Page 59 of Twisted Gift

“I don’t want this,” I say.

“I understand that you’re scared, but—”

“No,” I snap. “I. Don’t. Want. This.” I shake my head. “If you do this to me, take awaymychoice, how does that make you any better than the fae?”

Richelle sighs and offers me a smile. “You’ll see things differently soon, Aurora. I promise.”

I want to slap that smile off her face so fucking bad, but before I have the chance to even attempt anything, she pulls out a syringe. Walking around to the other side of the bed, she connects it to the IV attached to my hand and pushes liquid into the line.

My pulse spikes, and my bottom lip trembles. “What is that?”

She steps away from the bed. “An elixir our team created. It’s mostly harmless, aside from the iron-infused oil.”

“What?” I breathe, feeling the liquid race through my veins and weaken my system, making my limbs feel heavy and my head feel light.

“It’s not a high enough concentration to be lethal. We tested it on many of your kind until we found the right ratio.”

My nostrils flare. “You mean youkilledmany of my kind to find the right ratio.”

She nods, not seeming at all upset over the deaths.

I blink against the rush of dizziness. “Why are you doing this to me?” My voice is smaller than I want. It’s scared and quiet and so unlike me.

Richelle stands, pushing the chair against the wall near the end of the bed. “Consider yourself lucky, Aurora. The Experiment doesn’t make a habit of sparing fae.”

“You’re not sparing me. You’re using me.”

“We’rehelpingyou,” she says, her tone sure; she believes it. “Marisa will be along in the next few days to start the process. Until then, try to stay calm and get some rest. You’ll need it.”

She’s gone before I can come up with a venomous reply, and I’m left staring at the closed door, struggling not to burst into tears.

15

Idon’t know how many days have passed since I was brought wherever the hell I am. I’ve been in and out of consciousness for so long, I have lost all sense of time. My waking hours have blurred into a haze of white lab coats, tasteless food, needles, and unanswered questions. The Experiment is keeping me weak, feeding me human food alone, and pumping me full of the iron elixir.

I’m staring at the wall when someone knocks before walking into the room.

“I thought you might be hungry,” Marisa says, closing the door. The lock snaps shut automatically. She’s holding a tray with a bowl of soup and some toast, smiling as if she’s still my friend.

She probably never was.The thought crosses my mind, making me narrow my eyes at her.

“How long did you know?” I ask in a harsh tone.

She frowns, walking closer. “Know what?”

I want to roll my eyes at her ignorance, whether it’s fake or not. “About the fae,” I say.

With a nod, she says, “I’ve known all along. Working for Tristan was part of my undercover role.”

I gape at her. “You sound insane, just so you know.” When she laughs, I’m filled with the sudden urge to punch her in the face. “And you had no issues letting them stab me with a needle, knock me out, and drag me here to strap me to a bed and stick me with more needles?”

She ignores that and says, “Maybe after some lunch you might want to take a shower? It’ll make you feel better.”

I laugh on an exhale. “Better?” I mutter, my tone laced with bitterness.

Marisa frowns, setting the tray on the empty chair. “I imagine you’re angry with me.”

“Angry,” I echo in a low voice, shaking my head in disbelief. “You betrayed me, Marisa.”

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