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I had to admit, gardening at the hotel was much easier here at the hotel than it had ever been on the island. As soon as I'd seen the lush gardens here I knew I wanted to be a part of working on them and when I'd found a plot suitable for the herbs I loved to grow, it felt like a perfect fit.

Or as perfect a fit as possible in the strange place I'd found myself.

Gone were the days of scrounging whatever I could find on the island as far as gardening tools went, the same was true for seeds and food for the plants. It reminded me of how life in the caves had changed after I'd started raiding with the humans. Food, clothing, vitamins and medicine had all upgraded from barely getting by to a form of luxury most of the humans hadn't known since before the Souls arrived on their planet.

And I enjoyed working with my hands, providing a service to the others at the hotel. Apart from again being the only alien in a dwelling full of humans, I felt more like myself - fulfilling a calling that would benefit the community.

I couldn't stop the smile when that line of thought reminded me of Eric. Even though I knew that Nick wasn't happy with my choice to help him, I'd stood my ground with him and he'd stopped glaring so much about it. Or at least, he'd stopped glaring where I could see him do it. I was glad to find him here, a familiar face among so many new humans, as well as one that knew me, and knew Mel.

I stopped my rambling thoughts when I realized the basket I'd been placing my cuttings in had been filled to the brim. I stood and gave my back a good stretching, pulled off my gloves and put them in my pocket. It was time to take these back to my room to separate out what needed to be dried for medicinal use and which bundled and dropped off at the kitchen.

"Not bad for a few hours work," I said to the gardens around me and started for the door back into the hotel itself.

Find Wanderer either in the gardens or in the hotel on the way back to her room with a basket filled with greenery

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The gardens were something akin to torture for Eric because while he could enjoy them at night, he knew the true beauty of them was during the day when he could never go out and see them for himself. He could look at a photograph, of course, but that was like the myth of Tantalus and not something he was remotely interested in.

He had gone to ground during the day; his hotel room in the Nexus included a vault and a coffin for his use but when late afternoon came, he was rested enough to stick to the indoors until the sun went down. As he wandered the corridors, he came across Wanderer with a basket full of plants.

"Do you honestly think you can carry all of that, little Wanderer?"

I looked up, way up considering how tall Eric was, and smiled. I shifted the basket to my hip and raised an eyebrow at him. "It's hardly a burden and I've carried heavier," I commented, then laughed a little. "All right, I was in a different, stronger body at the time but this one's getting stronger."

Sort of. It was a work in progress, anyway.

"Compared to what, exactly?" Strength of will, she obviously had but physical strength was not something he associated with any human and much less a tiny one like Wanderer. Still, if she had been working at it, perhaps he was supposed to notice those things. It had been a long time since he had looked at any human with anything other than disdain. Sookie did not count as entirely human, after all.

"You still seem small to me."

"Compared to the first human body I was put into. Melanie's," I explained. "She was closer to you in height than me, and she'd lived a very hard life, on the run and having to fight to survive. It toughened her. The Soul in this body led a very sheltered, pampered life."

I could still remember easily those first moments on the beach, feeling that there wasn't enough of me. It was, to some degree, harder than opening my eyes in a new species.

"Any sheltered and pampered life I led was well after I met my first death," Eric said, snorting a bit.

"I'm from Sweden. My people used to raid and steal what they wanted instead of growing it and making it themselves. We were hardy stock."

My mouth twisted. "Some would say that my species has done much the same. I never thought of it that way, not until we came here, and I met a host species for the first time. Every other planet I've been to, the colonization had been complete long before my arrival."

I smiled up at him again. "And you've gone from raid and steal to asking permission now?"

"It seems to be the easiest way to keep from getting killed. It appears that Nick seems to think you are his to protect and not mine," Eric said lightly. "I corrected him of that notion. If I feed from you, you're mine to protect. That is the way it works."

I sighed. I should have known Nick would have confronted Eric. "He didn't do anything...violent, did he? Nick was very angry when I told him about the feeding, but I told him it was my choice. For some reason, that wasn't enough for him."

I set the basket down because even though I could carry it find, standing with it in my arms was making them ache.

"Do I need protecting?" I asked, curiosity driving my question. "It doesn't seem so very dangerous here."

"Possibly not but I offer it anyway," Eric said, shrugging a little. "There are only two other vampires in the Nexus. One has his own human to feed upon and Bella drinks from animals because she can't bear the thought of biting anything."

"I've met Bella," I said, a little sad about it. "She was a very good friend of mine on the island, but the one here does not remember ever having been there. But I have Nick, so that's a good thing. Even if he acts like a big brother sometimes," I added, trying to rid myself of the sadness over missing my friend.

"Tell me if he gets...annoying about it, okay? I don't want him making you unhappy."

"On the contrary, it only makes me more determined to spend time with you if it needles him," Eric said, smiling wryly and flashing his fangs. "You will be stuck with my company, of course, but I suppose that's a sacrifice you are willing to make temporarily?"

I laughed, thinking that Mel would appreciate that sentiment. Maybe not the needling of Nick, but in general. "I'm not sure who you've been around before now, but spending time in your company isn't something I consider suffering. I like being around you, Eric, it's not a hardship."

"You are a strange little Wanderer," he said, unsure why anyone would want to spend time with someone as amoral and removed from humanity as he was.

"Let me carry your basket, then. It's too heavy for you."

"It's a strange world," I answered back and nodded towards the basket. "If you feel the need, then I'll defer to your stronger arms and save mine until it's time to start binding the herbs in my room."

I paused before he moved to pick it up and put my hand on his arm briefly. "Why do you think that my wanting to be around you is strange?"

"I am an undead creature of the night who has killed scores of people and drinks blood," Eric deadpanned. "Nick seemed fairly convinced I was going to kill you and leave your dessicated husk somewhere and yet here you are."

"You are what you are and eat what you eat," I responded. I didn't much like hearing about the killing, but had my kind been any better? "I haven't personally...done anything like that, but my kind is responsible for erasing the minds, or disposing of, millions of humans by colonizing the planet. Is it any stranger that humans can stand to be around me?"

I waved off the comment about Nick. "He'd think the same if you were a normal human. He has a very strong protective streak."

"I prefer not to meet the true death," Eric said. "So hopefully your words have stayed his hand for the time being."

"I don't want that either." I shuddered at the idea and shook my head, whether to deny his words or clear the images, I wasn't sure. I just knew that I'd seen enough death. I didn't want to see more, especially not Eric.

"He won't hurt you," I vowed. "I'll make sure of that." I gave the hand on his arm a squeeze and quirked a smile up at him. "Perhaps we can protect each other?"

Eric laughed. The idea of someone so small and weak protecting a powerful vampire like him was a bit ridiculous but he knew Nick could be a match to him. Wanderer could keep Nick's anger in check and, in turn, keep Eric safe. It seemed she had more power than she appeared.

"Perhaps we can. It would be easier, of course, if you drank my blood. It would allow me to sense where you are at all times, no matter how far you've strayed. Even just a drop would let me track you."

I thought about that for a moment, a long one, while I considered that. This place wasn't as confusing as the caves with their dark, almost pitch black at times in the tunnels and I had felt perfectly safe there. Well, as safe as I could have felt surrounded by humans. Here? Here was different even with Nick and his abilities - it was different.

"All right," I said at last. "Next time you feed, I'll let you feet me as well."

"Excellent," Eric said, not even bothering to hide how pleased he was by this particular prospect. It would make it much easier to protect her if he could sense her and, well, if they eventually became intimate it would heighten that experience too.

"Where am I taking this basket?"

"To my room," I smiled. "I haven't been able to find any place to use for drying the herbs, so I'm just using my room for it. I don't have that many yet. Most of those go to the kitchen."

I walked with him silently for a few minutes. "How does it work," I asked later, "sensing me, I mean. Do you just know where I am?"

"Yes. I feel you no matter where you are. I know if you are in trouble or...other things," he said, wondering if he should go into just how precise tracking her by blood would be. It was his impression she was fairly innocent.

"It would keep you safe."

I'd heard enough human evasions in my life in the caves to recognize one when I heard it.

"Other things?" I asked, turning towards him after opening the door to my room. "What other things?"

"Emotions, feelings," Eric said. "But only strong ones. I will not be able to read your thoughts, only sense if something very strong is going on. It helps me sense whether or not you're in danger or in need of something."