Composing herself, she went back to eating her stew. After finishing the bowl, she ate the bread, saving the precious fruit for last.
“Tell me the rest. I’m guessing it has something to do with how you ended up on my ship?” He was careful not to look at her except for stealing glances. Instead he directed his attention to the meal and ate, looking down at the plate to put her at ease.
Sighing, she broke off a piece of bread, heavily buttered, stuffed it in her mouth and chewed. The lass was stalling.
“Maggie, I shall say it until you stop shrinking away from me. Nothing has hurt you since you’ve set foot on my ship and I will not hurt you. Confide in me. I can help you.”
“There are others like me, still at the house. Bruce and his men—they can’t see you or your kind…but…we can.”
Based on their auspicious meeting at Edinburgh Castle, he knew that. But others? This was interesting. “You are unusual, but I’ve encountered others like you. Those who have wandered into shadow and back. This Bruce character, he uses you to see us. Then what?” It was brilliant he thought, leaning back in his chair. Recruiting those who had the ability to see the enemy so the minions could try to kill them. Grudgingly he admitted to himself—they had something.
“The men take us out and when we see someone like you we write up a description or sometimes we tell them where you are standing and they shoot at you.”
At his look she paused. “Solien told us Shadow Walkers are trying to destroy the world, killing humans and bringing creatures to live in our cities and eat the children.” She shuddered.
This was really too ridiculous for words. They were the bloody heroes. “Allow me to set the record straight, may I?” She nodded, peeling an orange and he continued. “We, Shadow Walkers, that is, are the good guys. Solien is a demon and Rawlins is a Day Walker. They are allied in the quest to destroy humanity. On the other hand, we protect all of you. And unlike the enemy, we’re forbidden to drain humans dry.” Pausing, he let her take it in, watching the emotions play across her face. Had to admit, it was easier talking to someone who already knew about them and the “other” creatures. Not like she’d run shrieking from the news.
“You both profess to be the good guys. I’ll make up my own mind, thank you. I’ve seen what Solien and the others do. Cruel, awful things.” Voice breaking, she reached for the cup of tea. “Robert? Are all Day Walkers demons like Solien?”
What the hell had they done to her? It was appalling.
“No. Only Solien. Day Walkers are like us in the sense we were all mortal at one time. Then we died and some of us took one path to protect. Others took the road to destruction and embraced a different existence. Have you met Dayne? Solien reports to him.”
“No. If Solien answers to him, I don’t want to. So you’re what, some kind of ghost?”
“An apt enough description. How did you come to work for them?”
Did she have to bite her lip? It made him think of bedding her. He wasn’t supposed to be thinking of sex, well not until after he found out about her and helped her. Or maybe found out, then sex thoughts, then help her, then more pleasurable thoughts. Glad she couldn’t hear what he was thinking, he grinned inside.
Maggie squirmed in her chair clearly uncomfortable with telling him. He’d wait. The silence stretched. “I guess it doesn’t matter if I tell you. My supposed best friend told Bruce about me in exchange for three hundred quid. I was kidnapped on my way home from work over a year ago. It wasn’t just me; there were others in similar situations though now there’s only a few left. Some tried to escape and were killed. I thought I’d die there.”
“I’m sorry, Maggie. What happened to make you risk your life escaping?”
She exhaled hard, unconsciously hugging herself. To give her a moment, he got up to pour tea. At that moment, a knock
“Tell me the rest. I’m guessing it has something to do with how you ended up on my ship?” He was careful not to look at her except for stealing glances. Instead he directed his attention to the meal and ate, looking down at the plate to put her at ease.
Sighing, she broke off a piece of bread, heavily buttered, stuffed it in her mouth and chewed. The lass was stalling.
“Maggie, I shall say it until you stop shrinking away from me. Nothing has hurt you since you’ve set foot on my ship and I will not hurt you. Confide in me. I can help you.”
“There are others like me, still at the house. Bruce and his men—they can’t see you or your kind…but…we can.”
Based on their auspicious meeting at Edinburgh Castle, he knew that. But others? This was interesting. “You are unusual, but I’ve encountered others like you. Those who have wandered into shadow and back. This Bruce character, he uses you to see us. Then what?” It was brilliant he thought, leaning back in his chair. Recruiting those who had the ability to see the enemy so the minions could try to kill them. Grudgingly he admitted to himself—they had something.
“The men take us out and when we see someone like you we write up a description or sometimes we tell them where you are standing and they shoot at you.”
At his look she paused. “Solien told us Shadow Walkers are trying to destroy the world, killing humans and bringing creatures to live in our cities and eat the children.” She shuddered.
This was really too ridiculous for words. They were the bloody heroes. “Allow me to set the record straight, may I?” She nodded, peeling an orange and he continued. “We, Shadow Walkers, that is, are the good guys. Solien is a demon and Rawlins is a Day Walker. They are allied in the quest to destroy humanity. On the other hand, we protect all of you. And unlike the enemy, we’re forbidden to drain humans dry.” Pausing, he let her take it in, watching the emotions play across her face. Had to admit, it was easier talking to someone who already knew about them and the “other” creatures. Not like she’d run shrieking from the news.
“You both profess to be the good guys. I’ll make up my own mind, thank you. I’ve seen what Solien and the others do. Cruel, awful things.” Voice breaking, she reached for the cup of tea. “Robert? Are all Day Walkers demons like Solien?”
What the hell had they done to her? It was appalling.
“No. Only Solien. Day Walkers are like us in the sense we were all mortal at one time. Then we died and some of us took one path to protect. Others took the road to destruction and embraced a different existence. Have you met Dayne? Solien reports to him.”
“No. If Solien answers to him, I don’t want to. So you’re what, some kind of ghost?”
“An apt enough description. How did you come to work for them?”
Did she have to bite her lip? It made him think of bedding her. He wasn’t supposed to be thinking of sex, well not until after he found out about her and helped her. Or maybe found out, then sex thoughts, then help her, then more pleasurable thoughts. Glad she couldn’t hear what he was thinking, he grinned inside.
Maggie squirmed in her chair clearly uncomfortable with telling him. He’d wait. The silence stretched. “I guess it doesn’t matter if I tell you. My supposed best friend told Bruce about me in exchange for three hundred quid. I was kidnapped on my way home from work over a year ago. It wasn’t just me; there were others in similar situations though now there’s only a few left. Some tried to escape and were killed. I thought I’d die there.”
“I’m sorry, Maggie. What happened to make you risk your life escaping?”
She exhaled hard, unconsciously hugging herself. To give her a moment, he got up to pour tea. At that moment, a knock
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