Sookie Stackhouse Boxed Set (Books 1-8) - Charlaine Harris [787]
I thought I’d gotten most of the humans and Weres out before the slaughter started, but apparently there’d been some around.
Probably they weren’t “around” anymore.
“In the time since that night, you have suffered many other losses,” the Ancient Pythoness observed. This sounded quite sympathetic.
I began to sense that the deck had been stacked in Sophie-Anne’s favor. Was it significant that Kentucky, who’d been courting Sophie-Anne, was the council member in charge of the proceedings?
“As you say, I’ve had many losses—both in terms of my people and in terms of my income,” Sophie-Anne agreed. “This is why I need my inheritance from my husband, to which I’m entitled as part of our marriage covenant. He thought he would inherit the rich kingdom of Louisiana. Now I will be glad if I can get the poor one of Arkansas.”
There was a long silence.
“Shall I call our witness?” Johan Glassport said. He sounded very hesitant and uncertain, for a lawyer. But in this courtroom, it wasn’t hard to understand why. “She’s already right here, and she was witness to Peter’s death.” He held out his hand to me, and I had to mount the platform. Sophie-Anne looked relaxed, but Henrik Feith, a few inches to my left, was gripping the arms of his chair.
Another silence. The wild white hair of the ancient vampire hung forward to hide her face as she stared at her own lap. Then she looked up, and her sightless eyes went unerringly to Sophie-Anne. “Arkansas is yours by law, and now yours by right. I declare you innocent of conspiring to murder your husband,” the Ancient Pythoness said, almost casually.
Well . . . yippee. I was close enough to see that Sophie-Anne’s eyes widened with relief and surprise, and Johan Glassport gave a private little grin to his lectern. Simon Maimonides looked down at the five judges to see how they’d take the A.P.’s pronouncement, and when none of them voiced a word of protest, the lawyer shrugged.
“Now, Henrik,” croaked the Ancient Pythoness, “your safety is assured. Who has told you lies?”
Henrik hardly looked assured. He looked scared witless. He rose to his feet to stand by me.
Henrik was smarter than we were. There was a flash through the air.
The next time an expression crossed his face, it was utter horror. He looked down, and we all followed his eyes. There was a thin wooden shaft protruding from his chest, and as soon as his eyes identified it, Henrik’s hand rose to touch it, and he swayed. A human crowd would have erupted in chaos, but the vampires threw themselves on the floor in near silence. The only person who shrieked was the blind Ancient Pythoness, who demanded to know what had happened and why everyone was so tense. The two Britlingens leaped across the stage to Kentucky and stood in front of him, their weapons in their hands and ready. Andre literally flew out of his seat in the audience to land in front of Sophie-Anne. And Quinn leaped across the stage to knock me down, and he took the second arrow, the insurance arrow, that was meant for Henrik. It was quite unnecessary. Henrik was dead when he hit the floor.
14
BATANYA KILLED THE ASSASSIN WITH A THROWING star. She was facing the crowd, so she saw the vampire left standing after all the others had prudently hit the floor. This vampire wasn’t firing the arrows from a bow; he was throwing them, which was why he’d managed to remain inconspicuous. Even in that group, someone carrying in a bow would have attracted a certain amount of attention.
Only a vampire could throw an arrow and kill someone. Perhaps only a Britlingen could throw a razor-sharp star in such a way as to decapitate a vampire.
I’ve seen vampires decapitated before, and it’s not as messy as you’d think; not like cutting off the head of a human.