Allison staggers back, but her eyes stay locked on the bracelet. As if waking from a trance, her wide hazel eyes find mine. “Aurora, where did you get that?”
This can’t be happening. Not after all the shit I went through. This is not happening. Maybe it’s a trick of the light.
“Where did you get that bracelet?” she asks again.
I shake my head. “Um . . .” I shift my arm behind my back as I debate lying. Honestly, I wish I could climb my ass out the window, but I don’t think I’ll fit. That, and we’re not on the ground floor.
Allison’s face is a mask. “Where did you get it?”
I swallow the lump in my throat. “He’s looking for you.”
Allison pushes past me like I’m a piece of furniture, letting loose a string of expletives. As if remembering the source of her fear, she grabs my arm and rips the bracelet off. It hits the floor with little sound. Gritting her teeth, Allison lifts her foot and brings it down. Over and over. Until the charm is no longer illuminated.
“How the hell did you meet him?” she demands in between shallow breaths.
“Some guy at the party thought I was you, so he knocked me out and brought me to him,” I answer in a quiet voice. “Oh god . . . It’s true?” I shove my hand into my pocket and pull out the folded photo Tristan gave me. I open it, and the familiar face staring back at me knocks the breath out of my lungs.
Allison stands in front of me, brows furrowed as if she’s trying to come up with an answer. Abruptly, she rushes around, grabbing clothing, books, and anything else she can get her hands on. “I have to get out of here.” She throws things into a suitcase, not looking my way once.
I watch her, unable to find words. This is Allison, I tell myself. My roommate. My best friend. The person who busts my ass during exams and lifts me up at the same time. I have no idea how to feel. “You—the fae—they’re real?”
She nods, her lips pressed into a tight line.
My jaw clenches. “Why is Tristan looking for you?”
Allison grabs my hands and holds them, ignoring my question. “Leave with me.” Her plea is desperate.
“What? I can’t!” I pull my hands away from hers. “I need to finish school and get my degree. I have a life, a normal freaking life despite everything I’ve seen and learned in the last twelve hours!” I shake my head to clear it and take a step back. Allison stands there with an unsure look on her face. She turns away without a word and wrestles a dress from its hanger. Her knuckles are white; her grip is sure.
Allison’s voice is rough with unshed tears. “I never wanted you to find out what I am. You didn’t need to know. It isn’t safe.”
“Safe? Tristan told me my ancestors were fae. Now I find out you are too, and you’re on the run from him. All of a sudden you’re worried about safe?”
She freezes. “Wait, you’re part of a fae bloodline?” Something like recognition passes over her face. “That’s why—I’ve always sensed something on you, but I never knew what, and I couldn’t bring myself to say anything. It was clear you didn’t know or you would’ve known about me, so I ignored it.”
My eyes widen, and my forehead creases. “I have no idea what’s going on right now! I just found out about the fae!”
Her gaze softens. “I know. Let’s get out of here. We’ll figure it out, I promise, but we need to leave.”
My eyes burn as the tightness in my chest threatens to suffocate me. “I’m not going anywhere,” I force out in a hoarse voice.
Allison throws the dress into her suitcase. The only sound in the room is the loud zip of her luggage. She looks at me for a long moment, but I can’t read her expression. “I’m so sorry. I have to leave,” Allison whispers. She takes off, leaving the door wide open.
Her quick footsteps retreat down the hall, but I don’t follow. Tears spill free and wet my cheeks. I want to go after her. Shake her and demand answers. I have a million questions, but my feet are glued to the floor.
I stand there as the minutes tick by and stare at the almost empty side of our room. Allison’s bed is unmade like usual, but all of her dresser drawers are askew, the clothes she left behind falling out of some of them.
The fae are real.
I might not have believed the crazy guy who kidnapped me, but Allison—my best friend—I believe. I’ve lived with her for years. How did I not know something wasn’t human about her? There must’ve been clues. I sink down onto my hard mattress and push my palms against my eyes.
I stand and pace my room until I’m dizzy, trying to come up with some brilliant plan to figure this whole thing out, to keep Tristan from finding Allison, to keep the fae off my back. None of my plans are feasible. Leaving would only take the issue elsewhere, not get rid of it. Facing it head-on looks like my only option right now.
Huffing out a heavy sigh, I fall onto my bed and curse. I bash my fists against the mattress, but none of it takes away the ache left behind by Allison’s absence or what she hid from me. I thrust my fingers through my hair and groan.
I spend the rest of the afternoon trying to get in contact with her, checking with her friends to see whether they’ve heard from her—none of them have—and scouting out every place on campus she might go to. I’ve run out of all options except one. Maybe there’s a chance Oliver knows something. I head to his room and bang on the door until he opens it. I was hoping to keep him out of this, but that isn’t going to be possible. I don’t know what else to do at this point.
He pokes his head out the door and frowns. “Aurora, what’s up?”
“Have you heard from Allison today?”
He shakes his head and opens the door to let me in. “She did mention going to visit her parents, so maybe she went home.”
“I’m worried, Oliver.” I don’t tell him she packed her bags and took off. I don’t mention that there’s a dangerous, potentially psychotic fae looking for her. If I didn’t know about Allison, I can’t see that Oliver would.
He laughs. “It’s Allison. I’m sure she’s fine.”
I blow out a breath, but it does nothing to alleviate the weight on my chest. “I have a bad feeling. Please help me find her.”
“Okay.” He sighs. “Hold on. We both have the Track Your Friend app.”
“Like a GPS sort of thing?”
“Yeah,” he answers.
“Okay, can you try to find her?” I chew my bottom lip as he taps away on this phone.
His eyes brighten when it chimes. “I got her,” he says. “She’s still in the city but nowhere near campus.” He frowns. “It looks like she’s across town somewhere.”
“Why would she go there?” I ask.
He shrugs. “Her cousin runs a bar around there. Maybe she went to see him?”
“Do you know which bar?” I ask, and he nods. “Can you take me? I want to make sure she’s okay.” I have no idea why Allison isn’t tearing it out of town while she’s got the chance. Could this cousin of hers know something about her situation? Maybe he knows how to keep her safe. I want to believe that.
We walk down to the student parking lot and get in his car. As we’re pulling out of the lot, Oliver asks me to call her. Shame licks at my insides.
I bite my lip. “I think I lost my phone at the party.”
His eyes flit to me for a second before returning to the road. “That doesn’t seem like you.”
“I didn’t do it on purpose,” I snap and regret it when he frowns. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound so snippy. Give me your phone, and I’ll try her again.”
She’s still not answering. Not that I blame her. She’s scared out of her mind right now and on the run. I might not understand what’s going on, but I do know that I’ll fight to protect my best friend.
“Anything?” Oliver asks.
“Nope.” I hang up as it clicks over to voicemail. “We have to find her, Oliver.”
She’s got some major explaining to do.
Oliver pulls into a parking space and kills the engine. “The bar is a few blocks away. This is as close as we’re going to get on a Saturday.”
A quick Google search shows me that the club is only open forty-eight hours a week. Friday and Saturday, all day and all night. I nod. “Let’s go.”
The place is packed wall to wall with hot, sweaty, dancing bodies, and it’s so loud the building is vibrating. Oliver throws his arm around me and shouts in my ear. “I think we should split up. If you find her first, wait for me at the bar, and I’ll do the same.”
Eager to find Allison, Oliver and I turn in different directions. I comb through the crowd, but it’s a mess of unfamiliar faces. I try my best not to push people as I squeeze through, holding my breath at the heavy smell of liquor, cologne, and perfume, but it’s difficult with all of the flailing arms and grinding hips everywhere.
I scout out the bar before I fight my way through to the bathrooms. I’m walking down the narrow, poorly lit hallway when someone grabs me around the waist and pulls me into a dark room. I try to scream, but a hand covers my mouth and muffles the sound. My pulse surges, and when the lights flick on, I squint against the sudden brightness of what appears to be a storeroom for stock. Boxes fill most of the shelves, and the rest are lined with bottles of liquor. It looks like there was a window, but it’s been boarded up.
I recognize my captor instantly, and my eyes narrow.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I growl when he moves his hand away from my mouth.
“I could ask you the same question, sweetheart.” Tristan slips his arm from my waist and steps back. “Did you come to see me?” he purrs. His voice is sensual but dangerous. Even with the space between us, his inviting scent reaches me. I wonder if all fae men are as gorgeous as he is, then I mentally slap myself for allowing my head to go there.
I attempt to make myself leave—to force my feet to carry me out the door—but fail. “Did you follow me?” My eyes travel across his face and drop to his chest where a landscape of hard muscle pulls at his shirt.
“An interesting idea, but no. I received a phone call from one of my contacts—the gentleman who owns this bar—who tipped me off that the young woman I’m looking for was here.”
Allison’s cousin sold her out? What the hell could she have done to warrant that?
“I hope I’m not hindering another kidnap attempt.” My voice is soft, laced with false sweetness. “Maybe you should find another career?” My chest rises and falls rapidly as I stand there, knowing I should leave.
His lips twist into an arrogant smile. “You’re posing a bit of a challenge. It’s amusing.”
“Go to hell,” I spit.
He chuckles. “Oh, I’ve been. Several times. I happen to be good friends with the Prince.”
I roll my eyes. “I have no idea what you’re saying.”
He reaches forward, quick and graceful, and cups my chin. “I understand you found who I’m looking for. You seem to have misplaced her, yes?”
“I’m not going to let you hurt her.”
“It sounds like you know this girl,” he muses.
I close my eyes, unable to look at him anymore. “She’s my best friend.”
“Of course you want to protect her. You’re loyal to her. That’s admirable.” Tristan’s thumb brushes across my cheek, and my eyes fly open as my jaw clenches. “I’ll offer you a deal. Our previous one didn’t work out as I’d hoped, but I’m willing to give this another chance. I’m in the mood for some entertainment.”
“You’re twisted,” I growl.
His smirk is a flash of perfect white teeth. “You find your friend first, and she’s free to go. However, if I find her before you do, she’s mine.”
“What—”
“I’m not done,” he interrupts, his eyes glimmering like a child’s on Christmas morning. “Not only is she mine. You agree to have dinner with me. You’re still a bit of a puzzle.” His eyes flick between mine.
I manage to smack his hand away from my face with an exasperated laugh. “No way in hell is that happening.” My tone is firm, and yet, the image of sitting across from Tristan at a restaurant flashes through my mind.
“Are you doubting yourself?” He’s mocking me, and I want to slap the smug grin off his face.
“I’m going to find her,” I vow. “I don’t need to make a deal with you.”
“Accept what I’ve offered and your friend could have the chance at immediate freedom. Her indiscretions will be forgiven, and she may remain where she wishes.”
“You think I’m going to agree to something like this? On the off chance you find her before I do, I’ve not only sealed her fate to whatever you choose but my own as well? You’re insane.”
“And yet you’ve made a deal with me once before.”
“I didn’t have a choice,” I remind him in a sharp tone.
“Look at it this way. You can accept this, or I can use you to get to her.”
“Why does it matter so much?” I snap. “What did she do?”
“Consider it privileged information.”
“You don’t think spending time with you makes me privileged? I’m shocked.”
“I do enjoy your wit,” he says, “but you have a choice to make.”
I scowl. “Unbelievable. You want me to entertain you.”
“Immortality can get a little dull at times. I like to keep things interesting.”
The way I see it, my options are limited. If I don’t take his deal, I can’t be sure what will happen to me, but if I do and he finds Allison before I can . . . I am not having dinner with him.
“I’m going to find her,” I repeat.
His eyes hold a challenge in their dark blue depths as he watches me. “So, we have a deal?”
“Fine,” I say through gritted teeth. “Now back off.”
He raises his hands in front of him in mock surrender and steps back a few paces. I’m out the door in a second without looking back as I race toward the dance floor. I have to find Allison. I need to make sure she’s safe. That, and if I don’t find her before Tristan does, my future—everything I’ve worked for—will be for nothing.
I’m less polite this time as I make my way through the crowd of gyrating bodies. More than once, I think I see her, but when I approach, it’s always a stranger. My heart is pounding so hard I can feel it in my throat. My palms sweat, and the fact that so much is at stake makes me frantic.
I catch the top of a blond head walking toward the back door, and I follow. My feet surge forward when I recognize the clothing on the girl. It’s her. I grab the back of her shirt, and she whips around with wide eyes.
“Aurora?” she shouts to be heard over the music.
“We have to go!” I yell. I may have found her first, but I’m not taking any chances. I’m not trusting Tristan to keep his word.
“How did you find me?” she asks.
“It doesn’t matter right now! He’s here. We need to go!”
She nods and reaches for my hand, pulling me through a mass of writhing dancers. I manage to squeeze between two people, cringing at the damp warmth of their bodies and push a few more out of my way. Finally, we make it out the door and stand in the parking lot around the back of the bar.
“Why did you come here?” I ask, trying to catch my breath.
“I was hoping my cousin could help. When I got here, he wouldn’t see me.”
“If he wouldn’t help, why are you still here?”
“I thought he’d come around. I tried to talk to him and get him to understand, but he wouldn’t listen. He’s too loyal to Tristan. After that, I figured it would be a good place to hide out until I could come up with a plan.”
“And did you?”
She sighs and slumps against the building. “I’m barely hanging on, Aurora.” She puts her hand to her head and groans. “I’m so scared. I didn’t think this would happen.”
“I understand, but we have to keep moving. Where’s your phone? Call Oliver.”
Her head snaps up, and she sways on her feet. “Oliver is here?”
I reach out and grab her, steadying her, and nod.
Allison swears loudly, her hands shaking at her sides. Her wide eyes are slightly bloodshot, as though she’s been crying. I’ve never seen her so frightened. Why is she so afraid of Tristan? What did she do?
“Breathe, okay? We’re going to figure this out.”
She shakes her head. “I can’t . . .” She closes her eyes and licks her lips.
“You can’t what? Come on. We need to go.”
Her eyes fly open, and she grips my arms.
“Easy, Allison. You’re okay.” Her grip is tight. She’s hurting me, but I grit my teeth and force a passive expression.
“I’m so sorry,” she whimpers.
“You ran because you were scared. It’s okay. We’re going to get through this.” I say it more for my benefit, to reassure myself I’ll figure out how to discredit Tristan’s idea that I have fae in my family tree.
She shakes her head again. “I’m so sorry.”
I’m about to question her incessant apologizing when she whips us around and pushes me against the cold brick of the building. I don’t have time to open my mouth to speak.
Allison’s expression shifts to a distant, unfamiliar look as she cuts off my oxygen, gripping my throat. Panic clamps down on my chest. Dizziness floods in, and I can’t move. Black spots dot my vision, but I can’t fight her off. I can’t make a sound.
The back door swings open with a loud smack against the brick, and Allison wrenches her hand away as if she’s been burned. She looks terrified at her own actions. As fast as she went all fae on my ass, she vanishes.
With Allison no longer holding me by my throat, I sway on my feet. The pavement rushes to meet me like we’re old friends. I close my eyes in preparation for the impact, but it doesn’t come. It takes me a few long seconds to realize someone is holding me. I pry my eyes open to find Tristan. He’s glaring at me, his unfairly gorgeous features dark and sharp in the moonlight. Every one of his eyelashes casts a dark shadow on his cheeks.
I hear him snarl, a beast in a pretty package, and then I pass out.