Page 97 of The Secret Keeper's Daughter

I shrug. “I don’t know that she told us her last name.”

His mouth tightens. “Her hair changes with the color of the sky.”

“That’s her,” Harek says.

Einar draws a deep breath. “You want to talk about someone not to trust farther than you can throw them? She’s at the top of the list.”

“Vivvi?” I say. “What’s so bad about her?”

“I didn’t say she’s bad, but you have to be careful around her. She’s obsessed with hunters.”

“She did mention something about my grandfather.”

He nods.

Harek squares his shoulders. “Are we in danger?”

“You trust my opinion now?” The corners of my father’s mouth twitch like he’s amused.

“I’m not sure I trustanyone.” Harek folds his arms. “But I want to hear what you have to say about her.”

“Hunters don’t tend to marry, but Vivvi Chamirel is up for the challenge. It has more to do with tapping into the power and fame than any noble desire.”

“She’s been really nice to us,” I point out. “If it weren’t for her, we would’ve had to sleep on the ground last night. Instead, she fed us and gave us luxurious beds and baths. These are her clothes.”

He glances between Harek and me. “That tracks. I’d never guess you two just spent a week in the forest.”

“And I’d never guess you have a dragon.” It’s so weird to say that, but nothing should feel unbelievable after everything I’ve seen in the last week. Though dragons seem to take all of this newness to a whole new level.

“Most don’t. In general, they avoid cities.”

Harek’s expression sours. “But not for you.”

“At least not these two.” If Einar notices Harek’s disdain, he isn’t bothered by it. Maybe he appreciates my friend being protective of me—something he wasn’t given the chance to do himself.

I feel a little bad that my mother never even gave him the option, but at the same time I get why she did it. If she knew we would have to fight to death one day, it’s no wonder she kept my existence from him. I’m sure it killed her to go from having a relationship with Einar to Gunnar.

The thought makes me shudder.

“Are you okay?” Concern fills my father’s eyes.

“I’m fine. Let’s see your dragon.”

Harek throws me a wild-eyed look. “We need to talk.”

“We do? I thought you wanted to see a tamed dragon.”

“There are more important things to consider.” He pulls me down the street. “It could be a trap. I’ve never heard of someone taming a dragon—much less in a city. This is a bad idea.”

“Worse than going with Vivvi, who sounds like she has ulterior motives?”

“Clearly.”

“He’s my father. You can’t deny that—we’re practically twins.”

“I wouldn’t go that far, but yeah, there’s no doubt about the resemblance. Doesn’t mean we can trust him.”

“There’s only one way to find out.”

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