Page 19

Chapter

Nineteen

The new magic feels like it’s fighting the magic from the first two. If I had any food left in my stomach, I’d surely vomit that up too.

“Eira?” Harek calls.

I’d run from him after throwing up, not only embarrassed but wanting privacy as all the new magic had its way with me. Instead of feeling better, it’s worse. Doesn’t show any signs of relenting and isn’t mixing well at all with the other stuff.

There has to be a way to get rid of all this. Other fae who kill must have figured something out by now. They can’t all run around feeling like this—not unless it gets better with time. It doesn’t seem likely. There has to be an answer somewhere.

Harek must know.

I step out from behind the tree I’ve been leaning against and face him. “Sorry about the food. I know it couldn’t have been easy for you to get that.”

“Are you okay?” He rushes over with nothing but concern in his eyes.

“I don’t know.”

“What happened?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

He frowns. “I mean, aside from the fact that you had to kill another fae. That’s a lot to take in, I know.”

“I can’t deal with this magic!”

“Magic?”

“The black swirly mist. I assumed it was their magic, but maybe I’m wrong. What was that?”

Harek just stares at me.

“You don’t know what it is either?”

“What black mist?”

It’s my turn to stare at him. “The swirling stuff that came out of that werewolf’s body and flew into mine.”

“I didn’t see anything like that.”

“You didn’t see that? How is that possible? Were you looking the other way?”

He shakes his head. “I was looking right at you. You reacted like something was going on, but I couldn’t see a thing.”

“Let me get this straight. You didn’t see the black mist at all?”

“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’ve thought 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. She was the 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. There have to 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.

Guilt wells up. “But I?—”

“Eat.” He takes a large bite from a hen’s leg.

My stomach growls as the aroma from the meat’s seasoning reaches my nose. “It won’t hurt to try a little. Maybe I’ll be able to keep it down.”

“Good.”

The magic is still moving around inside me, but it isn’t raging like before. Perhaps it’s becoming part of me, or just calming down. If I can’t find anyone to explain this to me, maybe I’ll be able to work with it on my own.

While we eat, the sun quickly sets. We decide to make camp in an abandoned cave. Harek shows me how to string a trap that will make noise if anyone comes near us. It’s loud enough to wake the dead and the moonlight doesn’t reach it, so it’s basically invisible, allowing us both to sleep.

He stays close, wrapping his arm around me and pulling me near. It’s so we stay warm, he says, but I can’t help wonder if he enjoys the contact as much as I do. It also awakens something unfamiliar in me, something I think my mother must’ve felt toward my father. But I push those thoughts aside and just enjoy being in his embrace. Tomorrow will probably bring more run-ins with fae, and I want this moment to last as long as possible. Even the foreign magic inside me seems to have calmed for the night.

I snuggle against him, us fitting together like we were made for each other, and let his soft breathing lull me to a sweet slumber.

Bright sunlight wakes me. A sliver of it shines into the cave, landing directly across my eyes. I yawn and stretch, finding Harek’s arm still wrapped around me. I take a deep breath and savor the moment. Once he wakes, we’ll head out again.

I manage to roll over and steal a glance of him sleeping. He looks so peaceful, and a little smile tugs on his lips. It makes me wonder what he’s dreaming about. Running as a wolf, maybe. Instead of being mad at him for keeping a secret from me, I should find out what it’s like for him. I can’t imagine changing into a whole other creature and racing through the forest.

His eyes flutter and then he slowly opens them. He looks around before making eye contact with me, and his lips form an even wider smile than when he slept. “This is a nice way to wake. Were you watching me sleep?”

Heat flames my cheeks and neck. “I just woke and I was checking to see if you were awake yet. That’s all. Nothing more.”

Smooth, Eira. Really smooth. The heat creeps to my ears. I hope he can’t tell. Sometimes there are benefits to having my father’s coloring.

His smile doesn’t falter, and he continues holding my gaze. Suddenly the small distance between us seems to scream. We’re close enough that if either inched forward, our lips would brush. I’m not so sure that would be a bad thing.

But I also don’t want to make any rash decisions when I’m in mourning and dealing with new fae powers. I scoot back, bolt up, and clear my throat. “So, uh, did you sleep well?”

“Never better.” He stretches lazily and sits as if this isn’t the most awkward moment in the history of awkward moments. “How about you?”

Why is my heart pounding so hard? I swallow. “Much better.”

“Glad to hear it.” He gives me his usual crooked smile.

I’m glad to be sitting. There’s no way my legs would hold me up right now.

What’s going on with me? Or us? Does he notice any of this? He sure doesn’t seem to think any of it is weird. I wish I could be as easygoing and relaxed as him.

Maybe I’m focusing on something that isn’t there as a way to distract myself from my grief. That has to be it. Harek is my best friend—the one person aside from my mother and sisters I can trust with my darkest secrets and even my very life.

Romance ruins good things like this. I’ve seen it firsthand. My good friend Freja fell for the boy next door who she grew up with, and now they can’t even look at each other. I think I’d die if anything like that happened between Harek and me. It isn’t worth the risk.

He rises, though not fully as the cave isn’t even tall enough for me to stand. “I’m going to see if I can catch a small animal to cook over a fire. Then we can head out.”

“Did I eat all of your food?” Guilt stings. I never should’ve accepted his food after yakking yesterday.

“No, I’m just in the mood for something fresh. I noticed a spring behind this cave, if you want to freshen up while I’m out. I promise not to peek.”

My face burns so hot I’m not sure how I don’t catch fire. I try to speak, but nothing comes.

“Hurry, though. We should head out soon, and I think I hear a jackrabbit. That’ll give us plenty to eat.”

I still can’t find my voice. The thought of him knowing I’m going to take a dip in the spring is almost too much. Does he want to peek? Is that why he said that? Or does he have no desire—and also no clue what he’s doing to me?

Luckily, he ducks out of the cave, carefully avoiding the noisy trap he set last night.

I’m not sure how I’m going to survive the rest of our trek together at this rate.