Reaching Answers (Artemis University #8) - Erin R Flynn Page 0,87

involve—” a man started to inform me.

And I used that term loosely as he was a snake. Mr. Kincaid, Izzy’s father, was the lowest form of snake and person there was.

I didn’t hide my hate for him as I focused on the piece of shit. “She is protected by the dragon royals and your abducting her very much involves me, you psycho.”

“How dare you speak to me in such a tone,” he seethed. “I will do with my daughter as I wish, and you will learn—”

“Yeah, try it,” I taunted, smirking at his sons standing behind him. “You’ll get the same ass kicking I gave your two loser sons, no matter how they lie I was crying in a corner.”

“You are both women and—”

“I get it,” I snapped. “We’re not worth what you mighty men are. I understand your point of view. I don’t fucking care. It’s bullshit. Tell me your views until you’re blue in the face. I don’t give a flying fuck if your council backs you on this. It’s not happening. Izzy is not a thing you can just take because you say so.”

Two of the idiot guards realized they weren’t ever getting through the barrier protecting Izzy and came for me. I wrote the rune on my arm for show and shattered their legs, my gaze never leaving Mr. Kincaid’s.

“Your opinions or whether you agree with me don’t matter, nor do you,” Mr. Kincaid informed me with a straight face.

I snorted, enraging him. “Your opinions or whether you agree with me don’t matter, nor do you,” I parroted. “You’re the only one who thinks like this, asshole! The rest of the world does not agree with you. To humans, you are trash. The humans you all look down on would arrest you. It’s called human trafficking. You are the lowest of the low to them. They have long since evolved from these ways.

“So you’re the one who doesn’t matter. You can look down your nose at me all you want, but you are the antiquated nothing whose ego is deluded into thinking you’re important. You’re so fucking pathetic, you have no chance against me and had to hire goons to abduct your daughter to sell her to your corrupt council. Explain that away as we’re just women all you want, but it’s bullshit.”

The rest of the guards tried to rush me all at once, but I had way better training and fighting skills. I didn’t even have to use magic or runes to beat them. I threw punches and kicks as they came at me and in under a minute, they were all unconscious or too injured to get up.

“I really hope you didn’t pay much for them,” I muttered, almost annoyed how easy that had been. They really only brought that for me?

I was honestly insulted.

“We ride or die in our family, and I knew you would come,” Izzy called over.

“What does that nonsense even mean?” Mrs. Kincaid demanded. “You’re being obtuse, and I’ve had enough of this with you, Isabella.”

Izzy looked at her mom with tears trailing down her cheeks. “And I’m done making excuses for you, Mother. You’re as bad as Father, worse for selling out another woman, your own daughter. You buy into this bullshit that women are worth less and only exist to birth more warlocks. It means we’re all-in. I knew Tams would come, and you guys never thought she’d show just for me.

“But that’s because none of you would have come for me if I was in trouble. I’m just the girl. I’m just the expendable and easily sold female, not really family or worth risking yourselves for. That’s not family. That’s fucking sick. All of you are deranged. Tams risked everything to come for me when I was in trouble without even thinking about it, just as I would for her. That’s family.”

“Yes, she risked a lot,” a man chuckled from my left. “Your daughter was the perfect bait to draw out Vale. I’m glad we made it in time when I received word through my office you’d set this up.”

I glanced over to see it was one of the warlock elders, two more at his back… And a fuck ton of council guards.

Oh no, I was so, so worried.

I snorted. “And that’s all you brought with you to get me?” I chuckled when the group frowned. “Bitch, please. You better at least triple that amount.”

“Oh, we are,” that elder taunted as two more temp portals opened behind