Page 151 of Taken By the Fae

Would I take the chance to be human again if it wasmydecision?

No, a voice in my head responds before I can give it any thought. As hard as I’ve struggled to overcome what I am and how I have to live to survive, I want to negotiate peace between the courts, to be with my friends—with Tristan—and I want it to last forever.

“I don’t want this,” I say.

“I understand 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?”

Dr. Collins 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 attempt breaking free of my bindings, she pulls out a syringe. Walking around to the other side of the bed, she connects it to the IV attached to me and pushes liquid into the line.

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

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

“What?” I breathe as the liquid races through my veins and weakens my system almost instantly, making my limbs heavy and my head 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 jaw clenches. “You mean youkilledmany of my kind to find the right ratio?”

She nods without an ounce of remorse in her eyes. I’ve concluded that the elixir draining my energy is also somehow blocking my ability to feel her emotions, because she’s still a blank canvas, no matter how deep I push.

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.

“Consider yourself lucky, Aurora. The Experiment has spared fae instead of hunting you all.”

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

“We’rehelpingyou,” she says, her tone so 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 spit my venomous reply, and I’m left staring at the closed door, struggling not to burst into tears.

ChapterForty-Two

I’m not sure how long I’ve been here. The days blur 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 every day. I’ve been in and out of consciousness for so long, I’ve lost all sense of time.

I’m staring at the wall when Marisa walks into the room in dark purple scrubs, a dark contrast to the light gray ones I was dressed in while unconscious. My muscles lock when I catch her in my peripheral. It’s the first time I've seen her since I woke up in this hellhole. Anger and betrayal go to war in my chest as I replay the moments before I was jabbed in the neck and knocked out. She tricked me. Preyed on my compassion and empathy to lure me out of the hotel, then turned me over to these fae-hating psychos.

“I thought you might be hungry,” she 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 never was.

“How long did you know?” I ask in a harsh tone, attempting to ignore the way my stomach grumbles at the aroma of what I’d guess is chicken noodle soup.

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’ve known all along. Working for Tristan was part of my undercover role.”

I gape at her, the knots in my stomach twisting at the mention of his name. I miss him—desperately. “You sound insane, just so you know.”

She frowns. “Maybe after lunch you’ll feel up to taking a shower? It’ll make you feel better.”

I laugh bitterly. “Better?”

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

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