by Erin R Flynn
“Speak with Geiger,” I muttered, scrubbing the back of my neck and staring at my feet so I didn’t focus on their hope or emotions. “We have a crumb of a lead, but I have no fucking clue what I’m doing really. He’s got an idea but you might be able to help.” I glanced at Richardson. “Both of you. If you want.”
“I do,” he promised after a few moments of thought. “You are crass and unrefined, but you get results—needed results. I’ve seen the changes on campus for the better and it makes me wonder if maybe crass and smacking people around isn’t exactly what Artemis needed.”
I smirked at him. “You’ve not even seen the half of it yet, Professor.” I glanced at Professor White again. “If you have knowledge of dogs, that would be incredibly helpful as well.”
She smirked at me. “Your pack giving you trouble?”
“Three,” I sighed.
“You have a pack of three?” Professor Richardson questioned.
“No, I have three packs sworn to me now,” I admitted, bobbing my head when they both gave me shocked looks. “Yeah, I know, that’s not how it works and it’s never happened besides with the most powerful, but well, it’s not like they have a lot of options at the moment.”
“You’re still powerful for a… Especially one so young,” Professor Richardson comforted, looking uncomfortable to be the one to give comfort.
Yeah, it was weird to get it from him as well.
I thought back to something Professor White pointed out and worried my lower lip. “So are you who I should go to if I have problems since I’m in the witches dorm?”
She raised an amused eyebrow at me. “Another one so soon?”
I sighed, not even able to blame her. “Constantly, more like, and not sure it’s going to be a problem. More like it will probably start problems or draw eyes if it goes how I think it will.”
“Color me intrigued, Ms. Vale,” she chuckled, waving me to go ahead, Professor Richardson seeming curious as well.
“I’ve gotten all A’s and one B on my debates,” I hedged, rubbing my tired neck again. “I’m not foreseeing the final going that way and not through my fault.”
“Don’t start tiptoeing around on us now,” she pushed.
Fair enough. “There was an instructor not mine who said he was grading us and he’s a first-class douche. His criticisms all centered on not agreeing with my arguments, rather than the development or structure of them. Also, he thinks I need to get knocked down a few pegs and seemed amused. That didn’t make me feel warm and fuzzy. Is there some automatic academic probation for a bad final?”
Professor White schooled her surprise pretty well but nodded. “That was his thoughts?”
“No, just… Where my mind led me from what could amuse him. That’s why I’m saying it could start shit later fighting it instead of nipping it in the butt not to pick a fight.” I blew a raspberry. “Plus, should some douche be an instructor here if that’s how he rolls? I mean, really, that’s just bullshit when the tuition is so damn much.”
“Agreed and I will handle it,” she promised. She glanced past me at Richardson. “You’ll handle this and keep her future spell circles with less eyes?”
“Yes, that would be best,” he muttered. He squatted down and felt the energy of the circle. He frowned and glanced at me in confusion.
I listened to his thoughts to hear what wasn’t making sense and tapped the charm to suppress my essence. That was what cleansed the cleansing circle of not screaming it was a fairy. He simply knew as a teacher who had taught other fairies and experienced how they did things.
He nodded his understanding and with a wave of his hand, he cleared my circle, pulling all the energy up and to him. It was part of the test for him to do that to check nothing outside had filled in the circle. He wasn’t keeping the energy, sending it into the wards instead to protect all of us.
“Well done, Ms. Vale,” he said at a normal volume for those listening. “Unlike others, you truly waited for this to be your first time as instructed.”
I blinked at him. “You can tell that?”
He gave me a smile for the first time—even if it was a half one. “Oh yes, and they won’t get full marks, whereas you did. Have a wonderful break.”
“Thanks, you too.” I stared at him in shock as he walked off to grade the next student.
Well, hot damn. That was way better than how I thought this final would go… And even before he busted me as being a fairy.
Still, I was smart and the moment I had all my stuff and was heading back to my dorm I texted several people that Richardson and White knew. I wasn’t making any mistakes with my safety because I wouldn’t be the only one hurt if people came for me.
22
“Was the goal winning the tournament or my pain?” Hudson groaned as we headed to the cafeteria Wednesday. We’d just finished our “final” in physical training and I’d taken the championship again.
And yes, I’d wanted to win it but he wasn’t wrong that maybe it wasn’t my only goal. I’d overheard a bit too much of talk about his date to his family party and how perfect she was and my temper got the better of me.
Fine, I was being a brat, seducing him to want me most one minute and acting out the next, but I felt a bit valid. Hudson had kept throwing things in my court like when I was ready maybe we could be more.
And yet Darby just fucking asked. Yeah, it was after goading from Craftsman and maybe even me, but he’d still done it.
Or if Hudson only wanted me as he said, he didn’t have to go with a date. Tradition my ass. He could take my being irked then when we were sparring.
He healed fast.
I didn’t get a chance to figure out what to even respond when the instructor who had sat in on my debate final came storming over to us.
“I don’t know who you think you are, but I’m not just going to let this stand,” he seethed.
Of course that made no sense to me so I flipped on my telepathy.
“This little bitch thinks she can get me fired? She doesn’t even understand the enemy she just made.”
I sighed, flipping it back off before going to step closer to him. Hudson moved his arm to block me but dropped it when I gave him a look.
I focused back on the instructor. “I didn’t get you fired. You did. Professor White wouldn’t have fired you only off what I heard but your actions. So what, you gave my final a D because you wanted to knock me down a peg?”
He sputtered a bit as the guys growled or cursed, not happy to hear I had to put up with this kind of shit.
And not just them, as a lot of people came out to see the championship match. I could about feel the rage coming from Mel.
“How dare you invade my mind and—”
He didn’t get to finish; another interruption had been rushing over I hadn’t even seen.
“Did you threaten the vampire council?” Claudia demanded as she joined our group.
I snorted. “If they’re asking, clearly no one’s pushed back against them like they should.”
“Because it’s suicide,” Juan hissed.
“Oh no, they’re not asking—I am,” Claudia growled. “Which clearly you did it. Great, now they’re demanding to know your species so they can file a grievance with your elders. They want to press charges. Formally.”
“How predictable,” I purred, smirking at Mel as I opened my bag. “My elders formally decline, fully supporting my staying undeclared as the Vogels and others have. After how the vampire elders denied my request to testify as the attack was against me, they’re discussing possibly filing charges against those guys on my behalf.”
“You’re playing with fire,” Claudia warned me.
“I am but I’m fucking aces at controlling it,” I replied as I pulled out a USB drive and handed it to her. “That’s my response. I might be new to this world, but I have not been sheltered, nor fear them the way they’re used to. They should remember that.
“And that I assisted them save a lot of v
ampires helping with the previous headmaster’s situation. The good will I had with Elder Ward and Elder Thane is gone and that’s a shame because next time I won’t help them cross the damn street. So tell them if they want to dance with me, I’ve done this dance. Oh, and that last file is the applause I will give them for the job they’re doing if I come there.”
“What is it?” she asked.
“The video of her power clap taking down our mountain,” Hudson guessed, people going pale as I nodded.
“Along with the files and proof we took down three different corrupt judges,” Mel interjected, moving up next to me. “Lastly, a selection of similar cases and how the humans handled them. They think themselves so much better and yet their actions aren’t showing it. Time to educate them.”
“These aren’t human judges or criminals you’re going up against,” Claudia reminded us.
“So? So fucking what?” I seethed. “Several guys drugged and raped her and their answer is to shame her, let them off with a slap for the glamour law. This has always been our fight and I’m not fucking ignoring such horrors because supes do it while some spout they’re better than humans. It ends.”
“I get it,” she said gently, understanding in her eyes even as she noted that we had more people around than we’d started with. “But you can’t just go against them. You want to fight this—how?”
I reached in my bag again and pulled out several file folders. “By taking the work we were doing to the next level.” I nodded it was okay for her to take them when she seemed hesitant. “Mrs. Vogel and I spoke about how women are treated in supe society and how far behind it is from humans.
“I said it was sad they didn’t seem to know their value. She replied she hoped the next generation learned they were worth more. This is us showing we know we’re worth more and declaring it loudly. Please purchase those five properties for me. Also hire who is needed to get them fixed up and taken care of.”
“Of course, but what are you doing with them?” she asked as she examined the contents of the folders. They were filled with the specifics of the five foreclosed places with extensive land Mel found and looked into.
“Havens.” I smiled when Claudia blinked up at me. “No matter what the rumors might be, everyone we saved didn’t become porn stars. Two became trauma counselors. The last folder has their contact information and I’d like to get them on full time for the nonprofit Mel and I are starting with a few of her female cousins.”
“What kind of havens?” Darby asked, giving me his normal, curious and hard to read assessing gaze.
“No more selling women and calling it mating. It’s disgusting and no different than sex trafficking. No more sweeping rapes under the rug because the schools would pull scholarships or the parents of the monsters are powerful. Or the victims had nowhere to go for help. Now they will.” I nodded to the files Claudia had. “That last folder is for the woman they brutalized.”
“You’re offering to save the woman who came after you?” Darby questioned.
I shook my head. “She didn’t come after me. They told her it was a damn prank. So what? She wanted to get in well with the seniors. They’re still hurting her. She’s trapped and traumatized. Now she’s got another option—a chance to be free and get help.”
Mel pulled out some folders as well, handing the first to Claudia. “I spoke with Jeremy Sims. That’s the list of lone wolves and shifters he knew that we’d like to hire. Like Craftsman said, we’re where all the misfits go to find a place where we’re accepted. Put out the word we’re looking for more.”
Claudia’s eyes went wide. “But people will assume you’re aligning with the Underground.”
“Well, that’s their mistake,” Mel chuckled darkly. “But we figure some Underground might come check us out.” She shrugged. “It won’t be the first time the bad guys underestimate us. We’ll handle that as well, so make it clear we’re looking for security and those who want to make the right kind of difference.”
“Oh, right,” I chirped, reaching back in my bag.
“Oh no,” Claudia sighed under her breath as I pulled out more folders.
“Please make sure all the councils receive copies of this first one,” I practically sang as I handed over the file folder. “Elder Harbour wasn’t simply the elder who wrote that whole ending to the decision about vampire women learning from her mistakes and not embarrassing the fine men of their community anymore.
“Nope, he was also embezzling from his company and paying off a slew of human women he sexually assaulted or raped. Naughty, naughty boy!” I beamed at Claudia. “There are a lot of other supes from different species that are part of that company and board. And I believe there are laws about feeding directly from humans against their will and drawing attention to ourselves.”
“Yes, there are.” She swallowed loudly. “Did you send it anywhere else?”
“Not yet,” I purred. “I believe that depends on how the law-abiding elders handle this evidence.”
“Otherwise we have some FBI contacts that would love a nice, big, fat, juicy RICO case like this,” Mel said easily.
“Anything else?” Claudia asked. “Any other reason you want the messenger to maybe get eaten on this one?”
I snorted. “You’re a dragon, Claudia. No way they eat you. Plus, no way Geiger lets you go to the mat on this alone.” I pulled out the last folder and handed it over. “The ringleader of it all was Jordan Holmes. I was more than willing to let the adults handle the punishments until I learned that it wouldn’t be a real expulsion but basically a year suspension.”
Mel clucked her tongue. “Not even any community service. Such a lax sentence.”
“Very,” I agreed. “And that was before the law ruled, Mr. Holmes going all in to protect his son.”
“I’m sure he called in all his favors on that one,” Mel taunted.
“Of course, so he shouldn’t have any left.” I held out my fist to her, smirking when she bumped it as Claudia opened the last folder.
And that was when we finally broke the perfect professional composure of the dragon lawyer. She cursed up a storm under her breath as she tapped the folder against her forehead.
“What did they do?” a man asked, his voice thick with disapproval. I didn’t know his name, but I knew he was working with one council or another auditing the school.
“We gave comeuppance,” I answered, meeting his gaze head on. “Jordan Holmes orchestrated that whole thing so it looked like I was the one in the video, his father writing a lengthy plea on behalf of his son to the judges. So I sent that video and that plea to Mr. Holmes’s board of directors. Along with my video plea for justice and saying what they did to me since it was me in the video according to human eyes.”
I only smirked as several people started swearing.
“The board had a vote of confidence after learning of this and Mr. Holmes didn’t win,” Mel added. “He’s out of his very cushy—”
“And very profitable job as president of that company,” I interjected, snapping my fingers. “Just like that he lost his eight-figure salaried job, no chance for another with such a scandal.”
“Yup,” Mel chirped, popping the P loudly. “And in all the disarray and chaos, there was a hostile takeover of that company. A company that three other of the fathers of those guys worked at. They’ll be out of jobs now too.”
I smiled when I felt the confusion. “Because I now own the company. I got it for a steal.” I glanced over at the instructor, whom I had almost forgotten about with all the other fun. “So you were saying about me not understanding the enemy I just made with you? Are you sure you want to play with me?
“Or maybe you should admit you deserved to be fired for letting your personal beliefs influence a student’s debate grade. Or hey, planning to give me a D on a final just so I was on some probation.”
“He did, which was what got him fired, not his thoughts,” Professor White said from the group. “And it was made very cle
ar what would happen to him if he tried to retaliate against you.”
“He didn’t get to that yet with Claudia showing up,” I clarified, keeping the guy’s gaze. “But he doesn’t want to anymore, do you?” I heard from his thoughts he thought I was nuts and wouldn’t even try it before he turned and left.
That worked for me.
Darby pushed through the others and moved in front of me, worry in his pretty gray eyes. “You can’t save everyone. No matter how big your inheritance is, you can’t just buy out every company or help everyone who was in Izzy’s situation.”
“No, I can’t,” I agreed, hurrying on before someone else interjected. “I shouldn’t have to. But I’m big enough of a threat to make the boys’ club think twice before the next time they think to pull this shit. I might not be able to get them all, but will they risk they’re the ones I go after?”
“Dirt is easy to find on people who are dirty,” Mel added. “And those who would sweep rape under the rug and allow shit like this to happen are dirty.”
I nodded, holding up a finger when Darby opened his mouth to argue. “You and Professor Richardson are right that I’m sitting on a fortune.” I smiled when he raised an eyebrow at me, probably trying to figure out what he agreed with Richardson on. “All they do is eat and poop. My little—well, not little, they’re huge really but still fortunes.”
“Your fae dogs,” Professor White surmised.
“Yes,” I confirmed, shooting her a quick wink. “They never get full. They eat and eat and then poop tons. Just a little bit of that and a tree or plant turns to something found in Faerie. According to the hobgoblins, as long as it’s not cold enough to snow the trees give fruit and the plants veggies.”
“And the five properties are in warmer climates that never have snow,” Claudia muttered. “They all have hundreds of acres of land.”
“Yes, yes they do,” I chuckled. “More than enough to have groves of whatever as long as I have the right glamour or barriers in place. That’s the law. Funny thing about that—”
“Craftsman taught you,” Professor White guessed.
