Reaching Answers (Artemis University #8) - Erin R Flynn Page 0,46
am Iolas, Princess. I apologize for my behavior earlier. The—this has all been—”
“I know,” I forgave. “Neldor told me how disjointing it was. You’re going to have days of not knowing where you start and stop and everything turned on its head. People cannot know fairies are back yet. They would kill us and…” I glanced at Geiger. I had no idea how to handle this. “I’m out of my depth here, mate. Things went to shit with Neldor. You want to take this one?”
He simply sighed. “I’ve never met Iolas, but I’ve heard of him. He’s a captain of the Light Guardians and one of Queen Meira’s trusted advisors. You only have to order them, Tamsin.”
“Yes, because that absolutely sounds like me,” I drawled, rubbing my forehead. “Geiger, you believe Neldor and I’m not sure—it’s hard to even listen to some of what he says, it’s so crazy to me.”
He gave me a sad smile and gestured to Iolas. “You now have confirmation, Tamsin. He called you Princess. They recognized your name, yes?”
“Of course we all know the name Tamsin Vale,” Iolas muttered, glancing between us. “Our whole world does. Your birth was celebrated and—”
Dean White did me a solid and cut in, explaining to the fairies how the plan had gone off the rails and I hadn’t known about my lineage until I’d unfrozen Neldor from the magic. More food arrived and she spent the time giving a very abbreviated version of events to the new arrivals while we kept eating.
She was about halfway when I felt the portal to Faerie activate. I jumped to my feet and grabbed the box of crystals out of the drawer I’d kept ready, quickly absorbing them to recharge, preparing for the storm that was coming.
Because Neldor would not take kindly to what I’d done.
And I wouldn’t back down from this and had always planned to do it when I woke fairies.
“Do you want to have another talk?” I asked him in an icy tone as he came racing into the kitchen.
He stopped dead in his tracks, swallowing loudly as he glanced at the fairies behind me. Then his gaze locked with mine. “I’m shocked you used such underhanded methods to tip the scales and be unfair, Princess Tamsin. I expected more of you when we have been working so diligently together.”
I didn’t even get a chance to answer, several people in the kitchen sharing looks and bursting out laughing.
“That’s the first time you’ve addressed her so formally or respectfully,” Zack snitched before letting out more laughs. “You’re changing your full tune now that other fairies are awake when all these weeks you’ve been telling her you own her and she answers to you.”
“What?” Iolas growled, the other light fairies immediately on guard.
“It’s fine,” I promised. “I handled it. I’ll continue to handle him as needed.” I winced when I felt magic ramp up. “Enough!” I turned so I could face them all. “Enough already! All this shit has to end. You were locked away for twenty fucking years because of this fighting. We cannot continue this way and survive!”
“I agree,” Neldor said. “Which is why we are to—”
“Fight on behalf of our people,” I cut in, nodding when he gave me a pissed look. “Agree now. No more of this light versus dark shit. We are all fairies and we are in deep shit. You know this. If there are problems, we can fucking come to blows as the royals or whatever, but we’re not doing this anymore. No more wars!”
“Champion warfare is a way of fairies, but can only be fought between the queens or heirs,” Iolas explained.
I nodded. “There is no dark fairy heir. I get that. I’ll limit my power level. We can dampen me to whatever level or something. I won’t use what I can feel from him or no magic and we’ll just fight. I don’t care. No more wars or fighting between people. We will take the burden.”
“That is ridiculous to even consider when we’re—”
“We are not betrothed,” I snapped. “I already told them the truth.” I stormed over to him and shoved him, much to the shock of everyone there. “And you owe me this given you were going to use my being drained after unfreezing Cluym to take control of the situation and announce I’d already agreed to it by royal fucking vow!” I ignored the gasps behind me and kept his gaze, not hiding my hate for him.