Page 6

Chapter

Six

When I reach the other side of the house, the same tall man from before stands reaching for the shed.

“Who are you?” I demand. My palm grows brighter with each step closer to him I take.

He whips around, his eyes widening again.

“You’re…”

“What?” I demand. “What am I?”

His gaze darts between my eyes and my hand.

“Tell me!”

“It’s impossible.” He shakes his head.

“What is?”

“How?” He glares at me.

“What are you talking about?” I throw my hands in the air.

His eye narrow. “Is this a trick?”

“I don’t even know what you’re talking about!”

“Liar.” His tone holds a sharp bite.

“Just tell me what’s going on.” I clench my fists, but even that doesn’t keep the light at bay.

“It can’t be.”

“Are you my father?” I take another step near the man, and the orange glow intensifies even more.

The man doesn’t look anything like me, and considering how little resemblance I bear to my mother, I have to take after my father.

This guy knows who—or what—I am, but not because we’re relatives.

Because he’s fae. He’s as intimately familiar with the various powers of our kind as I’m clueless to them.

I hold up my palm toward him, illuminating his features in the light. “Tell me what you know.”

Color drains from his face. “Let me go, and I swear I’ll never return here again. You have my word.”

As much as I want to demand answers, if he leaves for good then Harek and his family won’t have to worry about the bandit anymore. I can find out what I need to know about my powers and my father later. If everything goes according to my plan, I’ll meet plenty of fae—and I only need one to tell me what this guy won’t.

“Do you promise?” I inch my glowing hand closer to him.

He shudders. “That’s what I just told you!”

“Then leave. Never come back to this settlement again, not just this house. Or else…” I shove my palm right to his face.

“Consider it done.” The man runs so fast I can barely see him.

My skin fades back to its normal color.

What just happened? While I don’t have any more answers than before, I do know there’s some kind of terrifying power within me. I don’t know if it’s only harmful to that particular fae and his kind, or if it’s to everyone.

I’m collecting more questions than answers, but at least a few things are coming together. That guy confirmed that I’m fae, and my magic is impressive if not highly powerful.

Now I have to find the nearest fae metropolis even more than before.

Hopefully my father will be there. Or at least I can find someone who will know where he is. If nothing else, I can glean information about what we are and figure out what my next steps will be.

Even if I can’t find my father, or he won’t help me, I should at least be able to learn what I need to in order to start my new life.

“There you are!”

I whip around.

Harek is staring at me like I’ve lost my mind.

At least my hand is back to normal. That’s one less thing to explain.

“Why did you take off like that?” he asks.

“I heard something out here.”

“And you came by yourself?”

“Right.”

He shakes his head. “You’re going to get yourself killed one of these days.”

“I’m fine. See?”

“Did you find what you were looking for?”

“That bandit came back, but I convinced him to leave for good.”

Harek cocks a brow. “How’d you manage that?”

“I can be extremely persuasive.”

He doesn’t look convinced.

“It’s true.”

“I appreciate your effort, but let’s get dinner. You need nourishment after the day you’ve had.”

“Can’t argue with that.”

He puts an arm around my shoulders and guides me toward the front door. “Give me your word that you won’t keep putting your life on the line. I can’t lose my best friend.”

“I wasn’t in danger.”

“You were. It took both my father and me to send him away earlier.”

“I’m no damsel in need of saving.”

“You’re not going to stay away from danger, are you?”

I nudge him. “Do you really think I’m going to shrink back from trouble?”

“Unfortunately not.”

“Then don’t ask me to.”

He sighs. “I’m going with you on your adventure.”

“Let’s discuss that in the morning.”

I plan to be gone before then but don’t tell him. As soon as he starts snoring tonight, I’m going to take off.

“After dinner.” He holds the squeaking front door open for me.

His parents are already seated at the table. Harek and I scoop stew into wooden bowls and join them.

Conversation centers around my mother. Everyone shares their favorite memories and laughs a lot. My mother was one of those people who never met an enemy. I’ve never crossed paths with anyone who didn’t like her immediately.

It lightens my spirit to have this conversation, especially knowing I won’t be around to even watch her funeral from a distance. It’s too big of a risk.

I shove those thoughts from my mind. This is better than any service. Friends as close as family and good food. What else could I ask for? Other than a stepfather who would care for me as he promised his wife so many years ago.

But that will never happen, and now I have the chance to get to know my real father. Maybe he never even knew about me. He might want to know more about me once he finds out he has offspring. Unless of course he has a family of his own with other children.

His wife might be as thrilled about me as Gunnar. As long as I can get some information, I’ll be good. Just enough knowledge about our powers then I can be on my way. Where to, I have no idea. But I’ll figure something out.

Maybe there’s a settlement of my kind somewhere. If there are territories of the dreaded human race all over the world, surely there must be something similar for the vile halflings.

Everyone needs community. I’ll find mine somewhere.

Harek, his parents, and I continue talking about my mother after the meal. We gather around the fireplace and reminisce.

I’ll remember this evening for the rest of my life. I want to express my heartfelt appreciation, but if I do, they’ll clue in on the fact that I’m planning on leaving. Instead, I act like everything is normal. They seem to buy it.

We settle in for the night, and I toss and turn on the guest bed while waiting for them all to fall asleep. The little house makes noises that keep me awake. I’ve grown so accustomed to the subtleties of the farmhouse at night that this place seems foreign even though I’ve been here countless times throughout my life.

No snoring sounds from anywhere in the house. I’ve napped with Harek enough times over the years to know the guy snores. He sounds like a wild boar stuck in a trap.

I toss and turn some more, waiting so long I nearly fall asleep myself.

Then finally I hear it.

Snoring.

Now is my time. I need to get out of here unnoticed. I sit up.

Creak.

I hold my breath. Is every sound amplified, or does it only seem that way since I’m trying so hard to be quiet?

Nothing else sounds in the house other than some light snores from another bedroom, so I swing my legs over the side of the bed and quickly stand.

Silence.

I pull on my boots and grab my bags. Listen. Take slow, measured steps toward the hallway. Hold my breath again.

Everything is still quiet, so I step out of the room. My bag catches on the doorknob, pulling the door.

Creeeak!

I freeze. Wait. Then pull my bag free of the knob and nudge the door out of my way.

Creak…

If I can’t even sneak out of Harek’s house, how do I expect to make it through the woods full of bloodsuckers, shifters, and the undead to the fae city on the other side?

I’m doomed. Maybe I should give up now.

No. I’m doing this. My hand alone scared off that menacing fae twice. Imagine what I could do with a weapon, and Harek’s mom said I could take one of theirs.

I’m doing this. I have to. There’s no other choice. I have to find out who my father is—who I really am.

Footsteps sound.

“Eira? What are you doing?”

Harek.

I burst into a run.