My lower lip quivered as I stared up at her. “I tried to get them to stand down. I tried to injure them and—I didn’t have a choice. I didn’t want to kill the dragons.”
“I know. I know you didn’t,” she rasped before yanking the shirt back over my head and pulling me in her arms. She kissed my hair. “I know it hurts. You saved lives and protected people. You protected those you love. You know that.”
“I know that,” I agreed.
“Don’t, just don’t,” Mel murmured under her breath. “She wasn’t raised like we were. She was raised with shitty humans and no real guidance. We train how to handle what needs to be done. She wasn’t raised to handle basic emotions or situations as children should be. Adding complicated matters without the right foundation would knock anyone down hard, and she was drop-kicked into our world.”
“You’re right, and I didn’t come to criticize, but check if we could help,” Mr. Rothchild said.
“No, but thank you. She just needs a minute to let the massive rush of adrenaline, that now comes at a level higher dissipate and she’ll process the situation. Then she’ll be ready to take the next step. It’s her way. Being willing to hurt people to get at her and having people besides me she cares about is still new to her. It’s a lot.”
“It is a lot, and she should be proud she handles it as well as she does,” Mr. Vogel praised. “Darby, we need to see the video so we know what steps to take first and who to send it to besides the other royals.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
I was actually glad he was done filming and gave the phone over because I let go of Mel and went to him. They both seemed shocked, but he was more than willing to comfort me while I did exactly as Mel said. My anxiety slowly left me as he whispered I did the right thing and he still loved me.
That was what I needed to hear. I was still worth loving after I’d taken eight lives. Maybe that wasn’t normal, but it was what I needed.
8
I was right, and Berman denied the whole thing… And I’d killed the witnesses. A fact he pointed out constantly, and that the whole thing was a conspiracy of my demented mind, clearly playing into this narrative the warlock elders were working on.
His version was a rogue faction of his guards tried to resolve the issue his people were facing because I was such a horrible and selfish person who would only help the dragons who would bow to me. It was completely without his knowledge, and he not only wrote them off as traitors, but their families, who he kicked out of his area.
Well, that was slightly better than killing them since the eight dragons had failed, but labeling them that way and having them lose everything wasn’t exactly great either. Especially given Berman had threatened their lives to make the mission happen.
Asshole.
The Diazes had swooped in and brought the families to one of their estates to be watched under guard. The move had shocked everyone, but I understood. Berman had set those people up to hate me. I’d killed their mate, or parent, and they’d lost everything because of it. Grief wasn’t logical, and one of them wouldn’t see Berman as the monster, but me, and I was damn sure Berman knew that.
The man was getting on my last nerve, and so were others.
It was well past time to stop playing defense only with the warlock elders and go on the offensive. This was way over the line of too much and miles past dangerous. People were still in shock they were acting this way, but if they didn’t get over that and we started reacting, we weren’t going to be able to handle one of their attacks.
I was glad I’d came to that decision already when I stumbled upon a discussion a week after the dragons had come for me. I quickly threw up a barrier to cloak and hide myself.
“Your parents aren’t going to stop trying to put their family back together, Isabella,” Instructor McGrath said to Izzy.
She snorted. “They don’t care about that, but just want to control me so they can sell me again. And I don’t feel comfortable with you using my first name, as I’ve already said, Mr. McGrath.”
“It’s Instructor, or you can—”
“No, not in this instance, as you’re not coming to me as my teacher since this is my personal matter. One that you’ve approached me about and is way over the line, especially having looked into it.”
“Everyone knows of your situation, Isabella,” he comforted, his tone placating.
“I can accept that, but no other teacher has approached me about it, as it’s unprofessional and not their business given I’m an adult and I’ve made my decision.”
“They haven’t? They should have, as you’re a young girl—”
“I’m a woman, thank you. An adult.”
“Legally, but a young one, and you need your parents. You have had so many issues without them or—”
“Mr. McGrath, you keep speaking on things you don’t know, and I’ve asked you not to. I had a ton of issues with them. The main one being I’m a lesbian, and they don’t—”
“Lesbianism isn’t real, Isabella. It’s an issue in your brain, and the right man can help you understand that. The right guidance, as well. I’m sorry your friends haven’t been giving it to you.”
She gasped. “Enough. You’re not qualified to speak on such things, and this is highly inappropriate. You shouldn’t even be allowed to teach if you seriously just told a student being gay isn’t a real
