Page 32 of The Secret Keeper's Daughter

I don’t fight him this time. Even if Gunnar and his friends saw the glow, they likely wouldn’t care. He would also rather me dead than a runaway.

Chapter

Twelve

It’s beenat least an hour and the men haven’t moved on. It makes me wonder if we accidentally left a sign out there that we’re nearby. Nothing comes to mind. We have all our things with us.

I’m shaking despite the heat in this little nest. Harek has an arm around me again, and I must be making little noises because every so often he shushes me. No glow comes from either my palm or the sword, even when two of the men stepped close.

The glows must have something to do with fae. My palm first lit up back at Harek’s house, and it turned out there was a fae outside. Then it turned orange again the other times we’ve run into fae out here in the woods.

Did my mother know about any of this? She had to knowsomethingsince she didn’t want it on our property after her death and she trusted it only to Harek’s family. It comforts me that we both trust them so much. I don’t know what I’d do without my best friend.

I’d planned on making this trek on my own, but it turns out I need him—and not just because he’s dealt with fae out here in the woods for years. Not to mention inside the walls in his ownyard. How long have fae been sneaking in? I always thought we were protected there.

It’s beginning to look like a lot of things are different from what I always thought. Now I have to start thinking of myself as one of the fae. They probably won’t accept a halfling, but I have to try. Someone needs to help me understand my power. Maybe I can even threaten someone with my bright hand to get some assistance. It clearly scares them.

Harek stiffens next to me, and I pull myself from my thoughts.

No footsteps sound. Could the men have finally left?

Someone clears his throat. He’s close enough to touch the outside of our nest.

My breath hitches. I reach for the sword. It scrapes against a rock. Loudly.

Harek turns to me, his eyes widening.

I try to say something, but no sound comes.

Footsteps skitter around outside, close to us. Voices.

Branches of the nest rustle. Twigs crunch just outside. All they need to do is squat and look in our not fully covered entrance.

“Who’s there?” a deep voice booms.

I nearly jump out of my skin. Check my palm.

Nothing. I’m going to have to rely on the sword I have no experience with—not that it’s going to help me against a bullet. I can’t believe Gunnar has been hiding those deadly weapons. I’m sure Mother never knew. She wouldn’t stand for such monstrosities to be around her children.

Not that it matters now. He has at least one, and he’s close enough to grab me if he knew I was in this nest.

Click.

My heart skips a beat, and sweat breaks out on my forehead. We’re never going to survive this. I never should’ve draggedHarek into my escape. What was I thinking? If I’d been smart, I’d have run away and not told him my plans.

Now we’re both going to get ourselves killed, and it’s my fault. Why didn’t I keep quiet about it? Everything would’ve been better.

That settles it. I have to deal with this on my own. Gunnar and his friends are out here because of me, so I’m the one who must face them.

I grab the sword and scurry out of the nest.

Harek says something, though I can’t make it out over my thudding heart.

The men all have their backs to me. There are five of them—we’re more than outnumbered. Maybe I should go back into hiding.

One of them turns to me. Vog.

My stomach plummets then crashes to the ground.

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