Page 29

Chapter

Twenty-Nine

By the time Harek and I finally read through the entire book, my mind feels like mush. At this point, I’m not sure I’ve absorbed anything. I’ve also long passed the point where I’m impressed about reading an alphabet I was never taught.

Harek closes the book. “We should eat.”

“And sleep.” I yawn. “I’m not capable of conversation at this point.”

“Food will help.”

“Hopefully.”

“It will.” He gives me an encouraging smile. “Doesn’t it feel good to know more about yourself? I still can’t get over the fact that you’re the hunter. I didn’t even know it was real, and here I’ve been looking at one every day!”

I groan. “Where are we going to eat? Back at Vivvi’s?”

“That’s the only thing I can think of, since neither of us have any fae money. Unless you found a way to make some with magic?”

“Not when I haven’t left your sight.” I rub my temples. “Let’s go there. All I want to do is eat and then sleep for a day. Let my mind process all of that information.”

Harek rises from the table and returns the book to the shelf. I’m too mentally fatigued to join him. Every time I blink, all I see is the strange lettering I’ve been reading for hours.

“You ready?” He holds out a hand.

I let him help me up. Not only am I famished, but the souls are ramming around in me. The thought sends a shiver down my spine.

“Are you okay?” Harek asks.

“I can’t believe those things I absorbed are souls . Though it does make more sense than magic. It’s been feeling like they’re fighting, and now I bet that’s exactly what’s going on.”

He pulls me into an embrace. “I’m so sorry you have to deal with that. We’ll figure out a way to get your sword back so you can get them out of you.”

Suddenly that thought seems worse. “ How is the sword supposed to help? I don’t want to have to cut into my stomach to get them out!”

“With any luck, it’ll absorb the souls from you.”

“I’m not sure I have that much luck.”

He pats my back before stepping away. “If the sword absorbs them when killing the fae, then it must have the ability to take them from you too. But that’s a problem for another day. Just make sure you don’t kill any more fae in the meantime.”

“Don’t say that so loud.” I look around to make sure nobody heard him, but we appear to be alone.

“You worry too much.”

“And you don’t worry enough.”

He looks amused. “It’s like we’ve swapped roles.”

“This whole world is new to me,” I snap. “I don’t know what you expect from me. It isn’t like I had a lifetime to prepare for this, like some people.”

He sighs dramatically.

“You know I’m right.”

“I’m sorry.” As we start toward the stairs, he slides his fingers through mine, and I find myself relaxing.

“It’ll all work out,” he assures me.

“Easy for you to say.”

“It isn’t. Do you think I like watching my favorite person going through so much? So much should have been different, but here we are. I’m just glad I can be here for you. We’ll get through it together.”

I throw my arms around him, too overcome by emotions to voice any of them. He returns the squeeze, then we make our way down the staircase.

The library is so fascinating, it manages to somewhat distract me from everything else, including the bright colors, interesting smells, and truly unique fae in every direction. One is even hovering over the ground reading a book that’s also hovering.

Everyone acts as if all of this is completely normal—boring, even. To them, it must be, yet I can’t imagine any of it ever being anything other than mind blowing. How can I actually be part of this world? Why did my mother think hiding among humans was the best idea?

Maybe because my father is going to want me dead. She may not have even ever told him that she was pregnant. I always assumed he abandoned us, but the truth could be much darker. And probably is, considering the hunter legacy. Father and child fighting to the death? I can hardly fathom it.

Knowing how protective my mother was of me and my siblings, that actually makes the most sense.

When Harek and I reach the main level, we zig and zag our way around busy fae rushing to and fro. He holds open the door, then I step outside. The sun is just starting to go down. It’s still light out but won’t be for long, as evidenced by the colorful edges of the skyline.

Suddenly I realize I can’t remember how to get back to Vivvi’s. “Do you remember how to get back?”

“Through the park, remember? You wanted to listen to every conversation.”

That sounds familiar. “Right.”

“Are you okay?”

“Just tired and hungry.”

He gives my arm a gentle squeeze. “We’ll figure all of this out. Don’t worry.”

“I only have to kill my father.” I sigh deeply.

“Try not to think about that. We still have a lot to do before that’s even a concern.”

“Like what?”

“Get your sword back, get those souls out of you, and see if we can find more books about the hunter line. I’d feel better about all of this myself if we had more than one book as our source.”

“It seems pretty legit with the way it was glowing and the fact that I could read it.”

“I would still like to find at least one more book, and we will.”

My head throbs at the thought of another day of this.

“Come on. A good meal will do both of us a lot of good.”

I can’t deny that, even though everything is so overwhelming. Going back to Skoro will be another week’s trek, and even when we come back here, I can’t expect Vivvi will let us live off her forever. We’re going to have to get jobs or something. Would we be able to sell meat at the market, like Harek’s family has done all these years? Or did they go to Skoro because that kind of lifestyle wasn’t available here?

It takes me a moment to realize Harek has begun walking.

I quickly catch up to him. “What do you know about our pack?” The words feel foreign on my tongue. Our pack—how weird of a thought. I don’t want to think about shifting, but now that’s inevitable since nobody told me anything about my true nature. When I get back to Skoro, I need to tell my siblings. My sisters, at the very least. They’ll listen to me. I can’t say they’ll believe me, but they’ll at least hear me out and then can decide for themselves what to do. I feel bad for Runa, because she’s too young to take care of herself. The others are at least old enough to fend for themselves. “Harek?”

He draws a long breath. “We’re better off without them.”

“How? I thought packs took care of each other.”

“Ours isn’t typical—as evidenced by our ability to choose when we shift.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Of course it is. Are you going to tell me about it?”

“Right now?” He throws me an exasperated glance.

“Why not?”

“Because it’s a lot, and we’re both tired and hungry.”

“Then tell me after we eat.”

“Okay.”

I give him a double-take. “Wait, really?”

“Yeah.”

A little energy returns to me with that bit of news. “I appreciate it.”

“It isn’t like I’m trying to keep anything from you. I hope you believe me. I’m having a really hard time navigating between having spent so much time being forced to keep all this supernatural stuff from you and now being able to tell you everything. I don’t know when to tell you what, and obviously I haven’t made good decisions on that front.”

I take his hand and squeeze it. “Don’t blame yourself. Our parents did this to us—my mother mostly, as much as it pains me to say it.”

“She thought it was for your best and wanted to protect you. The?—”

“I don’t want to think about it. Let’s just focus on getting some food then decide on our next move from there.”

“Okay, sure.”

Silence settles between us, which is just as well because once we leave the educational district, loud music sounds from somewhere. There must be a concert every night around here. We pass through an area with games and little fae kids running around, shrieking and having fun.

That probably could’ve been my childhood if I hadn’t been raised on a farm with a tyrant who hated me. Why did my mother choose him of all people? Because of his wealth? What I wouldn’t give to ask her that and a million other questions.

When we reach Vivvi’s district, things are quieter but still active. A lot of people fill the streets, all carrying shopping bags.

Harek’s stomach rumbles when the apartment building comes into sight.

I nudge him. “Clearly I’m not the only hungry one.”

He gives me a crooked smile, which makes my heart flutter. “I never said you were.”

“Hopefully she has a table full of food because we’ll both—” I stop short, unable to believe my eyes.

A man with massive dreadlocks and a large sword strapped around him just crossed our path, but it isn’t his hair that makes me forget what I was saying to Harek. This man has my eyes, my nose, and even my mouth nestled in his full beard. Every feature that made me stand out from the people in Skoro is on his face.

The same jolt of recognition crosses his face. He skids to a stop and stares at me with the same bewilderment I feel. It’s only then I realize it isn’t just his hair that is massive—everything about him is. He’s tall, broad, and muscular.

I’m aware of Harek speaking, but it sounds like he’s talking into water. All my focus is on this man. He has scars all over, like he’s fought for his life hundreds of times. His dreads are the same color black as my hair, but his are streaked with white. His skin is darker, more worn, but otherwise I could be looking into a portal at a future, masculine version of myself.

This man is my father.