Chapter 10

“So, what did you guys do during your second day in Bon Temps without your vampire Master?” I teased my pets, knowing that I had plenty of time on my side.

“Not much. Just ... watched movies, ate what little food we could find around here, which wasn’t much in this house, had sex with each other, that kind of thing,” Damon spoke for the rest of them from the sound of it.

“Yes, well, I think that it’s time to check out the area, don’t you? Except you two, unless you want to join us,” I turned to Eddie and Arnie.

“Not yet. Tomorrow, perhaps. I want to ... spend time with my new lover,” Eddie grinned.

From the look on Arnie’s face, he didn’t seem to mind, so perhaps he was at least somewhat attracted to Eddie for real. That would be handy for all of us, I thought as I freshened up a bit. There was one place I definitely wished to go. Merlotte’s. I just had to get some clothes for Jenny and Carrie first, didn’t I?

“Hey, Eddie, I don’t suppose that you have any clothes that Jenny and Carrie can wear, do you? They’re probably starving and can use a burger or something. The rest of you are coming, too. Presumably, Arlene at least will recognize you, maybe Sookie as well. That’s assuming that Sookie has returned from Fangtasia, of course. I guess that we’ll find out tonight,” I chuckled as Eddie rustled through some stuff that his ex-wife forgot to claim.

“That will do, I think. Thank you, Eddie,” I told him with a bear hug.

“Oh, no, thank you. If it weren’t for you, I’d have experienced the True Death without ever having really lived. I know that now, deep down. I owe you everything, Maker or not. Now, if you’ll excuse me, Arnie and I have a lot of ... new things to learn together,” Eddie laughed as I led my party out to Merlotte’s ... on foot.

Surprisingly, that part was uneventful enough, perhaps due to the speed with which I moved as a vampire. I was able to take the rest of them with me at my pace, partly because they held onto me, partly because of what I suspected to be divine help from the Muses. That was an edge that no other vampire or human or anyone else had ... occasional assistance from the Muses. It wasn’t constant, just sporadic, but I could feel their hand involved at times.

“Yes, but don’t tell a soul, okay?” Clio whispered in my ear before she vanished again.

“Really smart move to become a vampire and have Cersei drained, by the way. Wickedly clever! The Boltons and your other foes will never know what’s hit them until far too late,” Calliope added before she disappeared, too.

There was no hint of sarcasm in their voices, so I took that to be high praise from the likes of my Muses, of course. We entered Merlotte’s to the sight of a very hassled Arlene trying to do forty things at once, as always. Whatever grief she got from Sam, the truth was that the place, even with her flaws, would have fallen apart without Arlene Fowler. She was its most dependable person there, even more than Sam at times.

“Hey there ... I’m Arlene. You’ve got quite a large party there, you know. Let’s get you seated. Feel free to check the menu ... I have to warn you that I’m very busy tonight. What will y’all have to drink for now?” Arlene introduced herself.

“No, let me handle this one, Arlene,” Amy spoke up and took over, “with my deepest pleasure, though he still hasn’t delivered what he promised Jason and me yet.”

“That and more, I assure you. And I’ll have some Tru Blood, as will my friend Justen here. The rest of them may take a little longer. O positive, if you can get it. If not, O negative works, too. Yes, Amy, that’s why I’ve been absent. Eddie turned me ... and I turned Justen. Eddie also turned Arnie. We’re vampires now, a small, but growing nest of vampires. Yes, I still want to be your guide, if you’re open to it,” I told Amy as I “accidentally” pricked myself on the finger and touched her lips to tease her.

“Oh ... God, yes ... I’ll do whatever you ask. So will Jason, I promise you!” Amy’s eyes blazed with excitement as she realized that her draining days were over, but she could still get some V.

I could see how much she relished just the sample of my blood, too. It didn’t take long at all for Amy to bring back Justen and me our Tru Bloods, which sadly drew attention from a very irate Randi Sue. She glared at us as she realized what we were and I simply grinned while waving my bottle of Tru Blood. For whatever stupid reason, Randi Sue chose that moment to confront us, too.

“What the fuck are you doing here, vampers and fangbanging trash? You’re going to Hell, you know!” Randi Sue slapped my face while I grabbed her wrist.

“Bitch, I’m this close to biting and draining your skanky ass! Do you have any idea how slowly and painfully I could kill you, sucking every drop of your blood until you’re a dried-out carcass, you stupid cunt? I’m not a gentleman like that ancient planter Vampire Bill, that antebellum relic. Don’t test me!” I told Randi Sue as I glamored her.

“Yes, of course ... I will leave you alone,” Randi Sue backed off in a hurry after that, of course.

“I’d say that you put the fear of God in her, didn’t you, or Dracula, or whoever vampires worship,” Damon chuckled as he watched the exchange.

“That would be Lilith,” I heard behind me the unmistakable voice of Eric Northman.

“So it would,” I smiled as I rose to greet the Sheriff of Area 5, who was joined by Pam and Chow.

“So, you’re the other new vampires in the area. I’m Eric Northman, your Sheriff. I own Fangtasia over in Shreveport. This is my progeny, Pam. This is Chow. Welcome to Area 5. You would be?” Eric offered a handshake, “I’m in town to deal with an infraction by the local vampire sensation Bill Compton. Authority business, you know. My hands are tied. They will decide how to deal with him, or rather the Magister will.”