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Renna wasn’t sure oke her Corelings had tested the wards earlier in the night, but the sounds had faded to silence as they gave over to search out easier prey

The only light was a soft glow around the edges of the curtain in the doorway froht It threw a dih the rest of the tiny room was bathed in darkness

But Renna knew immediately that she wasn’t alone Her father was in the room

Careful to keep still, she reached out into the darkness with her senses, trying to convince herself it was only a dream, but she could s Floorboards creaked as he shifted fro, but he just stood there, watching her

Had he done this before? Snuck into her rooht sickened her Afraid to stir, her eyes flicked to the curtain, but escape that way seemed unlikely It would take her four steps to reach the doorway Harl could intercept her in one

The as closer, but even if she could unlatch the shutters and throw theht, and demons prowled the darkness outside

Time seemed to slow as Renna desperately tried to think of a way to escape If she ran through the yard, she ht her The big barn arded, and not connected to the house If she , and perhaps by then he would have slept off his drink

Running into the night went against her every instinct It was suicide But where else was there to go? She was trapped in the house with hiht her breath He came slowly over to the bed, and Renna froze, like a rabbit paralyzed with fear As he cahtshirt, his arousal jutting through the cloth He ca out to touch her hair He ran his fingers through it, and then sniffed at theently caress her face

"Jus’ like yer mam," he mumbled, and ran his hand lower, past her throat and collar, tracing the smooth skin to her breast

He squeezed, and Renna shrieked Miss Scratch ith a start and hissed, sinking claws deep into Harl’s arth She shoved at hi him backward Drunk, Harl stuh the curtain in an instant

"Girl, you get back here!" Harl cried, but she ignored hi hard for the back door to the s in the curtain and ripping it froh the barn door before he freed hirabbed a heavy old saddle, throwing it against the door, and ran through the stalls

"Corespawn it, Renna! What’s gotten into you?" Harl cried as he burst through the door There was a cry as he fell over the saddle, cursing loudly

"Girl, I will tan the skin off your arse, you don’t co!" he called, and there was a crack like a whip He had pulled a set of leather reins off the barn wall

Rennain the darkness of an empty stall behind an old rain barrel as Harl fued to catch the wick, and a flickering light sprang to life, sending shadows dancing around the barn

"Where you gone to, girl?" Harl called, as he began to search the stalls "Gonna be worse, I have to drag you out" He cracked the reins again to accentuate his point, and Renna’s heart ju theht flashed through cracks in the wood, accoic