Annika Northman: Part Two

Chapter 31: Won't Be a Problem Anymore

The thing that used to be Russell Edgington moans in agony as Eric, his hands covered by blue plastic gloves, pulls the silver chain tighter around our prisoner's neck.

"You're a fool not to kill him." Bill Compton is a few paces off from Eric, watching him bind Edgington to a dancer's pole with a frown and folded arms.

"Killing him won't solve anything." Eric tugs the chain again, drawing a scraping noise from the pole and a choking noise from Edgington. Good, I think. Good, you bastard.

"No." Sookie steps closer to Eric. Her ponytail is falling down, and she has to swipe some strands out of her eyes. "But it would keep him from killing us."

"Oh, he won't be doing any more killing," says Eric.

I'm on the outside of this scene, as I usually am. I usually mind, though, and I don't this time. Everyone is standing but me – me and Edgington, whom Eric pushed down onto the pole's mini-stage. I'm in a chair at my own private table, my legs pulled into my chest, my arms holding them close. I haven't said anything in some time. I haven't wanted to. I still don't.

I didn't mean to, I swore to Eric, again, when I woke up. It was the first thing I said, once he'd pulled his wrist (and his blood) away from my lips, because it was important he understood that, understood that my bringing in Edgington was not my choice. But then, of course, he asked what I meant by that, by I didn't mean to, because how could I not have meant to? And I said Godric's name before I could think my way out of doing so. That's it, just his name. And Eric's eyes got wide, but he didn't press further, because he had to secure Edgington. We'll talk about it later, though. Of course we will.

Secure Edgington . . . secure him, not kill him. Not toss him back into the sunlight to fry. Eric wasn't angry with me, I don't think he was angry with me even before I stuttered on about not being to blame. He'd already decided to bring Edgington in, that quickly became clear. I just – Godric just beat him to it. Probably because Eric was weak. Weak, because he had been burned, too. He hadn't completely healed yet when I came to in his arms. There were black patches on his face.

He'd been out there with Edgington. That's the only explanation for those black patches, for what I was feeling in his office. Sookie's blood, fairy or not, is clearly not a supernatural sunscreen. At least not a particularly effective one.

"Eric, who the fuck are you right now?" Pam is closer to me than the others. She's standing right by my table, and I'm grateful for that, whether or not it's intentional on her part. I could reach out and hold her hand if I wanted to – except, no, I couldn't. Her hand is forming a fist. Fists aren't for holding. "He killed your family!" she half-shouts at her maker. "Rip off his fucking head!"

Pam's face is streaked with red. Because of the Bleeds, you know. But . . . I don't think that's just it. I think she's been crying. She was here when Eric did it, after all. When he went outside. She was here, and she knew what was happening. She must have let it happen, to some extent, which she only would have done on Eric's orders, never willingly. Nor would I. But yes, if ordered, Pam would let it happen, and she must have done just that, and I . . . I don't know if that would have been possible for me. I don't know what I would have done when Eric went outside, how I possibly could have intervened, but I might have tried to.

Of course you would have. You wouldn't have been able to stop yourself. So Eric stopped you before you even knew what was happening.

Eric's blood has chased the pills from my system. Or maybe Godric did that. It doesn't matter – either way, my brain is back to working, working well enough for me to piece things together like this: When I sensed Bill being not-genuine with Edgington earlier, it was about Sookie's blood, the fairy blood he and Eric said would let a vampire walk in the sunlight. I think Bill and Eric both knew it wouldn't work. I think Eric knew that Edgington would demand he drink Sookie's blood, too, drink it and walk in the sun to prove it could be done. So Eric sneaked me the pills.