Reaching Answers (Artemis University #8) - Erin R Flynn Page 0,7
before they finally drained her. Her body was—” My voice cracked as I tried to swallow a sob. “She had limbs broken, they were so brutal with her. They were savage as they bit her. Her skin was covered in blood and it was all over the snow. She kept healing because she was a shifter but—what I saw was monstrous.”
“And all to make you lose it and out you as a witch,” he rasped. He didn’t wait until I nodded, coming around the desk and hugging me to him. He kissed my hair as I broke down crying, finally letting out the pain I’d been feeling and holding in since it had happened. The agony I’d been locking away during finals. “You did the right thing, love.”
“You can’t mean that.”
“The bloody fuck I can’t,” he growled. “You didn’t get your jollies off by murdering some poor saps, Tamsin. You took out murderers no one would punish. They were sick fucks who clearly had murdered before to enjoy it that much. Do you really think she was the first?”
“No, I know she wasn’t,” I admitted, having heard it in more than one of their thoughts.
“Then I’m glad you did it.” He shook me again when I tried to argue and push away. “You could have been their next victim!” He finally said something I didn’t have a response to and he took advantage of that, picking me up and sitting me on the desk, gently cupping my face. “Others have gotten you, love. We can’t always be on guard all the time. You have to sleep.”
“I know,” I whispered, not wanting to bring up Mason or Darby’s family.
Especially since him not being there for the second one had been a huge issue for me.
“And assholes like them would have probably been first in line to rape and kill the last fairy, steal all she had,” he explained, fear thick in his eyes. “There are so many ways you could be a prize to so many. I know you’re scared of breeding and control, but there are other horrors many sick gits would want with a female fairy. Our world is very dark.”
I honestly hadn’t ever thought of that which was stupid. I knew how sick and twisted people could be for sure. I should have thought of that. There were sickos all over the human world who specifically bought women from sex traffickers because they wanted certain races or ethnicities.
Why would supes be any different? I could be the highest price ever paid by all the sickos.
It was seriously hard not to vomit in my mouth at the thought.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry. I never wanted you to have to think too hard on that.” He cupped my face and made me focus on him. “But it’s a reality, and as much as I hate Neldor, he means it might never come true as you’re the key to freeing his friends. But I’m glad you had the dogs kill those monsters. I am. I’m proud you gave that lass justice and killed those gits.”
I stared into his eyes and saw nothing but the complete truth and conviction in his words. “I don’t understand. How can you be okay with that and not what—”
“I know,” he sighed. “It’s all tied up in hurt for you and my abandoning you. I see it in your aura every time we discuss it that your brain and emotions practically short out. You don’t see the topic logically because of your pain any more than I did.”
That was fair. I could completely understand that even.
Campbell started to come out of what he’d done to her and it was my cue to leave.
“We’ll talk more when I arrive home,” he murmured, kissing my forehead.
I couldn’t even try to process that, nor how easily he said it.
He gave me a sad smile. “Mel is still avoiding you, yeah?”
I winced, nodding.
“White and I agree I stay then. I’ll explain tonight. Be safe and take the portal. There’s too much ice for you to drive your bike.”
I nodded again. I’d already stored it when Zack and Ray had. We were taking a temp portal just off campus to drive our vehicles through to throw anyone off. I realized he would need to do the same and thought we should change the plan.
Something to text Zack about for sure but right then, I hurried out before we fried Campbell’s brain doing another Men in Black on her. I