All Together Dead

get.”
    Talk about brutal honesty.
    “I don’t want you to have control over me,” I told him, and it was awful to hear my voice going wavery with fear. “I don’t want you to know how I’m feeling. I got hired for this job, and after it, I’m going back to my real life.”
    “You don’t have a real life anymore,” Andre said. He didn’t look unkind; that was the weird, and most frightening, thing. He looked absolutely matter-of-fact.
    “I do! You guys are the blip on the radar, not me!” I wasn’t totally sure what I meant by that, but Andre got my drift.
    “I don’t care what your plans are for the rest of your human existence,” he said, and shrugged. Phooey for your life. “Our position will be strengthened if you drink, so you must. I’ve explained this to you, which I wouldn’t bother to do if I didn’t respect your ability.”
    I pushed at him, but it was like shoving an elephant. It would work only if the elephant felt like moving. Andre didn’t. His wrist came closer to my mouth, and I clamped my lips together, though I was sure Andre would break my teeth if he had to. And if I opened my mouth to scream, he’d have that blood in my mouth before you could say Jack Robinson.
    Suddenly there was a third presence in the stark beige corridor. Eric, still wearing the black velvet cape, hood thrown back, was standing right by us, his face uncharacteristically uncertain.
    “Andre,” he said, his voice sounding deeper than usual. “Why are you doing this?”
    “Are you questioning the will of your queen?”
    Eric was in a bad place, because he was definitely interfering with the execution of the queen’s orders—at least, I assumed the queen knew about this—but I could only pray he stayed to help me. I begged him with my eyes.
    I could name several vamps I’d rather have a connection to than Andre. And, stupidly, I couldn’t help but feel hurt. I’d given Andre and Sophie-Anne such a good idea about him being King of Arkansas, and this was the way I got repaid. That would teach me to keep my mouth shut. That would teach me to treat vampires like they were people.
    “Andre, let me offer a suggestion,” Eric said in a much cooler, calmer voice. Good. He was keeping his head together. One of us needed to. “She must be kept happy, or she won’t cooperate anymore.”
    Oh, crap. Somehow I knew his suggestion wasn’t going to be, “Let her go or I’ll break your neck,” because Eric was way too canny for that. Where was John Wayne when you needed him? Or Bruce Willis? Or even Matt Damon? I would be glad to see Jason Bourne right now.
    “We’ve exchanged blood several times, Sookie and I,” Eric said. “In fact, we’ve been lovers.” He took a step closer. “I think she wouldn’t be so balky if I were the blood giver. Would that suit your purposes? I’m under oath to you.” He bowed his head respectfully. He was being careful, so careful. That made me more frightened of Andre.
    Andre let me go while he pondered. His wrist had almost healed up, anyway. I took a few long, shaky breaths. My heart was racing.
    Andre looked at Eric, and I thought I could detect a certain amount of distrust in his gaze. Then he looked at me.
    “You look like a rabbit hiding under a bush while the fox tracks her,” he said. There was a long pause. “You did do my queen and me a large service,” he said. “More than once. If the end result will be the same, why not?”
    I started to say, “And I’m the only witness to Peter Threadgill’s death,” but my guardian angel shut my mouth to seal in the words. Well, maybe it wasn’t my actual guardian angel, but my subconscious, which told me not to speak. Whatever. I was grateful.
    “All right, Eric,” Andre said. “As long as she’s bonded to someone in our kingdom. I’ve only had a drop of her blood, to find out if she was part fae. If you’ve exchanged blood with her more than once, the bond is already strong. Has she answered well to your call?”
    What? What call? When? Eric had never called me. In fact, I’d out and out defied him before.
    “Yes, she heels nicely,” Eric said without a blink of an eye. I about choked, but that would have ruined the effect of Eric’s words, so I looked down at my chest as if I was embarrassed by my thralldom.
    “Well, then,” Andre said with an impatient gesture of his hand. “Go on.”
    “Right here? I’d prefer somewhere more private,” Eric said.
    “Here and now.” Andre was not