by Erin R Flynn
“I’ve had it with you,” he snarled. “You’re under arrest, Tamsin Vale. Seize her. She used illegal runes and I don’t care the situation. She cannot keep this one person crusade and think that anything she does is justified with this farce of staying undeclared. We will find out who you belong to today and end this.”
“I belong to me,” I sneered. “No one owns me.”
Professor White stepped in front of me as several men who were clearly council guards came towards me. “And she did no such thing, Councilman. I used the binding and restraining runes as is within my authority as a dean of Artemis. Headmaster Edelman did as well. Ms. Vale doesn’t even know those runes. We have dozens of witnesses.”
“Step aside, White. I will not tell you again,” he ordered.
“With respect, no, I will not. You were not here and cannot lawfully bring charges against her using illegal runes without witnesses.”
“Those can be found easily enough,” he hissed.
“No, they will not,” Mrs. Diaz seethed. “She saved all the lives here and you would buy witnesses to try and own her? Are you mad? You threaten the woman brave enough to stand before the teenage orphan you try to take advantage of for power and greed? You are unfit to be an elder or councilman.”
“I agree, and hereby grant Dean Anya White protection,” Mr. Diaz declared, chuffing in a way that let us know his dragon was riding him hard. “Tamsin Vale already has protection of all the dragon royals and I will see that Anya White has it as well as she protects Ms. Vale from predators like you. This madness of the councils preying on her must end. Do you not understand what happened here today?”
“Yes, of course we do,” he bellowed. “The Underground almost got their hands on her. That is why we must get her first!”
A cricket sneezing could have been heard as everyone went dead quiet at what he’d just confessed.
I slid out of Geiger’s arms and stepped around White, going toe to toe with the councilman, letting him see my determination and certainty.
“You will never get me. You think I stand alone, but that is where you are wrong. You think I am one, but I am many. I am the voice of everyone you have abused, wrong, taken advantage of, and not protected as you should have, as you swore to. I will not fall to you and certainly not the Underground so fight with me or fight against them, but choose wisely as the gods are watching and judging.”
He ground his jaw as he stared down at me. “You answer to us, child.”
“No, I don’t. I don’t even respect you as you still stand with Ainsworth after the evidence I’ve submitted. So make sure you’re backing the right horse in the war you’re about to start. I’m willing to bleed, to give everything, and die to win. Are you?”
He studied me several moments and then my aura, swallowing loudly when he did. He saw the truth. I would go all the way and never quit. I wasn’t bluffing.
I didn’t bluff. Not ever.
He didn’t get a chance to answer, Mr. Rothchild moving next to me and kneeling. “By the grace of King Xavier and his permission, I, Trigger Rothchild, do hereby swear the power and protection of the Rothchild clan as its head to Tamsin Vale for services rendered to our royal family. May you wield us as your sword as ever needed.”
“Holy shit,” someone whispered behind us.
I seconded that, not really understanding what was going on but getting it was a big fucking deal. I had a feeling Mr. Vogel just went from protecting me to giving me the same rights as a royal dragon. Or something comparable?
And then Mr. Silva did the same.
The councilman stared between the kneeling dragons like he saw a ghost. “You’re both insane. She will be the ruin of you both. She will destroy your clans because of what you have done today.”
Mr. Silva snorted as he stood. “She just single-handedly thwarted a major assassination attempt against our king and queen while constantly working to save every castle and haven all dragons need. I cannot think of anyone else more worthy of our clan’s protection outside of the Diazes.”
“Agreed which is why I asked King Xavier for permission and he granted it,” Mr. Rothchild said firmly. “Which means any council who tries for her now picks a fight with two royal families and the two dragon knight clans who stand with them. Do you have enough guards for that just for the power of ‘one little girl?’”
Well damn. Like dayumn. I blinked up at Mr. Rothchild and couldn’t even hide my shock.
Apparently telling him I was a fairy was a really, really smart move after all.
17
“Are you going to be okay?” I asked Professor White when the councilman and his people left. “You took a serious risk there, didn’t you?”
She didn’t answer right away, licking her lips and giving me a quick look. “I’ll be fine but I would suggest making some friends on other councils. You did good with the bear shifter council, praising them for their handling of the situation from before the semester started and that carried a lot of weight. You get more with honey than vinegar and right now, you need to buy time.”
Until I had more answers in Faerie and hopefully backup. That made sense.
“I won’t make friends with horrible people like Ainsworth but I’ve learned enough to know everyone had to get their hands a bit dirty to keep what they had like Lucca’s said. Any suggestions?”
“Several if you’re willing to listen.”
“Not really but if you and Geiger agree, sure, do whatever in my name.” I shrugged when she gave me a look like she wanted to spank me. “I’m being honest that this isn’t my thing. It’s better if I stay out of it and risk not pissing people off accidentally. I was going to suggest the wolf shifters since Alpha Geoff jumped in to help today and there should be some posturing that he helped save a royal dragon.”
“Yes, and a very honorable witness to your part of the fight,” she agreed.
Hey two birds, one stone, always awesome.
“Whatever you guys think is best. Just tell me what to sign or send.” I reached out when she turned to leave. “Thanks. Really, thanks. I didn’t know—don’t get yourself in serious trouble for me.”
“You are worth it, Ms. Vale. Plus, you aren’t the only one tired of the corruption and disgusted with the idea of the councils vying to take advantage of a teenage orphan and her power.” She patted my hand and headed off to help give people over to the supe police who had shown up in droves. They not only took over the scene but were handling the humans so not a peep of anything leaked out.
I sat off to the side and dug into the food someone had brought for me, shocked when Mr. Rothchild took a seat next to me. I was going to thank him after I swallowed my bite but he spoke first.
“I was so focused on keeping the Vogels alive through all the turmoil we have in our society, that I have been blinded to the corruption in the other species. I knew our elders were useless and willing to let it all play out however and simply pretend to be in charge over whoever came out on top, but…”
“You blinked and you missed how it got this bad?”
He slowly nodded. “I didn’t believe you. I thought you were exaggerating, not used to councils who got involved and kept order. You were raised as human and they drop the ball on everything.”
I snorted. “Judgy much?”
“No, I don’t mean it that way. There’s simply so many of them and they fight each other on everything. They live such short lives they miss the big picture too often. They don’t understand how much they truly don’t know. Their governments fail them and I served one that never did. That is what I meant. I served unwavering because King Xavier and his father before him lived up to what rules should be.”
“I get you. You have faith in the system because you’ve only seen it work.” I cleared my throat and pulled back the wrapping of the sandwich. “I doubt it all because I’ve never seen any of it work, not for everyone. The Vogels are great but they aren’t perfect. No one is. They’ve failed someone and that’s n
ot a criticism, simply reality. They failed Mel and so did you. So we’re two sides of a coin.”
“We are,” he agreed after several moments. “Thank you for saving her when we failed her.”
“You and your mate have thanked me more than enough.”
He snorted as he stood and stretched, glancing at me as he did. “There will never be enough thanks for saving Melody. She finally confessed the full story to her mother and my mate told me. You were an abused child who risked everything to do what was well beyond you to help save a woman who did you a kindness and risked your life. Few would have done it. You are worth protecting not because of what you are.”
I blinked after him when he walked away. That was maybe one of the nicest things anyone had ever said to me and for it to come from Mr. Rothchild shocked the absolute shit out of me.
Mr. Silva walked into my view and tapped his temple as he stared at me intently.
Oh, that couldn’t be good. Still, I flipped on my telepathy.
“Next time you use a fairy rune to increase your speed beyond even a dragon’s, I suggest you do not use it around those who have fought alongside fairy warriors and know the magic of them.”
“Well, fuuuuuckkkk.”
He smiled brightly at me but I was freaking out, linking his mind with Geiger’s… Until I saw how the Diazes were looking at me as well. It didn’t take two guesses that they knew as well.
“Geiger, I fucked up. I swear this is going to be the world’s worst kept secret on the planet.”
He sighed in my head. “We need the Diazes alive as well, child. You did what you thought right and we can clean up whatever mess later. I would rather you open a portal and bring forth your fae dogs and figure out how to bribe Dean Collins to wipe every mind that they ever learned of you than risk your safety or the remaining dragon royals.”
“Glad that’s your position, Geiger,” Mr. Silva replied, sounding amused.
“Yeah, he busted me using the fairy rune and the Diazes clearly know,” I explained. “For the record, I would bet money Mrs. Courtenay is pretty sure as well. It’s hard to hide when I don’t know what to exactly hide or I’m capable of.”
“You do a lot better than you think considering all the eyes on you and you’ve made it this far,” Geiger defended.
Well, that made me feel a bit better if I was honest.
Geiger went over to the king and queen and brought them to me, nodding for me to put up a barrier that Professor White quickly slipped in.
“They know,” she busted.
I nodded. “Mr. Silva admitted he knew the fairy rune I used to get here quickly. I thought it might out me but I couldn’t let you guys get slaughtered even if I’m fairly certain you’re stronger than all of us combined.”
All the dragons slowly looked at Professor White with wide eyes but she focused on me, always that cool amusement in her eyes when I poked at her. “You really are smarter than people give you credit for. Someday I’ll finally answer your jabs, I promise, but you of all people know how dangerous it can be for someone powerful.”
It hit me like a ton of bricks. She had a fairy in her lineage. Recently. That was why she was so… Familiar and easy for me to trust. She studied my aura and nodded at whatever she saw, probably understanding what I’d figured out. Well hot damn.
Something to think about later but right now we had the situation in front of us. “Before you ask all you undoubtedly want to, I won’t answer but you need protection charms from Katrina Calloway to block you’ve learned this.”
Mr. Diaz didn’t seem to want to leave it at that, but Mrs. Diaz held up a finger to her mate. “That’s fair as they are your people, but I beg you to tell us if you know what happened.”
“Or at least if there is hope,” Mr. Silva added.
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “As much as I’d like to be a bull in a china shop and that’s kind of my way—”
“The portals to Faerie are watched constantly and magically assessed for any fluctuation,” Mr. Diaz grumbled. “The world would be in an uproar if there was any change.”
“Exactly,” Geiger agreed. “But yes, there is hope. The hobgoblins are quite certain of it, especially with fae dog packs swearing allegiance to Tamsin. We need more time and to carefully proceed, which means slowly.”
“If you of all people can be patient, so can we,” Mr. Diaz muttered, giving Geiger a pitying look that felt like a punch to the gut.
His mate was a dark fairy that could be locked in Faerie somewhere in that caustic darkness or trapped in something worse. I couldn’t even imagine how it killed Geiger to live for two decades without knowing and still hold onto hope.
“I hope if anyone else figured it out you will make sure they keep it to themselves and protect Tamsin as we need?” Geiger pushed, glancing around as if wondering who else there might be a threat to me.
Mr. Diaz shook his head. “The others were your people. We were the closest. Silva and I have fought with fairy warriors and knew the magic of the rune. My mate simply knows me and my shock said much to her. If any others wonder, the insanity of the day can explain away much.”
“Glad to hear it. Too many people already fucking know,” I grumbled. “World’s worst kept secret.”
I pulled down the barrier and finished my food as everyone handled what they needed to but I saw Mr. Rothchild speak with Mr. Silva and didn’t have to guess what that was about. I shook my head. I really was going to get busted if I wasn’t more careful.
But what could I do? Should I not have saved the people I’d pulled into all of this? Sure, White and Edelman and Geoff might have been able to handle it… But what if they hadn’t been able to? Could I have lived with that?
No. I didn’t even have to think about it.
“Yell at me later,” I said to Darby when he joined us. “I’m still hungry.”
His response was to kiss me and I mean kiss me. He pushed me up against the wall like no one was around and devoured my mouth until I melted against him. He lowered his forehead to mine as we both gasped for air. “Don’t ever leave me behind again, agra. You run into battle and I come with you.”
“No, I won’t agree to that. There are fights I can fight that you can’t.” I moved my hand to his chest and met his gaze. “You’re smarter than being the guy who dies because he won’t hang back.”
He pursed his lips and gave a firm nod. “Fine, but only because you’d be distracted and in more danger if I pushed to be next to you.” He shocked me by punching the wall next to me. “But you fucking come back, agra. It is not up to you to save everyone and there are people who need you, who love you. So, I need you to promise me that if you run into the depths of it all that you will come back!”
I swallowed loudly and cupped his cheek, smiling when he nuzzled my hand. “I’ll come back. I wasn’t close to losing but if I am, I’ll run and I’ve got lots of tricks up my sleeves, I promise. If I ever need to, I’ll pull out all the aces, don’t worry. I’m a survivor and I won’t hesitate. I know when to run and fight another day and when to jump into the fray. If I jump, I know it’s what I can handle.”
He let out a shaky breath. “Then I’ll be here to patch you up or give you whatever you need when you’re doing kicking all their arses. Let’s get you some more food.”
“Whatever you say, my sexy Irishman,” I purred.
“Back to campus where we know you’re safe,” Zach declared.
I glanced over to see him having a staring match with someone who I thought was from the supe police. “Oh, I don’t even want to know what’s going on there. You’ll handle it?”
“Yeah, they can come to fucking campus and ask you questions there instead of you going to their headquarters and risk another council trying to snag you,” he answered.
Yup, I thought it was something like that. I left Zach and Ray to be the boss of it and went for the temp portal. I stopped right before and decided to make peace. “The food on campus is pretty damn good. I�
�ll cover lunch for you and your guys while we talk for the inconvenience and understanding that some of the councils are trying to take advantage. This isn’t your fault but it’s not mine either.”
The guy broke off from staring at Zach and glanced over at me, his gaze softening a bit as he nodded. “You’re right, it’s not your fault. It’s simply a mess and one we’ll be expected to clean up and report on. They’ll ask us questions and want answers you won’t give us.”
“I’m sorry, but they shouldn’t ask you those questions and we both know that. That’s their corruption, not my being a jerk or you bad at your job. It’s them. If they’re mean to you about it, tell them I’ll make sure the hobgoblins at the sanctuaries and havens know and they’ll be blacklisted. That will make their mates and families super pissed.”
He raised an eyebrow at me. “You have that kind of pull?”
Zach snorted. “The hobgoblins fucking adore her. She’s been yanking them out of shit elite estates left and right and you know how they band together. A teacher picked on her about how much she ate and they bullied him until he publicly groveled and begged for mercy. It was awesome.”
The guy nodded. “I’ll take it. I’m glad to be involved in getting more Underground locked up, but I do not need the headache of you involved or getting demoted by a pissed off councilman because I didn’t do something underhanded and find out what species you are.”
“If you did, I would kick your fucking ass,” I warned, seething mad they would demand that of him. “And if they pulled that shit on you, I’d kick their fucking asses and you can tell them I said that if they even imply it. Corrupt fucking douchebags.” I walked through the portal shaking my head.
“Great minds think alike,” Darby praised after he came through the portal.
I wasn’t sure what that meant and it would have to wait until later to ask as I was slightly distracted by what was before me… Namely every dragon on campus standing on the quad where the portal came out at.
