Answer to the Master Chapter Forty-Seven

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The Gift

“Aunt Sookie!” Susie cried as she ran into the room. She had a big brown box in her hands. “This was on the steps and it’s addressed to you!” she called as she ran into the office where Sookie was speaking with Eric, Roman, Russell, and Nora.

Sookie frowned as she took the box off Susie and placed it on the table. “Someone seems happier tonight,” she remarked as she reached for the letter opener on Nora’s desk. Susie just smirked at her, a look she had definitely picked up from Eric.

“Can I see, Aunt Sookie?” she asked, knowing she would find out its contents, whether she was in the room or just picking it up from their minds.

“Let me open it first, Susie,” Sookie replied with a laugh. Cutting through the tape, Sookie dipped her fingers into the small opening and pulled the top open. Her eyes widened as she got a glimpse of what was in it and quickly shut it. “Susie, get out,” she ordered.

Susie’s mouth dropped open and she started, “But you said…” Eric cut her off as he sped towards her, took her in his arms, and brought her to her father.

He only said to Jason, “Keep her here,” before getting back to the office as fast as possible. He had not seen the contents of the box, but the urgency in Sookie’s voice caused him to react.

Once Susie was out of the office and Eric was back, Sookie peeled back the top again and showed them all what was in the box.

“There’s a letter,” Russell said quietly as they all looked down at the contents.

Reaching for the letter, Sookie picked it up and pulled it out of the envelope. “Dearest Sookie,” she read:

Dearest Sookie,

I cannot explain how pleased I am. You are not only gorgeous, talented, and titillating, but an excellent warrior. Your dominance over my former consort shows to me how much you are meant to be mine.

You obviously are less reticent about joining me as well. By defeating Ishta so thoroughly, you love, have won her place.

As your reward for your effort to become my consort, I have gifted you her head. Though the wound you inflicted was fatal, Ishta was dishonorable, so her head was removed and her body burned. For your part, it is a sacred honor to be the recipient of a Danann head — I myself have twelve.

I await your return to me.

Yours,

Dagda Warlow

“A head! He sent me a fucking head!” Sookie snarled, pushing the box away from her.

Roman smirked, “It’s a great honor, Sookie — I mean a sacred honor.”

“I prefer flowers,” Sookie snapped. “He’s insane. He’s fucking insane.”

“Should we get a glass case for it?” Roman asked her. “I can call my day man…” He pulled out his phone. “Honestly, Sookie, I had no idea you liked heads. We could have started a collection with your Maker’s return.”

Sookie glared at Roman, in no mood for his jokes.

“Oh, cool your tits, woman,” Roman replied before getting smacked on the back of his head by Eric.

“Are you okay?” Russell asked. He alone had viewed the fight. His child did well, obviously, but this was not the response they had expected from Warlow.

“Yes… No… I don’t know,” Sookie confessed with a sigh. “Why can’t they all just leave us alone? We’ve been to hell and back. When’s it gonna end?”

“When he’s dead,” Russell replied as Eric stood beside her, his hand supportively on her back.

Sookie leaned into his hand as she growled, “Then let’s make it soon.”

Russell nodded, but he turned to Roman, who was looking through his phone at a slew of text messages. “New Jersey is gone,” he said to them. “The Queen, her second, and all the sheriffs were killed in their secured chambers while they slept. They each had notes on their beds, signed Dan.”

“This is not good,” Nora said, stating the obvious. “We need a way to stop them from entering our most secure locations at will.”

“Jesus,” Eric replied.

Nora nodded as she cursed herself for not thinking of him herself.

“As in Christ?” Roman asked, “Because I don’t think the power of prayer will work on the Danann.”

Nora rolled her eyes at her husband, but she couldn’t hide the smile from her face. She knew he was aware of who Jesus was, he was just trying to add a bit of levity to the situation.

“Do you think he will know an appropriate spell?” Roman asked seriously.

“Jesus is a gifted brujo,” Nora replied thoughtfully. “I believe he will.”

“Have him come as soon as possible,” Roman replied.

“I will,” Nora nodded.

“I will have this buried,” Russell said, picking up the box. He knew his child would want it buried rather than burned or dumped in the garbage.

“Thank you,” Sookie whispered as she turned slightly and wrapped her arm around Eric’s waist.

Eric pressed his face into her hair as he pulled her to his chest. “You’re okay,” he reassured her. He watched as Russell left the room with the box.

“I know,” Sookie replied softly.

“Would you like to call Lafayette and Jesus?” he asked her. Roman was still on his phone, trying to keep New Jersey from being torn apart now that no one was there to run it.

Sookie nodded in reply. “The sooner we get protective wards around the house the better.” Eric handed her his phone.

Sookie smiled as she took the phone and searched through his contacts until she found the number she wanted. Bringing the phone to her ear, she waited for someone to answer.

“Hey, Bitch. Wha choo want?” LaLa answered the phone after seeing Eric’s name on the caller ID.

“Lafayette Reynolds!” Sookie scolded playfully as a smile curled her lips. “That’s no way to answer your phone.”

“Ooo it’s you, hooka. I thoughts it was your big hunk o’ man meat. I ain’t seen that little girl or your brother in a while. Where’s you hidin’ em?”

“That’s what I’m calling about,” Sookie replied. “We need your help. Well, Jesus’ to be specific”

“What fo’?” Lafayette asked, calling Jesus over.

“We need a spell or something to keep Warlow and his people out of the house,” Sookie replied, figuring Jesus would have told Lafayette about Warlow. “He’s wiped out Mississippi and New Jersey already.”

“My baby daddy says it’ll take the day to get everything he needs, but we’ll be there tomorrow.”

“Baby daddy,” Sookie mouthed to Eric. “That’s fine, Lafayette. Tell Jesus, we say thank you.”

“Byes!”

“Whose baby daddy?” Eric asked her after she hung up.

“Lafayette’s apparently,” Sookie answered with a laugh.

“Are they adopting?” Eric asked confused.

“I haven’t a clue,” Sookie admitted.

Eric shook his head. “So tomorrow.”

“Yes,” Sookie nodded.

“Do you want to see your niece now?” Eric asked.

“Yeah,” she replied. Eric led her to Jason’s room where he had stashed both Jason and his daughter.

“Aunt Sookie, was I bad?” Susie asked plainly.

“No, sweetie,” Sookie replied quickly to reassure her. “I’m sorry I shouted at you.”

“I know I didn’t do well listening for that woman last night. I don’t. . . I didn’t hear her. I’m sorry,” Susie said from her daddy’s lap.

“It’s okay,” Sookie replied, as she took a seat on the couch next to them. “I didn’t shout at you because of that.”

“I’m sorry about yelling at you for having Thalia take me. Daddy talked to me and I know there might have been other Warlow’s there that I couldn’t sense like the one last night.”

“I forgive you,” Sookie said softly.

“Are you okay, Aunt Sookie?” Susie asked, looking up at her with wide eyes.

“I am,” Sookie replied with a smile. “I just had a bit of fright is all.”

“Do you want a hug?” Susie asked, standing up before she could answer.

“I would love one,” Sookie replied, opening her arms to her niece.

Susie raised her arms, and once Sookie kneeled down, she wrapped her arms tightly around her aunt. She gave her as big a hug as she could.

Sookie smiled as she wrapped her arms around her niece. “Thank you,” she whispered before dropping a kiss to the top of Susie’s head.

Susie hugged her even tighter before whispering in Sookie’s ear, “I love you, Aunt Sookie.”

“I love you too, sweetie.”

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