Free The Secret of Spruce Knoll by Heather McCorkle

possible the thought on killing triggered it? That idea made her nauseous for an entirely different reason. Turning into a freak she could handle, turning into a killer she could not.
    “No! We can, but we don’t. We’re no more killers than regular people,” her grandfather insisted. He looked like he wanted to say something more but wasn’t sure if he should.
    So if the idea of killing hadn’t caused the feeling, what had? Then it hit her. Anxiety brought it on. Great, that was almost worse. No wonder it happened with puberty. She thought that if she could control the energy maybe she could deal with this. That thought helped to calm her a little.
    Eren soaked it all in and tried to think of her next question, but there was just too much cluttering her mind. Obviously they weren’t immortal or her parents wouldn’t be dead. Staring off into the kitchen at nothing, she drank her hot chocolate and tried to think. A deep weariness was settling over her and scattering her thoughts even worse.
    “Is it just our family or are there more?” she finally asked.
    “It’s the entire town dear,” her grandfather said.
    Her eyes widened and her face flushed as her blood began to race.
    The entire town? No way! She just couldn’t wrap her mind around it. Earlier, when all this had started, Aunt Sylvia had tried to tell her that but she’d blocked it out. Hearing it again made it terribly real. It would explain the whole territorial thing, according to the book at least.
    “Every last person. Though the Irish call themselves druids,” Aunt Sylvia said.
    Eren wasn’t sure if she should feel comforted by that or intimidated. It did kind of help to know that Aiden was one too. At least this way there was a good chance he wouldn’t run screaming from her.
    Sylvia took the mug from her and told her, “You should get some sleep. You look exhausted.”
    That was exactly how Eren felt. Going to bed sounded like a very good idea. She was until she stood up and the world swayed. Zolin was at her side in a second, an arm around her waist to support her.
    With ease, her grandfather more than half-carried her up the stairs and placed her into the queen sized bed. It shouldn’t have been as easy as he made it look. Eren was slender to be sure, but she had a solid, athletic body that tipped the scale over one-twenty. How old was he really? Those questions faded away as he bid her good night and promised to talk more in the morning. 
    As soon as he eased the door closed Eren remembered something, the gift from her mother.
    Oh God, where did I put it?
    Strength returned to her in a rush and she sprung from the bed and ran to the closet. Throwing things everywhere, she dug through her backpack. It wasn’t in there. Close to hyperventilating, she sat still and took a few deep breaths. Her jacket, the one she hadn’t touched since she’d arrived here! Springing up, she grabbed it off a hanger and pulled it back to the floor with her. There it was, right where she’d left it in the pocket. Her hands shook as she retrieved the tiny box wrapped in pink and gold paper.
    After a deep breath she tore the box open. Inside was a milky white round pendant in a silver setting. The closet was dark so she popped back up to turn the light on. It was a moonstone. Eren knew because her mother had a necklace similar to it, only her mother’s was in the shape of a crescent moon. A few tries later, her shaking fingers drew it out of the box. The chain of silver and white beads was long enough she was able to slip it over her head and it hung down past her bra line.
    Sobs seized her again as she realized her mother was probably going to tell her their family secret when she gave her this necklace. Now she’d never be able to talk to her about it.

Chapter 12

    Eren spent the next three days getting to know her grandfather. While she may not want to get close to anyone again, she still wanted to know him. He was a quiet, contemplative man who was as