Dead on New Years Chapter 21

I woke up around noon and headed into the kitchen for much needed coffee. I stopped in my tracks however, when I saw Claudine and another woman sitting on the deck. She seemed to sense my presence and suddenly there was a cup of coffee and a bagel with cream cheese on the counter in front of me. Claudine grinned at me and I headed to the deck with my food. “Hello cousin. I wasn’t expecting you,” I said after my first sip of caffeine.

“I know Sookie, but it’s time for your first lesson.” I must have looked a little startled, because she continued right away, “You don’t have to come with me for this one if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Oh, okay. Um, hi,” I said to her friend, “I’m Sookie.”

She smiled, “I’m Jori. Nice to meet you.”

Claudine laughed a little, “Remember the fairy statue Niall said was in your front yard in Bon Temps?” I nodded. “Well, since you haven’t been staying there we moved her here.”

I nodded again but I was confused, “Wait, are you the statue? I mean, you just turn into a statue and wait in the front yard?”

She grinned, “Pretty much – until you need me.”

“Okay, that has to suck.”

“It’s a special assignment. I am honored that I was chosen to protect you.”

I still wasn’t sure that anyone could enjoy being a statue for weeks or months on end, but I guess if they went into a ‘downtime’ like the vamps did it might not be so bad. Claudine interrupted my thoughts and said, “Jori is here to help us with your first lesson.”

“Um okay. What are we going to do?”

“I’m getting tired of masking your smell for you, so it’s time you learned to do it yourself.”

“WHAT?”

“It’s pretty basic Sookie. You’ll just have to practice.”

“No – what do you mean you’ve been masking my smell? I didn’t think it had changed that much, I mean, the other vampires haven’t really reacted to it….”

“Constant cloaking cousin. Thanks to me. And it’s getting to be spring, which is sort of a busy time in my realm, so I need you to figure out how to take care of yourself – in terms of your scent.”

“I thought.. .but… how? I mean –“

“Sookie, Seamus even sent me a message to step up my game or train you to do it yourself.”

“He did say I smelled like you.”

“HA! He would! So – it’s time to teach you to smell all – blah - human. Are you ready?”

“Yeah, I guess so. Is it like magic or something?”

“It’s just – fairy. You have to remember, the fae incantations are never spoken aloud like the chants Amelia does. Our history must be protected. So I’ll show you the phrase and you have to concentrate and try to connect with the fae realm and then repeat the phrase twice.”

“Easy enough.”

“Yeah, let’s see if you can connect with the fae at all… Think something at Jori.”

“My cousin Claudine is crazy.”

Jori tilted her head a second and said, “Ok, I heard a mumbling. Close your eyes and concentrate. Not on where I’m sitting, but on communicating with ME.”

“My cousin Claudine is crazy.” It took 3 or 4 tries, but then I heard Jori laugh.

“And she’ll kick your ass with the snap of her finger,” she thought back at me with a grin. “Good job Sookie! You’ll have to concentrate very hard to make sure you get through to the fae.”

“I guess I’m confused. Claudine, you and Niall always said that you’d come for me if I called, you didn’t say I had to concentrate.”

“That’s because we’re blood Sookie. The message you’re sending is on a different frequency, if you will. It has to get above the familial communication lines to be heard by the powers that be to work.”

“So how will I know if it works or wears off? I mean, before I get eaten by a vampire.”

Claudine closed her eyes and Jori laughed at me a little, “You’ll just know. You’ll feel it.”

”I haven’t felt it when you’ve been doing it to me.”

“Did you think I wanted you to?”

“Umm… I don’t know, why wouldn’t you?”

“Cousin, you are suspicious, mind you it’s usually warranted, and you’re sensitive. What would you have done if you felt me shielding you?”

“I would have freaked out and told Eric something was wrong.”

“Exactly. So let’s get to it. I’ll show you the phrase you need and you can practice a few times.”

After about an hour, I was getting exhausted and having only moderate success. Claudine and Jori had laughed at me off and on but I could tell Claudine was beginning to get worried. We decided to take a break and she materialized a book that she said I should read. I figured she would give me “Fae Magic for Dummies” or something, but it was just a leather bound black book. As I opened it, sure enough, it was a more sophisticated version of the “for Dummies” series. The book gave a brief history of Fae and Fairy culture and contained information on the basic skills that even a partial fairy should be able to master. “Scent Transmutation” was listed as a beginner task. Nice. I couldn’t even do that. Other things that I would eventually, hopefully, be able to do included “Particle Manipulation,” “Individual Mobility,” and “Atmospheric Influence.” It all seemed a little too Harry Potter for me, but Claudine suggested that I not worry about how difficult things seemed, but focus on the fact that genetically I was more than capable and that my being nervous was just self-defeating. Easy for her to say.

She went out front to talk with Jori for a while and left me in the backyard enjoying the sun, flipping through the book and drinking an endless cup of coffee. I was feeling pretty down about my fae abilities and worried that I wouldn’t get the hang of things. I mean, I know that Claudine would keep helping me, but if this was supposed to be easy I was in big trouble.

The two goddess like fairies came around to the back of the house laughing together and the sun glinted off their hair. They really were amazing creatures. We talked for a little longer and they promised they would come back tomorrow. They made me promise to keep trying today, although Claudine was going to be on alert and promised to mask my scent if needed, and headed off in opposite directions. Jori to her post in the front garden and Claudine, well, she just disappeared as she walked away.

By now it was around 3 pm and I was hungry for lunch. I made a chicken salad and found some fruit. When I came back to the kitchen after showering, someone was buzzing the keypad at the front gate. I checked the monitor and it wasn’t anyone I recognized. I tried to read his thoughts, but they were muddled. Shifter. I pushed the button on the intercom, “Can I help you?”

“Hello ma’m. I hope you can help, I’m looking for Sookie Stackhouse or Eric Northman.”

I had been around Eric long enough to know better than to confirm or deny anything without additional information, “And this is regarding?”

I saw him smile, he probably didn’t realize there was a camera in the monitor, “Alcide sent me, I’m his cousin Luc. He said it was best if I spoke to Miss Stackhouse, but that the message needed to get to the gentleman.”

“I see, and where is Alcide?”

“Ahh, that’s why I’m here ma’m,” he paused and shifted around a little and cleared his throat, “My cousin is in jail.”

Shit. “Come on up.”

I met him at the door and saw his nostrils flare through the glass. I closed my eyes and thought the chant that Claudine had taught me.“Blessed be the fairy Kings - the Earth, the wind the water. Mask my scent, but hold my heart, protect your loving daughter.”