“CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHERE MY FUCKING HILT AND STONE ARE?” Eris raged as she paced the gigantic living room of the mansion she was staying in. So far her minions had not been able to retrieve the hilt to the sword or the stone that could destroy her. As much as she didn’t want to admit it to herself, (and there was no way in hell she was going to say it out loud for anyone to hear) she was getting a little worried.
The group of twelve vampires, eight demons, and a few dark elves stood trembling inside. They didn’t want to say a word as to why Eric and Violet had gotten both parts, and all that was left was the blade to complete the sword.
“W-w-we tried oh great one,” A Chinese male vampire stuttered coming to the front.
Eris cocked her eyebrow and let her hands rest on her hips. “Oh you tried,” She stated cold. “Why is it you can’t accomplish a single fucking task? Hmm?”
The group couldn’t help but shake at Eris’ threatening voice. Anyone of them could die any second if they were to say even one more word wrong.
“Our spies have told us that the stone is in the possession of Athena or Apollo,” Another vampire piped up.
Eris rolled her eyes and spat, “Athena.” She hated her with more hatred than she did Zeus. Ever since she was formed out of Zeus’ head she’s been the favorite. The one everyone worships.
“What should we do now?” A demon asked.
The goddess of chaos took a few steps forward before answering. “Go kill them. Except for the Viking.”
Just as Eris was to turn around a short dark elf walked into the room. He seamed breathless from running. “Goddess!”
“WHAT?!” Eris snapped impatiently. She really wasn’t in the mood for anymore nonsense.
“The Violet girl is at the choosing of the roads!”
The look of shock on the goddess’s features wanted to make sure she heard right. The elf nodded and a menacing grin of happiness smothered Eris’s face. “Oh this is too good! Too good!”
~
Leona’s P.O.V.
Being shackled in a dungeon and tortured was not on my list to-do’s when I arrived in Louisiana. I felt even worse for Ava slumped next to me. She’d been beaten, interrogated, and sliced here and there, but she was still alive. Nothing they were doing had made her spill the beans on Violet. Not one drop.
One of the even more worse parts was I couldn’t cast any spells in the basement where they were keeping us. It was if it were magic proof. There was only one way getting in and only one way getting out. That was through the door at the end of the hall and up the stairs.
I tried to think over and over again of what I could do until I thought of astral projection. Sure I couldn’t physically touch anything, but I could tell the others where Ava and I were!
Quickly I tried to look around to see if anyone was coming. So far the coast was clear so I leaned back and sucked in a big lung fool of air. Slowly I let it out and closed my eyes letting myself float through the astral plain until I was back at Fangtasia.
“What the hell!” Max yelled and everyone (Max, Pam, and my coven) looked confused.
“Don’t be alarmed. I astral projected. It comes in handy but I can’t physically tough anything. Hey where is Violet and Eric?” I looked at everyone again and didn’t see them.
Pam was the one to break the eerie silence. Her eyes were red, so I was guessing she had cried. Why though? “She’s in Eric’s office diein’.”
“What?!” I couldn’t believe it! She couldn’t be dieing! She was the one who was supposed to defeat Eris! “How?!”
Pam was stern. “After they got back from Egypt to retrieve the stone for the sword, Eric was wounded and Violet let him drink from her. The thing is, he couldn’t stop…until she burned him. He’s in his office right now with Dr. Ludwig.”
I paced back and forth trying to figure out what to do. “What about his blood? It should heal her.”
“She isn’t letting it. Violet is already at the choosing of the roads,” Max said defeated.
I covered my hands with my face. “Oh my god.”
“Leona since you’re on the astral plain already, can’t you meet her there and try to bring her back?” Alexander, one of my coven members asked.
I nodded my head in agreement. “That just might work.”
~
Violet’s P.O.V.
I felt light as a feather wherever I was. My feelings were dulled down and all I could think of was that I was close to being at peace. It made me smile with the glowing golden light around me. The war was no longer on my mind. Eris no longer seemed a problem, and I felt free. The only decision I had to make now was which rode to take in front of me. They looked the same, just two dirt roads. Thought I know they each led to different places.
“Violet! Turn around!” I did turn around to see Leona.
“Leona, what are you doing here?” I asked. My voice wasn’t much louder than a whisper.
“I’m here to bring you back. You’re time isn’t up yet!”
She looked worried but I just smiled slightly. “But it is. I’m done. I get to choose where I wanna go.” Why didn’t she understand?
“No,” She said and shook her head. “You can’t. What about Ava?”
“Ava?” I breathed. I liked Ava. She was my friend. Surely she would want me to be at peace and to be happy?
“Yes, Ava! You have to save her! And I know we’ve just met, but you have to save me too!” She looked panicked now but still I wasn’t changing my mind.
“The others will come for you.” Yes they would.
“Violet what about Pam and Max and the whole world?! They need you! You are the only one to stop Eris! It’s your destiny!” She cried at me and I almost walked towards her but I stopped.
“It wasn’t my destiny to choose what I was,” I said truthfully and looked back at the roads. They were calling me. Telling me to choose one.
“What about Eric?” Something in me tugged around to look at her again.
“Eric…” I smiled, but then frowned. “He’s the one that did this to me.”
“Eric would want you to choose a road.”
I turned back towards the roads to see Godric. “Godric!” I felt so happy to see him.
“No! What are you doing?!” Leona shrieked and tried to walk over but couldn’t. It seemed she was frozen to the spot.
Godric grabbed my hand. “Eric would want you to be at peace. He told me himself.”
“He did?” I asked.
“Yes, he-”
“Get away from her!” I turned around again to see another Godric.
“What’s going on?” I asked scared.
“Violet I am the real Godric! That’s Eris!” The second Godric warned me.
“Violet he’s right!” Leona agreed. “You can fight it Violet! We need you! Come back!”
“Don’t listen to them. They only want you to hurt. They don’t want the best for you,” Godric One said and placed a hand on my cheek.
“Violet you can’t leave Eric!” The other Godric yelled to me and I began to feel sad.
“Eric would want you to do this. He knows you are not as strong as you think you are. You know you won’t be able to kill Eris,” The first Godric who still had his hand on my cheek cooed.
His words sunk in while Leona and the other Godric’s died out. All I could hear was the first Godric’s words and stare into his eyes. Though the longer I did the more and more an image was coming clear. It was Eris…grinning.
Something in me snapped and I shoved the false Godric away from me. “Noooooooooo!!!”
~
My eyes snapped open and there stood Dr. Ludwig shocked as can be.
“You’re alive!” She screamed and I stood up.
“Thanks for taking care of me dock!” I said and padded her on the shoulder before unlocking the door from Eric’s office and heading out to the bar. Something was just wrong, I knew it in my gut.
As soon as I came into the room the whole place was in chaos. Vampires, elf looking things, the coven, and Pam were fighting. Glasses were being thrown, necks were being broken, vampires were getting dusted. You name it!
I lit myself up and began dusting as many vampires as I could. One even ran screaming away from me and straight out the door.
“Pam get down!” She was shocked at first to see me but then ducked once I sent a fireball to kill the guy behind her.
“You’re alive!” She beamed and ripped out an elf’s neck, spraying it’s black blood all over her.
“Where’s Eric?!” I yelled over the noise of the commotion.
“Him and Max are outside I think! This whole thing was a surprise attack!”
I made my way outside because it seemed we were winning inside the bar. Once I got to the parking lot I could see Max with a sword chopping off some type of thing’s heads. It was a little gross but I had to look for Eric. When I finally spotted him, he was taking on at least twelve vampires.
“Eric get out of the way!” I yelled.
The sound of my voice made him and a couple of the other vampires stop dead in there tracks.
“Violet!” My Eric called to me.
Without a second to loose I set each one into flames until it was just my vampire who was standing.
“You’re alive!”
“Yes I am, hold on!” I smiled and went to help Max. Eric zipped over to help too.
Less than a minute later Max and Eric had me in a hug sandwich. “Guys I can’t really breath!”
“Oh sorry,” Max apologized and let go while Eric just held onto me longer.
“I almost killed you,” Eric’s sad voice burned my ears.
“It doesn’t matter. I’m here. I’m here.”
~
Thankfully Fangtasia wasn’t in too bad of shape. Eric would only need to be closed down for two days. However tonight was the night I was getting Leona and Ava back.
“Ok is there some way you can shield us? Like an invisibility cloak or something?” I asked the coven.
One of them just snickered. “Who do you think we are Harry Potter?”
“Ha-ha. But seriously though,” I smiled.
“Well from what Leona told us, they’re in a basement of some sort. Oh and there is only one way in and one way out,” Alexander spoke.
“There are less guards on the south side apparently. Leona also said to watch out for the werewolves in the woods,” Max believed.
“Let’s get to work then.”
~
The coven stayed at Fangtasia with Pam so they could be safe while chanting the cloaking spell. That only left Max, me, and Eric to retrieve Leona and Ava.
“I still haven’t gotten a hold of Caine,” I told Max as we finally came into view of the mansion where Eris was staying.
“Just leave it then. Alright we all know where to go so let’s just get this over with,” Max said and we made our way.
~
Ok so the plan wasn’t going as smoothly as I wanted. So far half of the mansion was on fire, Eris was pissed to high hell and coming after us, but I finally made it into the basement.
“Ava! Leona!” I called looking around and trying to see through the smoke.
“We’re here!” It was Ava and I finally saw her and Leona chained to a wall.
“Hold on and I’m sorry if this is hot!” I apologized just in case I accidentally burned them.
I grabbed onto the chains, heated them up, and tugged onto them till they gave out.
“Who else is here?!” Leona asked while we made our way back upstairs.
“Me, Eric, and Max! Come on Eris doesn’t look too happy!”
Hell was I right. When the three of us got up the staircase, her and Max were going at it. I tried to help him out by sending a fireball her way. The strange thing is when it hit her, it didn’t set her on fire, it just made her stumble back.
“Bitch!” She hissed at me and tried to make her way over but Max wouldn’t let her. She got in a few good hits on him though because I saw some of his blood fly from his stomach.
“Eric!” I yelled and saw he was trying to get to me.
Why do they always gang up on him? I half joked to myself as I went to go help him. There must have been eight vampires trying to kick his ass.
“Violet we need to go now!” Ava whimpered nervously as Leona stood in front of her to create some sort of bubble around them.
A force field?
I set a few more vamps on fire while Eric ripped the rest to shreds. When he was done he took my hand and we made it over to Max who was still fighting with Eris.
Eric on three grab Max!
What are you going to do?!
Shove Eris far enough to where Max can hopefully teleport us back.
Ok. Go!
One! Two! Three!
Eric grabbed Max and told him to get ready to teleport us while I threw a massive bucket of flames at Eris. It sent her back a good forty feet hitting the back far wall.
“Max now!” I yelled and grabbed Ava and Leona.
~
“I think I broke my ass,” Ava joked while I passed out ice packs out to her, Leona, Max, and myself.
The coven were happy to have their leading lady back. Of course they all hugged Ava to death (but not literally, cause what would have been the point in saving her?) and were grateful for her being alive. It made me smile but the five of us who just survived the fiery battle looked like we were smudged with charcoal all over. Pam took a little fun in that and teased me for a few minutes.
“All of you have a safe place to stay at right?” I asked looking the coven and Ava over.
They assured me that a safe house was already established with wards and that Ava was going to be staying with them.
“How’s your guts Max?” I questioned and made my way over to him.
He chuckled. “They’re fine. I should be better by tomorrow. But I think I’m going to go find that delinquent vampire and ask him where the hell he was.”
I knew Max was talking about Caine and I nodded while he got up and headed out the door.
Shortly after Max left the coven and Pam decided to follow and all who were left were just Eric and I.
Slowly he sat me on the bar so we were eye level. “How are you really?” His voice was so gentle. All I wanted to do was kiss his lips.
I shrugged my shoulders and put my icepack back on the side of my right arm. There was nice bruise forming. Yippee.
Eric didn’t want to let this go. “I know you were at the crossing of the roads.”
I gulped. “Yes I was.”
“You weren’t taking my blood,” He stated and grabbed my hands softly and began to play with my fingers.
Just sitting there with Eric and me remembering all that happened at the crossing of the roads made me feel uncomfortable and guilty. I didn’t even know what to say so I hopped off the bar counter and started to pace away from Eric. He of course wouldn’t let me get a few feet away before stopping me again.
“Eric what I almost did-” I couldn’t even finish my sentence. If I told him, it would break his heart.
My Viking firmly, but not as if to hurt me, grabbed my arms and looked deep within my eyes. “Tell me.”
I forced my brimming tears away. “I’d rather show you,” I spoke quietly and sent Eric the memory of what happened through our bond.
His eyes became wide and he gripped my arms a little tighter before pulling me up into his arms. My feet were dangling in the air and I wasn’t sure what to do.
“Umm-”
“Let’s go home.”
~
From the car ride till we entered the garage I wasn’t sure what Eric was feeling or thinking. He had his mind totally blocked off. Not to mention his face was completely unreadable. The only thing I could see was that he was gripping the steering wheel really tight which could mean a number of emotions when it came to him.
When he put the car in park I was about to open my door but he zipped over to my side and picked me up right out of my seat. It scared me a little bit and the next second we were in the shower. Yeah he had me stripped buck naked and had a bar of soap in his hand before I could say anything recognizable.
“Eric are you ok?” I asked worried and he just told me to stay quiet while he washed my body.
I just stood there as he lathered my arms and kissed all the places where new bruises were forming. It actually felt nice. The mixture of his cold body, the hot water, and how he asked me to turn around so he could massage my shoulders. Though however nice and lovable the behavior was, I was still worried about him. He still hadn’t said more then two words to me since I sent him the memory.
What are you thinking?
When we got done with the shower, he bundled me all up in a nice fluffy towel and brought me to our bed. He laid me down and engulfed me in his big arms.
Finally I couldn’t take enough. “Eric what is wrong?!”
His lovely blue eyes looked like they committed murder. “I almost really lost you there,” Was all he could say to me.
“But you didn’t. I’m right here. Trust me, I’m not going anywhere,” I smiled slightly and stroked Eric’s gorgeous face. He sighed at my touch and kissed me on the lips.
“Tell me you still love me.”
Was he for real?! How could I not love him? Yeah he drank from me till I was kind of well on my way to dieing, but I still LOVE HIM!
“I love you,” I said and pursed my lips.
“Will you let me make love to you still?”
I just looked shocked at him. I just told him I still love him. Why in the hell wouldn’t I never want him to make love to me again?
“Always,” I whispered and placed my hands on either side of his face so I could bring him closer to me. Slowly and sweetly I placed delicate kisses on his lips, down his chin, past his shoulder and straight on his heart.
“I love you so much,” My vampire whispered while suppressing a moan.
I sat up a little and placed his hand on my heart. “This, Eric Northman, will only belong to you. And I am proud to say that I am your fiancé, your lover, and your soul mate.”
“Forever,” He growled lightly before pinning me down to the bed.
~
Caine’s P.O.V.
From what I had been hearing in the underground was no good. There were quite a lot of vampires who were the crazy, deranged, and some wanting to meet the sun, that were going to plan another attack on Violet. They were collecting numbers. Just like the bikers who were at the safe house from what Max told me before. I guess the truth was, whether you wanted to die or not, you were picking a side.
At the time being I was torturing a vampire in an alley just outside a bar to get some information out of him on when the next attack would be. He too was in a biker gang from the looks of it and didn’t seem that old. Then again, when you have been around as long as I have, everyone is a child to you basically.
“Now I’m going to ask one more time. If you choose not to answer correctly, I’ll rip one of your fangs out,” I threatened and watched at the pathetic piece of shit tremble before me. “Really what kind of vampire are you?” I laughed.
“The goddess told us to join or die! B-but either way we do!”
“Look kid, what is Eris’s next move? What does she want you to do?” I asked slowly, but really I was rather annoyed at this point.
“Sh-she wants the Viking. I don’t know what for-”
Eric? “Are you sure?” I asked impatient.
“She keeps going on about the door in the church too.”
I contemplated what to do with the vermin as he cowered before me. Nothing good was coming up on his part.
“Caine.”
I didn’t have to turn around to know who it was. “Maximus.”
“This is where you’ve been then?” He asked and I nodded once.
“Did you hear what he said?”
“I did. The question is what do we do now with him?”
“The only thing to do,” I grinned.