Managing Expectations (Artemis University #9) - Erin R Flynn Page 0,1

with.”

The aide did a double take. “Knew about? You knew nothing about this. You lie to save face and hope your emergency charms activate. They won’t. We made sure of that and have cell jammers. No portals will be opening to save you.”

I was itching to see if I could get around whatever they had, something Darby clearly caught on to as he moved his arm around me.

“I don’t think she needs them, mate,” he taunted them. “But ya fucked.”

“Oh, my sexy Irishman’s accent is getting thicker. Hot,” I purred, leaning against him. “Someone’s excited for a Caribbean vacation for sure.”

The aide snorted. “Mr. Moore will spend the remainder of his life in council prison for disobeying council mandates and you will be taken to a black site for—”

“Bad, bad things,” I mocked, not wanting to hear the details.

I had enough nightmares.

I winked at the guy when he got pissed. “How are those humans you froze?”

The moment he flinched and glanced at the stalls, I leapt into action… And so did the dozens of fairies who were pretending to be stall owners wearing fairy essence suppressing runes. I threw up a barrier around Darby with a thought and handled dozens of guards using that restraining rune that White and Edelman had the last time I’d blown up a trap.

Well, one of them. I threw a lot of wrenches in a lot of plans. People should start calling that a Tamsin Special or something.

That would be cool.

It worked annoyingly well because it meant I wasn’t going to get much fighting action. As if someone heard my wish, five guys who seemed to know how to work as a team leapt towards me. One actually got my arm—which I think surprised us both—but then I flipped up onto him and then him over me, snapping him like a twig in the process with the help of a different rune.

And then fairies were there to make sure I didn’t get a scratch.

So were Rothchilds who had been there as tourists as well.

What shocked us all was when Hudson—who had been hanging out of sight with Juan and Lucca—stormed into the middle of it all and punched the lead aide guy right in the face. “Our family protects her. I’m tired of the disrespect of her and my family! She’s not a diamond you are all trying to steal, but a person! My family matters and we keep our vows!”

Three of the Rothchilds had to pull him off of the guy when he kept punching the vampire. No one could hide their surprise at him going against the plan and blowing like that.

But one shared a look with him and I knew why. It wasn’t about his family’s honor, but he’d been the one to hold me as I cried and screamed after learning so many of Geoff’s pack had died. It killed him that I’d been in so much pain and we’d lost children in this fight. I knew he and River were struggling with it too.

We all were. What happened was horrible.

And we wanted people to bleed for it.

I would give them that. It wouldn’t bring back their children or any who had died, but I also promised Geoff that the Royal Performers would give a tribute in memorial for his fallen when we could. That had shocked everyone there… Besides, Iolas and Taeral who were both beaming with pride I had made such a declaration.

I was sure there were layers to that but I left it alone. Part of me wanted to double-check they weren’t my uncles or something the way they both seemed to be adopting me as Geiger had.

Which was super gross since Iolas had been in love with my mother. And that had led to a night of me spinning out wondering if fairies were like cool with cousins or any form of incest.

My mind was a scary, scary place.

For the record, the answer was no. A resounding no from what Cluym told me.

Good.

With all the hidden fairies, it took next to no time to handle that many vampire guards who couldn’t use magic like we could. Even with their conduits, it wasn’t close to a fair fight. Plus, the Rothchilds knew who the main players were to go for and didn’t hesitate to do so.

Meaning I only got to throw one guy.

Fuck.

All that adrenaline and upset was coursing through me. I wanted more than a handful of aides and a couple hundred guards. They would have more.