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“You offering to take his place, Chuck?” the man beside him at the bar had asked, and they both had a we’re-men-together guffaw. “Naw, Terrell,” said the salesman. “I don’t care for vampire leavings.” “You be polite, or you go out the door,” I said steadily. I felt warmth at my back, and I knew my boss, Sam Merlotte, was looking at them over my shoulder. “Trouble?” he asked.
THE DETECTIVE HUSTLED ME OFF AFTER THAT, telling me he was going to get the crime scene officer out to the house, and he’d be in touch. I got the idea, right out of his brain, that there was something he didn’t want me to see, and that he’d thrown Carla Rodriguez at me to distract me.
The peculiar and beautiful Claudine had told me that she was attracted to Bon Temps for its very strangeness. I wondered what else was out there, waiting to reveal itself.
“Since a lot of the second body was missing, I hope that the body was one of the witches. I hope Adabelle went down fighting.” “I hope so, too.” I nodded, putting an end to that train of thought. “I’d better get back to Bon Temps. Eric will be waking up soon. Don’t forget to tell your dad that we’re engaged.” His expression provided the only fun I’d had all day.
I had many worries waiting for me the next day; but thanks to Eric, for a few precious hours I just didn’t care.
“The bad witch, the one that’s after you,” I scrambled to explain. “She came into the bar with her brother and they put up that poster.” “So?” His voice was careless. “They asked what other vampires lived locally, and of course we had to say Bill did. So they asked for directions to Bill’s house, and I guess they’re over there looking for you.”
“Oh, boy!” Claudine said. “A party!” She got out of my car as if she could hardly restrain her glee, and I had the satisfaction of seeing that Chow was absolutely stupefied when he took in all six feet of her. It’s hard to surprise a vampire.
When this witch is defeated, I would bring you to my side. I will share everything I have with you. Every vampire who owes me fealty will honor you.”
It seemed kind of strange to think that I was on the side of vampires and werewolves, and that was the good side. That made me laugh a little, all to myself. Oh, yes, we good guys would save the day.
And he was gone. I crouched in the shadow that was darker than the night, beside the smells and cold metal, listening to the witches. Three brains were male, the rest female. Hallow was in there, because one of the women was looking at her and thinking of her . . . dreading her, which kind of made me uneasy. I wondered where they’d parked their cars—unless they flew around on broomsticks, ha ha. Then I wondered about something that should already have crossed my mind. If they were so darn wary and dangerous, where were their sentries? At that moment, I was seized from behind.
After a long moment, I said, “I’m sorry about Debbie.” What I meant was, I was sorry Debbie had hurt him so badly, had proved to be such a dreadful person that he’d had to take a drastic step to get her out of his life. “Debbie who?” he asked, and rolled to his feet and padded away across the filthy floor strewn with blood, bodies, and supernatural debris.
“I was never a Christian,” Eric said. Now, that didn’t surprise me. “But I can’t imagine a belief system that would tell you to sit still and get slaughtered.” I blinked, wondering if that wasn’t exactly what Christianity taught. But I am no theologian or Bible scholar, and I would have to leave the judgment on my action to God, who was also no theologian.
It occurred to me that I was lethal for exes. I’d dusted Bill’s big love (and his mom); now I’d killed Alcide’s off-and-on-again sweetie. I knew hundreds of men. I’d never gone homicidal on their exes. But creatures I cared about, well, that seemed to be different. I wondered if Eric had any old girlfriends around. Probably about a hundred or so. Well, they’d better beware of me.
“Aside from the bites, and being so cold, are you okay?” I asked, when I thought Jason had stopped shivering and could speak. “Yes,” he said. “Yes. Every night, every damn night, he’d come in the shed, and he’d change in front of me, and I’d think, Tonight he’s going to kill me and eat me. And every night, he’d bite me. And then he’d just change back and leave. I could tell it was hard for him, after he’d smelled the blood . . . but he never did more than bite.”
