Nightwalker

Chapter Twenty-Seven

We were sitting down on a pile of hay at the back of Ruddy's stall. I was sitting with my back against the wooden wall with my legs out in front of me while the girl was curled up on her side with her head on my lap. Her cheeks were stained red while her eyes were bloodshot and yet still more tears dribbled from them.

I ran my fingers through her ratty black hair while her bony hands clasped my own tightly, not wanting to let go even if her life depended on it.

"I've known no other life besides this one." She suddenly started. I said nothing while continuing to pet her hair. "I've never met a Nightwalker like you. So caring, so understanding..."

"It's just how I am." I replied.

She turned over and looked up at me while still resting her head on my lap. "Do you want my blood?" She asked bluntly.

I stopped my stroking for a second before continuing. I shook my head while a rueful smile came to my lips. "No my dear. I don't want your blood."

"Then what do you want from me?"

"Nothing. I just want you to know that not all creatures are the same as Enrique." I told her sincerely. "I use to live on the streets before I was Changed. I was abused and hurt by the villagers where I lived and I didn't understand why. It was my Mistress who saved me from a death less meaningful than a worm's. Because of her I was able to meet many amazing people and learn so many new things I never even tried to even hope to learn."

"Really?" She asked in surprise.

I smiled softly and nodded my head. "I was living such an insignificant life that I even forgot my name."

"You don't know your name?"

"Yeah, I know it sounds silly, but I was on the streets for so long it felt monogamous and mind numbing that I just started to forget things about myself. I forgot my name first, then started missing days, weeks. There are just blank spaces where memories should be inside my head."

"How did you end up on the street?"

"I'm not entirely sure what happened, but I know, it's about the only thing I can remember from my past, that my parents were killed somehow and for some reason. I must have gotten away and just started living on the streets."

"How did you survive?"

"Begging mostly. Pleading to people who didn't know who I was to give me any change they could spare so that I could buy week old bread and moulding cheese."

"I'm sorry." She whispered sincerely while reaching a small hand up to touch my cheek in a comforting manner.

I smiled down at her and placed my own much larger hand around her before pressing a soft kiss to her palm. "Thank you."

"What do they call you now, if you don't have a name?"

"My Mistress and her other guards call me Pet, while Anon, the big grey wolf, calls me Alpha and a friend of mine back at the estate calls me Purple because of my eyes."

The girl giggled as one of her fingers traced the skin under one of my eyes. "I like your eyes, I like Purple."

I chuckled softly with her while thanking her again. "And what are you called around here?" I asked in return.

Her smile slightly faded as a far away looked came to her storm grey eyes. "My mother called me Athena, but I'm mostly called 'girl' by the older servants or 'whore' by the Nightwalkers."

I frowned as anger bubbled and made my mana spike inside me. Her hand touching my face again pulled me back and I looked down into her eyes. "Athena, that's a beautiful name, very befitting for a beautiful girl."