He smiled widely at me. “You are as quick as he told me. I don’t mean to sound sexist in my shock to find that in a woman in your age, but it’s finding a woman your age in our world who will freely speak or show her intelligence.”
Unfortunately, that was fair and I already knew that. I nodded to accept it. “So what’s the piece I’m missing? If you’ve trained many, then you’re not the wild card here. Could they never see you train before and now they can with access to Artemis?”
“No, but I’ve been in retirement for many years. My coming out of retirement to work with you spread like wildfire.”
My eyes went wide. Why the fuck would Geiger bring that intrigue and heat on me just for training?
Amusement filled Instructor Larson’s eyes and I knew I had projected those thoughts. “Because I’m also a strong ally. No matter your power, you’re a woman—and a young one at that—in our world, and people won’t take you seriously as a threat or obstacle. They will someone like me.” He gave me a moment to let that sink in, but I didn’t even need it which seemed to impress him. “And by strong, I also mean I have a fairy parent and fairy grandparents on the other side.”
So he was fucking powerful like White was. Oh, shit. Which meant this guy would want to stay off every radar. I studied him and noted his hesitation. “What debt do you owe Geiger?” I smiled when it was his turn to be shocked. “You’re not here for the hopes of my opening Faerie or getting answers, saving the others. You’re too guarded and not wanting to be here.”
He studied me a moment before swiftly nodding. “I’m not here for hope for me. My family that are fairies would kick my ass all over the place for risking myself or picking a side to interfere in their mess. I’ve accepted I can’t get the answers and to try could mean death, and I have a lot to protect as well.”
“So why are you here, Instructor Larson?”
“Because Geiger saved me once when I needed it. The specifics are personal, but I know the councils’ corruption well, and your ally has fought this cause many times for more than you. Besides the debt, I’m here for hope for him. Geiger needs his mate, and you’re the key to getting back his other half and making my old friend whole. So I’m here to help keep you alive, shield you when I can, and divert attention.”
I mulled that over a few moments before nodding. “Tell us if you think the shit is really going to hit the fan. We have more in place than you’d think. We just need to buy more time before this all blows up to handle it best, but we do have lots in place. So don’t risk you or your people to help. We can be smarter and keep people safe.”
He gave me a sad smile. “You won’t keep everyone safe in a fight this big that you’re in the center of, young fairy.”
I fisted my hands and stepped into his space, squaring off with the larger man. “Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do just because it’s never been done before. Just because others have failed doesn’t mean we will. I know it might happen, but assuming it will happen is admitting defeat while we’re still fighting. This isn’t an all-out war, but a strategic fight I’ve been fighting before becoming a supe even.”
He crossed his arms over his chest and gave me a hard look. “And you’re going to tell me you never lost anyone?”
“I have, but they didn’t die. They went back to drugs or their bad lives. That was their choice, but we lost them, and I acknowledge that. We might lose some who go back to their families or abusive mates as making a new path is hard. But I would rather order all the fae dogs under my control to wipe out every council than let one person on my side die. So no, I will not accept that anyone with me dies in this fight.”
Instructor Larson looked much younger as a slow Indiana Jones smirk creeped onto his lips. “Then let’s get to training you, shall we?”
“Let’s.”
I realized there was another problem going on while we’d been sniffing each other’s butts, Mel and Colton getting into it with a councilman.
“Your aides and guards were supposed to give longer notice and have an appointment,” she argued. “Council members are allowed on campus at anytime but—”
“The guards and aides with us are included in the—”
“But that’s not the rules,” Mel declared. “You’re assuming that, decreeing that, but that’s not the actual ruling or verbiage. You can’t just say your whole posse is covered and bring in as many guests as you want to disturb my class.”
The other councilman whose name I didn’t know stared down his nose at her so hard, I wondered if he had a headache from eyestrain, which was amusing since Mel was actually taller than him. “If you do not remember yourself and speak to me as you should—”
“You’ll what?” I interjected. “You have no jurisdiction over her. You’re nothing to her. This is her domain you just encroached on. Do you not understand how manners work, or are you so uncouth and need to remember yourself?”
He ground his jaw, but keep speaking as if he hadn’t heard me. “I will file a grievance with your elders and—”
I snorted. “Oh no, not those chickenshit assholes.” I waved it off. “Whatever, I’ll buy them off as that’s how you guys all handle these ‘grievances’ and your ‘justice.’” I held up my hand to him when
