Page 25 of The Secret Keeper's Daughter

“Whatisthat?” Harek exclaims.

“What do you have?” one of the strangers demands.

I keep my hand in the pocket. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“I sure would,” Harek mutters.

Great, he’s on their side.

“It’s only my hand.” I bring it out and shove it in the direction of the strangers.

They don’t run like the other guy.

Instead they look at each other, exchanging bewildered expressions in the light of my glowing palm.

Harek mutters something I couldn’t repeat in polite company.

Luckily our new friends are anything but polite. They both say things far more vulgar than what my friend just uttered.

I hide my hand behind my back, not that it does any good. They’ve all seen it. Now we all know I’m a freak of nature, which might not be a bad thing as far as these two others go. They don’t know I can’t do anything with my power.

That’s my only advantage, so I hold up my hand and take a step toward them, even though I can’t do anything other than glow. “Want to see what else this does?”

The two others disappear before my eyes. They run away so fast, it almost looks like they’ve disintegrated into thin air. They also don’t make a sound.

My orange palm slowly returns to normal.

Harek turns to me, his eyes wider than I’ve ever seen them. He looks horrified.

I’m going to lose my best friend.

Now everything I care about is officially gone.

Chapter

Nine

The lumpin my throat triples in size and my mouth wavers.

“Answer me.” Harek’s tone is filled with ice. “How long have you known you’re fae?”

Tears escape and run down my face.

I’m going to be on my own from here on out. He’s going to abandon me the same day I’ve lost my entire family. It’s time to accept the fact.

“Eira, tell me what’s going on.”

I try to wipe my tears, but it’s fruitless. They’re falling too fast to keep up. “I’m a halfling. I just found out today. My mother’s last words were telling me my father is a fae. You can run from me now. I won’t hold it against you. I understand completely.”

“You… she said you’re a halfling?” Harek’s voice is barely above a whisper.

“No, but I can put two and two together. My father is fae, so I’m a disgusting halfling. She didn’t even have time to tell me what kind of fae he is—whatIam. I don’t know anything, other than my palm has started glowing randomly since I found out.”

Silence.

My heart breaks. I should’ve just left without telling Harek anything. Then I’d at least have the comfort of knowing he still cared about me. Now I have to live with his disgust, too.

“Just go,” I say, barely keeping myself together. “Now you know, so leave. You’re going to run at some point, anyway. May as well get it over with. I’m a freak of nature. Despised by everyone. Not fully human, not fully fae. Just… hated. Doomed to live life alone. Not that it’s much different from the life I’ve always known.”

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