Reaching Answers (Artemis University #8) - Erin R Flynn Page 0,43

reason. Once I felt the portal’s magic die down, I stepped out onto the terrace and opened a temp portal to where a pack of fae dogs was. They weren’t sworn to me and normally dealt with dark fairies, but like I’d thought, more and more were coming out of the cold now that they had a safe place and could protect more hobgoblins.

We were up to forty-three packs that had made themselves known to us. And they made it clear to me there were more.

This pack was only three, super small for a pack and young. They hadn’t even decided on an Alpha yet—which I hadn’t known was how they worked and learning that had been fascinating.

I gave each of them love, smiling gently when they were still hesitant with me. “I need your assistance. There is a child of a fairy that must be protected at all costs if we are to save our world and get back home.” I nodded when they got excited, all of them born here and had never even been to Faerie. “She is helping me save our world and we need her. Will you be honorable and protect her?”

They were in. They were all in and thrilled I’d called upon them.

“Stay hidden, but do not hesitate if she is threatened or in trouble. She’s powerful, so let her fight if she needs to. Introduce yourselves to her and she will make sure you have safety as well.” I held out the scarf for them to scent, the last taking it in his mouth, knowing what came next.

I smirked as I opened a temp portal to where Dean White was and told them to go to their new charge. They didn’t hesitate, happy to be on a mission assigned by the future queen of all Faerie.

Well, fuck. I hadn’t meant it like that, and I certainly wasn’t going to wrap my mind around all of that right then.

Another day.

9

It took a week of intense focus and practice but right after our Christmas celebration, I was ready to try and wake up Cluym. I’d filled the reservoir the past two days in one shot and though it left me wiped, I could more than handle it now that I knew the level.

There was serious tension among the group about me trying though. They hadn’t wanted to call Geiger to the house and put extra pressure on me that I would bring back his mate… But I would not fail that man after all he’d done for me. So yeah, Geiger was going to arrive soon and talk with Darby. We had food coming in droves for the dark fairy and everything was set.

Neldor had opened an area of Faerie days ago that had a much larger portal most didn’t know about, and that was how we got vehicles in so we could get people around as we needed. The scooters and bikes weren’t cutting it, and I wanted safer transportation for when I was wiped.

“Let’s do this,” I whispered when everyone was still dicking around and drawing out the foreplay. They were worried. I got that.

I was too. But enough.

Like seriously, enough already. We were doing this, and I wasn’t going to fail or get hurt or die.

I felt the tension shoot up from Craftsman, Zack, Ray, Izzy, Dean White, Instructor Larson, Lucca… And even Neldor. I ignored it and knelt down in the circle of boxes of crystals and my smaller reservoirs like before. We had debated using the bigger one, but given how my magic liked to go off the rails in Faerie, this was more than enough, and we knew this level would unlock one fairy.

The proof of that was standing with us.

I took in several slow breaths and let them out as I focused my center and then prayed to the gods. Please? Please give me the strength to do this and not hurt myself again. My friend needs his mate and we need the win. I need the win and hope. I need some good and hope instead of Neldor.

Sad, but true.

Ramping up my magic wasn’t how I did it this time, more it was so excited, I simply opened the door and tried to hold it back from all coming out. The waves of it swirled out of me as it got free, layering more and more as it shot towards Cluym as I wanted.

And then it was done and much faster than when I’d let out magic