Annika Northman: Part One

Chapter Five: Dallas

A few hours later, only a little after nightfall, I step into the doorway of Eric's office to find myself looking down at Lafayette for the third time. Feeling his fear for the . . . more than the third time. Only this time it's softer. It's melting.

He's on his side on the floor, his head resting on the concrete, and his breathing is heavier than it should be. But I don't see chains. And Sookie and Bill Compton are both standing over him, neither of them looking happy, but not particularly worried, either. Were it not for Eric crouching over him, I imagine Lafayette would be feeling great about things.

Eric's turned slightly away from me. I see his hand reach out, see his finger brush over Lafayette's chest. "I'll see you around, I'm sure," he says pleasantly.

"Oh, don't bet on it, baby," Lafayette pants. "I'm retirin'. I'm done with you crazy-ass fuckers."

I hear Eric huff out a breath, an almost-laugh, before he rises. He notices me standing here but says nothing. I drop my eyes to Lafayette again to find him looking up at me. I wait for him to say something, but he doesn't. So neither do I. What would I say? I'm sorry? I'm not, I didn't do anything wrong. Goodbye? No. We're not friends.

So I look back at him in silence until Bill Compton gathers him up from the floor and carries him past me. Sookie follows, after staring at Eric for a long moment. I can't see her face, but his has a faint smile. Then she spins so fast her hair whips around her like a cape, and as she passes me her eyes touch on mine and the fire there seems to calm, but she doesn't say anything or stop, and then she's gone down the hallway after Bill.

"Lafayette is a friend of Sookie's." Eric is sitting on the front edge of his desk. I rest my head against the doorframe. "She agreed to assist me with something in exchange for his release." He lifts an eyebrow. "I told you he had more to offer me."

He picks up a pile of mail from his desk and, standing, begins to shuffle through it. I look down the now-empty hallway, then back to him. "What's happening in Dallas?"

"I am establishing a prison colony for eavesdropping children." He glances up. "Perhaps you know one."

"I didn't . . . plan on . . . overhearing. But my room's next door. And Sookie's voice carries."

Eric lowers into his chair, giving me a dry look. I shrug a little.

Eric is sending Sookie to Dallas, Texas. I think Bill's going, too – I didn't hear that part entirely. I also didn't hear exactly why Eric wants Sookie in Dallas.

Eric tosses the little pile of mail back on his desk, and since it doesn't seem like he plans to answer my question any time soon, I ask another one, walking into the room as I do so. "Are you going to Dallas?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"Tomorrow night. Perhaps the night after."

There's a couch pushed against the wall to my right and Eric's left. I settle myself on the end of it that's closest to him, crossing my arms on the oversized armrest. "And . . . you need people read. Listened to. That's why you're taking Sookie."

"Annika, I am not having this conversation with you again."

"No, I – I wasn't going to say you shouldn't take her, or that you should take me instead of her. I know . . . I know she can do things I can't. Yet. But are you working with just humans? Or with humans and vampires? She can only read humans. I can read both."

"You want me to take you to Dallas."

"I think it makes sense to take me to Dallas," I say, because that sounds more mature. "Definitely if you're working with other vampires."

"We both know you still have difficulty reading vampires, little one."

"Well, yes, but I'm getting better every day. Young vampires are practically as easy as humans. But Longshadow wasn't young, and I knew you couldn't trust him. I can actually read Pam pretty well now, and I can even sense things about you sometimes. I felt it when you got home last night. That's never happened before."

Eric is tapping his desk with one finger. His eyes are off to the side. He's thinking. Am I actually convincing him?

"And Sookie might be able to read people's minds," I continue, trying to keep the words from rushing out, "But you don't know her well enough to trust her, do you? I can read her. I can tell you if she's lying. Or hiding something." I press my lips together, not sure if I should keep searching for reasons or if I've pushed hard enough already. Eric's face gives nothing away. "Eric, this is what you have me for, right? To help you with things like this?"

"You do not know what sort of thing this is."

"Well . . . Am I wrong?"

He sighs. He keeps thinking for a while. I wait. Finally, he meets my eyes. There's a hint of something bright inside his. "I will consider taking you to Dallas with me."

I pull my lips into my mouth to hide the smile it's trying to make.

"But I am making no promises. If I decide it is better for you to stay here, the matter will be settled."

"Of course."

Eric nods. He looks at me for a moment, and then he jerks his head. "Go read something."

I push off the couch and head for the door, but he calls after me, "And I want you in bed early. You are the one who looks tired tonight."

"That's because your employees keep screaming and pointing guns while I'm trying to sleep."

That makes him grin, which makes me happy.