Page 8

Chapter

Eight

Because Harek’s family lives near the town wall, it only takes us about half an hour on foot to reach it. Given they need to hunt so often, living far inside wouldn’t be practical. Not like the farm, which is nestled almost exactly in the middle of the settlement.

There’s no gate in sight.

I turn to my best friend. “How are we supposed to get out?”

“Follow me.” He marches forward, straight into a thick, prickly bush.

“What are you doing?”

He presses some branches back. “Slip through here.”

“I’m going to get scratched.”

“That’s the least of your concerns, trust me.”

My stomach knots. He may be used to danger, but I’m not. My biggest worry is usually if I’m going to get manure on me. Gross, but not exactly a risk.

“If you’d rather return to the farm, be my guest.”

Point taken. I push my way through the scratchy branches, finding a tiny path. It stops at the wall. “Now what?”

“Nudge it.”

I turn around and look at him like he’s crazy.

“Do you trust me?”

More than anyone, so I do as he says.

Part of the wall budges.

“It’s a door?” I exclaim.

“Basically.”

“But… but people aren’t supposed to be able to come and go without the permission of the guards.” I push it harder. It opens all the way, revealing a vast forest stretching as far as the eye can see. The stars twinkle over the trees and between the two snowcapped mountains on opposite ends of the horizon. A full moon hangs low in the sky, casting the landscape in a silvery glow.

The sight steals my breath. This is so unlike the exit outside the town gates where there’s a wide path and the trees are spread apart. It’s made for traveling to and from the settlement. This is something else altogether.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Harek’s voice is right next to my ear, so close his breath tickles my skin.

A shiver runs down my spine, yet a warmth runs through me.

“You should see it when the sun is rising. One time, I saw a phoenix fly across the skyline. Its wingspan was massive, seeming to take up half the view.”

“And you never told me?”

He rests a hand on my shoulder. “You said it hurt too much to think about things you’d never see.”

I vaguely recall making that remark. It was when we were younger, and after my stepfather had told me in no uncertain terms I would never leave the village gates with Harek for any reason.

Now I’m showing Gunnar. I grab my best friend’s hand and drag him through the hidden door.

The trees nearly swallow us. I take in a deep breath of the pine trees, hardly believing how much fresher the air is just a few feet from the town.

Harek steps out then closes the door. “I’ve always wished I could bring you out here. I knew you’d love it.”

“It hardly seems real.” I don’t even want to blink for fear of missing anything. I try to burn these images into my mind so I never forget. “How can this be so close, yet nobody talks about it?”

“To keep everyone inside.”

“But why?”

An owl hoots nearby, and I squint to try to find it. It must be nestled in the evergreens somewhere in the shadow of the darkness.

Harek puts an arm around me. “As breathtaking as this is, the darkness hides many threats. Staying within the walls provides safety.”

“For people not living under the thumb of a tyrant,” I mutter.

“It’s still safer in there than out here.”

“Have you been keeping something from me all these years?” I mean for it to sound like teasing, but it comes out like an accusation.

If he notices, he doesn’t show it. “Nah. Just the regular old dangers I’ve always told you about. Bloodsuckers love the night, so we’ll have to be extra careful. Shifters in their animal forms can be more unpredictable than natural animals. That sort of thing. Those are things we don’t have to deal with inside the walls.”

“True, but we aren’t defenseless.” I reach for my new weapon to test how quickly I can grab it. Not bad, but it also might not be fast enough in a life-or-death situation.

“No, but we do need to be on extra high alert.”

“Are there more of those?”

“Doors?” He tests it to make sure it’s completely closed. “A couple. Not many—just enough for people with the need to go out for their jobs. We’re sworn to secrecy.”

“You just broke that.”

“Yep. Are you ready?”

I glance over the forest once more, this time seeing more than just the beauty.

Things are hiding in there that want us dead.

My blood runs cold at the thought. Then I remember the look of terror in the eyes of that fae. The guy was legit scared of me. Maybe others will have the same reaction.

I can only hope.

Harek stares at me, reminding me he asked if I was ready. “Guess I’m going to have to be.”

“You planning on telling me your big secret?” he asks. “Especially now that I’ve shown you one that could get my family into a lot of trouble.”

I suck in a deep breath. My best friend loves me, but does he love me enough to accept me as a halfling? If not, he could run now. Return through the hidden door and never look at me again.

“You don’t have to.” He stands taller. “Let’s get started. I know a place we can sleep when daylight hits and the bloodsuckers go down for the night.”

“I’ll tell you what I learned soon, I promise. I’m not ready yet because I’m still processing the reality of it myself.”

“No judgment.”

But he is a little hurt. I can hear it in his tone.

“It’s not personal. You know I love you.”

He nods.

Guilt still stings.

“Can you tell me one thing?”

“What?”

“Does it have to do with that sword I gave you?” Harek gestures toward where I have it tucked away.

“It does.”

“I’m sure whatever you learned about your heritage must be hard to hear, especially so close to losing your mother.”

“Yeah.” Though finding out about being a halfling would be a shock whether I found out today or when my mother was in the prime of her health.

“As long as you tell me once you’re ready.”

“Definitely.”

He adjusts his packs on his back and squares his shoulders. “Let’s do this.”

“Okay.” My heart rate spikes at the thought, and I check my palm.

No orange glow. It’s so random. Hopefully when I find my father, he’ll be willing to explain it to me—even if he wants nothing to do with me. I just need a little guidance on my weird, new power. He could tell me about it in five minutes and then send me on my way. That should be good enough. Afterward, I can figure out the rest on my own. I’m resourceful like that.

Harek and I march deeper into the cover of the trees. The pine scent grows stronger as the darkness covers us.

I shove my hand into my pocket and keep watch from the corner of my eyes. Not that hiding my glow will do much good in this severely shadowed canopy.

My nerves start to relax as we make it further into the woods without running into anything. We’re slow as molasses in a winter freeze without a torch, but Harek does seem to know his way around in this place.

I walk right into a branch, taking it in the face. “Remind me why we didn’t leave in the light. Especially since the bloodsuckers sleep during the day.”

“Because someone tried to sneak away before we fell asleep.”

“So this is my fault.”

His silence answers my question.

“Didn’t you say it was better to travel at night?” I ask. “I’m sure you said that.”

“It was definitely better that we snuck out the wall when we did. Guards do check the hidden doors frequently for unauthorized use, but at night many snooze even though they aren’t supposed to.”

Snap!

We both freeze in place.

My breath hitches as I listen for another sound while trying to figure out where the first one came from. Everything is too quiet.

I glance at Harek, and even though my eyes have adjusted to the severe lack of light I can only barely see his outline.

That doesn’t give me a lot of hope for finding whatever made the sound before it spots us.

Crack.

Whatever that was, it’s closer than the first sound.

Something is making its way closer to us.

My heart hammers, and I slowly reach for the sword.

“Who goes there?” demands a male voice from the right.

Orange glows from under the fabric of my coat.

Crap.

I make a fist, but that does little to hide the light.

Footsteps sound, and I make out the shape of two people in front of us. Their eyes aren’t glowing red like I’ve heard happens when bloodsuckers are on the prowl. Maybe shifters eyes are different color. Now I wish I’d paid more attention to the whispers. To be fair, I never expected to be in this position.

Yet here I am.

“What’s that?” asks one of them.

“What is that?” Harek exclaims.

“What do you have?” one of the strangers demands.

I keep my hand in the pocket. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“I sure would,” Harek mutters.

Great, he’s on their side.

“It’s only my hand.” I bring it out and shove it in the direction of the strangers.

They don’t run like the other guy.

Instead they look at each other, exchanging bewildered expressions in the light of my glowing palm.

Harek mutters something I couldn’t repeat in polite company.

Luckily our new friends are anything but polite. They both say things far more vulgar than what my friend just uttered.

I hide my hand behind my back, not that it does any good. They’ve all seen it. Now we all know I’m a freak of nature, which might not be a bad thing as far as these two others go. They don’t know I can’t do anything with my power.

That’s my only advantage, so I hold up my hand and take a step toward them, even though I can’t do anything other than glow. “Want to see what else this does?”

The two others disappear before my eyes. They run away so fast, it almost looks like they’ve disintegrated into thin air. They also don’t make a sound.

My orange palm slowly returns to normal.

Harek turns to me, his eyes wider than I’ve ever seen them. He looks horrified.

I’m going to lose my best friend.

Now everything I care about is officially gone.