Page 39 of The Secret Keeper's Daughter

I hold up my palm. The mist has practically formed a ball.

Maybe I should see what it can do.

Chapter

Fifteen

Whoever is outside has circledthe cabin multiple times now. The craziness that is my palm hasn’t gone down any, even when they move from the door to the other side of the building. Why they haven’t tried the door is beyond me. Unless they can’t see it.

Crash!

Another crack forms, this time on the wall next to the window.

I wipe beads of sweat from my brow and suck in a harried breath. Even if the people or creatures outside can’t come in, it’s clear they’re going to keep trying.

It’s also clear I have a built-in weapon. I don’t have anyone to teach me about it, but I’m capable. I’m a strong woman who has already survived so much—a stepfather who hates me, never having met my actual father, my mother dying, finding out I’m a halfling.

I’m on my own in every way possible. My own nature is trying to tell me something.

Time to listen. My body knows what to do, so hopefully my brain will catch up.

Here goes nothing. I fling open the door with my non-magical hand.

It’s unnaturally dark. Like a storm or the night settling, but it’s too early for that. Must be fae who can control the weather.

I’m crazy to think I can hold my own against them. But they aren’t leaving me any other choice. I hide my right hand behind my back and creep around the side of the cabin toward the last noise I heard.

Thunk!

That wasn’t far. I’m going in the right direction, not that I could go the wrong way around this small square structure.

I’m tempted to turn around and run away when I round the corner.

Two tall, wart-covered fae with crooked noses and pointy ears spin my way. The taller one has hunched shoulders, and the shorter walks with a limp.

Maybe they won’t be so hard to scare away. They clearly aren’t at the top of their game.

The short one cackles. “Looky here. I knew there was someone inside the building.”

“She’ll fill us both up nice.” The tall one licks his lips, exposing sharp teeth. Part of a finger sticks between two of them.

A finger?

My stomach sinks. These two aren’t as weak as I gave them credit for. How am I going to fight off both of them?

“Come here, little girl.” The short one—who is still taller than me—looks me up and down with his beady eyes. “You’ll do just nice.”

The tall one snorts. “Better than the last one. She barely whetted my appetite for this one.”

I glance around. Where’s Harek when I need him?

Both of the creatures in front of me hold out fingers and bend them toward themselves. This is just another day of killing humans for them.

Except I’m not just a human. I’m a halfling, and they won’t see that coming. Not to mention my glow.

The tall one lunges for me, clearing the space between us in the blink of an eye.

My breath catches, and then almost without thinking, I whip out my right hand and hold it up.

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