Page 197 of Taken By the Fae

I shake my head. “What about the people who know us? What about my parents? They already almost lost one child because of the fae. What’s to say they’d be safe once Tristan and I are no longer part of the fae world?” Jules put Elijah in a coma to get to me; my family’s lack of knowledge of the fae world by no means protects them from it.

“I understand your concern,” Allison says, tucking her hair behind her ear. The blond has faded since the start of the school year and it’s grown past her shoulders. “We’d keep tabs on them and make sure they’re safe. There are plenty of fae in the area, many of which respect Tristan and Skylar—Nikolai, even—and would happily agree to monitor and protect your family for as long as necessary.”

“We’d also have to block their memories of you,” Skylar adds, “and give them new ones so there aren’t unexplainable blanks.”

I rub my palms against my thighs, wiping the dampness from them. “I don’t know if I can do this to them.” Unease blossoms in my chest, and for a split second, I consider the idea of telling them the truth. I quickly shove that away—it’s too dangerous, especially now with the Experiment’s involvement. “How would it work?”

Skylar and Allison exchange a glance before the latter fae says, “It’ll be a process. Once we block their memories of you, using fae manipulation to make them forget you until we allow them to remember.”

When my breath catches, Tristan slides his fingers through mine, and my eyes shift between our friends. “What about all of you? Are you going to make us forget you?”

“That was the plan,” Skylar comments in a low voice, leaning against the bar and taking a drink of what appears to be whiskey.

I look at Nikolai, my mind racing. As much as I want a real shot at a life with Tristan, what they’re proposing terrifies me. “There has to be another way.”

“I don’t know—”

“Find one,” I demand desperately. I sound selfish when I should be grateful our friends are trying to give us the chance at happiness while they fight the enemy.

“We’re doing this for you,” Skylar snaps.

“It wouldn’t be permanent, Ro,” Allison chimes in, her eyes almost glassy. “It’s to give you a chance at a normal, human life while we deal with the Experiment.”

“Are you sure it’ll work?” I ask.

Nikolai shrugs. “We won’t know until we try it. Blocking your memories will be the easy part. It’s the unblocking when the time comes we’re not entirely certain about. I imagine it would depend on how much time had passed. Tristan?”

“That’s right. I’ve seen it done a couple of times. Of course, it’s easier to remove if the period the memories are blocked is relatively short.” He turns to me. “Should we consider it?”

Panic wraps like thorny vines around my chest, and my grip on his hand tightens. “I don’t know.” My voice is tight and uneven. I take a deep breath and let it out.

… a normal, human life…

“This would betemporary, right?” I check. “After the Experiment is no longer a threat, you’ll give us our memories back?”

Allison nods. “If that’s what you want.”

A muscle in my jaw twitches from clenching so tight. “I don’t want any of this, Al. I don’t want to lose my friends. What if something happens to one of you during this entire battle, and we never get to see you again?”

“Freedom from the fae world comes at a price,” Skylar says. “We’ve all had to make sacrifices—some bigger than others.”

Nikolai frowns at her before turning to me. “We won’t force this on you, but you should consider it. You’re human. You no longer have any obligation to fight for the fae, though we know you would.”

“Of course we would,” Tristan says.

Nikolai nods. “You’ve helped just by bringing the courts together. We couldn’t fight this battle without that union—even if it only lasts until the Experiment is stopped.”

I bite the inside of my cheek, cringing when I taste copper. “This seems extreme. Why can’t we keep our memories?”

Nikolai arches a brow. “You’re telling me if you kept your memories of the fae and the Experiment, you wouldn’t try to rush into battle with us?”

I stare at him, but he doesn’t blink. Finally, I roll my eyes, scowling. “Whatever,” I mutter.

“What exactly would you have us forget?” Tristan asks.

“Not so much forget, but we’d implant false memories. You’d believe you were different people, that the life you’ll be living is the one you always have.”

My brows tug together. “Tristan wasn’t able to erase my memories when I found out about the fae. What makes you sure you can now?”

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