mulling it over, Maximilian said, “You don’t like Elizabeth being with him.”
“With Saloman? She’s my friend. Why would I want her to spend her life with a monster even other vampires are terrified of?”
“She isn’t afraid of him.”
“That’s my other reason.” She took a carton from the fridge and poured juice into a glass.
In silence, he watched her prepare the simple meal and make coffee for herself. She said, “When he’s eaten this, I’ll take him back to Edinburgh.”
“No.”
She rounded on him. “Look, you can’t just abduct a child from his home, for whatever reason—”
“I didn’t abduct him. He came to me.”
She grabbed the plate of beans and toast in one hand and the glass in the other and brushed past him. “So you brought him here? Now I’m in on it. Do you know what the penalties are for this crime?”
“They need him. He can’t help them from here. And he’s safer with you while I track them.”
In the living room, Robbie had taken off his coat and was gazing at Elizabeth’s antique print of the cathedral, which hung on the wall.
“Something to eat, Robbie,” she said, laying the plate down on the coffee table, and the boy ran over with alacrity. Probably the vampire had forgotten to give him food all day. Robbie knelt in front of the table and began shoveling in his beans on toast.
Since Maximilian stood now in the living room doorway, she said, “You’re missing the point. You can’t just kidnap children from their parents. I’ll take him back and contact the local hunters to protect him. And hope I don’t get arrested in the process. You—”
“They beat him,” Maximilian said casually. “He has bruises all up his arms and chest.”
Mihaela spun round to stare at him. She dragged her hand through her hair, pulling convulsively. “Oh shit.” She found herself tying her hair back up in its severe knot behind her head, while she tried to squash emotional responses to his revelation—which she didn’t disbelieve. It was too easy to check, and besides, her instincts yesterday had all been against Jim and Peg. At the same time, she was aware he was using the undoubted tragedy to manipulate her into doing what he wanted.
Robbie’s bruises had to be shown to the social services, and he had to be removed from Jim and Peg’s care. Unless she herself was accused of abducting him and beating him, in which case, she’d go to jail and Robbie would be sent back to Jim and Peg. And he’d run back to the vampires—Maximilian or worse.
“This is impossible,” she said in frustration, throwing herself onto the sofa.
“No, it isn’t. You can protect him.”
“Me? I don’t know how to look after a child! I’m not even a national of this country!”
“There will be no difficulty. If you travel with me, you’ll find you have all the correct documents.”
Much to her discomfort, the vampire crossed the room and sat down beside her. Instantly, her body leapt to full alert. How could she be so aware of him when he gave off no heat, no breath?
She glared at him. “You expect me to believe your top priority is the safety of one human child?”
“Right now, it is.”
She frowned. “Because you want to know what his value is?”
Maximilian nodded.
Without breaking his gaze, she said, “You wanted me to tell Dmitriu about him. Why?”
“Dmitriu is looking for humans who bear the Ancient gene, who are open to supernatural experience.”
That made sense. Some Ancient genes had been passed on from the live members of Saloman’s race who’d never become vampires themselves but who’d coupled with humans. Their descendants were believed to be those who showed some kind of genuine supernatural gift, like Elizabeth, Cyn Venolia in New York, and the telepathic Scots soldier John Ramsay. And, surely, Robbie.
“Because Saloman told him to?” Mihaela guessed. “Part of his gradual educating- humans-to-the-existence-of-vampires
“With Saloman? She’s my friend. Why would I want her to spend her life with a monster even other vampires are terrified of?”
“She isn’t afraid of him.”
“That’s my other reason.” She took a carton from the fridge and poured juice into a glass.
In silence, he watched her prepare the simple meal and make coffee for herself. She said, “When he’s eaten this, I’ll take him back to Edinburgh.”
“No.”
She rounded on him. “Look, you can’t just abduct a child from his home, for whatever reason—”
“I didn’t abduct him. He came to me.”
She grabbed the plate of beans and toast in one hand and the glass in the other and brushed past him. “So you brought him here? Now I’m in on it. Do you know what the penalties are for this crime?”
“They need him. He can’t help them from here. And he’s safer with you while I track them.”
In the living room, Robbie had taken off his coat and was gazing at Elizabeth’s antique print of the cathedral, which hung on the wall.
“Something to eat, Robbie,” she said, laying the plate down on the coffee table, and the boy ran over with alacrity. Probably the vampire had forgotten to give him food all day. Robbie knelt in front of the table and began shoveling in his beans on toast.
Since Maximilian stood now in the living room doorway, she said, “You’re missing the point. You can’t just kidnap children from their parents. I’ll take him back and contact the local hunters to protect him. And hope I don’t get arrested in the process. You—”
“They beat him,” Maximilian said casually. “He has bruises all up his arms and chest.”
Mihaela spun round to stare at him. She dragged her hand through her hair, pulling convulsively. “Oh shit.” She found herself tying her hair back up in its severe knot behind her head, while she tried to squash emotional responses to his revelation—which she didn’t disbelieve. It was too easy to check, and besides, her instincts yesterday had all been against Jim and Peg. At the same time, she was aware he was using the undoubted tragedy to manipulate her into doing what he wanted.
Robbie’s bruises had to be shown to the social services, and he had to be removed from Jim and Peg’s care. Unless she herself was accused of abducting him and beating him, in which case, she’d go to jail and Robbie would be sent back to Jim and Peg. And he’d run back to the vampires—Maximilian or worse.
“This is impossible,” she said in frustration, throwing herself onto the sofa.
“No, it isn’t. You can protect him.”
“Me? I don’t know how to look after a child! I’m not even a national of this country!”
“There will be no difficulty. If you travel with me, you’ll find you have all the correct documents.”
Much to her discomfort, the vampire crossed the room and sat down beside her. Instantly, her body leapt to full alert. How could she be so aware of him when he gave off no heat, no breath?
She glared at him. “You expect me to believe your top priority is the safety of one human child?”
“Right now, it is.”
She frowned. “Because you want to know what his value is?”
Maximilian nodded.
Without breaking his gaze, she said, “You wanted me to tell Dmitriu about him. Why?”
“Dmitriu is looking for humans who bear the Ancient gene, who are open to supernatural experience.”
That made sense. Some Ancient genes had been passed on from the live members of Saloman’s race who’d never become vampires themselves but who’d coupled with humans. Their descendants were believed to be those who showed some kind of genuine supernatural gift, like Elizabeth, Cyn Venolia in New York, and the telepathic Scots soldier John Ramsay. And, surely, Robbie.
“Because Saloman told him to?” Mihaela guessed. “Part of his gradual educating- humans-to-the-existence-of-vampires
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