• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

None of the Weres reacted to this occurrence. It really was as though she were invisible to them.

“Let me leave. I’m not wanted,” she said to Bubba, fury and misery fighting for control of her face.

Bubba shrugged. He just held on to her, waiting for Pam’s judgment.

“If we let you go, you might run to the witches and let them know we are coming,” Pam said. “That would be of a piece with your character, apparently.”

Debbie had the gall to look outraged. Alcide looked as if he were watching the Weather Channel.

“Bill, you take charge of her,” Chow suggested. “If she turns on us, kill her.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Bill said, smiling in a fangy way.

After a few more arrangements about transportation, and some more quiet consultation among the witches, who were facing a completely different kind of fight, Pam said, “All right, let’s go.” Pam, who looked more than ever like Alice in Wonderland in her pale pink sweater and darker pink slacks, stood up and checked her lipstick in the mirror on the wall close to where I’d been sitting. She gave her reflection an experimental smile, as I’ve seen women do a thousand times.

“Sookie, my friend,” she said, turning to aim the smile at me. “Tonight is a great night.”

“It is?”

“Yes.” Pam put her arm around my shoulders. “We defend what is ours! We fight for the restoration of our leader!” She grinned past me at Eric. “Tomorrow, Sheriff, you will be back at your desk at Fangtasia. You’ll be able to go to your own house, your own bedroom. We’ve kept it clean for you.”

I checked Eric’s reaction. I’d never heard Pam address Eric by his title before. Though the head vampire for each section was called a sheriff, and I should have been used to that by now, I couldn’t help but picture Eric in a cowboy outfit with a star pinned to his chest, or (my favorite) in black tights as the villainous sheriff of Nottingham. I found it interesting, too, that he didn’t live here with Pam and Chow.

Eric gave Pam such a serious look that the grin faded right off her face. “If I die tonight,” he said, “pay this woman the money that was promised her.” He gripped my shoulder. I was just draped in vampires.

“I swear,” Pam said. “Chow and Gerald will know, too.”

Eric said, “Do you know where her brother is?”

Startled, I stepped away from Pam.

Pam looked equally taken aback. “No, Sheriff.”

“It occurred to me that you might have taken him hostage to ensure she didn’t betray me.”

The idea had never crossed my mind, but it should have. Obviously, I had a lot to learn about being devious.

“I wish I’d thought of that,” Pam said admiringly, echoing my thoughts with her own twist. “I wouldn’t have minded spending some time with Jason as my hostage.” I couldn’t understand it: Jason’s allure just seemed universal. “But I didn’t take him,” Pam said. “If we get through this, Sookie, I’ll look for him myself. Could it be Hallow’s witches have him?”

“It’s possible,” I said. “Claudine said she didn’t see any hostages, but she also said there were rooms she didn’t look into. Though I don’t know why they would have taken Jason, unless Hallow knows I have Eric? Then they might have used him to make me talk, just the way you would have used him to make me keep silent. But they haven’t approached me. You can’t use blackmail on someone who doesn’t know anything about the hold you have on them.”

“Nonetheless, I’ll remind all those who are going to enter the building to watch out for him,” Pam said.

“How is Belinda?” I asked. “Have you made arrangements to pay her hospital bills?”

She looked at me blankly.

“The waitress who was hurt defending Fangtasia,” I reminded her, a little dryly. “You remember? The friend of Ginger, who died?”

“Of course,” said Chow, from his place against the wall. “She is recovering. We sent her flowers and candy,” he told Pam. Then he focused on me. “Plus, we have a group insurance policy.” He was proud as a new father about that.

Pam looked pleased with Chow’s report. “Good,” she said. “You have to keep them happy. Are we ready to go?”

I shrugged. “I guess so. No point