, thank you,” the female vampire found herself saying, even though her first instinct was to frighten the stranger away.

“Do these people mean something to you?” he asked her with a concerned tone.

“The tarty slut, no,” said the female vampire. “But him,” she pointed to Eric, “He is my Maker. And he’s making a terrible mistake.”

“Your Maker, eh?” said Connell, trying to hold back his salivation. “Did you know about the article then?”

“No,” she said flatly, “I was spurned the last time he tried to marry someone. But that time she was a daywalker. At least this one is one of us, though I have no idea why he’s so desperate to get married. When we were together, it was the last thing on his mind.”

“So will you try to contact him? Let him know how you feel?”

“You know what?” said the female vampire. “You are absolutely right…sorry, hon, what’s your name?”

“Connell, madame. And you are…”

“You can call me Pam,” she said. “And I’m going to try to contact my Maker right now. He owes me big time – I’m only here because he kicked me out of my house last week. It wasn’t a joint asset, it was completely mine.”

“Why don’t you just crash their wedding? I’m sure if you show up in time, you’ll be able to stop them.”

“Except that I have no idea where or when it is.”

“I see,” said Connell. “Isn’t there someone who…ow!”

Connell fell to his knees.

“Are you all right?” Pam knelt down to tend to him. Underneath his trousers was a huge gash. Pam’s fangs dropped at the sight of the blood.

“I’m a hemophiliac,” cried Connell. “A cut that size and I could die.”

“Well, Connell, it’s your lucky day. Since you were so considerate to me, I’m going to help you heal that. First,” Pam bit down on her arm, “take a sip, but only a little.”

Connell dutifully obliged, pleased that she’d fallen for his simple ruse. As he drank from her arm, he felt her power, her Maker’s power, and his daughter’s anxiety over her upcoming nuptials. They were planning the wedding for the following day.

43.

Violetta stood in front of the mirror, widening her eyes from nerves. The red form fitting dress covered with black lace was a perfect choice. Her red stilettos on the other hand might not have been the best choice for the outdoor venue. She hoped no one would take offense at the silver heels, but it had become a trademark of her living dangerously.

Her lipstick was the same shade as the red in her dress. She had found a pair of ruby earrings waiting for her in the room when she went to get dressed. She thought they were from Eric, but the card was signed, “Love, Trixie.”

He won’t recognize me like this. Why do vampires go through this strange ritual? Isn’t it just easier to be bonded in blood?

She ran her hand along her neck. It felt so bare without his amulet. It was the first time she’d taken it off since he had given it to her.

There was a knock at the door.

“Who is it?”

 She had blocked out thoughts from everyone for the day, as she had told everyone she would do, so she wouldn’t overhear anything or know if the world was falling apart outside of the door.

“It’s me. Can I come in?”

Violetta opened the door.

“Gosh, Vy, you look perfect!”

“Where’s Trixie?” she said.

“She’s sitting in a chair near the front,” said Sookie. “They’re almost ready for you. Do you want to unblock yourself?”

“No,” she said. “I think that might make it worse.”

“You’re right,” said Sookie, “It's  craziness out there, and I can only hear the non-vampires. How long can you keep blocking people out?”

"For at least a day," said Violetta. "If I'm keeping everyone out of my head both ways. Any longer than that and I start to go batshit from the silence. Well, there is one person who could get through today."

Violetta tried to smile.

“You’re shaking. Are you sure you’re okay?”

Violetta shook her head.

“I’m not okay. I can’t do this anymore. I’m having a panic attack. I need a vodka.”

“You have to make this decision of sound mind and all that. No vodka.”

“Damnit,” said Violetta. “Just a small one. Take the edge off.”

“I can’t,” said Sookie. “But you can have one as soon as you complete everything.”

“You sound like Hersch,” said Violetta.

“He’s the one who said make sure you don’t drink.”

“Damnit.”

“Well, they’re going to be ready for you in one minute. You have sixty seconds to change your mind.”

Violetta took a deep breath, and turned away from the door.

“Violet?”

Violetta turned around to see Trixie walk in with a small, red box, and two red roses.

“Hi sweetie. Everything okay?”

“You look so pretty,” said the girl.

“I do?”

“And I think Eric will like your dress, too.”

“You can still hear me?”

Trixie nodded. “You’re swearing too much.”

Violetta and Sookie exchanged glances.

“Maybe because she’s a child?” said Sookie.

Violetta smiled, and turned back to Trixie.

“So what’s that you have there?”

“Oh, they’re for you when you walk down the middle,” said Trixie. “You said you didn’t want flowers but all brides have flowers, don’t they?”

Violetta took the roses, and opened the box.

“Vy, don’t let yourself cry. You’ll ruin that make up job.”

“Where he found mistletoe in August, I’ll never know,” she said, holding it in her hand, as she left the room with the two of them.

“Don’t unblock,” whispered Sookie. “It’s a mess out there.”

“How are you doing, Trixie?” asked Violetta.

“It’s loud,” she said. “Really loud.”

“Will you walk with me?” said Violetta. “I’m kinda scared to go through these people on my own.”

Trixie nodded.

“Violetta,” said Sookie, “you sure?”

“Someone has to, right?”

Violetta stood at the back door, holding Trixie’s hand, the flowers in the other. The night was warm with a cool breeze, and the moon, as they’d wanted, was perfectly full in a cloudless sky.  The crowd was growing restless. Large weddings were reserved for kings, queens, and royalty – still, there were enough people here to make this the political to-be-seen at event for the season. Right down to the last detail, Eric always got what he wanted, and he wanted to make a stir. Violetta’s last decision as a free woman was to choose her dress. Except she, as she was always wont to do, made one final decision in the dying seconds of her freedom, and she ensured that everyone realized what that was, as she held Trixie’s hand with grace, slowly pacing herself down the aisle. It would be more controversial for the crowd than it would be for him. He expected nothing less of Violetta. She would always stand up for what she wanted, bonds or no bonds, and he would not have had her any other way.

There were whispers and small gasps as Violetta walked past each row. She wished she could unblock for just a moment to find out if they were gasping at the fact that a child was holding her hand.  Or was it that she was wearing silver to her wedding? She smiled to herself, and turned her smile to Trixie.  Trixie was nervous, but she felt Violetta’s warmth and settled into her role.

Violetta reached the bottom of the steps leading to the platform. She bent to kiss Trixie on the cheek, and stood waiting for him.

Eric took her arm. He had chosen a more modern look than she had expected – he was dressed in black formal from top to bottom, allowing his pale skin to shimmer in the moonlight. His face remained expressionless as he walked her up the stairs to stand before both the Magistrate and the Justice of the Peace.

Violetta kept her face as stoic as Eric’s, listening to every word that was said before her. Though she had blocked out everyone, she could still feel Trixie’s nerves from when they had held hands.

“Violetta Covington, do you give yourself freely to Eric Northman, bonding yourself to him through blood, through death, and, forsaking all others, remain true to your bond and your commitment for eternity?”

“I do,” she answered.

“And Violetta Covington, do you swear that there are no other blood bonds preventing you from committing yourself to Eric Northman which would render this bond invalid?”

“I swear there are none,” she answered.

“And Violetta Covington, do you confirm that there are no bonds or commitments of any legal nature currently in place that would prevent you from entering into this marriage and binding contract for eternity?”

“I confirm there are none,” she answered.

“Violetta Covington, do you know of any other reason why you cannot make a legal, civil, and/or vampiric commitment to Eric Northman?”

“I know of none,” she answered.

“And Violetta Covington, will you now acquiesce all of your civil and vampiric rights and liberties to Eric Northman for eternity, forsaking your own identity and independence?”

“I will,” she answered.

“Eric Northman, do you know of any reason why you cannot make a legal, civil, and/or vampiric commitment to Violetta Northman?”

“I know of none,” he answered.

“And Eric Northman, do you confirm that there are no bonds or commitments of any legal nature currently in place that would prevent you from entering into this marriage and binding contract for eternity?”

“I confirm there are none,” he answered.

“Eric Northman, will you now accept Violetta Northman’s acquiescence of her civil and vampiric rights and liberties to you for eternity, accepting full responsibility for any and all actions she carries out from this moment forward?”

“I will,” he answered.

“Violetta Northman,” continued the Magistrate, “as a sign of your acquiescence and your bond, you must now offer your blood to Eric Northman, and Eric must accept your blood in order to complete the acceptance of the bond.”

The Magistrate handed her the ornate dagger.

Shame about the dress. You could just cut along your neckline. I won’t let it spill too much.

You said you wouldn’t project during the ceremony.

Just trying to help.

Eric…

He smiled as she took the dagger, and bared his fangs in anticipation.

Violetta opened her palm, and used the point of the dagger to trace along her lifeline. She offered her hand to Eric, who drank from the open wound as Violetta handed the dagger back to the magistrate.

Difficult to the end. What am I going to do with you, Violetta?

Violetta smiled as her fangs dropped.

“If there are no further objections,” the magistrate spoke as Eric closed the wound on Violetta’s hand. “Then I now present to you Eric and Violetta Northman.”

Eric raised her hand as they turned to face the applauding crowd. He leaned in and kissed her deeply.

“Surprised?” he asked.

Violetta nodded.

“I love you,” he said. “I don’t have to commit to that. It’s just there.”

Eric led her down the stairs. Trixie was standing at the bottom. Violetta hugged her warmly, and held her hand as they faced the crowd surrounding them. Violetta unblocked her mind, and was overwhelmed by the chaos.

Congratulations.

Aw, they’re so cute.

Who’s the girl?

That bastard. What does she have that I don’t have?

He was a lousy lay, anyway. She can have him.

Destroy her now?

At that last voice, Violetta froze her stare. Eric felt the hackles raise on her spine.

Wait...too many surrounding her now. When they leave.

If she’s an empath, wouldn’t she have heard all of this?

She isn’t, or she would have reacted when she walked past me. But we still need to make an example of her. She did stop the plan.

Violetta bent down and hugged Trixie.  Eric took her cue.

”Many of you are wondering who this child is with Violetta.”

Violetta stood up, holding Trixie around the shoulders.

“Thanks to the precedential work performed by my lawyer, Hersch, I would like Violetta to introduce you to her.”

Violetta smiled.

“This is our daughter, Trixie,” she said. “Our human daughter, Trixie.”

There were resounding gasps throughout the crowd. Eric took Violetta’s hand.

“We’ll see you back at the bar,” he said to the crowd, walking Violetta and Trixie back inside.

“You all right?” Eric knelt to speak to Trixie once they were away from the crowd.

“I’m okay,” she said. “But my ears hurt.”

“Okay,” he said. “Can you make it to the big party, or did you want Auntie Sookie to take you home?”

Trixie looked at Violetta.

“It’s okay if you want to go, honey,” Violetta said. “We can have our own party later.”

Trixie gave Violetta a big hug.

“You looked really pretty,” she said.

Thank you for being my mama and papa.

Violetta felt a tear forming in her eye.

Sookie, can you take Trixie home?

What’s going on, Vy? You’re nervous.

Trixie needs to get out of here now. Those vampires from the convention are here. And they’ve recruited someone new. One of them is in here. The others are outside. This is going to get messy.

Sookie walked into the room.

“Hi Trixie. Did you have fun?”

“My ears hurt,” she said.

“Take her to your house tonight,” said Eric, then hastily added, “please,” as he felt Trixie’s eyes on him.

He really does love her. Or something very close.

Be careful, Vy.

Violetta hugged Sookie.

“Thanks for everything,” she said. “Take care of my little one.”

44.

“One of them is here?”

Violetta nodded.

“I blocked out everyone except you until the end. When I released the block, I heard a man say that he had tried to trick me by thinking something that would have made me look at him. But they still want me for stopping the attacks.”

“Wait here.”

“No,” she said, “I will not wait back here like a coward.”

“They’ll drain you if we can’t stop them,” said Eric.

“Let them try,” said Violetta, taking his arm.

Eric smiled as they returned to the back garden. All but three guests had left. Violetta put her hand on Eric’s arm.

Follow my lead.

Violetta kissed him deeply.

Gladly.

Eric responded, enveloping her with his arms.

“So glad they’re gone,” she whispered.

Can they see us, Master?

If they have, they’re putting on quite the show. Never mind. Sex makes them more vulnerable.

Really? How?

Because they’ll be distracted, fool.

“Don’t call me a fool!”

Violetta looked at Eric.

They’re always caught off guard, she thought with a smile.

“Can we help you?” Eric spoke to the trio, as Violetta straightened her appearance.

“We just wanted to give you our most sincere congratulations,” said the Master vampire. Violetta recognized him as Walden’s sire. “There were so many people. We just were waiting for our turn.”

“And we graciously accept them,” said Eric, “Now, if you gentlemen wouldn’t mind, I would like some private time with my wife.”

“But of course,” said the Master.

Violetta swiftly bent over and threw her shoe at the baby vampire who was about to lob a stake towards Eric. The silver heel found its target of his heart, and the baby dissolved instantaneously.  Her second shoe hurtled towards the second baby vampire, but he moved swiftly, and the heel pierced his left eye. He screamed in horror, his hands burning as he tried to remove the shoe.

“Master!” he cried.

Violetta had recovered her shoe and faced the Master vampire.

“So you are an empath!” he yelled.

“No,” she said, fangs bared, “Your people just move in clichés.”

The Master lunged for Violetta. She stepped aside, and the Master landed in the remains of his Sire.

In the meanwhile, the second sire had freed his eye of the shoe, only to meet with Eric staring him down.

“You can’t kill me,” said the sire with fear, “You’ll be punished.”

Eric laughed and snapped his neck to face behind him.

“I’m not going to kill you,” he said. “But she might.”

The sire watched Violetta, as she stood at his rear, holding the stake from his dead companion’s hand.

“Oops,” she said, lunging forward, shoving the stake through his spine into his heart. As the sire dissolved in front of her, she saw Eric’s face change from satisfaction to fear.  He took a step forward.

Tell him if he moves that I will stake you where you stand. Tell him, empath.

The Master stood behind her.

“Eric.”

Violetta paused.

Tell him, or you meet your True Death.

Eric stepped forward again.

This is your last warning, Empath. His next move is the last thing you will see.

“He’s behind me, isn’t he?”

Eric nodded.

Stop your bluffing, Empath. I know you can hear my thoughts. It was you who had Walden silvered for his crimes. It was you who ruined our plans of a new world order. It was you who killed my human slaves.

“Why isn’t he doing anything?” she asked.

Eric shrugged.

Neither of you will stop me. Once I finish with you, your precious husband will meet you in the True Death. This dagger is long and is pure silver. 

Violetta’s body tensed as the Master laid the blade across it. Eric growled and reached forward.

“I’m okay,” she said, breathing heavily. “I’ll be okay.”

If you’re not the empath, then who…it can’t be Northman. He isn’t that smart enough to keep something like this to himself for so long. Wait…what about that child? Why is she so special to you?

Violetta’s eyes grew darker, as her fangs dropped.

“Whatever you’re doing,” said Eric, “I suggest you stop now before my wife becomes upset.”

“Hah,” said the Master.  “Is she projecting her thoughts to you? What is she saying?”

Eric smiled.

“She’ll tell you in two seconds.”

“Two…”

Violetta reached her arm backwards and grabbed the skin of the Master. He screeched in pain, and dropped the silver blade. Violetta turned his arm backwards and bent it until it broke, and then pulled the Master to face her.

“You will not harm one hair on that child,” she hissed.

“You…but how…” said the Master.

Violetta held his face as it began to smoulder.

“You will not harm her,” she said, her voice echoing inside of his mind.

“How are you doing that?” said the Master, dropping his fangs, as the flesh from his face melted into her hands.

“Are there more of your sires roaming around?”

Violetta held the bones of his skull, as they disintegrated into her palms. She flung the headless body onto the ground, where it splattered across the grass near the landing where they had just said their vows.

“Violetta.”

Eric called softly to her.

“It’s over.”

Violetta shook her head, and inhaled sharply. She looked at her hands as the ashes from the Master’s remains blew away in the night air.

Trixie?

Violet?  I’m scared.

Scared? What’s wrong? Where’s Auntie Sookie, honey?

She’s at the door. There’s a man here who says he knows me but I don’t know him.

What does he look like?

He’s old. He had pointy ears. And he looked like a tree.

Violetta looked at Eric.

“It’s just beginning,” she said, “Trixie’s father showed up. He’s at Sookie’s.”

“But how…?”

Violetta took his hands.

“You said you wanted to teach me to fly,” she said, “Can you do it now?”

Eric picked her up and sailed up into the air, speeding towards Sookie’s house.

45.

Connell stood at the door of the white country house. The trail given to him by the second sire’s blood led him to the wedding, and he had waited outside until he saw a young woman leave with his younger daughter, and he had followed them here.  He could see the fairy in the young woman’s eyes who answered the door. She was third generation, but she could still read him, as she was trying to do. He hazed his thoughts as best as he could, as he caught the scent of the child wafting through the open door.

“I’m sorry,” the young lady was saying, “But I can’t let you see Trixie unless one of her parents is here.  I’m sure you understand.”

“But I am her distant relation,” Connell said, trying to charm the human side of the young woman. “I simply wanted to say hello since I was passing through this way.”

“That’s very kind of you.”

The young woman stepped out on the porch, closing the door behind her.

“But I am afraid you will have to wait until …”

Trixie, keep talking to me. Where are you?

I’m upstairs. Auntie Sookie is still talking to the man. She won’t let him in and he’s getting angry.

Do you know that water pistol that Auntie keeps at her bed table? Can you sneak and get it? Hold it tight.

I found it. Where are you?

I’m almost there.

Violet, Eric's flying at the window! I love it when he does that.

Do as Eric says, honey. I’ll be there soon.

Connell could hear the fairy talk between his daughters. The young woman could hear them as well. She tried her best to avoid showing outward signs of overhearing, and even kept her own fairy voice quiet.

“Your grandfather,” Connell said, interrupting the young woman. “Yes. Now I know why you look so familiar. You are Niall’s granddaughter.”

“Uh, why, yes, I am,” the young woman said, caught off guard.

 “Why I knew your grandfather,” he was speaking kindly but his voice was becoming terse. “I’m practically family.”

“I’m sure, Connell, but like I said, I really can’t let you in right now. If you come back tomorrow night, I’m sure you’ll be able to meet with Trixie’s parents.”

 “Someone wanted to talk to me?”

The blonde vampire stepped through the front door, onto the porch.

No, Eric. Don’t.

Connell’s eyes brightened, as he heard his eldest daughter’s voice coming from behind the oak tree in the yard. Drool formed at the corner of his mouth.

 “You’re the vampire who adopted the human girl?” said Connell.

Violetta stepped into the light cast from the porch in the front yard.

“I am,” she said. “What do you want?”

Connell turned to her. His eyes brightened, and then dimmed.

“No,” he said, his voice turning low. “It’s this one I want.”

“Eric!” Violetta screamed.

Eric was beside Violetta before the clawed hand of Connell swept past him. The fairy grunted, as the young woman ran around to the back of the house. Neither Connell nor his eldest daughter could sense his youngest daughter in the vicinity. Was the young woman so powerful that she blocked her from their view?

“What do you want?” Eric called to Connell.

“He wants you,” said Violetta. “He’s tasted your blood, and he wants more.”

“That would be ideal,” said Connell, “But I have also come for my daughter. She is not yours to claim. She belongs with me.”

“So that you can trade her for hits of V? You would use a child for your filthy addiction?”

Connell sensed the pain from his daughter’s words. But he would no longer need to drink the blood of vampires. He had everything he wanted within the bounds of this house. And the portal was only steps away. They could all finally be together.

Eric held Violetta’s arm, but she wriggled it away.

“I have to do this,” said Violetta.

“She needs to know the way of her people,” said Connell, his face starting to droop from exhaustion. His smooth skin began to wrinkle and gnarl as his teeth started to buckle inside his mouth, shrinking and receeding into his gums.

“She can learn that without your influence,” said Violetta, walking up the porch steps.

Connell sniffed the air as she walked towards him.

“You smell of heather and death,” he said, his voice growling lower, and his words becoming slow.

“You want vampire blood?” Violetta bared her fangs and bit into her wrist. “Then take mine. But leave the child alone. She is no longer yours to claim.”

Connell approached her arm. Eric started towards the house. Violetta held up her other hand to him.

“She is mine to claim,” said Connell. “I am her father.”

“If I give you my blood,” said Violetta, “Then you take me in her place. You rescind your claim to Trixiebelle.”

“Your blood isn’t pure,” said Connell, approaching slowly. He sniffed the open wound, taking in the scent of its power. He had been mistaken. The vampire blood had strengthened her, not made her weaker.  “You have something…”

Connell opened his violet eyes towards her, and smiled a terrible smile.

“I accept your offer,” he said, “and will gladly take my elder daughter in place of her sister.”

Connell felt his eldest daughter succumb to the shock in her system. He reached for her arm and started to drink. The power was invigorating. He had given her the gift of life, and now she was returning the favour, as he felt the life fading from her while she remained motionless. His skin smoothed out, and its bright sheen began to reappear. The blond vampire fell to his knees, losing his power to stop him.

“Get away from her!”

The young woman opened the door of the house and threw a pitcher of lemonade at Connell. Connell screamed as his skin began to burn and shrivel from the acid. Eric stood up and ran, scooping up Violetta, and pushed both women into the house, slamming the door shut.

“Violetta? Speak to me.”

Violetta remained dazed. Eric rested her on the floor and bared his fangs.

“Eric, where are you…?”

Sookie had barely begun the sentence when Eric flung open the front door and went back outside.

“Fairy,” Eric hissed as he stood over the weakened Connell.

“Demon,” yelled Connell, his skin melting where the lemonade had landed. He swung a clawed hand at the vampire, striking him to the floor of the porch.

Eric shook his head and stood, speeding to pick up Connell and throw him to the grassy ground.

Connell screeched as his gnarled skin began to reappear. Eric stood over him, reaching to hold him to the ground. Connell projected a flash of light with his hands, aiming it into Eric’s eyes.  The flash threw Eric backwards into the front wall of the house.

“You cannot have her.”

Connell stood and lumbered over to where the vampire lay. Eric moved his head slowly, watching the fairy approach.

“She has bonded herself to me,” Eric replied weakly.

“I have spent most of my life searching for her,” Connell began, “And every time I was close to revealing myself to her, you drove her away from me. Now that I have found her, you will no longer interfere. And I found my other child. You will no longer touch either of them, demon. They will come with me through the portal. They will lose all knowledge of you.”

Connell’s hands turned gnarled and wooden, as they reached towards the vampire.

“You will drain all the life from your own child to satisfy your addiction,” said the vampire. “She is more powerful than either one of us. You simply crave that power.”

From inside the house, a woman screamed in terror.

“Eric, help!” her voice cried out, “Violetta’s seizing.”

Connell looked towards the sound of the voice. Eric tried to raise himself to stand.

“You cannot help her now,” said Connell.

“Can you?”

Eric used the wall to hoist himself upright.

“If I can get her to the portal…”

“She won’t make it out of the room,” Eric screamed.

Connell shook his head, as he felt the life he had taken from his daughter start to drain from his body. He reached into his pocket.

“There is nothing more either of us can do,” he said, “Though this may help.”

He held out a platinum bangle.

 “If she is to survive the night, this will give her some strength.”

Eric reached for the bracelet with one hand, while his other hand reached for Connell’s opposite shoulder, pushing it to the ground, as his fangs sliced through Connell’s jugular. His blood no longer had the sweet taste of fairy, but the bitter taste of mixed sources from a myriad of vampires. Eric spat out what he had begun to drink, taking no chances from the diseased taste of the blood, and reached into Connell’s chest cavity, tearing through the silver chain mail beneath his shirt.

“Thank you,” Connell whispered, and smiled with joy as he watched the vampire remove his heart from his body. He had finally reached the portal home. And his daughters were together, and he knew they would be safe.

46.

“Violet?”

Violetta smelled roses and lavender as her eyes slowly opened. The room was dark but for some flickering candles. She tried to focus on the form in front of her.

“Miss Violet!”

“Trixie?” she whispered. She felt the child’s hand slip into hers.

“Violet, you’re okay. I tried to talk to you but I couldn’t hear you.”

She opened her eyes to the girl who sat at the edge of the bed.

“Where am I?”

“We’re at home,” said Trixie.

“Home? Where’s…”

Violetta sat up quickly.

“Eric? Where’s Eric?”

She couldn’t feel him inside of her.

“Trixie, what happened to Eric?”

He’s sleeping. He needed to sleep a lot, he said.

“What time is it?”

Trixie looked at the phone on the night table. “It is three and thirty five.”

“In the afternoon?”

Trixie nodded.

“Wait, how did I get here? How did we get home?”

“I don’t know,” Trixie said. “Eric took me to a room in Auntie Sookie's basement. I fell asleep and then woke up and we were home. And Eric brought you in here and told me to stay with you. He said I could help you get better.”

Violetta slowly rose to her feet.

“Do you need some juice?” said Trixie.

Violetta nodded.

“I can get it for you. The one with the big B on it.”

“It’s okay,” said Violetta. “I need the walk.”

I’m coming with you. Eric said not to leave you when I woke up.

He worries too much. I’m fine.

Violetta held the child’s hand as they walked down the hallway, noticing the metal bracelet on her hand.

It’s really pretty. Eric said not to touch it.

What is it? Where did it come from?

I don’t know. He told me to tell you to leave it on and he told me not to touch it at all.

Okay...

Violetta took a bottle of B positive from the fridge. Trixie stayed velcroed beside her.  As they both sat down on the couch, Violetta’s phone rang.

“Hi,” she said. “What happened?”

“Have you spoken to Eric?” said Sookie on the other end.

“No, he’s still asleep. Why?”

“He said to let him tell you everything. Take care, Vy.”

“ ‘Take care’? Did he tell you not to speak to me anymore?”

“I’ll let him talk.” She rang off.

“Violet, you need to sleep more,” said Trixie. “Your mind is sleepy. Did you want me to bring a pillow and blanket for you like you do when I’m sick? We can watch TV on the sofa?”

Violetta nodded, draining the bottle in the second gulp. Then she realized she was still wearing her wedding dress. It was shredded and frayed. She felt the sadness welling in her eyes.

“Here you go,” said Trixie, carrying a big pillow and dragging a blanket behind her. Violetta smiled and kissed the child on the forehead as she lay the pillow at one end of the sofa for her. She heard Trixie laugh at something on the television as her eyes grew heavy once more.

47.

When she opened her eyes again, Eric was sitting beside her, stroking her hair.

“Eric!”

She sat up quickly, throwing her arms around him.

“Hello, my loveliest,” he said quietly. “Are you all right?”

“I thought…” Violetta kissed him. “I felt a part of me die and I didn’t know which part it was.”

Eric nodded, kissing her hand.

“It’s going to take more than a V-riddled fairy to get me out of your life. Even if he was your father.”

Violetta nodded.

“Where’s Trixie?” she asked.

“Sleeping,” he said. “It’s nearly midnight.”

“I slept that long? I’m sorry…”

Eric kissed her deeply.

“What is this?” Violetta held out her arm.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Weak,” she said. “But a little stronger than I did earlier.”

“Then it worked,” he said. “Keep it on for a little longer.”

“But what is it?”

“We never had our wedding night,” he said, changing the topic.

Violetta blushed.

“I’m still in my dress,” she said. “I really need to clean up.”

Eric smiled. “I can help you with that.”

She noticed his hand was covered in long scars as he reached to help her down the hall.

“I’m almost completely healed,” he said.

He helped her out of her dress. Her body was still covered with small bruises from the night before. He took off his shirt and she gasped as she saw large bruises along his torso. Eric held her close.

“It’s over,” he said.

“What happened?”

“It’s sad, really,” he said. “Connell knew he fathered you centuries ago. When he came to find you, your mother had left with you. By the time he caught up with you, I had already taken you away. All he knew was that a vampire had taken his child, so he was sure you were drained and left for dead. But he could still sense you, through it all. When you became my sire, he lost your connection. He was determined to find you. So he began to check every vampire he came across to see if they smelled of your blood. Centuries of checking, and he became addicted to V. One of the first addicts. He had no idea what power vampire blood could give to fairy blood if enough was consumed, but there had to be the perfect balance. Too much of one would snuff out the other. Somehow, throughout all of these years, Violetta, you have managed to maintain the perfect balance.

“Then he heard rumours of the vampire with the violet eyes who could walk in the sun. He tried to find you, but by then, he was well along in his addiction. He’s been going to V dens for years. He may have even fathered more children.  But after he had fathered Trixie, he made an effort to seek her out to try to raise her the way he should have raised you. And when he did finally find you, he was too far gone into his addiction to be any good to either you or her. It was sheer luck that he somehow managed to get Pam to offer him her blood…”

“Wait, your second sire? She knows about…”

“I spoke to her last night,” he said, “after I brought you home. She was upset about the wedding, but more upset to know that she had not noticed a fairy in her midst.”

“Did you…did you call her back?”

“We’ve settled our differences,” said Eric, “But she has her own life to lead now.”

Violetta pondered this statement.

“Will she be…?”

“Fine, yes. I've dealt with it. But back to Connell – through my blood, he found out where you were. His plan was to drain me and take you and Trixie away. But you saw him, Violetta. He couldn’t stop himself when you offered him vampire blood. He was about to drain his own child.”

Eric looked away.

“He let me take his life. Violetta, I should be dead. He had several chances to finish me off. He didn’t. He exposed his heart to me. No Fairy in their right mind would find themselves in that position. I nearly hesitated, but I had to kill him. I had to protect you.”

Violetta nodded, holding her arms.

 “He knew his life was over,” said Eric, “He finally realized that it had been over the moment he became an addict. And then he gave me that bracelet. It’s restorative. You were dying. It’s the only thing that saved you from the True Death.”

Violetta looked at the platinum bangle on her arm. She traced its outer side with her finger, feeling the energy tingle through. She moved the arm towards Eric; he stepped back.

“I can’t touch it,” he said. “Not while you wear it. Nobody can. Only you can take it off. We discovered that last night after I put it on your arm.”

Violetta sighed.                                                                                                                                                        

“Trixie,” she began. “How do I tell her that I’m her sister? And what does that mean for her adoption?”

“As I see it,” said Eric, “As her sister, you would have legal guardianship over Trixie, no matter whether we had adopted her or not. But we can let Hersch sort out the details. You two found each other for a reason. And Trixie is where she’s supposed to be now.”

Violetta shivered.

“I feel weak,” she said. “Maybe I need to rest more.”

“Wait here,” he said. “I’ll draw you a bath. “

Eric left the room, and Violetta heard the tap begin to run. She inspected the bruises along her body, and watched as some of them began to disappear.

Eric returned and guided her to the bathtub, gently helping her to get in.

“Are you joining me?” she asked.

Eric smiled and slid in to sit behind her. Violetta rested her head on his shoulder, feeling the warmth enveloping her all around. She closed her eyes. Suddenly, a sadness from deep within her rose to the surface, and she began to weep. Eric caressed her arms, whispering to her, comforting her.

“What is it, my loveliest?” he asked in a quiet whisper.

“I’m not sure,” she said. “I feel like I should be mourning my loss.  I wonder what my life would have been like if Connell had found me before you did.”

Eric kissed her shoulder.

“You wouldn’t be here,” he said. “This wouldn’t exist. Trixie wouldn’t exist.”

“I know,” she said. “And that’s why I’m not sure if I should weep.”

“Do what you must,” he said.

She watched the drops of red dissipate into the water. She poured water onto her face, and leaned back into Eric’s arms.

“Our wedding night,” she murmured.

“It could be tonight,” he said.

They sat together, motionless. The water came to a standstill.

48.

Violetta kissed Eric while he carried her, dripping and naked, down to his chamber. She widened her eyes as she saw the brightly lit room smelling of pine and violets.

“Eric!” she squealed as she saw the twinkling lights.

“Someone told me you loved Christmas lights,” he said with a smile, laying her onto the bed.

She pulled him towards her, kissing him frantically, holding him tightly.

“Wait,” he said softly.

“For?”

“This.”

He returned the amulet to its rightful place around her neck.

“I didn’t have a chance to do this yesterday,” he said. “But you are my wife.”

“Yes, I am,” she said, bringing her arms around his neck once more. “Master.”

“Sire.”

“Husband.”

“Wife.”

Eric entered her and brought her body to his.

“My loveliest,” she called to him.

“My loveliest,” he called back, holding her waist as he lay down to look at her.

“Violetta,” he whispered, his fangs bared.

“Eric,” she cried as she reached her climax. He held his arm up to her mouth, and she bared her fangs down on his inner wrist. He took her arm and, with a gentle kiss, drew blood from her inner wrist as they climaxed together.

Violetta fell back upon the pillows, her eyes twinkling in the myriad of lights Eric had strung throughout the room. She giggled softly.

“What is it?”

Like a child, Eric rolled onto his stomach and propped himself up on his elbows, his eyes glowing with lust and excitement as he looked at her.

“I can’t believe you did this,” she said. “It’s stunning.”

“I had to do something,” he said. “My original plans fell through somewhat.”

“Original plans?” she said.

Eric crawled up the bed, his face reaching hers.

“I had planned to take you to Antarctica for six months,” he said with a serious voice, his eyes twinkling.

Violetta threw her arms around his neck.

“To make love in the snow?” she asked.

“And the wind, and the dark.”

He bent to kiss her.  Her arms grew tighter around him as they embraced. Out of the corner of her eye, Violetta saw a golden object shining from the night table. Eric followed her eyes.

“Oh yes,” he said, reaching for the object. “I found this in the Fairy’s pocket.”

He handed her a gold locket. Violetta held it to her nose, inhaled deeply, and returned it to the table.

“What is it?” asked Eric.

“It smells of lilacs, heather, and sunshine,” she said. “It’s my first lock of hair.”

“Is that important?”

“It’s what’s left of my past,” she said. “And also, the first lock is supposed to be kept by my fairy guide, to keep me from harm.  I guess I’ll never know…”

“You feel harmed?”

“Not anymore,” she smiled, slipping off the bracelet, and placing it on the table. “So maybe it did work. “

“Maybe it did,” he said, kissing her gently.

Violetta smiled, and bared her fangs.