The Far Reach (Southern Vampire Mystery)

Chapter 15 - The Wind Shadow

Nautical Note: When racing sailboats you need to watch out that your rival doesn't manage to come up behind you. If he does he can steal your wind with his sail, leaving you becalmed in his wind shadow.

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Pam linked her arm through Sookie's and drew her quite forcefully towards the stairs. Sookie could tell that Eric had also stood up and now that he was standing behind her. She could feel his emotions returning to some even place that she assumed was his work mode. Pam, on the other hand, was sending a barrage of curiosity, irritation and frustration. Sookie found she could differentiate Pam's emotions from her own but the sheer volume she was overwhelming her.

Sookie pulled back and closed her eyes. Eric's hand went to her shoulder in an instant and she could feel his worry directed toward her, but it was only adding to the whirl that was within. Sookie found that place within herself, that door that linked her to Eric and everyone that he carried and she pushed it slowly and completely shut. The minute she imagined it done, the swirl within her stopped. She drew a deep breath and opened her eyes.

Eric's face was directly in front of hers. "Sookie?" he asked. Sookie didn't need to feel him to know that he was experiencing a sense of loss. She was too.

'I am strong,' she thought. 'I am strong enough for both of us.' Sookie smiled in her most genuine way and placed her hand on Eric's cheek. "It's fine," she told him. "I just need to learn to sort everything. It's like before. I need to figure out how to put the rights walls in place. This is just all new to me. Nothing's wrong." Then she leaned forward and kissed the Viking in a gentle way. When he smiled back at her she turned to Pam. "Okay, what's first for tonight?"

Pam's eyes widened. "You've changed," she said.

"You're always telling me that," Sookie said with a sassy smile.

"You are always changing," Pam replied with no smile at all.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs Sookie found Thalia. When Thalia nodded, the telepath nodded in return. "Evening," Sookie said. "Good to see you again."

Thalia's eyes widened and she bowed. "And to you, Mistress." Her gaze swept to include Eric. "Congratulations," she said. "I am pleased that all things are resolved between you now."

Sookie giggled and shook her head. "Well, that's probably saying too much. But thank you for thinking it." Sookie schooled her face into a gentler smile. "I'm very happy," she said.

Thalia turned to lead the way towards the elevator. From over her shoulder she asked, "Sookie, would you be able to start screening the guards? I know that working with Weres is a challenge and most here are two-natured. Our doing this would create the right attitude and respect. Your reputation is known. They don't need to know the limits of your gift."

"I'd be happy to, Thalia," Sookie volunteered. "I was thinking I'd like to start screening tonight. Could you ask Devrah to have her staff ready for tomorrow?"

"And the donors," Thalia added with a smile. Sookie couldn't hide her in surprise. She had figured she would have to specifically ask to include them since anything about the donors seemed to create some level of resistance with her vampires. Sookie was going to thank Thalia and she started to do so but the smile she saw on Thalia's face was not friendly. It was something else; something that reminded her of fairies with sharp teeth.

"Yes, I can include the donors tomorrow too," Sookie agreed and then continued forward, feeling strangely unsettled.

Everyone crowded into the elevator except Thalia said she would take the stairs. Sookie automatically reached out to the Were who ran the king's elevator. 'Saul,' Sookie thought in her head. 'His name is Saul.' "Hi!" she said in a bright voice. "How long you been here?" The Were was surprised that she was addressing him directly and he automatically smiled in reply.