Mr. Craftsman was spilling the beans on everything, and I had to go and keep him weak so he didn’t hurt any dragons.
The councilmen denied anything he’d said and were fighting amongst themselves all the time, fighting everyone, and demanding I give the shares I’d gotten to them, as I should. There were a ton of insane demands, including one saying that I become his mistress and just end my delusions of running wild as a woman.
All kinds of just fucking crazy.
Witches were pissed about learning how much had been kept from them but really, they had kept their heads in the sand and accepted too much. Everyone blamed it all on me.
Geiger and the partners of his firm had a fuck ton of battles to fight, but they were actually glad to fight them. I was shocked to find out they were as tired of the corruption, and wanted a way to wash their hands of some of it, as much as he’d been. They hadn’t been thrilled when someone like me had gotten the golden ticket of the fairy estates, so I was surprised at their change of attitude.
Geiger said I was the one who had changed their attitudes.
Huh.
I needed a serious break and brought everything I needed to work in Faerie as I did almost every Saturday morning now. My power was strong enough that I could let out all the reservoirs I collected during the week and the boxes and boxes of recharged crystals. That was my routine.
What had also become my routine since I’d been able to do this on my own without White was to pray. To whom?
I had no idea, but I had been. Maybe I was praying to Faerie to help a girl out.
Maybe to the gods to realize I couldn’t handle any more.
Maybe to the other fairies to hear me and fight to meet me halfway.
I didn’t know, but I didn’t even have it in me to pray anymore. No one was listening. No one cared. No one was coming to help pick up the fight and take the next round before we all drowned.
I was so tired and out of hope, part of me wondered why I still kept coming and pumped so much magic into this world. Was I stupid? Was I crazy to keep trying and trying and trying to find someone—anyone—after over a year? Not even an animal yet and still, I nearly killed myself to keep doing this when we had piles of problems, fair folk were in trouble all over the place, and people constantly wanted my head.
I had to be a machoistic.
Definitely insane.
Still, I focused my power, closing my eyes and visualizing as I needed to. I frowned when it didn’t go as it had been for months. It didn’t stall, but started almost revving like I wasn’t in gear.
I adjusted my magic as if I was shifting gears and moved my hands over everything, making sure I was calm and centered. I let out a cry as it all shot out the left side of me, down my arm, and splayed from my fingers hard enough that it hurt. Seriously hurt. It was a huge burst that was made me feel worse than any hit I’d taken during sparring and totally knocked the wind out of me.
“What the fuck was that?” I whispered, clutching my throbbing arm I couldn’t even move to me. I felt woozy and heard my heartbeat echoing in my ears, trying to calm down and relax now that the burst was over. I was fine and I could ask White later.
But then I realized it was Faerie.
And it wasn’t my heartbeat echoing.
It was a second heartbeat here.
I jumped to my feet, tripping over them as I thought of the rune to use fairy speed. I raced in the direction my magic had shot out, traveling miles too fast and pushing myself too hard. Sliding to a stop when I felt where it ended, I locked gazes with maybe the lightest green eyes I’d ever seen.
“What did you do?” his deep voice choked out.
“I-I—” I didn’t know how to explain any of this, too shocked I actually fucking found someone. I gasped and stumbled away when his magic ramped up, able to feel it and terrified of his power.
“What did you do?” he shouted, his voice still completely raw.
It took me a split second to decide what to do. I was injured, drained from releasing him and racing there, and at a disadvantage. He was powerful, pissed, and clearly disoriented.
I ran. I turned on my heel and used that rune to get the fuck out of there. I put every ounce into running and headed for the bike I now kept there, driving it with one arm at full speed back to the portal. I dumped the bike and activated the portal, flying through it and pulling my magic back.
Panicking on what I should do, I patted myself down to find my phone, freaking I’d dropped it in Faerie. Then I remembered I’d left it in the kitchen to charge and after a few failed attempts, managed to push to my feet. I stumbled up the stairs, ignoring Darby and Mel in the kitchen, and practically tore my phone from the charger, calling who I knew I should first.
“Tamsin, it’s not a good—” Geiger greeted.
“I found someone,” I shouted. “I found someone in Faerie, Geiger, and he is pissed and scary and I don’t know what to fucking do! I just ran. I don’t know
