Captive of the Shadows (The Fairy Code Book #1) by Kaitlyn Weiss

Chapter Four

IT WAS A WEEK before I really got the difference in times between the worlds. No, not because I'm slow, but because so much had transpired in such a short period of time, starting with my being transported to Ruadh!

By the way, Doran turned out to be right: After just a night and a half in bed with him, I felt almost right as rain. Almost — every now and then I would feel this heat enveloping me inside, which would always evolve into chills. But Haedyn assured me that I was fine, and that this was most likely the residual effect of habituating to Ruadh. He told me that, generally, mortals didn't fare well in close proximity to Chaos, and then expounded on energy flows and so on.

As for Doran ... it's complicated. After his attempt to seduce me, he seemed to either give up or lose interest. But, over the course of the week, I would catch him looking at me. Like today, for example. I was sitting in Haedyn's laboratory compiling a list of supplies. I worked on this kind of thing in the evening, after spending the morning learning all about faeries. My sources were primarily the books written by healers.

Doran had been a rare presence in the laboratory of late. I primarily talked with Haedyn, who thus far struck me as the most level-headed of all of the faeries in Ruadh. Then again, I was strictly prohibited from going anywhere alone, so there was virtually no one else for me to compare him with. And I knew that if I dared disobey, I would again face punishment.

"What?" I asked, lifting my eyes from the list I was compiling to the figure of Doran.

He'd appeared in the laboratory, again dressed in black with silver accents, and now was looking me over. His expression was enigmatic. "Are you doing okay?"

I listened to my body, and answered him candidly, "I'm thirsty and want to go out, but generally speaking, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"Don't you feel drawn toward me?" Doran came right out and asked. "Or toward Haedyn?"

I narrowed my eyes and looked at the doctor, who winked and then got back to work on his patient. I knew her. It was Meldyt. She lay on a long, low table, sunk in a deep sleep. Haedyn was leaning over her, scanning her condition. The Hunt had fun with the three wenches for four full days, after which two healers had patched them up and left them to heal.

"Should I?"

"Humans respond very strongly to us," Doran explained, sitting opposite me on the edge of the wide table at which I was working. "It is thought that after a night with a faery, humans — male or female — will never be able to forget their lover. Especially if their faeries are Gankoners."

"Well, sorry if you're disappointed. But what is that?"

"Gankoner? That's a flute-playing faery who seduces the girls by playing his instrument. In the past, mortals would call him their 'sweetheart.' Once a girl met a Gankoner, she was fated to love him until the day she died. And it wouldn't be long before the unfortunate lady would wither away, refusing to eat."

"There you have it," I said, "instantly addictive and a harsh comedown. Sounds like a bad drug habit. Perhaps his flute playing was hypnotic, or had another narcotic effect."

"Rory, the laws of science do not explain everything."

"Oh, well. I can only try."

Doran sighed deeply, but didn't argue with me. Instead, he asked, "Have you finished the list?"

"Well, I guess so, more or less. I wrote down everything that I could think of."

Doran extended his hand, obviously expecting me to trot up to him and hand it over. I'd used my ballpoint pen, which had been returned to me. Along with my purse and all the contents, including my laptop. I had high hopes for the laptop, despite the fact that it didn't work at all. I couldn't power it on. Likewise with my cell phone.