Touch (Touched by the Fae 3)

The room is about half the size of the nursery back in the apartment in Newport. Except for the sink and the maybe toilet, it’s completely empty, unless you count the trio of ultra-bright lights screwed into the ceiling above my head. The bare walls are painted a glossy white that

reflects the light, making it seem like I’m about to walk inside a lightbulb.

It stings my eyes at the same time as it makes my heart pound.

I’ve seen a room set up like this before. Way more ornate and with the entire Seelie Court milling about, Melisandre’s throne room was purposely this bright so that the Dark Fae couldn’t use their shadow magic anywhere near her.

The office door opens somewhere behind me, closing quickly with an ominous snick.

I spin around, blinking hurriedly to get my sight back.

Dr. Gillespie’s expression goes from shocked to elated in between the shutters of my eyelids. “Riley,” he drawls. “You’re not supposed to be here.”

No shit.

I’m caught. No doubt about that. So stunned by his weirdo room, I let Dr. Gillespie walk in and find me standing in the middle of his office.

What the hell am I supposed to do now?

I see his eyes flicker from me to the room behind me. “Look at that. I see you found my secret space.”

Secret space… oh boy. I don’t like the sound of that.

“I got the idea from Siúcra.” At my blank look, he adds, “One of the main prisons in Faerie. Dark Fae and their shadows… it’s not sun, but it’s close enough. There isn’t a speck of shadow in this whole room. You’ll never escape.”

I don’t show him any surprise that he’s talking about Faerie and the fae mainly because I’m not surprised. Surprise flew out the damn window that day in Acorn Falls when he was looking for me, then actually found me with that strange rock he wore on a string around his neck. The doctor knows about the fae.

Of course he does.

He’s not wrong, either. This secret room of his is so bright, I’m still squinting because my eyes can’t get used to it. Every corner is illuminated. If I somehow got locked inside of there, I’d be trapped since my shade-walking skill would be useless.

It’s a good thing that I have no intention of getting locked inside.

I might not have wanted to announce my presence to the rest of the Black Pine staff earlier, but I will if I have to. At least, if they throw me back in my old room, I know there’s a portal that’s still functional. All I have to do is get past Dr. Gillespie and bolt from his office and I have a much better chance of finding another Brinkburn some other day.

As much as I hate giving in so easily, he can keep his.

I lean forward on my toes. That was my mistake. Before I can even decide how to get around him, Dr. Gillespie rushes me. There’s no time for me to react as he raises his arms, grabs me by my shoulders, and shoves me hard.

I stumble backward, my arms wheeling as I try to stay on my feet. Nope. I totally lose my balance, landing on my ass as I break some of the unexpected fall with my hands.

Staying down on the floor while my deranged doctor looms over me is probably not the smartest thing to do. I push myself up, climbing back to my feet before moving away from him.

He doesn’t come any closer. His smile only widens, like he’s pleased.

There isn’t much space to wiggle around him. He’s about my height. A little bit stocky. The idea of him putting his hands on me has my skin crawling, but I’m willing to risk it to get out of here.

Something stops me before I get within a few inches of the entrance. Self-preservation, maybe? My gut tells me to stop and, well, I’m so used to relying on myself, I listen.

That’s when I notice the dirt on the floor.

Spinning around, I see that the trail continues around the entire room. It looks like the debris left behind from when you salt your sidewalks to protect it from ice: glittering white crystals scattered with black specks. Or, even more simply—

“What’s this?” I ask suspiciously. “Salt and pepper? Really?”

“Looks like it, doesn’t it? It took me a long time to find something that would work against a halfling. Coarse salt mixed with iron shavings. Once someone with fae blood gets inside of the circle, there’s no getting out again without help, no matter how human they think they are.”

I don’t know what’s worse: how casually he keeps discussing the fae as if it’s a foregone conclusion that I would agree with him, or that he somehow is certain that I’m a halfling.