Reaching Answers (Artemis University #8) - Erin R Flynn Page 0,103

make, layers and layers of crazy to put it all together. Fine, but it still sounded like an oxymoron.

And the wench really did have a hoodie made for me that said “WARNING: Suffers from extreme cases of Hangry. Feed immediately for the safety of everyone.”

I think all of my friends are still laughing.

I’ve worn it because it’s not wrong. Unflattering, but not untrue.

And it’s super comfy.

After a lot of work, they’d pulled it off with my helping Craftsman and managed to get it set up in the guard station. Score one for the good guys. The past couple of weeks had been going good with the testing of it, and we were ready to figure out how to get it into the other colleges as well.

Except now, the councils and important peoples were all demanding to purchase the system and how it was all done. So instead of simply basking in the glory of doing something good to protect people and things turning out well, I was stuck in a Saturday early morning meeting debating how to handle this new development.

And my eye was twitching. That was a new thing when I was seriously stressed. It was pretty valid. I had been fine with pushing back my first real chance at Valentine’s Day because this was important, unfreezing fairies was super important, and all the other important fucking things, but I was supposed to have my belated fun that day.

Not more of this shit.

Sure, Darby and I had been dating last year, but after what had happened with him drinking my blood on New Year’s and Mason almost killing me right when we’d gotten back to school… Valentine’s Day had been the last thing on our minds.

Really, it had been.

“Tell them I was involved and give the power part that I won’t share how to do,” I interjected when the debating and back and forth went on for too long.

“We’re trying to limit the amount of threats against you and reasons people come for you, Princess,” Iolas reminded me.

“Yes, but let’s be honest that one more thing really isn’t more than a drop in the huge ass bucket right now,” I drawled, crossing my arms over my chest while staring him down. “Make a deal with the dragon royals that we will put this at their guard stations to scan everything coming in their castles, and they’ll back us in throwing down. We’re not putting this in every corrupt fucker’s house.”

“You’re already on thin ice now that you’ve outed yourself as being able to open temp portals on the fly,” Edelman worried.

I shrugged. “And? I’ve been seen dozens of times now while hobgoblins are escaping. At events. It’s all over that it can’t be me.” I glanced over at Cluym with a smirk. “And we have an idea on the next step with that.”

“Oh goodie,” White groaned, massaging her forehead. “Let me guess? You figured out how to make that portal charm that you’ll probably give to the fae dogs to drop off to captive hobgoblins?”

“Yes.” I smiled when several people started cursing.

“If one person gets their hands on the charm, they will trace that magic back to you,” Edelman argued, reminding me of why no one would show me how to make them.

“Then let them!” Neldor snarled. “It’s not one or two of us anymore. There are hundreds of us and we can take on any group. Let them start to worry. We cannot keep allowing fair folk to be treated like this!”

“Agreed,” I said before people started arguing. “On that last part. Not the first. We’re not ready to out that fairies are back, but the fae dogs know that and won’t let themselves get caught. They can turn invisible and burn anything to ash in a flash. They won’t let the charms get caught. They are smarter than people understand. If something goes wrong, they burn the charm or swallow it or whatever.”

“That would work,” White admitted. “There are also dozens of people who have spoken up—powerful people saying they cannot stomach the mistreatment of fair folk. There’s been a lot of speculation of who is helping them besides Tamsin. And as much as we want fewer targets on her, keeping her the focus means we’re not spreading our efforts too thin.”

“You’re not wrong,” Iolas begrudgingly admitted. “Worrying they’ll come after Katrina or Craftsman now, instead of the princess for the moment could distract the visible protection. That would lead to others trying and might out our