Reaching Answers (Artemis University #8) - Erin R Flynn Page 0,68

make me do is walk away from all of you.” I shrugged again. “I’ve lived just fine without you all these years. I would again.”

Cluym swallowed loudly, believing me whereas Neldor didn’t.

Which was stupid since I’d already showed him I was a woman of my word.

“For fairies, it’s different,” Cluym explained, bringing my focus back to what he was trying to say. “It’s a blessing on an idea. It’s meant to bring… Well, this time peace but normally, it’s prosperity on houses or businesses that joining bloodlines can happen in the future. But lots of times they never do, and that’s fine. There is never bad blood if the children’s hearts take them to another.”

“You are not wrong, but you speak on matters you should not,” Iolas said from behind me, all three of us jumping like we were caught doing something wrong. Mostly, it was his super pissed tone that even I shivered from. “Her father should be the one telling her all of this when we find him.”

“With all due respect to you and him, but she is struggling with this misconception of her mother,” Cluym argued. “My mate has mentioned several times that it has broken her soul to learn that her family sold her after all she has struggled through. We don’t know where her father is—I don’t even know who he is, nor does she. But she trusts my mate.”

“He’s right,” I cut in before there was a fight. “And I should know if there is some disparity in what I believe before we awaken more. Hell, I need a full download on our fucking culture. I know no one seems to give a shit that I wasn’t raised as a damn fairy and have barely any knowledge of our people, but it—”

“That is not true,” Neldor whispered, his face filled with horror. I did a double take at seeing that expression and grief in his eyes. “We are all devastated you did not grow up as you should have. Cluym is not wrong that there may be benefits and opinions we need with your being raised as an outsider, but—”

“But it injured your soul as a fairy,” Cluym rasped. “We all see it, Princess. You suffered so much, so young. And you did it so you could save us instead of us protecting you as we should. But you hold us no ill will for that. It’s amazing. We all grieve the childhood you should have had in Faerie—the childhood we were all blessed to have. All fairies will.”

“He’s right,” Iolas agreed. “And he’s right that your mother would never have pushed you to mate Prince Neldor. To fairies, a parent setting up a betrothal is a blessing on a path. It’s different than what you’re used to. We thought you understood that.”

I opened my mouth but then closed it, shaking my head. How would I know that? And that made no sense as to a difference. It really didn’t. People couldn’t actually force their kids to mate or marry, human nor supe. It was a blessing on a path and pressure to do what they wanted.

So what they fuck were they even trying to convince me of? Something I couldn’t comprehend since I wasn’t like them and wasn’t a real fairy basically?

Hey, thanks.

“We’re wasting time and energy on this. We have fairies to help get their lives back and our people moving forward so we’re all safe.” I shot Neldor a warning look. “Cluym made it clear he’s mine or whatever I don’t get. Don’t start shit with him over it. He’s Geiger’s mate who’s my friend, so I would go to the mat for him anyways. I don’t give a fuck you’re the prince of anything. Don’t forget that.”

I walked out of there shaking my head. I wasn’t going to speculate over what a woman I didn’t really even know had been thinking or plotting when she was gone and couldn’t answer for herself… Especially when I was pretty sure there was no mistake that I was lost in the human system, but that was her plan all along.

And all I suffered was just a byproduct of her Machiavellian fucking plans to be so selfless for her people. Yeah, it wasn’t all that selfless when she involved more than herself.

Instead, I focused where I should have and brought back five fairies from the darkness. I threw Neldor in another barrier, noting he wasn’t furious this time, but was annoyed like he simply