Her eyes widened and shimmered at his strongly spoken words. “But first, before we discuss this further, there is someone who has been waiting to meet you.”
I paused at the sudden disjointed nature of his words. He had been speaking fine a moment ago, and now he sounded like a puppet. I took half a step forward.
“Wait a second, Red.” Brace held out a hand to stop me. His eyes narrowed as he perused the area. “Something’s up with Blue there. He no longer appears to be in control of himself.”
I wasn’t sure if Brace knew something I didn’t or if he’d just noticed the strange behavior. As he spoke, the men fell into defensive mode. They moved in front of us, and as a group we drew closer together before backing up in steady steps.
“Yes, but who besides Aribella, with all her super powers, has the ability to do this.” Samuel’s features were schooled in tight worried lines.
“Do any Spurns have powers to hypnotize or mentally manipulate others?” I was pretty sure I hadn’t done anything this time.
Talina shook her head. “No, I have never heard of anyone who would be capable of that.”
Ladre hadn’t moved yet. He was still standing, his hand out in a gesture to sit, his expression blank.
“Ladre is the most powerful of any Spurn. Who could have done this?” Talina’s voice broke.
She was fidgeting, and I knew she was very close to running back to Ladre.
Raror, who must have sensed the same thing, tightened his hold on her arms.
The other Baroons around the table continued to sit, expressionless and silent.
“Well, well, you are slightly more aware than I gave you credit for.” The low deep voice came from behind us.
We spun around.
“I didn’t think First Worlders were too fast on the uptake. They definitely weren’t the few times I decided to stop off on your ape planet.” The giant man framed in the doorway continued to speak.
Derision rolled off him in waves, and I recognized this level of arrogance. I knew immediately what we were dealing with; he was a Walker. His white-blond hair was long, and was secured at the nape of his neck. His eyes were such a dark blue they looked violet. He had the same broad-plane features as Josian. I guessed that many of the old Walkers would look as if they’d been carved from stone millennia ago. But unlike Josian this man had no warmth, no sparkle in his eye that spoke of empathy or care.
“Damn it, you Walker freaks just keep popping up everywhere we turn lately,” Lucy commented. “No offence, Abbs,” she finished, without turning her head.
I actually laughed a little.
“How dare you address me? You are even less than First World; you are from Earth,” he muttered, as if she was some crap on the bottom of his foot.
Brace moved forward slowly, edging me out of sight. I assumed he was trying to hide the red Walker marks on my face. It was probably a good move, considering halflings were not supposed to exist. The man started to pace before us.
“When I arrived on Spurn, for ... well, my own important reasons. I was surprised when my old buddy Lanster,” I was pretty sure he meant Ladre, “informed me that there were visitors from First World here. Now he didn’t exactly understand the significance, but I know First Worlders can’t just jump worlds. So I got to thinking.” He paused and faced us again, energy rolling off him in waves.
It made my stomach ache, and I wanted to take a step back.
“That maybe you little travelers had a Walker aiding you. And, well, we just can’t have our Walker secrets paraded around for any lower life-form to utilize.”
His face fell into a pose of exaggerated apology. “Sorry to say, but it’s my duty to make sure that you don’t leave here with any information you shouldn’t.”
I wasn’t sure if I should step forward or not.
“Of course we have the power on First World to travel. I am the Emperor. I control the royal stones.” Lucas spoke up.
I groaned; he should not have mentioned the laluna to this Walker.
The blonds’ face grew even colder, although a slight red flushed his cheeks.
“No one controls the lalunas, you pathetic ape. They were gifted, in error if you ask me, to you unevolved entities. The fact that these objects, which are to be honored, are in your filthy grips, well, I and all Walkers should hang our heads in shame.”
“Oh, for eff sake. Someone shut this ass-hat’s mouth. Every time I have to listen to something more moronic than the last thing he said, my brain cells commit suicide in protest.” Lucy, as usual, had absolutely no sense of self-preservation.
Samuel and I both dived to cut her off, but we were too slow. Her words seemed to linger in the air for a few moments, and then, before I could blink, the Walker was standing in front of her.
“For that, mortal, you shall die.” He smiled down at her, a smile of pure cold-blooded killer. He would take her life in that instant and not think twice about it.
“Stop!” I screamed.
He whipped around to lock on me with his dark, violent eyes.