Page 64 of The Secret Keeper's Daughter

He still doesn’t look convinced.

I’m willing to take a chance on her to have a real meal and am about to agree.

Harek speaks before I can.

“Won’t you get in trouble for housing me?”

“No, but you’ll certainly find some if nobody takes you on.”

I nudge him. “Let’s do this.”

He shakes his head.

“Now who’s being stubborn?” I grab his arm and pull him toward the woman. “We’d be glad to join you. Thank you for your hospitality.”

Chapter

Twenty-Three

“Where’sthe guy with the owl wings?” Harek asks, once we’re seated in the woman’s dining room.

I kick him under the table. If he keeps up with his rudeness, we won’t be able to eat the mouthwatering food waiting for us to devour. He also doesn’t seem to notice what a nice home this is. I’ve personally never seen anything like it. It seems more like a castle than an apartment.

After I insisted we follow her, she led us through a housing district filled with gorgeous structures of all sizes. Vivvi—she finally told us her name on the way—lives in the tallest one, near the top. I snagged a glance out a window, and the view is incredible.

She also has servants. One took our coats and asked if we wanted them washed. He also showed us to separate bathrooms to clean up, though we didn’t have time for showers. Vivvi insisted there would be plenty of time for that later.

It doesn’t bother me. Eat then shower, or shower then eat. We weren’t even sure we’d get a single bite tonight, and we’d already run out of the food in Harek’s pack.

Another servant led us to the dining room once we’d washed our hands and faces. Harek didn’t look sure then, and he definitely doesn’t now as he waits for Vivvi to tell us about the guy with owl wings she’d been with when we first saw her.

“He’s not my husband, if that’s what you’re asking. My Albert died several years ago, and I’ve been on my own since then.”

On her own, if you don’t count the servants bustling around. Maybe she doesn’t.

A thought strikes me—what if she thinks we’re prospects for her employment? Or worse, working for free? Maybe Harek was right, and we should’ve asked more questions before coming here. Too late, and we can always leave after filling our bellies.

“So, who was he?” Harek asks. “He looked important.”

I throw him a questioning glance. How can one person around here look more important than another? Everyone looks so different. Vivvi, even with her now-black hair, seems the most human of anyone I’ve seen since arriving.

She smiles at Harek. “You’re very observant. He’s a member of the high council. But let’s not worry about him. Eat.” She waves her hands in front of the food.

I don’t have to be told twice and quickly reach for the nearest dish. After scooping something like purple scallops onto my plate, I go for some meat I don’t recognize. Hopefully the weird magic will let me eat and be. This is the first time I’ve had anything inside the gates, and it’s like the magic wants out or something. It’s hard to explain. But it won’t keep me from filling up.

Harek continues interrogating our host, and she doesn’t seem bothered. In fact, she almost appears amused by the line of questioning. I’m not sure if she just enjoys our company or if she actually finds us humorous. As long as we can stay here, I don’t care.

“What about you, Eira?”

I glance up with a mouthful of food. Swallow. “Huh?”

Vivvi looks like she’s trying to stifle a smile. “I asked where you grew up.”

“Oh.” I wipe my mouth with a delicate napkin that’s probably worth more than anything I’ve ever owned. “In Skoro, not far from Harek. His family hunts, and mine farms.”

“Interesting.”

“Why’s that?”

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