"Please, have a seat, Judy." The young woman scuttled from the door to the chair and sat with her hands clasped, head bowed. A large bruise marked her pale neck. Was she trembling?He'd made sure to send the most nurturing member in the Guild, Claire, to pick Judy up from the hospital this morning. His instructions were to act as if it had been the plan all along for Judy to escape from the ceremony. Not only had he advised Claire to be comforting and supportive, but gave her money to buy a complete outfit for the poor girl. "Have you recovered from your unfortunate ordeal the other night?" The concern he poured into his voice did the trick. Judy looked at him, her eyes brimming.She nodded. "Do you understand why the unpleasantness had to happen?"Her gaze slid to the right, and she shrugged.He leaned towards her. "I understand you're confused. I'm sorry about that. You are a valuable member of this Guild, and I couldn't stand that you thought we wanted to hurt you. I was trying to capture that special quality you possess.
