Table of Contents
Ace Books by Charlaine Harris
The Sookie Stackhouse Novels
DEAD UNTIL DARK
LIVING DEAD IN DALLAS
CLUB DEAD
DEAD TO THE WORLD
DEAD AS A DOORNAIL
DEFINITELY DEAD
ALL TOGETHER DEAD
FROM DEAD TO WORSE
DEAD AND GONE
DEAD IN THE FAMILY
MANY BLOODY RETURNS
edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner
WOLFSBANE AND MISTLETOE
edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner
A TOUCH OF DEAD: SOOKIE STACKHOUSE,
THE COMPLETE SHORT STORIES
Berkley Prime Crime Books by Charlaine Harris
SWEET AND DEADLY
A SECRET RAGE
The Harper Connelly Mysteries
GRAVE SIGHT
GRAVE SURPRISE
AN ICE COLD GRAVE
GRAVE SECRET
The Lily Bard Mysteries
SHAKESPEARES LANDLORD
SHAKESPEARES CHAMPION
SHAKESPEARES CHRISTMAS
SHAKESPEARES TROLLOP
SHAKESPEARES COUNSELOR
The Aurora Teagarden Mysteries
REAL MURDERS
A BONE TO PICK
THREE BEDROOMS, ONE CORPSE
THE JULIUS HOUSE
DEAD OVER HEELS
A FOOL AND HIS HONEY
LAST SCENE ALIVE
POPPY DONE TO DEATH
This book is dedicated to our son Patrick,
who has not only met our hopes, dreams,
and expectations for him,
but exceeded them.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am only the first step in the creation of this book. Many other people helped in different capacities along the way: Anastasia Luettecke, who taught me about Roman names; Dr. Ed Uthman, who helps me with medical stuff; Victoria and Debi, my continuity mavens; Toni L. P. Kelner and Dana Cameron, whose gentle comments after their first reading keep me from committing many an error; Paula Woldan, whose help and friendship keep me going; Lisa Desimini, the cover artist; Jodi Rosoff, my wonderful publicist; Ginjer Buchanan, my long-suffering editor; and my Mod Squad: Michele, Victoria, Kerri, MariCarmen, and Lindsay (current), and Debi, Beverly, and Katie (retired).
MARCH
THE FIRST WEEK
I feel bad that Im leaving you like this, Amelia said. Her eyes were puffy and red. Theyd been that way, off and on, ever since Tray Dawsons funeral.
You have to do what you have to do, I said, giving her a very bright smile. I could read the guilt and shame and ever-present grief roiling around Amelias mind in a ball of darkness. Im lots better, I reassured her. I could hear myself babbling cheerfully along, but I couldnt seem to stop. Im walking okay, and the holes are all filled in. See how much better? I pulled down my jeans waistband to show her a spot that had been bitten out. The teeth marks were hardly perceptible, though the skin wasnt quite smooth and was visibly paler than the surrounding flesh. If I hadnt had a huge dose of vampire blood, the scar wouldve looked like a shark had bitten me.
Amelia glanced down and hastily away, as if she couldnt bear to see the evidence of the attack. Its just that Octavia keeps e-mailing me and telling me I need to come home and accept my judgment from the witches council, or whats left of it, she said in a rush. And I need to check all the repairs to my house. And since there are a few tourists again, and people returning and rebuilding, the magic stores reopened. I can work there part-time. Plus, as much as I love you and I love living here, since Tray died...
Believe me, I understand. Wed gone over this a few times.
Its not that I blame you, Amelia said, trying to catch my eyes.
She really didnt blame me. Since I could read her mind, I knew she was telling me the truth.
Even I didnt totally blame myself, somewhat to my surprise.
It was true that Tray Dawson, Amelias lover and a Were, had been killed while hed been acting as my bodyguard. It was true that Id requested a bodyguard from the Were pack nearest me because they owed me a favor and my life needed guarding. However, Id been present at the death of Tray Dawson at the hands of a sword-wielding fairy, and I knew who was responsible.
So I didnt feel guilty, exactly. But I felt heartsick about losing Tray, on top of all the other horrors. My cousin Claudine, a full-blooded fairy, had also died in the Fae War, and since shed been my real, true fairy godmother, I missed her in a lot of ways. And shed been pregnant.
I had a lot of pain and regret of all kinds, physical and mental. While Amelia carried an armful of clothes downstairs, I stood in her bedroom, gathering myself. Then I braced my shoulders and lifted a box of bathroom odds and ends. I descended the stairs carefully and slowly, and I made my way out to her car. She turned from depositing the clothes across the boxes already stowed in her trunk. You shouldnt be doing that! she said, all anxious concern. Youre not healed yet.
Im fine.
Not hardly. You always jump when someone comes into the room and surprises you, and I can tell your wrists hurt, she said. She grabbed the box and slid it into the backseat. You still favor that left leg, and you still ache when it rains. Despite all that vamp blood.
The jumpinessll get better. As time passes, it wont be so fresh and at the front of my mind, I told Amelia. (If telepathy had taught me anything, it was that people could bury the most serious and painful of memories, if you gave them enough time and distraction.) The blood is not just any vampires. Its Erics blood. Its strong stuff. And my wrists are a lot better. I didnt mention that the nerves were jumping around in them like hot snakes just at this moment, a result of their having been tied together tightly for several hours. Dr. Ludwig, physician to the supernatural, had told me the nervesand the wristswould be back to normal, eventually.
Yeah, speaking of the blood... Amelia took a deep breath and steeled herself to say something she knew I wouldnt like. Since I heard it before she actually voiced it, I was able to brace myself. Had you thought about... Sookie, you didnt ask me, but I think you better not have any more of Erics blood. I mean, I know hes your man, but you got to think about the consequences. Sometimes people get flipped by accident. Its not like its a math equation.
Though I appreciated Amelias concern, shed trespassed into private territory. We dont swap, I said. Much. He just has a sip from me at, you know... the happy moment. These days Eric was having a lot more happy moments than I was, sadly. I kept hoping the bedroom magic would return; if any male could perform sexual healing, that male would be Eric.
Amelia smiled, which was what Id been aiming for. At least... She turned away without finishing the sentence, but she was thinking, At least you feel like having sex.
I didnt so much feel like having sex as I felt like I ought to keep trying to enjoy it, but I definitely didnt want to discuss that. My ability to cast aside control, which is the key to good sex, had been pinched out of existence during the torture. Id been absolutely helpless. I could only hope that Id recover in that area, too. I knew Eric could feel my lack of completion. Hed asked me several times if I was sure I wanted to engage in sex. Nearly every time, I said yes, operating on the bicycle theory. Yes, Id fallen off. But I was always willing to try to ride it again.
So, hows the relationship doing? she said. Aside from the whoopee. Every last thing was in Amelias car. She was stalling, dreading the moment when she actually got into her car and drove away.
