“How could you possibly know that?” Geiger asked him, gasping as he moved closer and could see the fairy. “Prince Neldor.”
“Oh, Lord Geiger, wonderful,” Prince Neldor greeted him, smiling brightly in a way that was almost blinding. “Good, now I might be able to get some answers from someone that has full use of their brain and—”
“Hey, you have no idea what she’s been going through,” Mel snapped, looking annoyed when Mr. Rothchild put a hand on her shoulder, but backed down.
“You know who Tamsin is?” Geiger asked again.
Neldor’s eyebrows scrunched. “Yes, of course, even years later, I recognize her. My brain wasn’t melted, Geiger. I have to say, I’m rather disappointed she doesn’t seem to know me. What have you been teaching her?”
“Teaching her?” Geiger asked, both of us sharing looks. “I was called in when she was found last year, as were the instructions of the trust. I’ve guided her as I should as an attorney, but I assure you that Tamsin Vale is quite capable to—”
“Yes, clearly,” he drawled, giving me a dismissive look, mostly over what I was wearing.
“Hey, I pulled you out of this magic so maybe—” I started to say, but he completely ignored me and focused on Geiger.
“I’m missing several pieces here, and I feel as I will not like the answers. You can fill me in on the history later, but let’s start with questions I have now and why I was the only one awakened.”
“You owe Tamsin some answers, including why you know who she is,” Hudson bit out. “Do not disrespect her again. She saved your ass.”
Prince Neldor glanced at him then, ready to dismiss him, but then noticed his parents. “I apologize for not acknowledging you sooner, King Xavier, Queen Sasha. I’m out of sorts, though I’m surprised you are here.”
“Melody Rothchild is dear friends with Tamsin,” Mrs. Vogel answered. “As is our family. We’ve been helping to protect her since she came into our world last year as an unknown, and she has tried to stay undeclared so no one would found out she was the last fairy and do… Horrible things to her as they would want and have said if a fairy was found.”
That finally got a reaction out of him and I was scared again. He got angry so fast, it was actually terrifying, Zack and Ray feeling it as they moved in front of me protectively.
“She was to be in your care, Lord Geiger. I never would have thought you would have failed our people,” Prince Neldor bit out after several moments.
“What?” Geiger gasped, his eyes wide as he looked at me. “I didn’t know that. You never—I was never told. You said you were left—”
“Where?” Neldor demanded, his hard gaze locked on me. “Where were you left?”
“Why does it matter?” I whispered. “I’m just some orphan unknown. Probably noble-born with my power and…” I cursed under my breath when several people flinched.
I wasn’t wearing my charms.
“Oh, you know who and what you are,” Neldor chuckled. “And you haven’t shared with your friends it seems.”
“Tamsin?” Mel murmured.
I sighed heavily. “I don’t know but I think, I mean, it makes sense that I was born of a forbidden match, maybe a noble one. It’s the only reason I could think of that I was smuggled out of Faerie and risked in the other world with what else that could happen to me. If my parents died and people found out I was born of the pairing, people would lose it.”
“There might be an intelligence about you after all,” Neldor muttered, studying me carefully. “But no, you are not born of a forbidden match. You were smuggled out because you were the only one who could save us when you were old enough, powerful enough, and free us all.”
“I don’t understand. I’m no one,” I argued.
He chuckled darkly, clearly enjoying my discomfort. “Vale is the surname used in the human and supe world for a certain bloodline of the light fairies.”
“Which one?” Mel asked when I couldn’t make my mouth work.
“The royal one.”
Oh fuck me dead.
Just fuck.
“Now, where were you left?” he pushed while I was still reeling with that one.
“Back off,” Darby warned as he moved closer and put his arm around me.
“Get your dirty, vampire hands of my betrothed,” Neldor demanded, his tone cold and deadly.
“What?” several people gasped.
All I could do was lean into Darby when I felt my knees start to give out, spots filling my vision. I had wanted answers. All I had wanted were answers.
But not these answers. Anything but being told this shit.
“I said get away from her,” Neldor repeated, grabbing my wrist and trying to pull me away.
That snapped me out of my shock and before we could blink, I broke his hold and shoved him away. “Do not touch me. Darby’s my boyfriend and I don’t know you.”
“You are my betrothed. You were promised to me moments after you were born.”
“You mean I was sold to you for something, and that’s disgusting,” I replied, not able to hide my feelings on it. “I don’t give a flying fuck what was promised to you in regards to me—by people who aren’t me and don’t fucking own me, that I’ve never met—but it’s not happening.”
“Let’s all take a step back and settle with all this new information,” Mr. Vogel cut in. “You must need sustenance, and we have a lot of questions Tamsin needs answers to, Prince Neldor. The world is vastly different than before and the situation dire. There are councils gunning for her and—”
“What messes did you make?” Neldor asked—well, ordered me to answer.
I ignored him this time. “I was to be brought to Geiger and
