Reaching Answers (Artemis University #8) - Erin R Flynn Page 0,15

wonderful teacher as well. I apologized for outing her. It was a hard-learned lesson of how much has changed, and it pained me it could cost her too much. I placed some fairy protection runes on her that won’t fade unless I die.”

“Thank you.”

He gave a sharp nod. “It was my mistake.” He waved me to come towards him. “I wanted to show you my progress so you understood that I have taken this seriously; of course, you knew that. But also, that you are not alone in this monumental task. More than that, there is something specific we are here for.”

Well, that won me over, and I headed towards him. He stopped at a very handsome dark fairy who seemed to be fighting alongside the light fairies. I glanced around and realized we were in the middle of a battle and swallowed loudly.

We were going to be in the middle of a lot of them, and I had no idea how to handle that.

Double shit.

“This is Cluym,” he introduced, giving me a pointed look as if that name should mean something.

It didn’t.

He seemed frustrated at that, but then I could practically see the light bulb go off over his head and he sighed. “He didn’t want to tell you his name and put more pressure on you. That would have made this all harder on you if you knew names.”

“Who?” I asked, glancing between him and the fairy.

“Geiger.”

I did a double take and then gasped as I put it together, my hands flying to my mouth as tears filled my eyes. “You found Geiger’s mate.”

“I did. I made it a priority. Lord Geiger is a good man and has done a lot to keep you safe so you could save all of us. He’s struggled a lot and the guilt he now carries that you were not brought to him as you were supposed to be is too much for one man to bear. Cluym is a loyal fighter and ally and if anyone can be trusted to help us and stay neutral, it is him. He is a wise first choice.”

And someone I would want to break free of this horrible magic and fight my mental block to do it.

I glanced around and realized that was true for all of them. No matter if they turned out like Neldor and weren’t what I was promised, I had to free them from this magic.

I simply wouldn’t kill myself to do it. It wasn’t even that I couldn’t free anyone else then… I wasn’t going to hurt myself anymore now that Faerie had risked me and given me Neldor. He might have been the best option power-wise to help me.

But probably not the best option for me. Hurting me again wasn’t best for me and so there was some serious selfishness to the sentience of the world and magic. I understood it but I wasn’t going to keep trusting it.

And never him.

I was curious about more than the people, checking out what they wore. I had at least a hundred questions, but wouldn’t ask Neldor any of them. Not only did he sit so high up on his perch that I wouldn’t trust his answers… I didn’t trust him. There really was no other way to say it. He might have stopped being so openly hostile, but I knew what he still wanted from me.

What he still expected me to give him.

That was a man I didn’t think I could ever trust.

“Thank you for showing me this,” I said when I was finally done, realizing he was watching me and impatiently waiting.

“That’s it? You must have a million questions,” he pushed, frowning deeply.

I gave a noncommittal hum. “Probably. I was already overloaded and most likely this pushed it over.” I glanced around again but was careful to not look at him. “I’m going to head back and update the pack.” I used the rune and took off without giving him a chance to argue or start anything.

It was better to leave the night on a peaceful note.

He easily kept up, slowing to normal when I knelt and took Chief’s paw. I showed them what I’d seen and asked him to communicate it with Irma, come up with a plan, as we needed a plan if we were going to start really unfreezing fairies.

Chief agreed and promised to speak with her the moment she arrived since the hobgoblins were staying with me during break again. I’d had rooms renovated to accommodate