Page 10 of A Touch Of Death

After a throat clearing, a softer voice I already recognise as Zayn asks, "Where did you come from, Novia?"

I think on it a moment. Does he mean where I came from after they found me, or before that? I guess telling them the answer to both won’t do any harm. "Originally, I'm from Arizona. The Coconino National Forest, to be more precise. The fae have lived there for centuries. As for the last five years...I don't know. I just know it was a facility of some sort. I never did figure out where in the world we were kept."

"I know where Coconino is. It was no secret thefaeoccupied that entire forest," Nix comments. He's more right than he knows. Even the humans who believed in the supernaturalknew where we were, making us easy enough to find and kidnap. We didn't stand a chance.

I clear my throat and wipe away the frown from my face. "Yeah, well, that was a mistake on our part. We should have made our location a secret, like every otherNaturalhas done. They wouldn't have found us otherwise."

"Who? Who wouldn't have found you?" Ezra probes. His eyes are attentive, his gaze watching my every move.

I ignore his question, realising I still don't know what state I'm in, or if I'm still in Arizona. "Speaking of locations...where's here?"

They all share a look as though they're debating whether they should tell me or not. My eyebrows furrow together as I watch, wondering why they'd want to keep it from me at all, but then Spencer answers. "You’re a long way from home, Novia."

Chapter 6

Spencer

Novia'seyebrows pinch together with confusion. "What does that mean? Where am I?"

Now, how the hell are we supposed to tell this woman that she's on the other side of the damn world? For three and a half years, the four of us have been on a wayward mission to gather intel on a secret research and experimentation lab that's moved around a lot, making our job incredibly difficult. The very lab that's been said to harbour the entire race offae. It's no coincidence that we find Novia in the woodlands that surround the very land the lab sits on. No coincidence that it's a facility of some sort that she's mentioned. The guys and I have been stationed in the UK for the last three and a half years. We're an hour away from the woodlands where we found Novia. And roughly an hour away from our target.

With one more look at the others, I shuffle closer to the edge of my seat. I pluck myhatoff my head and run my hand through my hair before replacing it. I inhale and let the air out with a whoosh, then say, "Novia, you've been brought to the United Kingdom. We're currently in England."

Novia's eyelashes flutter rapidly, her face blank as her breathing increases, loud enough for even me to hear. The vampire and shifter are the ones with increased hearing, so if Novia's breathing can reach my eardrums, then I wouldn't be surprised if she's on the brink of hyperventilating.

Surprisingly enough, her choppy breathing evens out fairly quickly, and she sinks further into the couch. I didn't think that was possible since it looked like she was as far back into the couch as her slim frame could get. Her head tilts down until her pale blonde hair curtains her face from everyone but me given that I'm sat on the arm chair opposite her. I keep my eyes on her, raptly watching her every move. It's then I see the tears dripping from her chin and onto her borrowed shirt, leaving small dark drops on the fabric.

It's been an incredibly long time since I've felt anything for another being, my chosen brothers excluded. I've never been a people person, always choosing to keep to myself. The only ones to broach my barriers have been the threeNaturalsI haven't been able to get rid of since they careened into my life. It's safer to keep people out. I've seen enough over my lifetime to know that emotional ties will only hurt you in the end, so I've always tried to stay clear of forming any connections or bonds. My brothers didn't get the memo, and I'm glad. I'll be damned if I let anyone else get as close, though.

At least that's what I thought beforeher.

The woman silently crying her tears of grief and confusion right in front of me stirs something inside me that demands I scoop her up, hide her away, and protect her from this shitty world. The woman who's managed to pull more smiles out of me than I've ever given my brothers over the long expanse of time I've known them. The woman I've never met before today, yet I feel like I've known for the same length of time that I've known Zayn, Ezra, and Nix. How is that even possible? I've known of her existence for less than a day, but it almost feels like she's managed to burrow deep under my skin already. That's ridiculous… right? Unless what Zayn says is true, and we're bonded to her. No, that's not it. I'll believe that when it's proven.

That doesn't change the sudden urge to comfort the stranger in front of me, however. It's like my body moves on autopilot. I'm out of my chair and kneeling in front of Novia in seconds, my hands reaching out to pull her closer. She flinches and hiccups an unrestrained sob before she relents and almost collapses into my arms. Her head falls to my shoulder, and my arms wrap around her gently, my hands rubbing soothing motions up and down her back while her body shakes with silent sobs.

Quick inhales of breaths have my head turning without jostling Novia, and I see three faces looking as shocked as I feel at my actions. My eyes feel as wide as saucers, but I can't seem to move away from the broken woman I'm holding.

I keep her in my arms a little longer until her cries lessen, and only a few stray tears escape her eyes. She pushes away from me, a blush staining her cheeks. "Sorry, didn't mean to cling to you like that. You just took me by surprise. I'd assumed I was still in America for five years, hoping I wasn't too far from home, and then I find out I haven't been anywhere close."

She looks lost and alone, and I don't much care for the helpless look in her mismatched eyes. That's not a normal reaction to have to a woman I've known for less than a day. With a raspy whisper, she repeats, "England."

I move away from her, quickly sliding back into my seat whenshe drops back onto the couch, her head fallingbackwards. The lost look in her eyes deepens as she stares at the ceiling, and a gripping sensation tugs at my chest. This isn't right. This entire situation is fucked.

She's blocking her mind from me. I can't see where her head is at or what she's thinking.

Zayn's calm voice echoes in my head. That used to be annoying, and on many occasions I used to snap at him for being an intrusive little shit. Over time, I've grown used to his ability to read and speak to minds. It's a helpful ability to have, and it's something I've grown fond of. I find a certain comfort in it now. It's not like he means to be intrusive, and he was even less so when he taught us how to block our thoughts from him. Hearing his voice in my head has become as familiar as the presence of all of my brothers.

We'll give her some time to digest it. It was a pretty large bomb to drop on her. Imagine having no idea where you've been for the last five years, only to have a stranger tell you that you're so far away from home that it's laughable.

Zayn nods in agreement, and I know he's passing the message on to the others. They nod a second later, and we all keep quiet while Novia absorbs the giant fact that she's no longer on American soil. It can't be an easy thing to learn and accept.

Novia is quiet for a long while, a sniffle or sigh the only signs that she's still with us. It's about a half hour later when she speaks again. "What else do you want to know?"

My eyebrows draw down, and I look over at the others to see the same confusion on their faces. She just took all that time to think over what she's only now discovered, and she's not going to ask questions? We all look to Zayn, and he shakes his head with more confusion than the rest of us.

When we all look back to Novia, she's already watching us. She's expressionless, her eyes holding a certain emptiness that doesn't sit well in my gut. She speaks before we can question her. "I've already processed it. There's nothing to be done about it now. If I think on it much more, I'll be a complete mess, and I'd rather not have a total breakdown in front of four strangers. So, what else do you want to know?"

We're quiet for a moment, but Zayn decides to pick up the questioning. "You mentioned a facility. Do you know what kind of facility it was?"

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