Page 4 of Outcast Fae
“I’m sure they’re just scared. I’ve told you snatching them in the middle of the night is too traumatic.” His voice was nasally from the swelling and the cloth stuffed up his nose.
“Too traumatic,” she mocked in a sing-song voice. “They should be scared. This ain’t no pretty princess party. This is a wilderness rehabilitation program for juvenile delinquents.” Glaring at us from above her sunglasses, she took another drag and flicked ash on the floor before continuing. “This is their last chance before becoming hardened criminals. And, if it were up to me, I’d skip all this bullshit and send them where they belong. But, I guess, it ain’t up to me.” She sent an annoyed glance at Mr. Broken Nose who shook his head, his jaw clenched.
“I’m sorry, what did you say?” I asked. “Did you say wilderness rehabilitation program?”
As if on cue, two more adults stepped into the office. The first was thin and doe-eyed with tan skin and blond hair. She looked to be about twenty-two or twenty-three, a sweet-faced girl with a saccharine grin that suggested she hoped to save the world one person at a time, starting with us.
“That’s right, Tallyndra,” she said sweetly, glancing at my file on the desk. “Welcome to New Starts Rehabilitation. My name is Meadow Song, and this is Silver Bear. We’re your guidance counselors, here to help you along on your journey.”
She sounded bright, optimistic, and completely out of place in this dingy office. The old man she’d introduced regarded us from behind reading glasses. He had long silver hair pulled into a ponytail at the nape of his neck and wore a fringed vest of supple brown leather. He appeared to be in his seventies, though I wasn’t very good at calculating humans’ ages.
“And you’ve met Karen and Alonzo, the extraction team.” Meadow Song gestured to the savages that had stolen me from my family.
“Yeah, we’ve met,” I said, under my breath, unable to help myself. “Charming.”
Vaughn snorted as if he were in on the joke. His eyes darted my way, but then, seeing my face, he frowned and turned away as if he’d just remembered he hated me.
“A smart-mouthed fae,” Karen said, sucking on her cigarette. “That’s just what we need.”
Alonzo leaned forward, blocking my view of her. “Tallyndra, we were only doing our job. If the Magical Law Enforcement had taken you, it would’ve been much worse. They would send you to jail with no hopes of ever getting out.”
Magical Law Enforcement. They were the magical guards or police—whatever humans called them—that kept Supernatural criminals in check. Though, from what little I’d learned about them during my time here, they couldn’t be trusted any more than this lot.
I wondered if they also abducted minors in the middle of the night. Whatever the case, I didn’t buy this human’s routine.
“It’s just Tally,” I said, glancing between the adults. I normally reserved this moniker for friends only, but I didn’t like the way they pronounced my full name. “And I want to know what I’m doing here. I don’t need rehabilitation. I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Beside me, Vaughn snorted again, but this time as if what I’d just said was the dumbest thing he’d ever heard. I shot him a look, but he didn’t meet my gaze. Instead, he turned to Meadow Song and Silver Bear.
“My name is VaughnCollins. My aunt isArabella Collins. I assume you know who she is.” His voice was cold and full of contempt.
Silver Bear and Meadow Song exchanged a glance. “Everyone knows Arabella Collins,” Silver Bear replied.
Everyone except me, apparently. Who was Arabella Collins?
Vaughn jutted his chin. “Then you know that she will hand you your balls in a neat little package if you don’t release meright now.”
Silver Bear leaned closer, coming down to Vaughn’s level, adopting an expression one might use with an angry two-year-old. “I understand you are upset. Who wouldn’t be? But you are here for a reason. Things have gone down a dark path, and we are here to help you find the light.”
“Quit your hippie bullshit,” Vaughn said. “Get my aunt on the phone!”
Meadow Song tilted her head, her jaunty, blond ponytail swinging. “We could, but then she’ll just tell you the same thing we’re about to. It was your aunt who sent you here.”
Vaughn’s jaw dropped. I expected him to protest and string a line of expletives a mile long, but, instead, he clammed up, dropping his eyes back to the floor.
Ouch.
It seemed he deserved his place. Me… not at all.
“You still didn’t answer my question,” I said. “Why am I here?”
“You know well why you’re here,” Karen hissed at the same time that she blew smoke out of her nostrils.
“No, I don’t,” I insisted, raising my voice.
“Let’s calm down,” Meadow Song said brightly. “There will be time to discuss everything. Now, let’s get this show on the road. But first, we want you to meet your campmates.”
Campmates? There were more of us?
