Page 149 of Taken By the Fae

My eyes widen and my head spins so fast I wince, squinting once again at the brightness of the room. Dr. Collins looks as I remember her from Elijah’s time in the hospital, all the way up to her stiff white coat. It turns my stomach, and I clench my jaw.

“Aurora,” she says with a sad smile, closing the door behind her. The sound of a heavy lock sliding into place makes my stomach sink. “I’m disappointed we have to meet again under such circumstances.”

I narrow my gaze at her. “And what circumstance is this exactly?” She nears the bed, and I stiffen.

“Had you not gotten yourself involved with the fae, you wouldn’t be here.”

I struggle against the restraints. “What the hell are you talking about?” My throat stings as I speak, a painful reminder of my screaming fit a few minutes ago.

Dr. Collins crosses her arms. “We would have no reason to bring you here if you had stayed human.” Her tone is cold, uncaring.

“That doesn’t explainwhyI’m here,” I seethe, my heart throwing itself against my rib cage. I grit my teeth, dragging my gaze over her in search of her energy, the emotions she’s feeling, but nothing reveals itself to me. As far as I know, humans can’t hide their emotions from fae… Something must be wrong with me. My eyes go back to the IV pumping mystery fluids into me.Is that affecting my abilities?

“You weren’t born fae. You had fae lineage, yes, but were still technically human.” It’s not a question, so I don’t bother offering an answer. “You triggered the fae magic in your veins when you killed that fae.”

How does she know that?I turn my face so she doesn’t see my look of surprise and cough as I attempt to sit up. Failing miserably, I fall back against the bed with an angry huff. “Yep. Still no explanation.” I tug on my arm, panic rising in time with my heart rate. “What the hell are you doing to me?”

She purses her lips. “We’re keeping you here.”

“A-plus for the vague-ass answer, doc, but that doesn’t help me.”

Dr. Collins almost smiles. “We don’t want to harm you, Aurora; however, we have to be sure you aren’t a threat to our organization while you’re here.”

“What organization?”

She ignores my questions and walks around the bed, checking the machines above my head. She hums under her breath, something that sounds as if it’s meant to be calming, but my blood is ice cold.

“Why am I here?” I growl.

“One of you killed my daughter, Amber,” she says in a voice void of emotion.

Tightness clamps down on my chest. “What?”

“Six years ago, she was out with friends and ran into a fae who made her their next meal. She was thirteen.” A distant look clouds her eyes, as if she’s told this story many times and is reciting a practiced version of it. “The fae didn’t stop feeding until Amber’s heart stopped beating.”

My mind is reeling as I frown. “I’m sorry, I—”

“I don’t blame you, Aurora, and I wish you no harm.” Her tone is kind, an odd contrast to the dark expression on her face. “You didn’t intentionally become fae. We’ve gathered that from our research.”

I swallow hard, shaking my head. “Your research?”

“You killed an unseelie knight for putting your brother in a coma.”

My chest tightens, and it becomes difficult to breathe. “How long did you know what kept Elijah from waking up?”

Her lashes lower, and she sighs. “Not as long as you, I’m sure. When I discovered that’s what ailed your brother, we doubled our research to find an alternative to bring him back. Something that didn’t require the fae who put him in that state.”

“Did you find anything?” I ask through my teeth, not that it matters now.

She frowns. “No.”

I bite back a growl, clenching my hands into fists as the restraints rub against my skin until they’re raw. “Fucking hell, let me out of these!”

“You should relax, Aurora. No need to be uncomfortable. Our fight doesn’t have to be with you.”

I freeze. “What fight?”

Her smile fades as her expression darkens, shooting shivers down my back. “We’re going to rid the earth of fae.”

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