Page 45 of Taken By the Fae

“Yeah?” The corner of his mouth quirks. “I’ll keep that in mind. Unless I’m living with my theoretical super-hot boyfriend by then.”

I laugh. “Right, of course.”

Oliver gives me a bear hug before he heads upstairs. I grab my textbook and head over to my study session, joining a few of the girls from my program who are in the lounge with their books already open. I plop down, cracking my book open to join in the discussion about the upcoming test.

We’re all scribbling away when Danielle, another girl from my program, walks in an hour later with drink trays in her hands.

“Hey, sorry I’m late, but I brought caffeine!” Danielle sets the drinks down on the counter and throws her hair into a messy bun before passing them out. She sits next to me and hands me a cup before taking a sip from her own.

“Thanks,” I say with a smile and tip the cup to my lips.

“My pleasure.” She returns the smile and opens her book, glancing over at mine to find her place.

I take another sip before returning my attention to my textbook.

“Are we ready for this test?” Danielle asks.

A collective groan sounds around the room.

Two hours later, I’m shuffling down the hallway, headed for bed with an unsettled stomach, an all too familiar sign I’ve consumed too much caffeine today. My eyes burn—it’s a struggle to keep them open. A constant side effect of college life.

Allison is asleep in our room when I close the door and drop my bag at my desk before crawling under the sheets. I can’t be bothered to change out of my clothes or even brush my teeth before sleep pulls me under.

I’m not asleep long before my eyes shoot open and an agony-filled scream tears its way up my throat. I clutch my chest as it burns with such fierce pain I think I’m going to faint or throw up.

Allison is at my side in a second, having thrown herself out of bed when I started screaming. She flicks on the lamp between our beds. “Aurora.” She tries to grab my wrists and pry them away from my chest, but I hold strong, groaning in pain. “What’s happening?” Her tone is frantic, but I can’t do anything. I can’t speak, not that it would matter—I have no idea what’s wrong with me.

I cry out as the sharpness claws deeper, and Allison’s eyes widen, her face blurring with the soft lamplight. I thrash against the sheets, and the moment my arms slip away from my chest, Allison pushes my shirt out of the way to look. When she curses, my stomach plummets. Panic clamps down on my chest as I squeeze my eyes shut against the fire raging through my veins.

“Aurora, this is bad.” Allison shakes her head, her eyes wide and filled with fear. “I have to call him. I don’t know what else to do.”

I grit my teeth, willing the pain to recede. “I’m… fine.”

“You’re not,” she snaps. “I think you’ve been poisoned by a fae.” She grabs my hand and squeezes, but I barely feel it. “I’ll be right back.”

My breaths are quick and short as I try to breathe through the pain. My vision blurs even worse now, ebbing in and out.That isn’t a good sign.I should be freaking out, but I can’t feel anything but the fiery pain coursing through every inch of me.

I close my eyes for what feels like a second. They snap open when cool, firm hands grip my shoulders, and I find Tristan kneeling at the side of my bed.

“Aurora.” His voice is soft, urgent. “You need to keep your eyes open for me, sweetheart.”

I think I nod as my eyes drift shut again.Did he just call me sweetheart?Maybe it’s because it feels as though I might be dying, but I don’t hate the sound of it.

“Aurora,” he repeats, sharper this time, as he tilts my chin up.

Blinking a few times, I struggle to focus on his face, the sensation of knives slicing through my chest making me dizzy as I groan in pain.

“Are you going to help her?” Allison asks from somewhere behind him.

His jaw tightens, and my heart sinks when he says, “I can’t.” He glances over his shoulder at her. “Not here.”

“Tristan, please,” she says in a small voice. “Whatever it takes. Please.”

I try to swallow, but my throat is too dry. He drops his hands and scoops me into his arms. His eyes meet mine for a moment before the room around me gives way to nothing but darkness.

* * *

I’m still shivering when Tristan’s bedroom materializes, and I grab his shoulders, struggling to breathe as the weight of the situation tugs at me. He peers at me and frowns, his eyes wild and his mouth set in a thin line. Cradling me in his arms, he walks over to the massive bed I woke up on in my dream. When he lays me on the black silk sheets, I have to fight to keep my eyes open.

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