The Far Reach (Southern Vampire Mystery)

Chapter 12 - Splicing the Mainstay

Nautical Note: The mainstay is just that – it is the line that holds the mainmast straight to the front of the boat. Without the mainstay, there is no sailing. When the mainstay frays at sea there are few options. One of the less risky is to slice (or weave) a new section of rope into the line. It requires skill and some artistry to do it well. The result can be a line that is stronger than it had been before.

xxxXXXxxx

She wasn't there. Eric didn't need to open his eyes or test the air. It was the first time it struck him; he could 'feel' her. Or rather he could feel the lack of Sookie Stackhouse.

As he lay still awaiting the return of full life he considered this. This state of knowing between himself and Sookie was not like the bond they had shared before. That had been more vibrant; her feelings flowing through him in a steady but recognizable stream. Even when Sookie's emotions were at their most subtle, like when the telepath slept, it had been a unique flavor that brought richness to his life. No. This was other. It was deeper, yet as he tried to grasp it; to savor it, it seemed to disappear, only to reassert itself moments later. It was like an over-arching comfort and at the same time a bone-deep longing. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced.

'Tomorrow she will return to me,' he promised himself. 'She will not run away.' The thinking of it, and more importantly the believing of it, made the ache lessen.

Eric's blood was beginning to flow less sluggishly now. He knew that soon he would be able to open his eyes.

This twilight stage had started to manifest a few hundred years ago. When Eric had first become aware of it; this time when his mind was alert but his body would not answer his commands, it had seemed like a prison. But now, as the years had passed, he had come to appreciate it. It was during this time he tended to be his most productive. He could think over the events of his days; what people had said, what their body language told him. He would plan and strategize; considering alternate actions and outcomes like moving pieces on a chessboard, as he waited for that rush of fluids that meant he was fully animate again.

What's more, Eric's time in true death seemed to be waning. Now, even with the sun hovering at the horizon, he could still move about. Eric thought his full waking time was longer by almost a full hour. Although he had no way of truly measuring, he was also certain that of his time in repose, the majority of that was now spent in twilight. Eric thought it was because of this that Sookie had been able to wake him in Rhodes and he had been able to respond as he did.

Most of Eric's time drifting this night had been spent in thinking about the kingdom and the seemingly impossible challenges that faced him. Eric suspected that most vampires would have been overwhelmed. He had a moment when he seriously considered whether Bartlett Crowe and Amun Clan had named him king of Louisiana and Arkansas more as a punishment than a reward.

After Sookie had gone to sleep; that night when all had pledged their fealty, Eric had rejoined Pam and the sheriffs. Thierry and Thomas had reappeared and they had clearly been given the news of their punishment assignment. Upon entering, Thomas had immediately presented himself, his face repentant and his bow low. Everything about his actions had made Eric more comfortable that the vampire's assurances were sincere.

The Frenchman's response had been somewhat different. Like Thomas, he had bowed, but when Eric had leveled him with a stare that invited further comment, Thierry's response had been a wide grin and a Gallic shrug. "Well, your majesty," he had said, "C'est fini. Et maintenant, what's next?" Eric had fastened Thierry with a long hard stare, but the vampire had just smiled wider and wider and Eric suddenly found that he had wanted to smile back. It broke the tension and the work of the night had moved forward.