by Erin R Flynn
I had thought it overkill, given there were charms to wear, but Geiger had given me a lecture that charms could be taken off when injured or restrained. This tat couldn’t be taken off unless by the person whose secrets they kept… Meaning me.
So the four of them were stating loudly they were willing to go the distance to keep my secrets and me safe since magical tats hurt a lot more than human ones. Too bad they hadn’t cared enough for me before so they didn’t risk breaking me and our relationships as they had.
I kept walking, only reacting when Darby stepped out in front of me. I took several steps back and curled my lip at him in warning.
“I missed you, agra,” he whispered.
I snorted and went to step around him, but Craftsman moved in my way.
“Welcome back to school, love.”
It took everything I had not to slap both of them. “I was very clear that I’m not your agra, or your anything, Dr. Craftsman.” I stepped around him, and there was Lucca.
“No more running, kitten,” he said gently.
“Why the fuck would I need to run from any of you? We weren’t even anything to break up or dump. I didn’t run. I cut ties after you all betrayed me.” I wasn’t surprised when I stepped around him and Hudson moved in my path.
“I’m not letting you go, my princess. We’re not letting you go or giving up. Ever.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “I don’t care what you want. Any of you. I’m more than allowed to say I’m done and walk away. You don’t want to accept that, it’s on you, but don’t make this like I’m the problem.” He tried to block me when I stepped around him, but I was ready for that, throwing up a barrier that shoved him back so he stumbled a few steps. “Don’t approach me again.”
“We’re not giving up, love,” Craftsman argued.
I sneered at him over my shoulder. “Good luck with that. None of you are my problem.” I walked off with my head held high, but wanted to sigh when I saw I had another group waiting for me… With Blake Ward standing in front of them.
The corruption and hypocrisy of the supe world was at a crazy level that she could just start sophomore year like nothing had happened. It boiled my blood, but I knew how to fuck with idiots like her, giving the group a dismissive smirk and glancing at my phone like that was all the attention I’d give them. In truth, I was starting a recording, as I wanted this for leverage later.
Call me pessimistic, but I didn’t think they were gathering to apologize.
“Were flares sent up upon my arrival, or did you all just gather almost a week before classes just to welcome me back?” I mocked as I moved my hand over my heart. “I’m touched. Truly and deeply, I’m touched you’re waiting for me.”
“We’re giving you one chance to make amends before classes begin and—” she started.
“Yeah, not going to happen. I never received any of your apologizes for us to let bygones be bygones.”
“It’s you who needs to apologize,” one of the guys snarled at me.
I’d forgotten his name, but he was one of the guys who had drugged, puppeteered, and gang raped a vampire student glamoured to look like me, and posted the video for all to see. And he had the balls to say I needed to apologize to him? Oh, that was too much.
“So you’ve lost your mind on your hiatus from school,” I chuckled darkly. “For the record, if you come at me again and try to rape me as you wanted last year, I will defend myself by using that celibacy rune so you can’t. I’m clearly stating how things will play out, as your whole crew already owes me a debt, as I warned you what would happen should you ever drug someone.
“You did, drugging and gang raping that poor woman who now lives protected at my haven, and your fucking corrupt, sexist council chastised her while not punishing you as they should. So no, I won’t apologize for shit, and you need to be very, very careful how things are going forward, as I don’t like unpaid debts.”
“Fuck you, bitch,” he snarled, fisting his hands. “Our families lost almost everything. We more than paid any of your fucking debts by—”
“That wasn’t your debt paid, darling,” I purred. “That was the cost to your fathers for protecting and fighting for their sick sons. You brutalized one of your own, a vampire who trusted you, in order to try and slander me because you didn’t even have the balls to come at me head-on. Actions have consequences, and your fathers made their choices. It’s on them what happened to your families. Not me.”
“I will fucking—” he started, stepping towards me in a threatening way.
“Don’t,” Blake warned, moving her arm out to block him. “That’s how she wins. You take a swing at her, and she has all the license she needs to let out her psycho side.”
I smirked at her. “I repeatedly told you to stay down. That wasn’t me being a psycho, Blake, but you being so fucked in the head and full of pride you couldn’t accept I would beat you.”
She shrugged. “You didn’t. I’m here. I will always be here, no matter how many rounds it takes us.”
Ahhh, so she wasn’t updated on the rule changes, so she hadn’t been to pick up her keys or the dorm yet. So they’d portaled over when they got word I came to campus. I couldn’t even hold back a smile at how pathetic that was, and they didn’t even get it.
I chuckled. “Things change, Blake. You don’t have as much power as you think.” I waved off what she was going to say next. “How does your family like being blacklisted forever from so many desired companies?”
She sneered at me and I knew I’d hit a sensitive spot. “There are always ways around your petty blacklists.”
I snorted. “You’re bluffing to save face. There’s no way around hobgoblin magic like that. I’ve seen it live and in color when someone tried to swipe goods from the bakery I own with them.” I nodded when they glanced between themselves. “The goods turn to ash if touched by someone blacklisted from their business. So no, you haven’t been getting around their ban for being horrible people.”
“My family is a respected elder family,” she snarled. “We have all the respect, and you have none, trash. My grandfather is council and—”
“And yet he apologized to me for your behavior,” I reminded her. “I honestly respected him and Councilman Thane until they were part of that decision that let those rapists and more off with nothing but a slap. And it’s his power, not yours, Blake.”
“It’s our family’s,” she snapped. “It could easily be me as elder one day, instead of my brother, but it won’t ever be you because you’re—”
“No one,” I finished for her, smirking when they all gave me shocked looks. I shrugged, not afraid of the truth. “I’m no one. The problem with this society is I behave better than the ‘elites’ who are supposed to earn their privilege and positions, not abuse them, not hurt people with them. You are meant to deserve what you have, and you don’t. I’ve earned what I’ve inherited and helped people.”
“So you say but—”
I rolled my eyes at her. “So they say, Blake. They say it. You are the one who screams she’s powerful and important. I say I’m no one, and others say I’ve helped them, given them a chance, and saved them from what they were suffering through. Who would ever say that about you? No one. So I might be no one, but no one would stand with you if it wasn’t for the power of your grandfather.”
She growled when I turned to leave, knowing the four men I’d also avoided had moved closer to have my back. “I look forward to seeing you in training, Vale. Someone needs to knock you off your pedestal.”
I paused, glancing at her with a raised eyebrow. “You got into Power Training I?”
Her eyes went wide. “How the fuck did you get into that. We all should be in Physical Training II as sophomores!”
I chuckled. “I’m just better than you, Blake. I was pushed up to Physical Training III from the very beginning, and I aced the class, winning the contests and all of it. Why the fuck would I have to go back down to Physical Training II? I know
you’re stupid, but I didn’t think you were that stupid.”
“I’m not stupid at all,” she hissed. “I’m here, aren’t I? It was nothing to get around being expelled. A year of tutors, some bullshit community service, and here I am again. The councils always fall for the act and red stamp as many chances, as the elites want. You wouldn’t get that.”
“I wouldn’t con for it; I’d actually earn my second chances, and I have,” I threw right back. “But it’s not a second chance if you’re not even sorry, Blake, and clearly you’re not.”
She snorted. “I’m sorry I didn’t get you kicked out of here like I wanted, because you wouldn’t be back. I’m sorry you weren’t gang raped by these guys. And I’m sorry I didn’t out you to the Underground, and they killed you before you got a clue and guards. I’m not sorry that I’m going to make your year fucking hell and make you run screaming from this place.”
I snickered, letting out a long, amused breath. “You make it so easy, yet I cannot be sorry how easy it is to pull one over on you.” I held up my finger to hold her off as I pulled out my phone. “And I’m not sorry I recorded this whole conversation while my attorney was on the line so she could send it to your grandfather and council.”
She cracked and launched at me, bouncing off the barrier I still had up.
“And you said it all right in front of a professor and still didn’t respect me enough to care, Ms. Ward,” Professor Craftsman said, his voice ice cold. “None of you respect any of the faculty here, and that will change, as there is no more cheating or buying of grades.”
They all looked at him as if he was nuts.
I snorted. “You missed a lot while you were gone. Good luck catching up, kids.” I threw my head back and laughed as I walked off, not wanting to acknowledge Craftsman or any of them, even if he had tried to back me up.
There were too many times he missed being there when he should, so I was numb to it now… Or I wished I was. I just needed more time. Maybe.
Izzy was waiting for me outside our dorm with our keys since we’d signed the new addendum already. I had helped create it, so we’d signed the first copies hot off the printer.
She frowned at me. “You drive like a fucking demon. How did we beat you here? I mean, we left first, but we saw you fly by us.”
I rolled my eyes. “I had a couple of welcoming parties.” I nodded towards her wrist. “The first group wanted to show me they had the same tat you got along with the guards.”
“I didn’t tell them you were coming,” she blurted.
Which meant she knew who had given them the heads up. Probably Mel or any of the hobgoblins. I couldn’t even be mad. It was better to get the confrontation over without more eyes around, or they were trying to help me heal after being so heartbroken this summer.
I mentally snorted. That made it sound like I wasn’t anymore, and I knew I was.
Anyone who could see my aura knew I was.
I let it go since Izzy shouldn’t have been put in the middle of my crap and was too often. She wanted me happy, and her heart was pure, so I wouldn’t be mad at her even if she had told them.
“I got you your packet,” she told me, handing it over as we walked into the building. We were still on the second floor, but on the other side where the sophomores were.
I thanked her and pulled everything out, wanting to confirm my schedule. I almost tripped over my feet when I saw a glaring mistake… That I had a sinking feeling wasn’t a mistake. “I’m in Runes 201.”
She glanced back at me with a frown. “I thought you placed out of that? Didn’t White and Pillay test you?”
“I did, and they did,” I growled. “I need to have a chat with someone. I’ll catch up with you.”
“Hey, it could be a mistake,” she said before I stormed off, shaking her head when I opened my mouth. “Even if it’s not, pick your battles, Tams. You can’t battle everything constantly. It’s just not possible.”
I nodded. That was fair, but I was still steaming as someone should have had a conversation with me before changing shit. Not telling me was maybe pissing me off more than anything. I wasn’t this school’s pet fairy or pawn to wield as they wanted.
It wasn’t even five minutes later I arrived at Dean White’s office. I was pretty sure everyone walked faster when pissed.
“Come in,” she called out when I went to knock. She gave me a tired look when I entered. “Whatever has you so upset your aura is brimming with it probably wasn’t my fault, so I’d ask you remember that and take a bit of pity on me, as I’ve had a very rough day as well.”
Fair enough. I took a couple of deep breaths before closing her door, putting up a barrier, and sitting in the chair she had for guests. “My schedule has me in Runes 201. I have a feeling that’s not a mistake, and it should be. That’s why I’m so peeved.”
“It’s not,” she muttered, studying me carefully. She groaned when steam about came out of my ears. “I’m—men are trying to kill me.”
“My thoughts exactly,” I growled. “What did he do? How did he manage to get me in his class when I placed out? And why did no one fucking tell me?”
She sighed. Heavily. “When Craftsman learned you placed out, he wouldn’t sign off on it—”
“Yes, I know why he wouldn’t sign off. You know this is about us and—”
She rolled her neck and gave me a look not to insult her intelligence. “Yes, I’m fully aware why he would fight for this.” She held up a hand to hold me off. “However, he’s not wrong either. I was talking about Edelman being the man trying to kill me this time, as he was supposed to talk to you, not just change your schedule and set you off.”
“He still acts like he’s the boss of me in ways I don’t like, as if I’m his pet fairy,” I grumbled. I still chilled, knowing she was on my side.
“Not this time.” She shook her head. “We’re dealing with a lot, and while good for the school and students, it’s all on him and the deans. Please cut us a break too. We’re fighting because we agree with you, but they—it’s been bad.”
“Yeah, okay,” I sighed, letting the rest of my anger go. “What bullshit reasons did Craftsman give not to let me place out?”
“They really are valid,” she argued, waiting until I nodded before continuing. “One of the biggest problems unknowns face is stability. You know this. You had problems all last year. No one will believe, as an unknown, you should be placing out of magical classes your second year without raising all the flags. Including ones that could have you standing before a council, demanding you prove yourself.”
Damn. I couldn’t even argue that. It was smart and looking ahead to protect me. It sounded exactly like something Craftsman would have argued before he abandoned me.
She must have seen in my aura that I agreed because she continued. “We also side with you a lot—validly, as we’re on your side and agree. But as you rail against elites getting whatever they want, it could look like favoritism, as people knew I ‘chaperoned’ you this summer. You’re already placing out of other classes, three is too many.”
“And the other two have very easy and solid explanations, but there are other strong sophomores. Why can I place out? That’s going to bring attention to my being undeclared or poking at me in ways we don’t want.” Fuck.
“Yes, that was another of his arguments. So, as I said, his original motives were clearly to keep you near him—I could see it in his aura—but he was fighting to protect you. I could see that too.” She tapped her fingers on her desk and seemed to come to some internal decision. “He loves you, Tamsin. His love is—”
“Wasn’t strong enough to accept me, it abandoned me even,” I whispered as I pushed to my feet. “Thanks for explaining it to me. I appreciate that, and I won’t even give Edelman shit. I know we all have a lot on our plates. I just needed to know he wasn’t trying to be the boss of me again. That has drawn a lot of eyes at well.”
“Agreed, but no, he promised he would speak with you. Someth
ing probably—most definitely—came up.” She cleared her throat when I went for the door. “Will you forgive him?”
I waved it off. “Yeah, it’s fine.”
“I meant Craftsman.”
I flinched, freezing with my hand on the doorknob. “I can’t. It was too much. I can’t come back from that and not worry every second of every day he won’t simply forget and abandon me again. He’s not the only one with shit.”
“That’s fair, but you also didn’t see how he suffered. He’s… He lost so much weight struggling with his issues, completely unkempt, and a shell of himself. It got worse after what happened with Collins, to the point Edelman and I had to talk with him. It was only after that he’s been slowly pulling himself out—”
“I can’t. I’m sorry, but I can’t hear this or care,” I rasped. “I’m trying to save several species of my people and stay alive, White. He did this to us, his issues or not. I was understanding for months. Loving him almost completely destroyed me. I cannot—I won’t go back.”
I wouldn’t stay for that conversation, taking down the barrier and rushing out of there. I also didn’t want her to see me cry. She was one of the strongest women I knew and three months later, I was still crying if I even had to talk about Craftsman. She would be disappointed in me for that.
I was.
7
“Is it worked out?” Izzy asked when I walked into our new room. I went right for my sword case and she sighed. “I guess not.”
“No, it is, and I get it, but we know his intentions weren’t pure to keep me in his class,” I grumbled. “I’ll help unload when Marshall gets here with the truck.”
“It’s fine. Get it out, Tams.”
I nodded and left again. There wasn’t much to handle with just Mel’s SUV. Five of us were returning to campus, and it was simply easier to borrow one of Calloway’s big delivery trucks. She was fine with it, as we always left some extra fae fruit or goodies for her personally when we used it.
