Dodging Calamities (Artemis University #7) - Erin R Flynn Page 0,101
bring him to justice, and punish him. But I also want you to throw the weight of your council into keeping them from just filling the seat with the next corrupt asshole. That does nothing to help us, as the next one in line—”
“Is the head of the Craftsman bloodline, who the dragon royals released a few weeks ago,” he muttered, looking years older. “And you’ve said he’s much more powerful than the current councilmen.”
“Yes, not as evilly corrupt, but he has no morals, so given that chance… Do we really think he wouldn’t become just as evilly corrupt?” I couldn’t even hide the sarcasm, my tone dripping with it. “I heard it from his own lips he would take over the council and put in his own powerful friends and do more. I didn’t need him to spell it out that they wouldn’t be saving puppies and kittens.”
Mrs. Brooks snorted, shaking her head at my antics. “And from what I hear, he’s even more sexist than most of the council.”
I rolled my eyes. “Once you hit the level of super-duper over-the-top sexist, I’m not sure it’s really worth the effort to bother ranking them or figuring out who is worse. They all truly believe power is wasted on useless witches who are only around to birth more warlocks and should sit there and wait for their masters, the warlocks who own them, to call upon them.”
They both looked ill to hear it spelled out that way and could tell I was serious.
“How would you like me to try and block this?” he asked me after a few moments.
“Push for them to follow their own laws,” I answered. “They are supposed to have half witches. Your own council can be a bit sexist, but you do rule most fairly in your judgments, as opposed to vampires, so I’m not trying to push for more women on the councils.”
Mrs. Brooks smirked at me. “Yet.”
I didn’t even deny it. “Yet. I’m not ousting people to get women in. When men retire, yes, it’s time for fairness. That’s reasonable. However, it’s in their damn bi-laws that it’s not a legally governing body unless half witches.”
He studied me several tense minutes. “But you don’t think we’ll win.”
“No, not at all. It simply buys me time. I need more time. I need to get stronger and get more help. If you are fighting them, instead of my having to always do it, I can focus where I should be. It’s a worthy fight and one others should be apart of, especially since one of theirs was selling females of all species to humans for death fights. I don’t think you’ll be fighting this alone.”
Mrs. Brooks was quicker on the uptake this time. “The dragon royals know who you are.”
“A few of them,” I confirmed. “You may speak freely with the Vogels and Diazes and their ninja knight clans. I believe Mrs. Courtenay has figured it out—or something about me—but honestly, I try not to add to the reasons I can’t sleep at night, so I’ve let that one go.”
“I would think any who realized there is still a fairy alive would be overjoyed,” Councilman Brooks muttered, giving me such a confused and innocent look I couldn’t even curb my reaction.
I burst out laughing. I laughed so hard, it actually hurt and took me a few minutes to remotely calm down. “The head of my school board wants to breed me. The bear who abducted me wanted to do the same and sell our children for alliances to repopulate the world with fairies. A vampire took me to be his property—that has not been what I’ve dealt with.”
“Oh dear,” Mrs. Brooks whispered. “No, there is too much evil in this world. More and more of what we’re learning about how people treat the hobgoblins is proof of that.”
“Don’t even get me started. I’m going to burn some people to the ground when I’m not alone,” I grumbled.
“Best not to tell us,” Councilman Brooks chuckled. “Let’s move on to dinner and take down your barrier before my security hits their limit. Yes, we will help bring Ainsworth justice and take his flesh for what he’s done. I will work on the others of the council on the rest. I think I can make it work as long as there’s a way to apprehend him without risking too many of our wolves.”
That was fair. Even if Ainsworth wasn’t as powerful as he should be to have a seat