Page 19 of The Secret Keeper's Daughter

“Of course they are.” My fingers wrap around the handle of a sword and I pull it out. It’s nearly as long as my arm, and exactly what I need. “Will you and your parents be okay without this?”

“I have something better than that.”

“Don’t say a crossbow. I nearly took out a priest the last time you tried to teach me how to use one. I’m better off with nothing than one of those.”

“How could I forget? No, I have something specifically for you.”

That catches my attention. “What do you mean byspecifically for me?”

He releases a long, slow breath. “You aren’t the only one who has been keeping a secret.”

I’m both curious and annoyed. “Are you serious?”

“Follow me.”

“You’re ignoring my question.”

Harek marches on ahead back toward the house, continuing to ignore me.

I catch up to him. “This better be good.”

“It is.”

“I’m not going back inside. You can’t convince me.”

“Noted.” He kneels at the base of the house just outside his bedroom and pulls at a board.

“What are you doing?”

“Shh. My parents are sleeping.”

I should’ve known the light snoring inside wasn’t Harek. I’d have been better off waiting for his boar-like noises.

He reaches under the house and pulls out a smaller sword than the one I found in the shed.

“What’s that?”

“A sword.”

“You don’t say.”

Harek replaces the board and stands, holding it out to me. “For you.”

“Thanks, I think.” I don’t reach for it. “The other one would be more useful, though. It’s longer and the blade looks sharper, admittedly not by much.”

“Your mother gave this to me.”

My knees turn to rubber. “Excuse me?”

He looks away for a moment. “It was around the time she got sick, but before she was bedridden. She said that if anything happened to her, to make sure you got this.”

Now I’m intrigued.

“This apparently belonged to your father. She stole it from him before coming here, believing it would help you some day. That’s all she would tell me but said you’d understand.”

I try to reach for it, but my arms won’t budge. “That’s my father’s?”

“Yeah. I guess she wanted you to have something that belonged to one of your parents. I’m sure she knew Gunnar wouldn’t give you anything of hers once she was gone. I don’t know why she wouldn’t give you one ofherheirlooms instead. That would mean more than something from a guy who never bothered to meet you. Right?”

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