He wasn’t going to answer at first, but we stared each other down, and he finally relented. “Hide you. I do not know what your mother’s letter fully detailed and outlined. I was not that much in her confidence. You were to be protected and raised as a light fairy princess should be.”
“The only light fairy princess,” Mrs. Vogel muttered. “You’re the heir to the light fairy realm, Tamsin.”
“Oh just fucking great,” I groaned. I waved off everyone when they started talking and decided to give Neldor what he’d asked for as well. “I was left with the humans. At a fire station, where it’s safe for anyone to drop off a baby and not get in trouble. I was left with a note of my name and with a key, a ring, and a medallion sort of thing.”
“You never told us about the ring and medallion, just the key, and only after Geiger needed it for the trust,” Mel muttered.
“Because it freaked me the fuck out that they always found me again. No matter how many times people took them at group homes or stole them from me because they looked valuable, they would just show up again. I didn’t know about magic, Mel. I thought I had something wrong with me.”
“Something must have happened to the courier,” Neldor muttered.
I gave him a look that clearly said no shit. “So what happened? What is this magic?”
He shook his head and moved towards me. “That can wait and is not for all the ears here as it is fairy business. For now, I need to eat, and answers, before you start freeing the others I will direct you to and—”
“No.”
His eyes filled with anger. “You will do as you’re told and fulfill your purpose, including what was already agreed upon so I can—”
“Take over?” Hudson snorted. “Clearly your goal is to take over. You’ve not even told her what became of her parents or anything decent, but you’re ordering her around like a servant when she’s the light fairy heir, and men cannot rule the fairy courts, so you are not heir.”
“This does not concern you, and I’m trying to be respectful because of your parents, but stay out of it,” he warned before focusing on me. “Enough. We have much to handle and you will do as you’re—”
He reached for me again, but froze when I was blocked from him by not only Darby, but Lucca, Julian, and Hudson.
Oh boy.
I could see between them enough to catch what Neldor was doing, staring at each of them in turn and not looking happy.
“I see you’ve been having ample fun while having the freedom to do as you wished, and clearly not having your focus where it should be on your people and your duties,” he ground out.
Several people gasped, but I had another reaction, taking several steps back away from him. Lucca and Mel jumped all over Neldor to defend me, but I couldn’t hear it over the rushing blood sound in my ears.
This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. I was supposed to find fairies and get help. They were supposed to be nice, and things would be better. I would have answers, help, and hope.
Not more burdens.
Not a horrible family that sold me.
Not a cage to be thrown in by a shitty man who said I would be his.
No. No, no, no, no! This was everything I’d run from all my life. Everything I’d fought against and to be free from.
“Shit, stop,” Mel bellowed. “Tams, it’s okay. Tams, just breath.” I could hear her voice getting closer and I hurried away. “Shut up, you don’t get it. We got this, Tams.”
But we didn’t. I didn’t. Not this time
I turned for the portal.
“Tams, don’t run! You can’t run from this.”
I still did. I activated the portal and fled, not even logically thinking I could lock them all in Faerie if Neldor hadn’t tried or been able to activate the portal himself.
My chest was still too tight in the basement and I raced up the stairs, desperate to get to the garage and get out of there. I tripped over my feet when I reached the kitchen, some of the hobgoblins from school clearly knowing what was up and having come as well.
Still I went to leave, but Darby caught me then. I must have left enough magic in the portal for people to follow me.
Unfortunately, I was better trained and didn’t care if I hurt him right then, struggling with all I had to get free.
But by then, Lucca had also caught up, wrapping me in a bear hug. “Fight all you want, but I’m not letting you go. We’re not losing you because you run from that dick. We can push him back into the darkness and find other fairies, if you want or seal it all back up, but we are not losing you.”
“Watch yourself, shifter, and let—” Neldor started.
“No, and if you speak to my mate like you have been again, we’re going to have a serious problem,” Lucca practically snarled. Several people in the kitchen gasped or couldn’t hide their shock. “Yeah, we’re mates, asshole, so I don’t give a rat’s ass who promised her to you, but she’s not yours. And we have to hide we’re mates because my father is one of the people who wants to breed the last fairy.
“So sit down and eat if you need it, but shut the fuck up and listen, as she’s in serious shit not of her own making. You all left her to handle this herself and save you, and it’s been killing her. You haven’t even thanked her for freeing you and then order her around? That’s not happening. She deserves answers and you’re going to give them to
