Page 54 of The Secret Keeper's Daughter

“Nothing like that.”

“It came from her body and went directly into mine, and it was so dark I couldn’t see anything else.”

“We need to get to the fae city and find answers. I don’t know what’s going on, but it isn’t normal.” Harek pulls me into an embrace. We’ve hugged more in the last day than in the entirety of the rest of our lives. It’s actually kind of nice. He steps back, and I kind of wish he wouldn’t. “We should get our bags and start the trek. It’s still some distance away.”

I nod, and we start heading back. For some reason the lump in my throat doubles in size. Probably because going to the fae city holds a finality to it. I’ll be moving fully from Mother and finding the fae who can tell me why I can see the mist but Harek—who understands his powers completely—couldn’t see it. I can’t bring myself to call that man my father. All my life I’vethought of myself as fatherless. Gunnar certainly never has been anything other than an authority figure. No parental love at all. Not that I expect any from the fae who gave me up before I was even born. That only came from my mother, and now she’s gone.

Harek is my only family now, and he’ll return to Skoro once I settle in at the fae city. Hopefully once I find others like me, they’ll accept me into their fold.

If they’ll be open to a halfling. I may just have to accept that loneliness is my lot in life. Unless there’s a group of halflings somewhere who will take me in. We’re a rare breed from what I understand. Fae don’t often get involved with humans, but obviously it does happen from time to time.

It makes me curious about how my mother came to have a relationship with my father. Relationship is probably too strong a word. It was probably a fling or even a drunken mistake, though it’s strange to think of my mother having either a fling or a casual encounter. She’s the most responsible person I know.

Was. Shewasthe most responsible person I’ve ever known.

Tears sting my eyes, and I clear my throat.

Harek throws me a sympathetic glance.

“I’m fine.” It’s true. At least thinking about my mother distracted me from the magical war waging inside me.

We make it back to our bags, and the werewolf’s body is gone. Already melted away because her magic left her and entered me.

Harek throws his bag over his shoulder. “Looks like her pack already came for her body.”

“Unless it melted like those other two.” I heave my bag onto my back.

“In that case, we better leave before they return. They’re going to be furious if they can’t properly mourn her.”

Just what I need—more people after me. Hopefully the fae city will offer some protection.

They could reject me simply for being a halfling since everyone hates us. Maybe someone will be kind enough to point me to a halfling colony, if such a thing exists. Therehaveto be other halflings sticking together. Living alone is dangerous, so those who are alike need each other. Unless they find a way to blend in with either humans or fae. I’ve managed to live in Skoro without issue my entire life. Perhaps I could find a new colony who would take me in.

As long as Gunnar doesn’t have reach there. As far as I know, his entire life exists within the walls of our establishment. Hopefully I’m right.

Harek and I walk along in silence for a long time. The sun is starting to go down, but that isn’t what really catches my attention.

Grass. Weeds. Dirt.

I stop and grab his arm. “The snow is melting! This time of year—how is that possible?”

He grins. “We’re moving farther from Skoro and closer to the fae city.”

“They really don’t have much snow now?”

“There won’t be any once we get to the city. They have temperate weather year ’round, with only the occasional heatwave or snow flurry.”

“It’s so hard to imagine.” I unbutton the top of my coat.

“Wait until you see it.” He flings his bag around and digs into it. “We should eat.”

I frown. “I shouldn’t.”

“You need to.”

“I don’t want to vomit it up. That’s such a waste.”

“It isn’t up for discussion. You need food.” He hands me dried meat.

---