Chapter Twenty-Five

***Eric's POV***

My first night back at Fangtasia was almost too mundane. I had expected that everything would return to normal and I could get a little peace from all of the events that had just happened. But, I couldn't. That night felt strange and it wasn't just the wind.

"Thinking about her again?"

I could see Pam smirking devilishly in the corner of my eye.

"Surely, I have more important things to think about than the Reynolds girl."

Pam raised one of her eyebrows.

"Even after your extravagant night in Dallas? Tell me. What was it like to finally taste that virgin blood of hers?"

I glared at the blonde next to me.

"Watch your tongue, Pam."

Surprisingly, she shut up. However, she was right. I couldn't get Em or that night in Dallas off of my mind. Em had finally given herself to me fully. She was mine and could never be anyone else's. Was it fair to claim Em and still take interest in Sookie? I had Em, but I envied Bill for being the one to deflower Sookie and claim him as hers. Why was I not yet satisfied? My mind kept going back to what Godric had said that night about sirens. That deflowering a siren could prove to be problematic, but Em seemed fine. I wasn't exactly sure about how it could have changed her. I chose to keep close watch of her from then on.

I could feel her emotions, slowly rising within me. Nausea, fear, and anger made for an interesting combination. Humans.

***Emmie's POV***

I could hear Bill and Sookie hot on my heels.

"Emmie, get in the car!" Bill shouted as I went to hop in.

"I know..I know what she is. I know what's doing this!"

We sped away in Bill's car to Sookie's house. I could faintly hear my phone ringing in the background, but I ignored it. My mind was on other things. My head swimming and I felt nauseous, but above all that I felt determined. I was determined to bring the maenad down. I could feel the hatred for this creature even though I had never come in contact with one.

"How do we get rid of it?" Sookie asked.

I shook my head.

"I'm not sure.."

Upon stepping out of Bill's car, a scent hit my nose that made me want to release the contents of my stomach.

"What it God's name..?"

The tree in from of Sookie's house was covered in raw meat, vines, and rotten fruit, so much to the point where it was unrecognizable. Flies buzzed around it happily which made me realize that the whole situation had been going on a little longer than we thought.

"Whatever the hell it is, it reeks!" Sookie shouted, walking cautiously to her front door.

Slow, distorted blues was playing from the inside of Sookie's house. The place was disheveled. Vines and leaves grew from the walls, wallpaper was hanging off the walls and pictures were smashed to the ground. Despite it being late, the house had very little light. Candles were lit all over the home as if someone were doing a ritual, there was even a little altar in the living room.

"Tara! Tara!" Sookie called.

How could Tara let this happen to the house? Did..she have a role in it as well?

There was no answer. Where was she?

Just then my cell phone rang.

"Lafayette! Where's Tara?"

"She with me. I need to know when you and Sookie are gonna be back in town."

Sookie overheard the conversation and ran over to the phone and put it on speaker.

"Lafayette, we're here in what used to be my living room."

"Sook, you and Emmie got get up out that house now!"

Sookie looked worried.

"Is Tara okay?"

I could hear Lafayette sigh on the other side of the phone.

"I ain't half as worried about her as I am about you and my little sister in that fucking house! Get out! Run!"

My brother sounded urgent and the tone of his voice scared me. Bill and I turned around to see a large statue of a bull's head sitting on Sookie's mantle. Sookie immediately perked up with fear.

"We're coming!" She said, hanging up the phone and grabbing Bill's hand.

We headed for the front door again but were stopped by a woman. She looked to be about middle-aged with wild dark hair and thick rings of black eyeliner around her eyes. She looked almost sinister but somehow amused in the way she approached her. I knew who she was. She was the maenad. My stomach turned and anger rose within me.

"What are you doing in my house?"

"This is not your house!" Sookie said to her, standing her ground.

"It is now," the maenad said as she stepped closer to Sookie.

I stepped behind Sookie, protectively.

"And what do we have here?" she said, raising an eyebrow.

"Your worst nightmare, meanad," I spoke, venom dripping off my words.

She let out a short throaty laugh.

"A siren? And not even a fully developed one."

Fully developed? What was she talking about?

The maenad continued to move towards us, causing us to step backward.

"I strongly suggest that you remove yourself immediately!" Bill interjected.

The maenad smirked and looked Bill up and down.

"My, you found yourself quite the specimen. But I daresay that there's nothing stopping him from one day leaving you cold.

"You don't scare me," Sookie sneered at her.

The maenad leaped forward, grabbing Sookie by the throat and slamming her into the wall. Quick on my feet, I grabbed her by the shoulder. My mind quickly threw me into seeing flashes of Sookie running in the woods and long claws scratching her back. This was what attacked Sookie that night! Sookie must have seen it too because she screamed out, causing me to jump back and Bill to rush in and pull the maenad back.

"Sookie, Emmie! Go now!"

Following Bill's instructions, I started for the front door as Bill sank his teeth into the maenad.

"Ravage me! Yes, ravage me!" The maenad moaned out.

"Bill, no!" I shouted

The maenad's claws had poisoned Sookie, who knew what it's blood would do to a vampire. Bill immediately started to choke and foam at the mouth.

"What did you do to him?" Sookie cried out.

"Her blood is poisonous! We have to get him out of here!"

The maenad giggled in amusement and moved closer to Sookie's face.

"What are you?" She questioned, looking deep within Sookie's eyes.

"None of your business!" Sookie shouted, pushing her hand against the maenad's face.

A bright blue light emitted from Sookie's hand and have the maenad and electric shock. Her hand glowed for a minute, leaving us in shock. Was Sookie a siren, too?

We snapped back into reality and grabbed Bill, who was gagging and choking.

"That was fun! Come back and play soon, girls!" The maenad cackled behind us.

Bill continued to vomit the entire car ride.

"I'm alright.." he insisted.

"No, you are not alright! None of this is alright!" Sookie yelled.

"We have to call Eric," I said, sweating again.

I had gone to my former state of hot and sweaty.

"I will not turn to Eric!" Bill, protested.

"We have to get you to Dr. Ludwig. And Emmie, you look pale. Are you okay? Did she touch you?"

I shook my head. In all honesty, I wasn't sure what was happening to me, but my main concern was Bill.

"Sookie… what was that back there? What did you do to her?"

Sookie shook her head.

"I don't know. It was Maryann that attacked me in the woods. I could feel her there on my back when she was touching me."

It had a name. That must have been the Maryann that Tara had been staying with.

"She's right. I saw it too."

"I will kill her!" Bill growled.

"Good, but how?"

"Tara's been living with Maryann, maybe she can help us," I said, fighting the urge to vomit as well.

To think that my cousin had been living with such a vile creature angered me to no end. Bill bit Sookie's wrist in hopes that her blood would help him heal as we drove to my house.

Upon arrival, my brother was outside talking to some college girl.

"I'm not leaving until I get the V," I heard her say.

Bill sped up to them.

"Oh you are leaving," he threatened, showing his fangs.

The girl scurried off in fear. Bill gave Lafayette a threatening look.

"Hey, look, slow your roll. It ain't even me! Talk to your boy, Eric. He the one that got me pushing the shit.."

Eric had my brother selling V after he had looked him in a dungeon for selling it in the first place? Eric was going to get an earful.

I was furious but light headed. That night had been sending me for a whirlwind.

"Emmie, are you okay? What the fuck happened to you?" Lala said, pulling me into him.

"I'm fine. Just a little frazzled," I said before kissing him on the cheek.

"Where is she?" Sookie said, running up.

Lala motioned for her to go inside while Bill stood giving him another glare. I scolded both of them.

"You can come on in," Lala said, finally letting Bill come in.

Tara was sitting in the middle of our living room, tied to a chair. Aunt Lettie Mae stood over her protectively as we entered.

"Tara?" Sookie called out.

Tara's eyes were completely glazed over in black. She stared blankly at Sookie for a bit before speaking.

"Get me the fuck outta here, you stupid cunt or I will kill you."

We all stood in shock. Tara had never been one to talk to Sookie that way. Maryann's influence had truly taken over her.

"We're losing her, Sook."

Sookie and I looked at each other knowingly. I placed my hands on Tara's shoulders as Sookie looked into her eyes.

"I don't see anything. It's all dark," she said.

I shook my head.

"Not even a thought, absolutely nothing."

Aunt Lettie Mae's eyes widened.

"Y'all can see into her head?"

"It's like it's not her. She's gone."

"Don't say that! She's in there."

My blood boiled. I wasn't going to let that creature take my cousin away from me.

"Sookie, you'll have to go deeper into her mind than you ever have before. She has a connection with you. It has to be you," I said, allowing Sookie to take over.

I started to fear that my condition was rendering me too weak to do anything else. Sweat started to bead on my forehead as Sookie kneeled. I prayed that it would work. Tara looked at the bloody wound on Sookie's wrist.

"You tryna to kill yourself? I don't blame you with your fucked up life."

I knew that it would be hard for Sookie but she could do it. She had to train her skills. She concentrated but started to pull back.

"There's something I can't cross. An abyss."

"I will glamour her."

My aunt shouted in protest at Bill's words, but I knew that it had to be done.

"If we leave her like this, who knows what harm may come to her. Or us," Bill pleaded.

We all stepped aside as he went forward. Sookie moved forward to hold Tara from behind. Bill was trying his best to get through to her but it wasn't working.

"Emmie, we're going to need you too. It's not working," Sookie cried.

I nodded and kneeled on the floor next to her. I leaned my forehead on her head as we continued.

"Tara let Emmie and Sookie in. Now!"

Sookie and I went into the depths of Tara's mind. Flashes of wild parties, rough sex, Tara eating a bloody pie and being slapped across the face. Whatever influence was held over her, had her memories further back than would have been humanly possible. I watched as Tara's bloodshot eyes began to shift back to normal.

"Oh my God," she gasped, breathing heavily.

I began to untie her as Sookie pulled her into a hug.

"I'm crazy. I'm really crazy," Tara cried as we went to soothe her.

"No, it wasn't you," Sookie soothed.

Tara ran up to her mother, sobbing apologizes as they reunited. A tear escaped my eye. I couldn't have lost my cousin. If something had happened to her, I would have ended up in a room next to my mother. Tara pulled Lala and me into a hug as I struggled to catch my breath. Shakily, I planted a kiss on her forehead.

"I was so scared that we were going to be able to get through to you," I whispered.

Tara's tears poured down her face.

"I'm sorry," she rasped.

I shook my head.

"It wasn't you. You're here now and that's all that matters," I said, pulling her into another hug.

"I need some air," Sookie said, nodding towards us and walking out with Bill.

She was feeling it too. The activity had exhausted us both.

"I better go with them. We have some things to figure out," I said, kissing and hugging my family goodnight.

I stepped out into the cold night air, ignoring a warning from Lala.

"I've known Tara my whole life. Every trace of her was gone. I thought vampires were the only ones that could hypnotize people," Sookie said, shaking her head.

"No offense, but humans are susceptible to just about every form of manipulation," Bill croaked.

"What was she and that chant?"

"What chant?" Bill questioned.

Sookie described what we heard and saw in Tara's mind. Bill's eyes widened.

"Bacchus!"

I nodded.

"She's a maenad, Bill. It's in my book. They're the nemesis of sirens, that's how I knew."

"Well, how do we kill her?" Sookie asked.

I shook my head in defeat.

"I don't know, but it's going to take more than just the three of us," I said, starting to sway on my feet from exhaustion.

"I know just the vampire that might. But if I'm going to make it by daylight, I must leave now," Bill said.

"Let's go!" Sookie said, eagerly.

"No. You have to stay here. I will go. I'll be back by morning, but Jason and Sam, Tara and Lafayette. But you two can do more good for them here."

Sookie agreed and the two shared a kiss before Bill sped off into the night.

I gave Sookie a giggle as she stood there dumbfounded.

"There's somewhere I need to be. But don't tell Bill, okay? And definitely, don't tell Lala."

Sookie nodded. She knew I was going to see Eric, but she didn't stop me.

"Are you taking the car?" she asked.

"No, it would take me another hour to get to Shreveport from here. There's a lot that you still don't know about me. I may have taken a little power from Eric back in Dallas."

She raised an eyebrow and gave me a look of confusion. I pulled her into a hug.

"Take care of everyone, okay?" I said, winking and then speeding off into the night.

I arrived at Fangtasia not long after. Eric was much older than Bill so he was a bit faster. I considered taking his flying power but I didn't want to look like the Flying Nun. I went through the back door, not wanting to deal with the crowd and Pam in the front. The hair on my arms started to rise as I snuck into Eric's office.

"I knew you were coming and it seems like you have taken something from me again."

I rolled my eyes and smirked.

"Does it really matter?" I asked, pulling off my top.

I watched Eric's eyes travel over my body as I continued to undress. I moved across the room toward where he was leaning on his desk.

"You're not well, Em."

Forgetting that he could feel my emotions and pain, and somehow forgetting my own, I started to unbutton his shirt.

"It doesn't matter. I need you and I need you now," I whispered in his ear.

Eric flipped me over so that I was the one leaning against the desk. I heard that all too familiar click just before he sank his teeth in me.

That was the last time I was truly myself. I had been changed.

Hello all! I am so sorry that it took me so long to post this chapter. I hadn't realized that it had been that long and honestly, life caught up with me. Upon posting the last chapter, I found out that my friend FreeSpiritSeeker passed away. She was a huge supporter of the story and I often looked to her for advice. She was the sweetest soul ever and I'm glad that she's not suffering anymore. It felt wrong and dirty to write without her and for so long, I wasn't sure how to move on. But now I know I have to finish this for her, seeing as though it was her favorite. This entire story is dedicated to her because I couldn't have done it without her.

That being said, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and it won't be that long until I update again. Love you all and thanks for the unbelievable support.