CHAPTER FIFTY SIX

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          DAKOTA WAS ABOUT TO RIP THE CHAINS FROM HIS SKIN THE MOMENT THE SUN HAD DISAPPEARED BEHIND THE HORIZON. Seeing the viking as he writhed beneath them in pain was torture and his skin wasn't healing as quickly as it should have been. The chain around his neck remained as she tried to lift if off carefully.

"Just yank it off, it's better that way." said Eric, eyes closed as he turned his head to the side to keep the silver from touching his chin.

"Oh," muttered Dakota with a grimace as she rested sat beside him on her knees, mattress dipping below her. The skin on his ankles, wrists and stomach were raw, burned almost to the bone. "well, won't I pull some of you off with it when I do that?"

"Yeah," he tried to offer her a smile. "but that's okay. It doesn't hurt as much as the silver and it heals faster."

Dakota left no time to mull it over and yanked at the silver chain, tearing it away from his skin and steam wafted from his throat. His eyes opened wide and he swore loudly, his mother tongue rolling from his mouth in absolute anger.

"Thank - thank you." he croaked, letting her know the anger wasn't directed at her. The sheets beneath him were soaked with his blood from the hours he spent trapped beneath the silver.

"You said it would heal faster." she accused, watching as nothing happened to his bloodied skin.

"Yeah," he winched, meeting her eyes. "I just realised I haven't fed since that fearie out in the yard. Again, sorry about that."

Dakota pursed her lips and debated on wether or not she should offer him her wrist. The vampire hadn't tasted her blood since the night they had tried to kill Russell Edgington, and even if he would never harm her or drain her dry, she was a bit apprehensive after he drained Sookie's fearie godmother.

"Do you want a Tru-blood?"

"No," he shook his head, pushing himself up to his elbows with difficulty but decided he wasn't strong enough and laid back down. "that isn't going to help with this. Uh, I just need to rest."

"You need to feed, Eric."

"There is no one."

"That's not true." she decided, brushing a strand of hair from his face. He opened his blue eyes and caught her gaze, brows pulled together. He had thought about it but never expected her to offer. "I'm right here."

"Please don't say that if you don't mean it."

"I do mean it." she pressed, offering him a smile and his eyes widened. "It's okay, you need to feed. Now, you know my blood is special like -"

"Like the faerie goddess?"

"Just a fraction of that." she corrected the vampire and sat back on her shins as she held her wrist to warm it up. Eric would never hurt her, but this Eric wasn't very good at controlling himself, having forgotten the years of practice he had. "I am trusting you not to loose control."

"Take something silver, hold it in your hand, and silver me should I do anything unwanted."

"No," she shook her head, knowing full well she could push him off with her vampire strength. Dakota wondered if he could taste it on her. The woman hadn't told him about it, never knew how to and just decided to not even try. "I am trusting you."

"I will not betray you. Ever."

The blonde smiled and offered him her wrist but his eyes were on the pulsing vein in the crook of her neck. Dakota saw the determination in his blue eyes and knew he would be able to keep his promise. She pulled her locks to the side and leaned toward him, he met her halfway and brushed a finger over her skin delicately.

The viking had his eyes half closed as he breathed her in, hand holding the back of her head to keep her in place. He pressed a soft kiss just below her jaw and slid them down toward her neck. He felt so good and she couldn't help but lean into his touch.

"You smell so good." 

His fangs had appeared and the sharp edges of them scraped along her skin. He sunk them into her throat and she flinched, but there was no pain as his lips worked against her.

The intoxicating taste of her blood flowed over his tongue and his eyes rolled to the back of his head. He had never tasted something as utterly wonderful as this. No one would ever compare to the blood that rushed through Dakota's veins. She tasted of the sea, the sea he had swum in as a child and of wheat and honey.

Dakota held his head against her skin, fingers brushing through the messy locks of blonde hair as he fed.

It didn't take long for his skin to start to heal, edges stitching closed by themselves and leaving no trace of previous injury.

Eric didn't think he could control himself and he tightened his grip on her throat ever so slightly. It was strange and he shut his eyes tightly when he knew he had enough to last himself quite awhile. Dakota wasn't pushing him away and he savoured the feeling of her hand brushing over his scalp.

"That's enough, Eric." she murmured.

The viking stopped abruptly as if he had been burned even if he hadn't been. He didn't want to hurt her. He only wanted to savour this moment over and over again and he ran his tongue along the small puncture wounds at her pulse point, watching as they closed by themselves.

"H - how is that possible?" he met her eyes. "You healed on your own?"

"You must have nicked your tongue with your fangs."

Eric didn't question it as he admired her face and breathed in her scent, never wanting to forget it. He couldn't explain it, but he wanted her to have his blood. He wanted her to have all of it so that this really could last forever. He bit into his wrist without any thought and offered it.

"I'm not hurt, Eric."

"Please,"

Dakota hadn't really taken much notice of the scent of his blood before, not when his life was in terrible danger. The blonde had no time to even think about it but her stomach ached as she got a whiff of it. 

She had been living of human food for a year and her body accepted it, but his blood smelled so good so she didn't argue with him when he brought it toward her lips.

The moment his blood touched the tip of her tongue, it was as if she was floating. Eric released a long moan and rested his forehead against her own in utter bliss.

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IT WAS AS IF SHE WAS COMPLETELY DRUNK ON THE VIKINGS BLOOD, HER SENSES EVEN MORE HEIGHTENED NOW THAT SHE WAS NO LONGER MORTAL. Her breathing had steadied and she watched as Eric placed more wood in the burning flames of the fireplace.

Dakota traced the muscles of his back with her eyes and followed every move lazily as he turned to face her. Eric took three steps before he was back in bed with her, snuggling up to her underneath the covers.

The vampire pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder blade and rested his head on the pillow next to her. Their noses were touching, breaths mingling together as he brushed a strand of hair away from her face.

"You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen."

Dakota only pressed herself closer to him in response and quirked her lips into a soft smile. The woman could still feel his lips as he hovered them all over her body. It was perhaps the best sex she had ever had and she wanted more of it.

"I wish we could stay this way forever." she confessed.

"Then let's run away." he suggested, eagerness overtaking him as he pressed his lips to her own. "Just the two of us. Away from everything. And I will be this way forever. I don't need to know who I am."

"That sounds like a dream, Eric." murmured Dakota, taking her lower lip between her teeth. "But you deserve your memories back. It's not fair to you. I love you like this, I really do, but I also love the way you are with your memories. You don't have to ever change anything."

"There isn't anything here for us." he frowned. "Just death and sorrow."

"There are people and vampires I care about." she confessed, thinking about her vampire sister. "I can't just leave them to fend for themselves. There's still those witches out there."

"I don't want you to get hurt. I couldn't bare it."

"I will be fine." she reassured him. "I promise that once this is over we can do and go wherever we want."

"I will build you a home." he affirmed, bringing her hand to his mouth. "One as large or small as you want. We can live there. I will show you the sea, the one I grew up in. And I promise I will give you the best life you will ever experience for as long as you'll let me."

"I'll look forward to it." she nuzzled his nose with her own. "But for now, we have to kill some witches."

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TEAMING UP WITH SOOKIE AND BILL WAS THE LAST THING DAKOTA WANTED TO DO RIGHT NOW, BUT IF THAT WAS THE SACRIFICE SHE HAD TO MAKE TO END THIS HELL SHE WOULD DO IT. Which is why she and Eric were not seated in his living room, waiting for the king to show.

Eric was rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb absentmindedly when the door burst open and in walked Bill, no sign of her cousin.

"Sorry to keep you waitin'," he began, the smile didn't reach his eyes as he approached them while adjusting his jacket. "and I don't have much time so what can I do for you?"

"We're here to fight with you." stated Dakota, keeping his gaze.

"Fight with us?" he raised a single brow in her direction and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Against the witches." she confirmed, refraining herself from rolling her eyes at the king of Louisiana.

"This isn't your battle." said Bill, glancing between the two of them.

"You made it our battle when you send Eric into their coven." she retorted and the viking slid his hand toward her knee and squeezed. "We're not going to just sit here and wait for another attack. We have to do something and fast."

"She has a warrior's heart, Your Majesty." confessed Eric, proudly. "We're willing to fight alongside you."

"I want peace."

"But you're prepared for war?"

"Of course," confirmed Bill. "But i'm not convinced we will win."

"Well, war isn't about whether you think you can win, it's about being willing to die for something you believe is worth dying for." said Eric, always ready to sacrifice himself for the people he loved.

"Perhaps i'm a little less inclined to gamble away human lives."

"That is not our decision." pressed the viking from beside Dakota.

"Thank you, Eric." smiled Dakota. "Look, I can help and so can Sookie, wherever she's run off to. We have powers. Now, granted, we may not be in perfect control of those powers, but they have saved me and others from some pretty dire circumstances."

"Alright," nodded Bill after a moment silence. "here's the plan."

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IT WAS A RIDICULOUS IDIOTIC PLAN BUT ONE THAT WAS WORTH TRYING. Dakota didn't know if reasoning with a witch was any good, especially one that had been possessed by an old soul who had died at the hands of vampires.

The woman watched from the shadows as Bill Compton strode out and into the dimly lit cemetery. It had taken less than thirty minutes to plan out a treaty that the king had wanted to set up. Fifteen for Pam to join them and Sookie stood but a mere few feet away from them.

"Lady Antonia?" called Bill, peering around the dark. The gravel crunched beneath his feet and the woman from the witch shop stepped out of the shadows, arms clasped in front of her.

"I am no lady." her accent was different from last time Dakota saw her and a chill went down her spine. "I am peasant, and proud of it."

"I come in peace." tried Bill, holding out his arms to show her that he was un-armed and alone but the old witch wasn't an idiot as everyone had made her out to be.

"Do you?" scoffed Marnie as if she were stupid. "I know you are not alone."

Bill took in a deep breath and turned toward the shadows, motioning with his fingers for them to step out of the darkness that surrounded them. Eric and Dakota stood on his right, Sookie right by his side and Pam covered the left as Bill said, "Nor are you."

The witch rose her arms up in the air and with a blink of an eye four others appeared behind her. Two unfamiliar and Dakota furrowed her brows when she spotted the new Merlotte's waitress, Holly and -

"Tara?" frowned Sookie, but her friend didn't answer back.

"A sad testament of our inability to trust each other." began Bill. "But I still believe that we can achieve a peaceful resolution."

Marnie crossed her arms over her chest and took a step in their direction. "Describe this peaceful resolution to me."

"We will never harm you again." promised Bill, inclining his head to show he was being sincere. "Anyone who has done so has been commanded to desist, or they will face the true death. In return, I only ask that you remove the spells from my two subjects here."

"You say you are willing to execute those who have harmed me, but you bring them to me, and you ask me to remove spells I placed on them in self-defense? All for the promise that i'll never be harmed again."

"Yes," he nodded.

Marnie slid her eyes toward the viking and a sly smile spread onto her face. "I have your word for this?"

"I swear it."

Dakota narrowed her eyes at the witch, peeling away the layers of wall she had placed around her telepathic abilities and let Marnie's thoughts flow out into her own. Ancient words echoed around her head, like a chant that grew louder and louder.

"She is casting a spell!" Dakota called, snapping her head toward Bill.

"Demoness!" shrieked Marnie, glaring at her as she raised her hands above her head once more and revealing more of her coven, all covered in silver chains with stakes at the ready.

"Now!" barked Bill, and seven more vampires sped toward them. It was worth the try but there was no reasoning with a batshit crazy witch. "You may have dominion over us, but you do not over the living." Bill had a lot of security now that he was king, and the cemetery flooded with armed soldiers, guns trained at the witches. "Surrender now and no one will be hurt."

Red dots had appeared on Marnie's chest and they soldiers were ready to fire if they were given the order. Marnie glanced up and away from the lights, grin on her face as she laughed.

One moment Eric stood beside Dakota, the other he was across the cemetery, tearing out the heart of one of the coven. He held it up, covered in blood as he snarled at Marnie.

The witch screeched and looked up at the sky, chanting foreign words up at the air. Dakota blinked, confused, and within seconds the entire place was covered in a thick white fog, making it  difficult to see, even for her with her vampire sight.

It was chaos from there on out. Screams filled night and everyone around her had disappeared as they joined the fight. Bullets whizzed past her and the soldiers rained fire upon the general direction of the witches.

"Eric!" she yelled, frantically trying to spot him through the mist.

Something cold touched the back of her head as one of the witches pressed a piece of silver against her and she turned around swiftly, taking hold of his shoulders and throwing him off of her. He landed a few feet away with a thud, unconscious.

Blood splattered all over her as vampire sped by her but got hit by one of the wooden bullets. This was bad, this was very bed and the woman sped away, using her vampire abilities to dodge more bullets and stakes. Somewhere from the corner of her eye she saw Pam go after a witch but she was too focused on reaching Eric.

"Dakota!" arms wrapped themselves around her waist as she was hauled away.

"Alcide?" she bellowed, eyes wide. "What are you doing here? Get the fuck out or you're going to get yourself killed."

"Are you kidding me?" he deadpanned, holding her at arms length to look her over. "You are going to get killed. Where is Sookie? You need to leave. Both of you."

"I haven't seen her." she panicked as more witches and vampires alike dropped to their deaths. "Last time I saw her she was -"

The blonde snapped her head to her right, having heard her cousin heave a painful gasp as the scent of her blood spread all over the cemetery.

long time no see. i have been so focused on my joel miller story that i didn't have much time for this one. i hope to finish writing this season asap <3