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Chapter 1

It’s not every day you meet a monster

Forout of fairytale storybooks They’re things of legends, things they’ve only ever heard about Forand a little unnerving After all, no one wants to ad they’re most afraid of is real No one wants to admit the stories could be true

My father warns me that Farwol is this sort ofI can do is to stay hidden, to lock myself in my bedroom and not come out He says that when Farwol comes to collect his debts, I need to be as far from the creature as possible

He says this is the only way to survive

I don’t reled with the beast froe fears the reclusive billionaire who comes only to collect his debts It’s only when the three ht that Farill coers who are indebted to him must pay what they owe or face a fate worse than death

It’s on these nights when the creature corow terrified

Tonight, my father is one of them

He begins to panic around lunchti to collect enough money to pay back the man he borrowed from Why my father owes Farwol, I don’t know WhyI know is that when the sun sets, he’ll come to our door, and my father must be ready to pay

“I can help you,” I say, watching hi different ite the candlesticks, the paintings, the silverware He’s grabbing anything he thinks ht fetch a price, but fear fills h

Whatever debt my father owes Farwol, it’s one that will not be repaid with sireater than I can iine

“Eve, you rabs a fewout of the house “And no matter who comes to the door, you don’t answer it Understand? Do not answer the door, Eve Not even for your friends”

I stand at the door and nod, not quite understanding the seriousness of the situation My father is co and I wish I could help hi I could do I should be able to do so, but he won’t tell me what he’s done, what he owes

He won’t tell me why he went to the monster in the first place

Father closes the door and waits just outside while I lock it Once satisfied, I hear him descend the rest of the steps and leave with Pepper, our horse Then I am truly alone

I sit in a chair and stare at the wall, wondering how the world has cohter that I cannot figure out a way to save my own papa? Ale solution to this predicament? I should be better

I should be able to find a way

Yet I spend the entire afternoon and into the evening trying to come up with ideas to make the money my father desperately needs and I co Soon the moons rise and father still isn’t back I pace back and forth in the living room for what feels like hours Eventually, the sound of hoofs arrives outside the door and father comes into the house

“Did you get the money?” I ask anxiously, hopefully, but he shakes his head “Oh, Papa,” I whisper, going to hi to happen now?” I ask

“We’ll figure so out,” he says, only this tis and the silverware are gone Father is carrying a thin velvet bag that jingles as he moves

“How

He shakes his head “Silver,” is all he says, and he sets it down on the wooden table in the center of the room We sit to a supper of warm stew and stale bread, but eat in silence We’re both so cohts that we don’t hear the horses approaching the house until the riders are co up to the door