Page 5

Chapter

Five

I’m still trying to catch my breath by the fire in the family room when footsteps sound. My mind races to find an excuse just in case they saw me.

But it isn’t Harek or his father stumbling through the door. It’s his mother.

“Eira.” She gives me a tired smile. “How are you?”

I stumble over my words, not sure how to answer what should be a simple question.

“You poor dear.” She wraps me in a hug. “Have you eaten yet?”

My stomach will never go without food as long I’m in this home.

“Harek gave me something earlier.”

She takes off her jacket and stirs the stew. “This looks almost ready. Is he or his father here?”

“You didn’t see them outside?” I ask.

“No.”

“Wait. If you didn’t talk to them, how did you know about my mother? Or did you say ‘poor dear’ for another reason?”

She gives me a sad smile. “The whole village is talking about your mother’s passing. Such a shame. I never met a kinder woman, and now all you have to live without her.”

“At least my siblings have their father.”

Not that he’s much of a consolation prize, even for the ones who like him.

Harek’s mother scowls. “I take that to mean he kicked you out?”

I nod, too exhausted to explain the real reason.

“Did he even let your mother breathe her last before sending you on your way?”

“Barely.”

She mutters something I can’t make out. “Well, you’re welcome here as long as you need. I could use your help at the market and with curing some of the buffalo.”

There’s no way she could be seen with me in town and live to tell about it.

Time to offer her the truth. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m actually planning on trying to find my birth father.”

“Oh.” Disappointment washes over her face. “Do you know where he is?”

“Not yet.”

“The nearest human settlement is at least a week away. Maybe more.”

I don’t tell her that isn’t where I’m actually headed. I’m not sure what to say without giving away my secret.

For now, nobody can know I’m heading to an unknown fae colony. That I’m a halfling whose palm just started glowing orange.

She stirs the stew again. “Unless you’re headed somewhere else?”

My heart skips a beat. “What?”

No response. Does she know something she isn’t telling me? Or is she trying to find out if I know more than I’m saying? She and my mother have always been close. Could she know about my father? No. Mother wouldn’t have told anyone.

“Where are you headed, dear?” She turns from the stew and looks at me. I can’t read her expression.

“To find my father.”

She doesn’t so much as flinch. “Do you have a weapon?”

“Not yet. There are some on the farm that I can grab before leaving, if I can get back there without being seen. Maybe I’ll go tonight after everyone goes to sleep.”

Her eyes widen. “You can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“Gunnar.”

I study her, confused. “What about him?”

“He’s dangerous, and if he kicked you out I’m certain he’ll harm you if you return. People will be watching while he sleeps. I saw a caravan headed toward the farm on my way here.”

My stomach churns acid as the gravity of her words hit me. She’s right. I have to accept the fact I can’t ever return home.

Clearly I should’ve brought a weapon with me before leaving the farmhouse, but I wasn’t thinking straight after my mother died right in front of me. Too late now.

“We have extra crossbows,” she offers.

“I never learned to use those.”

“You’ve spent hours watching Harek.”

Heat creeps into my cheeks, and I can’t deny that fact. “It isn’t that I haven’t tried. Crossbows and I don’t get along. Everyone is better off if I’m not using one.”

“You’ve still picked up on things watching him use them. If you had to, you could figure out how to wield it.”

“Perhaps.”

“You could. I’m going to see what we have in the shed. There should be some swords and maybe even a mace. I’ll find my son and husband while I’m out there. How long ago did they step out?”

“Not long. I think they’re looking for someone. There was some noise outside.”

“Don’t tell me the bandits are back.”

“I hope not.”

She mutters as she grabs a butcher knife then rushes outside.

I’d help her, but I know the ‘bandit’ is long gone—and probably fae, given the way he disappeared.

That wasn’t even the strangest part. Just thinking of the way he looked at me sends a shudder down my spine. As if he feared me . And it was as if he was going to say what I am. Does he know my fae powers? Are they that obvious?

It seems that way. Not that I can ask him since I’ll never see him again.

Now that my breathing is back to normal, I hold out my right palm. Not even the faintest glow, even when I hold it in front of the fire next to me. I narrow my eyes and try to make it light up.

Nothing.

It seems to have nothing to do with my will. But there must be a reason for it. Unless I really did activate it by learning about my true nature. Was it held dormant because I didn’t believe in it? That makes sense, because before this afternoon I never had any reason to think I was anything other than human. It wasn’t as if I had any reason to believe otherwise.

Sure, my coloring is darker than everyone else’s in my family, but that’s hardly a reason to think I’m a halfling. There are plenty of humans in our settlement with darker complexions like me. Mother would catch me studying them and assure me they weren’t my relatives—that my father’s family is far enough away they would never travel to Skoro.

We never spoke about him, but I think she always knew I wondered about my heritage. Not only do I look different than all my siblings, but there are other differences too. Like my sense of humor and keen sense of danger. There was the time I saved the farmhouse because I sensed something was off, and a fire had started. It barely got off the ground before two of my brothers put it out. Another time I felt Runa was in danger, and when I found her, she’d fallen into a pond and was flailing around. She was only a toddler, and I jumped in, saving her life.

You’d think Gunnar would appreciate things like that and allow me to stay, but no. He’s probably been waiting for the day to sell me since before I was born. He knew Mother was expecting another man’s baby when he married her and said he’d raise me as his own.

But he’s a liar. Mother would hate him if she knew what he’d just done to me.

Maybe one day after mastering my powers, I’ll come back and show him which of us is actually the stronger one—and it isn’t him.

The door creaks open. I hide my hand even though I can’t get it to glow.

Harek rushes in, brushing sweat and dirt from his forehead.

I leap up. “Are you okay?”

“There was someone outside, but he got away.”

“That’s good.”

“I have a feeling he’ll be back.” He runs his fingers through his hair, sending flecks of dirt to the ground.

“All the more reason for you to stay here and help your parents.”

He gives me a look I can’t quite read. “You really don’t want me going with you on your journey?”

“It isn’t that.”

“What, then?” he asks. “Does it have to do with the secret you’re keeping from me?”

Guilt stings. “Like I said, it’s complicated.”

“You know I’ll never judge you.” He wipes his hands on his pants and checks on the stew. “You been stirring this?”

“Your mother was.”

Harek looks around. “Where is she?”

“Out looking for you and your father. You didn’t tell me you’ve been having problems with bandits.”

“Everyone is,” he snaps. “Only people like Gunnar are rich enough to hire people specifically to keep them away.”

I look away, ashamed of my privilege—even though it’s no longer mine, nor was it ever really, despite me benefitting from it in some ways.

“It isn’t your fault you’re unaware.” His tone is laced with an apology. “He’s had you so busy scooping manure that you haven’t had time to keep up on anything outside the farm.”

“How much have the bandits stolen from you guys?”

“Nothing yet, but today was close. I don’t know how you heard the noise outside.” He studies me. “Does that have anything to do with your secret?”

How do I answer that? I don’t know anything about how I heard something he didn’t. Does it have anything to do with my mysterious powers?

“Don’t tell me. That’s fine.” He turns back to the stew.

I watch him and consider telling him. It’s a risk, but if anyone will accept me as half fae, it’s him.

My palm glows orange. It’s a bright burst, more obvious than the times before.

If Harek was looking my way, he’d know.

A scuffling noise sounds outside the wall.

That fae must be back.

Could he be my father? Does he know about my mother’s death and now wants to know me?

Or he might want to get rid of me. He, like everyone else, might see my true nature as an abomination.

My father has never wanted anything to do with me before.

There’s only one way to find out.

I race outside.