Reaching Answers (Artemis University #8) - Erin R Flynn Page 0,105
a way, they were Earth’s ultimate refugees. It was so weird to think about that, but it was true.
And I was still an alien.
Oh well.
Even all the adults who hadn’t been there in twenty years, or were born there and didn’t remember it like me, all had bright yellow skin with joy like the kids. All the fairies joined in the fun.
Or so I thought. It was all the light fairies at first, making me realize it was hobgoblins that had lived with light fairies. Maybe? I wasn’t sure how that worked.
I wasn’t sure I cared.
I picked up a giggling, squirming pile of love—also known as Elasha—and handed her to the nearest dark fairy. At first, he simply looked at me like I was nuts, everyone around us going quiet. I simply smirked at him and dropped her, knowing full well he’d have the reflexes to catch her.
Sure enough he did, Elasha squealing in delight like it was a game and peppering his face with kisses, asking him to toss her again.
I kissed the man’s cheek on the other side. “Yeah, do it again. Have fun, mate. This is a celebration. It’s a win for all of us.”
“You’re right, it is, Princess,” he mumbled, giving me a funny look.
Darfin was there next begging to be tossed… So I did, sending him towards another dark fairy who was more than ready. I’d also specifically picked the ones I recognized who were Dark Guardians—the royal guards for the dark fairy royals, just as we had the Light Guardians—since they were the ones who I thought were struggling the most.
Their queen was gone and had done this to all of Faerie and her people. They had no heir to take over their realm, only Neldor. I wasn’t going to vote for him to be leader of anything because he was an asshole, even if he was behaving better, but it was sexist that only the eldest daughter could rule.
It was. I was fighting that bullshit all over the place in reverse, with only men being elders and the bosses. It wasn’t any less sexist because the gods declared it so and said it sided with women. From what I’d read, men had had their chance and blown it, and the gods had decided the daughters of royals were the better choice to give balance in a world that gave too much to men.
I didn’t disagree, but I would call a spade a spade.
But another day, as this was the day to celebrate and enjoy a win. We needed the wins we were getting.
“This is like, the best present ever,” I praised Darby, wiping away happy tears for like the hundredth time.
“It wasn’t mine, agra,” he admitted. “The picnic and day off with all the fairies was mine. The rest was his.” He pointed behind me and I followed the line of sight to see Hudson standing off to the side watching all the fun with a smile. “He lost his patience that the hobgoblins couldn’t come visit and it was a risk that the kids might talk. He worked it out so the castle staff took over at Artemis today so this happened.”
Damn.
And just for the icing on the cake, packs of the fae dogs started coming through the portal. The ones sworn to me had been there several times, but there was no easy way to facilitate getting the others ones in all on my own without stepping on the toes of my packs.
Apparently, we were all taking a break from turfs and sides for the day and simply celebrating.
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could have more days like that? I wasn’t delusional to think every day could be like this, but just more of them would be my fondest wish.
“A picnic is still an awesome present, my prickly pear,” I praised, giving him a soft kiss. “And I will thank you for it tonight again and again and again.”
“Agra,” he groaned as I backed away from him.
I let out a laugh as I bounded over to Hudson. He saw me coming at the last second and barely had time to catch me as I jumped at him. I wrapped around him like a monkey to give him a heated kiss that got us a lot of whistles and cat calls. Then I climbed up on his back so I could still keep watching the fun and snuggle with him.