Sookie Stackhouse 4
Charlaine Harris
Sookie comes home from work one evening and there is a note on her front door from Bill. he tells her to invite him in if she is willing to talk to him. He tries to explain that he had to go when Lorena called because she is his maker and doesn't have a choice. He tells her that he is leaving for Peru to continue working on his vampire database.
Sookie works at the bar on New Year's Eve. She discusses wishes and resolutions for the coming year with her coworkers. Jason comes in with a date and Sookie senses that she is a supernatural being ("supe"), probably a shifter. There is also a very tall beautiful woman that Sookie doesn't recognize. After the bar closes, Sookie starts heading home.
Along the way home from work one night, she sees a man wearing only jeans on the side of the road. She pulls over when and then realizes that it is Eric. He seems scared of her at first and she slowly starts figuring out that he has lost his memories. She decides to take him home so that she can figure out what is going on.
Wanting to get the vampire with amnesia out of her house, Sookie calls Fangtasia to inform Pam of what has happened to Eric. Pam explains that they were attacked by witches and that she'd come for him the next night. The next afternoon, Jason stops by and asks if Sookie needs anything from in town. She asks him to get Eric some clothes. Just as Jason starts inquiring about Sookie's new mystery man, Eric appears. They chat and then Jason leaves. Shortly after, Cho and Pam arrive to collect Eric. Sookie wants to leave them alone so that the vampires can talk business, but it Eric asks her to stay.
Pam tells Sookie that Eric was approached by witches. They wanted Eric to pay for protection. Pam explains that the witches could make life difficult in many ways (customers slipping on the dance floor, rotting drinks and blood, etc). One witch was smitten by Eric and offered to cut the price of protection in half if he would be her occasional lover. He declined. Cho attacked the witch and it set off a spell that took Eric's memory. Sookie asks why the witches don't just use a locator spell and Pam explains that they would need something of Eric's or someone that has ingested his blood. Jason returns with clothing for Eric. He points out that no one knows that Eric and Sookie are connected, so he would be safe there in Bon Temps. He then negotiates a price of $35,000 for the task.
The next day, Jason's boss shows up at Sookie's door. Jason hadn't shown up for work (very unlike him). Sookie starts to worry. She calls sheriff Dearborn, but he can't do anything until he has been missing for a while longer. Sookie decides to start looking for Jason at his house. his truck is there and so is someone else's. It turns out that Officer Alcide is there. They start looking around the house. Sookie takes a shotgun from Jason, figuring that whatever might have gotten him might come for her next. They go out back to check by the pond. There is blood on the pier and it Officer Alcide thinks that he may have slipped into the pond. Sookie accidently lets her ability slip by answering a question that he didn't ask, but is able to cover it up somewhat.
While leaving Jason's house, Tara drives by with the extremely tall girl from the bar on New Year's. Sookie thought she could confide in Tara about the supernatural happenings, but it seems that Tara is acting like her memory has been erased by the vampire she dates, Franklin Motts. Sookie decides to ask about witches. Tara informs her that Holly, who also works at the bar, is part of a coven. Tara introduces her friend as Claudine, who has come to Bon Temps for the excitement of the supes.
Sookie goes over to Holly's place to ask some questions. Holly explains that Wicca is a religion and witches actually practice magical rituals. Sookie asks about the new group that is in Shreveport. Holly tells them that they are powerful witches that enhance their powers with vampire blood. Sookie asks if she knows where it is and Holly pictures the place in her mind. Sookie asks why she has been there. Holly explains that when they first came to town, they called all the wiccans and witches for a summit. She wanted everyone to join her cause and many did. Holly starts to worry that the witches will come after her for talking to Sookie.
Sookie decides to go to Shreveport to search for Jason next. She stops at his ex-girlfriend, Carla's house but she says that she would never sleep with him again. She goes to Fangtasia next and finds that the door is unlocked, though it is closed. She is about to leave until she hears a whimper. She finds Belinda on the floor in a odd position. She tells Sookie that they tried to fight off the witches (her and Ginger). She calls 911 and then asks Belinda what happened to her legs. It is like the leg muscles have been shortened so that they are constantly cramping. When the same spell was put onto Ginger, she was in the bathroom and cracked her head on the sink, killing her. Belinda describes the leader, Hallo. Sookie leaves before the cops show up.
Deciding that the weres of Shreveport should know about the witches, especially if the leader is a were-witch that drinks vampire blood, Sookie calls Alcide. She tells him what is going on and he takes her to his pack master, Coronel Flood, to relay the details again. He brings up that the pack's second in command, Adabelle, didn't show up for last night's meeting. Coronel Flood sends Alcide to check on her. They go to her house where she lives with her mother. The old werewolf says that she figured that her daughter was off with a "girlfriend." They go to check the bridal shop that the two own. Upon arriving at the shop, they see that Adabelle is dead. Alcide goes in and Sookie stays out. They call the police who question why they are there. Sookie says that they are engaged. The officer eventually lets them go.
Sookie returns home and walks in on Eric getting dressed. They have sex.
At work, the bar is visited by the witch, Hallow, who is going by Marnie, and her brother Mark. Holly tries to sneak away so that they won't recognize her as a wiccan. Sookie tries to read Hallow's mind, but finds that Hallow can tell when she does this and pushes Sookie out. The witches say that they are looking for Eric and would like to talk to Bill, as he is the only vampire that lives in the city. Sookie tells them where Bill lives. Sam lets her go home so that she can check on Bill's house after they leave.
Sookie gets home and Eric wants to have sex again. She tells him what is going on and takes her over there immediately. On the way, Sookie thinks that she sees a bunch of people meeting in the graveyard. They stay out of site and watch the witches. Just as Sookie is about to do something about them breaking into Bill's house, the werewolves and shifters come out. The witches are eventually scared off, but they run over a female were in the process. Sookie takes the girl to the nearest hospital. She tells the police that she found the girl on the side of the road.
On the return trip to Bon Temps, Sookie finds that she is falling asleep behind the wheel. Claudine appears to keep her awake. They go into Merlotte's together to talk to the werewolves, shifters, and vampires. Claudine gives them some information (like that she didn't see any hostages held by the witches), but has to leave quickly because the vampires are too attracted to the thought of draining her. All of the supes decide to team up against the witches. They also decide to ask the local witches for their help.
The next night, they plan to attack the witches. Sookie and Eric show up a little late to the meeting because they were distracted by each other. They go to the house where Pam and Cho live to decide how everything will go down. Sookie is surprised to see Debbie there. Bill, who Sookie is almost as surprised to see, is also about why Debbie is there. Bill informs them that Debbie took part in his torture in Jackson. Alcide abjures her, but they all realize that they must keep her around to prevent her from telling the witches that they are coming.
Sookie is the first one to approach the shop space where the witches have set up their headquarters. She counts that there are 15 witches in there. She sends Bubba back to tell the others. Holly attacks Sookie, but it is easily thwarted. Holly explains that she had to help the witches because they threatened her son. Holly tells Sookie that there are three other witches that were also forced into this. Sookie tells Holly to leave. When Bubba returns, Pam is with him. Sookie sends Bubba back to have the witches make sure that the three innocents can be differentiated. Pam kicks down the door, Sookie goes in and invites the vampires in.
One of the innocent witches is already dead. Debbie comes along to help the other two escape. Sookie helps get a wolf off of Pam while the vampire holds down Hallow. Eventually, all of the other witches are killed. Debbie tries to check Alcide (still in wolf form) for injuries, but he snaps at her. Pam takes Hallow with her to have her take the spell off of Eric. The vampires want Eric to go with them, but he insists on staying with Sookie. She takes him home. Debbie is there waiting for Sookie with a gun. She shoots, but Eric takes the bullet for her. Sookie grabs her brother's shotgun from its hiding place and kills Debbie. Eric takes care of the body while Sookie cleans everything up.
The next morning, Eric wakes up with him memory, but can't remember what has happened the past few days. Pam came to Sookie's to fill Eric in on what had happened. Sookie goes to work and after filling him in on the battle of the witches, he informs her that Calvin Norris was in looking for her. She explains that she doesn't need a werewolf to take care of her. Sam tells her that the Hotshot locals are not werewolves. They are were-panthers, which is really suspicious considering that the prints on Jason's deck belonged to a panther. Sam didn't know this and goes on to tell her that Felton is really interested in Crystal. Sookie heads to Hotshot with Sam.
They explain to Calvin that they believe that Felton may have taken Jason because he was jealous of Crystal spending time with her. Calvin takes them over to Felton's house. Felton reveals that Jason is in the back shed in bad shape. Sookie finds bite marks on him. Felton wanted to turn him so that Crystal wouldn't like him anymore. Sookie agrees not to tell the police what happened as long as they promised to help Jason when he starts shifting.
Back at the house, Sookie and Jason come up with a story to tell the police. The next morning, Sookie calls and the dispatcher sends two officers over: Andy and Alcide Beck. They tell them that Jason doesn't remember anything. Eventually they leave and Eric shows up. He asks Sookie what happened when he lost his memory, but she decides that it is best if he doesn't know. Amanda, a were, comes over to ask Sookie about Debbie as their standard procedure calls. Eric sniffs around and tells Sookie to through away her coat. The next morning, he sends her a new one.