Compounding Traumas (Artemis University #6) - Erin R Flynn Page 0,15

conduits.”

“So take more the ‘bleeding heart’ approach with the councils,” the nice guy surmised, waiting until we nodded. “Yes, they will brush it off as silly and a waste of their time to pay attention to then.”

“Except the group of those not having conduits is a prime group to recruit for the Underground,” the jerk countered, actually contributing. “The parents will never agree to allow it at their schools.”

“We agree with that,” I assured them, gesturing to White, Edelman, and I. “I will allow the startup of this, the first semester or year, to be done at the main address of HAVEN. We have security there, and I’ve already discussed it with them. They’re willing to do background checks—just as we did when hiring them and setting them up.”

“You’ll get all the credit then,” the jerk snapped.

“I’ll get a lot of the fucking backlash,” I drawled. “But we’re not going to get enough funding and startup to buy a place. That’s what we need. Eventually.”

“It also keeps this less threatening,” White added. “The councils could see this as nothing more than after-school tutoring of a few good supes who could contribute to our society if given a second chance… Like they give the elites all the time. And that’s how we need to frame it. We missed some to give another chance to, and that’s the goal, nothing more.

“If we came in with a completely funded, huge place for this school, that would irk many and start tons of problems. As Ms. Vale said, the way to make this work is with small, controlled steps. We’ve worked through each step and shown it’s for the better. We do that for each one, and soon we’ll be looking back shocked how far we’ve come.”

She shot me a quick glance, and I mentally smiled. She didn’t simply mean school, but what I was fighting for in Faerie. Yeah, her way sounded nice.

The meeting went better after that. It was actually really boring once everyone behaved, and I kept trying to catch Edelman’s gaze to ask if I could go.

Which I’m pretty sure he knew, as he kept pointedly not looking my way.

I did have fun after the meeting. We went outside and found aides from four councils—witch and warlock, vampire, and two shifter groups. I called that one for sure.

I let the adults spank them and send them home, careful to collect all my traps so no one could abscond with one. It was a productive day and worth the headaches it would cause me if it worked out.

If it worked out.

4

A month later in the beginning of July, I was waiting for another meeting to start… One I wanted to attend and deal with even less than the last. And they were late, just to piss me off. In an attempt to calm me down, I was currently trying on the “clothes” for the photo shoot I had in a few days.

The door flew open and Alec, the Alpha of all the Australian dragons, stepped in with his security.

And mine wasn’t there because I was fucking changing. Ass. Holes.

“The one time I don’t fucking lock the door with magic,” I grumbled, turning to face in him in the lingerie I was wearing, as if it didn’t bother me.

His gaze raked over my body in a predatory way. “I would look much more forward to meeting with you if I knew I’d get a show as well.”

I rolled my eyes at him. “The meeting is down the hall. You’re over an hour fucking late, and I’m too busy to sit with my thumb up my ass, so I’m getting shit done. Now get the fuck out and learn some godsdamn manners. Who just barges into rooms not in their own house, not even knocking first?”

He blinked at me as if it had never crossed his mind. “I’m Alpha of all the dragons in Australia.”

“Yeah? So?” I sneered. “We’re at a wolf compound, not in your territory, and I said get the fuck out.” I blew my lid when he didn’t move, he and his security still leering at me. I threw up a barrier and shoved them back into the hall before walking over to the door and slamming it in his face. “I hate that fucking man.”

“He can hear you,” Liluth reminded me.

I rolled my neck and smirked at her. “Like I wouldn’t say that to his face.” I frowned and went to redress. “I’m pretty sure I have, and a