Swimming to the Light (Southern Vampire Mystery)

Chapter 17 - Navigating Channels

Jackson:

Russell looked up from his desk as Thalia stepped into his office and walked forward to stand before the King's desk. "Thank you for coming," the king said. He gestured toward a chair. The dark-haired vampire narrowed her eyes slightly. She then remained exactly where she was. Her whole expression was a challenge that dared him to question her. Russell couldn't help smiling. "How are you settling in?"

Thalia watched him with narrowed eyes. She had no change in expression. After a pause that bordered on rude she asked, "Is this a social visit?"

Russell had to bite back a chuckle. Thalia was every bit as surly as he'd heard. She had been giving his security chief fits. She practiced to her own routine. She insisted on her own schedule. She refused the quarters suggested and demanded a more inconvenient arrangement. She kept to herself and didn't mingle with any of the others. On the other hand she was tireless and pressed his guards during sparring. She had earned the grudging respect of her peers. You could see it in the slightly inclined heads whenever she walked down a hall or into a room.

"Not entirely," Russell responded.

Thalia nodded. And waited. And waited some more.

The king recognized a power play when he saw one, so he just sat back with his fingers steepled and watched her. Finally Thalia shifted and asked, "What do you wish of me?"

"I wish to understand the nature of the relationship between Eric Northman and Sookie Stackhouse."

Thalia's eyes widened for an instant. She quickly controlled her face but Russell saw it. She drawled, "You seem to have me mistaken for a common gossip. I don't know anything of any relationship. And if I did I would be unlikely to share."

"It is good to see such loyalty," said the king "Well let's start with the things anyone would notice. Were they bonded?" When Thalia looked like she wasn't going to answer Russell continued. "You were in the same bar with both of them. If they were bonded you would smell it as would any other vampire."

Thalia leveled her look at the king. She let her eyes bore into his. "They were bonded. Then they were not."

'Interesting," thought Russell. He changed gears. "We expect Sookie Stackhouse to return to Jackson soon. Would you be willing to watch over her? As a bodyguard?"

Thalia gave the impression of thinking it over then she nodded. The king said, "I understand you are fond of her."

"She's not bad for a breather."

Russell couldn't help smiling again. "What did she do to earn such praise?"

Thalia smiled back. "She engineered Victor Madden's death." Without waiting for a dismissal Thalia turned and left, leaving the king open-mouthed behind his desk.

Sanctum:

Lydia hung up the phone. The information from Mississippi was brief. Personally Lydia had never heard of a bond being broken. She wondered how it had been accomplished without killing one or both parties.

"Yet another part of the mystery between these two," Lydia thought.

As planned, Lydia called the number that had been provided by Pam Ravenscroft. The phone rang twice and then she heard a woman's voice.

"You must be Lydia. This is Pam. How is Sookie doing?" Lydia found herself admiring the calm, slightly accented voice.

"Sookie is doing well; better. Is this a good time to talk?" Pam confirmed that it was. "Thank you for taking time to chat with me. Are you planning to come here in the next week?" There was a pause before Pam answered.