Chapter 3

“…But Maggie why not?” Jimmy Delacrouix exclaimed. Frustration and impatience evident in his voice, and clearly displayed on his face. They were on their way back after the night’s hunt and once again Jimmy had broached The Question. The question he had never gotten a satisfactory answer to, despite his continued persistence. And he had been persistent. In the last 15 years not two days had gone by without him asking at least once.

“Why wont you go out with me?” he gritted his teeth and ran both hands through his shaggy black hair. He took a breath and tried desperately to control his temper. “It’s been 16 years since he left you” he continued reasonably, “and for what? All because Mikal was human and not the vampire freak he expected. Never minding that he is a sweet kid” he took another deep breath “Look Maggie all I’m saying is that I’ve been here for you when he wasn’t. I just want a chance to show you how good we could be together.”

Maggie sighed, what could she say? She certainly couldn’t tell him the truth. There was no way he could keep this secret. If he managed to conceal the horror he would no doubt feel at her perceived betrayed the knowledge would be ripped out of his head. He just wasn’t powerful enough, didn’t have the self mastery. She winced inwardly, it really didn’t help that he had spent more than a year in a catatonic state – courtesy of Simon.

Although she hated to admit it she doubted it would have made the crucial difference. Deep down in her heart of hearts she doubted he would ever be a major power. No matter how many years he survived. Jimmy was just too impulsive and one day it was going to get him killed.

She couldn’t tell him any of this of course; it would completely wreck the fragile self-confidence she had struggled to instil in him after his imprisonment. Instead she answered similarly to how she had been answering him for years. “I’m just not interested in getting involved with anyone yet. Besides, you know what Simon promised he would do to anyone I got involved with – just look at what he did to you!”

Jimmy shuddered, his face clouding over. Maggie knew the horrors he was recalling and hated herself for reminding him of them. She had however, no other choice. Even if she had, had any inclination of getting involved with Jimmy again Simon would never allow it. If there was a next time he would make what he had done to Jimmy seem gentle in comparison with what he would do.

Sometimes she wondered if she had imagined it all. The caring, solicitous man Simon had been during her pregnancy. She had even considered whether it was all just an act he had put on. After all she knew what his previous life was like – before he changed. She knew just how important children were to him, the one thing he had truly regretted about his new state. His own blood carrying on the Baldevar name. His legacy.

She felt like a traitor for thinking that way; but as time stretched on and she heard no news of Elizabeth. Nothing from Simon. It left her feeling isolated, vulnerable, and so very alone; despite her son and close friends. Even working as a child psychologist – a career she loved wasn’t as fulfilling as it had been in the past. She didn’t know how much longer she could continue like this.

Jimmy broke into her reverie “Just think about it. For you it would be worth the risk.” Maggie smiled weakly, her heart breaking for the harm she was doing him. The damage she was causing by not telling the truth. He was a decent man and it was wrong to give him false hope. Wrong to keep silent. Years ago she would have spoken up, consequences be damned! Unfortunately for him she was not the same woman he fell in love with. She was a mother now. To protect her children she would willingly sacrifice herself. A choice between him and Elizabeth was no choice at all.