Page 43 of The Secret Keeper's Daughter

I grunt as the foreign magic inside me slams into the other side of my ribcage.

“What the blazes is going on?” he demands.

“I’ll tell you inside the cabin.”

Harek nods, and we make our way over to the tiny building.

My insides feel a little better as I move around.

He holds the door open for me. Nice to know he can still be a gentleman, despite all his lies. Before I step in, he blocks my path and makes a big deal about sniffing around. “Did a fae die here?”

“Like I said, long story.”

Color drains from his face. “Youkilleda fae?”

“Iamone, remember? Even if merely half.”

He breathes heavily. “Are you sure? You didn’t just injure it?”

“I’m not an idiot.”

Harek swears. “I never should have left you alone.”

“Clearly.”

“Where’d you put the body?” He looks around.

I sigh. “Nowhere.”

“But you’re sure you killed one?”

“Two.”

He chokes on air. “Two? Without a weapon?”

I shrug. “I’m not completely useless.”

“What happened?” he demands. “Tell me everything. This is important.”

I hold up my palm, which of course is doing nothing now that I have the other magic inside me.

“You killed them with your glow?” He scratches his chin. “How?”

“Can we go inside? I’d like to sit.”

“Where’d you put the bodies? I can’t deal with the stench.”

I sniff, not smelling anything. “They disintegrated.”

“Come again?”

“I’m going inside.” I shove my way past him and plop onto the nearest bed.

He follows me, sitting on the other mattress. “Tell me everything, and don’t leave out a single detail.”

My insides slosh around, making me nauseated again, so I pace, which is the only thing that seems to help. It takes forever to tell him the entire story because he interrupts every other sentence to ask questions. By the time I’ve explained everything in excruciating detail, my insides have calmed enough for me to sit. “Is any of this normal?”

“No.” He scratches his head, looking deep in thought.

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