A Fourth Tidbit From The Secret Keeper
Good Evening, lovelies.
I trust you’ve all been enjoying yourselves today. I’ve been diligently working on my CampNaNoWriMo project, The Secret Keeper. I’m now sitting at 32,316 words. While I’m not sure if I’ll make the 50k by the 30th, I will honestly say that I’m very much trying to make sure I get as close to it as possible. Heck, I’m truly hoping for the 50k. I really am.
Before I dive into writing more of the story, I wanted to offer you all a fourth tidbit from the story itself. I hope you’ll enjoy it.
I do ask that if you find an error or two in this excerpt that you keep in mind that it’s not fully edited yet. I did catch a couple things before posting it and corrected them, but that’s about it. I don’t plan on editing it completely until the story is completed so I hope you all understand.
Nevertheless, you’ll find the most recent excerpt below.
Enjoy!
***
Taking a deep breath, Lorelei turned around to face the painted wooden panel once more. Her hands trembled as she thought about what they were about to do. Whether the Elder’s liked it or not, she, Julian, and Miles were going to seek the answers to their questions. Her first goal was to make her way toward her parent’s home. She needed to find the journal and she was sure they’d hidden it somewhere within its depths.
Approaching the panel, she ran the tip of her index finger along its bottom edge. The significance of the painted image across its surface wasn’t lost on her. Someone wanted her to know who she was. He, or she, had gone to great lengths to leave behind the clue that would point her in the direction she needed to go. Although she wasn’t sure whether the person behind the subtle hint was a friend or foe, she was willing to give him, or her, the benefit of a doubt. Her life, and that of her friends, was in danger and she needed to believe that someone amongst the Elder’s was on their side.
She encountered a small switch embedded within the wood’s edge and carefully pushed her finger against it. A small click sounded as the wall swung inward. Three steps lay below the wall’s edge, leading toward a slightly darkened tunnel. Her heart raced with excitement as she realized she’d found what she was looking for.
“Well, I’ll be damned!” Miles exclaimed, his eyes so wide they practically popped out of their sockets.
Julian came to stand beside her, peering into the shadows. “How’d you know this was here?”
She shrugged, a dull flush of color staining her cheeks. “I didn’t. It was just a guess. Plus, the image painted across the panel sort of stands out.”
“You do realize this means someone’s been keeping tabs on us, right?” Miles prodded as he ran about the room and gathered their belongings.
“Yea.”
Julian accepted the bag Miles thrust into his hands. “You think whoever did this is on our side?”
She tugged her own satchel across her left shoulder, willing herself to remain calm. The thought of traversing the tunnels made her a tad claustrophobic, but she was determined to see things through. She needed to understand the reasons behind the atrocities committed by her parent’s, the Queen, and the Elder’s on her behalf. It would allow her to set her mind at ease once she saw the bigger picture.
Miles poked her shoulder and nudged her forward ever so gently. “We better move. Someone’s bound to return soon. Best to get our escape over and done with, once and for all.”
She nodded and walked into the corridor. “You don’t think they’ll find us, do you?”
“Unless they know about this secret entrance, I doubt it.”
Julian grasped her hand in his, squeezing it tightly. The small sign of reassurance was all she needed in order to know that they were making the right choice. She smiled at him and pumped his hand in acknowledgment. Miles swung the wall closed behind them, silently gazing down the hallway.
Whether they wanted to or not, she knew they would see things through. The three of them were bound in more ways than one. The bond was the one thing that gave them the strength to go on. No matter what came their way, they would meet it head on. Together.
