CHAPTER FOURTY FOUR

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          THE SUN WAS ONLY MERE MOMENTS AWAY, AND DAKOTA SAT IN THE SAME SPOT SHE HAD BEEN SITTING IN HOURS BEFORE, AS IF SHE HAD NOT MOVED AT ALL. Her heart was thundering within her chest and a small droplet of sweat slid down her neck toward her blouse.

Their plan was a smart one, one that would give them their best chance in getting Russell Edgington to meet his true death.

The king of Mississippi had burst through the door of Fangtasia only moments prior and had put his husbands glass urn on the table beside him. Russell was seated before the woman, bombarding her with questions about her abilities and more. Dakota met the viking's gaze for a fleeting moment before her eyes moved back to the vampire with her jaw clenched.

"Do you sprout wings?" he wondered, eyes wide with excitement.

Pam stood beside Eric on the other side of the room as they waited for Godric to come back. The blonde turned to her maker with a frown on her face, utterly devastated. "Don't do it. What if it doesn't work?"

"Oh, it'll work." Eric reassured, turning his head to peer down at her. He caught a glimpse of the bloody tears that threatened to spill from her usually bright eyes. "Come on, what's this?"

"Nothing." she brushed him off, wiping at her eyes furiously. "Just bleeds."

Eric took both of her cheeks in his hands and said, "You know I love you more when you're cold and heartless." Pam sniffed once and nodded her head with a soft smile as he did the same, leaning in to plant a long kiss on her forehead.

"Are we doing this?" Godric stood beside them, suddenly, though his gaze was on Dakota and Russell.

Eric stepped back from his progeny after brushing a strand of hair from her face and nodded his head. His maker gave him a painful smile as Eric stalked toward the other two in the room.

"Shall we?" he addressed, facing the king of Mississippi.

"Do let's." beamed Russell, clapping his hands together.

"Do remember," began Godric, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked at Russell. "if you drain her completely, that might as well be the last fairy blood you will ever drink."

"We are schooled." Russell rolled his eyes before grinning. "Onward to adventure."

"Fuck you." Dakota spat, glaring at Godric before her eyes met Eric's, who now stood beside her.

Eric softly touched her cheek and she kept his gaze, giving him a slight nod, one only he would notice. He could feel her fear, he could feel everything and he absolutely despised it and he almost wanted to stop and get her far away from Fangtasia.

The thought of Russell breaking skin and tasting her blood sent a wave of pure rage through him and he had to swallow it as best as he could.

"Oh, for God's sake."

Dakota let out a screech when Russell grabbed ahold of her and almost pulled her over the table, before he sunk his fangs deep within her wrist. The woman cried out, the pain unbearable, much more than the other two times she was forcefully fed from. If this hadn't been part of the plan, Eric, Godric and Pam would have ripped him off before he even got the chance.

Eric's fangs were already out, but not from hunger. Though the smell of her was intoxicating he found it much easier that he had before he had tasted her. The vampire leaned down and wiped a strand of hair from her neck, holding her gaze before planting a kiss on the skin before breaking it. It hurt more than the night before, but the only thing that registered in her mind was Russell's mouth on her wrist as he sucked out her life force.

Dakota's head felt woozy and even if Eric was brushing his thumb over her shoulder in some kind of comfort, she felt panic bubble within her chest.

"Stop," she breathed, eyes closed tightly and Eric did, blood dripping down his chin.

The viking had to physically rip the king of Mississippi off of her, but he didn't even seem to register it as he sat back with a gloating smile, blood also dripping down his chin. Dakota slumped away from the table, holding onto her wrist with tears in her eyes.

"I can't believe it." Russell almost started sobbing. "Never in my three thousand years on this earth have I ever tasted blood as good as this."

"The sun is out." Pam drawled, hands on her hips. "I suggest you get on with it."

Russell licked his lips clean, smile still on his face as he looked at the woman before turning his head to face Eric with a raised brow. The viking knew what he wanted and he shot him a grin from ear to ear. Without sparing anyone else a glance, he left the room and pushed the door toward the parking lot open.

Dakota, who had lost a lot of blood because Russell wasn't careful whatsoever sat in the chair with her head hung low, having difficulty to stay upright. Pam and Russell watched wide eyed as he stepped outside and into the early rays of sunlight. Godric was beside Dakota in an instance, offering her his bleeding wrist behind the king's back, not that he was paying any attention to them.

The metallic taste of his blood filled her mouth and as the liquid seeped down her throat she began to feel much better, both puncture wounds closing over and she managed to move her head straight.

"Thank you," she muttered and he helped her to her feet before he sped toward the monitor on the wall behind the bar and the fairy joined him and Pam. Eric had walked out onto the parking lot, slowly. Only his back was visible, but he seemed to be perfectly fine. The skin they were able to see was pale, not a burn mark to be seen and they couldn't believe their eyes.

The viking turned, waving at the camera as he motioned for Russell two follow him. Behind them, the king let out a gleeful sound, clapping his hands together in excitement. "It's fairies. It's fucking fairies. Who knew? My hands are shaking." Bloody tears streamed from his face. "I feel like a little child. Thousands of years of night. You can't know."

Russell wasn't the only one with blood streaming down their face, Pam did too, but for entire other reasons. If her heart was still beating, it would have shattered beneath her ribcage.

"What are you waiting for?" smiled Pam, encouraging him.

He wasn't able to utter a word, too emerged in his emotions to reply as he moved toward the front door of Fangtasia. Russell stepped outside and the door closed behind him. Dakota snapped her head towards Pam when she let out a sob.

"What's wrong?" she frowned. "It will work, Pam. Eric will tie him to the pole like we discussed."

Neither Pam nor Godric said anything as the continued to watch the scene through the screen. Russell reached the viking and he said something, but the monitor didn't provide any sounds. Eric turned his face toward the vampire and Dakota let out a breath, seeing his face all burned up.

"He needs to hurry." Dakota panicked. "I don't know how long he'll last."

Before Dakota could say anything else, they watched as Eric slapped the handcuffs around Russell's wrist and the other on his own. Pam let out a sob and sat down on one of the bar stools, while Godric stood as frozen as a statue.

"What is he doing?" Dakota pressed. "Pam, what the hell?"

Eric and Russell fall to their knees, steam coming from their skin and they watch as Russell struggles against his silver restraints. The horror is evident on their faces and Dakota has no idea why Pam or Godric isn't doing anything.

"Fuck this." she said, pushing away from the bar and stalking toward the doors but Pam appeared before and she took a step back, startled. "What are you doing? Let me go get him."

"I can't." she cried, unable to break her makers command. "He commanded me not to let you."

Dread filled up the woman and she desperately turned to Godric, who hadn't moved an inch, keeping his gaze on the vampire's outside. Dakota's head snapped back to Pam and she took a step forward, testing the waters, but Pam pushed her back by her shoulders, making her stumble.

"Blast me or something." Pam tried, cheeks covered in blood.

Dakota had never used whatever it was she could do on command and she didn't know if she could. Her gaze moved back to the screen momentarily to see them laying flat on their backs now, burning and tears fell down onto her cheeks.

"I don't know if I can." she panicked, eyes wide. "Hit me or something. Maybe it will trigger it."

Dakota hadn't expected Pam to react that quickly and she felt the sting of the palm of her hand on her face and she pushed her away as hard as she could. The fairy blinked, seeing Pam on the other side of the bar, sprawled across the sofa. She didn't hesitate as she made a run for the door, pushing it open just in time before Pam reached her again, the light burning her face before the door fell shut.

"Eric, what the fuck are you doing?" she demanded, reaching them as quickly as she could. The blonde vampire had his eyes closed, brows pulled together in pain.

"Go away." he chocked, head lolling to the side.

Dakota ignored him and fell to her knees beside him, tugging at the handcuffs but the keys were nowhere to be found. His skin was blistering badly, and some patches had even turned black.

Russell croaked, "Use your ability, sweetheart."

"I don't know how." she rushed out, looking through Eric's pocket for the keys.

"Don't think about it, just try." he groaned, and she missed the roll of his eyes. "I will not surrender to the true death. I will not. I will find a way to come back and kill your precious viking and everyone else inside that dump."

Dakota scrambled back to her feet and hovered her hand over the silver cuffs, taking a deep breath and focussing all her energy on it. Eric let out another string of painful moans and it send a wave of sadness through her.

"I will kill everyone you care about, all because you didn't use your fucking power!"

Dakota let out a snarl and a bolt of silver light shot from the palm of her hand, breaking the cuffs in half. Russell began to laugh humourlessly as he laid helplessly on the concrete beside Eric. Russell had taken more blood than Eric had and the viking looked way worse.

"It's about fucking time!" Russell seethed. "Now drag me the fuck inside."

The woman didn't even have to try as she blasted another beam of light toward him, and the king was thrown across the parking lot of Fangtasia. His body crumpled down in a heap but all he did was laugh, as though this was the funniest thing he had ever experienced.

"Watch your fucking language." she growled, bending at the knee and taking a hold of Eric's jacket. He was heavy and if she hadn't had vampire blood she wouldn't have been able to drag him inside and out of the sun. "Help me!"

Godric and Pam were beside her immediately and took the viking from her grip, laying him down on the leather sofa. His skin was still sizzling, his eyes shut and he looked on the verge of death, skin covered in black burn marks.

"He needs blood, human blood." Pam stated, holding a rag in her hands and breaking the silver cuff off his wrist. "He's too weak to drop fang."

"Bite me." Dakota offered her arm without hesitation.

Pam peered down at her for a second before her fangs slid down her gums and she broke the skin on the girl's wrist. Dakota didn't have time to register any pain, too worried for Eric to care about anything else. Pam had difficulty letting go off her but she did, thought solely on her maker.

Dakota crouched down beside him and gave him her bleeding wrist, hovering it over his mouth. Eric let out a soft groan and soon his hand wrapped around her wrist, keeping it in place above his mouth. The fairy brushed a strand of blonde hair from his forehead and watched as the burn marks slowly disappeared.

"Eric," she tried and his blue eyes flew open. "that's enough."

He gave her skin a squeeze and moved her arm from his lips, letting out a sight. His fangs had sprung from his gums and cut his lip, causing his blood to mix with hers. He placed his lips over her puncture wound and the marks closed up.

"Where's Russell?" he asked, as he sat up.

"Outside." Dakota raised a brow.

"We have to bring him in."

"Are you insane? Why?" Pam scoffed, looking at her maker as if he had grown another head.

"Just do it." He said, leaving no space for argument.

"You want me to save the guy who wants to kill us all?" Dakota frowned, rubbing her wrist unconsciously. "What about the plan? I don't understand."

"Eric do the world a favour and let that fucker fry." Pam drawled, shaking her head in disagreement.

Eric let out an annoyed sigh and got up from the sofa, making his way toward the door. "I'll go out there myself."

"Oh, for the love of God." Dakota pushes past him, grabbing a silver chain that laid beside the door and made her way back outside.

Russell was completely burned, not an inch of skin to be seen, just black burns as he shrivelled up. He barely acknowledged her as she blocked the sun from his frame. "I'm here to save you." she muttered sarcastically.

"Ah, thank you miss Elkins."

"Shut your mouth." she glared, twisting the chain around his neck, causing him to cry out from the silver on top of his burn marks. Dakota hoped his head wouldn't come away from his body as she pulled at the chains and brought him back into the building.

Eric had gloves on and he took the chains from her the moment the doors closed and he tied the king to one of the poles in the room.

"You're a fool not to kill him." stated Godric, raising a brow at his son.

"Killing him won't solve anything." Eric said.

"It would keep him from killing us." scoffed Dakota. Now that the fear of Eric dying had simmered down, it was replaced by anger. Angry at him that he would let himself die even though the went over the plan plenty of times.

Eric caught her tone easily and reassured her. "He won't be doing any more killing."

"Who the fuck are you right now? He killed your family." Pam tried, raising her voice. "Rip off his fucking head."

"Do not listen to them." drawled Russell. "I shall reward you handsomely."

The viking lets out a low growl and hits him in the stomach in a quick thrust. The vampire begins to couch, spitting out a fang and barely capturing it with his left hand. Dakota watched in disgust as Eric took it from him.

"Well, that's humiliating." he raised a brow. "I'll take that. Dakota, come hold these chains together. As tight as you can." She did as he asked, coming to stand behind the vampire. Russell moved his face toward her, last of his fang dropping from his gums.

"Don't even think about it, bitch."

"Are you kidding me? It's all I will ever think about." he confessed.

Eric pulled at the silver with his glove and Russell grunted. "We should go to ground." His eyes moved to the girl beside him. "Can you stay here and watch him?"

"I'm not babysitting the psycho while you go to take a nap." she glared.

"He can't glamour you." Eric explained. "Ginger's coming in later and he will glamour her in a heartbeat. He can't hurt you and I will know if something happens."

"I'm really pissed at you." she confessed.

"I know." he said solemnly.

I wanted to publish a chapter, but i need to rewrite this soon. hope you still enjoy it. Next chapter will be the last of season three, and then i'll start on season four aka the one I am very excited about !!