Page 5 of Twisted Fate

His eyes stare into mine as he waves a hand to dismiss Max. “Leave us.”

Max nods once and takes off down another hallway with his head hung low.

The man blocks the elevator, which is the only way out of here—the only one I can see, anyway. He cocks his head to the side.

“Move,” I demand, surprising myself by the harsh tone of my voice.

The man raises his brows; I’ve surprised him, too. “Where are you off to?” He sounds curious.

“I’m not going to die here,” I say, my determination clear.

“I’m glad to hear that.” His jaw is sharp and shadowed with stubble. He steps forward, bringing his hand toward my face, and huffs in annoyance when I flinch.

“Hands off! Whoareyou?”

“That doesn’t matter right now. Allow me? It will help.” He lifts his hand to my face again and gently holds me in place while his fingers brush along my jaw. The throbbing from before fades, leaving a warm, tingling sensation.

My eyes widen, and I turn my face away from his hand. “What the hell wasthat?” My heart is beating fast, but I try not to let the shock show on my face.

“You’re welcome,” he says dryly.

“Who are you?” I repeat.

“You may call me—”

“Tristan, there are more important things to deal with right now.” The woman from before is back with an armful of file folders.

He arches a brow at her. “I’ll deal with what I decide needs to be dealt with, Skylar.”

“Or you could let me out of here,” I suggest. “No need to deal with me at all.”

“The human makes an excellent suggestion, and that’s coming from me.”

Human?

Tristan makes a sound of frustration, a deep rumble in his throat, and then, with a subtle flick of his wrist, Skylar vanishes. She was standing no more than four feet from me, and now she’s gone.

My hand flies to my mouth, my mind reeling. “You...” I can’t form words. “What just...?” The ability to finish a sentence escapes me. My eyes fill with tears, and I start shaking.

“Yes?” he murmurs.

I jerk my fingers through my hair, pressing them into my scalp, urging myself to wake up. “I’m going insane,” I groan. When Tristan steps forward, I reel back, my body springing into a defensive stance, my hands clenched into fists, ready to swing. “Did you kill her?” My voice cracks.

He chuckles. “I didn’t kill her. I simply shifted her back to her office. Aurora, I need you to listen to me,” he says in a calm voice.How does he know my name?

I shake my head adamantly. “You stay away from me!”

“I’m afraid that’s not going to work.”

In an instant, I lose it. I try to push him away, slamming my hands against his solid chest, but he doesn’t move an inch. “What the hell are you?” I demand through chattering teeth, fighting to keep tears back.

His eyes flicker across my face, and he sighs. “Calm down,” he says. “Take a deep breath.” He waits until I exhale before he continues. “I’m the leader of the fae, Aurora. I imagine that means nothing to you.” My brows rise, and he says, “I thought not.”

“Why am I here?” I ask and force myself to hold his steely gaze.

“That is the eternal question, isn’t it?”

“You said you’re the leader of the fae?” I’m no expert, but I did take a mythology class last year to boost my average. Tristan doesn’t look like what I think he should if my textbook is to hold any merit. No physical traits one might associate with a supposed supernatural being. He doesn’t have pointy ears or sharp teeth.

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