CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

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          "HE'S COMING! HE'S COMING! HE'S COMING!"

Tara kept on chanting as if she was in some sort of trance, holding onto the large egg she had placed within the nest on gran's bed. Sookie was trying to calm her down whereas all Dakota could do was stare at the blacks of Lafayette's eyes as he stepped closer toward her. Sookie ran after Tara as she and Eggs disappeared out into the hall.

"Lafayette, sweetie?" she tried, but there was no recognition on his face as he stared at her. "I'm your best friend. I know you're in there somewhere. You don't want to do this."

Prepare her for Bromios, prepare her for Eleutherios, prepare her -

"Take off your clothes," he ordered, taking a threatening step towards her.

"What?" she frowned, trying to get into his head. "Listen to what you're saying."

He shot her a glare before he screamed in her face, "Take off your fucking clothes!"

He had seen her naked before, hell they'd taken baths before together but this was different. It made her uncomfortable, not because it was Lafayette, but because it wasn't entirely him and she wouldn't know what he'd do under Maryann's spell. Hesitantly she unbuttoned the front of her dress and let it fall to the floor, standing in only her underwear.

He hummed, satisfied as he took her in before reaching behind him and holding out thin white material to her. It looked like a wedding gown and he pushed it in her hands. "Put this one." His eyes never left hers as she did what she was told, though she could zip it up herself.

"Let's go." he grabbed her arm, pulling her from the room and taking her down the stairs.

"Ah!" screamed Jane. "Get down here. We're waiting for you!"

As Dakota rounded the corner with Lafayette still holding onto her, her eyes widened. Sookie was being held down by Eggs, terrified. Tara, Arlene and Jane wore white dresses of their own as they danced around the trashed living room. Tara placed a crown on a brunette's head and as she glanced up, she saw the Dakota enter the living room.

"You're here." she smiled and pulled her veil from her face, wearing gran's wedding dress like she owned the thing. It was Maryann, she guessed even though she had never met the creature before. "Just in time."

"What the hell are you doing in my grandmothers wedding dress?"

"Welcome, Dakota." she waltzed toward her. "I've been waiting for you to come back to me. Ever since you disappeared on me in the woods all i've wanted was to smell you again. And now, you're going to be my maid of honor."

"You're insane!" sneered Sookie from where Eggs was holding her. "Let us go."

"I've just borrowed you." Maryann shrugged, as Tara put more flowers in her flower crown. "To go along with old, new and blue over here."

"You have no right to wear that dress." said Sookie, glaring at the woman. The maenad didn't look anything like the creature that had attacked Dakota, but it felt the same. It was as if she sensed the bull like creature from within her and her back started to ache.

Maryann sighed dramatically, amused by the girls. "I know I should have asked but I couldn't find you. You'll never use it anyway."

"Oh, go to hell!" Dakota barked, utterly done with the supernatural. "Get the fuck out of my house or i'll swear to god -"

"Please, it's my day." Maryann mocked, giving the blonde a pout. "I don't want any negativity."

"This is my house," she narrowed her eyes. "these are my friends. Well, and Jane Bodehouse."

Jane shot the woman a beaming smile, her entire face lit up. "Ah, I always liked you Dakota. You give me extra pickles!"

"I don't know how you did what you did to them," began Sookie. "but I will not let this happen."

Maryann glowered at them before turning to her bridesmaids. "Girls, would you mind helping with the refreshments outside? I need to have a moment alone with them." They nodded eagerly, leaving the room with Eggs and Lafayette in tow. "Oh, and bring some vines!"

"You really think you're gonna see god tonight?" mocked Dakota, rubbing her arm from where Lafayette had pinched her.

The woman smiled, walking closer toward her. "I wonder," she began. "are you stronger than Sookie? The scent is stronger so I guess you must be. Give me your best shot."

"My best what?"

"The electricity." Maryann waved her fingers around. "I could feel it in your blood, you know. It's strong. I want you to do it. I have never seen anything like it, it was like nature herself."

"I can't." she stated, crossing her arms over her chest. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

The maenad heaved a sigh, her patience running thin as she said, "If you don't show me, I will tear off Lafayette's limbs one by one and feed them to you."

Dakota didn't take that threat lightly, she knew what the woman was capable of and she didn't want to witness what she'd do to him is she didn't at least try. The blonde knew what she was talking about, she had blistered Malcom's face before and killed Longshadow, she just didn't know that Sookie could also do it.

"Okay," she sighed, defeated. The times it did happen, she was in danger, on the brink of being murdered and now she wasn't, at least yet. So she didn't know if this would even work at all. Raising her hands, she held them up toward the maenad's face. No matter how much she concentrated, nothing happened.

"You're not even trying." tutted Maryann.

"I can't do what you want me to do, okay?" she cried. "I am just a human. I don't have an electrical powers or whatever it is. What the fuck are you?"

Maryann smiled, shaking her head in disappointment as she began to walk circles around her and her cousin. Sookie gripped tightly on her wrist as they followed her with their eyes. Dakota wondered if Eric could feel the way she was feeling right now, or if he even cared at all.

"Come now," the brunette said. "have you ever felt someone watch over you?"

"God," she replied.

"Well, you can call it that." Maryann picked a flower from her crown. "But it's not the same the blind billions worship. And in your heart of hearts you know it."

"Fine," she scoffed. "than what are we?"

"You're definitely beyond human." she stated. "I live off human energy. And yours I can't channel. That's very rare, though surprisingly not unique to this town."

"Sam," began Sookie, frowning. "you're marrying Sam?"

Maryann scoffed, a look of disgust passed over her face. "Please. My husband is a god. Sam is ... he's just the ideal wedding gift. Oh, it's been such a long wait." she began to cry, though a bright smile on her face. "I'm sorry. I'm getting a little over excited. I'll ruin my makeup."

"How do you know he's coming tonight?" wondered Dakota.

"Oh, no time has ever been more perfect. I know my special sacrifice is on the way. He's the vessel. He appeared to me naked, a virgin, drawn to the very statue that represents the birth of my god. Should have sacrificed him then and there, but I foolishly let him go."

"Are you going to cut out his heart like you did the others?"

"It's the food of the Gods, my husband will love it."

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THE ROPES CUT INTO HER WRISTS AND THE FLOWER CROWN ON HER HEAD SAT UNCOMFORTABLY ON TOP OF HER SCALP. Dakota and Sookie were tied to a chair, Lafayette had also forced her cousin to wear a white dress for the ritual and the girl had been screaming for Bill for half an hour now but he was nowhere to be seen, even though it was the middle of the night.

They were seated in a circle, Maryann in the middle as Tara licked a stripe up the egg which was covered in blood.

"What is with the egg?" Sookie gagged. "Did you lay it?"

"No, silly," said the maenad. "it's on ostrich egg. It represents fertility."

Jane crouched before Dakota, black eyes staring up at her. She held a goblet, filled with some sort of drink she couldn't recognise, but it smelled strongly of alcohol. "Anoint with his blood." Arlene sat on her other side, holding the egg toward her.

"You're the maid of honor, you have to lick the egg."

Dakota scrunched up her nose, turning her head the other direction as to get away from it. The metallic scent of blood had filled her nostrils and she didn't even know who's or what's blood was covering the egg.

"Just lick it, already!" Arlene snapped, moving it toward her lips.

The blonde whimpered when Jane forced the goblet down her throat, the drink spilling from her lips. Tara laughed, rather loudly as she smacked her legs in excitement. Arlene pushed the egg against her lips and she couldn't more her head out of the way, so her tongue made contact with it and Maryann clapped her hands together.

Sookie was next, and she just licked a stripe up it while glaring at the maenad.

"Oh, yeah." Lafayette danced around the room. "Only through blood will he come."

Maryann was the last to lick the egg and everyone in the room began to jump up and down, happy their little pre wedding ritual was completed and that the real thing could finally begin. The door burst open and in rushed Jason and Andy and the cousins perked up, until they saw their eyes.

"Your vessel is ready!" said Jason, bowing before Maryann.

"Oh, Jason, no!"

"Sookie?" he spotted her, dark eyes widening. "You look beautiful!"

The maenad got up from her chair, bubbling with excitement as she addressed the group. "Girls, the time has come." Tara, Jane and Arlene jumped up and down, leaving the room to join the party outside in the front yard. Maryann stomped over to Dakota and Sookie, unbounding them. "You too."

"I will not be part of something so evil!" she sneered.

Maryann scrunched up her nose in anger and grabbed Jason by the jaw. "You? You're family? I can crush you to dust."

"No!" Sookie cried. "We'll go with you. Just don't hurt anybody else."

Maryann smiled, whispering something to Jason before leaving the room to go outside. Jason grabbed his cousin by the arms and forced her to stand, much to her protests whereas Andy did the same with Sookie. Jason forced her down the porch steps before Maryann descended. The front lawn was covered in flowers and pieces of meat, it smelled horrible.

There were violins playing a tune like it was an actual wedding. Sookie struggled in Andy's grip behind her, trying to kick the man as hard as she could but he wouldn't budge. Almost the entire town was there, trampling anything gran had worked hard for.

"Bill!" Sookie screeched, and Dakota noticed the vampire entire the crowd with Sam in his grip. The latter looked around alarmed. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Maenad," called Bill. "I have your sacrifice."

"Oh, my sweet vessel." Maryann gloated, smiling brightly, teeth and all she she saw Sam.

"I offer him in exchange for the Sookie!"

"No!" Sookie cried as Dakota frowned at the vampire. "She'll kill him!"

"She is not gonna stop with me." Sam confessed.

The maenad agreed with Compton's request and Dakota watched as Andy handed her over, Eggs tearing Sam from the vampire's grip. The blonde struggled harder in Jason's grip as Eggs and Andy dragged the shifter away, tying him to a tree.

"Let us call forth our god." began the maenad.

Lafayette placed a bulls-head on top of the statue they had built and everyone raised their hands toward it, eyes wide. "Worship him, bitches!" And then everyone went to their knees, Jason taking Dakota with him to the soil.

"Now, the sacrificial egg." Tara did as the creature said, placing it within the statue. "Hail, Dionysus!" Everyone began to chant the god's name and for a second Dakota really thought he was going to show up. "Bacchus. Bromios. Eleutherios. Dendrites. All these names of yours, our bull-horned god. Upon this occasion of our marriage, our offering symbolizes the rebirth of our god. When he was a child, the jealous titans ripped him shreds, eating all but his heart. We have the last piece, so he could be reborn."

"Oh, great mother," she turned to the statue and continued. "soon you shall have the heart that will make your egg grow fertile, and your son, our bull horned god, will come and stand in your place."

Maryann gleamed, holding a large carved knife as she made her way toward Sam. Dakota screamed as loud as she could, tears streaming down her face as she moved the knife across his face.

"Stop!" Sookie screamed, but to no avail.

Eggs took the knife from the maenad and the woman stepped aside eagerly. Eggs raised it and without hesitation brought it toward his chest, stabbing him deep as dark red liquid spilled from the wound. Sookie and Dakota's screams were drowned out by the cheering from the crowd around them.

It was as if she was under water and she could no longer hear any of them as she closed her eyes tightly, wanting to wake up from this nightmare. She barely acknowledged when Maryann licked the knife clean from his blood, nor did she notice when Sookie ran up to their dying friend.

Destroy it. Destroy all of it.

Her eyes moved upward to Sam who was barely hanging in there. It made her angry, terribly angry and she saw how Sookie grabbed the egg and destroyed it. The youngest Stackhouse pushed at the statue and she saw the slight blast of light coming from her hands, just like hers had one those two occasions and it fell to the ground.

Maryann screamed. "How dare you spoil my offering! Lord Dionysus, forgive me!"

Sookie's eyes widened when the maenad's eyes fell onto her and Dakota. With a growl, she reached into the soil and then she slowly stood up, revealing large claws growing from her hands. It were the same claws that ripped open her back and her eyes widened.

"This is your fault."

Dakota managed to get out of Jason's grip and made a run for it, pushing herself through the crowd as quickly as she could as Maryann followed after her and her cousin. Sookie was a few feet before her, running for her life. Maryann almost managed to cut at her back but Dakota tripped, face planting on the ground.

"Got ya," she smiled, raising her claws as Dakota tried to shield herself with her arms.

But the hit never came, and slowly the blonde looked up only to see Maryann was no longer there. The woman was walking away from her, toward a large white bull and this time Dakota really thought she had gone mad.

"My lord, my husband." she crooned.

Maryann reached the bull, roaming her hands over his head as she smiled at the animal. Sookie had come up behind her cousin, helping her to her feet as they both watched the scene unfold before them. Maryann opened her arms wide, facing the night sky with a smile.

"What the hell?" Dakota gasped as the bull impaled the maenad with his horns. Maryann embraced it, thanking it as she melted before their eyes. The bull began to shake and soon it was no longer a bull, but Sam as he ripped his arm from within her chest, holding up her heart.

"Was there no god?" she whimpered, and Sam squeezed her heart and she fell into a heap of black goo. Dead.

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THE FRONT YARD WAS FILLED WITH CRYING, PUKING AND CONFUSED INHABITANTS OF BON TEMPS. Dakota was already dreading the clean up, not to mention it was going to cost them thousands upon thousands to repair the house and that was something neither she nor Sookie could afford with their servers salary.

The woman was pulled in a sudden embrace, knocking the wind out of her. "Koko, thank god."

"Are you okay?" she asked, frowning as she couldn't help but check his eyes to see if they had gone back to normal. His regular chocolate brown eyes stared back at her and she sighed in relief, glad to have him back.

Lafayette nodded, scratching the back of his head as he looked down at his attire. "I guess so. Hell, I don't even remember what the fuck happened."

"You don't want to remember, trust me." she confessed, watching the people scatter around as they searched for loved ones, confused. "Maryann is dead. It's over."

"I need a long ass shower." he grumbled, wrinkling his nose as he smelled himself. 

"Go home," she said. "get some sleep too."

Lafayette took a glance at her house and shook his head. "You're coming with me."

"I can't." she shook her head. "I'm going to see what I can safe before the place collapses. Go, it's okay. I'll see you tomorrow."

He narrowed his eyes slightly but agreed with her anyway, he knew she wanted to be alone right now, could see it on her face. Lafayette brought her into another embrace before he went his own way, promising to call her in the morning.

Dakota didn't register much after that as she watched the crowd grow thinner and thinner, everyone disappearing from her property. Jason had taken Jane Bodehouse to the hospital with her cut off finger. Of course, Sookie was nowhere to be seen as she had run off with Bill to god knows where.

She was completely alone, sitting on the front porch with her knees pulled up to her chest. 

"I like what you've done to the place."

The blonde moved her eyes to where he stood. Eric didn't miss the glare she send his way and he heaved a sigh. He knew the way she felt the moment he made himself known, he could sense it before he even arrived. He didn't like it.

"I thought you could sense whenever I was in danger or whatever."

Eric made his way toward her, hesitantly taking a seat beside her on the steps. He had sensed it, he felt everything. But the queen of Louisiana wouldn't let him leave till fifteen minutes ago and there was nothing he could do about it. 

"Or did you just not care?"

"I was occupied elsewhere." he said, hands clasped together as he rested his elbows on his knees. "I came as fast as I could."

Dakota hadn't expected him to show up at all, there were no expectations from him. All Dakota did was hope he'd show his face. The woman sniffed, extremely tired from the last few weeks and upset about her home. Everything gran had worked so hard for was destroyed and she didn't know if she could build it back up the same way it had been.

Eric hated humans for this reason, he couldn't stand the tears one bit. He didn't know how to behave once a human showed him emotions, he didn't like it. Though, a frown passed over his features as she rested her head on his shoulder, tears falling onto his arm. 

The viking slowly wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer as he let her cry into his arms.

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