Glimpses 18: Two

Again, I edit on my own…

Two and three are real shorties… but I wanted to end where I did.  Plus, I’m still reviewing the next chapter (three).

 

Glimpses 18:  Two:

Since his wife started panicking when she heard Pam’s phone call, Eric had to help her dress while simultaneously arranging for Kavan to teleport them home to Bon Temps. They left the rest of the guards in DC and popped out of the hotel a mere ten minutes after the call. Landing on the front porch with the door already open, Eric could see the house was in a state of chaos. It appeared that all the guards on staff had been called to search the grounds, most of the family was huddled inside the front door waiting, and he could hear Pam screaming from the office. She’d been left in charge of the household and was no doubt flustered at having lost one of the kids.

With Sookie still in his arms, he nodded to the family, asked for Frannie to follow as he passed her, and ran to his office to get an update from Pam. Eric didn’t waste time. He settled his hysterical wife into Frannie’s waiting arms and turned to Pam. “He’s west; I’m going to head out in that direction in a moment.” Pam sighed in relief when Eric confirmed he could feel the boy. “What do you know? Was he kidnapped? Do I need fighters at the ready?”

Pam’s focused shifted over Eric’s shoulder. He turned to see two of his mischief makers, Addie and Pammers, standing outside the office door. She offered, “We haven’t gotten anything from them verbally. Hunter tried telepathy with no success… damn super shields.”

He loomed over the two girls. “This isn’t like the time he was hiding in the woods, or he snuck to the hotel in town and was found within thirty minutes. Your Aunt has too many guards searching the grounds and I can feel he isn’t here.” He paused and asked. “What. Do You. Know?”

They both kept their mouths shut and his ire spiked. Worry over his son, anger over the possibility of the whole thing being yet another of the trips pranks, and concern for Sookie’s wellbeing while she waited for her child’s return had him lashing out. “TALK! NOW!” They had the gall to remain quiet while their Mother whimpered in Frannie’s arms. Eric lost it. With his focus on Addie and Pammers, he ordered Pam, “Get the fairy cocktail. If they don’t tell me what they know, they’re taking it every eight hours until I feel enough punishment has been handed down.”

The two girls gasped and reached for each other. “NO! Father! Not that!”

“Then talk.”

The fairy cocktail had come to them at a time when the triplets hit puberty and their unruly behavior spiked. They almost had two teachers quit from their constant pranks. Pranks that included half sawied through chair legs, causing the teachers to crash to the floor and damage to the teacher’s personal vehicles. Eric had of course replaced the vehicles all four times it happened. It was only when Claude stepped in with a solution of the fairy magic variety that stopped the teachers from leaving, and possibly saved the Trip’s lives. Eric had been at his wit’s end with them escaping the property, mistreating their teachers with constant tricks, and causing tears from Sookie on a regular basis. The cocktail had been a liquid from Fae and consuming it caused the loss of fairy talents. Claude offered the drink hoping that if the three lost their telepathic connection, their plotting abilities would be hampered. Claude knew the tonic hampered Fae abilities and had been hesitant to offer a guarantee, since the telepathy was the result of the fairy spark and Daemon blood combined. For the trips, since they’d lived their lives in constant communication with one another, losing telepathy had been devastating and their unruly behavior had stopped after only one dose. Claude had been pleased to have helped the family with such quick results. In the years since that incident, the three still pulled off minor tricks on the family, but nothing that would be considered hurtful.

Eric knew how the cocktail had impacted his children; he didn’t enjoy dispensing the harsh punishment, but he needed answers. Jarl may have left the property on his own as a trick, but if he was without guards, he was in danger.

Demonstrating how distressed Addie and Pammers were about drinking the liquid, Pammers offered an alternative. “Can’t you just beat us or something?”

It only inflamed Eric more. “You know I’ve never raised a hand to any of you; none of my children.” He stabbed his fingers through his hair in frustration and anger. “Maybe if I had…”

Sookie’s soft and broken voice stopped the standoff. “Sweetie, stop.” She put a hand on his arm. “Anger and fear is all I can get from the girls right now. I need them calm if I have a shot at getting through their shields.” Eric took an unneeded breath and Sookie knew he was gearing up for another outburst about the girl’s shields being up at all, but Sookie squeezed the hand on his arm and continued, “Everybody take a deep breath.” She waited until they all did as she requested. “Okay Addie, you’re the reasonable one. Tell us where Jarl is. Was this an escape or was he possibly kidnapped? Your Father needs to know before he flies to get him.”

Addie never expected to be in this position. Of course, she and Pammers had helped Jarl escape from the property. Jarl and Pammers had crafted a ‘fool proof plan’ as they said. To Pammers and Addie’s shock, Aunt Pam had insisted on regular check-ins with all three of them. In person. They thought telling her that Jarl was studying would work. So much for ‘fool proof plans’. Not only did Addie not want to take that fairy shit, one look at her mother had her caving. They often could make Mother mad or frustrated at their schemes, but crying wasn’t something she could stand to watch. In her head, she told Pammers she was going to talk. Pammers, as usual, was stoic and tough as nails and she begged Addie to keep her mouth shut, hopeful they could pin everything on Jarl. “I’ll tell you.”

Sookie relaxed, marginally, while Eric stood tall with his arms cross and ordered her to “Speak then.”

“After lunch…”

Eric stopped her. “I’ll hear the whole story when I return with your brother. For now, tell me where he is and if there are others with him who are in on this.”

“He’s at Uncle Stan’s house; their vacation house in Dallas. He wanted to visit Cassandra.” Cassandra was Stan’s third child; she was two years younger than Jarl. They’d know each other for years from shared political and family events. His son had tried to ask Cassandra out over the summer and Stan hadn’t given permission as Cassandra hadn’t turned sixteen at the time.

Eric was going to kill his son after he brought him home so Sookie could say goodbye first. “I’ll ask Kavan to take me there.” He took Sookie in his arms. “Do not worry now min Kara, I’m sure he’s fine… until I get my hands on him at least.” He started to walk then stopped when it occurred to him, he needed to know more about the plan. “How did he get there?”

Addie started to speak, “He… “

“ADDIE!” Pammers yelled then stared at her.

Sookie knew immediately that Pammers was giving the rest of her comments telepathically, so she tried to listen. Emotions were running high as Pammers was overly worried about their secret and Sookie broke through enough to hear something that terrified her. She grabbed for Eric. “Eric, Jarl can teleport!”

“WHAT!?” He narrowed his eyes at Addie and Pammers and demanded to know, “SINCE. WHEN?!”

Addie, already resigned to the need for full disclosure, revealed everything. “It started small, popping only about five feet. That was about six months ago. He’s been practicing.”

“And now he can make it to Dallas?”

Addie nodded to confirm. “He knew Stan and family were in Dallas for Aunt Liz’s mother. She’s been sick so they’re staying there through the holiday. He called after he got there. It took him three pops.”

“DAMMIT TO HELL! You’re all grounded for life!” As he’d been doing, he pulled through his hair as he paced. “I’ll be sure your brother’s chains are solid iron, so he can’t pop.” He whirled around, “Unless I need all three sets in iron? Have you been teleporting?” The looks on their faces told him they could. “Are you all strong enough to get to Dallas?”

Defeated, Pammers shook her head while Addie offered, “We can only move around the house so far.”

“This is how you’ve been scaring the shit out of the staff?” They both nodded yes. “Any ideas how I can get your brother without having him pop away?”

Continuing with her helpfulness, Addie informed him, “He can’t teleport right now… well he couldn’t as of about thirty minutes ago. The trip to Dallas was too much.” She sighed, “Cassandra is hiding him in her room while he recovers.”

“I’ll be back with him. I can teleport with Kavan now that I know where he is. Everyone stay here.” He directed his words to Pam. “Call Claude, see if he’s available to help us create a containment area for my popping fairies.”

“Yes Eric.”

With Kavan as his transportation, Eric landed near the front door of Stan’s house and rang the bell. Stan greeted him after Eric was moved to a sitting room. “ERIC! This is a surprise.”

“Stan, it’s always good to see you.” They had nodded to each other and Stan offered Eric a seat. “I’ll stand, if you don’t mind. I have something difficult to discuss with you; the reason for my visit.”

“Go on.”

“Stan, Jarl is here, without permission, to visit Cassandra.”

Stan’s eyebrows rose. “He escaped your guards again?”

“He teleported. It took him three hops and from what I’ve learned, he’s resting in Cassandra’s room.”

Stan froze briefly, then took off for his daughter’s room. Eric was certain that Jarl’s life was in jeopardy, and as much as he thought about hurting the boy for causing the trouble, he didn’t want him permanently injured or dead, so he bolted after Stan as well. When he reached Cassandra’s bedroom, she was sitting on the side of the bed, crying, while Jarl seemed unconscious. From the doorway, Eric could see his son was struggling to breathe and he was a white as a vampire. “Cassandra, how long has he been like this?”

“He was tired when he first got here, but not like this. He’s been getting worse in the last hour.” She drew in a shaky breath. “He begged me to let him recover and to not call anyone.”

Eric’s phone rang, and it was Pam’s ringtone. It must have been urgent if she couldn’t wait for his return. He answered to hear Pam screech his name while Sookie cried hysterically in the background. “Claude said to get him back now. New teleporters are not to make the jumps he’s been doing. The spark could be draining out of him.” She paused to take an unneeded breath. “Eric, it could kill him. He needs fairy magic now. Claude’s on his way and he called his sister. Moyra’s fairy guard is transporting her back from school. She needs to heal him.”

Eric turned to Stan, “I’m certain you want to punish my son and I can’t say I blame you, but…”

Stan put up a hand. “I heard Pam. Go Eric.”

Eric picked up his unconscious son and moved to stand next to Kavan. She had them all back at the house in a moment. Eric placed Jarl in his bed and moved back so Ludwig, Claude, and Claudine could assess his condition. Though he could feel Sookie wanted to be near her child, he held her back while he offered, “Will blood help?”

Claudine shook her head, “No Eric, it’s a Fairy problem, resolved only by Fairy magic.” She looked at her watch. “Where is Moyra?”

Pam answered, “She was asleep. She and her guard should be…”

Looking disheveled from being woken suddenly then transported, Moyra ran into the room before Pam could finish the sentence. “JARL!” She yelled then looked around frantically. “He looks so pale, I didn’t realize…” She sobbed, “What can I do?”

Ludwig called over, “Claude! Claudine! Moyra! Put your hands on him NOW! We’re losing him.”