Chapter 48: The Last Farewell

back to Chapter 47

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A Few Minutes Earlier (NOTE: This chapter begins in the middle of the last one.)

The vampire in front of Sookie never ceased to amaze her. He was an amalgamation of numbers that—when she really thought about them—had the ability to knock her from her feet.

Eiríkr Ulfrikson, the name her beloved had first been given, was the product of millions of genetic possibilities—all coming together. Of course, her Viking, who had—as it turned out—a true command of science, would tell her that everyone was such a combination. But Sookie knew better.

Though she could admit her bias, she knew that the particular genetic combination that made up her bonded was anything but usual. He was devastatingly handsome—a fact which was confirmed by the thoughts of all kinds of women and men (including straight ones), who came across his path. But his looks were the least of his genetic marvels. He’d been constructed physically to be a warrior—a human manifestation of Thor that put Michelangelo’s David to shame when it came to proportional perfection. Sookie had learned enough about Eric’s childhood to know that he’d been trained in the art of combat from his earliest years of memory; however, he’d also let on that his skill came easily to him—thus some of his pride. But there was so much more to marvel at than the physical aspects of Eric Northman.

The genetics that made him strong had also gifted him with cleverness, a cunning that couldn’t be taught mixed with what Sookie thought of as “old-fashioned” common sense—even if her notion of “old-fashioned” was much younger than the vampire himself. To his innate cleverness, Eric had added knowledge, and in the thousand years he’d been a vampire, he’d reached wisdom, for some part of what built him from the cells up had also made him insatiably curious. He’d put all of the aspects that had made him an exceptional human to good use as he’d evolved into a brilliant vampire.

And this was all despite Appius Livius Ocella’s best efforts to destroy his spirit.

Indeed, perhaps the greatest gift that genetics had offered Eric was the potential to resist evil—to resist the kind of “nurturing” that Appius gave him for the first 200 years of his vampire existence. Eric had told her that it was his human parents—their teachings and his memories of them—which had insulated him from Appius. And Sookie believed that was a part of it. But she also knew that there was something about Eric—just him—that had allowed him to resist his tormentor for so long.

73,000 nights.

Sookie thought of that number as she looked up at her bonded, even as his eyes were trained on the video feed from the ballroom—trained upon both Appius and Karin, if the mixture of worry and disgust he was feeling were any indication.

An average American lived 27,375 days, a fact which Sookie knew because she’d looked it up on the Internet one day when she’d been ruminating about—actually mourning—Eric’s time with his maker, something she’d not allowed herself to do when he’d been awake.

She had tried to fathom what it might have been like for her bonded—to have been tortured for two and a half lifetimes. And the more she’d thought about it, the more she’d marveled at the fact that Eric maintained his goodness.

His humor.

His love.

“I can feel him now,” Eric conveyed in a haunted tone. “He is letting me feel him.”

“And what does he feel?” Pam asked, having come to stand next to her maker as his own feelings had nosedived after seeing Karin.

“He is enjoying himself,” the Viking responded despondently. “And our bond is twitching.”

“I feel that,” Sookie said softly. “What does it mean?”

“It means that he is toying with me. It is what he would always do when he was getting ready to call me. It is as if he is standing next to a light switch—like he’s moved that light switch part of the way up, but not quite far enough to flip the light on. But I know that he is going to.”

Eric looked at Pam and then at his bonded, taking a hand of each of them.

“I need to go to him now—before he calls. Otherwise, he will likely kill the queen and everyone with her.”

“You can resist him,” Pam said insistently. “You’ve told me before that you have resisted him—that you have resisted his commands before.”

“Pam, he must choose carefully the commands that he resists,” Sookie said with understanding. She knew from what Eric had told her that he had refused to follow his maker’s commands at times, but the price had been very steep, not just in the punishment that Appius would then enact, but also in the physical toll it took upon him. And, of course, Appius would make sure that there was a long-lasting emotional toll too, for he would remind Eric of his disobediences as Appius himself tortured humans as recompence.

Eric turned to his second child. “The vampire you see standing just behind Compton is your sister, Karin.”

Pam gasped as she looked back at the image, a new kind of understanding dawning upon her beautiful face. Although she had known of her sister, she had never met her. Given the fact that Eric had commanded her to never speak of Karin’s existence, Pam hadn’t questioned the lack of contact with her.

Pam frowned deeply. Her maker had told her about Karin only once—a night when he had felt a prickling sensation in his bond with Appius. Pam and Eric were still in London at the time, and Eric had told Pam a little about the story of Karin as a kind of cautionary tale related to Appius.

Luckily, the prickling sensation hadn’t lasted long, and—the very next week—Eric booked passage on a ship that would take them to America.

“Is she with him? Helping him?” Pam asked.

Eric shook his head. “I can feel nothing from her, but I know she would not have joined him voluntarily. I believe that the witch is controlling her.”

“What does he intend?” Pam asked with horror in her tone.

Eric didn’t respond; instead, he was focused on Sookie, his eyes bright with emotion.

Those eyes held what very well may have been a “goodbye.” She was certain that her own held the same.

But she could not bring herself to say that cursed word aloud.

“Do you remember the time you wore the pink spandex for me?” she asked.

His lips twitched slightly upward. “You’re forgetting the aqua swirls.”

“How could I ever forget those?” she responded with a small smile of her own.

For those witnessing the gravity-laden moment, it likely didn’t make much sense that the two were reminiscing about such an odd moment in their relationship, one that had taken place well before their romance had truly begun.

But it was an apt memory, and in mentioning it, Sookie—once again—proved that she was perfect for the vampire. After all, it was a memory of a time when she’d needed someone to protect her from danger. It was a time when he’d come to her aid without question. It was a moment when he’d shown the extent of his sense of humor—which swirled inside of him like that aqua had done in the field of hot pink. And it had been a time when they’d had to face down a powerful entity, Callisto, whose insanity and potential for destruction were unpredictable—at best. Before Eric had given Sookie an ounce of his blood and despite the fact that the telepath had been marked as Compton’s by blood, Callisto had somehow known that sending a message through Sookie would be the loudest way to get the Viking’s attention. Her venom-filled scratches were a sign of that. Appius, too, knew that the use of Sookie would be the loudest way to communicate with Eric.

It had been what the Viking had feared all along. And that fear was coming to fruition.

“You need to finish moving into the farmhouse when we get home,” Sookie said, her voice full of strength. “Those pink spandex haven’t made it yet.”

He closed his eyes for a moment—feeling her confidence in him—her hope. She was telling him that he would survive—that they would both survive. And she was telling him that—even more than survive—he would come through the night with the ability to laugh. To truly live.

He leaned down to give her a gentle kiss on her lips, even as he let her feel all of the love that he had for her through their bond. She echoed him. Her feelings told him that—come what may—she would never regret their love.

And her feelings also told him that she understood the underlying guilt he felt—that she knew it would take a very long time for him to learn how to forgive himself for putting those he couldn’t help but to love into Appius’s path.

“I love you,” he said simply as he pulled away from her and used his vampire speed to leave the room and enter the tunnel that would take him to his maker.

“I love you,” she voiced, as she flexed the hand he’d just let go.

Had that been their final touch? She shook her head, refusing that notion. She let her confidence in her mate rock into their bond.

In this world—or the next—they would be together again.

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The last several minutes had been a study in anguish for Eric Northman.

He’d spent more than a thousand years trying to exist with honor and as much fairness as was possible in the supernatural world. But there was nothing reasonable about the situation he now found himself in.

To the fair-minded Viking, it seemed horribly unjust to discover love in its truest form after so many years of trying to avoid the emotion—only to have his malevolent maker reemerge just when he had achieved bliss-filled happiness.

Yet here Appius was—more ominous than the grim reaper himself! He was the antipathy of fairness—of justice. For—if the world had been truly just—Appius would have been scourged from it long before Eric drew his first human breath.

Eric wondered—in that moment—if the goodbye he’d said to Sookie a moment before would be the last time he saw her.

He’d seen in her eyes how much she loved him. He’d felt her resolution—and her understanding—when she realized that he had to go to Appius before he was commanded to do so.

From the moment he’d seen Karin, clearly under the influence of Appius and Hallow, Eric knew that he had to do all that he could to help his oldest child, especially since he’d been the one to call her into the situation! And he knew that she would likely be one of Appius’s first victims if Eric tried to resist his maker’s call. The queen would suffer too—more than she already had—for Eric knew that his ruler would choose not to summon him as Appius had requested.

Queen Sophie-Anne had proven to be loyal to him—more protective than most monarchs he had encountered.

As he approached the ballroom, Eric tried to concentrate upon his love for Sookie, knowing that his love would be the only emotion that might see him through the night. Once upon a time, Appius had told him that love made people weak. But Appius had no idea what kind of strength could actually be found in love.

However, even focusing on love couldn’t help Eric to escape from the tremendous guilt he felt about calling Karin for her help. What had he been thinking? How could he have put her into harm’s way? And—before the night was over—what harm might Pam face? Or Sookie?

As Eric walked past the ripped apart remains of Peter’s guard, Jacob, he felt a sense of dread trying to overpower both the love and the guilt inside of him. No one in the room had been able to react, let alone try to stop Appius from killing Jacob! Of course, Eric had known that Appius must have been getting stronger as the years passed—just as Eric himself had gotten stronger. But knowing and seeing were two different things.

“Ah! Dear Child!” Appius greeted, his voice sickly sweet. “Come and say a proper hello to me!”

With heavy feet and a heavier heart, Eric moved toward his maker. There had been a time when he’d tried to see something positive in his nights with Appius—the value in some of his lessons about warfare and survival as a vampire. But now, he realized that his maker was pure evil. And Eric had been right to be afraid of him during the entirety of his existence as a vampire.

After all, fearing the devil was the most natural thing in the world to do.

He just couldn’t allow that fear to overrule him—not when so much was at stake.

When he was a few feet from his maker, Eric lowered himself to his knees, knowing that was what Appius would expect. Moreover, Eric knew what would happen if he did not supplicate himself in such a visible, direct way. Those around him—those he respected, cared for, and loved—would suffer from Appius’s wrath.

Once on his knees, Eric bowed his head, looking toward the floor.

“Hello, Appius,” he said, trying to keep all emotion from his voice.

“You do not sound excited to see me! That truly hurts me,” the elder responded with amusement in his voice. “Tell me—where is the telepath? I so long to meet her!”

“She is gone,” Eric lied. “I sent her from here.”

Appius chuckled. “You know that I can feel your deception—correct? Now rise so that I can take a better look at my boy!” he patronized—even as he declared his ownership. “It has been too long.”

Eric stood up.

Appius made a motion with his hands for Eric to turn.

The Viking complied until he—again—faced his maker.

“You have not met your brother, I think,” the elder vampire smirked. “Alexei, this is Eric.”

The younger child of Appius scoffed, but said nothing.

Appius winked at Eric. “It will take Alexei some time to get used to not being the only child in my life. Ah—I do not think you know Hallow. She is most anxious to meet you as well!”

Though he was wise enough to keep most of his attention on his unpredictable maker, Eric glanced momentarily toward the witch, who looked as rabid as Alexei. He quickly regarded the other witches that were with the group, sensing true strength from only one other—a male Were-witch whose scent matched the one who’d taken Debbie Pelt.

As much as he tried, Eric could not keep his focus on Appius as he heard Karin whimper. She was looking at him like a creature possessed, her blues eyes dilated almost black—as if she’d just drunk a gallon of Fae blood.

“Ah, yes! Of course, you know dear Karin!” Appius declared with a sick smile. “How naughty of you to not introduce me to your eldest child years ago. You kept us from being a happy family,” the elder vampire accused with an edge in his tone. “Speaking of family, where is your other child?”

Unable to hide his trepidation, Eric looked from Karin to Appius.

“Call her to us,” Appius directed casually. “Let us be altogether for once.”

Eric did not immediately comply.

“I command it,” Appius said, an edge to his tone.

Eric immediately felt his maker’s influence and the call within his own body to be obedient to that influence. He noted, however, that his bond with Sookie seemed to bump just a bit against his bond with Appius. He momentarily wondered if he could use his bond with his beloved to help him combat his bond with his maker.

“Call her, now!” Appius pressed, clearly losing his patience.

Eric took less than a second to consider the pros and the cons of resistance—disobedience. And then he called Pam to his side.

“Ah!” Appius grinned as the female vampire hastened into the room and came to her maker’s side. “What a lovely sight you are, Pamela!”

Pam, though generally not one to do anything to supplicate herself, only glanced at her maker before going to her knees next to him, mimicking exactly the greeting that he’d given to Appius only a minute before.

“These vampires are of my retinue,” Sophie-Anne said, though her voice was not fully confident.

Appius laughed heartily. “Dear queen! There will be time for us to talk soon—about the role you will be playing while I enjoy my reunion with my progeny, as well as enjoy your little state’s hospitality. However, for now, I would ask your forbearance as I enjoy my little family reunion.” Though his voice remained even, the threatening look he gave to the vampire queen made her wince.

“Rise, child,” Appius said to Pam.

The female vampire did just that, and she stood as tall as she could next to her maker, allowing her pride for him to be felt through their maker-child bond.

For his part, Eric could not stop his own pride from flowing back to her, though it was tempered with his guilt over what might happen next.

Appius, of course, felt his child’s emotions, and chuckled at them.

“How I have missed you, Eric! You have always been such an amusing project!” he grinned at his elder child. “Why have you not sought me out? I would have loved a visit. Indeed, in all the many years since I gave you leave to seek out your own life, you have never initiated contact with me—never just come for a visit.”

He winked at Pam. “Here is a lesson for you, little Pamela. Sometimes a maker enjoys being sought out—simply because of,” he paused, “affection! Yes—we can call our children to us, but then their coming is an obligation, and it is, therefore,” he paused again—this time for longer, “hollow. You must remember to show your maker proper appreciation by seeking out his company on occasion—during those times when you are apart.”

He focused back onto Eric. “Did you not think that your maker deserved a visit during all these long years? Do you not think that I deserve your love?” he emphasized.

“You told me once that I should never love you,” Eric returned cautiously.

“And so I did,” Appius shrugged. “However, if you had broken that guideline—for me—I would have been greatly gratified. Do you know what has not gratified me?”

“What?” Eric asked, his voice hinting at his growing anxiety.

“That you so clearly feel love for others. After all, if you had to feel such a disgusting, unnatural emotion for anyone, should it not be for your maker? The one who gave you a second life? A superior life? But no! For me, you feel only dread and fear.” Appius sneered. “Tell me—what feelings do you have for your child, Pamela?”

Eric gasped, having not expected that question from his maker.

“I command that you tell me—now!” Appius growled, even as he took a stake out of his pocket and gestured toward Pam with it. His threat was very clear.

“I respect and admire the vampire that Pamela has become,” Eric responded immediately. “Her presence in my life brings me amusement and joy.”

“And do you love her?” Appius asked, his contempt clear.

“Yes, I do,” Eric answered without hesitation.

Karin growled from behind Appius.

“Do not worry about dear Karin.” Appius winked at Eric. “She is just a bit jealous of your affections for others. And rightly. After all, did you not sever your maker-child bond with her in order to send her from your side? In order to keep her from me?” he added angrily.

“Yes, I did that to protect her,” Eric admitted.

“You feared that I would kill her instead of welcoming her into our family?” Appius asked sarcastically.

“Yes.”

“Well—unfortunately, we will never know what may have been,” Appius said contemplatively. He was quiet for a moment—as if accessing his long memory for a particular spot. “I was very upset when I felt your bond with Karin seemingly die, for I had just lost a child of my own.”

“I remember how upset you were,” Eric said with bitterness in his tone. It had been completely clear to him at the time that Appius would have either killed or tortured Karin—or, more likely, ordered Eric to do those things—if he’d not released her from their maker-child bond with magic.

“You loved your child? Your Karin?” Appius probed.

“Yes,” Eric responded, even as he looked at this older child, who still seemed ready to implode.

“Still?”

“Yes.”

Appius closed his eyes. “Yes. I feel that you do love her. I feel that you love Pamela.” He opened his eyes.

“I am feeling generous,” the elder vampire said without segue.

“You are?” Eric responded—when Appius looked at him expectantly.

“So generous,” Appius nodded. “Are you not curious about how I intend to show that generosity?” he asked, his fangs lowering.

Again, he looked at Eric expectantly.

“How?” Eric asked, though he dreaded hearing his maker’s answer.

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go to Chapter 49

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Thanks for reading! Please take a moment to leave a comment–if you have the time and inclination. And–thanks to Kleannhouse for doing the Beta work on this chapter!

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Eric’s Children

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New Orleans Supes

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Antagonists

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