Reaching Answers (Artemis University #8) - Erin R Flynn Page 0,107

I looked at the dogs with an evil grin. “Whoever brings me the ball back next, I’ll deliver a live cow to the pack to eat, warm and fresh.”

And then I tossed the ball to Hudson to throw since he had a much better arm than I did. He didn’t hesitate, launching the damn thing so far, I lost sight of it.

The packs also didn’t hesitate, taking off the moment the ball left his fingertips and racing for it. The ground shook as all the huge dogs raced in the same direction acting like excitable puppies instead of terrifying beings of legend that most thought of as hellhounds.

I was dying as we watched them speed away. Honestly, I was laughing so hard, I would have fallen over if Lucca didn’t wrap his arm around me to keep me standing. It wasn’t only the way the fae dogs acted, but the shock on the faces of all the fairies.

Except Neldor. He actually stood there with a smile on his face, shaking his head. “Glad to see I’m not the only one with that reaction to your antics.” He shrugged when people looked at him. “I was just as surprised, but she can hear their thoughts, and I’ve seen how much they enjoy it. I’ve played with the packs for hours while staking out estates that keep hobgoblins or to reward them for doing a good job.”

I hadn’t known that, and I was a bit surprised to learn he could actually be nice to them, but then I realized there was something I needed to say before the packs came back. “The fair folk have been through a lot more than you all have been caught up on while you were frozen. The fae dogs were chased out of safety. Constantly, for the past twenty years by the dust collectors. They need fun too. They need love.”

“So we add these dust collectors to the list of who we will seek justice from when we are able to say we’re back?” a Dark Guardian asked me.

I smirked at him. “Oh, they’re already on the list, mate. Believe me, they’re already on the list.”

Neldor snorted. “You have the ones highlighted who attacked you in the media for costing them jobs and their livelihoods, all over animals.”

I shrugged. “Yeah and the idiots actually gave me the names of a bunch of their friends when I challenged them on how many jobs it could really be. I mean, it’s hard not to laugh when they’re that stupid.”

I wasn’t the only one who laughed at that. Really, people were sometimes so stupid, it shocked me it didn’t hurt them.

I noticed Darby ducked through the portal to get more balls or frisbees to play with, the fairies he handed them to hesitant with him. He went back for another errand and I stared down the group.

“He is one of the main reasons we’ve made it as far as we have,” I reminded them. “He’s done everything he can to help us and the hobgoblins adore him. The fae dogs as well. I understand we have history with vampires, but they’re not—”

“It’s not that, Princess,” one of the Dark Guardians interrupted, glancing at the portal quickly to make sure Darby hadn’t returned. “It’s shock. Some of us were filled in on how his family was one of the branders who abused fairies and used them as blood cows they bred for that purpose. It’s unheard of that a vampire would go against their own clan to fight against that and help disable the network.”

I nodded, understanding the hesitation better. “It’s who he is. It blew up because we were together and he didn’t know, but I’ve heard his thoughts time and time again. He would have done it even if we weren’t dating. His family stopped being his family to him the moment they treated people as food and behaved like monsters. He’s on our side all the way. He’s one of us.”

“Plus, I love you, agra,” Darby said from behind me. “I don’t care that he’s my grandda. He wanted to brand you as property and force you to make babies with lots of people he would feed from. I love you, and he would have done that to you. That’s no blood of mine. He could put money and feeding before the love of his own kin and that made him no clan of mine.”

I smiled at him over my shoulder. “I’m sorry it took me so