Page 54 of Taken By the Fae

“What happens if Tristan says no? Are you going to stop seeing Allison, or are you going to take the chance of her getting punished?” I can’t be sure Evan would get punished by Jules, or whether the unseelie queen even cares if someone from her court is with a seelie fae, but I imagine the rules are the same for both courts.Don’t fuck the enemy.

“Then we’ll figure something else out.” He meets my gaze. “Tell me you’ll try. Please.”

I inhale slowly through my nose, and let the breath out through my mouth. “I’ll try.”

“Thank you.”

I drop my gaze. “You should go.”

He steps back, heading for the door. “It was nice to meet you, Aurora. I’ll see you around.”

I stare at the closed door once Evan’s gone, my mind reeling with what he said, and what I agreed to do. Grabbing my phone off my desk, I text Allison.

Evan was looking for you. He just left.

Shit, I’m sorry I wasn’t there. What did he say to you?

He wants to meet with Tristan. I’ll ask, but I don’t know if it’ll happen, Al.

Yeah, I know. I have back-to-back lectures today, then a study group tonight, so I’ll be home late. Are you okay?

I’m fine. Drowning in assignments, so I think I’ll head to the library and work there.

Okay.

Keep your location on, please.

Of course. See you later.

* * *

I make a point never to be late for class. This morning would be no different except I slept through all three of my alarms. I’ve been in a state of exhaustion since being poisoned. I don’t know whether it’s remnants of fae poison running through my veins that makes it difficult to keep my eyes open all day, but I’m sleeping more often and for longer than usual.

When I do wake up, I grab my phone to check the time. My loud groan fills the empty room. Allison didn’t wake me before she left; that’sifshe slept here last night.

Throwing my comforter off, I force myself out of bed. I pull a comb through my tangled waves and brush my teeth while trying to throw together a presentable outfit. Out the door with a granola bar and my bag in less than fifteen minutes, I sprint across campus. I’m still half an hour late. Of course, today’s class is in the largest lecture hall, and my business finance professor has a guest speaker scheduled.

As I approach, I silence my phone and slip it into my bag, then hold my breath and open the door, tiptoeing inside and scanning the room for a seat. A few heads turn when the door shuts. I cringe as I hurry to an empty seat, three rows from the front of the room, which means everyone watches as I make my way to it.

Once I’m seated and have my laptop on the small fold-out desk in front of me, I let out a slow breath.

“Glad you could join us, Aurora,” the professor says.

“I’m—” Words stop forming the moment my eyes shift to the guest speaker.Fuck. “Sorry.”

Tristan stands at the podium, front and center, grinning like a cat in his usual business attire.

“As I was saying…”

I tune the professor out, sliding down in my seat as if my laptop could hide me and praying to anyone who will listen that this lecture ends early.

An agonizingly slow hour passes, and the professor announces a break before the second half of the presentation. I groan and pull out my phone to occupy myself. Now would be the time to gather my things and get the hell out of here, but if I leave, I’ll never hear the end of it from Tristan.

“He’s so young and attractive—it’s unfair,” the girl beside me squeals at the girl next to her.

“Unfair? It’s inhuman. Jesus, if he was our professor, I wouldn’t miss a single lecture. In fact, I’d apply for extra credit assignments.” She pauses. “With lots of after-hours work.”

“Mmm, me too,” the first girl gushes.

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