Page 96 of Taken By the Fae

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After I take the fastest shower of my life, I change into black leggings, a sweater, and boots. I pull a comb through my hair and tie it back so it’s out of the way. Standing in front of my desk, I hesitate before I open the bottom drawer and grab the iron stakes.

I slide one into each of my boots and another one at the back of my leggings. I hold the last one in my hand for a moment and slide it up my shirt, securing it between my breasts.

Tristan sits at the end of my bed, closing his eyes and letting out a breath. It’s such a human thing to do. When he opens his eyes, he reaches for me, but I flinch away. If he touches me, I’ll come undone. “You shouldn’t have to do this, Rory. We can find another way.”

I immediately shake my head. The only other way is Jules waking Elijah himself, which he won’t do unless I agree to help him kill Tristan, so this is our only option. Facing Tristan again, I school my emotions. I can’t let myself feel right now—I need to focus. “I think I should go in first. Let him think I snuck away from you and came to him alone to get my brother back. If he thinks he has the upper hand right off the bat, we’ll have the element of surprise.”

A muscle feathers along his sharp, stubble-shadowed jaw. “You have no idea how badly I want to stop you from being involved in this at all.”

My mouth goes dry, my brows knitting. “Stop me? This is my brother, Tristan.”

“I understand, but I’m not sureyouunderstand how dangerous this is. If he catches on to your ploy, what then?” His voice is calm, but I see the fire raging in his eyes.

“He won’t,” I say in a tight voice.

“Aurora.”

“I don’t know! Okay? But I need to do this, so I guess we better hope I can make him believe I did this on my own long enough for you to swoop in and deliver the final blow.”

His dark expression doesn’t change. Fuck, what I wouldn’t give to feel his emotions right now.

I swallow hard, struggling past the lump of fear creeping up my throat. “If you try to stop me from saving Elijah, I won’t forgive you.”

Tristan holds my gaze, frowning. Several beats of silence pass between us before he nods. “Once we kill Jules, there’s no going back. Many of the unseelie fae will want a life for a life. My court is prepared for this, to fight, but I want to make sure you know what you’re getting into.”

This whole thing—the fae war—isn’t about me, but the moment Jules messed with my life, my family, it became about me on some level. He made it personal when he manipulated me and put my family at risk, and now he’s going to answer for what he did. I don’t like the thought of taking a life—even a psychotic one like Jules’s—but I will do whatever it takes to get my brother back. So whether or not I’m prepared—

“I’m sure.” My voice cracks, but my resolve holds. I pull out my phone, taking a deep breath as I open my messages, grimacing at the chain with Grant’s name. I tip the phone forward so Tristan doesn’t see what I type.

I’ll do it.

Jules’s response comes less than a minute later.

I knew you were smart. Meet me in an hour. Alone.

The next message that comes through is a location pin to The Iron Lounge pub on campus.

“We’re set,” I say in a low voice, pocketing my phone.

* * *

Campus is quiet as I walk across it toward The Iron Lounge. My boots crunch in the newly fallen snow and my breath fogs the air in front of me. I’m not surprised to find the pub door unlocked, even though it isn’t open yet. My heart hammers in my chest as I step inside. The place is empty, televisions off, and chairs on tables. The silence is deafening, and the faint scent of alcohol lingers in the air. My boots feel as if they weigh a thousand pounds each and my mind races with all the ways this could end. I push the possibilities away, knowing it’s too late to consider them now.

“I expected an entourage.” Jules’s voice makes me stiffen, and my eyes dart toward the sound to find him walking out of a room marked STAFF ONLY. “I didn’t think you’d heed my direction to come alone.” He looks at ease, no creases in his forehead, no sharp, calculating expression. He’s as casual as the day we met, in jeans, a navy button-down, and combat boots—somehow that only pisses me off more.

My jaw clenches at his cliché line, but I say nothing.

He tilts his head to the side, his eyes wandering over my face. “I’m surprised you came at all, especially after Evan took you back to Tristan. It’s a shame I had to kill him for helping you. He didn’t know what loyalty was.”

My eyes widen at the same moment my stomach sinks. Evan is dead. I wasn’t crazy about him or the danger his relationship with Allison posed, but he got me away from Jules, and I’m grateful for that. He didn’t deserve to die. “What doyouknow about loyalty?”

He smirks, ignoring my remark as he prowls closer, stopping a foot away and making my heart pound harder in my chest. “Have you finally come to your senses?”

I swallow, shaking my head. “You used me.”

“It was never about you, Aurora. Not really.”

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