Page 93 of I Accidentally Hired a Shadow Walker
“How do we know they won’t attack when we get there?” Raymond straightened next to me, the shadows on his arm lifted just slightly and swaying above his flesh. “Punal is a damned liar, and we all know that. I won’t go unless we’re sure what we’re getting into.”
“You know there are never any guarantees when dealing with demons. But hey, times have changed. People grow.” He paused, looking at me, then returned his gaze to his brother. “You’ve definitely changed since you left the Bane.”
“What else did they say?” Raymond asked.
“You might not believe this, but surprisingly, they are offering you a deal.” Cufio sat in the leather armchair across from us and kicked his feet up on the stone table in the center of the space. “I don’t know the details yet, but it sounds like there is something he wants from you in return for letting you off the hook.”
“That sounds too good to be true,” Raymond said. “Why would he ever just let me off after what happened?”
“Time passes, people heal and move on. There is definitely a catch, but what choice do we have?” Cufio sat down on the sofa across from us. “I mean, unless Likosa told you something different.”
“She didn’t. She wasn’t much help at all, actually,” Raymond muttered.
“That’s not like her.” Metice appeared, walking out of the kitchen with a glass in his hand. “What happened?”
“She gave her a scarf,” Raymond answered.
“A scarf?” Metice looked at me. “Was there something special about it?”
“It’s a long story.” I held up the green scarf I’d stuffed into my pocket. “But it used to be mine. I lost it when I was a kid.”
“It is always a long story with Likosa. She’s the queen of playing the long game.” Metice eyed the fabric in my hand. “But if she gave that to you, it means you’re supposed to have it. I wouldn’t brush it off as insignificant.”
“So when do we leave?” I asked. With my stomach full of sweet treats, my mind was ready to do more, and listening to the men go back and forth sounded like a horrible idea. Raymond was clearly stalling, and his brother was doing nothing but antagonizing him. “I’m all for strategizing when we’re talkingabout actual game plans, but that’s not happening. Likosa said Natalie won’t make it long here because she’s a regular human. We need to get her home.”
“She’s right.” Cufio nodded, leaning back further in his seat. “Which is why I already moved some things around. We have a scheduled appointment with the big guy, and Noville will be here in the morning with transportation for us to head over there.”
“Transportation? Can't we just use the shadows?” I looked at Raymond. “Why are we making this take longer than necessary?”
“There are rules to our world. One of the biggest ones is that shadow walkers are not allowed to just pop up anywhere they want, not in private spaces andespeciallynot in Klougus’s place,” Cufio spoke. “We need permission to do that. Since everything that happened…he’s doubled down on security. Shadows can’t just come and go like they used to.”
“That gives you some time to rest. There is a lot that needs to be done, but none of it matters if you are falling over yourself.” Metice pointed at me. “She needs it.”
“No, I’m fine,” I insisted. “I’ve eaten now. Plenty of fuel in those donuts.”
“No, you’re not. It takes time to adjust to being in this world, and that hardly counts as a balanced meal. You’ll need more to eat than that.” He looked at Raymond. “Make sure she rests. If she’s anything like Rayna, she’ll fight you on it. I have a few things to handle. I’ll be back when you’re ready to head out.”
“Yeah, thanks.” Raymond stood as if he needed to walk them to the door, but Metice vanished with that weird, pressurized feeling, and Cufio stepped into a shadow and disappeared.
“Are we really supposed to just take a nap or something now?” I stood from the sofa. “I don’t think I’m capable of that right now.”
“They’re right.” Raymond turned to me, his eyes softer than before.
What the heck was it about Metice that made him harden like that?
“I won’t have you wearing yourself out here.” He held his hand out to me. “Let’s go.”
It was pointless to debate him on it. I knew what would happen if I did: shadow hands. And honestly, after eating the sugary treat, I felt the ache of exhaustion creeping over my body. We had a plan. That was what mattered.
I followed Raymond into the large bedroom. It was simple—dark stone walls, flickering candlelight, one massive bed across from a large window overlooking a grassy expanse leading to the distant city lights. There was a fireplace, and just beyond the bed sat the luggage Jackie helped me pack. I’d been so worried about making it to Natalie, I hadn’t thought about my things.
But Raymond had. I didn’t know when he did it, but he’d considered me and my needs.
I noticed the zipper on one of the bags was opened, but before I could mention it, Raymond looked at me with eyes that made everything feel all too intense. Maybe I should have asked him what was on his mind. Maybe. But I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the answer to that question, not after everything that had been said.
Likosa’s words, that suggestion of marriage, hung between us like a neon sign, buzzing and blinding.
When I said nothing, and after it was clear he also wouldn’t be breaking the awkward silence, I shifted my focus from his dark eyes to look out the window again. A quiet sigh slipped through my lips when I heard him moving around the room behind me.
