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So I understood why Gran had hidden it away frohtened her with its potential, and ic to change her own history
On the other hand, the cluviel dor could have saved Gran’s life if she’d had it at the moment she was attacked; but it had been in a secret drawer in an old desk up in the attic, and she had died It was like paying for a Life Alert and then leaving it up in the kitchen cabinet out of reach No one could take it, and it couldn’t be used for ill; but then again, it couldn’t be used for good, either
If ht lead to catastrophic results, it was almost as perilous to simply possess the cluviel dor If anyone-any supernatural-learned I had this aer than randreen and looked not unlike a slightly thick powder compact, which hy I kept it in old It would not open; it had never opened I didn’t kno to trigger it In my hand, the cluviel dor radiated the same warmth I felt when I was close to Niallthe same warmth times a hundred
I was so tempted to put it in my purse My hand hovered over it
I took it out of the drawer and turned it over and over inintense pleasure in its nearness, I weighed the value of taking it with ainst the risk
In the end, I put it back in the draith a powder puff on top of it
The phone rang
Pa is at Eric’s house at nine o’clock"
"I thought I’d be cotasia," I said, a little surprised "Okay, I’ll be onup Vampires are not experts on phone manners I leaned over to look in the mirror while I applied ain
"Hello?"
"Sookie," said Mustapha’s gruff voice "You don’t need to be here till ten"
"Oh? Wellokay" That would give me a etting a ticket, and there were a few s I’d wanted to do before I left
I said a prayer, and I turned down n of faith that I would return home to sleep in it I watered my plants, just in case I quickly checkedat th mirror on the bathroom door, I decided to leave I had a comfortable amount of time
I listened to dancewith songs fro John Travolta dance, and that was so only when I was by ht be uardhouse at the entrance to Eric’s gated co
I wondered where Dan Shelley was The new night guard, a h without getting up "Enjoy the party," he called
A little surprised, I s to a serious council, but evidently this visit by the Grand Poobah was starting off on a social note
Though Eric’s fancy neighbors on the circle raised their eyebrows at cars parked on the street, I did just that because I didn’t want to be blocked in The broad driveway to the left of the yard, running slightly uphill to Eric’s garage, was packed solid I’d never seen sofroh it was faint Vampires didn’t need to turn the volume up like humans did; they could hear all too well
I turned off the ether before walking into the lion’s den Why hadn’t I just said no when Mustapha told me to come? Until this mo home Was I here because I loved Eric? Or because I was in so deep in the vampire world that it hadn’t occurred to me to refuse?
Maybe a little of both
I turned to open the Malibu door, and Bill was standing right there I gave a little yip of shock "You know better than to do that!" I snarled, glad to vent soer I shot out of the driver’s seat and slao back to Bon Teht, my first vampire lover looked horribly white except for his eyes, which were shadowed pits His dark thick hair and his dark clothing provided even h he were enan
"I’ve been sitting inabout it," I ado" HeEric in the lurch," I said, and there ht have been a bit of a question in o hoentle pressure
"You’d better tell ht soh a bar or two to pick up some humans to drink with-and from Their behavior iswell, you reusted you?"
The three va sex with humans in front of me, and it hadn’t ended there
"Yes, I remember"
"Felipe’s ordinarily ht"
I sed "I told Eric I’d coht take it bad if I’m not here, since I’m Eric’s huave me a certain amount of protection
"Eric will survive your absence," Bill said If he’d extended that sentence, I was pretty sure the ending would have been, "But you may not survive your presence" He continued, "I’uard duty I’ the cluviel dor at ho care of myself," I said "You wish o in"
"Then I do wish you well" His voice ooden, but his eyes were not