Page 48 of Twisted Fate

I’m still shivering when Tristan’s bedroom materializes, and I grip his wrists, struggling to breathe as the weight of the situation tugs at me. He peers at me and frowns, his eyes wild and his mouth set in a thin line. He cradles me in his arms and walks over to the large four-poster bed I woke up on in my dream. When he sets me on the black silk sheets, I want to close my eyes.

Yeah, this isn’t looking good.

“Do you remember what you told me when we met?” he asks.

His question surprises me, but I try to recall that day. After thinking about it, I lift my eyes to meet his and nod.

“Tell me.”

My jaw is clenched against the pain; I don’t think I can speak. If I open my mouth, I’m afraid I’ll scream again.

“Aurora,” he says. “Tell me.”

I close my eyes and force my jaw to unclench. “I told you I wasn’t going to die here,” I say, the words slow to come out.

“And you’re not.”

My eyes open at the sound of his voice. “How?” I whisper, and my voice cracks. He sounds so sure, and yet I feel as though I’m breaking apart in front of him.

He lifts his hand and brushes the hair away from my face, tucking it behind my ear. “I’m going to fix this. I’m going to make it better.”

I manage to nod. “Okay.”

“Okay,” he repeats.

His expression focuses as he lifts my shirt over my head. I try not to wince, but the pain is excruciating. I suck in a sharp breath when I see my chest. Black veins run under my skin, circling my stomach and disappearing under my bra, which Tristan makes no move to take off.

He presses his palm flat against my skin above my belly button, and I hold my breath, my lips pressed together. “I need you to breathe, sweetheart,” he murmurs.

Letting out a slow breath, I watch his hand shift upward. The pain fades eventually, and so do the shivers, but the black veins running under my skin remain.

“You can close your eyes now,” Tristan says in a gentle tone as he stands. “I’ll be right back.”

I watch him leave the room and wait, eyes open, until he returns to my side.

He kneels and looks at me, his expression soft. “Close your eyes.”

I shake my head. “What are you going to do?” It comes out as more of a whisper, but he hears me.

He leans forward and lifts my chin with two fingers. “I’m going to heal you. You don’t need to watch.”

My eyes narrow. “Tristan...”

He huffs out a breath. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He pulls out a syringe, and my entire body stiffens. “Relax. I’m saving your life.”

I watch his every move as he shrugs off his jacket and uncaps the needle. I look away as he slips the needle into his arm and fills it with his own blood.

“Aurora.”

I force myself to look at him and notice the needle is out of his arm. He holds it in his hand, waiting.

“This will cure you of the fae poison in your blood, but there could be unforeseen side effects.”

“Like?” I whisper.

“I’m not going to list them for you right now. You need this.” His voice is firm; he isn’t giving me a choice. Given the alternative involves me dying, I can’t find the will to be annoyed by that.

I close my eyes briefly before nodding. “All right,” I breathe.

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