Page 39 of A Soul to Touch

“I know,” he answered darkly, the presence of anger deepening his tone. “I can feel it.”

“What will you do during it?”

“What do you mean?”

“From what we’ve gathered, it makes it impossible for Demons to sniff out humans during rain and snowstorms. If you don’t need to guard the house, and I can’t give you any tasks because of it, what will you do?”

“I will... sit outside and watch the storm, just in case then. What else would I be able to do?”

She kept her movements casual and at ease, but a grin began to curl her lips and grew so large that it bowed the bottom of her eyes.

“Do you know how to play board games?” She kept her tone nondescript. “My family’s been collecting them since we came to this land.”

He gave an agitated huff. “I don’t know what that is.”

Mayumi grabbed the dough she’d kneaded into a decently sized, sticky blob, and placed it inside of a rectangular bread tray. Her cooking stove, which was made of metal and bulbous in shape, had a section to cook on top of and a door she could open to expose the flaming insides.

She planned to let the bread rest for two or so hours to let the yeast and gluten work into the dough, but she doubted it would be as nice as what the bakers within the village could make. This kind of cooking hearth also wasn’t suitable for what she was doing.

She didn’t care so long as it was edible.

“That’s fine. I can teach you how to play. We have plenty of them since it helps to pass the time when you’re stuck with no one else but each other. I’m sure we can find something easy for you to learn.”

“You want me to remain inside with you?”

Mayumi turned around to find he was standing idle, like he was unsure of what to do. He had his hand to his chest with his head tilted.

“Sure, why not? I’ll be bored brainless inside by myself for however long it takes for the storm to blow over.”

It could be days, or worst-case scenario – or best-case for Mayumi since that could put them together in close proximity for a longer period – a week.

“You’re a Duskwalker. Do you know what the guild would pay just to have a conversation with you?”

Faunus huffed and crossed his arms, lowering himself until he was no longer standing bent so he could be comfortable. He appeared to have no issues crouching.

“You Demonslayers would want to do more than have a conversation. I know you examine Demons.”

Her lips pursed into a cruel smirk. “And how would you know that?”

“Humans in the past, those who have tried to capture me, have often shouted demands to each other. ‘Take the Duskwalker alive so we can find out what it looks like on the inside.’ ‘I bet it looks like a Demon once we cut it open.’ It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what you’ve been doing.”

“Do you?” Mayumi asked with bright curiosity. “If we were to finally cut open a Duskwalker, would you be exactly like a Demon?”

“No. We are vastly different to everything living on Earth.”

“How so?”

Faunus slowly turned his head away, and she couldn’t stop the way her heart shrivelled a little inside her chest at him doing so.Does he think I’m only allowing him here so I can find out more about his kind so we can kill them?

It was a smart move, and something sheshouldhave considered doing right from the start, but it hadn’t even crossed her mind until this very moment.

I just... wanted to know more about him.

She could tell him she was no longer a part of the guild, but then she’d have to tell him why. She wasn’t particularly ashamed of the reason, but it was a heavy conversation to have with someone she barely knew.

He was also somethingthat might not understand.

Since it didn’t appear as though he was going to respond, Mayumi walked to the storage room to start searching for a board game, or any game, that would be suitable.

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