Drowning Studies (Artemis University Book 2)

by Erin R Flynn

  Several people coughed to cover up their laughing.

  “I was under the impression your tutor is in fact a vampire.”

  “Yeah, Darby’s great and I do like him, but he wasn’t outrightly nice. ‘Prickly’ was the best way to describe him and I didn’t even blame him because he got stuck tutoring me as his scholarship mandates he tutors any rich kids who need help—or threaten to get his scholarship pulled if he doesn’t do their homework.”

  “My word, you said she would tell us exactly what we wanted to know without the normal worry of stepping on toes, but this is a level of blunt that’s new to me,” a shifter said with a snort.

  I shrugged. “If you don’t want my opinion, don’t ask me. If you ask me, I’m not snitching but doing my duty to answer and I will answer all of it. Holly something was the one I saw blackmail him. Sophomore vampire. I forgot her last name. There were some seniors who gave him crap for siding with me against the lunatic Ward chick, but I had my attorney go after them.”

  “That ‘lunatic Ward chick’ is my granddaughter,” the other vampire elder said, and I winced. I’d been too nervous to catch all the names.

  Another reason to beat Hudson later.

  I held up my hands in surrender. “Sorry, right, someone said she was a council family. I didn’t make the connection. I have no beef with the Ward family if they keep her away from me.”

  “Now that’s the first lie she’s told,” a shifter elder muttered.

  I blew a raspberry and looked straight at Mr. Ward. “Not sure it’s a lie. I don’t have… There are some whispers the main house management style isn’t what I’d agree to. I don’t know that’s a beef so much as someone needs to be smacked to treat the help nicer.”

  “I will look into that. No one in our family should be mistreating those who work for us and I am truly embarrassed that is said of my family.” He cleared his throat but kept my gaze. “Along with what my granddaughter did to you and our community. There is no excuse for that and I promise she will not be a problem for you in the future.”

  “Thanks.” I really wasn’t sure what else to say but I wasn’t there to beat a dead horse for sure.

  “What is your overall impression of the situation?” Chaddus asked, pulling me back to the reason we were there. “From what you’ve seen—especially as a believed scholarship student and unknown he thought to prey on—what are your theories?”

  “That it’s the typical mob-type racketeering shtick,” I answered right away. “He made it clear I would be told the way things worked and what was expected of me and that ‘expected’ was whatever he said because he owned me and to obey. He didn’t say much but what he said told a lot and so did the looks he gave me, like he couldn’t believe the new slave spoke back to him and that would change.

  “He also made it clear I was of value to him, whether it was samples he wanted or if he told me to spread my legs for someone.” That shocked several people but they needed to hear it. “He did not see a person before him but a commodity. And he was used to dealing with people who aren’t as worldly or street smart as me. The average eighteen-year-old kid wouldn’t have immediately pushed back.

  “He was clear it was because of him I was at Artemis—and he’s not even headmaster—and I was allowed a scholarship—which he didn’t pay for or control. But he did. He did control both before so I think he—and probably his dad from what I’ve heard—thought they were mob bosses. Oh, it’s okay, we just need you to tell us if some of the rich students are misbehaving.

  “You’ll do that because it’s what’s best for Artemis and I let you be here, right? And then next time it’s just a bit more and it’s okay, you did it last time and you wouldn’t want that to get out and ruin your future, right? He’s got them by the balls then and who do they tell?

  “He was so sure he had this all on lock and that confidence—when not crazy and I think someone would have busted him before now if he was—comes from having done the song and dance many times. He was clear I would behave to pay my debt I owed for that scholarship he thought I had.” I shook my head when several seemed to think that a bit much. “The whole program is set up that way.

  “The scholarship students could do a lot to pay back that free money you give, but instead they’re assigned by the headmaster to tutor. So get in their lives, their rooms, and access to sensitive information. Oh, and most work in the cafeteria so they see and hear everything when students’ guard is lowered and they gossip.

  “I think the previous headmasters absolutely set that up down to the ball all you guys attend and get to speak to them, learn who’s who. I also think the current headmaster is the mob ‘kid’ trying to get out. He’s not betrayed me but he’s been careful to keep me close and I didn’t get the why when he clearly wasn’t trying to control me or get his claws in me.”

  “But he worried his father or grandfather would,” Mrs. Vogel surmised, her eyes flashing shock and a good deal of worry. “Yes, that makes sense. The estate you inherited is vast and no one else to protect you against the predators of this world. It would also explain why Melody Rothchild swore to shield you.”

  I nodded. “She knows I can handle it but she’s a threat. I’m an unknown, undeclared, wittle girl that most would brush aside as not a problem, until I have to figure out how to get blood and guts out of my carpets because they came to take what I wasn’t willing to give.”

  “I think this gives us a lot to think on,” Chaddus said, wrapping up the meeting since I hadn’t had a lot of interaction with Josh Edelman to go into.

  “You won’t get him unless you promise to protect the previous scholarship students the way you should have,” I interjected quickly, noting the frowns or a few angry at the implication they’d done wrong. I shook my head. “You didn’t check your headmasters when you should have and this whole thing grew. You cannot blame kids wanting a better life for getting into traps you didn’t see.”

  “She’s right,” Mr. Ward cut in. “This is on us as much as the Edelmans for not seeing those we said we’d offer a better education to and instead got led right into the trap of a mob boss. That’s on us.”

  Wow, so now I liked two vampires on first meeting and one was a Ward. I did not see that coming.

  Awesome. Really awesome and one main situation being handled that I would gladly leave up to the adults.

  I had a problem of my own and he was not going to like what I said about it.

  That was fine, I didn’t like what he’d done either.

  20

  After they were done with me, I said goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Vogel and even Mr. Rothchild before gladly following that same guard out. He had my bag which had all of my weapons in it and said I could have it back as I went through the portal.

  Good, I wanted to get the fuck out of there before I blew my top. Now that I’d gotten the information I should to the right people, I was left stewing.

  “Wait, your donuts,” Hudson said as he came jogging out of the conference room right behind me.

  “Keep your fucking donuts,” I hissed, not caring his guards were around or that he flinched.

  “Are you mad?”

  I didn’t answer, not wanting to make a scene when others in the conference room could hear, but I put on a burst of speed, the guard catching on and keeping up with me.

  The portal was in sight when Hudson grabbed my arm to stop me. I stared at him and then his hand, making it clear he needed to let me go.

  He did, frowning. “You’re mad at me. Why?”

  “Why?” I chuckled darkly, shaking my head at his genuine confusion. “I don’t let people play me, Hudson. I’ll see you around.”

  “Wait, I didn’t play you,” he argued, moving to block me from the portal.

  “Even your mother gave you a look that you were an idiot and in trouble when she laughed that you lied to me to get me here.”

  “I didn’t lie.”

  “Oh, bullshit, don’t give me semantics,” I snapped, sh
oving him away from the portal. I got a warning growl from one of the guards and I nodded I heard him and got it—no touching the prince that way in the castle. “I had every right to know what that meeting was and be prepared.”

  He shook his head. “You would have been nervous about it when you had to come and it would have messed with your test.”

  “Who the fuck are you to decide that for me?” I glanced around and saw we had an audience. “Whatever, I’m out.”

  I held my hand out for my bag as I reached the portal, the guard giving it over with a sigh. Yeah, clearly I wasn’t going to finish this fight when they were around to protect him.

  Because there was more to this and they didn’t need to hear it.

  I knew he would follow but this wasn’t a fight for the student union either. So I kept walking, getting my belt on at least so my jeans didn’t fall but adding other weapons as it calmed me down to be armed.

  I waited until we were several blocks away from campus buildings, and just to make extra sure no one caught any of this, I put up the barrier Craftsman did when we misbehaved in his classroom. I’d made sure he’d showed me the rune so I knew it in case fairy matters came up and no one would hear me.

  This seemed a good reason as well.

  “The possessive and demanding dragon shit is hot when you fuck me,” I started when we didn’t have ears. “But we fuck and have fun. You do not fucking own me. I’m not yours, we’re casual, and even if we were more, you don’t make decisions for me like that.”

  “You had to be there,” he argued.

  “No, they wanted me there and the fact they didn’t contact me to be there pisses me off. Who are you to bring me to something I’m supposed to go to? They can’t make me do shit so they had you lure me there with donuts? Wow, don’t I just feel fucking cheap and looked down on.”

  He winced but reached for me, acting like I slapped him when I stepped back. “It wasn’t like that. My parents were the ones who notified the councils of what you said and offered to hold the meeting to hear from you at the castle so you felt comfortable. I said I’d bring you after class. It wasn’t nefarious.”

  “No, it was controlling,” I snapped. “You basically said you have enough control over me that I just go off with you without checking and you can just lead me anywhere. That’s dangerous for me if people think I’m that easily led around, and you don’t even know the half of it. You know why? You’re not the boss of me, Hudson. You don’t get to know all my secrets and shit.”

  He growled, I thought at the idea of me being in danger. “I will protect you.”

  “If that was your protection today, it was shit,” I hissed. “You made me look like a foolish little girl who followed the hot dragon prince to the meeting he wanted her to go to and didn’t have the respect for her to explain what it all was. It was dismissive, like I wasn’t worth taking the time to reason with. It was embarrassing and I’m not someone who gets embarrassed.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that,” he muttered. “You had to be there and I didn’t want to worry you before your test.”

  I snorted. “You’d think a prince would understand more about perception. And the perception you just gave all those important people there was you control me. It was so fucking disrespectful, Hudson, I feel ill.”

  “Wait, I’m sorry, my princess,” he worried, reaching for me again. He might not fully understand what he’d done… But he was starting to understand the damage he’d done.

  “I should have had my attorney there,” I bitched, backing up from him again. “Even your mother made sure to interject Mel protects me. Don’t you get how vulnerable I am without family and people to step up for me?

  “That Josh Edelman knew I was alone and chum in the water and you go show them that it’s so easy to trick me into stuff. I don’t care it was a meeting I would have agreed to.

  “Actually, that made it worse as I would have reasonably gone to the meeting and just brought Claudia to cover me. Your whole protecting me from worry is shit as I wouldn’t have been worried. I’ve been in situations like that and way worse and I can handle it just fine. But what I can’t handle is the impression you just gave them about how stupid I am.”

  “Wait, I’ll fix—”

  “Don’t bother!” I yelled. “You don’t speak for me, Hudson! That’s the whole root of this and your answer is you’ll go fix the problem I now have? You’re not getting this or hearing me.” I gave him a disgusted look. “Don’t make it worse. You don’t own me.”

  “I know that, I’m sorry,” he begged, looking almost panicked when I backed away from him again. “Please don’t leave. Let’s talk this out.”

  “We just did. I’ve said what I needed to and there’s no defense to it, Hudson. It’s a matter if you’ll really listen to me, but after the little respect you show you have for me today, I doubt it.” I pulled back the rune to take off the barrier and headed for my dorm. “I’ll see you after the break.”

  “That’s over three weeks away,” he growled, hurrying to move in front of me, holding his hands out to show he wasn’t trying to touch me.

  He might as well have slapped me though, tears burning in my eyes as what he meant sunk in.

  “You’re the hot dragon prince, I’m sure you’ll find a line of women to stick your cock in. Maybe some of them won’t have any self-respect and it should be fine for you then.”

  “Tamsin, please,” he whispered when I stormed off.

  No way, I wasn’t having any of it. The absolute worst thing for him to have said was that was too long a time for me to be upset, like he couldn’t wait to get his rocks off… And yet he did.

  Fuck that, I wasn’t a doormat. Casual didn’t mean disrespect.

  I was so upset that I filled all the reservoirs I had in the room—meaning eight was no longer enough—but still had more to get out. Izzy wasn’t there so she didn’t get to witness my meltdown.

  I was trying not to be so upset but I felt betrayed. Casual or not, sleeping with someone should give them a certain amount of loyalty and you didn’t lead them into a room of an unknown situation for any reason.

  Fine, he didn’t know I was the last fairy but when it got out—and it would, I’d already made my peace with that as too many people knew—all people would say was Prince Hudson led her around like a lost puppy.

  Fuck. That.

  I changed and decided to go for another run, maybe ordering delivery so I didn’t have to deal with the cafeteria tonight. Yeah, something just for me, a night off when I needed it and felt so alone.

  Really alone.

  Made sense since I was the last fairy. Stupid panty soaker. I knew he’d be trouble.

  Stupid me for getting caught up in his shit or the shit of any guy again.

  I ran hard and did a really good time, proud of that at least, given I was adding another six miles to my day when I’d done six that morning.

  I ordered what I wanted, ready to go back to my roots with cheap and greasy food and nothing gave both and best for upset more than Taco Bell. I packed what I needed and headed out.

  Only to turn right around and grab the reservoirs. Might as well let out all my upset into Faerie while I was at the student union. I went for broke and grabbed a bunch of study snacks from the vending machine mecca and met the delivery guy in perfect time.

  I signed the thing to pay and easily snuck down to the basement since people weren’t around. It was dinner time after all, so most were at the cafeteria eating.

  I, on the other hand, stuffed my face and finalized my thoughts for my midterm debate as I rocked out to my iPod. I ate and ate and then I kept eating, which honestly felt fantastic after getting so upset and putting out that energy.

  That and food just made things better.

  Sure it did.

  I hurried to grab the reservoirs and head through the portal so I could let all the energy out before my pints of ice cream became soup. And yes, there were pints, as in multiple. It
was that sort of a day.

  Screw dragons and their donuts, I had Ben and Jerry.

  I let it out and was at least relieved at the size all that energy gave magic back to. I hurried back out and tucked them away and got into work while eating my feelings.

  But even I couldn’t eat all the snacks I’d brought, so I decided to leave them there bagged since I’d be back and no one else came down there.

  “Hey,” Mason greeted as I stepped out into the hall.

  I gave a loud and proper yell, rubbing my chest when I realized it was just him. “Fuck, mate, trying to kill me?”

  “What were you doing in there?” he asked, nodding to the room.

  “Studying,” I panted, still freaked out but now for a whole new reason. “I told you I found a good hidden study place.” I waved him in and showed him my snack stash. “It’s quiet and no one comes down here.”

  “You locked the door,” he muttered, glancing between me and the portal suspiciously.

  “Oh, habit. I lock everything around me now that I know how to. I’m not having any more crazy bitches or those senior guys get a jump on me.”

  “Did you go in there? I was knocking,” he pushed.

  “Ear buds,” I answered, showing him I still had one in. I shrugged when he opened his mouth. “I don’t know, Mason, I like the place, okay? I wanted to see it because people talk about the portals dying and it’s cool and I just… You ever wait outside for a bakery or bank to open?” I waited until he nodded. “It’s like that. I feel that peacefulness of not open yet.”

  His eyes flashed something. “And it’s going to be opened? By you?”

  Shit, I did make it sound like that. I shook my head, praying my magic behaved as I reached out and touched the portal. It did, like it knew I was under duress.

  Smart fairy magic.

  “See, nothing. I can’t get in.” I looked at the portal and frowned. “I hope they come back and the portals open again one day. I would be devastated if I found out I was a supe only to miss meeting fairies.”

  “Yeah, I hear you,” he agreed, something in his tone.