Page 108 of Taken

Chapter 29

Lila

I wake before dawn, the artificial lighting in my underground quarters still dimmed to mimic night. The bed is too soft after all those institutional mattresses, the silence too complete without the constant hum of Syndicate surveillance equipment.

Freedom, it turns out, takes adjustment.

My mind drifts to Talon, his touch, how he felt inside me. My skin heats at the memory, and I find myself halfway to the door before rational thought kicks in. The memory of him lingers on every inch of my body, a feeling I’ve never experienced before. Something possessive had flashed in his eyes when he’d taken me—something that should terrify me but instead makes my pulse quicken.

No. Not yet. There’s something I need to do first.

Hargen.

The ritual revealed his feelings for me. But there was something else, something that’s been nagging at me since that moment our blood and consciousness merged through the Shard’s power.

I pull on clothes left for me: soft pants, a plain T-shirt, a cardigan that feels impossibly luxurious against skin accustomed to utilitarian fabric.

The corridors of the Outpost are quiet but not deserted, even at this hour. A skeleton crew monitors stations in the command center. Night shift security patrols nod as I pass. Nobody stops me or questions my destination, though I feel their curious glances. The Rossewyn witch. But not a prisoner.

I pause at a junction, catching sight of Talon speaking with Zoe at the far end of a corridor. Even at this distance, his presence affects me physically—a pull that defies logic, that makes me want to abandon my current mission and go to him instead. His shoulders are tense, his posture rigid as he argues with her in hushed tones. I wonder if they’re discussing me, if she’s warning him about getting too close to the witch they barely know.

The thought should sting, but instead, I find myself smiling. Let her warn him. It won’t make a difference—I saw it in his eyes yesterday, felt it in his touch. Whatever this is between us, it’s already too late to stop it.

I force myself to turn away, continuing toward the medical wing.

One thing at a time, Lila.

The wing is bathed in soft light, most beds empty. I find Hargen in a private room at the end, sitting up and scrolling through a tablet despite the early hour. He looks up when I enter, surprise flickering across his face.

“Lila.” My name sounds different in his mouth now that we’re not surrounded by Syndicate ears. More personal. More real. “It’s early.”

“Couldn’t sleep.” I take the chair beside his bed, noting his improved color, the steadier rhythm of his breathing. “How’s the wound?”

“Almost healed.” He sets the tablet aside. “Whatever you did with that ritual… the doctors can’t explain the rate of cellular regeneration.”

“Magic rarely fits into medical textbooks.” I manage a small smile.

Awkward silence stretches between us. So many years together, yet we’ve never truly spoken freely. Never had a conversation without surveillance, without calculation, without the roles assigned to us.

“We need to talk about what happened,” I finally say. “During the ritual. What I saw. What I felt.”

His eyes meet mine, then slide away. “I know.”

“There’s something else, though, isn’t there?” I lean forward, studying his face. “Something about you. About us. Something you’ve been hiding.”

Hargen’s laugh is brittle. “Hard to hide anything when someone’s been inside your head.”

“You did.” I press harder. “I caught glimpses, fragments, but there was something… familiar. About you. About your memories.”

His expression shifts, resignation replacing resistance. “I wondered if you’d felt it. If you’d recognized…”

“Recognized what?”

He takes a deep breath, wincing slightly as the motion pulls at healing flesh. “We’re related, Lila. Distant cousins through your mother’s line.”

The words leave my head spinning. I sit back, mind spinning. “What?”

“My grandmother and your great-grandmother were half-sisters. The Rossewyn bloodline.” His voice drops lower.“Though mine is diluted, weak. Not enough to make me valuable as an asset.”

---