Swimming to the Light (Southern Vampire Mystery)

Chapter 30 - Close Hauled

Owatonna, MN

Maude moved quickly down the corridors towards her kitchen. As she turned into the doorway she almost ran into Martha. The servant was hurrying to find the Queen.

"Majesty! Kentucky is preparing to leave. He has told our people to call for transport. He intends to leave within the hour."

Maude shook her head and turned around, speeding back towards Isaiah's rooms. She found the doors at the end of the corridor were both closed. She knocked on the king's but there was no answer. She could hear shuffling from behind the opposite door. It opened and she found herself facing Thomas, Isaiah's second. She could see Karin Slaughterer sitting on the bed behind him. The younger vampire bowed.

"Queen Maude," he said solemnly.

"What is this I hear, Thomas? You are leaving?"

Thomas kept his eyes trained to the floor. "Yes, majesty. I was informed by my king only a short while ago."

"Where is he?" Maude asked. She found that she was becoming less pleased with every passing minute. If Isaiah was going to throw a hissy fit he should be man enough to tell her himself and face the music.

"I do not know majesty. He passed me his instructions and told me he would meet us at the front of the house in half an hour. Your staff has informed me that they will handle the transportation." And Thomas bowed again.

"Oh get up!" Maude snapped. "You're blood tied to him!" Maude could see that Thomas was about the protest. "Oh don't bother to lie to me! You forget I was married to him. I know what Isaiah requires when it comes to loyalty so you can save your tale-telling!" Maude fixed him with a fierce eye. "You use your tie and you let him know he needs to get his ass into this house to talk with me." Thomas was opening his mouth so Maude leaned close to his face, "Now!" Then she looked over his shoulder at Karin. "And as for you missy, I'd like to have a word with you in the hallway." Before Karin could even start to react Maude followed it with, "In my house you follow my rules. Get your butt out here!"

Maude turned heel, opened the door and walked into the other room leaving the door open. Karin hesitated in the doorway, but when Maude raised her eyebrow she walked forward. She gestured toward the door but Maude shook her head. If Isaiah returned the Queen wanted to know immediately. Maude sat in one of the two armchairs set near the bed. She waved towards the other and waited for Karin to sit. Then she fixed Karin with a sharp gaze and waited.

Karin looked up then away. When the silence stretched she finally looked up at Maude, her face petulant. "What? What do you want from me?"

Maude let her stew. When she saw Karin winding up to say something more she cut her off. "You know exactly what I want to know. You know where we're sitting. You know whose room this is. I can still smell Sookie Stackhouse on that bed. So can you." Maude narrowed her eyes. "Start talking."

There was a movement. Karin's head turned as Thalia glided into the room and shut the door. She moved to stand next to Maude. "Yes, Karin. I would also like to hear how this happened," she hissed.

Any fight Karin had seemed to drain out of her. She looked almost resigned as she turned her gaze on the empty bed. "It made sense; Sookie and Kentucky. They would be good for each other." She turned her face to the women opposite her. "She was never good for my maker. She made him miserable."

Thalia's hiss turned to a growl. "How dare you? You purposely pushed her into another's bed?" Maude likewise gasped, her gaze horrified.

"How could you support bringing them back together? You don't know what I know. You don't know how flawed she is. She wasn't good for him before the shifter. And now? She is not worthy of him."