Page 12

Chapter

Twelve

It’s been at 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 know something since 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 own yard. 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 dragged Harek 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.

He looks even worse than I remember. Most of his teeth are rotting, and several have already fallen out. He has numerous scars ripping across his face, going into his scalp. A bug weaves its way through his scraggly beard. His leathery, wrinkled skin and white flecked whiskers indicate he’s well past twice my age.

Gunnar clearly hates me since this is the man he picked for me to marry. I can only hope he treats my sisters better—they’re his own daughters.

Harek bursts out of the nest, his bow at the ready. He turns it in different directions until he sees Vog and aims it at his head.

A slow smile creeps across Vog’s face, exposing even more missing teeth. There’s even a bug in his mouth.

My stomach lurches.

Harek nudges himself in front of me. “Don’t move!”

Vog laughs, spittle landing in his beard.

The others turn around, all four of them. My stepfather and one other man aim guns at us.

Gunnar’s brows draw together, making him look like he has only one long eyebrow. “I could throw you in prison for running away, you ingrate!”

I hold the sword higher. It still isn’t even close to glowing. “You wouldn’t.”

“No?”

“It wouldn’t earn you any money!”

The other gun wielder laughs. “She’s got you there, ol’ Gunny.”

“Shut your trap.” He doesn’t move his attention from me. “Get over here. You’ve been sold to Vog, and I’m going to make good on my word.”

“I’ll never marry him!”

The group erupts into laughter. Vog looks at me with hungry eyes and licks his lips. “I don’t usually go for dark meat, but this time I’ll make an exception.”

A shudder runs down my back, and anger runs through me.

I swear a growl comes from Harek. No, that must be from somewhere deeper in the forest.

He pulls back his arrow, the string of the bow making a stretchy sound next to my ear. “You’re going to have to go through me first.”

“You’re just a kid.” Gunnar looks him up and down. “It wasn’t that long ago your mother changed your diapers.”

An arrow soars through the air with a whoosh. It barely misses Gunnar’s ear.

He snarls. “You missed.”

“It was a warning , you good for nothing shyster.” Harek replaces the arrow with another. “Next goes between your eyes.”

More laughter.

Vog races around the bush and lunges for me.

I swing my sword. It bounces off his beefy arm and doesn’t even slice a hole in his sleeve. What kind of useless piece of junk is this?

His mouth curls up in amusement for a moment before his pupils expand, making his eyes appear black. He balls his fists. “You’ll learn your place, little girl!”

“Over my dead body!” I hold the sword tighter this time, aiming for his chest.

Something like fabric tearing sounds behind me. A growl so fierce echoes through the woods. Fear chills my blood, and I drop my only weapon.

A wolf brushes past me and slams into Vog, knocking him to the ground.

Vog screams. His arms and legs flail as the animal digs into his throat.

I spin around to find only air where Harek should be. His ripped clothes lie in a pile at my feet.

My body turns to ice. Did that wolf eat him?

Bang!

Instinctively, I drop to the ground. Grab my sword. Back up to the bush, gasping for air.

More shots ring out.

The wolf steps away from Vog, who no longer thrashes around, and growls toward the other men. Given the amount of blood dripping from his mouth—and Vog’s shredded throat—it’s obvious the creepy man won’t move again. That solves one problem.

Bang!

Blood sprays out from the wolf’s fur near its front shoulder. It lets out a howl before lunging toward the others. Our gazes meet for a moment.

I know those eyes. I’ve looked into them my entire life.

Harek. He’s the wolf. It’s impossible.

Another shot. Growls and snarls. A yelp, followed by someone calling for help.

I can’t just sit here and hide. My best friend needs me, even though I don’t understand how he can be a wolf. I’ll have to figure that out later.

The beast has another man down on the ground, tearing into him too.

Something hits me from behind. The sword flies from my hands. I stumble forward. Arms wrap around me. I struggle to get loose. Kick, knee, elbow my attacker. My efforts do no good. He doesn’t loosen his grip.

I scream so loud my throat burns.

The wolf turns his head in my direction. Those are definitely Harek’s eyes. No mistaking that. He glides through the air, chomping on the arm of the man holding me. The grip loosens, and I squirm away.

Where is the sword? I can’t see it anywhere.

Gunnar aims his weapon at me with one hand. My weapon is in his other one. His face contorts. “You’ve just cost me dearly!”

The wolf leaps toward him. Gunnar falters, his face draining of color. He runs. The remaining men follow him. Harek chases them, growling and snapping.

I fall back, leaning against a tree. What just happened?

Is my best friend a werewolf? That can’t be—they’re not allowed inside the city walls. He’s also never mentioned this to me.

Do I even know him? I can’t. Not if he’s been keeping this enormous secret from me all this time.