Deadlocked: A Sookie Stackhouse Novel

excited speculation. “Some large predator did this,” said Terry Bellefleur, who happened upon one of the killing sites while training his dog. “It didn’t exactly look like a bear or panther kill, but this deer was killed by something big.”
    Dammit. I’d warned Bellenos to stick to my woods.
    “Oh, I didn’t have quite enough to worry about,” I said, rising to pour some more coffee. “I needed something else.”
    “What are you worried about?” Claude asked.
    I screamed, and my coffee mug went flying.
    When I could speak, I said, “You. Do. Not. Do. That. To. Me.” He must have come in through the unlocked front door. He had keys, anyway, but I would have heard them in the lock and had some warning.
    “Cousin, I’m sorry,” he said contritely, but I could see the amusement in his eyes.
    Oh, shit. Where had I put the cluviel dor?
    I’d left it on the coffee table in the living room. It took every bit of self-control I had not to break and run for the living room.
    “Claude,” I said, “things haven’t been going well while you were gone.” I struggled to make my voice level. “Some of your fae workers have been taking little vacations.” I pointed to the paper. “I guess Dermot spent the night at Hooligans. You should read this.” If he hadn’t come through the backyard, he might not have seen Dermot’s car.
    Claude poured himself a cup of coffee and obediently pulled out a chair.
    His actions weren’t threatening, but I was looking at the man who’d sent Kym Rowe to her death; for all I knew, he was the one who’d killed her when she hadn’t gotten Eric to do the job. Claude’s sudden reappearance—without Niall—would have been enough to raise the hair on my arms even if I hadn’t known about his collusion with Jannalynn.
    Why had Claude returned by himself? There was something in his face that hadn’t been there before. I was willing him to sit down, willing him to give me the time to walk into the living room and retrieve the magical object.
    “Where is Niall?” I asked, picking up my mug, which (amazingly) hadn’t broken. After I put it by the sink, I got a wad of paper towels to mop up the spilled coffee.
    “Still in Faery,” Claude said, ostensibly concentrating on the paper. “Oh, did you like your friend’s act at Hooligans? Your human friend?”
    “JB. Well, his wife and I were sure surprised. Him being the only human, and her not knowing he was doing it and all.”
    “He needed a job, and I remembered the pretty lady who was with child,” Claude said. “See, I did a good thing. I’m not so bad.”
    “I never said you were.”
    “You look at me, though, from time to time, as if you can’t understand why I get to breathe the same air you do.”
    I was genuinely staggered. “Claude, I’m so sorry if I’ve ever given the impression I thought you were worthless. Certainly I don’t feel that way.” Or did I? No, I didn’t. I thought he was selfish and charmless and maybe guilty of murder, but that was different.
    “You don’t want to have sex with me. If you had more fae blood, you certainly would want it.”
    “But I don’t. You’re gay. I’m in love with someone else. I don’t believe in having sex with relatives. We’ve had this conversation before. I really, really don’t want to have it again.”
    The feeling of wrongness and badness kept growing; especially after my experience with the rogue Weres, I knew better than to ignore it. I also knew Claude was stronger than I was, and I assumed he had skills I’d never seen.
    “Okay,” he said. “You’re trying to let me know that my kith and kin are hunting at night? Is that the point of giving me this newspaper?”
    “Yes, Claude. That’s the point. Dermot’s about been nuts, trying to keep them in line. Did Niall get the letter I sent?”
    “I don’t know,” Claude said.
    I was bewildered. “I thought you went back with Niall to investigate who’d cast the crazy spell on Dermot,” I said. “He’s been spending lots of nights at the club and trying real hard to keep things running.” I was frightened for myself, of course, but I was frightened for Dermot, too. I hoped Dermot was awake by now; Claude wouldn’t take my word for it that Dermot wasn’t there. He’d go up to check.
    “So what have you been doing in Faery? Did you ever find out who cast the spell?”
    “Niall and I have had some disagreements,” Claude said, his beautiful dark eyes flashing up to meet mine.