CHAPTER SIXTY

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          IT WAS A PAIN SHE HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE AND ONE SHE FELT SHE COULD ONLY MANAGE FOR SO LONG BEFORE SHE'D COMBUST. Dakota couldn't even remember how she got back inside but she knew that her fangs were out and both Sookie and Holly were trying to stop the bleeding.

"A fucking vampire?" It was Roy who had spoken and the rest of the humans inside shot her a concerned look, Tara taking a step back cautiously. "The fuck did you do to it?"

"She will suffer," said Marnie, looking at the woman with disdain as she bled over the hardwood floors. "like they're all supposed to."

"Stop this!" demanded Sookie, frantically as she looked from her injured cousin to the witch. "You're killing her! Marnie, I know deep down you don't want to hurt anyone. Please, stop this!"

"I don't think I will." shrugged Marnie, glancing around the room. "The abomination will die when I want her to die. Those vamps outside don't care for anyone in here. There is no negotiating with them. They see weakness, and I am not weak."

"Sure as shit ain't." said Roy proudly, hands in his hips. "You fried that one fanger like a moth in a bug zapper! That was fucking awesome!"

"Yeah," agreed Marnie before she barked to Sookie and Holly. "move her or i'll swear i'll make her blood boil."

Dakota struggled in their grip as they took hold of both her arms and slid her away from the middle of the room toward the side. Her tanned skin had gotten significantly paler and she felt hot to the touch as if she was running a fever and she felt as if Marnie was already trying to boil the blood that was left within her body.

"Eric," she breathed, in a daze as her head lolled to the side and onto Holly's lap. "I want Eric."

Sookie watched in distress as Marnie kneeled beside the pool of Dakota's blood and slowly waved her hand over the substance. The telepath had no idea what was happening inside her mind, only Latin phrases as Marnie said, "Show me the present," and she seemed pleased by whatever it was she saw. "Show me the future."

"No!" she cried, falling backwards as she crawled away from the pool of blood. Her hand touched her forehead for a moment before she messily got back to her feet. "Uh, the vampires are planning on murdering us all. Quickly, form a circle." No one made a move to help her and she furrowed her brows. "I saw it. Here in the blood. If we do nothin', we're signing our own death warrants."

Again, no one made a move to help her and she pointed a finger toward the front door, furiously at her group of wiccans. "They have no regard for our lives. So just join me now."

Holly carefully slid out from underneath Dakota, and Sookie carefully moved her head toward her own lap. The bleeding had stopped, but she couldn't imagine there was much left within her cousin. Dakota was shaking like a leaf, running a high fever and her breathing was ragged.

The group of fifteen stood around in a circle and even Tara shot her friends an apologetic glance before joining hands.

Dakota managed to flutter open her eyes to slits as the group began to chant words that were unknown to her. Sookie was also talking to her, shaking her shoulders desperately but she couldn't hear her. The chanting got louder and the blood that was left within her veins got warmer and warmer, burning her skin.

Oh, shit! They're gonna fry! Fuck! It was Jason.

Eric. Pam. Marnie was calling them toward the sun wards she had put up around the place and they were going to die. Dakota lifted one of her hands with the last bit of her strength and let out a painful moan as light shot from her hands and directly into the witch's chest.

It was as if the room ignited and the circle was broken, sending everyone onto their backs. Marnie roared in anger as she crawled back to her feet and threw up her arms, Sookie being torn away from her as everyone else inside was pressed against the wall by an invisible force. "You evil creature! You have ruined everything."

"She didn't mean to!" tried Sookie, struggling against the wall. "It just happens sometimes. I promise, Marnie!"

The witch glared down at a barely conscious Dakota and muttered something underneath her breath. The woman gasped, gurgling on her own blood as she arched her back off the ground in pain. She had been wrong before, it could get worse. It was like being stabbed with a million knifes all over her body and she couldn't stop the gurgling screams that escaped her. She wanted to die.

The pleas of the people around her went on deaf ears and after a moment it felt as if she was no longer within her own body.

Dakota didn't notice as the stockroom door opened and Lafayette peered his head out, shocked. Nor did she hear Jesus in the same room muttering in another language as he tried to ban Antonia from Marnie's body. And she definitely didn't notice when Marnie screamed a moment later as the soul of the witch was ripped away from her.

The pain had disappeared a second later as all the spells she had cast broke and she managed to suck in a deep breath, filling her lungs with air. Her hand was on her stomach, and the magic that kept her from healing had gone as her wound slowly stitched back together.

"Koko," it was Pam as she fell to her knees beside her.

The shield had dropped and the vampires had made their entrance. Dakota clung to the woman as she met Eric's gaze. His pupils were blown wide and his nostrils flared at the scent of her blood that clung in the room. His focus was solely on her but she was in good hands as his progeny held her close.

Dakota was alive. Hurt very badly, still, but alive.

"Bill! Don't shoot!" shrieked Sookie, as she held up her hands. "They're innocent! Marnie was holding them hostage, I swear!"

Eric didn't hesitate as he sped forward toward the witch, who let out a gasp at the sudden sight of the viking before her. He growled down at her and she faltered, trying to keep up a brave face now that Antonia's soul was no longer merged with her own for power.

"Listen, bloodsucker, you want to kill Marnie?" demanded Roy, taking a few steps toward him. "You gotta go through me first!"

The viking shot his arm to the right and Roy gasped, blood already dripping from his mouth as Eric tore out his heart without looking away from Marnie once. The witch cowered, taking a step back as Eric lifted the heart toward his lips, sucking out the blood within through the aorta. Roy's body plummeted toward the floor with a thud.

"I said I was going to rip your heart out, didn't I?" muttered Eric, letting the organ fall beside the body. "I intend to keep my promises. You don't fuck with my family."

Bill was about to protest when his hand reached into her chest, digits squeezing her heart tightly. Marnie's eyes widened and a soundless gasp escaped from her mouth. The room had gotten eerily silent at the sight. Her heart was rolling on the floor somewhere behind her as he tossed it away before she had time to collaps.

"Eric," uttered Dakota weakly, fighting to keep her eyes open at the loss of more than half her blood.

The viking didn't bother to give the witch or the rest of the people inside another glance as he crouched down before Dakota and scooped her up into his arms. Her head fell limply against his shoulder and he disappeared from Moon Goddess with her and Pam.

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PAM WAS ALREADY THROUGH THE DOOR OF THE VIKING'S HOME AS HE CARRIED HER OVER THE THRESHOLD. Dakota was barely conscious from the amount of blood she had lost and she needed some desperately, or she'd become comatose, and eventually perish. That is what happened to vampires if they were drained, but Eric didn't know what would happen with the faerie side of her. 

Eric laid her out on his bed, not caring that her bloody clothes stained his white sheets. Dakota watched him with hooded eyes as he hovered over her with a frown on his face, and his fangs clicked into place, tearing open his wrist.

He pressed his bleeding wound to her mouth and cradled her head so she could have better access. Pam stood to the side and her heart would be pounding from nerves if it still worked.

"Drink, sweetheart."

Dakota's eyes closed and her hand slid over his forearm, gripping him tightly as she drank from him. Eric smoothed the hair from her face as he watched her intently, feeling his blood flow through her veins as she got stronger and stronger. Her skin regained it's tanned colour and as she opened her eyes, the whites were no longer bloodshot.

The viking felt himself weaken and Pam said so in warning, but he simply did not care. He wanted her to have it all, wanted her to feel her best at all that she had been through and he would have given her more had Dakota not pulled away herself.

"Eric," she muttered, eyes wide and with blood dripping down her chin.

"Fuck," he sighed, pulling the woman to his chest tightly as he scrunched his eyes closed. "I was so scared. I should have killed her slowly. Should have ripped her apart limb by limb for hurting you."

"It's okay." said Dakota, giving Pam a reassuring smile over his shoulder as she inched closer. "The witch is dead and she's not coming back."

His hand was pressed to the back of her head firmly and her cheek was squished against his shoulder. Dakota held out her hand for Pam to grab and the vampire was on them not a second later and Eric wrapped his other arm around his progeny without a second thought.

"My girls," grinned the viking, pulling back slightly to look down at both of them with adoration.

"Okay," sniffed Pam as she got back to he feet with a nod. "enough of this. I need a desperate shower to get all this filth off of me."

Dakota heaved a chuckle as the vampire sped from the bedroom. Pam was never one to show much emotion and she had shown more in the last few weeks than she had ever seen her do so before. 

The viking ran his tongue over his lips as grabbed her chin between his fingers in amusement. He brushed his lips over her own, tasting his own blood on her skin and felt her lean into him.

"Let's leave." he suggested, pressing a more firm kiss to her mouth after. "Leave Louisiana and all this bullshit behind."

"Where would we go?" asked Dakota in return as she swung a leg over his lap to straddle him on the edge of the mattress. He peppered kisses down her neck and she ran her fingers through his hair.

"Anywhere," he nipped at her earlobe and she smiled against him in return. "i'll show you the sea I grew up with. Show you every continent you want to see. Name it and i'll take you."

"Show me the sea." she said, grabbing hold of his face and smashing her lips against his once more. "Show me where you grew up, show me everything."

so i am in a big dilemma. do i continue with the next three seasons and just write all of it or am i going to wrap it up within the next chapter(s)? I want your thoughts. I don't want to milk it you know? i have plans for another eric story too but i will write all the next seasons if that is what you all want!!! please be honest and kind <3

thank you so so so much for the support this story has gotten so far <3

it will be a bit for next chapter because i am getting surgery this monday and i do not know how my healing process is going to be.