Compounding Traumas (Artemis University #6) - Erin R Flynn Page 0,101

made me irrational, and it was time for me to be mated to a warlock who could manage my affairs as they should be. One who would be loyal to them and clearly lick their boots and had no morals. It was also made clear to me that the fact I have breasts means my intelligence is lower than men somehow.

“I’d like to see the science on that, but given how far I’ve come in business when other men have failed, I think I personally disprove those theories. But our councilmen have actually put it on their calendar to start working on my mating interviews as I have too much power as a woman to them. That is the world we live in. That is acceptable behavior to them.

“They see any woman with a brain, means of her own, and a voice as a threat, and would go against our most solemn law of forcing a mating—which is a death sentence by the gods—to keep control of us. They used a rune to silence me when I tried to argue this. They tried to force me to speak on my clients and what I know already, but I have never, not ever, betrayed a client.

“I have turned in Underground and criminals, as our society is one of order and good people who deserve to be protected. I will never betray my clients for greed, corruption, or power.” She held up her arm and pulled up her sleeve to show she had a magical memory tattoo. “And I never will. All Calloways have these tattoos.

“The councils know this and tried to break mine today. For one woman they want to own and take everything she has, all her power. That is our council and their vast corruption. So for all of you who blame Tamsin Vale for all she’s done to our world and the problems she’s caused, hear me and listen well. She did not do this. They did. They did this to me because they want power.

“They want her power. Today, they came for mine and are trying to take it by forcing me to mate. Tomorrow, they will come for yours if we allow this. I will not, so I’m cutting ties. I would rather burn my branch of Veritas Portas to the ground than allow some council lacky to force me to mate, and puppet me. I would give all my contractors over to the stores my family owns.

“It is insanity to think by slapping a silence rune on me and plotting who best to mate me off to, that it was as good as done and I was handled. Order me to keep quiet all you want, but I will not stay silent on the council breaking our laws. Not ever.

“And personally, I thank Tamsin Vale for pulling back the curtain and showing us how much corruption is in our world. It is to a level that I didn’t even realize, and I have my finger on the pulse; I have to in my business. We have all become too lax and accepting of this behavior. Instead of dismissing her that she is used to human ways and not one of us, we should have listened to her.

“I wish I had sooner. Maybe I would have been more prepared for my own leaders to treat me like a pawn, a possession, they believe they can do with as they please because I am a witch, instead of warlock they might value. I have never been more mortified than after the way my own elders spoke down to me, and of me, today in my presence, and I have lived long enough to endure a lot.

“There is one glimmer of hope and warning I wish to leave everyone with, that I have learned working closely with the hobgoblin co-op. The fairies are not gone forever. They believe that. They say there are signs all around, and this is why they do not fight their lot. They know the truth that most have lost faith in or hope for, so no one will restore honor to our world.

“I would also remind people that there are lots of us who would fight to free hobgoblins from those would keep them in captivity. I saw the reports of them living in cells and cages like animals. I’ve heard it from their own mouths. Monsters who would do such things to fair folk, and when the fairies come back, those monsters